Federation tactics

[Zarathustra Suicune]

Hi, Got my Federation fleet box yesterday and am assembling them as a break from revision.
So far I have assembeled the Burkes, a constitution, the two texas light cruisers and cleaned the parts of the Wolverine and a Bismark variant Kirov.
So I am wondering, what kind of tactics would you suggest? The only other player I know at the moment is a Klingon player, and he does not think he will get his fleet ready for next week, we are hoping to get more people into it though. What other ships would you also reccomend I do first as there is such a lot of ships in the fleet box (and they are metal ).

 

[billclo]

I have found the Feds more challenging to run than the Klingons. The Klingons have little trouble staying out of the Fore arcs of those clumsy Fed cruisers, and it's hard to line up a target for the photons.

I've only gotten in 2 games as the Feds.

Suggestions:
Stay out of range 4 kill zone of the Klingon's Phaser-2s. Try to stay at 5-8" range. This gives you an advantage.

Overloaded Photons are devastating, but hard to arrange a shot with.

One tactic that I'd like to try is to have a larger Fed ship (CA/BCH/DN) tractor an Klingon cruiser that hasn't moved yet. Keep that ship pinned right there, and move a couple smaller ships onto his flank. Fire those ships first, and you ought to be able to drop the Klingon's shields. Whatever they can do to weaken his shields to minimize the double shield effect before the killing blow from the tractoring ship's phasers will help.

Others have suggested leaving some smaller ships 6-8" behind the cruiser line to try and catch a Klingon on the flank shields. Sometimes works, sometimes not.

I've also been informed that the game engine starts to work best with larger battles, say over 1000 pts/side. With larger battles the Feds can have more smaller ships that may be able to flank the Klingons. Otherwise the Klingons just dance around your flanks and it's hard to get a photon shot that way.

I'd consider the phasers to be your primary weapon, with photons a hope-to-use weapon of opportunity.

I'm sure other more experienced players will chip in other ideas.

 

[MongooseMatt]

I have had a lot of success with Feds, and they may be my favourite fleet. For tactics, I would advocate keeping things simple;

1. Get as close as you can. Kill Zones are your friend.
2. Plan to win with phaser-1 fire alone. You have enough in all fire arcs to really make a difference, and Precise is great when you start ripping through shields.
3. If you get a chance to overload photons, take it, but don't work too hard to create the opportunity. Just grab it if it arises.
4. Opinion is split whether to fire photons at long range or short. I might try a long range shot if the ship has four or more tubes, but otherwise I tend to stick to short.
5. When fired, you are normally better off boosting shields than reloading photons. Reload if a ship seems relatively safe, otherwise keep you shields brimmed up!

And that is really about it

Use Heavy Cruisers with the odd Battlecruiser to form your main line, dip into the odd Dread and handful of frigates if you can. There are no real bum ships in the Fed fleet, so you can't go far wrong unless you begin loading up with a single class or similar size ships alone.

 

[Zarathustra Suicune]

Am thinking of this list at the moment:
Bismark BCF 240pts
Hunter OCL 130pts
Ajax 0CL 130pts
500pts
Am a bit worried it may be a bit small, so another one I was thinking of was this:
Anubis CF 180pts
Hunter OCL 130pts
Eisenstein FFG 95pts
Kant FFG 95pts
But am slightly worried how survivable it would be and wherever it would have the fire power to deal with the Klingons.

 

[JohnDW]

Whole fleet box just for 500 points, but it sounds like this will be for your first games then? 500 isnt bad for starting off to learn the rules, should be able to handle 1,000 after 2 games, and then try more points after 2 more games.

 

[deadshane]

Learn to get your photons to work.

This means learning to get an alpha strike with photons off with your fleet. Photons are all about getting them off early, at long range, and hoping for 6's to bypass sheilds.

While this seems like a fools hope for winning a game, it's really not. Your average 1000 point federation fleet should have over 20 photon torpedoes in it. That equates into at least 3+ photons penetrating sheilds of the opposing fleet. This is plenty to REALLY hurt one of the opposing capital ships....a lucky alpha strike may even take it out of the game, it happens all the time with photons and it's how they work. Sometimes you'll go without enough penetrations to really hurt your opponent...whatever, fortunes of war and all that. It's rare though, bring enough torpedo's fleet wide and you should do well.

Overloading photons isnt really even on the menu. It's an option that requires your opponent to make a horrendously stupid mistake. (or he's baiting you hoping YOUR that dumb) It is a terrible misuse of photons to play your game saving photons hoping for an overload shot. Fire them soon, fire them often.

