CheesyRobMan
Mongoose
5 points at Raid level.
ISA:
White Star Gunship (and associated fighters)
2 White Stars
4 Blue Stars
Centauri: (me)
Primus - Cassiopeia
Centurion - Camelopardis
4 Vorchan - Tucana, Lacerta, Dorado, Auriga
Initial deployment saw the Gunship slightly to the right with the White Stars on the left from the Centauri viewpoint, and the Blue Stars spaced fairly evenly along the deployment line. The four Vorchans were in a diamond formation on the left, with the Centurion and Primus on the right, not too far apart. The WSG and Primus each deployed one fighter flight, which acted as escorts for their respective motherships.
Turn One:
Centauri initiative.
The Vorchans move up slowly, anticipating that the ISA ships will come into range, and indeed the Blue Stars come surging forwards, heading for the larger Centauri ships. The Primus and Centurion cruise forwards.
Not much is in range, but the Tucana destroys a Blue Star with a well-placed volley. The Cassiopeia opens up on the Gunship with its battle laser, but hardly scratches the paint, although the secondary batteries dispatch another Blue Star. In return the Gunship takes 12 points of damage off the Cassiopeia and it loses 1AD from all weapons.
Turn Two:
ISA initiative.
The Cassiopeia and Camelopardis swing left, aiming to broadside the Gunship which has made a sweeping S-curve down their port side. Meanwhile the Vorchan pack is spreading out slightly and curving right, crossing over the larger ships. The White Stars use their agility to slip in behind the Vorchans, but one finds itself right in front of the two Centauri warships.
Before the Cassiopeia's port guns can open fire, the Gunship's beams slice into it, and after a particularly horrible 6-5 critical, the Primus explodes mightily! Its escorting Sentri flight somehow manages to dodge all the debris and remains on the table just long enough for one of the Blue Stars to shoot it down. In return, one of the White Star fighter flights is taken out by the Lacerta's main batteries. The Camelopardis opens up all its forward guns on the White Star in front of it, reducing it to half damage, and the port guns tickle the Gunship but do nothing of any real consequence.
Turn Three:
ISA initiative.
The Vorchans continue to wheel to the right, but the Tucana hits the brakes with an All Stop. Even the White Stars can't help but go flying straight past, and follow the main Vorchan pack in the right turn. The Camelopardis turns to the right, alongside the Tucana, and prepares to unleash a combined volley of ion cannon and plasma accelerator fire on the two White Stars in front of them. The Gunship pulls a 180 and lines up on the Centurion.
The Camelopardis never gets a chance to fire, as the Gunship's beams once again take out a Centauri warship with a single volley! The Centurion is left de-crewed and adrift. The Lacerta lines up one of the damaged Blue Stars and finishes it off, although the White Stars pound it down to 1 point of damage. A single shot from the Auriga sets off a chain reaction in another of the Blue Stars, and a spectacular 6-6 critical sees the otherwise undamaged little ship go kaboom.
Turn 4:
ISA initiative.
The remaining White Star fighter can see how badly the Lacerta is damaged, and moves in to finish her off. Both White Stars, surprised by the Tucana's violent manoeuvring, continue to follow the other Vorchans which are now swinging out back towards their deployment zone at full speed, aiming to get out of range of the White Stars' beams (also known as the "run away" manoeuvre). The Tucana follows them around. With the other Centauri ships gone, the Gunship uses its agility to turn almost on the spot and line up the Vorchans as they fly past.
The Lacerta is finished off by the remaining White Star fighter, and the Gunship and one White Star take the Auriga down to one point of damage (second time out of 3 this would happen to a Vorchan!). The other White Star is left out of range and with nothing to shoot at, and the Tucana capitalises on the opportunity, multiplying the previous damage to leave it decrewed and drifting.
Turn 5:
Centauri initiative.
The Vorchans continue to circle in a generally clockwise direction, although they are well spread out by now. The remaining White Star and the Gunship chase down the two Vorchans ahead, with the Tucana following. The White Star fighter again moves in to finish a damaged Vorchan, the Auriga this time.
