Topic: Tactics: Starfleet Command is not Starfleet Battles

[el-Karnak]

I found this interesting Tactics article on the SFB BBS:

Starfleet Command is not Starfleet Battles:

A Paper By Aaron Gimblet

Starfleet Command is not Starfleet Battles, though based upon it and drawing almost entirely from its rules-set and resources. The deviations that exist are due to the real-time nature of the SFC environment, the restrictions upon computer-coded rules rather than those set about a table-top, and the adjustments that have been made in an attempt to balance a game that, unlike its predecessor, occurred in this environment and frequently in the presence of conflict between races that were not, historically, enemies.

We will begin with an examination of the Tourney Ships from Starfleet Battles. Note that the Tourney Ships are designed to be roughly equivalent to one another, and the history of SFB tourneys has, with some tweaking, proven that to be the case. Note also that the Tourney Ship battles are the only case in SFB that was specifically engineered with the intent of being an even playing field, so a careful perusal of the differences between the SFB Tourney ship engagement conditions and those of SFC, as well as the differing outcomes of SFB vs. SFC tourney ship engagements, may well give us a starting place for our analysis. For this, as well as many other notes in this paper, I draw from

Let us first note what each Tourney Ship, in SFB, is attempting to do to win, and what it will wish to avoid loosing. We will comment also on how these situations vary in SFC. Note that as always dicta are not straightjackets... every rule below has been violated by someone, at some point, in such a manner as to yield a win. They do, however, give a general idea of where to start tactical thought.

FEDs
Do’s
1. We will fire as many overloads as practical to load (at least 2 at start with others loaded when power is available). (This is still true in SFC)
2. We will fire from the closest range we can reach and still be able to get clear to rearm. (Range 8 is fine on rear shields after he HETs). (This is Still true in SFC, though less so due to the DroG and PH1)
3. We will plan to fire 2 volleys of Photons in each battle; we cannot expect to kill any full-sized cruiser with one volley. (Thus, 4 Volleys of OL Photons in SFC.)
4. We will use speed as much as possible to avoid seeking weapons, to preserve our firepower. We will also preserve shield #1 until firing. (This is true in SFC, though again less so... the presence of DroG eliminates the need to use phasers against most seeking weapons)
5. We will prepare weasels against most opponents, and prepare to TAC and knife-fight. (Read in SFC... we will prepare Scatterpacks against all opponents, and seek to knife-fight)

Don’ts
1. We will not end a turn between ranges 6-8; we can expect our target to TAC and weasel if we do. (SFB specific timing issues, not applicable in SFC)
2. We will not arm overloads on the first rearm turn, this eats up too much speed. (True primarily of early era ships... and the SFC fed doesn’t necessarily want to flee)
3. We will not close inside range 5 on a TACing target. (A TACing target is at spd 0. In SFC, this is an invitation to close)
4. We will not fire half volleys or proxies, all they do is make the target mad. (This is true in SFC)
5. We will not bitch about our dice, we knew the job was dangerous when we took it. (This is true in SFC)

Klingons
Do’s
1. We will fire overloads whenever possible on an oblique at range 6-8, smashing one shield at a time. (This is true in SFC)
2. We will use drones and turning to keep the range open. (This is true in SFC)
3. We will use the waist phasers as extra power to run the forward P-1s. (Power management in SFC is less perfect, and phasers are fired more times over the course of a battle, so this is less an issue.)
4. We will try to hit the same shield twice. (This is perhaps even truer in SFC)
5. We will use our scatter pack, either for protection, or for attack. (The use of scatterpacks as protection by Klingons cannot be understated.)

Don’ts
1. We will not allow the enemy to close the range after we have fired. (This is not true in SFC)
2. We will not close to range 2 and swap alpha-strikes. (This is not true against most opponents in SFC, given preparation and a lack of enemy ADD)
3. We will not forget we can control only 6 drones. (This is true in SFC, usually)
4. We will not fire type VI drones at a receding target. (In Tournament Battles, the ships were limited to far less drones than in SFC... type 4's were rare and precious)
5. We will not lose our #2 and #6 shields without doing significant damage. (Still the Klingon 'fighting screens'... one cannot dance without them)

