1500 SM vs IN (for AndrewChristLieb)

[Seahawk]

This was a tournament game in '08. Here were the fleets (sorry I don't quite remember his):

SM
BB - MotF, 2 rerolls
4 SC - squadroned
6 Gladius
3 Sword

IN (as many nova cannon as would fit)
Mars
Lunars?
Dominators?

We rolled for terrain. He placed a planet in the far corner. I placed an asteroid field in the middle. He placed the moon in the other corner. I placed a warp rift about 15cm from the asteroid field, parallel to it. Other terrain didn't matter. He deployed tight in the corner, while I had the SC and Swords behind the rift and the BB and Gladius behind the asteroid field. The scenario involved destroying their priciest ship/squadron, getting extra VP for doing so.

Turn 1 - He burned retros. I stayed put.

Turn 2 - He burned retros. I stayed put.

Turn 3 - He drifted forward slowly. I stayed put.

Turn 4 - He drifted forward slowly. I stayed put.

Turn 5 - He drifted forward more aggressively. Now he's on the other side of the rift, basically, but most importantly his Mars is 9cm from the warp rift and facing it. I finally engaged, sending ships out on all sides to pester. Did a little damage, but the most important part was when the thunderhawks pile-drived into the Mars, breaking its rudder.

Turn 6 - Failing its command check, the Mars drifted into the warp rift and was destroyed. He didn't cause much damage, and I crippled another ship. Epic win to me!


He was relying on me being noobish and running into his big guns. When I didn't, he got visibly angry and came to me...at which point the superior close range equipment of the marines got to him. I don't think the BB even engaged anything, other than with the thunderhawks.

[AndrewChristlieb]

Ah I see so you were funneling him between the asteroids and rift, or to either side basically. Definalty sounds like his big mistake was getting angry, its also not too bright to fly straight towards a warp rift  lol. Clearly he wasnt making good use of his battlecruisers range and if he only had the one mars? thats just silly. I think he would have been better served by placing the planet further in than the corner and the moon more in the middle, near the asteroid. With them off in the corners he couldnt take any advantage of them. Good stuff, thank you.. and congrats  even if its like 3 years late 

[Seahawk]

I think his version of "taking advantage of the planet" just involved getting out of the way.

Yea, he basically just flew at the rift, then to my right to keep the BB out of the picture. Didn't matter in the end

[Admiral_d_Artagnan]

How can you stay put without Burning Retros?

[Seahawk]

That's what I did, Burned Retros every turn. Sorry it wasn't more clear 

[horizon]

Gosh, the first four turns sound like boring shyte. haha.

Yes, the IN made mistakes. The fleet selection to start of with.

[Seahawk]

Believe you me they were, though it was the best I could do in the situation. I wasn't dumb enough to just fly into all the NC like he expected, so yea I just passed 4 command checks each turn and waited/baited. It worked, amusingly, though I was prepared to sit there all game if need be...

He may have had a poor fleet selection and lost against me, yet he still won Best Admiral (most battle points) that year.