AAR: Narn vs Drazi

Democratus

Mongoose
Sorry for the lack of pics on this one. It wasn't a campaign fight so we didn't bring the camera.

After Action Report
(Narn vs. Drazi, 5 Points Raid)

Narn forces: (Played by Aaron)
G'Tal Command Cruiser
Dag'Kar Missile Frigate
Ka'Toc Battle Destroyer
Sho'Kar Scout
Sho'Kov Cutters(2) x2
Frazi(5) x2

Drazi: (Played by Democratus)
Stormfalcon Heavy Cruiser
Firehawk Advanced Cruiser
Jumphawk Command Cruiser
Eyehawk Scout Cruiser
Sunhawk Battlecruiser
Strikehawk Carrier
Sleekbird Assault Cruiser
Sky Serpent(3) x2

Map:
The map had some terrain on it. The Narn had a gas cloud on his rear left, and a planet just in front of that. To his far right was a large asteroid field. The Drazi had a gas cloud also to his left rear, and an asteroid on the far right.

Set Up: (Drazi init)
Aaron set up first, placing his G'Tal in the center of his side, just off the edge of the map. His Dag'Kar was placed just to the left of the command cruiser. To his left he placed his scout behind the gas cloud and his Ka'Toc partially behind the planet. To the front and right of his deployment zone was a line of 4 Sho'Kov cutters. Fighters were placed in defensive posiotions throughout the formation.

I placed all my ships as far forward as possible in my deployment zone, in a flat line. Between each ship was more than 6" of space to avoid multiple ship hits with emines. From left to right, I placed: Eyehawk, Strikehawk, Sleekbird, Sunhawk, Firehawk, Jumphawk, and Stormfalcon.

Fighters were placed to the rear, far enough to avoid e-mine multiple hits.

Command Points:
Just a note on our new command point rules. Only two Command Point functions were used during this battle. One is the "Priority Fire!" order, which allows a ship to fire weapons in a single arc immediately after moving. The other is the "Tactical Advantage" order, which allows a ship to pass on its initiative just like a Dilgar pentacon.

The Narn G'Tal will give my opponent 2 command options per turn. My Jumphawk will give me only 1.

Turn 1: (Narn initiative)
Order of movement is a little more important now that we have the new command rules.

Drazi: Eyehawk moves forward along my left at full speed, turning in at the end, but without a shot. (CBD)
Narn: The G'Tal moves and "Priority Fire!"s it's laser at the Jumphawk, getting 3 hits. One is dodged, the other two score 4 dmg/crew.
Drazi: The Sleekbird also charges forward at full speed. (CBD)
Narn: Dag'Kar does not move. (All Stop)
Drazi: Sunhawk also charges forward, with no targets. (CBD)
Narn: Sho'Kovs move in position to fire on Sunhawk. (CBD)
Drazi: Stormhawk moves forward and can target the Sho'Kovs with its boresight. (CBD)
Narn: Sho'Kovs move to fire on Sunhawk as well. (CBD)
Drazi: Strikehawk moves forward to target another Sho'Kov (CBD)
Narn: Ka'Toc "Tactical Advantage", passes in order to draw me out.
Drazi: Firehawk moves up and "Priority Fire!"s at the unmoved Ka'Toc. It's a calculated risk, as only the solar cannon is in range. But it scores 7 hits and 3 criticals (Triple Damage), destroying the Ka'Toc!

Drazi fighters move forward, Narn fighters move forward.

Shooting:
Narn: Dag'Kar fires on the Firehawk, scoring 3 hits (9 damage) with emine and 2 hits with torps after dodges, one critical reduces speed of Firehawk to 10.
Drazi: Stormhawk fires at Sho'Kov, scoring 2 damage
Narn: Sho'Kov fires on Sunhawk, scoring 1 damage
Drazi: Strikehawk fires on Sho'Kov, scoring 1 damage.
Narn: Sho'Kov fires on Sunhawk, scoring 2 damage, critical hit reduces speed by 2.

No other ships have a firing solution. (My, aren't boresights restrictive!)

Turn 2: (Drazi initiative)
Narn: G'Tal move and "Priority Fire!"s heavy laser at Firehawk, scoring 5 hits. 2 are dodged and the Firhawk takes 6 more damage.
Drazi: Jumphawk moves to target G'Tal
Narn: Sho'Kovs come about to fire on Jumphawk (CBD)
Drazi: Sleekbird runs behind G'Tal, angling toward the Dag'Kar but nowhere near firing range. (CBD)
Narn: Sho'Kovs come about, unable to get unmoved ships in FA
Drazi: Eyehawk moves behind Sho'Kov for a range 7 shot
Narn: Sho'Kar "Tactical Advantage", passes
Drazi: Sunhawk moves forward for a point blank shot at a Sho'Kov.
Narn: Dag'Kar does not move (All Stop)
Drazi: Firehawk moves forward, but with no target in range. (CBD)
Narn: Sho'Kar moves out from behind dust cloud and boresights Firehawk.
Drazi: Stormhawk moves forward, boresighting the Dag'Kar and putting the Sho'Kov in its FA

Narn fighters move to fire on Drazi ships. 5 fighters surround the Firehawk. Drazi fighters, unable to engage ships yet, two Sky Serpents move in range to fire on a single Frazi flight.

