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Strategic Manuevers - How would you start the General War?

Posted by Erich Vereen

31 Oct 2011

Erich Vereen

(belirahc)

United States
Leland
North Carolina

Chess and bridge enthusiasts enjoy taking moments of their games and studying them to help them learn how to play better. Using only the information given them about their position in the game, they try to find the best moves to help them to win. F&E has a lot of similarities to both Chess and Bridge as it is a game of strategy and bluff. Knowing this, we can create situations and study them in order to better understand the game.

Here is the opening for a solo game I prepared. Please note, only Basic F&E units are being used for this example.

Fleets are as follows (Only those actually able to participate in the initial invasion are depicted)

Lyran
Gold Fang (0502) - BC, 2CW, 3CL, FF
Black Stripe (0504) - CA, 3CW, 2CK, FF, SC
Pelt Hunter (0705) - CC, 3CA, 2DD, FF
Red Claw (0404) - SC, TGC w/MB (Mission C)
Foremost (0707) - DN, CC, 3DW, SC
Silver Moon (0608) - 2CA, 3CW, 2CL, 2DD, FF
Apex (0608) - 2CA, 3CW, 2CL, 2DD, FF

Kzinti
Constable (0701) - [CV+CLE+CF], 3BC, DF
Count (0902) - [CVE+EFF], FF, SF, TGT w/2VP (Mission B)
2nd Reserve (0902) - [CVL+CLE+EFF], CC, CL
Duke (1003)- [CVE+EFF], CL, FF, SF, TGC w/2VP (Mission B)
Earl (1004) - [CV+CLE+CF], 3BC, DF
1st Reserve (1304) - [CVL+CLE+EFF], DN, CC

With the information above, how do you think the Lyrans should open aggressions against the Kzinti. Should the Kzinti have played their initial defenses differently? How could the addition of units from expansions help in the opening drive?

Feel free to discuss. I will post the outcome as played in a week.

Federation & Empire

4 Comments

Mon Oct 31, 2011 1:56 pm

Post Comment

Craig Tenhoff

(cktenhoff)

United States
Simi Valley
California

Why such small Reserve Fleets? I can see any ships that can't fit into the Duke's Reserve fleet being set up at 1003 or 1004, but why only a 5 ship reserve fleet? Same with the fleet in 0701. It risks being pinned by a group of small ships lead by a CC, allowing the Lyran Heavy Ships to hit the SB on Turn 1.

The Duke should have a 11 ship reserve fleet (DN and 10 other ships) to ensure that a BATS or SB is saved.

For the Lyran, why a MB with the Tug? Attempting to set it up on Turn 1 in Kzinti Territory is dangerous and you can't enter the Klingon Territory yet. Better to use the Tug as a Battle Tug

Posted Thu Nov 3, 2011 6:21 am
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(lb4269)

Singapore

Jurong Area

I soooo wish I could join this conversation. Sadly, our local group is working through SFB and FC at the moment and has only tried small scenarios from F&E (and a few months back at that). With only a few game sessions a month, it has been tough to get an F&E game rolling yet. To live is to dream, I suppose. I will attempt to set it up soon, but it won't be within the next week (or two). I look forward to seeing others jumping in here.

Posted Fri Nov 4, 2011 8:02 am
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Erich Vereen

(belirahc)

United States
Leland
North Carolina

cktenhoff wrote:

Honestly, the creation of the Kzinti fleets was in response to what I was planning to do with the Lyran initial attack. Sometimes having foreknowledge of what's to come makes me do strange things. In another solo game I have put together, I did exactly as you mentioned and did not split the fleets too thin.

The Lyran strategy is a bit strange as well. The Lyran TGC w/MB is actually moving operationally to the Klingon/Lyran border in order to move into Klingon territory on Turn 2. I did this in order to start the setup of another MB at the capital with the Home Fleet and produced another TGP and FRD to also move into Klingon space. In this opening, everything else that can reach Kzinti space will be heading that way.

I am still new to F&E, even though I have had the game for years. Playing it is much different from reading it, and my games with Rindis have really increased my enthusiasm for this game.

