Strategy in FFW
- Thread starter The Oz
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JeffreyAllanBeeler
SOC-10
Yes but at Saurus the J3's would not have to wait a turn because they cannot refuel in zero time?
It's not about speed with the Sword Worlds, it's about concentration of force. Once Vilis and Garda-Vilis have been taken, the J3s can, briefly, consider striking out on their own to drop the 2 brigades on something, but, really, the best thing I think the Sword Worlds cna do is to keep their fleet together until they've decided on whether or not they're going to go visit the Regina subsector.
Once that decision is made, and especially if the decision is taken to tour the DMZ and/or the Main, then the J3s can be released to raid vacuum worlds or possibly hunt down Imperial vacuum garrisons in Zho space.
JeffreyAllanBeeler
SOC-10
So where do people place their initial Imperial fleets?
Efate and Jewell are obvious because of the colonial squadrons, but what about the other two?
Does the Duke of Regina get one or do you place it somewhere else with the Vargr in command and give him a scout squadron?
What about starting one with the Porozolo Assault Ron?
Is it worth concentrating the colonial J2 squadrons at Feri, Prorzolo and the other one?
Efate and Jewell are obvious because of the colonial squadrons, but what about the other two?
Does the Duke of Regina get one or do you place it somewhere else with the Vargr in command and give him a scout squadron?
What about starting one with the Porozolo Assault Ron?
Is it worth concentrating the colonial J2 squadrons at Feri, Prorzolo and the other one?
For me, it all depends on my intitial squadron mix.
I usually try and form 1-2 raiding forces if I get enough J5/6 cruisers. I load up all the elite battalions (and sometimes the elite Marines) and send them off into Querion and Cronor subsectors looking to pick off undefended Zho worlds. The thinking here is that the Imperials _must_ build up a cushion of VPs in order to allow the offensives into Vargr and SW space to succeed. Far better to sacrifice the elites and some crurons if it means staving off defeat. As an FYI, most FtF games I play rarely last beyond turns 10-15, the Zho offensive is just that hideous.
Occasionally, if I get mostly J3 cruisers in my intitial draw, I might form a fleet to go after the SW right off the bat, launching from Lanth. Same idea behind that as behind the raiding force. Also, the psychological impact cannot be discounted.
Aside from that, I usually give the Duke the J4 scout and he races for the off-map area; I've had the Zho cut the X-boat route with those J5 crurons too often.
As for the J2/1 colonials, I wait until T2. I usually try to concentrate all the low-jump squadrons and have them wander back and forth along the main from Macene to Regina and clean up raiders/take back lightly garrisoned worlds. Of course, that all depends on how one reads the tanker rules
John and I had a discussion on this and if one goes with John's read, then the Porozlo J1s stay where they are (useless pieces of kit) and if one goes with my group's reading (that the tankers really are just another sqn for refuelling purposes and that the tanker capacity has to be tracked seperately from the sqns refueling status), then the Poro J1 stuff comes along, too.
I usually try and form 1-2 raiding forces if I get enough J5/6 cruisers. I load up all the elite battalions (and sometimes the elite Marines) and send them off into Querion and Cronor subsectors looking to pick off undefended Zho worlds. The thinking here is that the Imperials _must_ build up a cushion of VPs in order to allow the offensives into Vargr and SW space to succeed. Far better to sacrifice the elites and some crurons if it means staving off defeat. As an FYI, most FtF games I play rarely last beyond turns 10-15, the Zho offensive is just that hideous.
Occasionally, if I get mostly J3 cruisers in my intitial draw, I might form a fleet to go after the SW right off the bat, launching from Lanth. Same idea behind that as behind the raiding force. Also, the psychological impact cannot be discounted.
Aside from that, I usually give the Duke the J4 scout and he races for the off-map area; I've had the Zho cut the X-boat route with those J5 crurons too often.
As for the J2/1 colonials, I wait until T2. I usually try to concentrate all the low-jump squadrons and have them wander back and forth along the main from Macene to Regina and clean up raiders/take back lightly garrisoned worlds. Of course, that all depends on how one reads the tanker rules
JeffreyAllanBeeler
SOC-10
I agree with you on how the tankers can be used.
It makes you think more.
Under John's rules you still could move over the Porozolo fleet to the higher value Rhylanor.
Its the Zivje fleet that is useless and all those J1 crurons.
I always wondered why Vilis and Ryhlanor do not have fleets.
Isn't the armoured rgt. a better unit to use over the elite marines? It hits as hard and is replaceable.
It makes you think more.
Under John's rules you still could move over the Porozolo fleet to the higher value Rhylanor.
Its the Zivje fleet that is useless and all those J1 crurons.
I always wondered why Vilis and Ryhlanor do not have fleets.
