Game Night Light 22

Monday was the weekly game night and beer exchange. It might be called Game Night Light 21 Part II.

We returned to Star Fleet Battles after incorporating the training wheel version.

The beer was fine, as usual.

We used the online Cadet version. Basically the scenario 5-7 variant, but used the regular game impulse chart given that the concept is well understood. And we kept the shield reinforcing rules because we figured that out in the initial game night.

This time we got into a rhythm pretty quickly. Although we both settled on the basic "scream and leap" strategy of charging straight at each other.

In the vastness of space, this is when we called the battle for the Klingons.

The Federation ship was stripped of weaponry and on the cusp of having its structural integrity shattered, with just one warp engine fully online. 

Just before that, we'd been stacked in the same hex. Which required a scramble to figure out what shield is used when we fire at each other. That required going to the main rules for clarification.

At best, with the Federation ship at a much higher speed than the Klingon at the time, the Klingon would have been put into a stern chase with long-range sniping. It would have taken time, but unless the Federation ship could retreat to a Star Base or another ship, it would have lost.

And there were no transporters to send the Tribbles into the Klingon engine room.

I suspect that the better strategy for the Federation is to try to snipe at long range with the slow-reloading photon torpedoes until the Klingon ship's shields are weakened enough to finish off with a major volley. Otherwise the Klingons seem to have an edge in a close-fought furball.

It was a lot of fun to figure out the basic mechanics, which provides a basis for expanding the systems put into play for the full game.

And one more game on my shelves is no longer a hangar queen!

We wrapped up before 10:00, as scheduled. Maybe Wooden Ships and Iron Men next time?