Battle Report: Creepy Crawlies (Part 2)

Continued from Part 1.

Events of Turn 3 (DDC@6):
I seize one of Stevenik's stations.

Tom: 42 points.
Me: 24 points.
Stevenik: 21 points.









Events of Turn 4 (DDC@4):
Tom destroys my yellow frame.

Tom: 42 points.
Stevenik: 21 points.
Me: 21 points.









Events of Turn 5 (DDC@2):
Tom destroys Stevenik's green frame.
Tom seizes Stevenik's other station.
Tom destroys my orange frame.
The Doomsday Clock ticks down to zero.

Tom: 48 points.  (5 frames & 3 stations)
Me: 18 points.  (3 frames & 3 stations)
Stevenik: 7 points.  (1 frame)

Thoughts & Observations:

• If you're aiming to be the Primary Attacker, as I was, bring more guns.
• As the Primary Attacker, I should have been more daring with placing my frames during set-up.
• My stations were remarkably unthreatened through the entire game.
• I'm really looking forward to our next game.

Battle Report: Creepy Crawlies (Part 1)

After a month off, the usual suspects managed to find some free time and get together for a game of MFZ:RA.  I'm calling this the "Creepy Crawlies" game because it 1) occurred in October, and 2) we all fielded multi-leg frames.

The point totals for the beginning of the game we as follows:
Stevenik (5 frames & 19 systems) = (7 points per asset) * (7 assets) = 49 Points.
Tom (5 frames & 20 systems) = (6 points per asset) * (7 assets) = 42 points.
myself (7 frames & 27 systems) = (3 points per asset) * (9 assets) = 27 points.

Here are pictures of the start of the game.










Events of Turn 1 (DDC@11):
Stevenik targets my Point Frame, the red one, and destroys it.
Tom targets my white frame and destroys it.

Stevenik: 49 points.
Tom: 42 points.
Me: 21 points.

The remains of two of my Crab Mecha.

Events of Turn 2 (DDC@9):
Stevenik's tan frame is destroyed.
Stevenik's blue frame is destroyed.
Stevenik's orange frame is destroyed.
We actually destroyed terrain!

Tom: 42 points.
Stevenik: 28 points.
Me: 21 points.

The battle for a rooftop.

To Be Continued...

Battle Report: Fleet Exercise (Part 2)

The battle is continued from part 1.

Events of Turn 2 (DDC @ 8):
Tom's Sister damaged Tom's Frigate 1.
I destroyed the same Frigate.
Tom captured one of Tom's Sister's HVAs.
Tom's Sister captured one of my HVAs.

Tom: 30 points.
Me: 21 points.
Tom' Sister: 18 Points.







Events of Turn 3 (DDC @ 5):
Tom's Sister damaged my Blue Frigate then rammed it with one her Cruiser 1.
Tom damaged Tom's Sister's Cruiser 1.
Tom's Sister damaged Tom's Cruiser.
Tom's Sister damaged Tom's Frigate 2.

Tom: 30 points.
Me: 21 points.
Tom' Sister: 18 Points.









Events of Turn 4 (DDC @ 2):
Tom damaged Tom's Sister's Frigate 2.
Tom's Sister destroyed Tom's Cruiser.
I destroyed Tom's Sister Frigate 1.
The Doomsday Clock ticks down to zero.

Tom: 24 points.
Me: 21 points.
Tom' Sister: 15 Points.








Thoughts & Observations:

• We continue our streak of having at least one ramming attack per game.  Tom's Sister made up for Stevenik's absence.
• I went with all Frigates for maneuverability and to bid for Defender position. My strategy was to run away.  It worked for half a turn.
• We may play the next session with Frame Companies but without Boarding rules.
• We had the same table, and the engagement area didn't seem as claustrophobic.
• Once again we ignored the terrain placement rules.
• The only time Point Defense weapons got used was with White Dice by a mostly destroyed ship.
• I like this version of the game and hope we play it again.

