AAR: NSL vs (Vins) IJN

greetings-

having had some less than enjoyable goes at the NSL
with the IJSF/IJN ships as-read in the playtest pdf
from last year or so, i decided to try p-torps and
various mods to increase combat endurance and survivability. Recently,
however, I found that someone had already done the
work(http://www.geocities.com/vinsfullthrust/IJN.html),
so I elected to playtest his vision of a durable IJSF.

What follows is a thumbnail of the event, played 041505 in Tucson, AZ, in the
Fort Fearnow Shipyard Simulation Tank.

Layout: 2500 pts/side. IJSF chose 2x Arashi, Mogami,
Kesshi, Samurai, Ronin, Yamato and Musashi, as-written
on Vin's site above. NSL chose 12 ships (flagged by a St.'I' and a Maria von
B). placed 40" apart, facing, v=4mu, using vector.

Turn One found Task Force Hayabusa exchanging fire with NSL from B3s; minimal
results. First move was to seperate force to bracket NSL. NSL moved forward,
essentially line-abreast. Turn Two gave both sides the
chance to engage with ptorps and B3s: NSL Frigate and Arashi Yellow take fire.
Both roll first thresholds: Arashi Yellow loses B1 and ptorp. Turn Three B2s
coming online with spread of all ships in covering ptorp arcs for all ships.
Kesshi takes heavy fire, rolls for first 2 thresholds, Arashi Green rolls to
first threshold, and Ronin engages frigate and DD escort of NSL St.'I'. DD
succumbs to fire
(after cascading re-rolls).
Turn Four has IJSF engaging Maria von B and escorts with Arashi's, Mogami,
Ronin and engaging St 'I' group with Kesshi, Musashi and Yamato. Arashi Yellow
and Ronin succumb, but succeed in taking out 1 escort completely and savagely
lighting two others. Mogami and Arashi Green are severely battered but
maintain half thrust, some weapons and at least 1 FC after thresholds rolled.
Arashi Green is at the line of NSL, Mogami just short. Kesshi eliminates
another two escorts as Yamato and Musashi concentrate fire on St.. 'I'. Kesshi
hammered by St 'I'. NSL player wants to call game at this point, IJSF player
petitions for one more turn, sensing that St'I' may fall as Yanato and Musashi
have minimal damage, full weapons and are in prime range. NSL player accedes;
play through turn five. Turn Five: Only NSL fighter group intercepts Kesshi
and savages it. Mogami plows into SM barrage, takes two missiles for 10 pts of
damage; overkilled by 3.Arashi Green lacks FC after threshold check: beats
feet. Kesshi gambls on ptorp with remaining FC: does 4 damage to St I, on
board edge. Yamato and Musashi cocentrate fire primarly on St i; at game end,
Yamato rols for first threshold and St'I' is 5 pts away from dead. Musashi is
fully operational with 5 pts away from first threshold.

with all losses tallied using CPV, NSL ekes out a 13% win over IJSF (IIRC,
1967:NSL, 1601:IJSF left on board. IJSF concedes marginal NSL win.

Conclusion: SMs do really suck, esp when PDS is used effectively. Screens on
VinMod IJSF are indespensible, as are the PTs. Would gladly run a bunch of
Mogamis against a mixed force of NSL in the future to see what happened.
Things to try: Greater punch to the Ronin mix. Use fighters as deep strikers
to break up NSL fleet. Concentrate fire earlier on capital ships for greater
psiwar effect on NSL player (Scott _hates_ to see any
of his ships die, but he loses focus almost entirely when anything bigger than
a PC succumbs).

Thanks, Vin, for some fun ships to play. These will become my standard IJSF
ships to build on. Will
consider adding HDC to DN/SDN in future, but armour is
very satisfactory as-is.

and I want to try the fighter option of landing on enemy ships and beating
them up there, though I think
the PDS _should_ be allowed to 'backscratch' friendly
ships, though possibly damaging friendlies as per B1.

Jeff "My dice hate me!" Fearnow Gaming to keep War out of RealTime!

"'DESTROY THE WITNESSES!!. Chaffing aside, I have no answer: I Excrete Sour
Cream!" www.wigu.com, 29 Jan 2003

XT350/DOD#1890

AND don't forget: Serenity releases 30 September!