FT: Action report for WSGS (NSW/AUST) Campaign

I played a game of FT with some twists as part of a campaign yesterday, and
some points came out.

1. We used starndard FT2.5 ships. Ross (the opponant) played NAC, and I played
FSE. Both sides gained goofy weapons as part of the campaign with Ross getting
Nova Canons (which he put on 2 hulls) while I got Wave Guns (which i put on 3
Jerez, ripping out the the SML and 2 2bats). I also had intercepters as the
campaign started with Standard fighters.

2. Ross spread his fleet in a dispursed single line Spreding his heavy ships
all through the line, whileI had a dispersed duel line, with the Jerez'z out
fromt and the ships (Jean D'Arc, Foche, Roma and 2 frigates) as a second line.

3. Ross fired his 2 nova cannons right down the gust, causing me to initiate
radicle manouvers (I was doing speed 12, he was going the same i think). This
had the wonderfull effect of killing 1 frigate, allowing many of my weapon
systems to have realy bad arcs, and virtually rendered the Foche out of play
(Way out the back of the battle, facing the wrong way).

4. Two wave guns fired at long range, causing 1 kill (frigate) and caused
conciderable damag on a few ships (with 2 threshold checks and 1 1point away).
Ross mannaged to ravage 1 Jerez.

5. My fighters, that I was cherning out (1 got 8 out of 10 out) attack his
heavy ships. Here the dispursed formation of Ross stuffed up, as well as poor
fighter screens, as he was not able to concentrate his AFAC onto the fighters,
and my intercepters wiped out his fighter screens. The result, heavy damage on
2 capital ships with an average of 15 fighters getting through.

6. Seeing that I was doomed, i broke of the enguagement. Final loss, 2
frigates, 2 heavily damaged Jerez's, and a dammaged D'Arc. Ross's losses. 1
firgate and about 6 damaged ships.

Analysis:

Nova cannons are goofy. Slow, ultra damaging, they should have been allowd
into the campaign. We where both playing chicken with bazoka's and i flinched
first. They are also the altamite starbase killer, and since all players in
the campaign have starbases, these ships can sit back and blow them away. This
is the first time i have ever played with or against them.

Wave guns (which I have always liked) On the FSE they are a godsend, a long
range weapon!. The only ranged damaged i cause (except for 1point SML) was
with the Wave gun. They clear fighters and missiles, they have 36in range. In
play, they seems to be a big daddy of the new FT2.5 plasma torp without the
hit dice.

Formations: FSE KEEP THEM STRAGHT! In order to maximise SM damage, waves of
them needs to be launched. Errati movements virtually invalidated them.

NAC: KEEP THEM TIGHT! The NACS got the most damage done to them by fighters,
with one BB without Escort cruiser coverage! Given the strength of the NAC is
point and area defence, the fighter strike was embarrising to say the least.
Having a Valley Forge and not deploying its fighters was a maistake, as the
more the merrrier when playing the FSE.

Conclusion. The NAC won the battle, but it was preaty inconclusive.