AAR: Star Fleet Battles - The Trojan Freighter

Last Sunday the Space Cadets finally got together for a proper game of Star Fleet Battles down in Brunswick. It's been a while since our last get together. Mike suggested the Trojan Freighter scenario from Federation Commander Communique 134.

The basic premise is that a cruiser stops to assist a freighter that's having some sort of trouble. The freighter is actually just a lure, placed by Orion pirates who then ambush whatever comes along. The cruiser's mission then becomes to leave the battlefield intact.

We randomized the cruiser player and Mike drew it. Originally he was to drive a Hydran Iroquois but without New Worlds I handy, he switched to a Lyran CA whose weapons we're much more familiar with and wouldn't seen a reference.

David and I drove basic Orion CRs, mine with an A-Rack and Photons, David's with an A-Rack and Disruptors.

The battle is joined! Mike pointed his ship towards David and started running. With loaded photons, I put my speed at 18 to rush in and deliver a good thumping on him. 

By impulse 22 I was in prime position and dropped the bomb on the Cat O Nine Tails. Both of the Homewrecker's photons hit, along with four phaser-1s. Two engines and two APR were among the initial damage. Nice.

But by impulse 32, a series of unfortunate maneuvers left me no choice but to park it right in front of a seriously pissed off Mikey. I put 23 power into specific reinforcement of the #5. You don't do that very often. One turn 2, impulse 1 Mike hit the big red button and even with a full shield and 23 reinforcement, I took 41 internal damage. Oof. As you can see, David pulled in behind Mike while all this was going on and unloaded through the down #4 putting 40 internals on the big Lyran ship.

At the end of turn 2, Mike was resigned to a terrible, short loss, so we gave him a frigate as backup and continued playing. The frigate entered from the edge he was running to.

A chase develops! I put a few more damage on the Cat O Nine Tails, but sadly missed with one of two overloaded photons.

The stupid frigate gets into position and keeps up the irrational cat aggression on my ship. I suffer the humiliation of an ESG pit-maneuver as well as the standard battery of disruptors and phasers. Eleven more internals for me.

Not to be denied, David issues the final indignity of the day - 22 more internals for the Lyran. The game is called.

 Mister "Clean sheet"

 Mister "I need another pencil"

Mister "You can use my pencil, I don't need it anymore"






We came away from the game thinking that the Lyran CA is ill-suited to this scenario. We also think Mikey needs Lyran driving lessons - he didn't use his ESGs effectively at all, but since he never uses them, it was understandable. The IRQ probably would have held up better. Maybe next month I'll have an Iroquois in it just for you, MB. Good game guys!