FT: Action report for WSGS (NSW/AUST) Campaign

I played a game of FT with some twists as part of a campaign yesterday,
and
some points came out.

1. We used starndard FT2.5 ships. Ross (the opponant) played NAC, and I
played FSE. Both sides gained goofy weapons as part of the campaign with
Ross getting Nova Canons (which he put on 2 hulls) while I got Wave Guns
(which i put on 3 Jerez, ripping out the the SML and 2 2bats). I also
had
intercepters as the campaign started with Standard fighters.

2. Ross spread his fleet in a dispursed single line Spreding his heavy
ships
all through the line, whileI had a dispersed duel line , with the
Jerez'z
out fromt and the ships (Jean D'Arc, Foche, Roma and 2 frigates) as a
second
line.

3. Ross fired his 2 nova cannons right down the gust, causing me to
initiate
radicle manouvers (I was doing speed 12, he was going the same i think).
This had the wonderfull effect of killing 1 frigate, allowing many of my
weapon systems to have realy bad arcs, and virtually rendered the Foche
out
of play (Way out the back of the battle, facing the wrong way).

4. Two wave guns fired at long range, causing 1 kill (frigate) and
caused
conciderable damag on a few ships (with 2 threshold checks and 1 1point
away). Ross mannaged to ravage 1 Jerez.

5. My fighters, that I was cherning out (1 got 8 out of 10 out) attack
his
heavy ships. Here the dispursed formation of Ross stuffed up, as well as
poor fighter screens, as he was not able to concentrate his AFAC onto
the
fighters, and my intercepters wiped out his fighter screens.
The result, heavy damage on 2 capital ships with an average of 15
fighters
getting through.

6. Seeing that I was doomed, i broke of the enguagement. Final loss, 2
frigates, 2 heavily damaged Jerez's , and a dammaged D'Arc. Ross's
losses .
1 firgate and about 6 damaged ships.

Analysis:

Nova cannons are goofy. Slow, ultra damaging, they should have been
allowd
into the campaign. We where both playing chicken with bazoka's and i
flinched first. They are also the altamite starbase killer, and since
all
players in the campaign have starbases, these ships can sit back and
blow
them away. This is the first time i have ever played with or against
them.

Wave guns (which I have always liked) On the FSE they are a godsend, a
long
range weapon!. The only ranged damaged i cause (except for 1point SML)
was
with the Wave gun. They clear fighters and missiles, they have 36in
range.
In play, they seems to be a big daddy of the new FT2.5 plasma torp
without
the hit dice.

Formations: FSE KEEP THEM STRAGHT! In order to maximise SM damage, waves
of
them needs to be launched. Errati movements virtually invalidated them.

NAC: KEEP THEM TIGHT! The NACS got the most damage done to them by
fighters,
with one BB without Escort cruiser coverage! Given the strength of the
NAC
is point and area defence, the fighter strike was embarrising to say the
least. Having a Valley Forge and not deploying its fighters was a
maistake,
as the more the merrrier when playing the FSE.

Conclusion. The NAC won the battle, but it was preaty inconclusive.

Darryl