IDF fire with ADDs, what range?

[Captain Jonah]

Yet another survive in the face of overwelming Drone attacks topic.

Under IDF you can defend other ships from incoming Drones. Phasers have a maximum range given in the rules.

But what range do ADDs and D-racks have. They come with escort ships so must have a range in order to cover the ships being protected.

What is that range. 4" Allows you to cover a large number of ships if they are packed in tight or three or four in a close formation. 2" means you would need to be in base to base contact to have any effect. 6" is getting a bit far away as that gives you a fleet spread over 12" with the escort in the middle anc still providing ADD support.

I'm thinking 4" gives reasonable coverage and allows you to cover several ships without needing to be in a base to base pack.

Word from The Man With A Red Name on this please

 

[Myrm]

Can you use ADDs and D-Racks in IDF? My PDF copy and paper copy say only that you can contribute drones and phasers to IDF and the errata doesnt add ADDs to the mix on IDF.

IF D-Racks can then they have a range for normal operation. Fed G-racks that are Antidrone trait will have a range too.

 

[Greg Smith]

Anti-drone trait has no range and only applies to the ship that possesses it (including Federation drones used as anti-drone and plasma D used as anti-drone).

 

[Captain Jonah]

Sorry guys, but what point in escort ships then.

All the main fleet escorts come with ADDs or D-Racks.

If they have zero range that makes escorts kind of pointless since they have no more Phasers than a regular ship of the class and drop heavy weapons for the ability to use ADDs and D-racks to defend the ships around them.

Yes I know this is its own game only based on SFB/FC but in the SFU there are escorts of all shapes and sizes.

Are there to be no escorts in ACTA-SFB ??????

If, as you say ADDs have no range then there will be NO escorts since they are a waste of a ship. ADDs have range in SFB and the SFU has escorts.

An ADD range isn't huge but it should be able to help the ship's its supposed to be escorting otherwise you buy an escort that is, itself, Drone proof but is able to fire a handful of Phasers to defend the ships it should be supporting leaving you with an intact escort and a dead BCH or DN or Carrier.

With my and others concerns about facing huge Drone waves finding out that there are to be no escort ships is a bit much.

This is something Msprange should consider because if that is the case an entire class of ships will not exist within the game and us poor plasma users are getting the sharp end of the stick again.

Unless the escort trait itself allows it to use its ADDs and D-Racks to defend ships in its battle group and within a limited range (4") of the escort.

 

[Da Boss]

Its not hard to do if they want it - just adapt the previous ACTA version?

Escort: This ship is designed to protect the entire fleet from swarms of fighters and, properly positioned, it can annihilate large numbers of them. This ship may add some or all of its Anti-Fighter trait to any allied ship within 8” and in line of
sight. You must decide how many dice to add to other ships and how many to keep for the Escort ship itself before any Anti-Fighter firing take place.

Change Fighter to seeking and you have a starting point...............

 

[Greg Smith]

Are there to be no escorts in ACTA-SFB ??????

There are currently not escort ships.

There maybe escort ships in the future. They may be able to use ADD at long range. Currently they cannot be.

 

[storeylf]

I thought plasma D was just a plamsa rack with the usual 16" range and 1 AD. It isn't a trait is it?

 

[scoutdad]

Perhaps you're getting worked up over nothing?

The rules, as currently written; do not allow for the use of ADD in defense of other ships.
But, there are also no dedicated escort variants available in the game either. And they are not in the current playtest list for ACTA: SF2 either.

OTOH, the current line of thinking is for cariers to be in ACTA: SF3 (due 2013). this would be an excellent place for escorts to be added.
And as long as they are adding, they can add a trait "Escort" which may... emphasis on may, allow the use of ADDs in defense of other units. And perhaps they'll add another trait, "Aegis" which will allow multiple firing pulses of ADDs and phaser-Gs?

Who knows. Only time will tell. But until then, there's no reason to get all worked up over it.

 

[Captain Jonah]

Are there to be no escorts in ACTA-SFB ??????

There are currently not escort ships.

