Klingon Starship (B'Rel Class) [20]
- Martok 9 (Captain) (IKS Ch'tang) [6]
- - Qapla' (I.K.S. B'Moth) [2]
Ship Total: 28 SP
Klingon Starship (B'Rel Class) [20]
- Gowron 6 (Captain) (I.K.S. Negh'var) [4]
Ship Total: 24 SP
Klingon Starship (B'Rel Class) [20]
- Independent (Federation) Fleet Captain (Fleet Captain Resource) [5]
- - Defense Condition One (IKS Ch'tang) [0]
- K'Temoc 5 (Captain) (I.K.S. T'Ong) [3]
Ship Total: 28 SP
Klingon Starship (B'rel Class) [20]
Ship Total: 20 SP
Klingon Starship (B'rel Class) [20]
Ship Total: 20 SP
Resource: Fleet Captain (Fleet Captain Resource) [0]
Fleet Total: 120 SP
Both Gowron and Martok 9 boost the number of dice you are rolling, if all of the friendly ships are in range than you roll 6 dice per ship (4 base, plus one for Gowron, plus 1 for Martok) with 1 re-roll thanks to Martok and BS conversions for Def Con 1 (only for a turn though...as an aside I really hope that no way to stop elite talents from discarding ever makes it into the game, as that would fundamentally break it, since talents like Cheat Death would become so unbelievably overpowered!).
The Indy fed fleet captain helps you to stay in formation and boosts the CS of K'Temoc to 7.
I'm not sure how successful this fleet would be, given it's fragile low CS nature, and I'm tempted to run it uncloaked, just for the 2 shields per ship, but It'd be interesting to see how effective a 30 Dice alpha strike would be.
Any thoughts on how to build an effective swarm are most appreciated!
D
As a new Klingon player, what kind of formation would you run this or other Klingon lists in? I've tried in close formation, but have difficulty sticking to targets and get taken out slowly but surely by Federation ships with 360 fire arcs.
ReplyDeleteThanks!
Iain, the problem with BOP swarms, and Klingon's in general, is we are NOT jousters. We need to come at a target outside of its firing arc with our BOPs, and even though our Vor'cha's, K'tingas and Negh'vars can take more hits, they do better flanking as well.
ReplyDeleteThis means against Federation and Borg, which both have universal and or easy access to 360 fire, we have to be extremely carefully at staying at range 3, which is a lot harder then it sounds if the other guy knows that is what you are trying to do.
As for formation deployment, one I use that is very effective (Break formation for cloaked mines though.) is a very simple double line set up.
First, take the two lowest skilled ships, deploy them as far forward as you can. Then space them so that they both fit in the range one ruler.
R!
___________
XXX XXX
XXX XXX
Then place the second row with your highest, going left to right, lining up the edges of the base with the guide notches for the movement rulers of the two lead ships.
___________
XXX XXX I
XXX XXX I
I Range 1
XXX XXX I
XXX XXX I
This formation will be able to do the same maneuvers without ever overlapping. When you need to break, the lead ships break right or left, with the trail ships breaking straight or opposite direction.
^Ugh it took the formating out... contact me on Facebook and I will give you pictures.
Delete(Nathaniel Lussier.)
Facebook messaged you - it might have gone into "Other"
DeleteThanks for the photos and the tips. Looks like a solid formation: so the idea is that you break off when the enemy gets too close, and they then can't stay out of both arcs?
DeleteHow many turns are you generally able to stay in formation before breaking off? I've only got a Vor'cha, a Negh'var and a Chang's BoP to play with at the moment, and if I can't keep close together for very long it makes Martok and Gowron a bit less attractive.
The way I use it is I maneuver onto a flank where I will take the least amount of return fire, pick one ship and attempt to delete it, then break formation to force them to choose who to chase. Once they pick a ship to chase, I do my best to reform (This part takes a LOT of practice.) and delete another ship.
DeleteIf you are going to do Klingon's in the current average meta, there is a LOT of running involved. You want to hit and fade... unless you build a jousting Vor'cha/Negh'var list like most people do, then just charge at em and eat the hits. (Remember though, almost every faction does that better than Klinks.) When it comes to hit and fade, Klinks are grand at it, able to fly circles around most other factions.
^The reason the jousting list is more common is because it is forgiving. You can make mistakes and it wont lose you the game.
