June 2204 part 13
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Overview part 2
For the curious, here are the ship rosters for the battles this month.
Attack on Convoy 058
Detachment - Nemotian Patrol Group
Patrol Vessels 12 (BG+1), 23 (BG-1)
Class: CT 16HS
[2] S S A A Hs (Bsa) Qa Mg Ya (cpCp) Pta [6/1] cg x3
Convoy Escort Group
Admiral: Jude Kushnir (LG+2)
Pan Euro Forces
Queen Mary (BG)
Class: DD 30HS
[2] S S S S A A A Hs Qa Mgs (Cp) (Cp) Qa Ra Ra Ya Ra Ra (Cp) [6/1] cg x1
Attack Escorts Elise (BG+1) , Keely Sereg (BG)
Class: ES 12HS
[2] S S S A Hs Mgs Ya Ra Qa (Cp) [6/1]
US Forces
Q Ship Vigilance (BG-1)
Class: FT2 16HS
[2] S S Qv Qv Qv Ya Ra H H H (Bsa) Qa (Cp) [4/1] gtos x1
This was the battle that started the ball rolling in the inner system.
The Patrol Vessels never even got close to the convoy. The escorts can just pick them up from too far away. If you want to try and break through to the freighters, you could just swipe the convoy from March 2204. It would be pretty close, and would do the job. (What this means is I've managed to lose the ship list for the FT's, but know the convoys were pretty consistent from group to group.)
In the game, I had intended to just run the PV's in to their max range, fire a few shots, and break off after causing some damage. I oopsed and got the PV's one hex too close and got hammered. I tried to run PV 12 at redline (detuned) to see if I could shake off the pursuit, or at least run them out of missiles. Well, I ran out first. Got smashed up in the exchange - down to just the Pta - but my wife managed to blow her rolls for engine burnout on both of the Attack Escorts. The Queen Mary lost her armor, but otherwise was fine. What the Euro was short on were missiles. They shot away over half of the total amount they carried.
Bombing of Mars Colony
Scout Craft Detachment - Nemotian Patrol Group
48 cg's with two dumb bombs each
US Task Force One
Interceptor MkIIb B Franklin (BG) , JFK (BG) , A Jackson (BG-1) , Z Taylor (BG-1)
Class: CT 16HS
[2] S S S H Mgs Qa Ya Lb Ra (cpCp) [6/1] cg x1
Mars Space Station
Class: SS 162HS
Mercury Station Military Modules 1- 4 , 6 (BG-1)
Class: SS 12HS
Mars has 106.7 PU at this time.
This battle is less about the ships, and more about how quickly you can shoot down the little gig's. Swatting all of them before they reach the planet is just about impossible. The loss for the US was 20 PU when all was said and done.
The oldest boy also tended to try and figure out when he could get just as good of odds on the ASV table without shooting missiles, so that he could conserve them in case he was attacked afterward by the main alien group. He was always expecting the big alien ships to show up in support, or to attack shortly after when the Interceptors would be low on ordinance. He got lucky on that one. I had hoped to draw off reinforcements headed for PV12 and try to get my wife's ships (Euro) to head for Mars instead.
Things just never seemed to work out for me this month.
Battle for PV12
Nemotian Patrol Group
Patrol Vessels 12 (BG)
Class: CT 16HS
[2] S S X X X X
Qa X X X X Pta [0/0]
Patrol Vessels 13 (BG+1), 17 (BG+2) , 24 (BG-1) , 25 (BG-1)
Class: CT 16HS
[2] S S A A Hs (Bsa) Qa Mg Ya (cpCp) Pta [6/1] cg x3
Attack Vessels 1(BG-1), 2 (BG-1) , 3 (BG-1)
Class: ES 12HS
[2] S S H Ya Qa (Cp) Pta [6/1]
Allied Security Group
Admiral: Jude Kushnir (LG+2)
Convoy Escort Group
Pan Euro Forces
Queen Mary (BG)
Class: DD 30HS
[2] S S S S X X X Hs Qa Mgs (Cp) (Cp) Qa Ra Ra Ya Ra Ra (Cp) [6/1] cg x1
Attack Escorts Elise (BG+1) , Keely Sereg (BG)
Class: ES 12HS
[2] S S S A Hs Mgs Ya Ra Qa (X) [6/1]
US Forces
Q Ship Vigilance (BG-1)
Class: FT2 16HS
[2] S S Qv Qv Qv Ya Ra H H H (Bsa) Qa (Cp) [4/1] gtos x1
Pan Euro 4th Light Battle Group
Heavy Escort Esme Jurkat (BG-2)
Class: CT 16HS
[2] S S S Hs Mgs Qa Ra Ra Ya (cpCp) [6/1] cg x1
Attack Escorts J Reynolds (BG-2) , G Vetra (BG-2)
Class: ES 12HS
[2] S S S A Hs Mgs Ya Ra Qa (Cp) [6/1]
Support Group
Survey Tender 1
Class: FT0 5HS
[2] H (Bsa) H Qa (Cp) [6/1] gtos x1
Mobile Shipyards 1 , 2
Class: FT4 30HS
[2] H H H Qa (Cp) (SYM2) [2/1]
The Pan Euro ships start a little short on missiles. The 4th LBG had 10 salvos on each ship, the QM had 11 salvos, while the Elise and Sereg had 7 each. The Vigilance had a full load out as Tender 1 carried missiles from the US Earth PDC's in its extra hold. The Elise has drifted to 3 hexes (at 4 o'clock) from PV 12, while the Sereg is 19 hexes back from PV 12 dead astern of it.