To no one's great surprise, the White Star fighter kills the Auriga, but revenge is sweet as the Dorado obliterates the pesky thing with a full volley from both guns. However the Dorado is then blown apart in turn by the White Star's main beam with another Vital Systems critical (6-3), taken from pristine condition to burning wreck in a single shot!
Turn 6:
Centauri initiative.
The Tucana is the only Centauri ship left, and decides that living to fight another day sounds like quite a good idea. Calling All Power To Engines, the Vorchan races for the edge of the board, knowing full well that the two remaining ISA ships will swing around very quickly indeed to follow. Unfortunately, even with maximum APTE movement, there is half an inch of table left! The ship must now survive a round of ISA shooting to escape...
The White Star and Gunship swing around in unison, and open up with their forward beams and cannons. Despite the Gunship's best efforts, however, and even with a -4 speed critical, the Tucana survives on one point of damage, so it is left to the White Star to finish it. Only the beam is in range - and both dice miss!
The Tucana flees the table, badly damaged but still operational, leaving the remains of the ISA fleet to mop up the mess.
Results:
ISA victory
ISA losses: 4 Blue Stars, 1 White Star, 2 flights of White Star fighters
Centauri losses: 1 Primus, 1 Centurion, 3 Vorchan, 2 flights of Sentri
That freaking Gunship. I didn't know its beams were quite so nasty until it started slicing my line warships in two at the rate of one a turn! I didn't really manage to put much damage on it either because it could outmanoeuvre my Vorchans, and could run rings around my other ships. Not having any side or rear fire arcs really hurt me. That, plus some truly spectacular rolling for the Gunship's beam shots and the resulting criticals. My target priority was focussed on the smaller ships, thinking that they would pose more of a threat all having beams and so on, but in the end it was the Gunship that I should have been attacking. Oh well, they say you live and learn, and in the case of the Tucana it was a close run thing! I had a lot of fun anyway, and this was my first game in about 6 months, and also with the 2e rules (I've been moving house/job/etc) - it made a good reintroduction.
ISA:
White Star Gunship (and associated fighters)
2 White Stars
4 Blue Stars
Centauri: (me)
Primus - Cassiopeia
Centurion - Camelopardis
4 Vorchan - Tucana, Lacerta, Dorado, Auriga
Initial deployment saw the Gunship slightly to the right with the White Stars on the left from the Centauri viewpoint, and the Blue Stars spaced fairly evenly along the deployment line. The four Vorchans were in a diamond formation on the left, with the Centurion and Primus on the right, not too far apart. The WSG and Primus each deployed one fighter flight, which acted as escorts for their respective motherships.
Turn One:
Centauri initiative.
The Vorchans move up slowly, anticipating that the ISA ships will come into range, and indeed the Blue Stars come surging forwards, heading for the larger Centauri ships. The Primus and Centurion cruise forwards.
Not much is in range, but the Tucana destroys a Blue Star with a well-placed volley. The Cassiopeia opens up on the Gunship with its battle laser, but hardly scratches the paint, although the secondary batteries dispatch another Blue Star. In return the Gunship takes 12 points of damage off the Cassiopeia and it loses 1AD from all weapons.
Turn Two:
ISA initiative.
The Cassiopeia and Camelopardis swing left, aiming to broadside the Gunship which has made a sweeping S-curve down their port side. Meanwhile the Vorchan pack is spreading out slightly and curving right, crossing over the larger ships. The White Stars use their agility to slip in behind the Vorchans, but one finds itself right in front of the two Centauri warships.
Before the Cassiopeia's port guns can open fire, the Gunship's beams slice into it, and after a particularly horrible 6-5 critical, the Primus explodes mightily! Its escorting Sentri flight somehow manages to dodge all the debris and remains on the table just long enough for one of the Blue Stars to shoot it down. In return, one of the White Star fighter flights is taken out by the Lacerta's main batteries. The Camelopardis opens up all its forward guns on the White Star in front of it, reducing it to half damage, and the port guns tickle the Gunship but do nothing of any real consequence.