Battle Report: Fleet Exercise (Part 1)

On Sunday, July 27th, 2014, two of the usual suspects returned to The Whiz.  Tom and myself were joined by Tom's Sister for another day of Lego spaceship carnage.  This time around we had decided to Play Intercept Orbit without using Frame Companies.

The squadrons broke down as follows:
Tom (3 Tactical Assets & 10 Systems) = (6 Points per Asset) * (5 total Assets) = 30 Points.
Tom's Sister (4 Tactical Assets & 14 Systems) = (3 Points per Asset) * (6 total Assets) = 18 Points.
Me (3 Tactical Assets & 9 Systems) = (7 Points per Asset) * (5 total Assets) = 35 Points.

Here are pictures of the game at start up.  My ships are the clump in the center.  Tom's are arrayed to the right in the picture above.  Tom's Sister has her ships on the left.  I had a reason for setting up like that and it will be revealed at the end of the battle report.




Events of Turn 1 (DDC @ 11):
I tried to maneuver out of the engagement area.

Tom's Sister damaged my Red Frigate.
Tom's Sister destroyed my Red Frigate.
Tom's Sister damaged Tom's Cruiser.
Tom damaged Tom's Sister's Frigate 1.

Tom: 30 points.
Me: 28 points.
Toms' Sister: 18 points.

This is the log sheet that Tom created to keep 

track of everything that happens in the game.

To be continued...

Battle Report: The Last Battle of June

On Sunday, June 29th, 2014, four people once again gathered together to wage interstellar war.  Grafvonbarnez, Tom, Stevenik, and myself returned to The Whiz to inflict great hurt on each other via little Lego spaceships.

The squadrons broke down as follows:
Tom (4 Tactical Assets & 7 Systems) = (6 Points per Asset) * (5 total Assets) = 30 Points.
Grafvonbarnez (4 Tactical Assets & 10 Systems) = (5 Points per Asset) * (5 total Assets) = 25 Points.
Stevenik (4 Tactical Assets & 10 Systems) = (5 Points per Asset) * (5 total Assets) = 25 Points.
Me (4 Tactical Assets & 12 Systems) = (4 Points per Asset) * (5 total Assets) = 20 Points.

Unfortunately I forgot to take pictures of our starting positions.

Events of Turn 1 (DDC @ 11):
I seize Tom's HVA.  Stevenik seizes Tom's HVA from me.  Grafvonbarnez seizes Tom's cruiser.  Tom seizes my cruiser.  I seize Grafvonbarnez's frigate.  Three out of the four player's Tactical Assets take damage.  No damage for Grafvonbarnez's Tactical Assets.  We all tick down the Doomsday Clock.

Stevenik: 30 Points.
Grafvonbarnez: 25 Points.
Tom: 24 Points.
Me: 20 points.











Events of Turn 2 (DDC @ 6):
I relinquish Grafvonbarnez's frigate.  I seize Grafvonbarnez's carrier.  Tom seizes back his cruiser.  Stevenik seizes Tom's frigate.  Grafvonbarnez seizes Stevenik's frigate.  Tom relinquishes my cruiser.  Stevenik and Grafvonbarnez tick down the Doomsday Clock.

Stevenik: 30 Points.
Me: 24 points.
Grafvonbarnez: 20 Points.
Tom: 18 Points.











Events of Turn 3 (DDC @ 3):
Stevenik uses Grafvonbarnez's frigate to ram Grafvonbarnez's carrier -- which is under my control.  He one-shots it, rams it to death, and my frame company hops on to the frigate in response.  All this to prevent my frame company from refueling and relaunching.  This was the most thought out and debated move of the game.  A bunch of other things happened but they just weren't as interesting.  :-)  Then the clock was ticked down to end the game.


Tom: 24 Points.
Grafvonbarnez: 20 Points.
Me: 12 points.
Stevenik: 10 Points.













Thoughts & Observations:

• Stevenik continues his one-shot streak, although it is no longer in the first round.
• He also continues his ramming streak.
• Part of me considers ramming problematic, but it does elicit a giddy reaction from everyone at the table.
• As an experiment, we're going to play without Frame Companies our next game.
• At no point during the game was I in the lead.
• We had a larger table, but the engagement area still seemed claustrophobic.  Is this an artifact of the rules?
• Once again we ignored the terrain placement rules.
• Best line of the game, "Catapults count as weapons." by Tom.

