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The Ship Ahead Tactic

Sometimes it is not a matter of how many ships you have but where one or more of those ships are. One of the classic manuevers is to slip a ship into enemy territory and at the same time, to move a fleet into an adjacent system. The next turn , set the single ship to nuke and have the fleet move into support. There are two ways to send the solo ship in. The first is to move a visible ship in an unexpected direction. i.e. back-track a science into previously explored territory instead of exploring further. Or move an unconventional ship into enemy territory, i.e. an engineer or a terraformer. The second method is to uncloak a cloaker in the enemy world. Either way, the same turn that the ship appears the enemy system, a fleet moves into the adjacent system to support. This is a real example of using this tactic with a cloaker.

 
59
82
(0)		   50
51
(10)
System (63,69)
100
100
(1)		 100
100
(0)
stormer (90,90))
hj    
4
56
(0)		 71
63
(0)
Rho Tucanae (89,89)
   
40
24
(0)		 8
50
(0)
Guerra (90,89)
100
100
(0)		 100
100
(0)
Soul_Stealer(89,88)
6
14
(2)		 2
0
(7)
Polaris (90,88)

Turn 0: Setting The Trap

This battle has been raging for awhile. By carefull conservation, Soul_Stealer has managed to reach br 6 shortly after Stormer reaches br 5. However Stormer sees a perfect opportunity to use the "Ship Ahead" strategy in this situation, since Soul_Stealer does not build unless he absolutely has too.Stormer sets up the Manuever by sending two cloakers, 1 attack and 1 colony south from Guerra into Polaris.

Soul_Stealer, having just destroyed a Stormer br 5 fleet, moves into Polaris as well, destroying the colony and attack, and prepares to move in on Guera which he has already nuked once. His fleet contains 2 sweepers, 1 science and 4 attacks. All at br 6

Stormer's HW contains a stargate, which will play an important role in the execution of the tactic

 

 
59
82
(0)		   50
51
(10)
System (63,69)
100
100
(1)		 100
100
(0)
stormer (90,90))
hj    
4
56
(0)		 71
63
(0)
Rho Tucanae (89,89)
   
40
24
(13)		 8
50
(7)
Guerra (90,89)
100
100
(2)		 100
100
(0)
Soul_Stealer(89,88)
6
14
(0)		 2
0
(0)
Polaris (90,88)

Turn 1: The Fake Defense

Stormer builds 12 br 5 attacks and 1 br5 minesweeper and stargates them to Guerra. This fleet, if br 5, would have just enough power to stop Guerra from being nuked. Soul_Stealer has not explored north of guerra yet, so chances are, he will attempt to nuke with 5 ships and explore with his science. Unbeknowest to Soul_Stealer, Stormer could not stop the nuke on Guerra if he wanted too. His ships will not be at full br 5 the following turn, but at br 4.2. Soul_Stealer may believe that Stormer doesn't realize he is at br 6 yet, and is hoping to destroy Soul_Stealer's fleet then counterattack with the ships remaining. At least that would explain the minesweeper!

Stormer has slipped 2 cloakers into Soul_Stealers Home World. He sets 9 ships hovering over Guerra south, and sends 2 attacks north to destroy the Soul's science ship if it explore Stormer's HW

 

 
59
82
(0)		   50
51
(10)
System (63,69)
100
100
(2)		 100
100
(0)
stormer (90,90))
hj    
4
56
(1)		 71
63
(0)
Rho Tucanae (89,89)
   
20
12
(0)		 4
0
(5)
Guerra (90,89)
100
100
(1)		 100
100
(0)
Soul_Stealer(89,88)
6
14
(11)		 2
0
(0)
Polaris (90,88)

Turn 2: The Trap is Sprung!

Stormer counts on the conservative nature of Soul_Stealer to not build anything at his Home World this turn. The gamble pays off, and a br 5 cloaker uncloaks at Soul_Stealer the same same turn that the "defensive" fleet of stormer moves south to Polaris, leaving Guerra to go up into a radioactive cloud of dust. The two attacks sent north destroy Soul_Stealers science at stormer, but Stormer loses his br 1 stargate to the br 6 science ship.

Stormer sends one cloaked cloaker north into Rho Tucanae in case the cloaker at Soul_Stealer is destroyed this or next turn. Now Stormer has an ace in the hole in case next turn Soul manages to destroy the lone cloaker and sends his fleet at Guerra south into Polaris to prevent the followup nuke attempt. Stormer can uncloak the other cloaker in Rho Tucanae as he moves into Soul_Stealer and at least will get to nuke that builder.

The lone cloaker in Soul_Stealer is set to nuke and 10 attacks and 1 sweeper in Polaris are moved west to support.

