• Registered: 2006-01-17
  • Posts: 740

Topic: Played my first S.F.B. as Starmada game (KA)

Hello everyone, I played my first Star Fleet Battles as Starmada (Klingon Armada) game today.  It was interesting and enjoyable.  My dad played a Klingon D5W, I played the Klingon C7, and Gaming Glenn played the Federation Battlestation. The Klingon force was c70 points less costly than the Federation 'station.  But, because we could choose the range, the two klingon ships moved to Range 12 and stopped and we pounded the base into submission taking only a little damage to the D5W.  I wonder if the Federation Basestate is over pointed.  The Phaser 4s hitting on 5+ were not as formitable as the overloaded disrupters we fired again and again.  The game lasted 6 turns.  It was interesting playing more basic ships using the minis I have from SFB. smile . 
The homemade ones we usually play have lots more gadgets, etc.  which makes them a bit more complex to run.
Here is one type I play a lot.  I wonder how these Klingon Armada ships would do against ships such as this:

(601) USS New Mexico

Hull: 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Engines: 4 4 4 4 4 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1
Shields: 4 4 4 4 4 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1
Weapons: 1:X 2:X 3:Y 4:Y 5: 6:

X: "14 Inch Gauss Rifles" 6/12/18, 1/3+/1/4
Piercing +2; Starship-exclusive
[ABCD][ABCD][CDEF][CDEF]

Y: "5 Inch Laser Cannon" 6/12/18, 1/3+/1/1
[ABCD][HIJK][HIJK][CDEF]

Special: Hyperdrive; Armor Plating; Fire Control; Marines (4); Teleporters (4); Cargo (84)

  • Registered: 2005-12-28
  • Posts: 195

Re: Played my first S.F.B. as Starmada game (KA)

The Battle Station was definitely under-value for its points. By the time I gave up, the BATS had taken 13 hull hits and only delivered 5 to the D5.  It was a one-sided battle, and, IMO, the most waste of points were probably in the Photon Torpedo weaponry which had very little effect.

The Phaser-4s should have a 4+ ACC instead of 5+; with 5+ they're not all that threatening.   

Also, the BATS could use Armored Hull; all stations in SFB had armor.  Cutting down the the amount of hull damage by 1/3rd would make the station last longer and also represent how much bigger they are and many hits would be of little consequence.

  • Registered: 2005-06-08
  • Posts: 760

Re: Played my first S.F.B. as Starmada game (KA)

You do not mention that the battle station gets to re-roll misses (page 27), that made no difference?

Paul

  • Registered: 2005-12-28
  • Posts: 195

Re: Played my first S.F.B. as Starmada game (KA)

Well, learn something new every day.

Never even used that rule as I didn't even know about it.

But I doubt it would make much of a difference, perhaps maybe cripple the D5; the combat was pretty one-sided.

  • Registered: 2011-06-08
  • Posts: 40

Re: Played my first S.F.B. as Starmada game (KA)

Phaser-4s have Range-Based ROF as well, a Range of 24(!) and ROF 3(!!). So by sitting at Range 12, you're at Medium range for the Ph-4s, so they double their ROF to 6. 5 Ph-4s should be able to fire in any arc, so that's around 30 shots per turn with re-rolls at 5+... Should be doing some damage, I should think...