Photo by Jay Stribling
Jay Stribling's battleship The Stars and Bars on the right. It is shown crossing the wake of Stribling's battle cruiser Arthur Steiner k on the left. The battleship was well armored, and survivied the battle with only some damage concentrated on the portside armor.
Combat in Outer Space
The Third Battle of Dixie
In october of 3072, forces of the Free Worlds League invaded the Lyran Commonwealth. they struck fast and hard and rolled up all opposition, save for one world with little importance. That world was Dixie, known to the natives as MUD.
Since Dixie was the home of a small mercenary unit, the FWL deemed that it should be an easy take. They sent a light naval force with their invasion forces, of the ten regiments of ground troops sent in the first wave, one company landed succesfully on the planet
In wave 2 they doubled the size of the force, with the same disastrous results. NOW, having had enough of this loyalist mercenary world, the FWL along with their allies (the Word of Blake) have thrown eight of their top line ships against the planet.
Photo by Jay Stribling
This image shows Dixie station an olympus class recharge facility commanded by former famed mercenary Cranston Snord. This was commanded in turn by players Jim and Sean Pitts. It was the objective of both sides and the cause of all the fighting.
What were the objectives in this game?
The attackers wanted to gain control of the space station Dixie Station and the defenders wanted to keep control. The station was well armored and could resist almost any type of fire. However if the covering fleet could be driven off, then combat troops in vac suits could be transported over or delivered by landing craft to take the station by close combat.
Photo by Jay Stribling
The Vincent-class corvette Joshua Wolf which was commanded by Sean Pitts. This was the fastest ship in the battle and had very long range fire. Unfortunately, like a boxer with a "Glass jaw" it could not take punishment.
Photo by Jay Stribling
Ed Sansing, one of the attackers, operating imaging equipment. The sheet which we used for outer space was actually black, but blue light from the windows behind Ed and the overhead lights make it look blue.
Photo by Jay Stribling
The game-master Fred Diamond, who wrote the rules and created the ship chart is thinking deep thoughts. The corvette Joshua Wolf is proceeding towards the fighting in front of Fred.
So, How did the combat mechanism work?
As an example, Jay Striblings battleship The Stars and Bars could fire a broadside of 29 dice and simultaneously 15 dice from the forward quarter guns and 15 more dice from the aft quarter guns. So firing at a target (say on the port side) it would roll 49 6-sided dice.
Since it was a Veteran ship, any dice results of 4, 5 or 6 would be hits. Any dice results of "6" in addition to being a hit, would allow a re-roll for additional hits.
The defender had an active defense of (say) 4 dice, representing counter-fire against missiles and Electronic counter-targeting confusers against beam weapons. The defending ship's captain would roll those dice and sum the total. This number was the number of attacking "hits" that, in reality, were misses.
Photo by Jay Stribling
Sean Pitts, commander of both Joshua Wolf and Dixie Station operates his range-finder. Sorry that the image is a bit blurry, but it is hard to hold the camera steady at a significant fraction of light speed.
Photo by Jay Stribling
The Comstar class ultradreadnought Morgan Davion, a reinforcement for the defenders, motors serenely by. While it was said to be owned by exiled Archon of the Lyran Commonwealth, Victor Davion - it was gamed by Fred Diamond.
Who were the players in this game?
Bill Hamilton and Ed Sansing were the attackers. Jim Pitts, Sean Pitts, and Jay Stribling were the defenders. Fred Diamond was the game-master and later commanced the Ultra-dreadnought Morgan Davion.
Photo by Jay Stribling
Bill Hamilton readies his weaponry to fire. This was "Buckets of dice" rules set and Bill is counting the dice which he will shortly propell through hyperspace to impact on the defending ships.
Photo by Jay Stribling
Fred Diamond, commanding Morgan Davion checks the results of his fire on the attackers. Ed Sansing helps pull out the dice that "missed."
Photo by Jay Stribling
Bill Hamilton's Blake class dreadnought sails near Ed Sansings Jihad-class super-dreadnought.. For simplicity, the defenders called this vessel the "Ed-nought."
So, Who won this battle?
The defenders fought bravely and violently against the attackers, the texas was virtually unscathed, the space station had somdamage, the vincent class corvette received extensive damage and is down for repairs, the pair of mjolnir battlecruisers suffered extensive damage, one nothing but a hulk and the other not much more than that
The heavier ships generally survivied, although both defending battlecruisers did not live to see their side's victory.
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