 

 
59
82
(0)		   50
51
(10)
System (63,69)
100
100
(0)		 100
100
(0)
stormer (90,90))
hj    
4
56
(1)		 71
63
(0)
Rho Tucanae (89,89)
   
20
12
(0)		 4
0
(0)
Guerra (90,89)
50
50
(11)		 50
0
(0)
Soul_Stealer(89,88)
6
14
(0)		 2
0
(0)
Polaris (90,88)

Turn 3: The Gamble Pays off

Soul_Stealer goes for the nuke by moving his ships north instead of south, destroying the 2 underpowered attacks stationed there.

There is allot that could of gone wrong. If Soul had knocked out the nuking cloaker, the nuke would of been postponed and his 2 sweepers and 3 attacks would of nuked Stormer the same turn Stormer nuked him. If he had built a mine and managed to get the one sweeper, then Stormer would of lost his fleet and Soul-Stealer would of nuked Stormer the following turn. Soul_Stealer builds only 2 satellites, just enough to destroy one ship, and since there is no mine, it doesn't matter if the sweeper is destroyed. There is only a 1 in 12 chance that the ship destroyed will be the cloaker, so odds prevail and Stormer gets the nuke, one turn before Soul_Stealer can nuke him.

All made possible by the "Ship Ahead" strategy.

 

Here is an example of the back-tracking science ship, coupled with with the stargate for a hard-earned nuke.

 

 
12
8
(0)		 12
8
(0)
System (30,28)
190
20
(0)		 22
0
(0)
System (31,28))
hj    
13
53
(10)		 53
53
(0)
System (30,27)
51
63
(1)		 46
51
(0)
System (31,27)
 
     
 
   
     
 

Turn 0: The Nuke Attempt

Stormer has hit br 4 before Romulan and is attempting to use this advantage to nuke 30,27. 1 colony, 1 minesweeper and 7 attacks are set to nuke over 30,27 while a minesweeper at 31, 27 moves in to support. 1 science is set to explore south. Since this is a mirror map, Stormer already knows that this will be Romulan's Home World.

 

 
12
8
(0)		 12
8
(0)
System (30,28)
190
20
(0)		 22
0
(0)
System (31,28))
hj    
13
53
(10)		 53
27
(0)
System (30,27)
51
63
(1)		 46
51
(0)
System (31,27)
100
100
(1)		 100
100
(0)
Romulan(30,26)
     
 

Turn 1: The Unlucky Outcome

Romulan sends in 9 attacks and builds 1 br mine which unfortunately takes out both minesweepers and the mine goes off ( about 1 in 27 chance!)

However, 30,27 is not a builder anymore, and Romulan is explored. Logic would usually dictate that the science would explore to the east, but Stormer sees an opportunity to still nuke 30,27. If the fleet had survived, the game would of ended here. The science would of been set to nuke and the fleet could of supported. However as you will see the SC Gods are not on Stormer's side this game.

 

 
12
8
(10)		 12
8
(0)
System (30,28)
190
20
(0)		 22
0
(0)
Systemr (31,28))
hj    
13
53
(1)		 53
32
(0)
System (30,27)
51
63
(0)		 46
51
(8)
System (31,27)
100
100
0)		 100
100
(1)
Romulan(30,26)
     
 

Turn 2: The Ship Ahead

Stormer moves the science ship in Romulan's Home World north and stargates a fleet of 1 minesweeper, 1 colony, and 8 attacks to System 30,28 While Romulan defends his HW with a mine and overbuild 8 attacks at 31,27.

Stormer sets the science to nuke and sends the fleet at 30,28 to support.

 

 
12
8
(0)		 12
8
(0)
System (30,28)
190
20
(0)		 22
0
(0)
Systemr (31,28))
hj    
13
53
(7)		 53
39
(0)
System (30,27)
51
63
(0)		 46
51
(4)
System (31,27)
100
100
0)		 100
100
(1)
Romulan(30,26)
     
 

Turn 2: Evil Luck Strikes Again

Again Romulan has luck in his pocket as the science ship along with the colony and minesweeper are all destroyed, leaving stormer with only 7 attacks and no nuke. The chance of all these ships being destroyed was 1 in 720! The odds of the nuking science ship being destroyed was actually 30%

Anyways, Stormer is left with 7 attacks at a pitiful br but still enough to get the nuke!

 

 
12
8
(0)		 12
8
(0)
System (30,28)
190
20
(0)		 22
0
(4)
Systemr (31,28))
hj    
6
26
(7)		 26
0
(0)
System (30,27)
51
63
(0)		 46
51
(0)
System (31,27)
100
100
0)		 100
100
(1)
Romulan(30,26)
     
 

Turn 3: Finally!

Romulan goes north with his remaining ships and eventally wins the game. Stormer finally get his nuke at 30,27 with 7 attacks incapable of doing any more damage and still one more turn till full br.

If Stormer hadn't lost his colony he could of colonized and set up a double attack, if he hadn't lost a sweeper he could of moved in for the kill. If still had the science he would of earned the nuke a turn earlier. If both Minesweepers were not lost in the intial assault he would of won the game here instead of being forced to surrender many turns later. (sigh) Can you say snake bit?