More Task Force tournament prep. Here are the lists:
Name: Task Force Guppy
Assault: Station Assault
Defense: Hyperspace Assault
Navigation: Hyperspace Migration
Assault Frigate Mk2 B (72)
• Local Fire Control (4)
• Quad Laser Turrets (5)
• Electronic Countermeasures (7)
• Linked Turbolaser Towers (7)
= 95 Points
Assault Frigate Mk2 B (72)
• Local Fire Control (4)
• Quad Laser Turrets (5)
• Electronic Countermeasures (7)
• Linked Turbolaser Towers (7)
= 95 Points
Squadrons:
= 0 Points
Total Points: 190
With this list, I was looking to engage my opponent at long range, wearing them down with repeated Salvos.
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Name: Task Force Centicore
Arquitens Light Cruiser (54)
• Early Warning System (7)
• Slaved Turrets (6)
• Centicore (3)
= 70 Points
Arquitens Light Cruiser (54)
• Early Warning System (7)
• Slaved Turrets (6)
= 67 Points
Gozanti Cruisers (23)
• Boosted Comms (4)
= 27 Points
Squadrons:
• Ciena Ree (17)
• Valen Rudor (13)
= 30 Points
Total Points: 194
I don't know what my opponent's plan was, but he was not happy with this match-up. He felt like his squadrons were a waste of points and that his ships could not go toe-to-toe with mine.
I had initiative and chose to be second player. My opponent chose my Station Assault.
Deployment: My opponent clogged my center with obstacles, but I still tried to go with my original plan of putting the stations in the center to try to block my opponent then focus fire on one ship at a time. With Local Fire Control, I replace both of my Evade tokens with Salvos.
Note: For some reason, my opponent moved the 3-D Debris Field from on top of the cardboard Debris Field (above) and accidentally placed it in the center of the mat. We didn't notice the misplacement for two rounds, so it may have affected his or my lines of sight or choices at some point.
Round 1: I jumped up to speed 3 with my rear Assault Frigate, but for some reason dropped down to speed 2 with my front one. This led to obstructed shots and me not protecting the left station. No idea why I did that. He activated his squadrons and immediately took two hull off the left station. The Arquitens moved in position to attack the left station at long range the next round.
Round 2: He activates his squadrons and puts two more damage cards on the left station (his squadrons rolled really well this game). After his Arquitens pummel the station, it ends the round with only one hull left. While my ships are now both in position to protect it and lay down interlocking fire, it is too late.
Round 3: His first Arquitens activation destroys the left station and he gains a victory token. While the same Arquitens gets some damage cards due to ramming, I am just not rolling well and cannot penetrate his shields. It is worth noting that he flew really well, keeping his ships both out of double arc and mostly out of the dangerous side arcs. Centicore and his squadrons start taking shots at the other station.
Round 4: His Gozanti and Arquitens both get away while Centicore takes out the station, earning him another victory token. Ouch. I speed up to try and catch his Arquitens, because I can still win if I destroy it AND his Gozanti flies off the board.
Round 5: Everything runs away from me, with my flagship essentially out of the game. The Gozanti is dangerously close to the edge and his other Arquitens could possibly get into a double arc.
Round 6: The Gozanti has a navigate command and barely stays in. An excellent maneuver keeps his Arquitens in my front arc, where I still cannot pierce the shields. He ends up with a 80-0 win.
Thoughts: Excellent objective play from my opponent. With both of my ships having Salvo tokens, he ended up just ignoring my ships. Completely. His ships or squadrons never fired on mine once and they didn't have to in order to win the game (lesson learned for me that this is an actual possibility). He made good choices and flew his ships very well, in one of the best games I have ever seen him play.
Hope you enjoyed the BATREP!