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The big news this month the release on 22 Febuary of EIGHT new products, including: F&E 2010, FC Booster #92, Starmada Rules Annex, and five new miniature packs: The Federation DDG and DDL, the Federation DDF and SC, the Andromedan Terminator,and the ISC battleship.
Jean continues to improve our page on Facebook, adding many new photos and other features. Mike Sparks has released another video on our YouTube page.
Joel Shutts has joined our staff as the new Graphics Director and webmaster.
Our combined and reorganized website, www.StarFleetGames.com, continues to grow and improve. You are welcome to send us your requests, comments, and suggestions.
We are looking for a few good Star Fleet Ambassadors! Our marketing director can't be everywhere and that's where you come in! Do you go to gaming forums like Board Game Geek, RPG Net, or The Miniatures Page? Then WE NEED YOU! To get complete details of the Ambassador program, please see the Federation Commander Ambassadors category on the Federation Commander Forum.
Have you missed an earlier Newsletter? Click here to get caught up!
The latest Communique brings you more Ship Cards, scenarios, fiction, and more news from the Star Fleet Universe! It can be downloaded from the Commander's Circle.
We continue to improve the Commander's Circle. (Please make note that it is now at a different location.) We have now uploaded all of the ships and scenarios as separate documents (the ships are organized by empire) so you can quickly see what is available. New FC Scenario Database and Master Ship Chart documents have been uploaded. Check it out!
The rates that UPS charges us to send your order to you have climbed steadily, going up several times a year. We haven't gone up on our shipping rates for several years, but the most recent increase has pushed things beyond the breaking point. EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY, UPS shipping will now be a flat fee of $8. Even that doesn't cover what UPS charges us, which is a minimum of $8.50 and up to $12 for a small package to your home. Post office shipping charges (including interntional shipments) will continue to be the actual cost we pay. Note that unlike most companies, we don't even try to make money on "shipping and handling" charges and do not even recover the cost of the boxes (which can easily be a dollar per order or more).
The Federation Commander Site and Forum continue to grow as more gamers find it. We have added a new section to the Forum called Web Requests. If you have any comments, questions, or requests for our Graphics Director, this is the place to let him know.
We have added a new Star Fleet Battles section to the Forum to discus everything SFB. For new players, the Federation Commander Forum is a little easier to manage whereas the Legacy Discus BBS can be a bit overwhelming. Come see what the commotion is about and join the Federation Commander Forum now!
Don't forget our original (Discus-based) BBS where most product development takes place!
- Ensign Anthony Cutcliffe, hms dovenshire
When selecting targets for Marine raids, don't overlook the enemy's batteries. These should always be prime targets for your Marines because they are used for multiple tasks. Disabling your opponent's last battery can be difficult using weapons fire because he can always take his last battery hit on frame, hence the value of using Marine raids to disable that last battery.
Consider the benefits of having a battery-less opponent.
1. If he has no batteries, he can't reinforce his shields.
2. It complicates his energy management options. It is vitally important to not run out of power in Federation Commander. Your batteries help with this important principle because if you arrive at the end of a turn with power that you kept in order not to run out of power, you can store some or all of it in your batteries. Without the batteries, you would have to use it or lose it; there could be no carryover. Also, it means that on later turns your opponent will be running in on your ship with just that few less points of power, which can be crucial.
3. In fact, the batteries are so important, he may well have to divert his damage repair points to repairing his batteries in preference to other systems.
(End of FC Tactic of the Month)
 Café Press is an online marketplace that allows the Star Fleet Universe to produce unique products such as coffee mugs, t-shirts, tote bags, and more with the Star Fleet logos, cover art, and other artwork used for our products. We have added tons of new shirts, mugs, and other products. Want something you don’t see? Please contact Joel Shutts (Graphics Director) with your request. Visit our Star Fleet Café Press Store for a complete listing of the products available.
HEY ROCKHEAD, ENERGIZE THE ECCM
- Captain Scott Tenhoff, USS California
In the Omega Octant, the Trobrin are uniquely armed with the radiation phasers that, unlike other phasers, do a set amount of damage per shot, hitting automatically. Thus at range three a radiation phaser-1 does five points of damage to any target.
