BattleTech - The Board Game of Armored Combat
BattleTech Player Boards => Challenges and Gatherings => After Action Reports => Topic started by: Weirdo on 11 October 2015, 22:06:48
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My favorite part of Starmada is its ability to portray ships from all sorts of settings, and today was no different, with a Word of Blake fleet facing off against a Havenite raiding squadron from the Honor Harrington setting.
(Don't worry about the tech differences, your head will hurt less.)
Blakist fleet:
1 Farragut BB
1 Agamemnon CA
1 Naga CCS DD
1 Zechetinu PC
Havenite fleet:
2 Sultan BCs
3 Conqueror CLs
1 Bastogne DD
Both groups at up on opposite sides of an asteroid field, with the Blakists having deployed several squadrons of heavy fighters and drones, plus a few interceptors.
(http://i1382.photobucket.com/albums/ah258/WeirdoIIC/Mobile%20Uploads/WoB%20Peep%201_zpsrzitbinl.jpg) (http://s1382.photobucket.com/user/WeirdoIIC/media/Mobile%20Uploads/WoB%20Peep%201_zpsrzitbinl.jpg.html)
As the two fleets closed, the Haven group executed a hard starboard turn, hoping to keep the range open long enough to whittle down the fighter force before the Blakist capital ships closed.
(http://i1382.photobucket.com/albums/ah258/WeirdoIIC/Mobile%20Uploads/WoB%20Peep%202_zps3vhiidvv.jpg) (http://s1382.photobucket.com/user/WeirdoIIC/media/Mobile%20Uploads/WoB%20Peep%202_zps3vhiidvv.jpg.html)
As the fighters moved to intercept, Peep missile fire began reducing their numbers, but only somewhat.
(http://i1382.photobucket.com/albums/ah258/WeirdoIIC/Mobile%20Uploads/WoB%20Peep%203_zpsqw703xoo.jpg) (http://s1382.photobucket.com/user/WeirdoIIC/media/Mobile%20Uploads/WoB%20Peep%203_zpsqw703xoo.jpg.html)
Not wanting to deal with a two-front threat, the PRN cruisers maneuvered to avoid fire from the oncoming WarShips, knowing they couldn't outmaneuver the fighters. They were right, and massed Blakist fighter strikes tore into a Conqueror, all but crippling it. They paid the price though, with concentrated fire from the remaining ships tearing them apart.
(http://i1382.photobucket.com/albums/ah258/WeirdoIIC/Mobile%20Uploads/WoB%20Peep%204_zpsxhbb3fdv.jpg) (http://s1382.photobucket.com/user/WeirdoIIC/media/Mobile%20Uploads/WoB%20Peep%204_zpsxhbb3fdv.jpg.html)
Next turn saw much the same thing. The remaining attack fighters finished off the first Conqueror and savaged a second, with return fire cutting them down to almost nothing. Meanwhile, the Blakist WarShips continued to close...
(http://i1382.photobucket.com/albums/ah258/WeirdoIIC/Mobile%20Uploads/WoB%20Peep%205_zpssv1v7bsc.jpg) (http://s1382.photobucket.com/user/WeirdoIIC/media/Mobile%20Uploads/WoB%20Peep%205_zpssv1v7bsc.jpg.html)
Finally, things came to a head. The last of the attack fighters tried to repeat their prior successes with an "up-the-kilt" strike on one of the Sultans, but even the unprotected stern of a battlecruiser is a very different beast from any mere light cruiser, and they failed to inflict more than minor damage. The big boys finally had clear shots at each other, and they took the opportunity to trade hammer blows with each other. One of the Sultans took heavy damage, but return fire all but crippled the Agamemnon and punched deep wounds into the Farragut. Even more ominously, the Sultans at this point launched boarding pods.
(http://i1382.photobucket.com/albums/ah258/WeirdoIIC/Mobile%20Uploads/WoB%20Peep%206_zpsifjgif2f.jpg) (http://s1382.photobucket.com/user/WeirdoIIC/media/Mobile%20Uploads/WoB%20Peep%206_zpsifjgif2f.jpg.html)
This last round was just as brutal as the last one. The Havenites continued to circle around the Word of Blake fleet. Too light to really hurt capital ships, the Blakist interceptor wing pounced on the one target they could take on, cutting into the assault shuttles, and reducing them to the point that the attempt to capture the Agamemnon failed, even if only just. Finally close enough to unleash their energy broadsides, the Sultans essentially vaporized the Farragut, while the Bastogne and previously damaged Conqueror continued to pound the Agamemnon. Engaging the smaller Blakist WarShips, the last Conqueror shattered the Zechetinu with a close-range broadside of its own, but neglected to keep track of the Naga. Treated to a perfect shot down the Conqueror's open throat, the destroyer's broadside reduced that cruiser to the same kind of wreck as its sister ships.
(http://i1382.photobucket.com/albums/ah258/WeirdoIIC/Mobile%20Uploads/WoB%20Peep%207_zps0huugok9.jpg) (http://s1382.photobucket.com/user/WeirdoIIC/media/Mobile%20Uploads/WoB%20Peep%207_zps0huugok9.jpg.html)
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that was a fun fight
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Most certainly. I love the fact that it really could have gone either way. I'll be the first to admit that it was poor luck on you part that prevented you from gutting my Sultans as badly as I did your big ships. Only Havenite ECM saved me from ending that game with far fewer hulls.