Nashcon 2013 and the Battle For Kh'rtis Rock are over for another year.
Here is the promised AAR (pictures will be posted in another thread):
After Action Report
Previous experience with this massive slug-fest have led to a few time saving practices, all of which were applied this year.
Since the game uses the "squadron rules" from the ACTASF rulebook, the ships were combined into squadrons and the data cards for all squadrons were printed on a single sheet of paper. In addition, the squadrons were color-coded to facilitate looking up the correct cards.
The three Federation Task Forces were assigned Red, White, and Blue for TF-1, TF-2, and TF-3.
The four Klingon squadrons were assigned Red, Blue, Green, and Yellow (the colors on the Klingon trefoil).
To follow through with the color coding, plastic drinking straws in red, white, blue, green, and yellow were cut into 1-inch lengths and slipped over the vertical bases stems before the minis were attached.
This made it quick and easy to find the matching ship card / ship min when it came time to fire weapons / mark damage/ or to move.
Turn One:
Turn one saw the Klingons make an incredible series of unit activation rolls. All but three ships managed to activate.
While the Klingons formed the active ships into two groups and swept around opposite side of the BATS in a classic pincher move, the Federation Task Force One (TF-1) moved 6 inches and launched a complete wave of suicide shuttles.
Long range firepower was nothing more than a few Federation drones trying to cause a Klginon ship to run out of ADD ammo - which did not happen. The Klingons initially lobbed a few drones at Federation ships, but after the firrst couple dropped the drones with nothing but phaser-3s, they began to target the suicide shuttles.
Turn Two:
A few more players showed up and were added to the various teams.
The Federation forces advanced TF-1 another 6 inches and launched another full wave of suicide shuttle???
The Klingons activated two more ships and made an incredible series of repair rolls on the D6s and the D7s.
Federation TF-2 was placed in the hands of Mark "PlasmaBoy" Thomas (who arrived late). TF-2 used the All Power to Engines special action to at least close into range.
Mid-range to Long-range fire from both sides was little more than nuisance fire... except for the Phaser-4 ground-based defense station located on the green moon of Kh'rtis Rock. The phaser-4 blast into the Federation Command Cruiser at point-blank range was more than just a bit of a surprise.
Turn Three:
Turn three saw the Klingons make another round of better than average rolls for repair of the damaged ships and the final two inactive ships became active.
In addition, the first round of Klingon reinforcements arrived.
With the slow advance of the Federation units, the Klingons now outnumber the Feds by a fair margin and are in a better position than the Federation. Nearly every Klingon unit has its reinforced forward shield facing the Feds and the Fed drone racks are all busy pumping out anti-drone drones, so they cannot be diverted to offensive operations.
Several of the smaller ships on both sides receive critical amounts of damage. The first casualty is a Klingon E4; but that's not the last...
Turn Four:
With one last round of repair rolls and the Feds closing on the BATS (finally), the Klingons decide to undock the D6s and D7s from the BATS before it blows up and takes them with it.
The Federation fleet forms into a line abreast formation and attempt to roll up the Klingons between them and the BATS. Fortunately, it works. Not a single Klingon unit is left beside or behind them.
Unfortunately, it's a costly maneuver. While many Klingon ships die - almost as many Federation ships are crippled or damaged.
The BATS is now in sight, but the Federation forces are still outnumbered by the Klingons.
Turn Five:
Turn 5 sees the remaining Klingon reinforcements arrive. It's a small detachment (3 D6s and 3 F5s) and its badly positioned since the battle has shifted over time, but it's another 6 Klingon ships that will be in range before the end of the battle.
The Federation forces close on the BATS and line-up.
The Klingons prioritize their targets by "who presents the most threat to the base?"
By the end of Turn 5, the BATS is a scintillating cloud of vaporized duranium and gases. Nearly every Federation ship remaining on the map has damage - some of it crippling damage and there are 6 fresh Klingon ships bearing down on the remnants.
The Federation is scheduled to receive 8 more ships as their final reinforcements during movement of Turn #4, but their deployment zone will leave them 2 to 3 turns from effective range and by then, the existing Fed forces will be decimated and the incoming forces will still be out-numbered, out-manned, and out-gunned.
At this point the Federation forces conceded the match.
That's one Nashcon battle to the Federation and one to the Klingons. Next year will be the final tie-breaking game.
