It is to defend against threats like this that all Bases may want to consider having a... cloaking device(!)
When these accelerating ships are 31 hexes away, the base can go into cloak the next turn and when the swarm arives, there is nothing to shoot at <LOL>.  Any thoughts?

Again, a message from the Uncle Steve Admiralty:  "...Eeeekkk!!!..." <LOL>

My guess is that the to hit number required is based on the hex that is in the center of the area off effect; the target hex.  This would be because the weapon seems to detonate there and any attacks on ships closer to the firing ship come from that hex. Note that these AoE attacks may hit a shield not facing the firing ship.  For those with faceted shields this can come as a suprise...
Also, a weapon with a miximum range of 15 could hit ships that are 16 hexes away with Area of Effect.  Given the cost of such a weapon ability, this is not unreasonable. 8-)

Upon viewing this information, the  SJG-Fleet's  Star Command HQ had one reply:
"Eeeeekkkk!!!!!" <LOL> 

Groan!  My nephew is very creative and very resourseful...
When we play, it is rare for him to lose.  I admire his designing ability, and have watched my ships get pulverized over half the time by his ships.
Never-the-less, Bravo!!! 8-)

Hmmm,
I will have to see of my other Florida Starmada Gamers want to limit maximum range to 18 hexes for starships.  We can reserve the 24 and 30 hex range for immobile spacestations.  This would parallel the long range of Phaser Fours in Star Fleet Battles.
I would be fine with this change. 8-)

Wow!
Thoughts?
I would not attack a planet protected with one of these, but would blockade it. 
Or I would take a lot of small ships with short range weapons and 5 pts of screens that would face the station.  Since this station won't move, build up speed from a distance and make sure that when you are 31 hexes away that you are going speed 30 and then move from out of range to very close.  And then blast away with these cheap ships with short range weapons.  It could work.  8-) 
Stations are more vulnerable to this type of attack than ships which can move....

It almost seems as if the game is getting a little more complex.  I have not been able to play in a while, but all of this new stuff such as dual mode, ignores shields and some of the other stuff almost gives me a head ache.   
I have just gotten two copies of Klingon Armada.  I will have to look thru it carefully and see if I can make sense of these new options... :oops:

If this option of shields of 6, 7, & 8 becomes reality, will their be a parallel option of alocating more than 5 points of screens to a facing?  My BBs use screens.  8-) 
This is one reason I like range 30 weapons.  I can keep hostile ships at middle range, from 15 to 20 hexes away and it is easier to have screens protect my capital ships at that range.
Also my range 20, w/caronade, AA weapons chew up fighters long b4 most of them can launch any attack.  :!:

The idea of expandes shields has merrit when you consider that weapons can have a modifier of Piercing +3.  Thus, even level eight shields wound be pierced 1/6 th of the time.  BTW, I think that as long as Piercing +3 weapons can exist, the higher level shields are NOT cost effective.
In the games we play at Gaming Glenn's store in S. Fla., we have banned Piercing +3.  We agreed on this because shields become almost useless when they encounter weapons with this weapon ability.  Level 5 shields were penetrated 2/3 of the time, and were no longer cost effective.  My Navy-style ships have some weapons with piercing +2 (The heavy guns) and some that have no piercing, incase someone comes in w/o shields.  These ones are also used for AA fire. :geek:
Here is an example of one of my Tech Zero capital ships:

(700) USS California
 
Hull: 25 24 23 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1     
Engines: 5 5 5 5 5 4 4 4 4 4 3 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1     
Screens: 10 10 10 9 9 8 8 8 7 7 6 6 6 5 5 4 4 4 3 3 2 2 2 1 1     
Weapons: 1:X 2:Y 3: 4: 5: 6:
 
X: "14 Inch Particle Cannon"  10/20/30, 1/3+/1/3
Piercing +2; Starship-exclusive
[GHIJK][GHIJK][HIJKL][HIJKL] 
 
Y: "5 Inch Laser Cannon"  10/20/-, 1/3+/1/1
Carronade; Range-Based ROF
[HIJK][HIJK] 
 
Special: Hyperdrive; Armor Plating; Marines (11); Teleporters (8)

These are the type of ships that Gaming Glenn and I face when we play against my nephew.   
These ships seem unstopable.  Hopefully keeping everyone at tech Zero will limit things like this.   
BTW, we are playing Starmada this Friday July 31st at Noon at Gaming Glenn's store in Davie, Florida (west of Fort Lauderdale)
All are welcome