Date sent: Sun, 3 May 1998 16:15:34 -0400 From: Steven W Rushing Subject: [B5W]: Narn Centauri Battle Report To: "INTERNET:babylon5-wars@CSUA.Berkeley.EDU" Send reply to: babylon5-wars@CSUA.Berkeley.EDU Narn vs Centauri Battle Report. 5000 BPV Tourney rules (modified disengagement/float map) NARN: 3 GQuons, 3 Tloths, 3 Rongoths CENTAURI: 2 Primus, 3 Altarian, 4 Vorchan HCV, 12 Sentri Results: Game lasted 6 turns and took 4.5 hours to play. All Centauri ships were destroyed/disengaged at this point. 2 healthy Tloths, 2 healthy Rongoths, 2 Injured GQuons, and 1 injured Tloth remained. Synopsis: Centauri had Cruisers at speed 9 and accelerated HCVs to speed 12. Narns stayed at speed 9. Primuses arranged shot at GQuon1 on turn 1 with all 8 BLasers. Left side of GQ1 was collapsed. Primuses turned off twins for turn two and Narns set EW against HCVs. Primuses move to keep range open while HCVs closed to point blank with GQuons and Rongoths. This was lethal for the Centauri as they were at a firepower disadvantage. Right sides of GQ2-3 were crushed, 1 Rongoth was killed, 4 Vorchans were disabled/killed, 2 Altarians were disabled killed. Remaining turns saw Centauri ships unable to recover from this deficit. Observations from this and other recent engagements... Tloths proved VERY successful in massed combat. Turn 2 saw 6 LF Hvy Plasma shred front and kill engine on an Altarian at range 9. Turn 4 saw 6 RF Hvy Plasma rip rear off of Primus at range 8. Turn 5 saw 6 LF Hvy Plasma rip rear off of remaining Altarian at range 8. HCVs MUST use maneuverability to DENY opposition firing opportunities. "Trading fire" loses as loss of either forward (the guns) or the rear (the turns) is effectively a "mission kill" on HCVs whereas Capitol ships can often continue to function for turns without one side. Heavy Lasers firing at range zero do nasty things to Vorchans! Destruction of rear sectors, and the main thrusters and the ability to turn anytime soon, has become a sought after tactical goal in our games. Any ship moving even moderate speeds (6-9) will almost certainly drift into disengagement ranges before being able to do the multiturn pivot to turn back or decelerate enough to avoid this. This would be more prevalent using a true "fixed map". "Patience" , as seen by the Tloths here, in waiting for a more effective shot has proven victorious over the "shoot when you can" mindset. Steven Rushing swrushing@compserve.com