Newsgroups: rec.games.board
Subject: SFB, tactical solution
From: rwilley@eagle.wesleyan.edu (Hrothgar)
Date: 13 Nov 92 15:24:14 EST
Organization: Wesleyan University

you might want to limit that planetary assualt in some manner.
2000 points worth of any race leaves LOTS of room open for abuse.

for example, consider what 2000 points worth of Neo-Tholians could do.
The planet and all of its fire power is completely useless against a fleet with
just two web casters.  Sure, a decent sized drone wave could be generated,
but Neo Tholians never did have to worry much about drones.

For the optimal fleet (assuming it were allowed - and frankly, I'd never
think of allowing a 2000 point Neo Tholian fleet to begin with), you'd
want a battleship, a mucking big scout, and a hell of a lot of phaser-1s.
I'd take escort varient war cruisers if at all possible.  Bring along
a fighter squadron for the battleship for drone defense, and about 6
normal war cruisers.  odds are you should have a fair amount of leftover BPV
to play arround with.

The strategy is fairly simply.  Advance slowly under the cover of cast web.
move at very slow speeds (maybe 10) with lots of reinforcements.  remembering
that you can't cast webs through or within 1 hex of existing web, you will
occassionally need to move your battleship from behind the web curtain to
lay the next layer of web.  Have your scout generate maximum ECM and lend it to
the battleship.  between shield low speed, shield reinforcements and a massive
ECM shift, its doubtful the battleship with ever even get scratched.  if your
worried that it might, simply slow down even more.  

the klingons will never be able to fire the vast majority of their weapons.  If
they ever bring their war cruisers arround to fire arround the web, they will
be outgunned 4 to one.  drone waves should be ineffective since fighters and
admin shuttles can soak up most of them.  if too many get through, simply
weasel.  

in making the final approach towards the planet, remember that you can raise
the range between you and the planet without ever having to be exposed to an 
enemy weapon by casting webs behind you and retreating behind them.
i would simply advise you to advance to the edge of the mine field, blasting
away with narrow salvoed phaser-1s the whole while.  if the klingons have
a scout, advance to the edge of jamming range.  never expose anything other
than the battleship to direct fire, and simple whittle the defenses away. 
if at all possible, knock out all the weapons on one hemisphere of the
planet and use this blind spot to when moving the web curtain.

this same basic tactic will work with any web caster armed fleet.  its
optimaized
with a battleship because of the high movement coast and concurrent ability
to reinforce shields.

this counter example to "speed is life" is brought to you courtesy of a very
small force of klingon D5s.

please note.  this will not be a fun game.  it will not be an interesting game.
but it will lead to a dead planet.  no ifs, ands or buts.

now, if you want something that would at least be a little interesting,
but still toast the planet, consider using romulans.


					richard

Newsgroups: rec.games.board