starbreaker
Mongoose
Some of you had asked for a report on how a carrier-heavy force played, so I tried a 1000 point carrier-heavy Al Malik fleet against my usual Hazat opponent today in the Call To Arms scenario, end result being a fairly awful bloodbath. The Al Malik fleet went with 3 carriers, 1 frigate, 21 bombers, and 3 fighters. My opponent fielded his own carrier, 2 destroyers, 2 frigates, 1 explorer - and to my surprise, only 3 bombers. When he placed the carrier on the table I expected a horrific massacre from going too heavy on bombers and too light on fighters (obviously a risk with such an extreme mix, although Al Malik fighters are very good at dogfighting), but with just 3 bombers and otherwise empty hangers the fight was utterly one-sided.
Turn 1 the Hazat fleet advanced at speed while the Al Malik ships cut across their path, winding up with a couple of enemy frigates just within 20" of the Al Malik fleet and none of the Hazat withing 16" light blaster range yet. The 12 deployed Al Malik bombers swept forward toward the prow of the Hazat carrier, well out of strike range but a potential threat for the next turn. When the exchange of fire was all said and done, one Hazat frigate was stricken and drifting from some well-above-average rocket and missile volleys, while 1 of the Al Malik carriers and their frigate had both lost about a third of their damage and suffered engine crits. The Al Malik carriers launched 6 more bombers at the end of the turn, positioned only slightly behind the initial wave.
Turn 2 saw the Hazat plow forward again, closing to well within light blaster range of the wallowing Al Malik ships, but the bombers swarmed onto the prow of the enemy carrier (which was hoarding its own bombers for a close-range launch) and the broadside of one enemy destroyer. The Hazat carrier killed 1 bomber and forced another back to its carrier. The bombers then went - 4 of them unloaded on the enemy destroyer, reducing it exactly zero damage with a moderately lucky strike, while 7 fired into the big carrier, grossly overkilling it (forgot that it was armor 4, rather than 5) and triggering a massive explosion that vaporized the nearby explorer and 8 bombers, forcing several others back to their carriers. The other fire was anticlimactic, with the other Hazat frigate taking serious damage, 3 more bombers being destroyed, and the damaged Al Malik carrier being pushed to over half damage. The carriers launched most of their remaining bombers, leaving me with 3 armed bombers on the table and another 3 or 4 heading back to reload, a process which would have taken several turns no matter how I maneuverd.
My opponent conceded at this point, which I can't really blame him for. Even with my main offensive power decidedly spent, the guns on my ships alone were more than sufficient to drag down a lone (albeit almost untouched - I'd sniped it with a few missile hits while the rockets mauled the frigate) destroyer and a crippled frigate.
Post-game observations:
-Gatling lasers do not actually provide any real defense against bombers. Their limited firing arcs and the poor maneuverability of the ships that carry them make them nearly worthless, even against the pig-slow Al Malik bombers. Even if they do get to fire, they don't auto-penetrate bomber shields, and are highly unlikely to get any kills whatsoever. Throughout the game I was more concerned about them stopping missile and rocket hits than my bombers, leading me to fire on other targets instead of the carrier.
-Al Malik bombers throw enough firepower to make their destruction mandatory. Just 3 of them reliably kill a frigate, and 5 or 6 will kill a destroyer. If you don't have enough fighter superiority to thin them out with dogfights your ship guns must take every shot you can get on them before they reach you, and you should make every effort to avoid their 12" threat range for as long as possible. That isn't difficult with many fleets, but Hazat's light blasters are not the best weapon in the game for this kind of work.
-Carriers, especially the big Hazat carrier, are not worth their points unless they're loaded full, or close to full. Their guns are not worth anything like their point cost, and they aren't as durable as their high damage scores make them appear at first. Armor 4 remains a serious drawback. The exact loadout is a guessing game - bring too many fighters (and the 50% in the starters sets is almost certainly too many) and your offensive capability is too low to justify the base hull cost, but bring too few compared to the number the enemy brings and your bombers will be bled white by dogfights, preventing you from killing enough to justify their cost.
-Launching multiple strikes with any single bomber during a game is going to be a rare occurence for many fleets. Launch and landing rates are quite low, and (even with faster bombers) transit times to and from the carrier are long when you only have 8 turns to play. You can shorten the turnaround time (and carrier save rate) by bringing the carrier(s) close to the enemy, but that's an invitation to boarding actions you cannot expect to win, or simply being shot to death. It's better to regard your bombers as one-shot weapons that might occasionally get a second attack off late in the game. Al Malik bombers are quite fragile and should be used as soon as you can - others are more durable, faster, but throw less AD, and should be better at selecting a target rather than taking whatever you can reach.
-Frigates are marginally the best ship for defending against bombers if you're not using a carrier of your own. They have 25% more actual weapon systems than destroyers, slightly more overall attack dice, and waste less power on overkill than a destroyer broadside does. It isn't a huge edge, and their mediocre armor makes them more vulnerable if a strike does get through, but they do have a clear advantage over any other ship for this role, point for point. A carrier with lots of fighters is an even better defense, but it's also a huge waste of points if your opponent leaves his own carrier home.