Isn't the armoured rgt. a better unit to use over the elite marines? It hits as hard and is replaceable.
All depends on how the status of Quar is handled. Marines and Huscarles can be placed there, so my group has always assumed that the naval base on Quar is active as well, and oftentimes I will set up my raid force there.
Also, I don't worry much over the replaceablility of elite units as the Imperium. Sure, it sucks slighly when they go boom, but it's not a game breaker. Besdies, there's just something about sending Imperial Marines and the Huscarles off to strike boldly deep into enemy territory in the first weeks of war
I tend to use the armoured regiment and the jump regiments as garrison units opposite the Vargr and/or Sword Worlds (easily replaced if overrun) or I'll add them to the Efate force to use as garrisons after the Vargr worlds have been taken. If I go for the Sword Worlds from the start, I might also use them to garrison Gungir, Mjolnir, and Joyuese, with a couple of brigades for Gram.
JeffreyAllanBeeler
SOC-10
Has anyone ever had need to use the special abilities of jump troops and Marines?
That is to land in the face of active SDB's.
Especially on the Imperial side?
Anyone else think the Imperium's lack of jump divisions is a bad idea?
I mean they had them as recently as the Solomani RIm War, and a Marine Division too.
That is to land in the face of active SDB's.
Especially on the Imperial side?
Anyone else think the Imperium's lack of jump divisions is a bad idea?
I mean they had them as recently as the Solomani RIm War, and a Marine Division too.
Jump troops were never meant to be a substitute for other attacks (pardon my ignorance of the actual game resolution). They are merely a 'first wave' to seize landing zones and cripple air defenses and such to allow your more conventional forces an easier time of getting to the ground. Alone, they'll eventually be surrounded and mopped up. They should give you a big multiplier on a combined assault though. Alone, they're fodder shortly.
The game doesn't model that. In FFW, jump troops have a special ability to land while SDBs are active. Normally, all the SDBs must be destroyed or must be in hiding (in which case they do not combat any enemy fleet units but do prevent the enemy from establishing control of the system).
I could see a possible use if jump troops were placed on a squadron with zero bombardment strength, or possibly if the black globe sqaudrons had been received by the Imperium.
JeffreyAllanBeeler
SOC-10
I could not forsee many chances to use them.
I started the PBEM game with 2 jump and 2 marine and found less useful than one inf div would have been.
A bigger target is harder to get good odds on.
I started the PBEM game with 2 jump and 2 marine and found less useful than one inf div would have been.
A bigger target is harder to get good odds on.
What makes them useful in FFW is you can hit more targets with the same combat power. Having one inf div would be better when expecting a fight, but if going raiding, give me lots of small units any day, and raiding is about all the Imperium can and should do the first few turns (with the exception of the Efate group). The Zhos can and should raid, too, and not just the DMZ, though those little units are perfect for that task.
JeffreyAllanBeeler
SOC-10
So you can guess then I was running the Efate group.
I gnashed my teeth every time a rgt was picked off by a Vargr Corps or two.
I gnashed my teeth every time a rgt was picked off by a Vargr Corps or two.
JeffreyAllanBeeler
SOC-10
How to people deploy their admirals?
I was thinking of the extra Imperial side Vargr admiral and the Sword Worlder serving with the Zhodani since you have no extra fleet to give them.
I was thinking of the extra Imperial side Vargr admiral and the Sword Worlder serving with the Zhodani since you have no extra fleet to give them.
Again, all depends. On the Zho side, particularly if I get the crappy SW admiral, I'll give him to my raiding fleet of J5 cruisers. Doesn't affect the planning, but it might help give them an edge in combat.
As for the Imperials, again, if I get a crappy Vargr, he gets the raiding fleet (which has been written off before the fighting starts), otherwise I give the Vargr to the Efate group.
JeffreyAllanBeeler
SOC-10
So what happens to the spare admiral?
Tags along with a big fleet to command battle damged ships left behind?
Tags along with a big fleet to command battle damged ships left behind?
Imperials I leave in the off-map box to await incoming fleets. Sometimes my spare admiral is a good one, so better to have him in position to command the new arrivals.
Zhodani, I leave on Cronor and make sure to move to the off-map box, if they're any better than the incoming admirals. That way, if one of the initial fleets dies, I've lost only one admiral instead of two, and I have a CO ready to take charge of the now-free fleet marker.
JeffreyAllanBeeler
SOC-10
In Fifth Frontier War the Zhodani player has the option of using 2 secret bases Quare and 871-438 and setting up a third one.
Which of the two fixed bases do people like to use and why?
What units do you start there?
Where do you like to place your mobile secret base and why?
Which of the two fixed bases do people like to use and why?
What units do you start there?
Where do you like to place your mobile secret base and why?
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