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LANCER: BATTLEGROUP - Breaking Upon the Diamond Shoals

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FLEET SHEET
  • Informational
    • DRAMATIS PERSONA
    Bold Text Indicates a Viewpoint Character

    Admiral Bryce Garrison: Shadowy leader of Harrison Armory's forces

    Admiral Talbert Shane: Untested leader of Battlegroup December

    Ambassador Langly: Asshole face for Harrison Armory

    Belladonna-331: Queer NHP in a sexy Subaltern aboard the Derecho

    Captain Sven Halston: Recently promoted captain of the Hurricane

    Chief Xon Brailey: Grumpy chief of operations on the battle scarred Butterfly Hill

    Deck Chief John Mandala: Grumpy deck chief aboard the Harrison Armory ship, Fearsome.

    Dr. Yata: Fleet Astrophysicist, Battlegroup December.

    Engineer Sarial Serial: Overworked fabrication engineer, dragooned into service aboard the Gale.

    Flight Lieutenant Ines Ibanla: Cocky combat pilot stationed on the Cú Chulainn.

    Flight Private Alot "Neck" Xanata: Lancer aboard the HA ship, Fearsome.

    Flight Private Tane "Catboy" Wallstein: Snarky catboy, mecha pilot aboard the Fearsome.

    Flight Sergeant Lim "Bio" Biovare: By the numbers ace pilot stationed on the Harrison Armory ship, Fearsome.

    Gunnery Captain Vane Omelas: Grizzled Union Veteran, in charge of the Derecho's (very large) gun.

    Lieutenant Jade Gala: Signals and Intelligence officer for the Hurricane, Fisher.

    Lieutenant Samuel Varine: Redhead of little words, helmsman of the Hurricane.

    Lieutenant Xammie Galapagos: Best friend of Jade Gala, gunnery officer of the Hurricane.

    Lieutenant Pilot Malard Morganstern: Newbie addition to Wolf Squad, attached to Butterfly Hill

    Lieutenant Pilot Mark Vanderbilt: Cocky squad leader of Wolf Squad, attached to Butterfly Hill

    Lieutenant Pilot Poius Chenard: Chenard just wants to grill, man - Lancer from Butterfly Hill

    Lieutenant Pilot San Quanski: Buff warrior woman of Wolf Squad, attached to Butterfly Hill.

    Technician Tanner Tan: Lowly technician aboard the Butterfly Hill.

    Zivian: Overworked DOJ/HR Lawyer




    BATTLE GROUP DECEMBER (SRON)
    Satastroy Republic Orbital Navy ships
    CS - Capital Ship
    OC - Orbital Carrier
    SC - Strike Cruiser

    SRON-CS Derecho

    HP: 28/33 | Defense: 10
    SUPERHEAVY
    Spinal Petajoul Kinetic
    Single Target, Accurate, Charge 3, Critical
    Range: 5-2, 15 damage​
    ESCORTS
    30 ISP-N Barracuda Corvettes
    6 HP
    30 HA Wagner Corvettes
    6 HP
    30 GMS Combahee Corvettes
    6 HP​
    SYSTEMS
    Subaltern Combat Crews: May use an additional tactic per turn
    Single-Plane Shield: May re-roll interdiction and take the better result.​
    SPECIAL
    Superior Logistics: Escorts begin with 2 Overshield.
    Combat Refit: Tactic, Limited 1. Repair up to 3 escorts within the range band. One may be repaired even if destroyed. May then issue orders to two Escorts.​
    SRON-OC Gale DRONE BOARDING IN PROGRESS - TARGET LOCK AQUIRED!

    HP: 11 | Defense: 14
    AUXILIARY
    Message Lead Laser
    Special: May add +1 damage to a Payload Weapon at 0, up to +4.
    Range: 4-2
    Message Lead Laser
    Special: May add +1 damage to a Payload Weapon at 0, up to +4.
    Range: 4-2​
    ESCORTS
    30 ISP-N Barracuda Corvettes
    6 HP
    16 ISP-N Bowsprit Destroyers
    8 HP​
    SPECIAL
    Close Support: Allied battlegroups may use tactics granted by this ship's escorts as if they were under its control.​
    SRON-SC Bomb Cyclone

    HP: 16 | Defense: 10
    PRIMARY
    Single-Stage Torpedo Tube
    Single Target, Payload -1
    Range: 4-2, 8 Damage​
    AUXILIARY
    Message Lead Laser
    Special: May add +1 damage to a Payload Weapon at 0, up to +4.
    Range: 4-2​
    SPECIAL
    Fire Control Network: 1/round, when an allied battlegroup in range consumes a lock-on, it may re-roll that result but has to take the second result. Additionally, when defensive screening, it may lock on a hostile capital ship or escort.​
    SRON-SC Hurricane