Now this can be modified by electronic warfare shifts per (OE1.243), which states "EW shifts affect the damage caused by subtracting or adding one half of a point of damage per phaser at the listed bracket for every +2 shift to the weapon . . ."
So if your target has six ECM on, and you have zero ECCM, your radiation phasers will lose a half-point of damage each. However, if you have six ECCM and your target has zero ECM, your radiation phasers will gain a half-point of damage each!
(Continue reading here)
surveying The Prime Team
- Cadet Thomas Matthews uss Georgia
A Prime Team on survey duty, without any additional survey cruisers being added, will (on average) result in another two provinces and 50 economic points over the course of a 34 turn General War. The 50 economic points are adjusted over time for economic exhaustion. It should be noted that the 50 economic points drops down to about 40 economic points if your Prime Team is wounded or killed a total of three times during the course of the game. The mathematical analysis assumes an average of 3.5 per die rolled.
TAlso, the analysis is based on three survey cruisers only, which benefits the Hydrans, Kzintis, and Lyrans directly. The Klingons would also benefit even more by the inclusion of a Prime Team at the same time they increase their survey fleet from two ships to three ships and they should do so on Turn #1.
The Prime Team must be transported off map on the turn of construction and begins to affect survey operations the following turn. There are lots of uses for Prime Teams, but one on survey duty does show a return on your investment, all the more so when it is the free Prime Team you receive when at war.
(End of F&E strategy of the month)
Every month we will feature one of our miniatures that has been painted by a fan. If you paint miniatures, submit pictures of your minis and they may be selected for the next Mini of the Month!
WYN force By Dan Ibekwe
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Communique #51 has been posted to the Commander's Circle.
RECENTLY RELEASED
Federation & Empire 2010, SKU 5006, $69.95
Booster Pack #92, SKU 4292, $9.95
ISC Battleship, miniature, SKU 1344, $11.95
Andromedan Terminator, SKU 1006, $5.95
Federation DDG & DDL Destroyers, SKU 0228, $14.95
Federation Scout & DDF Destroyer, SKU 0227, $14.95
Juggernaut, miniature, SKU 0080, $29.95
Starmada Rules Annex, SKU 6125, $12.95
TO BE RELEASED IN APRIL, 2010
Romulan Armada, SKU 6102, $16.95
Hydran Pegasus, miniature, 0912, $TBA
Squadron Box #27, SKU 4327, $34.95
Klingon B9 Fast Battleship miniature, SKU 0385, $TBA
TO BE RELEASED IN SPRING, 2010
Prime Directive Federation (GURPS, d20M)
Federation Commander Briefing #3, SKU 4023, $TBA
Federation Admiral, data to be determined
TO BE RELEASED IN MAY 2010
Captain's Log #41, SKU 5741, $19.95
TO BE RELEASED AT ORIGINS
Federation Commander: WAR & PEACE, SKU 4108, $TBA
Squadron Boxes #28, #29, #30, SKU 4328, 4329, 4330, $34.95 each
Booster Packs #28, #29, #30, SKU 4228, 4229, 4230, $9.95 each
Border Box #10, SKU 4410, $99.95
SFB Module R12 Unique Ships, SKU 5633, $TBA
OTHER PRODUCTS FOR 2010, DATA TO BE DETERMINED
SFB Module C3A Andromedan Threat File, SKU TBA, $TBA
Borders of Madness #1
FC Booster Pack #93, #94, #95
Captain's Log #42, SKU 5742, $19.95
Communique #49-#60, free downloads on website
Battlestations Star Fleet
Star Fleet Assault, Fall release
Romulans PD20M, SKU 8734, $24.95
Bridge, uss Groton
Jankae coughed hard, the fumes from the smoldering electronic consoles of half the bridge workstations burning his eyes. The last enveloping torpedo had taken the number two and three shields completely down and the other four shields were in tatters. The bridge had taken some damage also, but not enough to force him to relocate to auxiliary control.
"Captain, we have damage reports coming in from all over the ship."