DeleteWith a hit and fade style list, one mistake can cost you the game... and with Klingon's, even a PERFECT game does not mean a win due to the amount of high damage 360 degree fire arcs out there, cloaked mines, and other shenanigans. It gets worse if you leave a faction pure environment.
Great. Exactly the sort of information I was after.
DeleteA "hit and fade": how do you fade? Go straight/bank as far as possible and try and turn around? Doesn't that turn into a bit of a joust?
Are Vor'cha / Negh'var appropriate for hitting and fading, or are they too expensive or bulky to pull it off? Do you need numerical superiority?
Thanks again!
All Klingon ships have the EXACT same maneuvers, with minor variation in red, and greens. All Klingon ships can pull it off.
DeleteYou do not need numerical superiority, or anything of the such.
To fade away, you basically run from the fight, get outside of range 3, or block line of sight using a planet. You reform as best as you can, avoiding entering range until you are ready again, then swoop in and hit a target.
In the exception of Negh'vars and Vor'chas (K'vorts too.) Klingon's can not weather a duke it out type gun fight. Even our biggest ship, the Negh'var, has less defensive capabilities than the average Federation ship, and we lack the 180's Cardassians have that make them such good jousters/dogfighters (for lack of a better term.)
Attack in ways that aint fair. Attack from rear arcs. Even it it is a 360 degree ship. It takes longer for those ships to turn around and follow. So Turn 1 of the attack, you hit them, and hit them hard. Hopefully enough to kill a ship, or make one really really hurt.
Next turn, you turn away, maybe sending one ship in to finish off a remaining ship if you feel it is a certainty to kill it, and worth the risk. You force them to turn around and come at you, while you recloak, and using sensor echo to get behind them again.
You force them to constantly be reacting to you, and thus control the pace of the game. You can, and will, also frustrate your opponent. Thus, he or she is more likely to make mistakes, which you can use.
Also, a lot of people who are not used to seeing this, and do not run cloaked mines, will spread out and try and catch you in a net. If they do this, they just lost the game, because now you can engage ships one on 3-6... Once the ships buddy get into the fight, break off, and engage a straggler.
Playing this way takes longer, is really hard, and one mistake is all it takes to lose, but when you are on your game, you are tough as nails, and extremely challenging as an opponent.
While the maneuver dials of the Klingon make them excellent for this style of play, they struggle with action economy. You are going to want to sensor echo a lot to get lined up, meaning you are going to have trouble getting target locks, sensor scans, etc...
Martok, who gives free actions, is a must. Gowron, for the extra die is good. Drex and N'garen are great, but remember they require an action you may not have. Alexander is great on bigger ships that can take the beating, as he does not need an action.
I like Kor/Alexander on a Negh'var because I can choose what ship of mine gets shot at on an attack run, allowing me spend an extra turn setting up Drex/N'garen and or a TL.
I've rarely used sensor echo before, but it sounds like it's an essential skill - good to know. I usually try and get target locks to maximise damage, or evade with the ship I think most likely to get hit. But perhaps using sensor echo for positioning is wiser and will keep me alive longer.
DeleteSounds like I need to pick up the Koraga as well for some of these options.
One more question: how often do you use the "come about" maneuver? If we need to be cloaking and sensor echoing a lot as you describe and are already short of actions, it sounds like as little as possible.
More and more this is beginning to sound like playing my list Dark Eldar in 40k...
Thanks!
^ the reason being, "come about" gives us an auxiliary token
DeleteCome about is useful, but you are right, I rarely use it. When it comes into play is if I know a ship is hurting, and wont last long, I will send one ship forward with a comeabout in an attempt to get it in arc as it tries to turn and chase me, and then finish it off.
DeleteIt is a gamble, as experieced players wont always chase with a heavily damaged ship, instead holding it back, or getting it out of the fight for a turn, meaning if I charge and come about, the ship I went into murder now is either completely out of arc, or worse, has me in his arc.
When forced to dog fight, the come about becomes more useful as a flyby and then finish them off trick. But I avoid dogfights like the plague. We don't have the actions to compete with the feds, the arc to compete with cardassians, the utility to deal with the dominion, etc... (Rommies I think are the only other faction that hate dogfights as much as Klingon's do.)
Great. I'll let you know how I get on with these tips.
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