    CAPTAIN: Lt. Commander Sven Halston
    HP: 16/16 | Defense: 10
    PRIMARY
    Single-Stage Torpedo Tube
    Single Target, Payload -1
    Range: 4-2, 8 Damage​
    SYSTEMS
    Brace for Impact!: Tactic, Limited 1 - entire battlegroup becomes Bolstered​
    SPECIAL
    Repair Drones: When assigned to Defensive Screen, the ship the Hurricane is screening regains 2 HP
    Fleet Triage: 1/encounter, Tactic. One of your capital ships, escorts or allied of the same in the same range band repair 5 HP.​


    BATTLE GROUP DIAMOND (UN)
    Union Navy
    BB - Battleship
    CV - Carrier Vessel
    LS - Line Ship
    UNS-BB Chesapeake ALERT ALERT GRAYWASH ATTACK IN PROGRESS - 33% CONTAINMENT [2 tokens]


    HP: 24/28 | Defense: 12
    SUPERHEAVY
    Long Spool Primary Lance
    Single Target, Charge 3, Critical, Reliable 3
    Range: 4-0, Damage: 12​
    PRIMARY
    Primary Kinetic Batteries
    Single Target, Reliable 1
    Range: 3-0, Damage: 1d6+1​
    AUXILIARY
    Flyswatter Missiles
    Range: 3-0 | Damage: Special, when fired alongside a primary weapon, deal 2 damage to up to 2 wings in the target's battlegroup
    Secondary Turrets
    Range: 3-0 | DAmage: when fired alongside a primary single target weapon, deal +1 damage to the same target.​
    SYSTEM
    Subaltern Combat Crews: May use an additional Tactic during their turn.
    Insightful Commanders: 1/round, whenever a hostile effect or ability forces move any number of range bands forward or backwards, your next single target attack gains +1 Accuracy, or +2 Accuracy if attacking at range band 5-4. This effect lasts until the end of next turn, does not stack.​
    SPECIAL
    Paragon: 1/round, add +1 Accuracy to any roll made by you or an allied battlegroup within range. 1/engagement, add +3 Accuracy instead.​
    UNS-CV Blair Mountain


    HP: 19/19 | Defense: 12
    WINGS
    8 Balor Combat Wing (LL 3)
    HP: 8/8 | Tenacity: 14
    8 Tortuga Wing (LL 3)
    HP: 8 | Tenacity: 14​
    ESCORT
    [Classified] [Redacted] Limpet [Classified]
    Tenacity: 12​
    SYSTEMS
    Bulwark Redundancies: +3 HP​
    SPECIAL
    Away Teams: Boarding attacks gain +2 Tenacity.
    ​
    UNS-CV Cú Chulainn


    HP: 12/14 | Defense: 15
    WING
    4 Various Frame Wing (LL6)
    HP: 4/6 | Specials: NHP Co-Pilots, Goalkeeper, Aggressive Pickets
    150 Legion Drone, Nexus Point 4
    4 HP​
    SPECIAL
    Escort Formation: This ship can be assigned as a defensive screen as if it were a frigate.​


    BATTLE GROUP ORCHARD (UN)
    Union Navy
    BB - Battleship
    CV - Carrier Vessel
    LS - Line Ship
    UNS-BB Butterfly Hill

    HP: 33/33 | Defense: 10
    SUPERHEAVY
    Long Cycle Primary Lance
    Single Target, Charge 3, Critical, Reliable 3
    Range: 4-0, 12 damage​
    PRIMARY
    Heavy Kinetic Batteries
    Single Target, Reliable 2
    Range: 4-1, 5 Damage​
    WINGS
    150 Legion Drone, Nexus Point 1
    4 HP
    20+4 Various Mounted Chassis (LL 3-4)
    5 HP | Tenacity: 11
    +4 Wolf Squadron (Attached to Chassis Wing)
    6 HP - Jettison Ram, NHP Co-Pilot, Shipkiller​
    SYSTEMS
    Brace for Impact!: Tactic, Limited 1 - entire battlegroup becomes Bolstered​
    SPECIAL
    Hook Jab: 1/round, whenever a capital, escort or wing in this BG consumes a lock on as part of a single target attack, may issue one command to a wing.
    Body Blow: Maneuver, Limited 1, repair one wing to full HP (even if destroyed) and fire one superheavy or two primary weapons. Then, issue commands to all this ship's Wings.​
    UNS-LS Sekwun