Here is the promised AAR (pictures will be posted in another thread):
After Action Report
Previous experience with this massive slug-fest have led to a few time saving practices, all of which were applied this year.
Since the game uses the "squadron rules" from the ACTASF rulebook, the ships were combined into squadrons and the data cards for all squadrons were printed on a single sheet of paper. In addition, the squadrons were color-coded to facilitate looking up the correct cards.
The three Federation Task Forces were assigned Red, White, and Blue for TF-1, TF-2, and TF-3.
The four Klingon squadrons were assigned Red, Blue, Green, and Yellow (the colors on the Klingon trefoil).
To follow through with the color coding, plastic drinking straws in red, white, blue, green, and yellow were cut into 1-inch lengths and slipped over the vertical bases stems before the minis were attached.
This made it quick and easy to find the matching ship card / ship min when it came time to fire weapons / mark damage/ or to move.
Turn One:
Turn one saw the Klingons make an incredible series of unit activation rolls. All but three ships managed to activate.
While the Klingons formed the active ships into two groups and swept around opposite side of the BATS in a classic pincher move, the Federation Task Force One (TF-1) moved 6 inches and launched a complete wave of suicide shuttles.
Long range firepower was nothing more than a few Federation drones trying to cause a Klginon ship to run out of ADD ammo - which did not happen. The Klingons initially lobbed a few drones at Federation ships, but after the firrst couple dropped the drones with nothing but phaser-3s, they began to target the suicide shuttles.
Turn Two:
A few more players showed up and were added to the various teams.
The Federation forces advanced TF-1 another 6 inches and launched another full wave of suicide shuttle???
The Klingons activated two more ships and made an incredible series of repair rolls on the D6s and the D7s.
Federation TF-2 was placed in the hands of Mark "PlasmaBoy" Thomas (who arrived late). TF-2 used the All Power to Engines special action to at least close into range.
Mid-range to Long-range fire from both sides was little more than nuisance fire... except for the Phaser-4 ground-based defense station located on the green moon of Kh'rtis Rock. The phaser-4 blast into the Federation Command Cruiser at point-blank range was more than just a bit of a surprise.
Turn Three:
Turn three saw the Klingons make another round of better than average rolls for repair of the damaged ships and the final two inactive ships became active.
In addition, the first round of Klingon reinforcements arrived.
With the slow advance of the Federation units, the Klingons now outnumber the Feds by a fair margin and are in a better position than the Federation. Nearly every Klingon unit has its reinforced forward shield facing the Feds and the Fed drone racks are all busy pumping out anti-drone drones, so they cannot be diverted to offensive operations.
Several of the smaller ships on both sides receive critical amounts of damage. The first casualty is a Klingon E4; but that's not the last...
Turn Four:
With one last round of repair rolls and the Feds closing on the BATS (finally), the Klingons decide to undock the D6s and D7s from the BATS before it blows up and takes them with it.
The Federation fleet forms into a line abreast formation and attempt to roll up the Klingons between them and the BATS. Fortunately, it works. Not a single Klingon unit is left beside or behind them.
Unfortunately, it's a costly maneuver. While many Klingon ships die - almost as many Federation ships are crippled or damaged.
The BATS is now in sight, but the Federation forces are still outnumbered by the Klingons.
Turn Five:
Turn 5 sees the remaining Klingon reinforcements arrive. It's a small detachment (3 D6s and 3 F5s) and its badly positioned since the battle has shifted over time, but it's another 6 Klingon ships that will be in range before the end of the battle.
The Federation forces close on the BATS and line-up.
The Klingons prioritize their targets by "who presents the most threat to the base?"
By the end of Turn 5, the BATS is a scintillating cloud of vaporized duranium and gases. Nearly every Federation ship remaining on the map has damage - some of it crippling damage and there are 6 fresh Klingon ships bearing down on the remnants.
The Federation is scheduled to receive 8 more ships as their final reinforcements during movement of Turn #4, but their deployment zone will leave them 2 to 3 turns from effective range and by then, the existing Fed forces will be decimated and the incoming forces will still be out-numbered, out-manned, and out-gunned.
At this point the Federation forces conceded the match.
That's one Nashcon battle to the Federation and one to the Klingons. Next year will be the final tie-breaking game.
