Yummy treats, first encounter with the Entomolian fleet
First game with three players in a month. We all had played a little of the game, so setting up ahead made sense. Greg supplied some of the Terran ships, most were from my collection.
The first meeting of the Terran and Entomolian fleets was an attempt to have an interesting game, get acquainted with the weaponry and tactics of the new faction, and welcome Roger back from rehab on his knee surgery.
Five cruisers, six destroyers, two destroyer leaders on a side turned out to be a big game. The Galactic Knights rules have a fair amount of die rolling, with a to hit roll, hit placement adjudication and then a damage location roll for each operable weapon. The cruisers had five to six operable weapons at medium range and that many again in short range. Terran ships have minimal long range firepower, the Entomolian fleet does not have any long range weaponry.
Each faction has a special weapon and the bugs were no exception. Their 'grav-guns' ignored the shields of the Terran ships and thier missiles made the Terran ships easier to hit. The Entomolian fleet was supplied with nine fighter groups, five light and four heavy fighters. The Terrans did not have any fighters in the scenario. Bug light fighters are basically missiles that keep on board until shot down or successfully ram enemy ships causing frightening damage. The lack of fighters for the Terran Navy was determined to be critical in what happened.
The fleets approached in line, almost a mirror image of each other. Cruisers were supported by the lighter craft. The Entomolian fighters were posted next to the center portion of the ships.
For those who worry about such things, beginning drift was set at two hexes behind both fleets.
Greg took the six or seven ships on the Terran right, Roger commanded the remaining ships of the left Terran squadrons. I played all the Entomolians, with a nod to the fluff, the faction fights to the death.
Starting some 26 hexes , or just beyond long range, the Entomolians moved forward three squares from thrust and two from drift. The Terran Fleet moved in a similar fashion. Both sides maintained a line formation. Both sides contracted the drift markers to next to or with their ships. The forces of inertia would not be a big factor in turn two.
The fleets were just out of medium range, the Entomolian fighters got closer to the Terrans, not effective yet but in a good position for turn 2. Terran ships shot the long range weaponry, causing some damage to frontal armor on a few Entomolian ships.
The actual combat footage was lost during the heat of battle.
What follows are simulation footage.
Turn two saw the fleets close to just outside close range, missiles from both fleets launched, fighters running into some destroyers for attacks. The missiles on both sides were mostly shot down before hitting by the light batteries of plasma weaponry carried by all ships. No Entomolian missiles hit, but three of the twenty five Terran missiles melted armor on three of the bug cruisers. No internal damage registered at this point.
The missile fire happens so quickly, and was not sufficient in quantity to overwhelm any single ship..
Next the fighters swarmed a Terran destroyer leader and a destroyer, causing a few internal hits but most importantly stripping the small amount of armor that the two ships in the right hand squadron had. The light fighters showed their value, the three of the fifteen attacking that got through causing 6 points damage each. This lead to an early loss of a destroyer to the guns of the Entomolian fleet. Only one flight of light fighters was intact, with the other flights down to two or one fighter. Two flights of light fighters were completely shot down. The heavy fighters attacked but produced no hits and were to return to the off-board base.
The Terran left squadrons were slightly farther away, took and gave moderately less damage than the right squadron, its efforts to create an end run around the Entomolian right flank. Turn two ended with a ship lost to the Terrans, small amounts of internal damage in three or four ships, Entomolians suffering mostly armor losses on its cruisers and heavy fighter losses.
Final flight of the Entomolian light fighters, however it will cost the Terrans a cruiser.
Turn three was the expected knife fight. The Terran missiles melted armor on three of the Entomolian cruisers, causing more armor to melt , two Entomolian missiles hit two Terran cruisers , increasing their chances of being hit. Amazingly, the light fighters got in on a Terran cruiser, causing extensive internal damage.
Three Terran destroyers completed their end run around the Entomolian right flank and set up rear shots into two Entomolian cruisers. The remainder of the two fleets closed into 4 hexes or less of the enemy....definite advantage to the bugs.
Turn 4 again had Terran missiles doing damage to frontal armor on several cruisers, a few stray damage points to internal systems. More worrisome were the three destroyers in the Entomolian rear, each targeted cruiset losing rear armor and critical hits.
The guns of both fleets caused damage in this turn, Terrans losing the fighter weakened cruiser and a destroyer leader and several Entomolian ships finally losing more internal damage as even their armor was stripped from missiles and close range fire.
Beginning of the flanking ride by the left hand destroyer squadron.
So that's where we ended, time and effort called a wrap. Roger mentioned and Greg confirmed the lack of fighters tied them up and with not in any way to compensate with the ships in the forces played. Did I mention the game was a learning experience? I will be more likely to balance out things like fighters and missiles next time.
🐜 for the win. Although looking back, the scenario was probably not fair for the Terrans due to the disparity in fighters.
It does sound as if we will continue down this Rabbit hole a little longer, got some new ships in you know. Greg has a fine Terran fleet. and rumour has it that he is breeding an Entomolian fleet.
Next encounters will allow fighters for both forces, either from ships on the playing surface or coming in from off board assets. I think the star bomber squadrons will have a debut as well.
Comments
Peter, Terrans have some long range firepower, Bugs have none. Missiles are harder to hit, shields are better (mostly) and the fighters are aas good as any but the Avarian.