Narn scout fails to paint the Firehawk.
Drazi scout paints the Sho'Kar.

Firing:
Narn fighters fire 20 AD at the Firehawk, but only score 3 damage. (Uncanny dodge rolls!)
Two Drazi fighters fire 16 AD at single flight of Frazi, killing it.

Drazi: Stormhawk fires beams at Dag'Kar, scoring enough damage and criticals to cripple it and knock the E-Mine offline. The Stormhawk's secondary weapons (thanks to the scout twin-linkage) manage to skeleton crew the Sho'Kar as well as give it -1 AD for weapons.
Narn: Sho'Kar fires on Firehawk, scoring 2 damage after dodges and CBD.
Drazi: Jumphawk fires on G'Tal, scoring 6 damage and no crits.
Narn: Dag'Kar fires torps at Firehawk, 3 hits and 2 criticals (-1 AD, -4 Spd), not quite crippling it

The small ships trade fire ineffectively.

At this point the Narn were down a Ka'Toc, the Dag'Kar was crippled and without Emines, and the Scout was skeleton crewed. The Drazi had some lightly damaged patrol/skirmish ships and a damaged Firehawk. The dice gods had not been kind to Aaron.

Narn conceed the field.

Observations:
Beam and dodge dice were wild in this encounter. The smaller ships tied each other up effectively without scoring decisive damage on each other. The G'Tal simply couldn't get a break with its heavy laser while the Drazi seem to have borrowed Shadow slicer beams for the battle. Dodge rolls served both sides well, but for the Narn this was only helpful in keeping the tiny Sho'Kovs alive.

The new command rules do give some flexibility for an outnumbered side. The Narn had fewer units to move but they had an extra command point, allowing them to do a Dilgar-like "pass" once per turn. They were also nearly certain of maintaining the command points throughout the battle as it was unlikely the sturdy G'Tal would be destroyed. Had a lucky shot taken out the tiny Jumphawk the Drazi would have lost their one command ability each turn.

In a larger battle, I think endurance would also play a vital part. The battle only lasted 2 turns, so my fragile ships and slow-loading Solar Cannons didn't become a factor. I also believe the Narn fighters could have whittled me down severely given time and my lack of Escorts.
 
Nice and fast game. And I must say with surprising forces and winner.

I am curious with this command points rules. Can You explain it more clearly?
 
Democratus said:
After Action Report
(Narn vs. Drazi, 5 Points Raid)

Narn forces: (Played by Aaron)
G'Tal Command Cruiser
Dag'Kar Missile Frigate
Ka'Toc Battle Destroyer
Sho'Kar Scout
Sho'Kov Cutters(2) x2
Frazi(4) x2
Is that a typo or were the Narn short a couple of fighters? Frazis are 5 for a Patrol point. ;)

A very interesting battle report. Keep them coming!
 
You're right AdrianH, that was a typo. Thanks.

Igryszka, here's a summary of our command rules:

Flagships:
Fleets are sometimes led by flagships with specialized command and control equipment. Those fortunate enough to do so will have some special abilities and benefits.

A fleet wishing to use Command Points must designate a single flagship to utilize them. A fleet can not benefit from command points generated by two or more ships with the Command trait.

A flagship cannot contribute its Command trait to the initiative of its fleet. However, if there are other ships on the table with the Command trait (that are not serving as flagship) they are free to contribute as per the normal rules.

Example: An EA fleet contains a Warlock (Command +2) and an Avenger (Command +1). The EA player designates the Warlock as his Flagship, giving 2 command points. He may still use his Avenger to gain a +1 to initiative rolls.

Command Points
A flagship will generate a number of Command Points every turn equal to its Command trait rating. Thus a ship with the trait Command +2 will generate 2 Command Points every turn.

Each turn, a single command point may be spent to use the following ability. No ability may be used more than once in a turn and no ship may be the recipient of more than one ability in a single turn.

Command Abilities

  • * Priority Fire - A nominated ship may fire immediately after moving during the movement phase. It may use no Special Action this turn. The nominated ship may only fire weapons in a single arc and may not fire weapons during the subsequent fire phase of the same turn. A ship attacked before it has given a Special Action is treated as if still under the Special Action from its previous turn.

    * Priority Scramble - A nominated ship may perform the Scramble! order immediately after moving during the movement phase. This ship will not launch any craft during the end phase. The Scramble! order will count as this ship’s Special Action for the turn.

    * Command Decision - A nominated ship may re-roll a Crew Quality check. This ability may be used at any point during the turn when a Crew Quality check is required.

    * Tactical Advantage - A nominated ship or squadron may "pass" on its initiative turn (see Dilgar pentacon rule). This ship must still perform its move before the end of the turn.
 
Most interesting report - thanks, ere you you using standard beam system?