Turn Three:
ISA initiative.
The Vorchans continue to wheel to the right, but the Tucana hits the brakes with an All Stop. Even the White Stars can't help but go flying straight past, and follow the main Vorchan pack in the right turn. The Camelopardis turns to the right, alongside the Tucana, and prepares to unleash a combined volley of ion cannon and plasma accelerator fire on the two White Stars in front of them. The Gunship pulls a 180 and lines up on the Centurion.
The Camelopardis never gets a chance to fire, as the Gunship's beams once again take out a Centauri warship with a single volley! The Centurion is left de-crewed and adrift. The Lacerta lines up one of the damaged Blue Stars and finishes it off, although the White Stars pound it down to 1 point of damage. A single shot from the Auriga sets off a chain reaction in another of the Blue Stars, and a spectacular 6-6 critical sees the otherwise undamaged little ship go kaboom.
Turn 4:
ISA initiative.
The remaining White Star fighter can see how badly the Lacerta is damaged, and moves in to finish her off. Both White Stars, surprised by the Tucana's violent manoeuvring, continue to follow the other Vorchans which are now swinging out back towards their deployment zone at full speed, aiming to get out of range of the White Stars' beams (also known as the "run away" manoeuvre). The Tucana follows them around. With the other Centauri ships gone, the Gunship uses its agility to turn almost on the spot and line up the Vorchans as they fly past.
The Lacerta is finished off by the remaining White Star fighter, and the Gunship and one White Star take the Auriga down to one point of damage (second time out of 3 this would happen to a Vorchan!). The other White Star is left out of range and with nothing to shoot at, and the Tucana capitalises on the opportunity, multiplying the previous damage to leave it decrewed and drifting.
Turn 5:
Centauri initiative.
The Vorchans continue to circle in a generally clockwise direction, although they are well spread out by now. The remaining White Star and the Gunship chase down the two Vorchans ahead, with the Tucana following. The White Star fighter again moves in to finish a damaged Vorchan, the Auriga this time.
To no one's great surprise, the White Star fighter kills the Auriga, but revenge is sweet as the Dorado obliterates the pesky thing with a full volley from both guns. However the Dorado is then blown apart in turn by the White Star's main beam with another Vital Systems critical (6-3), taken from pristine condition to burning wreck in a single shot!
Turn 6:
Centauri initiative.
The Tucana is the only Centauri ship left, and decides that living to fight another day sounds like quite a good idea. Calling All Power To Engines, the Vorchan races for the edge of the board, knowing full well that the two remaining ISA ships will swing around very quickly indeed to follow. Unfortunately, even with maximum APTE movement, there is half an inch of table left! The ship must now survive a round of ISA shooting to escape...
The White Star and Gunship swing around in unison, and open up with their forward beams and cannons. Despite the Gunship's best efforts, however, and even with a -4 speed critical, the Tucana survives on one point of damage, so it is left to the White Star to finish it. Only the beam is in range - and both dice miss!
The Tucana flees the table, badly damaged but still operational, leaving the remains of the ISA fleet to mop up the mess.
Results:
ISA victory
ISA losses: 4 Blue Stars, 1 White Star, 2 flights of White Star fighters
Centauri losses: 1 Primus, 1 Centurion, 3 Vorchan, 2 flights of Sentri
That freaking Gunship. I didn't know its beams were quite so nasty until it started slicing my line warships in two at the rate of one a turn! I didn't really manage to put much damage on it either because it could outmanoeuvre my Vorchans, and could run rings around my other ships. Not having any side or rear fire arcs really hurt me. That, plus some truly spectacular rolling for the Gunship's beam shots and the resulting criticals. My target priority was focussed on the smaller ships, thinking that they would pose more of a threat all having beams and so on, but in the end it was the Gunship that I should have been attacking. Oh well, they say you live and learn, and in the case of the Tucana it was a close run thing! I had a lot of fun anyway, and this was my first game in about 6 months, and also with the 2e rules (I've been moving house/job/etc) - it made a good reintroduction.