As far as the battle went, I thought starting out that the Nemotians had a fair chance at either chasing off/damaging the Euro/US group, destroying PV 12 if they wouldn't run, and maybe even a chance to hit the support vessels (the Euro Mobile Shipyards are slow and should have been easy targets). The 4th LBG was just out of the yards and in no shape for a fight, while the best ships were either damaged or immobile. Should have been an easy time for the aliens. And then, once again, things just didn't seem to work out for me.
This was the first battle that EM was used. At first I tried to close and get in range of either PV12 or the support ships. The first salvo from the QM at 19 hexes out landed all four missiles on one of the AV's and took it out. The Jurkat and Vigilance teamed up to knock down the shields on another AV. My launch was a lot less spectacular. The next round the Jurkat took out the S down AV while the QM about took down the S's on the last AV. Still no love from the Nemotian launches. I decided to try and use my speed advantage to park at 21 hexes and rain in torpedoes. Problem was, with the Euro's bonus to initiative, I could never win. With them constantly moving last, they were able to keep me stuck just past max range most of the time. When I could get in, my hit ratio was horrible. I was pretty sure I was going to run out of torpedoes, and be pretty useless if another opportunity presented itself. Down 2 AV's, the last about S's down, over a third of my torpedoes gone, and two hits for one dmg on the QM to show for it - I decided to break off and concede the whole affair.
At this point, with my luck, I was really beginning to dread the next battle at Neptune.
Attack on Cargo Movement 1277
Nemotian Convoy
Small Support Vessel (BG-2) (x2)
Class: FT1 12HS
[2] A H H H H A H H H H Qa (Cp) [6/1]
Allied 'Ryan' Group
Admiral Jack Ryan (LG+2 / Navigator)
Interceptor MkIII Yari (BG+1)
Class: CTf 16HS
[2] S S S Hs Mgs Qa Ya (Cp) Ra Ra (Cp) [7/1] cg x1
Armed Science Vessel Red October (BG+1)
Class: FGf 22HS
[2] S S S S A A H Qa Mgs Xp (cpCp) Ra Ra Ya Qa (Cp) [7/1] cg x1
This battle (if you call it that) took place close to Neptune, about 30 hexes out or so as I remember. They wanted to see if they could draw out any defenses from the planet. If the response was big, they would accelerate to speed 7 and try to get the defenders to burn out engines chasing them. If it was smaller, they would lure them toward the Mary QoS and Rachel Pierce waiting at 20 LS out. If nothing happened, they would just try to find other shipping to shoot up or follow.
If you wanted an alternate battle, you could have the two Combat Vessels at Triton attempt to go after the Yari and Red October. It would be a pretty tough battle when you add in the two waiting Attack Escorts. All it turned into for us was a chance to cost the Nemotians a few ships (payment to the CFN for replacement), and see how many missiles the US/Euro would be short for the battle at Triton later in the month.
For the short time the Nemotian DD's lasted at the actual battle of Neptune, I think this would actually have been the better use of those ships. They would likely have accomplished more than the single launch each made against the Chinese. If someone runs it out, let me know if they actually have any luck with it. Remember that the Allied Group can use EM but not the Nemotians. Just swipe the stats for the Nem DD's and Euro Attack Escorts from this next battle.