Romulan (FH and K7R)
Do’s
1. We will fire torpedoes at longer ranges in sufficient numbers to force the target to avoid closing, or punish him severely if he does. (The ideal of the Plasma Ballet)
2. We will keep our speed up above 24 at most times. (This is true in SFC)
3. We will cloak when there is nowhere to run, with at least 2 Weasels ready. (This is true in SFC, but even more dangerous)
4. We will bolt or anchor only when our opponent makes a mistake. (The SFC Romulan cannot bolt, and should only anchor long enough to deliver plasma and get away)
5. We will avoid range 8 whenever possible. (This is true, though less important, in SFC)

Don’ts
1. We will not spread out our launches enough that our target can take them on different shields while charging. (This is little noted, but also true in SFC... though it happens more to ISC vessels)
2. We will not try to run and cloak at the same time. (This is true in SFC)
3. We will not cloak versus Lyrans or Tholians, and think before trying it versus Hydrans. (This should be expanded upon to include any drone-armed or fighter armed race. Against Gorn or ISC it’s vaguely practicable)
4. We will not fire phasers at his ship without a good reason. (This is true in SFC)
5. We will not launch envelopers without a definite reason. (Due to shield regeneration, this is perhaps more true in SFC)

Kzinti
Do’s
1. We will always try to launch drones near the end of a turn to build waves. (No turns... waves built with ship maneuver.)
2. We will fire disruptors and phasers whenever possible to wear our enemy down. (This is true in SFC)
3. We will be ready for an anchor if it becomes possible. (This is true, and much easier)
4. We will use the rear phasers for power to fire the front ones. (Like the Klingon Waist Phasers, an example of SFC fine control)
5. We will use the scatter pack early. (SFB Tourney ships that got them, only got one.)

Don’ts
1. We will not expect to break a shield with direct fire outside range 2. (This is true in SFC)
2. We will not get too far behind our drones. (This is true in SFC)
3. We will not launch drones without a plan. (This is true in SFC... though less pressing, due to numbers of drones available)
4. We will not try to use disruptors every turn. (This is true in SFC)
5. We will not forget to guard the scanner track. (Non-issue in SFC, as scanners cannot be hit and run)

Gorn
Do’s
1. We will learn how to execute a Gorn anchor correctly, so we have a credible threat. (This is true in SFC... and easier to execute, though less lethal and thus much more dangerous for the gorn)
2. We will launch torpedoes singly, maintaining a threat if our opponent tries to close. (This is true in SFC)
3. We will maintain high speed, and plan where to run BEFORE we launch. (This is true in SFC)
4. We will use speed to avoid enemy seeking weapons, as much as possible. (This is true in SFC)
5. We will use phasers to knock down weak shields and strip weapons. (This is true in SFC)

Don’ts
1. We will not fire more than two torpedoes, unless our foe cannot escape or weasel. (This is very true in SFC... perhaps more so)
2. We will not give up shield #1 without good reason. (This is true in SFC, though less so... the Gorn have less need to anchor, and more to run. Perhaps it should be changed to read Shield #4...)
3. We will not bolt unless we have a clear getaway. (Non-issue in SFC)
4. We will not forget that we don’t have a cloak. (Not as much of a concern, due to the problems with defensive cloak)
5. We will not fire phasers without a definite purpose. (True in SFC)

Hydrans
Do’s
1. We will strive for an anchor or a close-range pass with fusions held. (Due to anchor ranges and drones, the Anchor is out. Close Range pass with fusions is still ideal, though dangerous)
2. If attack #1 is not practical, we will use the threat of it to set up attacks for the Hellbores. We will use them to weaken the target enough that attack #1 is possible. (This is true in SFC, though fighter hellbores must supplement ship borne ones)
3. We will use the fighters to destroy seeking weapons, weaken shields and draw fire. (Fighters no longer destroy seeking weapons in a controllable manner. They remain excellent for weakening shields, and other than AMD equipped opponents, for drawing fire)
4. We will preserve shield #1 until we can close. (This is very true in SFC)
5. We will not arm or hold fusions without a plan for using them. (This is not true in SFC. Nature of fluid battle, HETs, and opportunity attacks ensure that the Fusions must be armed if there is a chance of the enemy closing)

Don’ts
1. We will NOT allow Mizia attacks. (Perhaps even more true in SFC, and made more meaningful by the resilience/SFC automizia discussion above)
2. We will not try to wade through 10-14 drones at once. (This is true in SFC)
3. We will not allow the enemy to kill the fighters unless our ship is closer to him, or to cover a retreat to rearm. (This is true in SFC)
4. We will not put too much power into an anchor, 8 points will load all the fusions. (This is not an option in SFC, and powering an anchor is suicidal, save as a switch to repel. In effect, the anchor is already powered, and more power has to be spent for the fusions.)
5. We will not forget about the fusions, even if they suck. (This is true in SFC)