    HP: 12 | Defense: 10
    SUPERHEAVY
    Spinal LinAc Coherent Beam Cannon
    Single Target, Charge 2, Critical
    Range: 4-1, 8 Damage​
    PRIMARY
    VEGA-Pattern Targeting Laser
    Single Target, Reliable 2, on a hit, apply a lock on to target
    Range: 5-2, 2 Damage​
    SPECIAL
    Purpose Built: Can carry that fucking gun it has.​
    UNS-LS Tukwakin

    HP: 12 | Defense: 10
    SUPERHEAVY
    Spinal LinAc Coherent Beam Cannon
    Single Target, Charge 2, Critical
    Range: 4-1, 8 Damage​
    PRIMARY
    VEGA-Pattern Targeting Laser
    Single Target, Reliable 2, on a hit, apply a lock on to target
    Range: 5-2, 2 Damage​
    SPECIAL
    Purpose Built: Can carry that fucking gun it has.​



    CURRENT DISPOSITION
    (5) EXTREME RANGE:     BG Orchard
    (4) LONG RANGE: BG December
    (2) COLLAPSING RANGE: BG Diamond

    CHARGE TRACKERS
    SRON-CS Derecho
    1 Charge Counters

    UNS-BB Chesapeake
    1 Charge Counters

    UNS-BB Butterfly Hill
    1 Charge Counters

    UNS-LS Sekwun
    FIRING IN PROGRESS

    UNS-LS Tukwakin
    FIRING IN PROGRESS

    TARGET: BROTHERS IN ARMS
    FIRING IN PROGRESS

    PAYLOAD TRACKERS
    None

    ENEMY FORCES - DIAMOND SHOAL FLEET #1
    CORSAIR: 0 HP, 10 DEF, 1d6 ID
    Wing 1: 0/5 HP | Wing 2: 0/5 HP | Wing 3: 0/5 HP | Wing 4: 0/5 HP
    HIVEQUEEN: 14 HP, 8 DEF, 2d6 ID [Graywash attack in progress!] [BOARDING IN PROGRESS]
    BATTLETHREAD: 10|10 HP, 8 DEF
    DILUVIA: 9 HP, 8 DEF
    Mastermind Template (Applied to Hivequeen)​
    TURTLEBACK: 35 HP, 6 DEF, 1d6 ID [BOARDING IN PROGRESS]
    BROTHERS IN ARM 1: 0 |8 HP, 8 DEF
    STALWART 1: 10|10 HP, 8 DEF
    ALBEDO CAVALIER: 10 HP (Ace Wing) [2 HEAT]​
     
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  • Informational
    • [X] Plan Layered Defense

    The only BG really wants to be closer is Diamond due to its wings(it'll want to get into range band 3 if it isn't pulled closer) The others are quite happy to start off sitting at range 4 and have things to do, whether it's plinking and applying lockons or starting to sling payloads.
     
    Talkos said:
    The only BG really wants to be closer is Diamond due to its wings(it'll want to get into range band 3 if it isn't pulled closer) The others are quite happy to start off sitting at range 4 and have things to do, whether it's plinking and applying lockons or starting to sling payloads.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...

    It's sort of the other way around - we want to ensure December can get into close range where its corvettes can do work. The thing is, though, the enemy can push us back out and we don't want that to happen, whereas starting at range five with an extra tactic means we can surge into range and attack before the enemy can push us out.

    We aren't at the 'decide first moves' stage yet - we need to see what enemy logistics step looks like - but I think our plan is going to look like one of these two:

