Rindis.com

Crossposted from the SFU blog on BGG.

After two turns of picking on the Klingon Empire, it’s time to face the music. The Romulans are done with two turns of peace, and have gone over to a Wartime footing.

I’m not entirely sure if going to Peacetime was a good idea or not. Forgoing Romulan involvement for two turns has hurt the Klingons a lot. On the other hand, it forced my hand, and the Gorns will not be involved, letting the Romulans focus on the Federation. Also, two turns of peace delays economic exhaustion three turns, so we’re even further away from Romulan economic collapse. Since they are usually the weak link of the Coalition, shoring up their position could really pay off.

At any rate, Romulan fleets came across the border, hitting three border stations, one interior BATS, the 6th Fleet SB, an adjacent planet (and both neutral zone planets), as well as forcing the Orion Enclave neutral, though they stayed out of range of the 5th Fleet Reserve.

The Romulan invasion begins.

Battles along the Klingon-Federation Neutral Zone.

Kzinti space.

Battles:
3212: Fed: dest BATS, crip FF; Rom: crip 3xSP
3612: Rom: dest K4
3611: Fed: dest CL, DE, FFE, crip 2xCC, NEC, NCD, DD, DE, 3xFF, 5xSIDS; Rom: dest CON, KR, 3xSP, SK, SKF, 8xWE, K5L, 2xK5, 3xSNB, SN, crip 2xK7R, KR, SP, SK, FAL
3810: Fed: dest BATS; Rom: dest SK, crip 2xSK
3912: Neutral: 2xPDU; Rom: crip WE, capture planet
3415: Neutral: 2xPDU; Rom: crip WE, capture planet
3414: Fed: dest BATS
3215: Fed: dest BATS; Rom: crip 2xSN
0117: Hydran: dest LB, crip RN; Lyran: dest STT, crip BC
0116: SSC: Hydran retreat
0803: SSC: Kzinti: dest 2xFF
1303: SSC: Kzinti dest CL; Klingon: retreat
1001: Kzinti: crip SF; Lyran: crip BC, 2xCL
1105: Klingon: dest 2xE4A
1107: SSC: Kzinti: retreat
1803: Kzinti: crip 2xCL; Klingon: dest F5, E4, crip D7C, D5
1704: Klingon: dest D5, F5E
1805: Fed: crip NCL, FF; Klingon: dest D5
1514: SSC: Fed: dest FF; Klingon: crip E4
1714: Klingon: dest D7C
2615: Fed: dest BATS, crip 3xFF; Klingon: dest 2xE4, crip D7, D5
2417: SSC: Fed: dest CL
2518: Fed: crip FF; Klingon: dest 2xF5, crip F5
1811: SSC: Fed: crip DD, retreat; Klingon: dest D5, crip D5, retreat
2012: Klingon: dest D7, crip D7
2010: Fed: crip NCL; Klingon: dest D7, FV, E4A
1609: SSC: Fed: dest FF; Klingon: crip D7, retreat
1708: SSC: Kzinti: dest CL
1808: SSC: Fed: retreat
1909: Fed: crip 4xFF
1807: Fed: crip NCD; Klingon: dest 2xE4

In general, the higher quality Romulan ships are a problem, but they weren’t enough help at the 6th Fleet SB fight where I had a CVA and CVB on the line to help boost ComPot, along with multiple CCs (initial Federation ComPot was 155, including the SB and some drone bombardment). The SB fight went seven rounds, with the Federation outrolling the Romulans overall (we had a couple 6-6 rounds), which along with killing the only scout in the first round made sure I could hold the hex, though the 6th Fleet is going to need a lot of help next turn.

I sent a reserve to 1105 to save it from a small Klingon force; Bel put up a D6V group, and I couldn’t do enough damage to get at the carrier.

He made an attempt at the Marquis area infrastructure, but I had enough in the area that I was able to cover the Kzinti base going up in 1805, and sent a reserve to protect the BATS in 1803. He also raided the SB hex, where the Feds are setting up a MB to extend their supply net, but the CVA MacArthur showed up, and he wasn’t capable of facing that.

Given the number of Klingons out there, the the length of the border, it’s inevitable that some of the Federation border BATS would go down, and I was surprised that I only lost one last turn. 2012 did take two SIDS then, so it was a natural candidate for a push this turn. Instead, I lost 2615, which was guarding a minor planet right behind it (which has a full defense brigade and one of the F-15 squadrons, and so is a tougher defense installation (12(26)).

I’m surprised to still be holding the Klingon major planet at 2518, but while he’s sent enough down to forstall further offensive operations with my available forces, it just doesn’t match what I have in Carrier Fleet 3, so his attempt on the planet just hurt him a lot more than it hurt me. (a 2-5 roll in favor of the Feds didn’t hurt either).

1811 was a nearly even SSC fight: NCL and DD vs 2xD5. The Federation rolled 12 to get four casualties and nearly wipe out the Klingons while the DD was crippled and retreated. I figure the DD got the Federation Jackpot of four overloaded photon torpedoes into a D5 when they got too close trying to take out the DD. (The current SSC system really is an amazing improvement over the previous versions.)

Bel’s retrogrades didn’t have any surprises, but he used the new Lyran BATS in the Klingon home system to deliver 20EPs to the Klingons. This is something he probably should have been doing for a while, but recent events are certainly forcing him to pay more attention.

Meanwhile, all Lyran new production went to the Kzinti border, but a pair of tugs have hauled a stored MB and FRD into Hydran space at the SB in 0416.

The Romulans paid to move elements of the Home Fleet up to the border as well as new construction, and split them between three stacks along the entire Fed border. Klingon new construction went to planet 1916, while the large number of repairs stayed on the capital (formed into two reserves).