Lyran
Do’s
1. We will wear down our target with direct fire assisted by ESGs. (This is true in SFC)
2. We will know before the fight whether our ESGs are to be used offensively or defensively. (This is true in SFC, though less important)
3. We will use our UIM while we still have 4 disruptors. (UIM no longer burns out, BPV paid)
4. We will preserve the ESG overrun threat as long as possible. (This is true in SFC, though more difficult, as a single ESG overrun no longer ends game and necessitates reloading)
5. We will preserve shield #1 as long as possible. (This is true in SFC)

Don’ts
1. We will not give our target range 4 on the oblique. (This is true in SFC, though fluid maneuver makes it easier to get in)
2. We will not use the ESG frivolously. (This is true in SFC)
3. We will not hit more than 3 objects with an ESG, unless using it for drone defense. (This is true in SFC, though less common.)
4. We will not allow Mizia attacks. (This is even more true in SFC, though the ability to repair the multiple PH3 mounts and the increased relative importance of phasers makes the need to avoid mizia, and thus preserve ESGs at all costs, slightly less strident. Not also the SFC double mizia commentary above)
5. We will not hit our own shuttles with the ESGs. (No longer possible)

ISC
Do’s
1. We will fire the PPD every other turn, and at least twice. (This is true in SFC)
2. We will use plasma to keep the target away, and to take advantage of PPD damage. (This is true in SFC)
3. We will maintain high speed and avoid the corners and closing with the foe. (This is true in SFC)
4. We will use phasers on weakened shields and to make the foe pay if he does close. (This is true in SFC)
5. We will fire F torps near turn breaks, to permit double launches. (Without Turn breaks, and in later patch versions, this is not possible in SFC. Earlier patch versions allowed 1 Rear F (Plasma I in SFC) per conterminous mount per turn)

Don’ts
1. We will not allow the foe to close without paying a heavy price. (This is vitally true in SFC)
2. We will not envelope torps against ships with extra power. (This is true in SFC, though more a concern for an outrun while the ISC ship is slowed, rather than general reinforcement.)
3. We will not be cornered mid-turn, if we are going to be caught we will star castle over a turn break. (Read 'If were going to be run down, go ahead and castle'. Too many ISC commanders forget this.)
4. We will not be Miziaed, especially off a flank shield. (This seems less true in SFC, due to the phaser resilience and large numbers of heavy weapons. Loosing the PPD is still a concern)
5. We will not go slower than 17 unless we TAC. (For SFC, make that speed 24 or 0)

[el-Karnak]

Now, in SFB, granted that the Tourney ships were roughly equal, and that the above outlines what are roughly defined as baseline correct operating parameters for said ships... what is different in the SFC situation, in a conflict between the same tourney ships, redefined for SFC?

1.) Dominance, in the Tourney ship Situation, of the Plasma Vessels: This is SFC conventional wisdom as old as the sea, but it appears to hold true. The Tourney ships were primarily based on early-era vessels, and thus in most cases have power curves more appropriate to early era vessels. On a strictly limited size map, the non-plasma Tourney ship ameliorated Plasma damage through phasers and maneuver, while attempting to set up a proper assault for its own weapons against the plasma equipped opponent. In the course of reading perhaps forty battle reports from Tournaments, I have not in once instance encountered an example of what the SFC player would recognize as a phaser-boat, due to the limited PH1 armament and constricted board size. The ships were not capable of it, and generally use the limited board size as a weapon against the plasma armed opponent. In the SFC engagement situation, the power curves and phaser armament of the Direct-Fire vessels remains constant to SFB (granting that mid-turn speed and easy heading changes do make plasma targeting more difficult, whilst higher speeds of plasma make it easier), and the difference in engagement outcome seems to be caused by the much larger playing field. Without a corner or an edge that is easily reached, the slower direct fire vessels have trouble 'laying hands on' the plasma-chucker.

We will also note that this situation almost never occurs in an arranged, BPV matched battle, as by the time in the timeline that the FHA and its like were being built, the direct fire races on the whole carried more PH1s, Power, and/or Fighters than are present in the Tourney Ship situation.

Note also that the Gorn Anchor is more rarely executed in an SFC tourney battle situation, even though an SFC anchor-hold is more easily attainable. This is likely due to the inability of a single load of plasma to cripple an opponent, and the liability of the plasma vessel to destruction at such short ranges while attempting to reload.