    Battleplan Alpha:
    • BG Diamond goes first.
    • Use maneuver All Ahead Full to Scope Range (3), and attack with UNS-BB Chesapeake's Primary Kinetic Battery and Secondary Turrets on the enemy flagship FCDC (Corsair).
    • BG Diamond's Ace Squadron launches a Strike Package using their NHP Co-pilots (free action) at FCDC as well.
    • Give the Balor Chassis Wing the Hive Frenzy command and board enemy flagship Ra (Hivequeen).
    • Using Subaltern Combat Crews, give the Tortuga Chassis Wing the Daisy Cutters command and board enemy Flagship Ra.
    • End turn; If the enemy attempts to move BG Diamond, use Insightful Commanders to attack FCDC with Primary and Secondary batteries again, at +1 Accuracy.
    Battleplan Bravo:
    • BG Diamond goes first.
    • It uses Emergency Maneuvers as a Tactic to enter Scope Range (3).
    • BG Diamond's Ace Squadron launches a Strike Package using their NHP Co-pilots (free action) at enemy flagship FCDC (Corsair).
    • Use maneuver Retrograde Burn to become Bolstered (+1d6 Interdiction, +2 Def) and to resist the next instance of forced movement.
    • Using Subaltern Combat Crews, give the Balor Chassis Wing the Hive Frenzy command and board enemy flagship Ra (Hivequeen).
    Alpha is more immediately risky because in the worse case scenario, it can get dragged to Collapsing Range (2) by the Hive Queen's Battlethreads, shot at point blank with torpedoes from the Hive Queen, the Stalwarts, and the Turtleback, and get blown to bits by the Corsair's Scrapcaster. The upside is that, if you manage to put enough damage on the Corsair, you threaten to be able to just delete it with a strike from BG December. It also has a good chance (~85%) to shut down the admiral's ability to use many of his most dangerous tactics over the next turn.

    Bravo is less immediately risky, but also less rewarding. Bolstering gives Diamond a good chance to avoid serious damage from enemy fire, and avoids the worse case scenario where it gets dragged and pummeled by the entire OPFOR, but it's still firmly in gun range and will likely take a beating no matter what we do. We will also need to be cautious with how far we deploy until either the Hivequeen or the Corsair takes its turn - which means they might be able to negate our LinAc assault if we're too cautious. We still have a decent chance to successfully board and disable the flagships communications, but with only one wing committed the odds are trickier (~70%).
     
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    Adhoc vote count started by SweetJackal on Mar 10, 2023 at 1:08 PM, finished with 15 posts and 5 votes.
    • 6
      [X] Plan Layered Defense
      -[X]...BG DECEMBER?
      -[X] Nominal Posture (Deploy at LONG RANGE (4). No modifiers.)
      -[X]...BG DIAMOND?
      -[X]...BG ORCHARD?
      -[X]Conservative Posture (deploy at EXTREME RANGE (5), may use +1 tactic at the start of combat
      [X] Plan By The Book
      [X]...BG DECEMBER?
      -[X] Nominal Posture (Deploy at LONG RANGE (4). No modifiers.)
      [X]...BG DIAMOND?
      -[X] Nominal Posture (Deploy at LONG RANGE (4). No modifiers.)
      [X]...BG ORCHARD?
      -[X] Nominal Posture (Deploy at LONG RANGE (4). No modifiers.)
    Click to expand...


    We got a gyre!
     
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    0.9: Long Spooling
  • Threadmarks
    • The rumble of the engine buzzed through the deck as Vane Omelas strapped himself into the harness of his crash couch in a nodule of enclosed space, detatched from the rest of the ship's life support. The Derecho was built around a single immense kinetic weapon - the spinal petajoule kinetic. That rather intimidating term required half a dozen massive capacitators that were being fed from the excesses off the Derecho's main reactor. What wasn't going to the engines and the defense systems and the sensors and the life support - and quite a bit of what was going to those main systems was being trickled off into capacitators. And why? All so that, once the time was right, that energy would be released in a single second so powerfully explosive that the entire ship would feel a significant percentage of it in flickering lights, shuddering decks...and for him...an ear bending roar of electrical discharge.

    And the result?

    The result was that a sabot of ferrous killshot would be fired into a ship full of people just like Vane. It would travel the kilometers of empty space between him and them and it would open at the exact right point to spread that killshot out into a hideous cloud, which would zip through the enemy ship. It was like some grotesque shotgun, killing cities instead of waterfowl.

    Vane watched the percentiles tick up.

    Nodded.

    "Okay," he said, then swung in his seat. The engine sputters were coming harder now as the CG fields and the ship's own main engine worked together to keep them crew-effective. Ships at battlefield maneuvering didn't pull the Gs they did while traveling in peacetime. That hurt them and helped them in equal measures. It was actually a wider Probability Gap when you weren't going full out: You had more time to change your velocity, to reverse, to stop, to jink. That meant that the enemy had more areas where you might be in the hours it took for their munitions to clear space and kill you.

    It also means I can type without snapping my arms like matchsticks, he thought, his fingers flying across his console as he brought up the latest telemetry from TELEINT and SIGINT. There were blurry smears on the probability chart that could be enemy ships. They could be decoys. Vane snorted as he muttered under his breath. "Stealth in space..."