Posted Fri Nov 4, 2011 9:01 pm
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Erich Vereen

(belirahc)

United States
Leland
North Carolina

My initial attempt at this had me strike three areas

Silver Moon -> 0703 (Reaction by Constable's Fleet)
Apex -> 0803 (Reaction by Earl's Fleet)
Red Claw (SC Only) -> 0803 (No reactions)
Gold Fang, Black Stripe, Pelt Hunter, Foremost -> 0902 (reacted by Duke's Fleet)

Finally, The 1st Reserve joined in the battle at 0902.

I played the battles with both sides, attempting to keep fleets as intact as I could for the longest time possible. The outcome was as follows (parenthesis indicates crippled ships, brackets destroyed ships):

0702 - No Approach battle: Lyran Victory, Kzinti retreat 0802
Lyran: 2CA, CW, 2DD, SC (2CW, 2CL) [FF]
Kzinti: CV, EFF, 3BC, DF, (CLE), [12 Fighters, BATS]

0703 - No Approach battle: Lyran Victory, Kzinti retreat 0903
Lyran: 2CA, CW, 2CL, SC (2CW, 2DD) [FF]
Kzinti: CV, 3BC, DF, (CLE, EFF), [12 Fighters, BATS]

0902 - No Approach battle, Lyran Victory, Kzinti retreat 1001
Lyran: DN, BC, FF, SC (2CC, 4CA, 5CL, 3CW, 2DD, 3DW, 2FF) [2CW]
Kzinti: 2CVL, 2CLE, 2CVE, EFF, TGT w/2VP, TGC w/2VP, CL, 2FF, 2SF, (DN, 2CC, CL, 3EFF), [39 Fighters, SB]

The Lyrans were able to take three stations, although their repair bill will be steep. I have not decided how to react with the Kzinti on their turn as of yet, but most likely they will hunker down as there are 8 Klingon fleets as well as the Lyran forces ready to pounce a second time

Also, The TGC w/MB (Red Claw) and the TGP w/FRD (New Fleet) both moved to 0707 during operational movement. This is in preparation to enter Klingon Territory to set up a base on the Klingon/Kzinti Border. The rest of the New Fleet as well as the remainder of the Lyran Home fleet moved to 0408 during Strategic Movement to form a single Reserve force.

Here is the result of Turn 1 for the Coalition

Fleet Information (Cripples in parenthesis)

Kzinti Fleets - 57 Ships (10 Crippled)
Constable (0802) - [CV+(CLE)+EFF], 3BC, DF
Earl (0903) - [CV+(CLE)+(EFF)] 3BC, DF
Duke (1001) - 2[CVL+CLE+(EFF)], [CVE+(EFF)], [CVE+EFF], TGT w/2VP, TGC w/2VP, CL, 2FF, 2SF, (DN, 2CC, CL)
Home Fleet (1401) - DN, CC, 3BC, CL, 3DD, 3FF, TGC, DF, SF, [CV+CLE+EFF], [CVL+CLE+EFF], [CVE+EFF] FRD, MB (Pod)

Lyran Fleets 58 Ships (29 Crippled)
Red Claw - (2CC, 5CL, 4CA, 3CW, 3DW, 2FF, 2DD)
Silver Moon (0502) - 2CA, CW, DD, SC
Gold Fang (0504) - DN, BC, SC
Apex (0705) - CA, CW, CL, SC
Night Roar - (2CL, 4CW, 2DD)
First Reserve - 2BC, 4CW, 2DW, 3FF, DWS
Home Fleet - MB (Pod), 4PDU (Pod)
0707 - TGC w/MB, TGP w/FRD
0703 - DD
0803 - CL
0902 - FF

Alright, discuss and analyze. As I said, I am still learning, so both sides might not have been the most perfect of openings, but this is what these sessions are about. Helping others learn from those who have played before, while looking for new ways to play various strategies.

Have fun!

Edited Sat Nov 5, 2011 3:45 pm
Posted Sat Nov 5, 2011 3:44 pm
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