Re: Affectiveness of FSE BDN?

G'day Alan,

>I've found the FSE to be the least effective fleet in single battles.

They can be pushing it up hill at times, but don't you just love a
challenge like that? ;)

>Yet I suspect they'd be very good in a campaign.

Actually their reliance on SMs and fighters make campaigns expensive for
them though they do excel at the hit and run ;)

>The reason is that an FSE fleet comes in, 
>shoots off its SMLs...then.... what?
>
>In a normal out-of-strategic-context battle, 
>it must then fight against a slightly reduced
>enemy fleet, with a drastic inferiority in beam
>weapons. The usual outcome is a loss for the FSE.

The lack of "forever" (beam) weaponary means the FSE can get itself into
trouble fast if it doesn't use its fighters/SMs very well. Its not as
easy
to just walk in and not think and win with the FSE, but if you've got
your
wits about you you can pull off victory. I've learnt that you have to
coordinate attacks so you've got a stack of SMs going in not the odd one
or
two, and if you can tie up the PDS with a simultaneous fighter attack
all
the better. I always concentrate on the biggest guy first (though I
admit I
had to blow up an awful lot of FFs before I got my eye in), because once
they're gone you're beams are usually capable of polishing off the small
stuff. You've also got to use that thrust of yours (they call it "Doing
the
Beth" down here) to keep in the opposition's blind spots and away from
their SMs etc. It is a challenge, and you've got to be able to take
getting
your butt kicked, but you can win with the FSE - besides when you do its
all the sweeter ;)

>As regards effectiveness of SMLs, I normally get an 80%+ yield, ie
about
>80% of the SMLs actually launched end up targetting SOMETHING. Usually
>though it's one of the 3-4 FFs that are around each enemy vessel they
>care about. The occasional CA or CL goes west, but not often. I do
>slightly better against NSL, but only slightly.

I'd say I've got a 95%+ hit rate, though I should probably note here
hwoever that we don't use the optional 3" engagement range for SMs in
vector movement (we stuck with the 6") - and it wasn't because the boys
down here took pity on my misses, its because they couldn't hit either!
;)
Though I can sympathise about all the little guys hanging around as
decoys
for the SMs, they guys here have taken to putting SCs and CTs under the
overhang of their bigger vessels, which has reduced my hit on intended
(big) target rate down to 75%.

Cheers

Beth

------------------------------------------------------------------------
----
------------------------------------------------------------------------
----
Elizabeth Fulton
c/o CSIRO Division of Marine Research
GPO Box 1538
HOBART 
TASMANIA 7001
AUSTRALIA
Phone (03) 6232 5018 International +61 3 6232 5018
Fax (03) 6232 5199 International +61 3 6232 5199

email: beth.fulton@marine.csiro.au