Decados Superiority

Adventures and starship battles in a universe where the stars are dying.
User avatar
EvilGenius
Posts: 6716
Joined: Fri Nov 17, 2006 1:09 pm
Location: Allentown, PA

Re: Decados Superiority

Post by EvilGenius »

I ooo a closer look at the Vuldrock Fleet and they're the answer to Decados (or are a much worse nightmare of their own). Almost ALL of them have the slug gun batteries! And they cost a little less! Yikes!
Another daring escape for the intrepid Spaceman Spiff!
User avatar
Lars Porsenna
Posts: 4778
Joined: Wed Jun 29, 2005 5:34 pm
Location: Manta, Ecuador

Re: Decados Superiority

Post by Lars Porsenna »

You know, I was thinking about picking up the Vildrock as my 3rd fleet...

Damon.
"Qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum"
Modeling the Ecuadorian Military: https://ecuadorianmilitary.blogspot.com/
My Book Blog: http://bookslikedust.blogspot.com/
My Minis Blog: http://minislikedust.blogspot.com/
User avatar
NukeHavoc
Posts: 12106
Joined: Wed Jun 29, 2005 1:07 pm
Location: Easton, PA
Contact:

Re: Decados Superiority

Post by NukeHavoc »

We had a three way fight tonight: Decados (Bob) vs. Decados (Tom) vs. Hazat (Ken), each with 1000 point fleets.

Much of the first half of the fight was Bob vs. Ken; Tom started off to the side, and had to navigate around an asteroid field to get to us. This week's fight between my fleet and Bob's was much more balanced. As we discussed previously, the big thing with Bob's fleet is trying to avoid his broadsides. By closing more slowly I was able to get in a few good hits before we closed to shredding range, and even after we closed I was able to make one or two good maneuvers to avoid getting completely hammered. Bob's attack rolls were a lot more average this week, which helped a lot as well.

Naturally, Bob and Tom's engages were made of hellfire; Tom took one of Bob's ships to something like -32 (needless to say, it exploded in place ... catastrophically.

We didn't get to finish the fight, but all in all I think it was a good, pretty balanced, engagement.
"Oh, I'm so sorry. Forgive me. I'll try and be a tad more quiet as I desperately struggle to break free -- and save all creation!" -- Doctor Strange
User avatar
EvilGenius
Posts: 6716
Joined: Fri Nov 17, 2006 1:09 pm
Location: Allentown, PA

Re: Decados Superiority

Post by EvilGenius »

I agree, much more balanced this week. And as I suspected, greater speed and manuverability are pretty big deals when trying to stay out of someone's firing arcs! :)

Also, fighters were fairly effective this week. Even with weak weapons, if a capital ship takes down the target's shields, my 6 fighters are shooting 12 dice at a target. Not bad, even if they can't cause crits.
Another daring escape for the intrepid Spaceman Spiff!
User avatar
NukeHavoc
Posts: 12106
Joined: Wed Jun 29, 2005 1:07 pm
Location: Easton, PA
Contact:

Re: Decados Superiority

Post by NukeHavoc »

This was our first big carrier battle in a long while -- Bob and Tom had carriers, I had one of my strike cruisers. Tim's fighters didn't come into play much, given his starting distance, but Bob's fighters did a decent job of tying up some of my ships.

My strike cruiser has gatling lasers, but Bob's fighters never ended their movement near the cruiser, so they didn't come into play much (other than to force Bob to attack something else :) ) I only get two fighters, which were bombers, some I couldn't field my own anti-fighter screen.

Bob's carrier has this crazy gremlin gun that *only* does crits and bypasses shields, but its range is only 10". He used to mess up one of my destroyers, but the cruiser managed to avoid getting hit during its flyby.

