Re: Battle report - scratch one more NSL task force

Alan wrote:

> > Cinematic battle, theoretically floating table (though we didn't
need
> > to use that option). Core systems and ship morale were not used.
> > 
> > This time the fleets were:
> > 
> > NSL:
> > 3 Maria von Burgund-class BB
> > 2 Radetzky-class CE
> > 3 Kronprinz Wilhelm/E-class CLE
> > 5 Waldburg/M-class DDG
> > 14 Falke-class SC
> > Total: 2998 pts
> > 
> > FSE:
> > 1 Bologna-class CVL (4 Interceptor sqdns)
> > 2 Roma-class BB
> > 3 Jerez-class CA
> > 8 Ibiza-class FF
> > 8 Mistral/A-class SC
> > Total: 2997 pts
> 
> > This battle was a lot more even than the last one and could
probably
> > have gone the other way if the NSL had had somewhat better luck
with
> > their PDS rolls (eg, not rolling all their sixes against one single
> > salvo and leaving the others almost untouched <g>), or brought
normal
> > DDs instead of the DDGs - that'd've provided some much-needed 
> > beam firepower and made my interceptors worthless.
> 
> Sounds as if he didn't use his CLs as BJs (which you may have to do
in
> extremis - at least one of the Marias must be preserved).

It was physically impossible to get the CLs close enough to the BBs to
disrupt my aim (the models were too high to get closer than 2mu, and at
the low speeds they flew at that wasn't nearly enough). 

In the my first missile salvo the two cruisers closest to the targetted
MvB used most of their PDS to protect it rather than themselves, but
they were Radetzkys with only 3 PDS each (it turned out that the
Kronprinz covering that BB had lost its ADFC on the previous turn, so
couldn't help... I didn't know that when I launched the missiles,
though); they were in turn protected by the other two Kronprinzes (one
of which had also been targetted by a salvo).

In the final turn he could have ignored  the single salvo targetting
his remaining CL completely and hoped to protect the (already wounded)
BB, but that would have left him with a badly damaged CL and a crippled
BB instead of a dead BB and an undamaged CL. As it were the CL used
three PDSs to protect the BB and two to defend itself, but, well... he
used up all his sixes against the salvo attacking the CL. He killed 11
of the 6 missiles in that one :-/ He did use his DDs as BJs to protect
the last battleship, but again they didn't get close enough.

> OTOH you've
> proved your point. My contention was that a balanced fleet using BJs
are
> a sovereign remedy against any balanced FSE fleet under these
> circumstances, whereas you've shown that it can lead to a fair fight.

Under the right circumstances, yes. It depends a bit on the size of the
gaming area (ie, the speeds at which you can fly), and quite a lot on
which movement system you use. It is harder to set up fast attack runs
in Vector, and much easier to position the BJs well, but the basic idea
- gun for anything that'll disrupt the missile barrage first, *then*
launch missiles - has worked reasonably OK so far.

IME the larger FSE ships are tough enough to take one turn of fire in
range band 2 (during which time they shoot at the enemy BJs, and
possibly cruisers) before they launch any missiles - yes, they risk
losing some of the launchers, but they usually won't lose enough
launchers to defeat them early on.

Ah well - over to you to develop anti-anti-BJ tactics :-)

Oerjan Ohlson
oerjan.ohlson@telia.com

"Life is like a sewer.
  What you get out of it, depends on what you put into it."
- Hen3ry