Looking forward to hearing more how your varant system works and evolves.

Do you think you will need a few new Command variants in due course..?
 
We used the standard beam system. So wild variations in beam damage are common.

I would love a better command variant for the Drazi, since I can only ever get a +1. I'm jealous of the massive +3 the EA can get with the Command Omega. It would be cool to have some dedicated command ships much like the logistics ships you made for your publications. Convincing my fellow players to use them may be a small hurdle.

Any suggestions for new Command Point powers are also welcome.

So far, Priority Fire is the most popular for obvious reasons. It has succeeded in mitigating the init sink issue somewhat. Now any player can at least be guaranteed a solid shot with his most important ship. The huge tradeoff is that a ship using this power can't issue another Special Action, so no CBD after moving up to shoot an enemy priority target.

Tactical Advantage is also loved, mainly due to how much everyone suffered against my Dilgar in the last campaign. :twisted: I would routinely field 3 or more pentacons, frustrating them by saying "pass" as they moved their ships.

As a Drazi, I'm a huge fan of Priority Scramble. It lets me catapult a Sky Serpent 8" away during the movement phase...then move it and shoot with it during the figher phase. Sometimes that is just enough to get behind the enemy fleet and out of reach of interceptors.
 
Any suggestions for new Command Point powers are also welcome.


Here is something similar to what I am putting in a game I am currently writing.

Shared Telemetry - The greater resources of a Command Ship grant it with the ability to share more precise targeting information with its support ships. Declared before a commander's first activation of the Attack Phase, a Command Ship may designate any one target that is within weapons range. Any friendly ships (not including the Command Ship) receive the Precise trait on all weapons fired at the designated ship. No special actions may be taken and no other targets may be fired upon by these friendly ships as their bridge crews are working harder to correlate the Command Ship's sensor information with their own.

BTW, I love reading the blog. Keep up the good work.
 
Thanks for sharing that idea, treknogeek. We're definately going to discuss this as another possibility.

My opponent in this battle is a bit worried that he's going to be doomed playing the Narn in our upcoming campagin. He feels that the ships don't have the damage output of competing races and lack effective counters to the strengths of the Drazi and EA.

The ships he tends to field are: G'Tal, Dag'Kar, G'Karith, Ka'Toc, Sho'Kar, Sho'Kov, and Frazi fighters. These are among the best in the Narn inventory but they still seem to suffer in comparison with ships like the Omega, Avenger, Firehawk, and the Aurora fighter.

If anyone has some tips and advice to share it would be most appreciated it. I don't want Aaron to feel like a punching bag throughout our campaign.
 
mmm, the Narn should be taking on drazi and be at least fairly confident.

You yourself said about wild dice variations. This can easily deflate a player, try using Triggys beam system, seriously, it is a much better system.
Not much you can do on dodge, but the G'Karith and dag Kar e-mines should take care of that. and I urge the narn player to look at the Var'Nic. forget the G'Tal's command bonus, 2 Var'Nics are way better! PERSONALLY. I also prefer the Thentus to the kaToc, the extra turn against drazi would be very useful. The narn are not as good as they started out in ACTA, but if you are going to be staying at lower levels, the narn have some great chips,unless you are against some of the more specialised fleets, then you should have a fighting chance against anyone. My most rcent narn battles have been wins against the Centauri, a complete anhialation of the Minbari (armageddon game, KBT and G'Vrahns, OUCH!) and a couple of close battles against the Abbai and their damned shields.
 
I am a fan of the Var'Nic myself but Aaron doesn't like its lack of guns port and starboard, which can be a valid concern when surrounded by X-hawks or fighters.

The G'Tal is critically important due to the Command Point rules we are trying out. This ship will nearly always be guaranteed a boresight shot because of it.

I think, against the Drazi, that Frazi fighters are critical. If the Narn can eliminate the Guardhawks (if any) in a fleet, the Drazi are nearly helpless against these powerful craft. Scout redirects make Frazi particularly terrifying.

I suppose I'm just hunting around for whatever "hidden nuggets" exist in the Narn fleet - be it ship choices or cool tactical tricks/options.

Thanks for all the support and input!
 
your varnics of course should be supported by other ships anyway, and to be honest, if anyone gets a single fighter into range, the Narn player has cocked up somewhere. The G'Kariths mines should be mincing fighters for at least 3 turns before they can close enough to attack.

Their are not really any hidden gems, everyone knows about the Narn, what they do, and what they are vulnerable too. it's a case of perseverance. and yup, frazi should sit on the tail of any drazi and pick them to pieces, once fighter escorts are destroyed of course
 
I'm fond of putting a pair of Sho'Kovs in a squadron with a Var'Nic. It's a minimal investment, but it gives you another 2AD of Ion Torps, 2AD of AF, and a few weak attack dice that can cover the sides. And Sho'Kovs seem to last inordinately long for what they are.

As to concerns about the Star Snakes, he could always spend a patrol point to get a wing of Goriths to fly support on his ships. A pair of Goriths engaging a Star Snake would get +2 to the Star Snake's -1.
 
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