Photons are what the Federation does, it's their weapon. Learn the best ships for bringing torpedoes to the fight. The FFB is your torpedo multiplier. Plenty of them in a fleet really bumps up your torpedo count....it's a stout ship as well with a 20 point sheild threshold. The CA is a really great ship as well, really well priced for the durability it brings.

 

[McKinstry]

At that point size, remember to look at Page 24 on your rule book for table size. Fed v Klink @ 500 points the Feds will have a much better chance on the recommended 4 x 4 table than the usual 4 x 6 or bigger and use the random terrain rules.

Since the Klinks have a +1 to command already, make sure at least one of your ships has that trait.

Overlapping fields of fire, where possible, prevents the very agile Klinks from slipping out of front arc completely and depth of formation allows your trail ships to punish flankers that get sloppy.

 

[Keeper Nilbog]

Can atest to the 'lucky hit' of long range photon's - watched my Gorn Dreadnought go 'puff' after only 3 cruiser sized Fed's targeted it (12 photon's + phasers : don't count drones as they never reached the target) - brand-new to dead in one turn :shock:

 

[MobileMarksmen]

We have been playing regularly now and I have noticed some patterns with the Fed's; Shields are good and the can take hits, but can be severely limited on maneuvering and attacking. Yes I know photons are great when they hit..."When they hit", but that can be a crap shoot. I have been holding back and boosting shield and letting the enemy close range. Then, when i can get initiative for that round I will push forward and strike en mass. I expect to take hits, and I still think the Disruptors need a balance issue resolved. Hint,Hint... Also the "Texas" class OCL, are fairly good at rounding of a fleet. Not to expensive and can take some hits. Plus being Turn 4 they can maneuver fast and get those good Photon shots into the Klingon flanks.

 

[Ben2]

I've now got to play a couple of games with the Feds. I would heartily recommend taking Texas Class old light cruisers. They're tough, have the same phaser throw weight as an NCL and better arcs, and while they only have two photons are more maneuverable than cruisers and it's less of a kick in the teeth not reloading those photons in order to keep up with the fleet or chase down enemy ships and keep them in your phaser 1 kill zone.

The Texas class is a great ship and turns as quick as a war destroyer or battle frigate with a much better phaser suite. I would recommend using it to escort your cruisers or grouping them with NCLs or War Destroyers to firm up the number of phasers the squadron has to throw around.

 

[deadshane]

Personally, I think the Texas is trash.

It might be a stout ship but if you're not fast or adding photons to the fleet you're not helping. At 65 points per photon the Texas has one of the worst photon ratio's in the whole fleet list.

I've heard before that the Texas has good phasers and is a tough ship....but ALL of the Fed ships fit that description, but in the case of the Texas you're giving up photon firepower.

I dispute that it's "tough" anyway since it's got a crappy sheild threshold and will be taking Hit Point damage sooner than other ships in that point range....

The Ramius blows it away as far as a cheaper ship.

 

[Ben2]

Depends how you want to play. If you are going for single impact alpha strike play (ie close, photons, try and get away to reload and do it again) then the DW or Ramius are where to go. If you close, photons away, and then maneuver and knife fight with phasers I'd take the Texas.

 

[Captain Jonah]

Much like everything else its dependant on fleet sizes. Bigger fleets can afford to have a few ships reload each turn whereas with small fleets the Feds often end up not reloading.

This means you get one Photon salvo from the entire fleet. Don't waste it in small games, fire the lot when everything has a good shot. This could be at under 15” or 6” but don’t hold back waiting for overloads or you will find the more zippy type fleets (most of them) will be behind you. Work out when your enemy can swing through and out of Photon range and watch for that, fire before then.

There are lots of posts dissecting the math behind Photon launches so you can have a read of them, it’s too complex to go into here in full.

As has been mentioned a few small agile ships to lurk behind the fleet and go for the backstabbing ba…. Erm klingons and Romulans. The FFs or DWsare very good for this.

As you get to bigger fleets divide into three sub fleets. Split the heavies into two groups which operate side by side and keep a few lights as the rear guard or form a fast group. If you need to split the fleet send a heavy group off so balance them ready for use, once you get your second BCH spread the other cruisers so every cruiser is attached to a BCH. Then learn to scissor the two groups across each other. Start with the two groups close enough to cover each other but far enough apart that they can turn past each other (6” or so but personal choice so it could be more).

It doesn’t matter if enemies get behind you since your have one fairly tough shield and Phasers that go everywhere. You can centreline someone behind you just as you can someone in front of you. The rear guard or fast group should be kept out of the furball if possible and reload when ever they can. The heavies can reload as and when, for example if one heavy group is drawing all the fire reload the other group and scissor round to catch the attackers with photons, of you are fighting low damage a turn types like Kzinti then your BCHs with good shields and masses of ADDs can reload often.