Jankae glanced back at Smith, who was staring down at his console. "We received most of our damage through the number two and three shields. They have both failed completely. Warp engine output is down twelve percent, we have minor damage in the crew quarters, and we lost one tractor mount and the drone rack. Both defensive phasers and a forward phaser have been destroyed."
"Damn it. At least we didn't lose a photon, not that we've got any use out of them so far." He hated losing the drone rack and the heavy phaser, but at least he still had the scatterpack. Now if he could just get the Romulan to stay still long enough to employ his heavy weaponry.
"Captain, the Romulan is cloaking!" Klahish excitedly announced. Jankae sat up straighter in his chair and looked back at Smith, wonderingly. Why is the Romulan cloaking? Are the Sky Fathers granting my wishes?
"The Genghis has arrived, sir," Klahish sheepishly reported. "I was so focused on the Romulan we were fighting that I neglected to continually scan for incoming ships." Jankae started to reprimand the young Tellarite, but his XO beat him to the punch..
"Let that be a lesson, Lieutenant. Always continue scanning. You never know when someone playing for the other team will make a fashionable entrance." Jankae nodded in approval at Smith's words, even though he was unsure what the man meant by "fashionable entrance." As long as the Tellarite understood the underlying message, he didn't care how many colorful colloquialisms the human used.
"Do we still have a good lock on the Romulan ship Lieutenant?" Jankae asked.
(Continue reading here)
Frank Brook asks: I noticed that on the MSC in Module R7, the VUL does not have the symbol for the included NSM. However, the VLV (Vulture Carrier) in Module J2 does have the symbol. So, which is the misprint?
Answer: Given the very general wording of (M2.72), all old Romulan ships have an NSM, so the MSC entry for the VUL should indicate that it has one.
Michael John Campbell asks: A Romulan ship is being chased by a Lyran cruiser with a radius-three, full strength ESG. The Romulan ship lays an NSM set for radius zero and then moves forward a hex, and shortly thereafter the Lyran's ESG enters the hex of the NSM. Does the Romulan take no damage as the ESG absorbs and redirects all the damage or does it get hurt by a blast of the remaining twenty points of damage?
Answer: According to (G23.61), ". . . the explosion does not damage any other units."
Roch Chartrand asks: On captor mines, is there a die roll (hit/miss from weapon table) for a captor mine that is armed with a direct-fire weapon that triggers?
Answer: Weapons on captor mines work just like the same weapon mounted on a ship. It still rolls to hit the same way as the ship-mounted equivalent. Were this not so, there would not be any reason to equip them with ECCM.
(Continue reading here)
The Crucible of Combat
Question: Under rule (308.2), during a pursuit situation (307.0), do both sides allocate remaining damage in such a way as to minimize the number of plus or minus points or is there no limit?
Answer: While there is no specific limit, there is a practical one. You must resolve your damage until the remainder is less than the smallest remaining defense factor divided by 2. If you had a crippled F5 in your battle force as your smallest defense factor you need to have no more than one minus point left at the end of the battle. If you have an un-crippled F5 in your battle force as your smallest defense factor you need to have no more than two minus points left at the end of the battle. The only way to have a lot of minus points is if the force has nothing but large ships remaining.
Question: The phasing player moves a fleet into a hex with my starbase. He offers an approach battle, which I decline (since I want the starbase's firepower in my battle strength). The phasing player (the attacker) then retreats. Under the rules, can I then retreat? (I think the base is likely to get surrounded and overwhelmed and want to at least save the ships.)
Answer: You should refer to the Sequence of Play, specifically to Phase 5, Step 7, which covers retreat. The defender still has the option to retreat in both Steps 5-7A1 and 5-7A3, or he can pursue per rule (302.23). (Continue reading here)
These are the press releases we send to the wholesalers, retailers, and media. You can get on the mailing list for them by asking Marketing@StarFleetGames.com to add you to the list. (Obviously, they are free.) They are uploaded to the Star Fleet Alert page.
Alert 100121 February Releases (Adobe Acrobat Required)
Alert 91229 New Year (Adobe Acrobat Required)
Alert 91221 Christmas (Adobe Acrobat Required)
Alert 91215 Schedule (Adobe Acrobat Required)
Andromedan Terminator by Mike Raper
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