For my part, when fighting Bob's fleet I find frigates just aren't worth the points. Their lower hull value (4 vs 5 for a destroyer) means Decados can just rip though your ship in a single turn. Destroyers, however, have a much better chance of surviving the encounter long enough to do significant damage of their own. You definetely need to maneuver though; closing on Bob's terms is bad, bad, bad. :)

Lance - I think a swarm of your cheap destroyers could put a hurt on Decados if you can approach without running afoul of his broadsides. Plus, if you have a psychic on your ship, you can take the "rotate" power to be able to mess with the Decados firing arcs (or improve your own) or Senses Shock, which gives his ship the Inaccurate trait (which in Decados's case knocks them down to regular, but that's still very, very helpful when you are in close).
"Oh, I'm so sorry. Forgive me. I'll try and be a tad more quiet as I desperately struggle to break free -- and save all creation!" -- Doctor Strange
User avatar
NukeHavoc
Posts: 12106
Joined: Wed Jun 29, 2005 1:07 pm
Location: Easton, PA
Contact:

Re: Decados Superiority

Post by NukeHavoc »

Given the damage output of a Decados destroyer, I'm not sure it was worth trading out for a carrier, but I agree that the fighters were at least moderately effective. Just as importantly they gave Bob some options, so when my destroyer and frigate raced by and were starting to loop behind him he could have his fighters continue to harass those ships. Meanwhile his main force engaged my cruiser.
"Oh, I'm so sorry. Forgive me. I'll try and be a tad more quiet as I desperately struggle to break free -- and save all creation!" -- Doctor Strange
User avatar
EvilGenius
Posts: 6716
Joined: Fri Nov 17, 2006 1:09 pm
Location: Allentown, PA

Re: Decados Superiority

Post by EvilGenius »

Well, I only have two destroyers currently and I fielded them both. :) I do like having a carrier though for the options that you had mentioned but also as a defensive screen against other fleet's fighters. If I had gotten into a furball against Tom's Donetello Gunships, having several defensive fighters escorting a ship would make a HUGE difference.
Another daring escape for the intrepid Spaceman Spiff!
User avatar
NukeHavoc
Posts: 12106
Joined: Wed Jun 29, 2005 1:07 pm
Location: Easton, PA
Contact:

Re: Decados Superiority

Post by NukeHavoc »

EvilGenius wrote:Well, I only have two destroyers currently and I fielded them both. :) I do like having a carrier though for the options that you had mentioned but also as a defensive screen against other fleet's fighters. If I had gotten into a furball against Tom's Donetello Gunships, having several defensive fighters escorting a ship would make a HUGE difference.
Good point. We haven't seen what a full-blown carrier battle looks like, but based on how your fighters did against my frigate and destroyer, if you can peal away a ship's shields even regular fighters have a chance of doing some damage. Your heavy fighters were more of a wash, but we've seen how nasty mine can b. If I fielded a carrier + cruiser combo with a 50/50 split of light fighters and heavy bombers, I could probably really ruin someone's day. :)
"Oh, I'm so sorry. Forgive me. I'll try and be a tad more quiet as I desperately struggle to break free -- and save all creation!" -- Doctor Strange
User avatar
Lars Porsenna
Posts: 4778
Joined: Wed Jun 29, 2005 5:34 pm
Location: Manta, Ecuador

Re: Decados Superiority

Post by Lars Porsenna »

We already had a taste on how effective Hawkwood bombers can be. Maybe I'll pick up a 2nd light carrier and more fighters...hmm...

Damon.
"Qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum"
Modeling the Ecuadorian Military: https://ecuadorianmilitary.blogspot.com/
My Book Blog: http://bookslikedust.blogspot.com/
My Minis Blog: http://minislikedust.blogspot.com/
User avatar
NukeHavoc
Posts: 12106
Joined: Wed Jun 29, 2005 1:07 pm
Location: Easton, PA
Contact:

Re: Decados Superiority

Post by NukeHavoc »

I'm also really curious to see how Lance's suicide bombers would playout. Those things have the devastating attribute, and that can be really, really bad. :twisted:
"Oh, I'm so sorry. Forgive me. I'll try and be a tad more quiet as I desperately struggle to break free -- and save all creation!" -- Doctor Strange
Post Reply