Background Story(a little out of context with b5 universe):

Onboard Nova Class Dreadnought "Red Giant"
Captain: "Ah well, isnt this is a nice little patrol?"
Commander: "Aye sir, but I should warn you, we're getting near the Narn neutrol zone!!!"
Captain: "Oh dont worry, it's neutral, nobody owns it. We can go through it, and so can they".
Commander: ". . . oh, wait a minute. SIR! I got Narn ships bearing 23 by 34 by 45 closing fast, they're hailing us."
Narn Captain: "EARTHERS! This is Warlead Jessie, You are violating Narn space. We own this place, so get your butt outta here before I get Ka'Ree on it."
Earth Captain: "Friend, I think you're confused. This is the neutral zone you see. And by the name, it is obvious that no one owns it"
Narn Captain: "You are mistaken! We own this place, you will leave now."
Earth Captain: "No, I dont think so. See, we planned on heading over to the fourth planet to see the pretty sunrise through the ice crystal rings. We wont leave."
Narn Captain: "Then you will die!"
Earth Captain: "Yah whatever lizzie."

Commander: "They've broken contact, Narn weapon systems powering up and all fighters are launching."
Captain: "Power up weapon systems and launch all fighters. Signal the fleet to assume battle formation. . . boys, let's have some fun."
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Battle Scenario:
-stand up fight
-7000 point fleets

Rules Used:
-2e flight rules. Fighters w/linked weapons
-2e rules for Heavy Laser, SPB, Emines, IonTorps, Thunderbolt gun, all pulse cannons and so forth. Also used Narn HLs at 8 structure.
-all the 2e rules I know of (ie, combat sequence, CCEW, etc)
-secret EW allocation
-Ramming is allowed, Called shots are allowed (pretty much all the option rules are allowed).
-floating map (if it was needed)
-Narn Heavy Lasers @ 8 Structure
-Narn Twin Arrays @ both 8 + 6 structure (variable) on SCS.

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Earth Alliance Fleet (7000-7100)
Nova Dreadnought 'Red Giant' w/6 Thunderbolts + 18 Starfuries
Hyperion Heavy Cruiser 'Neptune' w/6 Thunderbolts
Hyperion Heavy Cruiser 'Poisidon' w/6 Thunderolts
Olympus Corvette 'Unicorn'
Olympus Corvette 'Basilisk'
Oracle Scout Cruiser 'Dark Omen'

*Thunderbolts are not equipped with missles*
*both Olympus are old 4 missle versions (I picked the ships before
the change occured) missles at 1 per 2 turns*

Narn Regime Fleet (6998 I think)
Bintak Dreadnought w/18 Frazi
Bintak Dreadnought w/18 Frazi
G'Quan Heavy Cruiser w/12 Gorith
G'Quan Heavy Cruiser w/12 Gorith

*my friend doesnt name his ships*

Map Layout:
ABC
DEF

My Plan:
I decided that I would use the Nova, Olympus Corvettes and the Oracle against the Bintaks. While the Hyperions tried to take on the G'Quans. His 10 flights of fighters would be an obvious problem so once again I decided to use my fighters in a totally anti-fighter role throughout the game. I also decided that I would try to open his mind to different tactics, by using the Elint vessel, powering down weapons and using sustained fire (since my friend isnt the greatest strategist, alot like me :).

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Turn One:
Both Fleets start at opposing corners of the map (Earth in F, Narn in A). Earth ships start at speed 5, Thunderolts+Furies at 7. Narn ships start at speed 5, Frazi+Gorith at 8. Earth ship ships are roughly spread out, Hyperions up front, Nova in the middle, Olympus slight behind and the Oracle a ways off. Narn are in a rough arrow formation.

The Red Giant [Nova] powers down rear arrays to power up two side arrays each for sustained fire. All ships turtle, with Dark Omen [Oracle] helping the Red Giant. Ships become a little more spread out, fighters accelerate. No ships fire.

