First Published Game with Barret!

With no D&D to occupy my Tuesday evenings for the time being, I was able to get in some more Star Trek. Saturday after the tournament Barret had asked me about a brand new Federation list he had been working on, so I decided to test it with him. Rather than running Crazy Janeway's Torpedo Punch, I ran a list about as close to MSU/MSA as one can get. By it's very nature, it had me trying out some brand-new combinations myself, including one that worked surprisingly well...

We set up using a 4x4 board (which we would later come to regret), with a planet in the middle and the other obstructions placed according to tournament rules. Deployment also followed those rules.

LISTS:
That Nova is a Pain: [99]

• U.S.S. Enterprise-D + Jean Luc Picard + Geordi LaForge + Mr. Spock + Photon Torpedoes (5 pt. version)
• U.S.S. Enterprise + Kathryn Janeway
• U.S.S. Equinox + William T. Riker

Torpedoman, EXCELSIOR!: (Played by Barret) [101]

• U.S.S. Excelsior + Hikaru Sulu (Capt.) + Lojur + Photon Torpedoes (5 pt. version) + Transwarp Drive
• U.S.S. Enterprise-D + William T. Riker
• U.S.S. Reliant + Jean-Luc Picard + Dmitri Valtane

I became aware of the points illegality only now, when I reconstructed his list on the list builder...I'll let him know next time I see him, though as he reads the blog he should find out long before that.

BATTLE REPORT:

The ships approach each other from opposite sides of the planet, neither willing to dive in head-first...

The Enterprise and Equinox keep easy pace with one another around the planet. Every other ship swings wide.

The Enterprise belonging to Picard leaps in, eager to begin the fight, while the rest of the ships continue to laze around in orbit.

Long-range phase fire from the Enterprise damages the Excelsior, but not enough to prevent the older ship from firing back.

Picard's Enterprise is stuck by a furious fusillade from all three ships, including a heavy torpedo strike from the Excelsior.

As the two smaller ships finally maneuver around the planet, A follow-up torpedo volley from the Excelsior takes down the Enterprise-D!

Destruction of the Galaxy-class completed, the ships make a break for it, but the Constitution-class focuses its sensors on a long-range phaser strike that finishes off the Reliant.

More long range phaser bursts from Janeway's Constitution-class do minor damage to Riker's Enterprise, but Riker finds himself out of range for a return shot.

Choosing to chase down the more-wounded Excelsior, rather than follow Riker's diversionary tactics, the Equinox and the Enterprise close in on the torpedo ship, exchanging long range phasers from Janeway with a moderate hit from Sulu's torpedoes.

Both small ships get the less maneuverable Excelsior withing close range and unleash a barrage of fire, destroying Sulu's vessel before he could unleash any more torpedoes.

The ships, all of them wounded, begin the slow flight back to engagement distance.

Riker in the Equinox decides to head off the Enterprise-D at the planet, allowing Janeway time to affect repairs and recharge the Enterprise's batteries.

The two Rikers continue their slow march, while Janeway prepares to return to the fight.

The opposing ships take long-range evasive actions, avoiding damage, while the Constitution-class ship makes a hard turn to re-engage.

The Rikers face each other off at medium range, the wide-angle phaser banks allowing he Enterprise-D to keep the more agile Nova-class in its gunsights. Janeway continues her aging ship's slow march.

Riker dives in front of the larger ship, forcing it into evasive actions, as Janeway dives in, taking evasive actions herself.

A wounded Enterprise-D limp out of the firing arcs of the opposing ships, delaying combat for a bit.

The smaller ships angle back towards the Galaxy-class, eager to continue the fight. Janeway get a few highly-accurate shots off into the Enterprise-D, while Riker fires for effect.

The Equinox closes distance, trying to draw fire from the weakened Constitution-class, and avoids the debris field. Janeway continues to pour accurate fire onto the Enterprise-D. Riker's turret finds a few marks onto the Equinox, but its shields seem to recharge as fast as they take damage.

Both small ships finally get the drop on the severely wounded Galaxy-class, taking it down before Riker has a chance to fight back.

ANALYSIS:
Boy, oh boy, do we need to start playing on a 3x3. Those long turns of nothing but moving get old quickly. Though Barret splitting his ships up after my Galaxy exploded did delay the fiht for a few turns down the road.

The Excelsior's build turned out to be as good as we thought, though there's still room for improvement. Maximizing the hit dice available when firing torpedoes twice in a row is essential to taking ships out before they can fire back. I'd suggest moving Picard to the Excelsior, and taking Scotty or Tuvok, in exchange for the Transwarp Drive. While nifty, the ship generally doesn't need to move that quickly to ensure good shots with the torpedoes. Picard can ensure both a target lock and a battlestation or scan token in the same turn; bonus points if the Excelsior is far enough away to receive scan as a free action, because then Picard could ensure a battlestation or evade, in addition to the target lock and the scan.

Janeway on a blank Enterprise was surprisingly good. Janeway is very good at making ships stress out, and with the ship being able to still take actions, all that happens is reduced maneverability. Stick Chekov on it, and maybe someone to improve the primary attack dice, and you've got an interesting build.

I will say though, I really don't like not having a lot of hit dice to throw at my opponents. It doesn't need to be as heavy as Crazy Janeway's Torpedo Punch, but I wouldn't liked it to be a little higher. The two from the Nova is terrible, and even the three from the Constitution is not a lot. I just feel that, the entire game, I wasn't ever getting decent hits in, even when rolling well.