There maybe escort ships in the future. They may be able to use ADD at long range. Currently they cannot be.

Yep I know there are no escorts or scouts at present. Are there to be no escorts, question in future tense :wink:

Last I heard there were going to be all the ships from SFB/FC including escorts and carriers. Yes its a year or two down the line but a bit of thought now saves having to change old rules, issue new sub rules, make exceptions to rules and generally end up playing SFB :lol:

Hey Scoutdad, this isn't worked up. Start talking about Lumbering Gorns and I'll get worked up :roll: :wink:

I just want the possibility of actually having half my fleet still functioning when I get into range with the Drone chuckers without having to spend an hour of hugging terrain with lumbering ships to do it, is that too much to ask :lol:

 

[Greg Smith]

Yep I know there are no escorts or scouts at present. Are there to be no escorts, question in future tense :wink:

Last I heard there were going to be all the ships from SFB/FC including escorts and carriers. Yes its a year or two down the line but a bit of thought now saves having to change old rules, issue new sub rules, make exceptions to rules and generally end up playing SFB

If there are, they will be done later this year or next year...

I appreciate that you want to know now, but I'm sure the thought of that one rule hasn't entered his head. He is currently dealing with the miniatures problem, working on Fleets of the Fading Suns, working on ACTA:SF Battleships, running his company, dealing with Traveller, Legend and Lone Wolf issues, planning the relaunch of S&P, preparing for conventions, planning at least one other miniatures game, sorting out ship cards for ACTA:SF....

 

[Greg Smith]

I thought plasma D was just a plamsa rack with the usual 16" range and 1 AD. It isn't a trait is it?

In the Errata there is a rule for using Plasma D as the Anti-Drone trait.

 

[Da Boss]

Hopefully in the process of drawing up ACTA:SF book 2 the best ships to help extend and expand the game will be looked at and not just what order they were released in the very distant past...............

Personal Wish list for ACTA:SF 2

More Tholians
Lyran fleet - with sleek deadly looking ships
Hydrans - (as above)
Scouts for all
Special rules for Admirals, Captains and unique personalities from the SFU
Rules for boarding and soemthing to actually do with normal shuttles
Space Monsters :wink:

Things I don't want
Please NOT massed drone ships for everyone.........
Another load of ships for the main powers that look the same as present ones - I'd rather that similar looking ships just have thier stats listed and new more varied designs are produced.

 

[Totenkopf]

Personal Wish list for ACTA:SF 2

Things I don't want
Please NOT massed drone ships for everyone.........

well, it won't be for everyone

 

[Captain Jonah]

Personal Wish list for ACTA:SF 2

Things I don't want
Please NOT massed drone ships for everyone.........

well, it won't be for everyone

I'm fairly sure the Lyran, Hydran, Gorn and Romulans will not be having massed drone ships. :roll:

Of course that still leaves the Klingons with Drone heavy cruiser and Destroyer designs, the Fed with Drone heavy designs and of course the Kzinti who clearly need a few more ships where the Disruptors are taken out and replaced with more Drones

I thought plasma D was just a plamsa rack with the usual 16" range and 1 AD. It isn't a trait is it?

In the Errata there is a rule for using Plasma D as the Anti-Drone trait.

Yes the D-rack that handy ROMULAN drone defence weapon :roll:

 

[Da Boss]

Personal Wish list for ACTA:SF 2

Things I don't want
Please NOT massed drone ships for everyone.........

well, it won't be for everyone

I'm fairly sure the Lyran, Hydran, Gorn and Romulans will not be having massed drone ships. :roll:

Of course that still leaves the Klingons with Drone heavy cruiser and Destroyer designs, the Fed with Drone heavy designs and of course the Kzinti who clearly need a few more ships where the Disruptors are taken out and replaced with more Drones

Hopefully not what we get............is this a case where its a "tech slosh" that only certain races get the benefits off then........

Surely there are some more interesting ship designs to bring into the game than a few crusiers with guns repaced with drones - which of course don't even need a new model if they are just variants.