Narn fleet goes full offensive, lets loose with all emines and ion torpedos. Dark Omen [Oracle] takes two collateral emines to port. Looses the medium laser and takes some structure damage. Red Giant [Nova] takes two Torpedos to fore and looses two Medium Pulse/Laser Arrays. Ships stay in formation.

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Turn Two:

Red Giant [Nova], Neptune [Hyperion], Unicorn + Basilisk [Olympus] all turtle. Posidian [Hyperion] goes full offensive against G'Quan 2, powers down rear Heavy Lasers + Particle Beams for 8 EW, Dark Omen [Oracle] helps. Both of the Hyperion's Heavy Lasers tear into the front of the G'Quan, destroying both EMines, a Twin Array, much of the forward structure and scoring a hit on the reactor (-6 power). (* My Friend get's his first taste of ELint power *)

No Narn ships fire, ships stay in formation.

The Fighters run into eachother full bore, with the Star Furies and Thunderolts in two seperate groups squared off against 3 Frazi and 2 Gorith flights. In the aftermath, three StarFuries are dead and seven Thunderbolts. Four Frazi drop out and one Gorith. (* I had REALLY sh***y attack rolls against his flights. Plus the 8 vs 6/7 fronts makes a BIG difference *).

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Turn Three:

Neptune [Hyperion] bears in on Bintak 1. Fires two heavy lasers and all other forward weaponary. A few pulse cannons hit, causing minor damage (* Both HLs at 14 missed!!! *). Posidion [Hyperion] opens up with pulse and plasma against G'Quan 2, the majority miss except for a plasma which causes 6 damage (* My introduction to plasma damage degredation *). Red Giant [Nova] goes full offensive, with the help of Dark Omen [Oracle], opens up with 6 Medium Lasers against each Bintak (four of which are sustained, two at each). ALL Medium Lasers hit! The Unicorn and Basilisk help out, firing pulse weaponary and Rail Cannons. Six Medium Lasers and a RailGun rip into the front of Bintak 2, both emines, the MagGun, a Heavy Laser, two Pulse Cannons and a Twin Array disintegrate in a firestorm of energy. Along with 75 percent of the forward structure. The Primary structure takes minor damage.

Bintak 1 is rocked as half of it's port side shreds away along with a Twin Array, Pulse Cannon, Heavy Laser and many of it's manuevering thrusters.

Narn Captain: "OI! eLint?? KILL KILL KILL"

The Narn fleet realizes the potential of eLint vessels and concentrates much of it's firepower there. A variety of impacts hits the Oracle, including Torpedos and Heavy Lasers. In the aftermath it's port side is stripped of components, and about half of the structure. The Fore side severs and disintegrates into a thousand pieces.

Several flights of Frazi break off and target the Oracle. A flurry of hits impact, destroying much of the primary structure. Earth pilots finally collect themselves and get into some serious dogfighting. In the end, four more Thunderbolts are dead and one more has dropped out. Four StarFuries blossom into balls of flame. Two Frazi bite it and five more drop out. Another Gorith flight is decimated by Thunderbolt fire and in the end only one remains (five Gorith die this turn).

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Turn Four:

The Dark Omen turtles, while both the Unicorn and Basilisk go full offensive. All fire their missles. Several missles impact on the front of G'Quan 2, destroying both heavy lasers and nearly all the fore structure, one thruster remains fully functional. Several missles impact on the wounded side of Bintak 1, it's already damaged port side seperates from the bulk of the ship while another missles scores a direct hit on the bridge. Sensors are temporarily knocked out, and Narn technicians scramble to repair. Bintak 2 leaves the arc of the two sustained lasers and the Red Giant ceases fire, the other two continue to score damage to Bintak 1's port, destroying much of the primary structure (18 left at turn's end).

