Rindis.com

Crossposted from the SFU blog on BGG

With the Romulans going for a couple turns of peace, the Federation gets to decide where the war goes next during the Alliance half of Turn 10. A couple years ago, I knew I was putting the Federation on a full wartime footing, removing the limitations on construction, and doing what I could to disrupt the Klingon border.

When we got the game going again, I pondered the wisdom of this. The Gorn navy is small, but good quality, and I was starting to look at the Romulan navy with a lot of trepidation. I need all the help I can get against that. Letting the Gorns sit out the war seemed like a bad idea.

But, I did it anyway. With the Hydrans finally off their capital, this is the last chance I’ve got to hurt the Klingon Empire before ships from that front start showing up on the Federation border. Last turn I had set up to be able to hit the Northern Reserve starbase; the Klingons then sent a lot of ships to 1407 (only two hexes away), and established two reserves there, which complicated things.

Base F&E, without any expansions, only sees modest changes in ship types during the war. However, Turn 10 effectively marks the beginning of the ‘CVA era’. The Federation actually builds the first carrier based on a dreadnought hull—a heavy carrier, or CVA—on turn 6. But on turn 10 the Kzintis adopt the idea, and the number of CVAs doubles from 2 (the turn 6 and 8 Fed carriers) to 4 (the Fed turn 10 carrier, and the first Kzinti one). In two turns, the Klingons will join in on the fun. (The Hydrans can also build/convert a CVA this turn, but are often otherwise occupied, and my Hydrans are out of DNs.)

Finally unchained from various production restrictions, the Federation went from a stored treasury of 90 EPs to having 54 left after production. They built a new CVA, converted a CA to a CVS, built a FFV, and a heavy carrier pod; that’s a lot of fighters to pay for (24 in fact)! In addition, they deployed 5 new PDUs (all outside the capital; I need to work on that) and a FRD.

Movement was complicated by the fact that I not only needed to pin the Klingon reserves, but the rest of the ships as well, and the Kzinti navy was just capable of doing it. Bel reacted aggressively, trying to keep me out of the hex, and the old Kzinti/Klingon border erupted in a series of battles. Then the Fed 4th Fleet and Battle Group MacArthur went in for the SB.

In Hydran space, I pinned the forces near the Old Colonies so the main fleet could get back in range, and in supply for combat.

Kzinti theater.

Operation “Contain Aggression”

Occupied Hydran space…

Battles:
1304: SSC: K: crip D6 & retreat
1705: SSC: F: retreat; K: dest F5
1808: SSC: K: dest F5
1407: Z: dest SF; K: crip 3xD5
1809: F: crip 2xFF; K: dest BATS
1406: Z: crip CM
1811: F: crip FF; K: dest BATS
1606: Z: crip CM, SF; K: dest D5, E4
2215: K: dest BATS
1507: K: dest D5, F5L
2416: F: crip FFE; K: dest BATS
0218: L: dest cripCW; K: dest cripD6D
2517: F: crip 2xNCL; K: dest BATS
0119: H: crip DG; L: dest DWE
2518: K: 4xPDU, planet captured
1509: K: dest SB, FRD, stored PDU

Much of the Klingon border is now disrupted, and I’ve basically opened a mini-front with the capture of major planet 2518. I’d like to press on and take out the other bases in the area, but I figure the area will draw a lot of Klingon reinforcements which will at least stalemate me.

But it should sure draw attention away from elsewhere….

Outside of that area, the Federation has mostly pulled back to the border. They put the third CVA into the 6th Fleet Reserve (which means it’s permanently part of that fleet until it is released), and overall just more ships near the Romulan border than the Romulans built, but most construction went to the Klingon border. The Kzintis are attempting to place a new PDU on 1402, and have moved a spare Mobile Base from the Barony to 1704 (from where it will presumably go to a new destination next turn…).

Turn 10 is also the start of the scenarios that have a regular scoring mechanism that could be applied at the end of any full turn since the same scoring is used for every scenario from now on. It checks (non-exhausted) economic income, existing bases, and ship numbers, and if capitials have been captured.

At this moment it says:
Coalition: 290 EP (x2) + 355 (bases) + 337 ships (/5) + 100 (Hydran Capital) = 1102.4
Alliance: 329.4 EP (x2) + 520 (bases) + 427 ships (/5) = 1264.2

This gives a difference of 161.8, which is an Alliance Tactical Victory. But, the Coalition totals don’t include the Romulans, as they are at peace, and when they come in there will be a major swing in points. Also, I expect the Federation to lose a number of bases, which will also erode that score.