2.) Relative Weakness of non-drone-armed Tourney vessels:  Outside the realm of the plasma-chucker, Tourney fights in SFC have seemed to be dominated by the drone-armed races, most notably Mirak (aka Kzinti) and Klingon. In the Tourney ship situation, the Federation vessel lacks AMD, and its 8/2 Phaser array though capable of dealing with drones, has its resources significantly strained to do so. All vessels are faced with the drastically increased slow drone speed, and all vessels other than the plasma armed ones are dependent upon facing their opponent at some relatively close range to deal damage. The Lyran vessel, lacking its power pack refit, has difficult utilizing its ESG as a drone shield, and in a double-internals situation with its longer engagements the necessity of recharging that ESG, time and again, eventually saps its power curve and presents opportunities to the Klingon or Mirak Captain.

3.) Relative Weakness of Crunch-Based Races:  This is linked to the conditions above, but is further emphasized in the SFC tourney ship situation due to the inability of crunch weapons to end the game in a salvo or two. This stands out more strongly than in general SFC conflicts, as in the tourney ship situation the Federation lacks its late era DroG, which provide continual firepower as well as preserving phasers for opportunity fire at opponents, while the Hydran in a general SFC conflict will field rather more than the two fusion-armed fighters that were the standard complement of the TLM, such fighters providing it with a credible constant-damage threat.

I will digress here for a quick discussion of some other differences between the games, and their impacts:

1.) Doubled Internals: Seemingly affecting all combatants equally, one must consider that doubled internals mean that many weapon systems that were, in SFB only charged once must now be reused, sometimes many times, to achieve their goal. A leading example is the ESG... a Lyran captain could in SFB often manage a close range pass with ESGs and cripple the opponent, lessening the demand to reload them. This leads to the Lyrans seemingly-greater SFC than SFB power problems. All 'Crunch' Weapons will usually need to fire twice as many times to end the game, and again were originally designed in terms of power demands, etc. with the intent of arming, holding until an ideal situation, and then winning, or at least seriously tipping the balance, with them. Crunch weapons which are extremely difficult to utilize (Plasma in the anchor situation, Fusion Beams) are even more penalized, as the vessel will be punished not only on the way in to deliver such a strike, but on the way out, and then one more time on the way back in for a second shot... thus causing a slight but significant increase in relative damage sustained by the Crunch-Captain. These doubled internals also magnify the importance of weapon suite resilience... as vessels deal the same damage, but are twice as tough, a vessel will roughly speaking be dealt internals twice as many times as in SFB... though in smaller amounts. In SFB the process of striking a vessel in multiple small increments was called Miziaing. In SFC, effectively, every vessel in an engagement is 'Miziaed' to twice-as-great an extent as in SFB. This greatly increases the importance of having multiple weapon systems, and weapon systems which buffer more important ones. Screens and Screen preservation are relatively less important than in SFB, and weapons which are especially proficient at demolishing or avoiding a vessels screens are correspondingly less important.

2.) Stacked Hit And Runs: Coupled with the less pain of making them (due to doubled internals) and their much greater effectiveness (lack of Guards, more forgiving chart) the ability to send three or four boarding parties after a single system, and the ability of remaining attempts to then 'roll' over onto the next system if the first succeeds, magnifies the impact of the Hit and Run Raid out of all proportion to its SFB use. Indeed, in many cases the primary goal of a vessel is to down a shield such that it may, in a pass or two, strip an opponent of its weaponry.

3.) Ease of Tractor: The absence of tractor-auctions, and the ranges at which tractors can easily engage an opposing vessel, coupled with the ability of a vessel to survive enemy fire into tractor ranges, make the tractor grab less difficult to accomplish than in SFB. The time needed to charge a tractor beam, rather than diverting all power into repel beams, as well as making repel tractor a tractor rather than hull function, make them easier to maintain than in SFB. The inability of a vessel to kill in a single punch makes the tractor-crunch a less viable maneuver, as opposed to the tractor-continual-beat-down. This, coupled with the real time nature of the game, serves to greatly increase the viability of a close to tractor range drones, phasers, and scatterpack assault.

4.) Lack of Reserve Power: The ability to change EW, change weapon charging, change tractor status, etc, in an instant greatly affects the use of certain weapons. Certain weapons were frequently charged, or finished charging, or overloaded, only as an opportunity presented itself, and only from reserve power. This primarily impacts Plasma, which was rolled and then third-turn-bumped from reserve, Fusions which were often charged from reserve, Hellbores which were Overloaded from it, and to a lesser degree Disruptors (lessened because any single firing is less important with a one turn weapon) and Photons (as due to the holding paradigm of the Photon, it would often simply be held Overloaded until the stars were right).
 
