RE: Salvo Missiles (was UN Ship Nomenklatura)

On 17 Aug 98 at 13:05, Geoffrey Stewart wrote:

> Hello
> 
> My experience of SLM's is the exact opposite of this. In our games
> using the FSE
>  we have found them to be a joke weapon. First you have to get
>  within 3" of the
> target, then see how many hit, then see how many are shot down, then
> see how much damage they do; 4 chances for things to go wrong! We
> have found that it's very hard to guess where the enemy is,
> spreading slavoes increases the likelyhood but wastes salvoes; in a
> recent game my battleship's six(6) salvoes did 1 point of damage!
> Once the ships have fired them off they are very vulnerable, being
> typically lightly armed. One other abuse is to have major ships
> accompanied by several couriers, any salvoes that get near the major
> ship head for the nearset target, the couriers, and blow them to
> bits, but miss the big ship. As a result, the  FSE have lost every
> battle I have seen  them used in, I think that more testing should
> have gone into these weapons.

I think you need to do a little more work on predicting where the 
enemy is going to be, or alternatively, forcing him to be where he 
doesn't want to be.

The heaviest NLS ships are in real danger from SML's. Their puny
manuever of two makes it almost impossible for them to evade well
placed groups of SMLS. Super Battledreadnoughts versus 8 SML's
without decent area defense support to protect them are in serious
danger.

My experience of massed SML salvoes is that they are quite effective
enough for the points cost. Use them at their maximum range, try and
empty the magazines as quickly as possible while avoiding closing
range. If you haven't won the battle by then, (if a campaign game) 
disengage, enter FTL, rendevous with auxilairies and reload, and try 
again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Richard Slattery	     richard@mgkc.demon.co.uk
If I have any beliefs about immortality, it is that certain dogs I have
known will go to heaven, and very, very few persons. 
     James Thurber
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