    The real issue was were they the right ship. Each ship, if it wanted to keep up with a fleet on maneuvers, had to have a stabdrive. That meant it had enough energy output to be visible from another solar system and the difference between a line ship and a battleship was down to minute differences in energy signature, shape, configurations. Of course, those minute configuration differences did tend to amount to exponents of firepower that made Vane feel a creeping, crawling dread on the back of his neck.

    He compacted that dread away. Instead, he started to sort through the possibilities...sorting through them as, with a dull hum, the capacitators continued to charge.

    The countdown to doomsday ticked one step closer.

    ***
    ​
    Sarial scowled as she into the cavernous support decks, holding her tablet under her arm. The sound of clanging, creaking, sparking, and hissing all warred with the shouting of crews as they swarmed over the needle thin yellow and black Barracudas that were berthed into their slots. Tight and close as sardines, each of them would have done a fairly good job at imitating a wet navy submarine from the era of diesel and unguided munitions. Their crews numbered in the low thirties, and they were going to be launched within the day, maybe two at the outset.

    The only problem was sudden maneuvering had a way of playing havoc with subline ships. They were tougher than people and near the skin of the intimidating pillar that was the Gale, meaning that they weren't as fully protected by the ship's half a dozen contragravitic fields. But that didn't mean they were immune to damage.

    So.

    Sarial and her work crew were now being forced to work under constant and uneven acceleration conditions, at breakneck speed, to get every last one of the Barracudas and Bowsprits ready to fight.

    Sarial rubbed at her temple and...really...really wished she could find the state department dipshit that had gotten her this job.

    She would start off by kicking them in the balls as hard as she could.

    Then she'd buy them a drink.

    "All right, speak to me, what's the problem with the D2 Sherman?" She asked, eyeing the bulbous and long barreled Bowsprit that had been stenciled with a preposterously historically inaccurate depiction of Cradle general William Tecumseh Sherman - at least, Sarial was pretty sure that the origial Cradle general had been paler and hadn't worn such bright reflective shades. She did like the motto that the crew of the destroyer had stenciled next to the art work: Sic Semper Tyranus Astra Motherfucker. The techie who had been beating their head against the destroyer for the better part of the past hour stuck said head from the forward paneling over the fusion drive.

    "We've been trying to get the main mini-linac ready for firing, but the prismatic systems are throwing up some weird debugging problem, and I'm checking for physical problems, but nothing's gone lose or anything!" The techie said.

    "Shit," Sarial said, then scrambled up the ladder from the catwalk to the Sherman. She stuck her head into the hatch, making her techie pin themselves against the wall to give herself room. She gave everything a jaundiced look, then grunted. "Looks like the coupling has sprung some guidance leaks from sheerage." She pointed. "Unplug that, then plug it back in, and check the whole system top to bottom."

    The techie groaned. "That'll take twelve hours."

    "Not if you skip the systems that aren't directly linked to the MLS." Sarial said, nodding.

    "B-But, the regs-"

    "Fuck em," Sarial said. "I've run system checks like this. If it's just the MLS that's giving you problems, then you can skip the others when the difference is between getting this sucker out there and shooting Harrison fucks and having it sit in the bay while we all die." Sarial slapped her techie on the shoulder, then skimmed down the ladder again. Down the way, she heard a crash and a ferocious spate of swearing. It looked like one of the corvettes had had something come loose.

    She grinned and started to jog down the way.

    When she had been dragooned into this, Sarial had had no idea - and had not had that idea for a solid two weeks - that the difference between stationer life and shipboard life was that ships?

    Ships were put under constant, hideous pressure. Pressure that meant things went wrong. Lots of things.

    Lots of interesting problems!

    Not sitting at a computer, scowling at a programming error.

    Things she could fix with a wrench!

    Sarial charged off to the next problem.

    And beyond the Gale, the enemy drew closer and closer.

    ---
    BEGINNING LOGISTIC PHASE

    CHECKING SHIP CHARGES...

    SRON-CS Derecho
    2 Charge Counters

    UNS-BB Chesapeake
    2 Charge Counters

    UNS-BB Butterfly Hill
    2 Charge Counters

    UNS-LS Sekwun
    1 Charge Counter

    UNS-LS Tukwakin
    1 Charge Counter

    TARGET: BROTHERS IN ARMS
    1 Charge Counter

    BEGINNING IMPACT PHASE

    CHECKING TIME TO TARGET...
    NO WEAPONS READY TO FIRE



    ACTION PHASE...BEGINS
    Pick one battlegroup, then pick their maneuver and their tactic. You can exchange a maneuver for a tactic, but not vice versa. If a tactic requires a component (E.G, Destroyer Command needs a destroyer escort aboard), then it must be assigned to a BG with that component. If a maneuver or tactic requires a target, select them using their NPC designation (E.G, Turtleback, Brothers in Arms, etcetera.)

