[FT] Battle report NAC-ESU

I will put in a report as well.

For my 15th anniversary, my wife bought me another gaming table (I now have 2
and thus a standard play area), YEA!!!!

I had an old friend over to play. The last time that we played we were still
using FT 2nd edition ships/rules and cinematic movement. I composed 2
forces
and let him choose which one to use. The play area was 60x96 with 2-4"
diameter planets off-set about 1/3rd the distance from the long edges of
the table.

NAC: 2 Ticonderoga DD 2 Furious CE
2 Vancenburg/T CH
1 Avalon/T BDN
(http://members.xoom.com/_XMCM/rlyehable/ft/ft25/ships101-150.html#avalo
nt)

ESU: 2 Novgorod FF 2 Volga DH (Was supposed to be Voroshilev CH, but I copied
the wrong page
and did not notice until 3/4 of the way through the game)
2 Tibet CL 1 Xiang BDN
(http://members.xoom.com/_XMCM/rlyehable/ft/ft25/ships101-150.html#xiang
)

He picked the NAC by appearance of the miniatures (I was glad, especially
after I found my mistake on copying SSDs).

I explained about vector movement, new firing arcs, and penetrating damage
from beams. Since the Avalon/T is asymetrical, I also explained about
rolling and emphisized the skewed firing arcs on the Avalon/T.

We did a standard start (for us) we rolled for starting clock position on
the table (1d6+7 gave me clock faces 8-2 and 1d6+2 gave him 3-7. He
rolled and started at clock face 5 facing 6 and I started at clockface 2
facing 11). Set up was anywhere within 24tu of the starting point.

We set up and took about 2 turns to get oriented and start moving toward each
other (good time to learn about vector movement).

We were on opposite sides of Planet A about 38tu appart. I pinged against
his shield with the Xiang's class-4 beam (primarily to let him know that
I had an extra large beam weapon).

We closed to about 28tu. He was moving about 9 at this point and I was at
about 6. As we moved into range, He opend up with P-Torps from the
Avalon/T.
The poor Tibet evaporated. We traded shots, with him doing more damage with
P-Torps and his Class-3s than I could with the Class-3s and 4s from the
Xiang.

I saw his course and speed and reminded him about Planet B that he was heading
for. Then we wrote orders. We closed to about 20tu. I guessed wrong about his
movement, so could not bring all weapons to bear on him, as he was out of arc
for some weapons. We traded shots and it was bloody. I took criticals on all
but the Xiang and one Novogrod of my ships. He lost a Ticonderoga. During this
round one of
the Vandenburg/Ts also lost its forward pod (the miniature, not on the
SSD).
I explained that things happen.

Orders. I was badly hurt, so decided to vector for escape. He tried to
maneuver to avoid the planet. We ended up under 12tu from each other. Again,
shots were traded. I lost a Tibet and he lost a Furious. Both sides were now
well into threshold checks. I retired a Volga due to damage. He retired the
other Ticonderoga for the same reason.

Orders. I burned for escape. He burned to miss Planet B and mostly
succeeded. He lost a Vandenburg/T to deceleration trama. At this time it
was 12:30am and we called the game a draw. I think that we both enjoyed it as
time slipped by without our noticing.