Third Age EA help

[pwrserge]

Ok, I have now played a few battle games with my projected EA fleet against all of the other Major races. (Minbari, Narn, and Centauri) My opponent, while not a tactical genius was more than capable of figuring out each of the fleet's strengths and promptly blowing my lumbering bricks out of existence. I'll go through the races one by one; perhaps people can tell me what I am doing wrong.

Let's start with the Minbari. (5 point Battle)

My Typical Fleet
1x Avenger w. 4x Auroras and 4x Thunderbolts
2x Omegas w. 2x Auroras and 2x Thunderbolts
2x Hyperion w. Auroras
2x Oracle w. Flash
4x Hermes w. Flash and Thunderbolts

Opponent Typical Fleet
1x Morshin w. 4x Nials, 1x Flyer and 4x Tishat
2x Tinashi
4x Teshlans w. Nials

Basically what happens in every game is that he sits back with All Stop, and sends his fighter screen to gut mine. The first to die, from long range Neutron Laser fire are my two Oracles. After that, he gangs up on my Omegas, wile sending a pair of Teshlans out to mop up my Hyperions and Hermes. The Morshin eventually wades in with its Fusion Cannons for help finish off the Avenger. I occasionally get a good missile salvo off at extreme range with the Flash missiles. But in general, I will be lucky to get a Tinashi or a Teshlan.

Next is the Centauri,

My Typical Fleet
3x Omegas w. 2x Auroras and 2x Thunderbolts
2x Hyperion w. Auroras
2x Olympus w. Heavy Missiles
4x Hermes w. Flash and Thunderbolts

Opponent Typical Fleet
3x Primus w. Raziks
4x Prefect

As a rule of thumb I manage to get my Omegas lined up on one of his Primus in the first turn and wind up doing serious damage. The Flash missiles help, but the 36 AD of DD, SAP, Beams coming back generally take out an Omega. I generally manage to get my fighters in past his screen, but his Twin Particle Arrays eat them for breakfast after they make their attack runs. The Second Turn sees one of his Primus and maybe a Prefect go up in smoke followed by both Hyperions and Olympus as he splits his fire to take out my lighter combatants that are about to become a threat. The game ends with my remaining Omegas getting ganged up on by CAF Battle Lasers.

Finally Narn

My Typical Fleet
3x Omegas w. 4x Thunderbolts
2x Hyperion w. Thunderbolts
2x Olympus w. Heavy Missiles
4x Hermes w. Flash and Thunderbolts

Opponent Typical Fleet
1x G'Varhn w. 5x Frazi
1x G'Lan w. 2x Frazi
1x Dag'Kar
1x Rothan
4x Ka'Toc w. Frazi

Generally, he uses e-mines to take out my fighters as he closes. (Even a T-bolt will go down to 4+ AD) I manage to cause some damage to his line with the Omegas, but then the Mag Guns and Heavy Lasers come in and I start hemorrhaging ships. His Frazis then proceed to gut my lighter combatants while his warships focus on my line.

Mind you, I love EA. I will continue to play my lovely flying bricks even if the fleet blows total chunks. It’s just getting frustrating when I can’t get even a single solid victory!

SERGE

 

[katadder]

against the narn kill his ka'tocs 1st, they have as much firepower as a g'quan but die reqally easy. dag'kar only needs killing if it has ship breakers as besides your fighters its not much of a threat. once the ka'tocs are gone try your best to take the 2 big ships and just see how it goes.
centauri are hard but in that fleet always go for primus' 1st, they die quicker than 2 prefects would and also once behind prefects they have no rear firepower unlike the primus.
with minbari - again go for the big ships 1st (but ignore the morshin really). tinashis die easier than 2 teshlans to reduce his firepower. all power to engines is useful too to get within that magic 8" and if he goes behind you dont forget your omegas and hyperions have rear beams (a much forgotten weapon IMO).

 

[Silvereye]

Intersting fleet slesctions.

