Rindis.com

Crossposted from the SFU blog on BGG.

Naturally, Belirahc’s first action on his turn was to pull the newly homeless Klingon cripple pile back to the capital. He also sent the pile that had built up on the Kzinti border back there. There’s now an impressive 31 crippled ships there, ranging from a pair of C8s down to a pair of E4As that I assume he’s in no hurry to repair (there’s been a couple of spare healthy E4As in the capital for some time now).

Fresh fighting broke out in Hydran space as he moved to eliminate the province garrisons left behind, but there was only one place where I could react the main fleet out. However, there’s been no effort to pull spare ships out of theater yet.

Along the Federation border, the Klingons struck at five BATS, and I shifted in forces to all of them. I couldn’t do as much as I might have liked as I needed to keep forces on major targets like the 3rd Fleet SB while he still had mobile forces in the area. My real regret is that I lost track of where the neutral zone planets were, and didn’t react to moves on them.

That done, the Klingon North command sent a decent force into 1506, followed by the Lyrans shifting forces forward from 1001 to 1202. Since things were starting to wind down, I reacted from the Kzinti capital to make an off-turn offensive into 1202.

Kzinti theater.

Battles all along the Federation border…

Battles:
1509: SSC: F retreats
1507: SSC: Z: dest FF
1906: SSC: K retreats
2215: SSC: K retreats; F: dest FF
0218: H: dest CU
2416: SSC: K retreats
2113: SSC: K: crip E4 and retreat
0418: H: dest HN
0117: K: dest FV, F5E; H: crip SC
2214: K: dest E4, capture planet
1901: K: crip E4, capture planet
1304: K: crip E4; Z: crip 2xCL
1303: L: crip 2xCW; Z: crip BC, CM
1302: L: crip 2xCW; Z: crip FF, EFF
1202: L: dest DWE; Z: crip CC
1506: K: dest D7, D6, crip D7, D6, D6M, CVT, AD5, F5E; Z: dest EFF, crip CM, Z-D5, MEC; F: dest FF, crip CVS, NEC, DE, NCL, SC
2008: K: crip D7, 4xD5; F: dest BATS, FF, crip 2xCL, 3xDD
2213: K: crip E4A; F: crip FF
2012: K: dest D7, F5L, 2xF5; F: 2xSIDS, dest FF, crip DD
2006: K: dest D5, 3xE4; F: crip NCL, FF
2010: K: dest F5L, 2xF5, crip F5S
1809: K: crip 2xF5; F: crip 2xFF
1808: Unopposed withdrawal

2416 was annoying since it was an F5 squadron vs a CL and battle tug. Both sides rolled absurdly low (K: 4, F: 2), allowing the Klingons to retreat in the normal procedure. I had hoped I might manage to force him off of 1202 after I reacted on to it near the end of movement, but even with a reserve, the fight was somewhat even, and the first round saw a 6/1 split in the Lyrans favor. I stayed two rounds and retreated out with no fighters left.

1506 turned into a much harder fight than I expected. Bel has realized that it is only six hexes away from the Klingon capital, while I consider it part of my defenses in front of the Marquis area and planet-rich north-western Federation space. Two reserves seemed like enough at the time, but initial die rolls of 6/1 and then 5/1 against me made it into a really close battle where both sides crippled an entire carrier group.

In general, my plan was to engage in an aggressive attrition battle, and try to wear out the Coalition fleets with cripples and kills. I might have been a little too successful, for I’m feeling fairly bloodied myself. Certainly, luck went Bel’s way at a few important points, which is only fair, as the Kzintis have outrolled the Coalition a good number of times.

Romulan construction split between the 4th Legion in 3514 and the 2nd Legion in 4012 (both next to neutral zone planets, and the former in easy reach of Orion). The bulk of Klingon construction (17 ships) went to SB 2318, indeed keeping me from any more easy victories there (a few ships participated in the border battles, along with the 1st IWR Squadron).

Most new Lyran construction went to 1202, and it looks like he will be transferring control from the Klingons to Lyrans, giving them a base that covers most of Kzinti space. Also, he has a PDU and MB setting up in the hex. I think I have a priority target for my turn….