What would you use?

[treknogeek]

Our little gaming group is having a three way battle next Friday. I am lending my Centauri to one of my opponents and the other is using Earth (era undisclosed but most likely 3rd Age). I am probably going to bring the Minbari as the Earth player (who is the most experienced) has a superstitious fear of them. This is a 5 point Scrimmage, last man standing.

So, my question is, if you found yourself in-between Earth Force and the Republic, which fleet would you bring to the party and why?

 

[H]

assuming your scrimmage is meaning Skirmish, your choices are very limited. I'd take 2 ashintas and the torotha, you could take 2 ashintas and some fighters though, but Minbari fighters are expensive, and EA and Centaurio also have good fighters!

as to why, the Ashinta rocks, twin linked 18" minibeams in every arc, pretty tough hull, and still stealthy. And not one single fighter should ever get near it!
try to fly around the adge of the battle keeping almost at your weapon range making it harder for the opponent to target you, you have 2 turns and reasonable speed on your side on top of everything else!

 

[Burger]

Firstly I would make a warning about 3-way battles. They inevitably end up with one player being attacked by 2 others and quickly eliminated. Even if you don't gang up deliberately, it just happens naturally. To do a 3-way scenario you're best off using the Benny Hill rules.

I would probably bring Shadows so that you can SM around the table, and ensure you don't end up caught in the crossfire of both enemies. Or ISA with Narn allies, so you can throw in some e-mines and hurt both of them at once.

 

[H]

mmm, I may wrongly have assumed he meant which fleet of Minbari, rather than which fleet from everyone.
still, my views on the minbari stand, and Burger is right re the ganging up, it's just human nature really.

 

[treknogeek]

assuming your scrimmage is meaning Skirmish

The spell check changed it to what is posted. I thought it was a British/European thing, like honor vs honour (which is how I have seen honor used many times in academic works from those across the pond).

Burger got it right, I was curious as to what you guys would bring.

you're best off using the Benny Hill rules

Not sure what those are. In other games with a three way we have done it where you attack the person on your left only. Any ship that is struck by a ship on the right can then attack back. Alternatively, we have also divided our forces in two, one for each other player. When my force designated for, say Earth, succeeds in destroying the Earth fleet sent to destroy them they can then attack whomever.

3 Way battles are something of a necessary evil for us, but it is still fun.

 

[H]

basically Benny Hill scenario is A attacks B attacks C attacks A, so you can get a circle of players chasing each other, A la a benny hill sketch.

if you have 3 players I'd look at a pre set 2 on 1, the two getting 5 skirmish eash, and the 1 getting 10 skirmish, or some other makeup. but your call.

Re Scrimmage, only really heard it used in relation to american football before.

right, if it's EA and Centauri, I think you want a comparable fleet so no-one can complain about stealth checks and suchlike. On That basis, i'd look to the Narn (a well chosen Narn fleet is still very competitive) or even Brakiri, althoguh they would need to have more than 5 points to get their best ships involved, but again, a good match for both earth and Centauri.
You could go a bit out there and use Dilgar.
If you just want to be reasonably confident of victory then use minbari, the ISA/Narn combo.

 

[AdrianH]

you're best off using the Benny Hill rules

Not sure what those are. In other games with a three way we have done it where you attack the person on your left only. Any ship that is struck by a ship on the right can then attack back.

As you'll have seen from Grand Master Hiff's reply, what you have described there pretty well is Benny Hill.

I'd probably try my luck with either pure Vree or a Vree/Drazi mixture as League of Non-Aligned Worlds. No stealth and not excessively powerful against either of Earth or Centauri, but good enough to make an interesting game.

Shadows could also work; they're limited to taking 2 Scouts and 4 fighter flights, and although the Scouts do have stealth, its effectiveness is slightly reduced because they must close to within 8" on order to attack. And, unlike Minbari, their weapons can be stopped by Earth interceptors.

 

[No. 1 Bear]

take 20 tethys.
10 laser 10 missile. Wouls be interesting and that allot of ships.


On a little bit more serious note.

I think a drakh carrier would work well.

 

[treknogeek]

It was interesting to see who would use what.

Right now I'm leaning towards Drazi or making it an EA civil war, or perhaps Narn, or maybe Abbai . . . so many factions so little time.