5.) Lack of Fine Control: This applies to any ship or race that has more 'going on' on any given turn. It is relatively more difficult to get maximum utility out of a Federation or Klingon vessel that is playing the EW yo-yo, juggling drones, considering weapons arming, etc, than a plasma armed vessel, where there are less total weapon systems and less ways to use them. This magnifies in some respects the power of seeking weapons, as the opponent cannot take as much time as he wants to decide how to deal with the situation, and in many cases cannot fine-tune his response to the same degree. Also, ideal firing opportunities are not as predicable in the more fluid environment of SFC, so that weapons are more often held awaiting such an opportunity... especially as in SFC, unlike SFB, a weapon is never armed but not holding. In SFB, the entire second arming turn of a two turn weapon was a valid firing opportunity. This seems to magnify the importance of the power cost for holding a weapon, to a degree relative to its charging time, firing envelope, and final power cost.

6.) Shield Regeneration: Unlike SFB, this does not cost power. On the whole, it repairs more points than in SFB... and affects all screens constantly. This serves to blunt the impact of the Enveloped Torpedo to a degree, though only a degree because Enveloped Torpedoes are rarely employed save in such numbers to de-screen a target. Its effect on the PPD is stronger, though still limited as the PPD tends to be fired into the opponents leading screens as said opponent closes... the same screens that will be shortly hit with Plasma I's. Its effects on the Hellbore Cannon and Disruptor cannot be overstated. The Hellbore Cannon spends half its power on shields other than the weakest one, damage that is effectively negated by shield regeneration. The Disruptor finds itself in a similar situation, unless it has closed to range 8, overloaded, and fired phasers into the same screen on at least two occasions.

7.) Limited Shuttle Launch Rates: Primary impact of this has been to limit the ability of most ships to utilize multiple Wild Weasels in quick succession, encouraging high speed tactics as the baseline against plasma. This limitation seems less crippling against plasma than in SFB, due to the relative ease of utilizing a probe to differentiate Pseudo from Real torpedo launches. (Note, however, that as has been said in the past... sometimes Probes Lie.) The fact that a handful of races can handle shuttles more quickly (two per turn for Hydran and Lyran, and upwards of 4 for some Gorn) primarily allows those races to preserve some of the close range threat that was theirs in SFB, granted that they can reach range zero without being tractored. It also serves to some degree to counterbalance with Suicide Shuttles the power of the omnipresent Scatterpack. (though worth noting that the Scatterpack deals roughly three times the damage, travels roughly three times as fast once it blossoms, and requires six times the firepower to down, once it blossoms. Note also that the consumed slow drones are, unlike the consumed mine, free)

Now, granted the above differences in the behavior of vessels in a tourney ship situation, a situation in theory balanced in SFB, and arguably not so in SFC... let us expand our view across the early and late eras of SFC, and see what it seems to indicate. Note also that I have excluded the Middle Era... as such a description would consist primarily of saying that it’s somewhere between Early and Late, very often. Note also that Middle Era is fast becoming the author’s favorite place to play the game, as racial flavor is maintained whilst the refits of many early era vessels bring the races into what seems the closest thing to parity. I will for now be addressing Federation and Hydran, the two races I know best. It’s also worth mentioning that I do not address the LDR, Lyran, WYN, or Orion in these descriptions, as they have never been heavily enough played in SFC for this author to gain a solid understanding of tactics with and against these vessels.

[el-Karnak]

Federation:

1.) The Early Years
Early-Era Federation vessels are defined by their reliance on the Ph1 and Photon as their primary... in many cases only, weapon system. ADD is nearly absent from the federation order of battle, and early-era Federation vessels are painfully slow whilst arming, and not blazingly fast, though functional, once armed.

A.) Romulan: The Federation fares on the whole well against the Romulan in early era, due to the inability of Romulan vessels to operate at combat speeds. Outside of some anomalous Romulan Frigates which are capable of moving and charging in ways that are reminiscent of the SFC1 KHK, on the whole the Romulan CLs and CAs of this era are under gunned, underpowered, and dependent on cloak to survive. With the ease and pratice of a flashcube, and the inability of a class R torpedo to gut a vessel, the cloaked Romulan is usually easy prey.