    Battlegroup (Pick One)
    [ ] BG December
    [ ] BG Diamond
    [ ] BG Orchard

    Maneuvers
    [ ] All Ahead Full: move 1 range band forward, fire one primary weapon
    [ ] Open Fire (Superheavy): fire 1 superheavy weapon
    [ ] Open Fire (Primary): fire 2 primary weapons
    [ ] Retrograde Burn: move 1 range backwards, ignore the next hostile action that forces movement. Ships become Bolstered (+2 defense, +1d6 interdiction)

    Tactics
    [ ] Lock Firing Solution: nominate a hostile capital ship or escort. This ship gains Lock On token (can be consumed for buffs.)
    [ ] Defensive Screen: assign a frigate to defend a larger ship in the same range band - this frigate has a 50% chance to be hit by enemy shots instead.
    (The Following Tactics Must Be At Range Band 3)
    [ ] Destroyer Command (Cannonade): Deal 3 damage to hostile Capital ship
    [ ] Destroyer Command (Snapflight Torpedoes): Deal 6 damage to hostile Escort.
    [ ] Corvette Command (Trade Blows): Deal 2 damage to a hostile wing or 4 damage to a hostile capital ship. Take 2 damage in return
    [ ] Corvette Command (Defensive Formation): Gain +2 Interdiction until the next turn.
    [ ] [CLASSIFIED] CONSUME: Apply 3 Graywash Counters to a targeted ship
    [ ] Legion Drone Command (Hunt/Kill, Defensive): Deal 1 damage to Capital, Escort or Wing of your choice
    [ ] Legion Drone Command (Hunt/Kill, Agressive): Deal 2 damage to Capital, Escort or Wing of your choice - take 2 damage in return.
    [ ] Chassis Command (Toe To Toe): Deal 1d3 damage to hostile capital ship, escort or wing
    [ ] Chassis Command (Breach and Clear): Board targeted ship
    [ ] Ace Squadron Command (Strike Package: Deal 1d3+1 damage to a hostile capital, escort or wing. Additional effects depending on battlegroup.

    SUBMIT TO LEGIONSPACE SYNERGIZATION AS PLAN VOTE
     
    Last edited:
  • Threadmarks
    • [X] Plan: I have no idea
    -[X] BG December
    Maneuvers
    --[X] All Ahead Full: move 1 range band forward, fire one primary weapon (CORSAIR)
    Tactics
    --[X] Ace Squadron Command (Strike Package: Deal 1d3+1 damage to a hostile capital, escort or wing. Additional effects depending on battlegroup. (DILUVIA)
    --[X] Destroyer Command (Cannonade): Deal 3 damage to hostile Capital ship (CORSAIR)
    --[X] Legion Drone Command (Hunt/Kill, Defensive): Deal 1 damage to Capital, Escort or Wing of your choice (DILUVIA)

    @DragonCobolt So is this fine?
     
    Okay, longer thoughts: assuming the enemy declined to use their logistics phase abilities (not totally unreasonable, one is loading and you kind of want it in Logistics 2, and one costs them a mech wing). Even so, this is pretty good for us, but complicates our options.

    So, BG Diamond is going first; in this deployment configuration nothing else makes sense. But everything it chooses to do must be made in light of what December and Orchard are going to do.

    Here's the calculation I'm basing this on: BG December can, if it throws everything at a problem, do exactly 18 damage. This is EM Forward, All Ahead Full w/Destroyer Guns (0+2), Lock On Screen w/Corvette ability (2+4), Combat Refit Corvette Attack (6+8), and then Subaltern Combat Crews for another Corvette Attack (14+4). This damage is deterministic, and not affected by difficulty. The Corsair has 25 HP. If you do 7 damage to it, the enemy is in what you might call a pickle: they need to activate that Corsair right now, or we're going to blow it up before it has a turn. We can use this to, hopefully, make them activate without having many useful targets, or failing that, put the ship out of its misery before it does anything annoying, like launch boarders.

    (This also works, sort of, the other way around: if you do 18 damage to it, you're in "instant death by shipkiller aces" range. But I don't think the turn sequencing lets us do that. But maybe? If someone wants to game it out...)

