(this is copied and pasted from Spartan Game's DW forums. my "buddy" I refer to in it is Nick. I didn't feel like editing. I hope you guys enjoy!)Last week, I got a game in with a buddy of mine. He had just finished up a beautiful table for our local store and we figured it warranted a battle report. Unfortunately, I didn't take any notes and them procrastinated in writing this up, so the details are pretty vague. The pictures are still great, though!
Anyway, here's my Antarcticans:
We decided to play for 5 turns with no scenario rules.
My friend won the roll for table sides and we began deployment. Here's how it ended up:
He opted for 5 tiny fighters and 5 tiny dive bombers. The fighters were deployed behind the left-most island and the bombers were near the next island over. It's hard to tell in the image, but he deployed a unit of frigates to my right flank, looking to hug rocks until he felt like harassing my battleship.
I chose to have 4 tiny fighters (who flew CAP for my battleship), 3 more fighters, and 3 dive bombers. My bombers were deployed furthest left and the fighters took the middle. I won the roll for initiative and we were off!
My bombers were the first to activate, going obscured and dropping mines to deter his annoyingly good frigates. The frigates replied by moving to just outside RB1 and linking fire on the left Ptolemy and putting a point of damage on it despite needing 6's to hit. My frigates zoomed around hoping to get into good positions for the next turn. I lost one to linked fire from his cruisers when I had a squadron set for a RB1 volley the following turn. He moved his bombers forward, forgetting to go obscured. My Plato cruisers took advantage and turned their broadsides toward the bulk of his force and went All Stop. The linked fire from the broadsides crit one of them, causing a fusion leak and killing all of its AP. Unfortunately for him, the turrets double-crit his other bomber, dropping it into the water. His flanking frigates (off picture to the right) zoomed toward some rocks for protection, but my battleship threw enough dice in their direction to destroy two of them before his plans came to fruition. Some repositioning followed and we were on to turn 2.
I lost the roll for initiative and my left frigate squadron paid the price. One was destroyed and the other, despite my best efforts, was boarded by
nine AP. I killed off all but 3 leading him to leave them on board and guard the prize. two of the frigates linked fire on the closest Plato, nailing it with a crit. Luckily, it was Hard Pounding. I was very glad he had committed so much AP to the frigate assault. My bombers flew forward and dropped even more mines, threatening detonation as soon as his central frigate squadron activated. He responded by dive bombing my remaining frigates. I managed to shoot down all but 2, but they easily destroyed the frigate they made it into contact with. My 3 tiny fighters moved up and linked fire on his remaining bomber, criting it. Unfortunately, their victory was short lived as he advanced his cruisers and obliterated them with ack ack while attempting to pummel my battleship. Thanks to Inventive Scientists, it walked away unharmed. My Aristotle took position so that all 3 cruisers and his battleship would be hit by my particle accelerator and opened fire, destroying 2 cruisers damaged by my cruisers earlier in the turn. The starboard broadsides knocked out his last frigate on right side of the table. He finally bit the bullet and activate the frigates surrounded by mines. Miraculously, the only thing that happened was a single point of damage to one of them. They moved forward and took a few shots at the damaged cruiser only to be thwarted by Inventive Scientists.
Turn 3 saw some serious swings. His tiny fliers finished off my bombers and his frigates captured another one of my frigates and destroyed one of my cruisers, but only after it boarded and captured one of his 0 AP frigates. I responded by capturing his last cruiser with my Aristotle's marines and putting a lucky point of damage on his battleship with some torpedoes. With our battleships about to go broadsides with one another, this initiative roll was going to be crucial...
BETTER LUCKY THAN GOOD AMIRITE?! Looks like rolls were going to be on my side this turn.
I wasted no time and brought myself within RB1 of his battleship and hit it with the target painter. Between the port broadsides and 2.5 turrets, it took a critical hit (damaged rudder) and a point of damage. With the rudder damaged, he would be unable to get any good shots on my battleship. However, his left-most frigates continued to pound my cruisers, putting a point on one. Before his battleship would be able to do anything, I had them link fire on it. I scored another critical hit (this time a hard pounding) and another single point. It limped forward and went all stop to prevent a mine hit if the rudder could not be repaired. With the aid of some lucky rolls, he crit my damaged cruiser, killing all the marines on board.
Turn 5 went as expected. His frigates sank my damaged cruiser and I finished off his battleship. We both thought the victor was clear so we didn't bother tallying points.
Victory for the Covenant!
