Thanks.  Next time I make one, I'll probably make up some "top detail disks" with numbers and maybe some faint panel lines to glue on top of the wooden disks.  It will complicate the priming/assembly steps slightly, but should greatly improve the look.  I'm pretty happy with the results, and the craft project was fun (which is what it's all about), though of course I still lust after the real ADB minis.

Now to figure out how to build some other classes of ship...

LOL - I found one of those "bags of wooden disks" at a local craft store.  There were some almost 1" disks that (because I'm a colossal nerd) made me think of the saucer section of a Fed ship.  So, a few cut down/sanded wooden dowels, some extra viking shields (for use as the top curve/bridge area) and bits of mat board later, and I had a Constitution class and two little "Saladin" type Frigates.  They're semi-painted at the moment, but still need some lettering.

Here is a quick snapshot from my cellphone (can't find my real camera).  The ships are mounted on 1" fender washers with another wooden disk glued over the hole.  You'll probably recognize the game mat.

I played a game (my first Starmada game as well as my first KA game) this weekend, doing what amounts to an "Admiral Graf Spee" game.  I took a D7 (who was raiding across the Neutral Zone) up against two Fed Frigates (who were the closest ships that could respond in time).  I admit that I went a little easy on my opponents (my kid and wife) since neither of them had read any of the rules, and I totally forgot about the Range-based RoF (which would have made a BIG difference), but we had a great time.  In the end, I succumbed to a dual Photon Torpedo strike  at close range.  Not a pretty sight.

Anyhow, one of the questions that came up was this:  What about warp drive?  Or are ships assumed to be travelling at warp already?  (I thought I recalled from somewhere that phasers can't be fired while at warp, but I might be mixing that up with something else....)

I picked up my copy from my FLGS last weekend.  Aside from the missing "range based ROF", this book is wonderful!

Any news about when ADB will make the ship records available as a PDF download?  Xerox works well enough for now, but it's hard to beat the convenience of PDF for printing.

You and me both!

/hdan

JC Exoarmors are too large to board enemy ships in a meaningful way, at least from what I understand.  I imagine they would do most of their damage outside the ship, ripping things apart with plasma lances and heavy missiles.

Exosuits are small enough to do it, but they're not really up to being "Fighters" imho.  I might make exosuits a special form of Striker squad that delivers a marine squad for each exosuit that makes it in.  Yes that's a fudge, but one exoarmored warrior is probably worth a whole squad.  Send along a flight of Exoarmors to protect them until they get into striking range.

I've been trying to think of a way to give exoarmors an advantage over normal fighters while still keeping fighters relevant.  I'm not really into lots of special rules, and I think I can get the effects I want more or less with the standard fighter rules.  Fighters get high speed so they can often get the first strike (if they time things right), but exoarmors get boosted attack and defense values and a lower than average speed (6?), plus "can dogfight ships" (simulates landing on the hull) and some damage buffs to give them a purpose.  (Am I right in assuming that higher attack and defense will make it desireable for fighters to "fly by attack" exos instead of dogfight them?  That's my intent.  Exos can (and should) dogfight each other, but fighters should try to avoid that sort of thing.  Just blaze by shooting and hope you can get out before the exos jump you.)

(Actually, that's an interesting idea - mechs can dogfight each other and ships, but not fighters!  Or maybe a more general rule, that the faster squad must initiate the dogfight.  Can slow squads force fast squads to dogfight?  Sounds like a good house rule....  Also gives a reason for interceptors to be really fast.)

I don't want to make the exoarmors too interesting though - this is a ship combat game, and the exos' purpose is to be the "torpedo bombers" of the setting - not great anti-fighter vehicles, but quite dangerous to a ship if they get close enough.  KISS.

/hdan