    So, reposting my two plans, both I think work here:

    Battleplan Alpha:
    • BG Diamond goes first.
    • Use maneuver All Ahead Full to Scope Range (3), and attack with UNS-BB Chesapeake's Primary Kinetic Battery and Secondary Turrets on the enemy flagship FCDC (Corsair).
    • BG Diamond's Ace Squadron launches a Strike Package using their NHP Co-pilots (free action) at FCDC as well.
    • Give the Balor Chassis Wing the Hive Frenzy command and board enemy flagship Ra (Hivequeen).
    • Using Subaltern Combat Crews, give the Tortuga Chassis Wing the Daisy Cutters command and board enemy Flagship Ra.
    • End turn; If the enemy attempts to move BG Diamond, use Insightful Commanders to attack FCDC with Primary and Secondary batteries again, at +1 Accuracy.
    This was my initial plan, but I ran the numbers and the odds of getting to 7 damage on the first blow aren't good enough I think (~30%). Now, the odds if BG Diamond is forced to move are actually pretty good - we get a free shot at accuracy, so the odds of getting to 7 damage go up to something like 90%. Still, it's risky, and BG Diamond is put in a lot of danger. And the enemy has lots of room to maneuver around it; if we don't get the seven damage on the first shot, we can't threaten to blow up the Corsair.

    Battleplan Bravo:
    • BG Diamond goes first.
    • It uses Emergency Maneuvers as a Tactic to enter Scope Range (3).
    • BG Diamond's Ace Squadron launches a Strike Package using their NHP Co-pilots (free action) at enemy flagship FCDC (Corsair).
    • Use maneuver Retrograde Burn to become Bolstered (+1d6 Interdiction, +2 Def) and to resist the next instance of forced movement.
    • Using Subaltern Combat Crews, give the Balor Chassis Wing the Hive Frenzy command and board enemy flagship Ra (Hivequeen).
    This is, I think, the better option. Depending on turn sequencing we might be able to get a second boarder on there from BG Orchard, or use another boarder on the Turtleback. Depending on what they do next we might end up activating Orchard and putting enough damage on the Corsair that we end up eliminating it anyway if only to save our LinAcs for the Hivequeen.

    I'm torn on target selection for the Aces: I think we do want to be putting as much damage as we can on Corsair. so we can comfortably eliminate it during impact of next round. But I could be persuaded that the better target is the Brothers in Arms, since those are gonna go off and cutting down even one of them would be nice. Inflicting even two damage would be enough to make them vulnerable to a Snapflight barrage from BG Orchard.

    As-is, that vote would look like:

    [ ] Battleplan Castle
    -[ ] BG Diamond
    -[ ] Emergency Manuevers (1 Range Band Forward, to Scope Range)
    -[ ] Retrograde Burn: Ignore the next hostile action that forces movement. Ships become Bolstered (+2 defense, +1d6 interdiction)
    -[ ] Subaltern Combat Crews Tactic: Balor Hive Frenzy on target Hivequeen.
    -[ ] NHP Co-Pilot Tactics: Strike Package on target Corsair

    (Note that Retrograde burn does either move backwards or ignore the next forced movement, it doesn't do both. In this case we're picking resist movement.)

    EDIT: Wait which is at Range 4? Diamond should be at range 4, the others at range 5? That's what the vote was I thought?

    EDIT2: Uh, if BG December and Diamond are swapped the above is nonsense and we need a totally different plan.

    EDIT3: ...which I have, if we're gonna go with that.
     
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    SweetJackal said:
    [X] Plan Layered Defense
    -[X]...BG DECEMBER?
    -[X] Conservative Posture (deploy at EXTREME RANGE (5), may use +1 tactic at the start of combat
    -[X]...BG DIAMOND?
    -[X] Nominal Posture (Deploy at LONG RANGE (4). No modifiers.)
    -[X]...BG ORCHARD?
    -[X]Conservative Posture (deploy at EXTREME RANGE (5), may use +1 tactic at the start of combat

    Edit: Plan changed to have 2 BGs back at 5 to address knockback concerns.
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    Yeah, Diamond is at 4 and December/Orchard is at range 5.

    Honestly, the tally broke and didn't display right, and we got two Delta BGs (blame gears of war). Plus I know DC was tired.
     
    GAWR said:
    So @Acatalepsy any new plans?
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    If December rather than Diamond is ahead, we can either (1) go straight for the alpha strike with December, with the plan to use Ochard's Aces to finish the job, or (2) do basically the same plan as Diamond, except using the Destroyer flank ability instead of emergency thrust, doing chip damage to the Corsair and/or Brothers in Arms.

