Date sent: Mon, 10 Aug 1998 23:07:09 -0400 (EDT) From: Brian D Leet To: babylon5-wars@CSUA.Berkeley.EDU Subject: [B5W] Kraken Test Send reply to: babylon5-wars@CSUA.Berkeley.EDU Well since I couldn't make it to GenCon I ran another test of the Kraken with the rules change I posted recently. Basically this gives the Kraken one extra range with every weapon type (the most significant change being the -1/2 hexes for all those twin arrays). I increased the Kraken cost by 50% to compensate. I was also much more careful about the rules after the somewhat debacle of my last test. I spent roughly one evening per turn or two and rechecked rules on many issues as I proceeded. This was more of a scenario or campaign style battle. The forces were as follows: Centauri: Kraken Starbase 3939 Covran Scout 728 Vorchan (x3) 1080 Maximus Def. (x2) 1056 Mograth Frigate 473 Haven Patrol Boat 345 Sentri (x6 Flights) 1512 Total: 9133 This represents the light ship escort remaining at the Kraken starbase for routine duties while the main battle fleet is out of system for maneuvers. Narn: Bin'Tak Dreadnought 1452 G'Quan Hvy. Cr. (x3) 2208 Sho'Kar Scout 565 Ka'Toc Battle Dest. 612 Dag'Kar Missile Frigate 745 Frazi (x10 Flights) 3480 Total: 9062 This is a Narn strike force sent to attack the Kraken Starbase while it's heavy ship defenses are away. Obviously neither of these forces are particularly min/maxed for points, they are instead intended to represent a situation where Narn intelligence has discovered a weakening of defenses at a Centauri border military site and is attempting to quickly take advantage of the possibility of destroying a major strategic facility. Since I played this solo there was limitted opportunity for either side to be particularly innovative. E-mines were handled through a slightly randomize Centauri movement system. Battle report: Turn 1: Narns have just come in system. All fighters for both sides are launched and all ships for both sides at speed 2, range ~50 hexes. A spread of 14 e-mines is launched on the approach side of the station forgoing early damage to the station for the hope of taking out the light centauri ships and fighters. 2 flights of sentri are destroyed and one severally damaged (two e-mines strayed into sentri flights which had stayed clear of the target area). Some Ion torps strike the Kraken causing a sensor critical. The Kraken opens up on the Sho'kar at range 50 hoping to press the EW/ELINT advantage. This turns out to be a mistake as the front of the Sho'Kar is blown off, but this has no effect on the remaining course of the battle. Narn ships accellerate to get into heavy laser range. Turn 2: Both sides close. Frazi jinking heavily (all Frazi generally were jinking by 6 most turns). Bin'Tak and G'Quans go full offensive and fire 8 Heavy Lasers at the Kraken. They heavily damage one section with called shots by section. Meanwhile the Kraken was full OEW on the Bin'Tak. From range 40. Nearly autohits with everything. One less Bin'Tak. Many Narn weep. Turn 3: Vorchans close with the G'Quons concentrating fire on the lead ship. The Ka'Tok centerlines the Kraken and they exchange full force volleys (the Kraken has only twin arrays, no BL or MC to fire this turn). The 6 flights Frazis and 3 flights Sentris tangle. The Frazis blow most of the remaining Sentris away. Four flights Frazis target the Mograth making a run for the Dag'Kar and blow it away. The Ka'Toc survives but barely. The Kraken takes many e-mine hits, ion torp hits and the Ka'Toc fire. The reactor in section 2 and the sensors in section 4 are destroyed. The Kraken now has 8 EW. Turn 4: One G'Quon is heavily wounded, and one Vorchan has been detoothed. The remaining Centauri light ships head towards the Dag'Kar w/ the Covran now able to provide EW support (w/in 30 hexes). The Haven centerlines the front of the damaged G'Quan. All but two of the Sentri are destroyed. Six flights of Frazis close with the station (about range 15 now) still jinking 6. The remaining flights target the Vorchan. Close range fire from the passing G'Quans takes the starboard off the Covran and long range sniping manage to completely destroy both retros on the Dag'Kar without doing any other significant damage! Turn 5: The two Sentris engage the missing front of the Ka'Toc pouring hits into the primary structure. Meanwhile the detoothed Vorchans attempt to ram the Dag'Kar, but are foiled by the ships ability to move later (and the captain's savy to accelerate out of danger). Additional E-mines and Ion-Torps slam into the Kraken destroying assorted weapons. Section 4 is the first to actually buckle. Fire from Maximus depletes a few Frazis. Turn 6: The Vorchans circle back toward the G'Quans unable to slow enough to open a jump point and get away. The two Sentri ram the Ka'Toc as it prepares to open a jump point. They do just enough damage to destroy it's primary structure. More long range sniping finally manages to destroy the front structure of the Dag'Kar. Two flights Frazi take the rear off a Vorchan and two more flights take the front off of a Haven. The remainder of six flights of Frazi pour damage into the Kraken from range 6 while jinking 6, calling shots at section 2 and destroying it. Turn 7: More fire is exchanged but it is clear the Centauri will lose. Only one Vorchan and the Covran is capable of opening and using a warp point any time soon. Frazis scrap a Vorchan. The G'Quans concentrate B.Laser fire on Maximus frigates while the Frazis pour fire into the Kraken destroying it. The Covran jumps out and the remaining Centauri forces surrender. Despite the somewhat lopsided apparent results this seems to actually be a fairly balanced battle. The biggest mistake was the failure of the Kraken to take whatever pot shots were possible at the Dag'Kar right from turn one. The ability to pretty much reach out and destroy a ship on any given turn is obviously a justification of the very high cost for the Kraken. Brian Leet