Second Battle of Neptune
Nemotian Defense Fleet 2
Combat Vessel 1 (BG) , 3 (BG)
Class: DD 30HS
[2] S S S A A H Qa (Bsa) (Cp) Mg Mg Mg (M1) Qa (Cp) Kb+ Ya (Cp) Pta [6/1] cg x3
Defense Base Mk I (x1) (BG)
Class: BS1 30HS
- S S S S A A A H Qa Mg Qa Ya Kb Pta Kb
Note: Kb's are turret mounted on a BS1 so 360 degree fire.
Defense Base Mk 0 (x2) (BG)
Class: BS0 15HS
Planetary Defense Installation (x4) (BG)
Class: PDC 28HS
- A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A Pta Pta
No triple damage modifier for PDC's hit with nukes.
Remember PDC's only have 60 degree blindspots for the Pta's.
If facing 1 is directly toward Neptune, they are on facings 2,3,5,6. (Triton is TL'ed)
Two of the PDC's have empty HS for the left most 2 armor, on facings 2 and 5.
New Home 3 Shipyards (BG-1)
Class: SS 82HS
New Home 3 Support Station (BG-2/CFN Terminal)
Class: SS
- (H H Qv) x60 (Bsa) (Bsa) (TCF) H Qa
- gtos x2
(for those who like shooting civilian assets)
Mobile Repair Ships 2 ( 9 , 10 docked at shipyard for reactivation)
[2] H Qa (Cp) (Cp) (Cp) (SYM2) [6/1]
PT x12 on board #2 for detonation
Neptune will fill the hex it is in.
Proteus is an O1m at 2tH from Neptune.
Triton is an O1m at 5tH from Neptune with 180PU, 90 IU, RDS x1.
Triton has planetary fallout shelters for 36PU (you can't nuke 'em).
(Players didn't know about fallout shelters at start of battle.)
Chinese Shek Group
Admiral: Hu (LG+1 / Decisive)
Cruiser Chiang Kia Shek (BG)
Class: CL 45HS
[2] S S S S S S S A A A A Qa Qa Mgs H (cpCp) Ra Ra (Cp) Qa Ra Ra Ya Ra Ra (CpCp) [6/1] cg x1
Missile Frigates Anhui (BG+1) , Hubei (BG+2) , Shangxi (BG+1) , Henan (BG+1)
Class: FG 22HS
[2] S S S S Qa Hs Qa (Cp) Ra Mgs Ra Ra Ya (Cp) [6/1] cg x1
Attack Frigates Yunnan (BG+1)
Class: FG 22HS
[2] S S S S A A A Hs Qa (Cp) Ra Mgs Qa Ga Ga (Cp) [6/1] cg x1
Close Assault Escorts Matsu (BG-1) , Taiwan (BG-1) , Kinmen (BG-1) , Penghu (BG-1)
Class: ES 12HS
[2] S S S A A A H Qa Ga (Cp) [6/1]
Allied 'Ryan' Group
Admiral Jack Ryan (LG+2 / Navigator)
Interceptor MkIII Yari (BG+1)
Class: CTf 16HS
[2] S S S Hs Mgs Qa Ya (Cp) Ra Ra (Cp) [7/1] cg x1
Armed Science Vessel Red October (BG+1)
Class: FGf 22HS
[2] S S S S A A H Qa Mgs Xp (cpCp) Ra Ra Ya Qa (Cp) [7/1] cg x1
Attack Escorts Mary Queen of Scots (BG+2), Rachel Pierce (BG+1)
Class: ES 12HS
[2] S S S A Hs Mgs Ya Ra Qa (Cp) [6/1]
This battle sets up the events for the next few months. Neither the US/Euro, or the Chinese wanted the Triton Colony destroyed out right. Then they found out when the Yunnan/Assault Escorts ran right up to Triton that they weren't going to take it out anyway. They also discovered that the PDC's were going to be hard nuts to crack, and the players were going to use up a lot of missiles getting it done. The PDC's could also ignore the EM from the ships.
The battle saw the loss of the Yunnan and Assault Escorts, and the Red October getting hammered.
And yes, once again, the Nemotians got hammered at this battle also. The CV's were taken out the first round they came in range. The bases lasted less than two full rounds. The PDC's held out pretty well, but that had more to do with the players wanting to conserve missiles to engage the ships that would come to relieve the colony. The Nemotians lost 14.2 PU and IU, two PDC's, two DD's, all three bases, the three Mobile Shipyards and the SS/SY. This just wasn't my month.
This last battle also set the stage for the Third Battle of Neptune and the ground war there.
The next few months brought a few events and turns that no one had really looked for....
And a show down everyone had been waiting for.
Again, thanks for reading.