Let's start with the Minbari. (5 point Battle)

My Typical Fleet
1x Avenger w. 4x Auroras and 4x Thunderbolts
2x Omegas w. 2x Auroras and 2x Thunderbolts
2x Hyperion w. Auroras
2x Oracle w. Flash
4x Hermes w. Flash and Thunderbolts

I'd drop the two Hyperions for a Pair of Nova. Keep the 50-50 mix of fighters. It might also be worth considering dropping the Avenger for another Omega. The Hermes are good initiative sinks, but do not be afraid to use Manouvre to Shield them.

Basically against Minbari you need lots of ships with high hull and good damage (the Hyperion does not cut it). All Power to Engines helps, though you cannot launch fighters. I would not worry too much about the Nials/Flyers as they will have to get through your interceptors to cause damage.

Opponent Typical Fleet
1x Morshin w. 4x Nials, 1x Flyer and 4x Tishat
2x Tinashi
4x Teshlans w. Nials

Interestting choices. Basically send the majority of your fleet right down his throat. Hold the Omega's back as a slow sniper group - if you can spend the first turn with them squadroned and fire them first at a Tinashi.

Next is the Centauri,

My Typical Fleet
3x Omegas w. 2x Auroras and 2x Thunderbolts
2x Hyperion w. Auroras
2x Olympus w. Heavy Missiles
4x Hermes w. Flash and Thunderbolts

Your facing another beam heavy fleet. Treat them like the Minbari, but you don't have to beat the Stealth. Again, you want to close the lines quickly, you have powerful rear guns, the Centauri don't. When your making a fighter strike pile them into the same arc as your ships. And give him the choice of fighters or Capital ship to shoot at. Change you fighter load to 25 Aurara - 75 Thunderbolt

Opponent Typical Fleet
3x Primus w. Raziks
4x Prefect

The only way to a more beardy fleet would be by using Tertius.

Finally Narn

My Typical Fleet
3x Omegas w. 4x Thunderbolts
2x Hyperion w. Thunderbolts
2x Olympus w. Heavy Missiles
4x Hermes w. Flash and Thunderbolts

Potentially a good selection. Again, you want to close the distance before even thinking about launching any fighters (load fully with Thunderbolt) Ignore the Dag'Kar unless it is packing Ship Breakers and try and drop the Ka'Tocs then the G'Vrahn ASAP. The G'Vrahn is probably worth firing missiles at and fishing for criticals if you have enough tubes.

Opponent Typical Fleet
1x G'Varhn w. 5x Frazi
1x G'Lan w. 2x Frazi
1x Dag'Kar
1x Rothan
4x Ka'Toc w. Frazi

That's a nice fleet here.

 

[angelus2000]

A few tips

Against Minbari

Leave the Hyperions at home, take Novas instead. Novas die just as quickly to Neutron Beams as Hyperions, but the lack of Boresight means you can APTE them straight at the Minbari Heavies. With an Avenger on the board, the extra 6 fighters on the Novas as in additional plus.
Leave the Hermes at home and take Artemis as well. They're somewhat more survivable than Hermes, and the SAP DD railguns are murder once you break stealth. Take Artemis instead of the Orales too. The scout roll is nice, granted; but once within 8in and having enough fighters to get some Scanners to Full going, stealth is rather easily brokem; and the extra Artemis brings more railgun goodness to the board.

One point to consider is that Minbari are far more manueveable than EA. Stagger your ships vertically, meaning artemis out front, Novas 6 inchs back, Omegas even furthur back. It does no good to really bunch your ships up,as Tinashis Teshlan can simply APTE out of you front Arc if all your ships are in a knot.

Againts Centauri.

Hyperions are a vaible choice when figthing Centauri, the trick is getting them in range and out of Arc of their Big guns. Deploy them as far to the side as the scenario allows an wait for the rest of your ship thme out of position or even better, deploy them from hyperspace. A turn of APTE should put them into Beam range of whatever they have. Olympii can be viable as well, need to use the same tactics as Hyperions. Drop the Hermes for Artemis, swap 3 Omegas for 6 Novas, and Swap 2 Novas for 4 more Artemis. This will give you a solid core of 10 ships (4 Nova, 6 Artemis) to use as your main force. Launch them APTE right towards the Centauri, as none of them are dependent on Boresight. Once they engaged ( minus 3-5 ships), swing the Olympii and Hyperions in and have fun.