Re: Leading with Escorts (was Directional screens (armor dropped

Dean spake thusly upon matters weighty: 
> Jared wrote:
> > Yet if you look at enough FT games you will see a few ideas similar
to the
> > echelon concepts---Multiple waves - smallest in front where the
> > enemy has to
> > deal with them because of the large damage they can do if
> > ignored, while heavies
> > in back where they can continue to hurt you with the bigger guns.
> 
> But now your smallest, unscreened ships are in front and are prime
targets
> taking all the damage and are lost quickly.  I've seen this happen too
often
> lately, like at the GenCon Tourney, players leading with their escorts
only
> to have them destroyed sometimes before they can even fire.  With the
same
> dice rolls, less damage would have been taken if the better defended
ships
> were leading.

Have to agree with Dean. We've seen and concurred that, given the 
nature of FT, it makes little sense to build escorts as a war machine 
(they may have other reasons to exist such as scouting, showing the 
flag in peacetime etc) and that they should be left behind when 
serious battle is joined. They pop usually long before they are in 
range (under the theory I can wham a few rounds at range into a 
cruiser or DN to minimal effect and no reduction of enemy fire or I 
can totally eliminate two or three corvettes thus removing them 
completely and forever from the firing equation).  Leave your escorts 
and corvettes at home. Unless you have things like sensor rules and 
handing on targets because then having a screen of corvettes or 
escorts out to gain info and acquire targets for the big hammer (your 
caps and cruisers) makes a lot of sense - which may well how things 
really end up operating. As it stands, heavier ships are a better 
buy.

> >  How many
> > people do you know who attack with their SDN and CA's in front
> > while their DD's
> > & FF's hold up the rear?  probably not many - as that is generally
not as
> > effective as the other way round where the tin-cans can get out
> > their attacks at
> > closer ranges before disintegrating.

No, I just try to build fleets that are cruiser or cap ship heavy (I 
actually like cruisers). If I'm forced to take DDs and FFs and the 
like, I have them bring up the rear so that the big boys take the 
range pounding while we close range which will hurt them a bit, but 
the popcorn (as we call the small targets) survives to get off a shot 
before being evacuated to the dark cold of space.

> This is what Schoon did with his fleet, and he won the tourney.  Put
the
> best defended ships in front (who also have the longest range weapons
so
> they get better range bands sooner)  Your opponent has the choice of
taking
> shots at a the closest ship which is well defended or taking longer
range
> shots at easier to hit and destroy escorts.  Your smaller ships would
then
> be used to make a sudden breakout attack exploiting a weakness in your
> opponent's fleet.

Or while the damaged biguns are slugging it out, and your opponent 
(who lead with FFs and such) has much less FP dice left than you do, 
your FFs and DDs make a difference.  

> Am I off base or have others seen this same thing?

I concur and I know a few others around here do. 
 
> I think that DDs and smaller should not be used as initial attack wave
in a
> battleline type of scenario.	They should be used to finish off
damaged
> ships, make overwhelming attacks when the situation dictates, and keep
other
> escorts from getting too close to your main ships.
> 
> Comments?  Flames?  Lets get some tactics discussion going ;)

As I said, if the game had some complex sensor rules and was more 
like sub-hunting than WW1 line of battle manouvring, then having the 
escorts and stuff out front to spot and acquire for the big ships 
longer ranged guns makes lots of sense. As do having such ships in 
blockades and other situations where you need to gaurd space. But in 
a head-to-head fleet engagement, it seems their best disposition is 
to the rear of a formation (or in the case of the smallest forces, 
maybe gaurding the fleet train....).  

 
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Thomas Barclay		     
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Fax: (613) 831-8255

 "C makes it easy to shoot yourself in the foot.  C++ makes
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