I'm not going to have time to post the battle report today, so I'll make a few tactical reflections now and put up the full report - complete with pictures - when I get a chance.
For the moment...
Basically, it was the convoy run again, except that we played it more-or-less properly this time. I still used a constructed fleet rather than randomly-selected hazards. Because I didn't know which board edge my opponent was flying in from, I deployed in the middle and allowed my fleet to wake up piecemeal.
As for the actual game play? You can read it in the battle report, but my fleet basically dashed across his bow, taking minor damage long the way, and shot the ever-loving crap out of his convoy, then withdrew off the nearest board edge. I lost my styx, two of my three idolators, and both of my slaughters were crippled - he lost his two firestorms.
In retrospect, I think I understand what I'm doing wrong here - at least in terms of putting a scratch on the enemy. Scenarios, I'm able to win, but I can't seem to blow up any enemy capital ships.
The problem is my fleet composition: two slaughters, a styx, and a bunch of escorts (and a desolator that I never get to use because we aren't playing sufficiently large games yet). What I'm coming to realize is that the slaughter just isn't a ship of the line. It's a fast moving gunboat. It's good for exactly what I've been using it for - getting the alpha strike on objectives. Need something to dart out and blow up a convoy of weak transports or cover an enemy fleet with blast markers to slow them down, or force a key enemy ship to brace? The slaughter is great for that. It's got tons of speed and tons of guns. However, it's got a measly two lances, and doing this job - racing out in front - leaves it isolated from the rest of the fleet.
I think I need murders and carnages to be the core ships of the fleet. Then my slaughter(s) can race out and do pincer action, or sacrifice themselves to take on scenario targets while the rest of my fleet takes on the enemy.
More to come when the battle report is complete.