    But I intended to wait for DC to clarify what was going on before I put in any more options.
     
    Any one else wants to vote? If not then my plan would win by default.
    Adhoc vote count started by GAWR on Mar 11, 2023 at 4:31 PM, finished with 12 posts and 1 votes.
    • [X] Plan: I have no idea
      -[X] BG December
      --[X] All Ahead Full: move 1 range band forward, fire one primary weapon (CORSAIR)
      --[X] Ace Squadron Command (Strike Package: Deal 1d3+1 damage to a hostile capital, escort or wing. Additional effects depending on battlegroup. (DILUVIA)
      --[X] Destroyer Command (Cannonade): Deal 3 damage to hostile Capital ship (CORSAIR)
      --[X] Legion Drone Command (Hunt/Kill, Defensive): Deal 1 damage to Capital, Escort or Wing of your choice (DILUVIA)
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    Alright, submitting battle operations plan CASTLE for the consideration of the legion.

    [X] Battleplan CASTLE
    -[X] BG Diamond
    -[X] Emergency Manuevers (1 Range Band Forward, to Scope Range)
    -[X] Retrograde Burn: Ignore the next hostile action that forces movement. Ships become Bolstered (+2 defense, +1d6 interdiction)
    -[X] Subaltern Combat Crews Tactic: Balor Hive Frenzy on target Hivequeen.
    -[X] NHP Co-Pilot Tactics: Strike Package on target Corsair.

    Our opening move is to draw fire with BG Diamond while launching an assault with the "specialist" wings currently stationed on board the Blair Mountain. Diamond is reasonably tough (high HP, Defense 12+). Between that and its GOALKEEPER aces, if there's a group we want to absorb fire, and suck up enemy attempts to draw them in closer, it's this one. While we're doing that, the ace wing on board the Cú Chulainn is going to harass the enemy Corsair and do some ping damage, softening up for the barrage to come.

    I keep going back and forth on targeting the Corsair or the Brothers in Arms. Being able to cut out six damage matters; the Brothers in Arms can just delete a Creighton, and they might well be firing with accuracy. I think ultimately BG ORCHARD should have the extra firepower it needs to deal with it on its own turn, plus it's probably going to brace for impact anyway. But, more than that we want to be absolutely sure that the Corsair doesn't get another turn.
     
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    DragonCobolt said:
    TARGET: BROTHERS IN ARMS
    1 Charge Counter
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    So, that's not one of ours, that's an escort for the Turtleback and it's going to fire next turn. Not saying the Corsair isn't a threat, but this thing only has 8 HP so we should be able to delete it before next turn, right?

    Thinking we should turn the chip damage towards it to take out a charge gun of theirs. If it's loadout is matching ours, it's going to smack something with 8 damage next turn. So either directing the Strike Package to it, or pushing another BG to divert firepower.

    [X] Battleplan CASTLE
     
    SweetJackal said:
    So, that's not one of ours, that's an escort for the Turtleback and it's going to fire next turn. Not saying the Corsair isn't a threat, but this thing only has 8 HP so we should be able to delete it before next turn, right?
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    It does not have 8 HP; there are two of them, each has 8 HP. Destroying one brings the damage on the charge gun down from 12 to 6. And the answer to whether or not we can get rid of one of them is....maybe. Really depends on what activates and what the enemy does. Our other option is to try to board and get the CIC of the Turtleback, adding +2 Difficulty to the shot. Again, depending on what the enemy does, that might be a better option.

    EDIT: This is one of the situations where a Co-Consciousness Lance would have been perfect, potentially deleting outright both the Stalwarts and the Brothers in Arms, but alas, we did not end up with one. And there's basically no area-damage attacks other than CoCo that could hit before Impact 2, even a maximum boosted Darkstar would still let it get a shot off. The only other option to straight up delete the Brothers in Arms is basically burning all of December's action economy doing corvette gun runs, which....maybe? But I'd really rather hold on to those.
     
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    Acatalepsy said:
    It does not have 8 HP; there are two of them, each has 8 HP. Destroying one brings the damage on the charge gun down from 12 to 6. And the answer to whether or not we can get rid of one of them is....maybe. Really depends on what activates and what the enemy does. Our other option is to try to board and get the CIC of the Turtleback, adding +2 Difficulty to the shot. Again, depending on what the enemy does, that might be a better option.
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    Okay, so that's how you read a stat block
     
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