Jump Out Versus Drift Off?

[Sulfurdown]

I've been wondering about the effects of the jump point and victory for a game. In 99% of the games I've played, trying to escape via jump point was both overly time consuming and a suicide attempt. In fact the last time I tried to jump out was with a nearly full Battlewagon which was summarily reduced to skeleton crew and therefore had to run for the edge anyway (4 ka'toc had just destroyed my other capital and the fighters weren't going to save the Battlewagon).

Point is, it got me thinking about the merits of even using the JP as an escape. The only use I can find for it is if the scenario specifically denies retreat via the board edge.

:!: <CAUTION: WARS REFERENCE> :!:
IIRC in B5Wars there was a victory benefit if you jumped your ships out rather then end of Map/"run for the hills". Something to the tune of = the opponent didn't get any victory for ships you managed to get out by jump point but they got some for those that EoM withdrew. Am I missing this in the rules for CtA? Are the jump point withdrawls just included as another option for players, or are there a lot more scenarios the prohibit EoM escapes and I'm just missing it :?:

 

[Wulf Corbett]

As far as I remember, any scenario which judges victory by VP gives 1/2 VP for any ship that runs away, whatever the method. Some scenarios, of course, give VP to the owner of a ship that reaches a friendly edge.

When I've used JP retreats, I almost invariably have another ship open the JP for a damaged ship.

Wulf

 

[Silvereye]

I have have used the Jump Point withdrawl for ships, but as you have said it is a touch dicey. Usually the IJP! ship takes a battering in the firing phase and a couple of Manoeuvre to Shield Them! are required. Its a high risk withdrawl, but often a lot better then trying to scarper to an edge that is 2 or three All Power to Engines! turns away.

 

[H]

JP has it's uses for withdrawal.

Scenario. A G'Quan is in the centre of a 6*4 board, the rest of the fleet has been destroyed, the enemy outnumbers him 4-1. Even heading for a short edge at All power to engines, the G'Quan only moves 9", and is 24" from said edge. so it takes 3 turns to get off, 2 full turns of firing. If it opens a JP, it gets out on turn 2, and dependant upon initiative, may only take 1 round of firing. as it is running, it is unlikely it would be firing anyway, unless his oponent was stupid enough to sit ships within 8".
so the JP is the quickest easiest route to go.
Karlpopli used this method effectively when I had 2 Ikortas chasing an Apollo. Apollo got out, VP's were calculated, he won 40-39. If he had made a run for it, their is the chance I could have taken him down with a couple more turns firing