newbie with some basic questions- lists etc.

[BenS]

Ok 1st I've only KNOWN about this game since thursday night. Where I played a Raid, 2xHyperion Assault Cruisers and one Chronos Attack Frigate against 2 Demos Heavy Warships and a Centurion. I was the Earth Alliance and just managed to win. A single Hyperion remaining (I destroyed the Centurion spectacularly, won initiative, fired my Plasma Cannon, caused a critical, damaged his forward guns so he coudn't fire at me then pounded him with my Pulse Cannons, of course the Centurion then EXPLODED destroying the 2nd Hyperion leaving only my ship remaining).

But I think there are 4-5 of us at my LGS that are now planning on playing and starting a Campaign. I was hankering to go Earth Alliance but there are already 2 Earth Fleets. Then I thought about Narn (I'm using the Sky Full of Stars book) but there is ALREADY a Narn fleet. SO I'm thinking instead of going Brakiri Syndicracy - more on that later.

Now we're planning on playing a campaign, we don't all have fleets yet but I for one and going through the site and my book and looking at all the different ships. I'm thinking of just going with the Brakiri Fleet box and expanding it as I play and figure out my style. BUT Question. How do I organize points? I think we're going for 10 Battle points. So how does the points system work? Is it 1 War fills a point, 2 Battle fills a point, 3 Raid, 4 Skirmish ,5 Patrol !?!?!?!?!?!

Also Variations, are they different models or can I use the same model just easily identifiable as something special?

Finally how do I go about naming Brakiri. Never having seen an episode of Babylon 5 (something I'm going to have to do now) I don't know how the names go. So far I'm being rather conservative and naming the Fleet the Golden Star Corporation;

Tashkat Advanced Cruiser – The Golden Star
Takata Mine Cruiser – The Shining Star
Avioki Heavy Cruiser – Twilight Sky
Avioki Heavy Cruiser – Star Knight
Avioki Heavy Cruiser – Sunset Glory
Kaliva Lance Cruiser – Bright Sun
Brikorta Light Carrier – Sunburst
Brikorta Light Carrier – Moonshine
Ikorta Light Assault Cruiser - Sunrise
Ikorta Light Assault Cruiser - Sunset
Falkosi Light Interceptor Wing - Flame Squadron*
Falkosi Light Interceptor Wing - Magenta Squadron*

* do I have to buy Falkosi Flights and place them in my Carriers or do they appear as part of the Cruiser itself?

 

[Tolwyn]

Hello,

nice so a new player.

Every ship who carries fighters has the appropriate number off them onboard every time you use it. So an Brocados starts a game with 4 flights Falkosi

 

[BenS]

Ok. So if I get the box with 6 Falkosi flights I then want only ONE Brikorta Light Carrier which takes away 2 Flights then I buy a Flight under the Patrol list which is 4 Falkosi Flights.

Cool thanks

 

[Digger]

Another way to increase your fighters, is don't glue so many to the base!

As they only represent a token flight, get some extra bases and glue only three to each base - This way you can increase the number of flights you have to play with.

Hope you enjoy the game and if you are based in the UK, try and attend the Mongoose Open day in August, a great place to meet fellow fans and the creators of the game.

One thing you will find out about Mongoose, is that they listen to players!

 

[BenS]

unfortuantly I live in Sydney, Australia. Good to hear that the creators listen to the game. Not enough of that in the miniatures world. I really enjoyed my "trial" game last night- at least enough to buy the rule book. Problem being it would be about the 7th or 8th gaming system I'm playing, so the cash is tight...still I'm figuring I buy the fleet box, figure out how to use that and then expand slowly.

That fighters idea is real helpful. Also makes more sense with a schwarm of 3 fighters, so a Squadron of 4 stands is 12 fighters. Thanks- can you buy bases or need to make'em?

Other games I play:
Napoleonics- my own rule set both 6mm and 20mm
Warhammer 40k- don't play much except with old mates Imperial Guard
Warhammer - same as 40k Dark Elves
Flames of War- Italian and Romanian armies building a British Tank Force
Confrontation - Lions
A&A Naval
Warmachine - Cygnar
Babylon 5

 

[Digger]

If you are going to buy the rule book etc. May I suggest you hang on until the 2nd Edition, it's just round the corner.

With regards to models, there is a thriving trade on ebay where box sets can be picked up. Also, if you watch this board people have models for sale as well.

The bases can be bought separately and they can be made. Most model shops have the gear - Games Workshop for example!

Hope you are enjoying gaming in Oz, we are practically drowning here at the moment! :roll:

 

[BenS]

I bought a Call to Arms Starter Set t'was only $20 bucks (aussie) so I could get the Damage and Crippled tables. But I was told about 2nd ed so I'll wait for that to come out before buying the rule book.

