From: mkkuhner@phylo.genetics.washington.edu (Mary K. Kuhner)
Newsgroups: rec.games.board
Subject: Re: SFB: The Trouble with Hellbores
Date: 28 Dec 92 20:43:14 GMT
Organization: University of Washington, Seattle
NNTP-Posting-Host: phylo.genetics.washington.edu

This is Mary, the Hydran player on the other side of this argument.  I
have some comments to add to Jon's.

stephanf@sasb.byu.edu (Stephan's ordinary guy) writes:

[The situation is an Overlord BC (shuttles in place of her fighters) vs. ISC 
Star Cruiser.  The Overlord seems to have a very easy win in our games,
despite BPV equality; she can even do decently against the ISC Command
Cruiser which should be much too big for her.]

>Let's see now. 
>1) The Hydran does have a power advantage without arming the fusions, but it 
>is a sacrifice of firepower. It's like not arming half the disruptors on a 
>klingon to get somewhere fast. 

I disagree.  The Overlord has 7 points of batteries, so if I ever manage
to close to range 2 or less I can instantly arm and fire all three
fusions.  If I can't make range 2 they are a total waste of power, and
I'm very happy not to arm them.  The 4 hellbores are quite adequate.
The ISC only has 3 heavy weapons himself, after all.

>2) Remember that your F-torps ARE loaded even at WS-0. Charge only half your 
>phasers the first turn, I doubt you'll use all of them the first turn. The 
>PPD is real important but remember the 2-turn-F's your S-torps can be with 
>reserve power. You need to decide what is most important to accomplish your 
>objective, and allocate your power that way, you can't do everything, you 
>only have limited resources. 

The Overlord habitually moves 29-30 and it is practically impossible to
hurt her with short-range plasmas as a result.  (Love that ship!  She
flies almost like an X-ship.)

>3) Well, we can't change the hellbore but you need to reinforce the facing 
>shield to keep it up to at least your weakest shield when the hellbores come 
>in after the first pass. If you can hit him with overloaded PPDs on turn 2 
>beginning at range ~20 at the column shift. The PPD is _LONG_ range Weapon
>you don't need to get close and she does expecially if she wants to use the 
>fusions.

Overload range for PPD is 8 hexes and it is very difficult to afford
to overloard it (8 points!).  Furthermore, it takes 6 pulses to do its
full damage and it will stop working if the OL gets within range 3
(which, at cruising speed of 30, she is likely to do).

The Overlord can easily afford to exchange 1 PPD volley (on a fresh
shield, with luck) against 4 hellbores at any range the ISC cares to
name.

The ISC does not have much spare power for things like shield
reinforcement, unless he is willing to slow down drastically and let the
Hydran have total control over range and facing.  If he does that he'd
better worry about a range 0 pass with fusions and gatlings.  Also,
don't forget direct-fire hellbores, which don't mind if the shields are
even....

>What you should really do is try standard ISC doctrine with a CS, DDG, and 
>FF. The ISC scale up in fleets better than everyone else, though the Feds 
>and Hydrans are pretty good too.

Hm.  Against that I'd get maybe a Dragoon, a Traveller, and a Cuirassier?
(We don't like to use fighters, so delete all fighters from these
ships.)  I'd feel fairly confident about that, too.  I have seven
hellbores to his 2 or so PPD's....

>>Jon Yamato (mkkuhner@genetics.washington.edu)

>BTW, are you playing against a female?

He is.  (He usually beats me, too, but the Overlord is a *nasty* ship.)

Mary Kuhner mkkuhner@genetics.washington.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.board