Battle Report: The First Battle of June (Part 2)

The battle is continued from Part 1.

Top View

Table View

Side View

The following events occurred in the second  round.
Grafvonbarnez dropped control of Stevenik's HVA.
Grafvonbarnez destroyed Tom's Frame Company.
I seized Stevenik's HVA.
Grafvonbarnez dropped control of Stevenik's Cruiser.
Grafvonbarnez seized Tom's Cruiser.
Tom seized Stevenik's Cruiser.
The Doomsday Clock was ticked down to 2 from 6.


The scrum in the center of the battlefield is still pretty tight but it's starting to expand.

Top View

Table View

Side View

The following events occurred in the third  round.
Grafvonbarnez seized then dropped my HVA.
Stevenik seized my HVA.
Tom dropped control of Stevenik's Cruiser.
Stevenik destroyed Tom's Cruiser that was under the control of Grafvonbarnez.
Tom seized my Frigate.
Stevenik  rammed my Frigate.
The Doomsday Clock was ticked down to 0 from 2.

Grafvonbarnez ended up winning.  The scores were Grafvonbarnez (5 Assets) 20 points, Tom (3 Assets) 15 points, Stevenik (4 Assets) 12 points, and myself (1 Asset) 6 points.

Thoughts on IO:

• Even though there were no Support range weapons on any Tactical Asset there was still no place to hide on the table.  Movement is fast enough that you can be brought back into range even if you attempt to flee.  Never mind the "instant movement" of launching a Frame Company.
• I'm not sure I agree with a ship not having some sort of defensive roll against being boarded by a Frame Company beyond having a Point Defense attachment.  Given the utility and strength of Frame Companies that basically demands every ship have at minimum a split range weapon with Point Defense being one of the ranges.
• Keeping track of point totals can be a bit taxing.  Especially with Frame Companies jumping on and off Assets at a moment's notice.

Battle Report: The First Battle of June (Part 1)

On Sunday, June 1st, 2014, four people gathered together to wage interstellar war.  Grafvonbarnez, Tom, Stevenik, and myself inflicted great hurt on each other via little Lego spaceships.  The table we used was only 4 ruler lengths long by 2.25 ruler lengths wide so we ignored the normal "terrain" placement rules.

The squadrons broke down as follows:
Tom (4 Tactical Assets & 7 Systems) = (5 Points per Asset) * (5 total Assets) = 25 Points
Me (3 Tactical Assets & 9 Systems) = (6 Points per Asset) * (4 total Assets) = 24 Points
Grafvonbarnez (4 Tactical Assets & 8 Systems) = (4 Points per Asset) * (5 total Assets) = 20 Points
Stevenik (4 Tactical Assets & 10 Systems) = (3 Points per Asset) * (5 total Assets) = 15 Points.

Tom started out as the Defender.  I was the Primary Attacker, and Grafvonbarnez and Stevenik were the other Attackers.

Here are pictures of the start of the game.

Top View

Table View

Side View

As you can see, we're all sort of arrayed in an arc facing Tom's ships which are in the lower left corner of the Side View picture.  Grafvonbarnez, in the upper left of the same picture, is at least arrayed to take on both Tom and Stevenik -- who is in the upper right of that picture.  I'm in the lower right side of the Side View picture.  Then the dice start rolling.

Top View

Table View

Side View

At the end of the first turn the following had happened.
I had destroyed Tom's Frigate.
Stevnik had destroyed one of my Frigates.
Grafvonbarnez had seized Stevenik's HVA with a Frame Company.
Stevenik had destroyed Grafvonbarnez Cruiser in one shot.
Grafvonbarnez had seized Stevenik's Cruiser with a Frame Company.
The Doomsday Clock was ticked down to 6 from 11.

The battle report will be continued in the next blog post.