The Narns decide to concentrate his emines. . . in the wrong place. An Ion Torpedo scores a hit on the Dark Omen's engine, and rear fire from a G'Quan finishes it off. Both Bintaks fire a rear heavy laser at the Red Giant. It looses two Medium Pulse Arrays and side structure.

The Fighters continue to duel, the Narns score several lucky hits (as in, rolling a 1, TWICE when he needed 4-5s). In the aftermath, five Star Furies are layed to waste. Still, the Narns fair worse with two Frazis dead, five more Gorith destroyed and another two Gorith dropped out.

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Turn Five:

Poisidon centerlines the crippled Bintak and opens up with all pulse weaponary. A total of fifteen medium pulse blasts score hits on the primary, and the Bintak is surrounded in a shroud of endless fire. Neptune completes an extended turn, and pours power into the engine to turn a second time at the end (try going speed 8 with a Hyperion and no retros to slow down). The other Earther ships turtle as their main weaponary starts to come back online.

The remaining narn ships start to manuever back into firing position. Readying themselves for the following turns.

The Fighter battle continues. Several flights of Frazi bear in on Red Giant and the remaining Earth Fighters come to it's aid. Meanwhile, several more Narn fighters bear in on the Earth Fighters. In the end, another four Thunderbolt debris is sent careening into space and two more Thunderbolts are forced to disengage. Two Frazi die and a third drops out. The remainder of a Gorith flight is eliminated with the destruction of three fighters. The Frazi score several hits on the Red Giant, destroying a main thruster, interceptor and medium pulse/laser array on the aft, along with some structure damage. On the side, another Medium array bites it with the thruster. Damage is scored on the engine, reducing efficency to 4/1.

(* All of the fighter deaths above MAY not be correct *)
(* HOWEVER, all info on fighters below IS correct *)
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At Which point, the game we had to quit until a later date (at which time I will finish the battle report).

Death Toll at Turn 5:
EA Dark Omen [Oracle]
14 Thunderbolts destroyed
3 Thunderbolts dropped out
13 Star Furies destroyed

NR Bintak Dreadnought
6 Frazi destroyed
10 Frazi dropped Out
13 Gorith destroyed
3 Gorith dropped out

Remaining Forces
EA Red Giant [Nova]
2 Fore, 2 Port, 1 Star, 1 Aft MPL Array Destroyed
Port Thruster + one read Main Thruster Destroyed
Stb Rear Interceptor Destroyed
1/6 Fore Structure Destroyed
1/3 Sides
4/7 Aft

EA Neptune [Hyperion]
Fore Destroyed
Minor Pimary + Engine Damage. 1xSPB Destroyed
All Heavy Lasers will take several turns to charge.

EA Poisidon
One Rear Heavy Laser Damaged
Fore Heavy Lasers operational next turn
Rear Heavy Lasers operational turn 8

EA Basilisk [Olympus]
No Damage
All Weapons coming online next turn

EA Unicorn
Rear Interceptor Gone, minor structure damage.
Rear Rail Gun at -1/hex.
All Weapons online next turn.

1 Thunderbolts undamaged
5 StarFuries undamaged

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NR Bintak 2
75 percent fore structure gone, 30 percent starboard Emines, fore Heavy Laser, 2 Pulse Cannonss(fore + stb), Twin Array(stb) + Mag Gun destroyed. Fore Thruster at 4 output. Minor primary structure damage.

NR G'Quan 1
Minor stb damage.

NR G'Quan 2
Heavy Lasers + Emines Destroyed + one Retro Thruster. Port Twin Array nearly destroyed.
Fore Structure nearly gone (4 left) + Minor reactor damage.

20 Frazi undamaged
8 Gorith undamaged

(* I'm not going to look at his weapon recharge time *)

Game will be concluded soon I hopes. At which point I will repost the above + the remainder of the battle. Obviously, his fighters may be a problem. I'm hoping to bring my pulse weapons to bear on his Fighters + use my remaining fighters to the same effect.

Comments?

Paul Brown - pbb366@mail.usask.ca

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