Flee to the jump gate

[mollari_uk]

I played my first game of "Flee to the jump gate" and thought that it seemed very difficult to win for the defender.

We played it as a battle level scenario with Centauri as the attacker and EA:Crusade as the defender. The EA couldn't open the jump gate once they got there and the centauri destroyed a few key ships with the fleet that enteres through the jump point.

The centauri didn't lose a ship.

Perhaps we picked the wrong ships, so what are people's general tactics for this scenario?

 

[Shadow Queen]

what were the ships?

 

[mollari_uk]

Now you're asking

I didn't pick and they're not my fleets, I just played.

This probably won't help but I'll try to remember details:

EA - 3 point battle:
2 different battle level ships. Both with missiles.
2 of the same raid level ship, they had stealth

Centauri - 5 point battle:
1 War ship (the famous one)
2 very fast white star type ships
2 ships that we're a variant with a 30" torpedo

 

[Shadow Queen]

Apollo bombardment

and

Delphi's

 

[victor romeo]

The runner needdds to take ships with good all round fire power. Any turret weapons and rear facing beams come into their own in this scenario. If the runner destroys any scouts in the pursuing group then the attackers jumping in from the suprise jump point can't shoot on the turn they arrive effectively giving the defender a free turns firing at them. The truth remains, however, that victory or defeat will usually come down to an opposed CQ 6 roll for the jump gate.

 

[mollari_uk]

I see. Thanks for the tips.

I've been thinking about this scenario for if I play it using my shadow fleet.

What happens with the shadows as the attackers in this scenario, can they only come on the board at the surprise entry point but just phase in from there?

Also I'm sure it's "just one of those things" but the shadows as an attacker doesn't make sense as they don't use jump points.

 

[Shadow Queen]

shadows can do this one no problem.... as they just phase onto the table with no deveation

 

[mollari_uk]

But are they restricted to the surprise entry point? In fact is eveyone?

 

[victor romeo]

But are they restricted to the surprise entry point? In fact is eveyone?

The hyperspace rules say that ships may be kept in hyperspace according to the scenario. The shadow rules allow them to use their hyperspace mastery if any hyperspace rules are in efect regardless of restrictions.

So

Shadows are not restricted to the suprise entry point.
Everyone else is.

 

[Ripple]

Actually that doesn't make sense...

Yes they can be kept in hyperspace...no question there, but the restriction is on where you can enter real space from. Everyone can be in hyperspace, they just must enter at the designated spot.

I don't see how the shadows hyper ability allows them to change the restrictions about entering at a set location.

Ripple

 

[mollari_uk]

After reading Hyperspace mastery and the scenario again I come to the same conclusion as Ripple.

 

[Methos5000]

Actually this scenario makes little sense for the Shadows irregardless of whether they are attacker or defender.
If they are the Attacker:
The Jump Gate belongs to them ??????
If they are the Defender:
They are trying to flee by using the Jump Gate??????

Even if young races technology could block a shadow from phasing out the Shadows would just use Superb Manueverability until out of jamming range to escape the enemy not try to use their jump gate.

And as far as the jump gate belonging to them I suppose you could argue that it belongs to one of their subject races (the Drakh for example) but then why would they be defending it. If their subject races can't defend their own property I doubt the Shadows would help them out. They seem to be the why help those who can't help themselves type.

 

[Na-Po]

Have to play this scenario in a few days as the attacker ... with my Shadows (Campaign Game).

And we came to something weird when reading again the scenario rules,
in order to keep ships in HyperSpace you must have at least one of them with JumpEngine or Adv.JumpEngine.

It makes sense for any race but the Shadows. We agreed that I could keep Ships in HS even without the AJE or JE trait but it's a "gentlemen agreement".

That's the first point, the second is : "Is it mandatory to keep at least one ship in HS if one is eligible to ?".
(I might face a 5pts raid combat and want to use only one war ship and place it from the beggining).
The extended question is that the attacker is allowed to put on the table up to two ships but if he has one or two ships is he allowed to put everything on the table and keep no ship in HS ?

Third question is dealing with the Jump Gate itself, once the opposed CQ6 roll is ok does the Gate open immediatly or only during the next turn ?
[Edit : after digging in archives I found a post from Matt saying it opens immediatly]


Thanks for every answer guys ;-)

 

[inq101]

Actually this scenario makes little sense for the Shadows irregardless of whether they are attacker or defender.
If they are the Attacker:
The Jump Gate belongs to them ??????
If they are the Defender:
They are trying to flee by using the Jump Gate??????

Actually it makes a lot of sense if the Shadows are attacking as they have JP suppression stuff (JP disruptor). The defenders are trying to use the gate to escape after their jump engines dies on them. OK, officially the disruptor can disable the gate (gives the mission an interesting twist if you've got to kill an Ancient ship before you can even think about escaping).

To come up with a reason for them to be the defender you've got to think outside the box. I'd suggest the Shadows are doing something TO the jump gate instead of using it for transit. Replace the jump point with a station/planet/ship and the shadows could be trying to infiltrate agents before making their own way to safety.

Tom