Don’t worry if your enemy is staying in your rear so you cannot fire Photons again, don’t reload them and stay with Boost shields. It’s hard to put down a Fed ship which is getting an extra 2 or 3D6 of shields every turn unless you have Plasmas.

For small fleets simply move so that all of your ships can hit the same enemy target within 8”. Even the little fleets you mention can fire 12-14 Phaser 1s at a target and with Killzone that’s 24-28 potential damage which ignores bulkheads and criticals on a 5+. The Feds have a 16” range with Phasers and good all round coverage, make use of that, use the Photons when ready but don’t risk losing ships just to reload.

I see the Fed fleet as very much winning by criticals, my Gorn win by smashing peoples faces in with huge great plasma salvos but the Feds are all about making your ships useless by critical after critical each of which causes more Hull.

For picking a fleet. Start with a BCH or variant. It’s big, tough and ugly. Put it in someone’s face and go from there, other cruisers should be flanking the BCs, small stuff should be rear guards or off mugging Drone ships. Don’t try to skirmish with a Fed fleet, don’t be subtle. :twisted: :wink:

 

[Zarathustra Suicune]

Must admit, I really like the Kirov/Bismark model and the idea of using it, it's just the fleet would be so small.. well okay so the other fleet only has one more ship but is is very fast and agile, plus the Wolverine model is really nice... I may well just paint both fleets up and then decide to use which ever is painted, just wish there were some either cheap ships or upgrades you could get to use small amounts of pts on.
Has anyone ever tried two BCH/BCF's in 500pts?
Must admit, I can see the BCH/BCF's being the anvil and heart of my fleet in 1000-1500 with a possible a couple of wolverines with some burkes/Ramius/texas aming to get behind the enemy fleet, It's amazing how I have bought the fleet box ad yet am already thinking of getting some more ships (Wolverines).

 

[Ben2]

Having a couple of fast cruisers is worth it though, as having two of them to run around opens up a lot of possibilities (like flanking all power to engines until you've got them behind the enemy fleet and then doing attack runs on vulnerable ships, crippled ships, or just hitting the vulnerable rear shields on Klingon ships so you're main fleets photons are hitting hull.

If you are prepared to not reload photons and go phaser only you can got 21 inches a turn, fire 8 phaser-1s forward, and have 2 phaser-3s for drone defence.

An interesting question is does the anti-drone trait count as a weapon system for the purposes of power drain. If the answer is no, then wait and buy the Manta Ray New Fast cruiser for putting 10 phaser-1s up someones backside, as you've got two ADDs on it from the G-racks. That's potentially 20 points of damage at 8". Get two behind a vital Klingon ship, down come the shields, in go the torpedoes.

 

[Zarathustra Suicune]

The only problem with all of the new ships is that they cannot take as much of a beating as the older ones and which is a shame as I do like their models.
Am wondering if anyone has found the callahans any good, as I'm trying to find/think of a use for the two I got in the fleet box.
Am going to use the list with the Wolverine in it as that idea does sound fun.

 

[MongooseMatt]

Am wondering if anyone has found the callahans any good, as I'm trying to find/think of a use for the two I got in the fleet box.

I know people who swear by them, preferring them to Frigates, Battle Frigates and War Destroyers!

 

[Captain Jonah]

An interesting question is does the anti-drone trait count as a weapon system for the purposes of power drain. If the answer is no, then wait and buy the Manta Ray New Fast cruiser for putting 10 phaser-1s up someones backside, as you've got two ADDs on it from the G-racks. That's potentially 20 points of damage at 8". Get two behind a vital Klingon ship, down come the shields, in go the torpedoes.

As far as I am aware it is a function of the Drones and is therefore a weapon.

ADDs are a trait as therefore immune to power drain.

The Federation Combined rone Racks can function as an ADD but remain a Drone system.

 

[McKinstry]

For the Feds, the POL is essentially the FF with the same Phaser suite and one less photon and 10 points cheaper. It has poorer shields but actually can take a bit more damage. If you were taking basic frigates for initiative sink purposes, substituting POL's may allow you to squeeze an extra ship or upgrade one of your cruiser classes to a tougher model such as going from NCL to NCA. Swapping two CA's for CS's and getting the extra drones the CS brings to the fight can be accomplished simply by subbing out one FF for a POL.

 

[McKinstry]

We've always counted the Fed combined drone/ADD as a weapons system for power drain purposes.

In a drone environment the Feds do a lot of 6" or 4" retrograde movement when reloading.