--=- SHALTARI -=--
Vanguard SR12: Obsidian, 2x Jade
Line SR7: Basalt, 2x Opal
Line SR11: Amber, Turqoise, Voidgate
Pathfinder SR8: Emerald, 3x Voidgate
Pathfinder SR8: Emerald, 3x Voidgate
--=- PHR -=--
Hector Heavy Cruiser w/ 2 Pandora Frigates.
Ganymede Assault Troopship w/ a Calypso.
Theseus Light Cruiser w/ 4 Medea Strike Carriers.
Ikarus w/ 2 Andromedas
1x
AjaxFrancis in a battlegroup by himself.
--=- THE GAME -=--
Scenario: Power Grab - A line of clusters is placed diagonally across the board. Deployment is from a 12x12 inch line at the opposite corners from the line that follows the clusters. There is one medium cluster in the middle of the map with three military sectors. There are two large clusters containing three industrial sectors and one power plant to either side of it. There is another medium cluster in each of the corners of the table opposite the deployment zone. Victory points will be counted on turns 4 and 6.
Deployment: Column - turn 1, two Battlegroups may be deployed by each player. Turn 2, two more may be added to what is being deployed. Turn 3, two more, and so on.
The Board:
Note: transparent card sleeves on the table represent fine debris fields.
TURN ONE:
The first two battlegroups deployed to the board are an Emerald with her Voidgate escorts and the Obsidian with her Jades on the Shaltari side. The PHR deploys their own heavy cruiser (Hector) and escorts along with their Ganymede Troopship and her Calypso escort. PHR assets arrive and perform max thrust. The PHR is positioned well; though one of the Jades does an active scan to bring the Hector up to a major spike, neither Jade can hit it because of the debris cloud. The Obsidian opens fire, however, and rolls three 1s to hit. Shaltari player sighs.
TURN TWO:
This turn, the Shaltari brings on the Basalt with escorts and the Turquoise and Amber with their Voidgate friend. PHR brings on his carrier assets as well: an Ikarus with two Andromeda frigates. The second PHR group that comes on is a Theseus light cruiser with four Medea Strike Carriers.
PHR drives straight up the center in a unified mass as the Shaltari fleet attempts to keep its distance (except for the Obsidian and the Jades).
Fire is exchanged between the fleets. The Jades put a point of damage each on the Hector, and they are followed by four more damage from the Obsidian. The Jades are then destroyed. Obsidian should be out of range, but PHR player uses BTLs to put spikes on it to let him hit it from where he is. It's super-annoying.
Shaltari and PHR troops begin to land. The PHR player cannot launch strike assets because of max thrust; the Shaltari player hates PHR strike craft, and takes the opportunity to put two bombers each on the two PHR Andromedas with the PHR player unable to respond. They are at 2x Thrust range, however.
TURN THREE:
This turn, the remainder of the fleets arrive: a Francis on the PHR side and another Emerald with Voidgate escorts for Shaltari.
Fleets maneuver for position. Shaltari player decides to ignore the Hector and focus on the PHR dropships. Andromedas attempt to shake off the Shaltari bombers and fail; they are immediately destroyed by angry bomber wings. Damage is done to the Ganymede, but the Obsidian is crippled and reduced to 2
HP in return. The Shaltari are unable to significantly damage the Medeas, but the Obsidian does manage to destroy a PHR frigate escorting the Hector with its CAW.
Course Change is used with the Aquamarine and Amber to put them in position for next turn.
Ganymede bombardment wrecks Shaltari operations on the middle-west cluster. Shaltari player is sad.
Fire is directed at the Basalt and the Aquamarine, but the Opals prove their worth and allow the them to weather the storm. Bombers are deployed by both groups. PHR bombers destroy an Opal; Shaltari bombers soften up the Ganymede.
More troops are deployed by both players. Stupid Bulk Landers. Stupid voidgate errata. Shaltari player teleports troops around the board to bulk up positions that need reinforcement.
TURN FOUR:
Shaltari player makes his move and totally fails due to a failure to properly premeasure. Shaltari player feels like an idiot when his Aquamarine is a quarter of an inch short of its intended target and has to shoot something else. Still, he's given a chance to act elsewhere and he takes it; the crippled Obsidian rams the Ganymede and puts damage on it. Ganymede bombards Shaltari positions and destroys one of the central military sectors. The Ganymede is then finished off by a course changing Emerald.
Fire is exchanged between the fleets. The PHR player obliterates both Opals. Shaltari player manages to take down a Medea with his Voidgates. The Turquoise is blown straight to hell. Damage is put on the Hector. A fire starts on the Hector. The Theseus is crippled by Shaltari bombers and starts losing orbit. The PHR player makes his damage control checks. Shaltari player is sad.
Victory points are calculated. Shaltari holds two medium clusters (the ends) and one large cluster. PHR holds one large cluster and contests a medium and a large. Shaltari player is less sad.
TURN FIVE:
This turn is the one where the PHR player realized he probably can't win. He fires at the Basalt and at one of the Emeralds and does negligible damage because the Dice Gods hate him, because the Emerald was in Low Orbit, and because Shaltari shield saves were forming the other end of the bell curve. The Shaltari player fires back. Shaltari bombers destroy the Hector. Without the Ganymede, the ground game now decisively belongs to the Shaltari.
TURN SIX:
Shaltari player secures his victory. The PHR makes them pay for it, and combined fire manages to bring down the Emerald they were shooting at last turn, but it's too little too late. Shaltari deploys his strike craft defensively this turn and they handle the PHR bombers.
Final ground combats occur. Game ends.
Victory points counted again. Shaltari controls three medium clusters and one large; PHR controls one large.
Shaltari wins.
