Dramatic SFB: Colony Raid 156? Also Convoy Raid 160 Battle Report

[david at jannke.com]

So Matt and Steve(?), you picked out a time for the Colony raid yet? I'd love to watch that one. 
 
As for my kibitzer report on #160: This is all from memory so feel free to respond about what I have inevitably misremembered.
 
Forces: Fed DN, NCL, FFL, SC vs Kln: D7Cu, D7B, D5S, F5B, G2  Fairly well matched. As the Klingon observed with the FT counted as part of his forces he had a BPV advantage but their presence really simply meant more starting SPs on the board and an anchor he had to manage. Both sides had scouts and the legendary Fed SC leverages it's relative power deficit and channel excess (8!) by having a big ship in the Fed group and a drone using enemy. I'd go edge to Klingon here but not an insurmountable one.
 
Setup: WS-III both sides
 
Klingon forces were in a standard 1 hex comet formation with scout in the tail facing B. The Fed went with a line, heading E, Klingon off the #1/6, scout behind with the DN at the farthest end.
 
 
Turn 1: Both sides plotted slow movement turn 1, Fed 12 and Klingon 15 as I recall.
 
Fed defensive EW focused on the DN and was boosted for some time with an MRS launch. The Klingon turned off some of the Fed ECM drones. The favor was not returned as I recall.
 
Action:
 
The Klingon closed to range 8 in front of a horde of SP launched drones where he fired overloads using UIM to cripple the Fed FF and turned away. I expected a speed jump from the Feds but don't recall seeing one and that was decisive when combined with the Fed choosing not to overload as part of his WS-III. Photon fire was returned at range 8 (NCL) and 9(DN) taking out the D7C's #5. I stepped away at that point because if I were him I would have run but his morale did not fail and he bravely fought on.
 
He continued to close in direction E, presumably to get to the nice crunchy FTs, as the Klingon ran slowly to the south. Unfortunately the horde of drones behind the Klingon was a bit too much to deal with and eventually despite the efforts of the scout the NCL and the SC took hits. 
 
With the NCL and FFL crippled it was time to leave at around the end of turn 2.
 
Surprises:  
- Slow speeds on both sides, no speed change for the Fed
 
- Fed formation and range management to protect on the DN early. Its understandable as it is a valuable unit but it is also hard to hurt, especially if it were running 12 ECM. To be fair losing the FFL did not hugely impact the Fed force effectiveness and it could be argued that keeping the DN's #1 or #6 shield in exchange for losing the FF was a good long term play.
 
- No Fed overloads - again a tactical choice but if that is the choice then avoiding range 8 is key. It is possible I might have missed that there were partial overloads going on. 
 
- Running the G2 in the same hex as the rest of the Klingon Fleet. It is pretty small and can explode neatly wiping out all the ECM drones. I suppose that could have been a briar patch tactic though as it doesn't have much combat capability.
 
- The sheer mass of drones that FTs can throw via scatterpack. Using commanders options to pick up the extra 2 drones a piece are the way to go with them.
 
- Fed MRS - I always forget about MRSs. A good tactical choice in any game with EW though it might have been cause for the Fed to pick a slow speed.
 
- Using Discord to provide voice chat. I liked that and wouldn't have thought of it. Thanks for the heads up there.
 
Anyone else have things I missed? I did have to step away at times.
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