-It remains to be seen if a fleet without a carrier can defend itself successfully against an extreme carrier fleet with a heavy (or pure) bomber loadout. My opponent contends that it's impossible, and that a carrier for CAP (CSP, really) duty is mandatory. I think that may be untrue, although you're certainly at a disadvantage if you're having to snipe the bombers to death with guns while his carriers chip away at you with unanswered fire for several turns. If enough of your ships are left when the bomber waves finally thin out you should be able to crush (or better, capture) his carriers in the aftermath, but I'm not sure that's a given, especially against faster, tougher bombers than Al Malik fields. Other house bombers don't hit as hard, but they're harder to kill and harder to avoid.
Turn 1 the Hazat fleet advanced at speed while the Al Malik ships cut across their path, winding up with a couple of enemy frigates just within 20" of the Al Malik fleet and none of the Hazat withing 16" light blaster range yet. The 12 deployed Al Malik bombers swept forward toward the prow of the Hazat carrier, well out of strike range but a potential threat for the next turn. When the exchange of fire was all said and done, one Hazat frigate was stricken and drifting from some well-above-average rocket and missile volleys, while 1 of the Al Malik carriers and their frigate had both lost about a third of their damage and suffered engine crits. The Al Malik carriers launched 6 more bombers at the end of the turn, positioned only slightly behind the initial wave.
Turn 2 saw the Hazat plow forward again, closing to well within light blaster range of the wallowing Al Malik ships, but the bombers swarmed onto the prow of the enemy carrier (which was hoarding its own bombers for a close-range launch) and the broadside of one enemy destroyer. The Hazat carrier killed 1 bomber and forced another back to its carrier. The bombers then went - 4 of them unloaded on the enemy destroyer, reducing it exactly zero damage with a moderately lucky strike, while 7 fired into the big carrier, grossly overkilling it (forgot that it was armor 4, rather than 5) and triggering a massive explosion that vaporized the nearby explorer and 8 bombers, forcing several others back to their carriers. The other fire was anticlimactic, with the other Hazat frigate taking serious damage, 3 more bombers being destroyed, and the damaged Al Malik carrier being pushed to over half damage. The carriers launched most of their remaining bombers, leaving me with 3 armed bombers on the table and another 3 or 4 heading back to reload, a process which would have taken several turns no matter how I maneuverd.
My opponent conceded at this point, which I can't really blame him for. Even with my main offensive power decidedly spent, the guns on my ships alone were more than sufficient to drag down a lone (albeit almost untouched - I'd sniped it with a few missile hits while the rockets mauled the frigate) destroyer and a crippled frigate.
Post-game observations:
-Gatling lasers do not actually provide any real defense against bombers. Their limited firing arcs and the poor maneuverability of the ships that carry them make them nearly worthless, even against the pig-slow Al Malik bombers. Even if they do get to fire, they don't auto-penetrate bomber shields, and are highly unlikely to get any kills whatsoever. Throughout the game I was more concerned about them stopping missile and rocket hits than my bombers, leading me to fire on other targets instead of the carrier.
-Al Malik bombers throw enough firepower to make their destruction mandatory. Just 3 of them reliably kill a frigate, and 5 or 6 will kill a destroyer. If you don't have enough fighter superiority to thin them out with dogfights your ship guns must take every shot you can get on them before they reach you, and you should make every effort to avoid their 12" threat range for as long as possible. That isn't difficult with many fleets, but Hazat's light blasters are not the best weapon in the game for this kind of work.
-Carriers, especially the big Hazat carrier, are not worth their points unless they're loaded full, or close to full. Their guns are not worth anything like their point cost, and they aren't as durable as their high damage scores make them appear at first. Armor 4 remains a serious drawback. The exact loadout is a guessing game - bring too many fighters (and the 50% in the starters sets is almost certainly too many) and your offensive capability is too low to justify the base hull cost, but bring too few compared to the number the enemy brings and your bombers will be bled white by dogfights, preventing you from killing enough to justify their cost.
-Launching multiple strikes with any single bomber during a game is going to be a rare occurence for many fleets. Launch and landing rates are quite low, and (even with faster bombers) transit times to and from the carrier are long when you only have 8 turns to play. You can shorten the turnaround time (and carrier save rate) by bringing the carrier(s) close to the enemy, but that's an invitation to boarding actions you cannot expect to win, or simply being shot to death. It's better to regard your bombers as one-shot weapons that might occasionally get a second attack off late in the game. Al Malik bombers are quite fragile and should be used as soon as you can - others are more durable, faster, but throw less AD, and should be better at selecting a target rather than taking whatever you can reach.
-Frigates are marginally the best ship for defending against bombers if you're not using a carrier of your own. They have 25% more actual weapon systems than destroyers, slightly more overall attack dice, and waste less power on overkill than a destroyer broadside does. It isn't a huge edge, and their mediocre armor makes them more vulnerable if a strike does get through, but they do have a clear advantage over any other ship for this role, point for point. A carrier with lots of fighters is an even better defense, but it's also a huge waste of points if your opponent leaves his own carrier home.
-It remains to be seen if a fleet without a carrier can defend itself successfully against an extreme carrier fleet with a heavy (or pure) bomber loadout. My opponent contends that it's impossible, and that a carrier for CAP (CSP, really) duty is mandatory. I think that may be untrue, although you're certainly at a disadvantage if you're having to snipe the bombers to death with guns while his carriers chip away at you with unanswered fire for several turns. If enough of your ships are left when the bomber waves finally thin out you should be able to crush (or better, capture) his carriers in the aftermath, but I'm not sure that's a given, especially against faster, tougher bombers than Al Malik fields. Other house bombers don't hit as hard, but they're harder to kill and harder to avoid.