B.) Gorn: The Gorn will prove a more challenging opponent, especially in the CA to CC hulls, but having only 40 points of plasma limits the Gorns threat and forces a long battle, eventually decided by Ph1s. The Gorns repair inequity (multiple 1 weapon hard points) can easily tell in a long battle, as can a series of proxy strikes to a specific shield.

C.) Klingon: The Klingon's drones, moving at speed 16, force the Federation vessel to make some difficult choices as to power priorities. The typical Federation vessel cannot afford to close on the same-class Klingon without overloaded Torpedoes, and has difficult overloading torpedoes whilst maintaining speed, repel tractor, some degree of EW, and all the other things necessary to preserve itself in the face of the saberdance. Castling is an option, but in the face of the drones and R8 OL disruptor strikes on the screens, not necessarily a good one.

D.) Kzinti: See Klingon. Double Drone Tubes, reduce Ph1 armament and maneuverability. Retains the most resilient weapon suite in space, due to the sheer number of systems that must be knocked offline.

E.) Hydran: The Kings of Early. Without AMD on their vessels, without enough PH1s to quickly strip an opponent of his ship, and without enough power to maneuver, arm a tractor grab, rearm phasers, and hold Overloads, the Federation vessel will usually find himself at a serious disadvantage in this era against the Hydran. Unlike in SFB, the Federation range 4 alpha will not cripple an incoming Hydran, and unlike SFB, the Hydran will likely be carrying multiple squadrons of Hellbore armed fighters. These fighters allow the Hydran to de-screen the Federation vessel whilst eluding its engagement range, or set to a closer attack, force the Federation player to fire upon them, opening himself up for a range zero overloaded overrun from the Hydran.

F.) ISC: They shouldn’t be present in early. The ISC can be roughly exempted from any arguments about fairness and balance, they are not supposed to be. In early their vessels carry Federation Screens, Kzinti or Better Phaser Durability, near Federation or Gorn Phaser firepower, Hydran Power plants with no more than Federation power demands, and more than Romulan Plasma. That combination of speed, power, resilience, and plasma presents an almost insurmountable package for the Federation captain to face.

2.) Late Era:
((Note... the below descriptions do not address the issue of the Federation Escort Vessels in the mid-low Bpv’s. It is assumed that if a fight occurs in those Bpv’s, you should take such a vessel, and barring a Klingon escort, the Federation vessel should win, and handily. Doubled Internals greatly lessen the importance of long range fire in the face of a vessel that is willing and able to close the range quickly and deal very large amounts of damage... especially of such damage is available turn in and turn out. The Escort Vessel is practically ideal for such tactics.))

A.) Romulan: The Late Era Romulan is in every way a vast improvement over his early counterparts. However, less obvious but ultimately telling changes to the Federation have kept the playing field at least even. With enough power to run and enough phasers to outshoot his opponent, coupled with a huge map area to run in not present in SFB, the patient federation captain simply wears down his Romulan opponent.

B.) Gorn: More phasers than the Romulan, but slower on the whole. Though Photons remain less telling than in SFB, plasma is equally reduced... and slower to reload. Phaser Parity is present, but the Gorns prevalence for single-mounted phaser hard points, and lessened ability to concentrate phaser fire in a given direction will tip the balance. The Gorn may offline his heavy torpedoes to match the Federation Offline Photons power curve, but a pair of held F torps do not equal the close engagement firepower potential of drones and scatterpacks... and in a close fight the Photons will be online a critical turn before S torps. Two Turn F's should be weaseled, and doing so should give the Federation an insurmountable edge in the close range condition.

C.) Klingon: Drone G. It is your friend. Unlike the early-era situation, you are now a drone-armed vessel, and one capable of shooting down drones. Faster Federation Shield regeneration, coupled with the power-free SFC shield regeneration and better ability of the Federation to consolidate phaser fire gives you an advantage, though not a huge one.

D.) Mirak: As Klingon, above... but by late era the lessened power output of the Mirak, coupled with their reliance on massed PH3 fire as point defense to the expense of Ph1s, makes this a similar fight, but against a less capable opponent. The ability of the slow drone to travel faster than its SFB ••••••••• is much less important in the face of higher federation travel speeds, and the inability of the Mirak to purchase faster weapons whilst maintaining a relatively equal ship, or to field complex mixed drone spreads... in addition to the larger playing area which makes avoiding those speed 16 drones less difficult, serves to make this a much easier match. Note that certain Kzinti vessels, the ubiquitous DDV and DF, are excluded from this commentary. The Mirak remain dangerous in smaller BPVs, and in massed 3 drone ship Dynaverse squadrons.