It's been raining like crazy down here as well. Flooding the Dam level has doubled mind you we're still on Level 4 Water Restrictions (ie no washing cars from a hose, watering your garden only allowed on Sunday, I'm sure there are others but I live alone so don't use much water up anyway).

Otherwise I'm enjoying gaming down here alot =)

 

[Banichi]

That fighters idea is real helpful. Also makes more sense with a schwarm of 3 fighters, so a Squadron of 4 stands is 12 fighters. Thanks- can you buy bases or need to make'em?

Welcome to the game. I see you play flames of war, do you have a set of the tokens? If you are familiar with them I used the triangular "pinned" tokens to mount my fighters on. I contacted Gale force 9 and ordered 150 of the triangular tokens as blanks. Then I drilled holes in the corners and glued fighter minies in each hole. Once this had dried I stuck the whole lot onto a small GW flying stand. As it has been said using 3 minies doubles the amount of flights you get, and the GW base lifts them up to the level of your ships.

Sorry I can't post pictures yet, it's on my list of things to learn how to do. Right after figuring out how the quote function on this forum works. :lol:

 

[Burger]

the GW base lifts them up to the level of your ships.

That can be a bad thing, when you want to attack enemy ships! Try getting within 1" of a Veshatan to ignore stealth

 

[Banichi]

It doesn't lift them high enough to be a pain as the stems provided for the small stands are shorter than the mongoose stems and the bases only have a 1 inch diameter. It works out quite well, and looks kind of cool.

 

[BenS]

I imagine having the little fighters driving around would be pretty cool. By Driving I mean 1-2 inches above the board.

One thing I wanted to ask was; how does Stealth work? and Energy Mines AND Gravitic shifter.

Gravitic Mines 30" AD4 Energy Mine. How does this work? do you spit a mine out and if an enemy ship goes near it blows up? Or is it like a normal gun. Ie you roll to hit/damage as if firing a Particle Beam.

 

[Digger]

Energy Mines are an area effect weapon, they ignore stealth. They are fired within the arc and you then nominate the point of explosion within the range of the weapon.

Anything within the blast radius then suffers the number of AD of the mine.

A very useful weapon when playing against stealth, but do remember they can't do criticals so always have something to follow it up with.

 

[Burger]

Unfortunately you really need to read the rules for all these basic questions :?

It is a bummer when a new set is coming out... do you spend lots of money now which will become obsolete, or wait 8 weeks for the next edition? I guess it depends on your wallet, and your patience

 

[BenS]

Too True.

Hopefully one of the guys at the LGS will have one but I know the store doesn't have any stocked, All they have is the RPG and Norn Fleet Box.

Odds are I'll get the rules anyway so I can grumble with the rest of you on points you don't like in the 2nd ed. Mind you if the company listens to their players 2nd ed will probably be really good.

 

[Chernobyl]

user Timeslip has got some really nice bases he's selling. They're clear acrylic and are designed to have 3 fighters mounted to a base, so that your minis go farther.

BenS, welcome to ACTA and hope you enjoy. you might try checking out some of the shipviewers or other fan sites for playing aids for you and your game group.

I've got some nice asteroid, planet, and gas cloud counters you can print, cut to shape, and laminate for your games.

Chernobyl

 

[BenS]

Wow you guys are probably the friendliest forum goers I've ever met...

For Terrain I imagine we'll start with paper cut outs to represent nebulae, moons, planets, asteroids.

Eventually I want to get Foam Balls and punch GW flying bases into the end of them so they can stand. Forming Planets and Moons and cut smaller ones up into odd shapes to form Asteroids

As for Fighters I'll probably use what I'm provided with to begin and rebase or get new ones and base them like you've all advised later on- once I've got the feel of the game. I think the 1st stage will be getting ANY models and learning the rules, play a few trial games with any ships I can get my hands on become acquainted with the rules as best I can - I've got access to the basic rules its the more advanced stuff that is relatively rare but adds flavour to the game that I'll need the info for. Ie. Stealth, mines, Graviton Shifters etc.

Chernobyl can you please email me with the docs for the asteroids, planets and gas clouds? ben.seib@gmail.com

I think 2 of the gaming group are relatively exp. Players. Not sure if they're on this forum but one works at the LGS and the other is in there every lunch break and has been playing games since forever. I'm pretty certain they'd have the rule books.

I will eventually get onto other sites. Apart from starting out here I also want to get some info on the basic races and playing styles- both in game and in story.

I may even expand into the RPG and get my Role Play Group involved in that...NOT to mention I'm looking hungrily at Victory at Sea *save my cash, save my cash*