E.) Hydran: Again, the ability to build scatterpacks, launch drones, utilize ADD against fighters, and maintain high speeds makes a large difference. The Hydran Weapon Suite has only gotten slightly more resilient (typically 2 Ph1 more than in Early) whereas your vessel has gained two Drones, two ADD, and two PH1s. The power curve improvement is greater, as well. The ability of the Hydran to field Hellbore-Armed fighters makes the medium range engagement difficult... however, the capability of AMD to down fighters, tractors to grab the Hydran outside ideal fusion ranges, and the superiority of Federation Phaser firepower should quickly turn the battle in your favor if you prepare and are willing to close the range. Note that the PHGs are dangerous, but in most cases will be destroyed early on (in the time it takes you to loose 2 Ph3, and unlike the Ph3 on seperate mounts.)

F.) ISC: The counterexample of Plasma... this is Plasma that can compete. With more room to run than in SFB, the ability of the ISC to fire plasma to the rear is magnified. The ISC phaser suite is inferior to the federation in terms of firepower, but at least equal in terms of resilience. The ISC inability to consolidate damage though an opponents screens is ameliorated by double internals... the SFB situation of a destroyed ISC vessel facing an undamaged but unscreened opponent becomes, in SFC, a damaged ISC vessel facing an undamaged but unscreened opponent. At this point a knife fight with emphasis on fast torpedoes, continual phaser damage, and turning to utilize the remaining screens will advantage the ISC... if it has managed to maintain its rear screens, it will continue to run, demolishing the chasing vessel.

Hydran:

1.) Early Era
A.) Federation. The Hydran captain in the early era should, with practice, be able to easily dispatch almost any federation vessel. With the large numbers of fighters fielded (vs. SFB), the inability of the federation vessel to destroy fighters without utilizing its PH1s, and the inability of the Federation vessel to operate at high speeds, there is little to prevent the Hydran from closing the range, fighters covering, and delivering a crippling close range alpha-strike while loosing little more than a screen in return. Doubled internals ensure that the Federation R4 Alphastrike is unlikely to do more than reduce power, knock a PhG offline, and stun a fusion or two. As in all eras, the Federations best bet is to tractor... if a tractor grab can be managed at 2.5, with the fighters onboard the Hydran (perhaps rearming) then the Federation vessel has a reasonable chance to win.

B.) Klingon. Fairly dangerous, due to the presence of spd 16 slow drones that will either force the Hydran to move faster than
it desires, force the Hydran to shoot down drones with its limited phasers, or force the Hydran to move in the manner the Klingon desires, allowing extended use of phasers and disruptors on rear screens. The 7 transporters on the D7C, in the stacked H+R environment, also represents a notable danger. If the Hydran can avoid a tractor, preserve its fighters from AMD, execute a close range pass with fusions held before forward shields are too heavily disruptor degraded, and get out after that pass to rearm and rest for another one, the game should be his.

C.) Romulan. See commentary in the Federation section, made more imbalanced by the presence of fighters.

D.) Gorn. See Romulan, above.

E.) Kzinti. The Kzinti are possibly the single greatest danger to the Hydran in early. Heavy drone load-outs combine with a very resilient vessel, making it one that is quite ready and willing to close and duke it out. The Hydran vessel has to be carefully prepared (WW, OLs, Repel Tractor) to come out the victor in such an engagement... such preparation being difficult whilst staying ahead of the enemy drones. Usage of fighters to distract fire, or ideally the vessel itself, while setting up the Hydrans attack run is critical. Keeping the time spent at close range short is also critical, to deliver the strike and exit before drones and the nigh-indestructible Kzinti phaser battery overwhelm the Hydran.

F.) ISC. As above, though the presence of fighters gives the Hydran better prospects than his Federation cousin.

2.) Late Era
((As above in the Federation section, I have not addressed the issue of escort ships individually. It is worthy of note that the K-AD5 and F-NEC both outclass not only all non-escort Hydran vessels at their BPVs, but the Hydran escorts, as well, primarily due to the heavy presence of both ADD and Drones, serving to destroy fighters whilst distracting Hydran phaser fire... and are in many instances played at up to 150 BPV, simply due to their raw firepower and excellent power curves))
 
A.) Federation. Presence of AMD on all federation vessels serves to greatly limit the utility of fighters in a close range
engagement. Presence of Drones and Scatterpacks encourages the Federation vessel to close the range on the Hydran. Superior Phaser armament and durability of primary phaser firepower in the close range scenario forces the Hydran to enter close range only briefly. A high speed battle will be defined by the Federations phaser superiority and the ever present threat of the Federation vessel suddenly closing on an under-armed Hydran, possibly with a tractor grab. (such a grab results in an approximate 70-80% win incidence for the Federation) Low speed battle encourages a swamping build-up of drones coupled with a Federation close and R2 alpha, stunning the Hydran weapons and limiting his ability to return fire as the Federation reaches R0, in the absence of a successful Federation grab. Medium Speed battle, though potentially successful in the absence of a Plasma-Armed Fed, requires complex management and power decisions, relies on the survival of Hellbore fighters to ensure Hydran firepower parity to superiority outside of range 1, and constantly runs the risk of the single error in firing decisions, power decisions, et. al. that result in the above described drone-swamping and/or grabbing.

B.) Klingon. Functionally similar to Federation, above, though the lessened relative durability of the Klingon serves to discourage all but the most experienced of Klingon pilots from utilizing the extremely aggressive tactics that best serve them. Disruptor-Minded Klingon’s can be beaten, assuming they fail to aggressively eliminate the Hydrant’s Hellbore fighters. Again, however, an aggressive but careful commander can eliminate fighters if deployed, or utilize OL disruptors from R8 to wear down the Hydran vessel predatory to its ever-closer and heavier assaults.

C.) Romulan. The Romulan vessel is much improved from early era, but outside the relatively few plasma-D armed variants is incapable of defending against fighters without expending the ships offensive weapons to do so. The Hydran vessel, though severely limited in phaser armament, can by off lining heavies produce greater spare power than any other, and this coupled with the steady erosion of the Romulan ship by fighters can serve to easily carry the day, even in such a case as the Romulan vessel does not empty its power reserves in an attempt to destroy the fighters. Romulan fragility means that a tractor-attempt by the Romulan must be successful for the Romulan to win, and is dangerous even if it succeeds... thus it is rarely attempted.

D.) Gorn. As Romulan, but the heavy presence of Ph1s, coupled with fairly impressive speed in an offline weapons situation, means that the Gorn can often empty its plasma to clear out a squadron or two, then leave them dry and engage in a running phaser battle with the Hydran disadvantaged. Note also that the increased hull resilience, coupled with phaser superiority, makes the R2.5 grab an option for the Gorn, especially in conjunction with the Gorns unparalleled ability to launch Suicide Shuttles. That being said, if the Hydran vessel brings and manages to retain control over a large number of Hellbore armed fighters, and/or the Gorn captain is inexperienced or unlucky, the presence of fighters can quickly make this match return to the Hydrans favor.

E.) Kzinti. Little has changed from early. This fight is a low speed slugfest in the Kzin's favor, or a high speed sniping battle that can go either way, until/unless Kzinti tractors enter the picture. The ability of vessels to fly faster has lowered the impact of the Spd 16 slow drone. Kzinti drones, even in the absence of heavy ADD, serve as a useful way to destroy or dissuade fighters. Kzinti resilience can be an issue, exceptionally in mid to late game. The successful Hydran captain must treat his opponent as a mix between Klingon drones and desire to control movement and puncture screen #4 with Disruptors and a Federation like desire to close the range and demolish the Hydran over three to five turns with drones, tractors, and a more resilient phaser array. Again as with against the Federation, a mid-speed battle coupled with very careful power management is ideal, but again very difficult to execute properly and very prone to sudden destruction if an error is made.

F.) ISC. Like early, only more so. The CW class Hydrans have the best chance, specifically the BAR in its BPV range, due to
their unique to the race ability to operate at high speed with substantial firepower. Coupled with Fighters to distract plasma D and an understanding of the rearming difficulties that an ISC vessel faces, extremely aggressive tactics can pay off handsomely in the 140-160 BPV range. Outside of this, the ability of the ISC to deal damage while opening up the range coupled with the heavy armaments utilized to destroy fighters whilst fleeing from their mother ship makes these matches difficult, at the very best.

[Father Ted]

Can we bookmark posts? Because Karnak has some good reading here. +karma for him.

[CaptJosh]

I would note that in SFC2, sensors can be attacked with hit and run, and once destroyed make it so you can't lock on to a target.

[762_XC]

Bear in mind this was writen several patches ago.

[KBF MalaK]

and there's no 'positron flywheel effect' in SFC