2009-04-18 Full Thrust

Full Thrust game using the Swabian and New Anglian Confederation starter fleet packs with a few extra ships with the stats from the fleet lists. All the ships are by Ground Zero Games. The Neu Swabian League fleet commanded and owned by Guy sported a bright red colour, with yellow stripes to denote unit. The New Anglian commanded by myself sported menacing black all the better to camouflage yourself in space (plus quick to paint!).

The scenario was a straight forward space battle where whoever destroys or neutralizes the most ships wins. Both forces entered the board from opposite corners. This was our first try out with our enlarged fleets which comprised the following:

New Anglian Confederation (NAC)

Heavy Division
2 x Midway class Light Carriers (24 light fighters, 24 Heavy fighters)
1 x Thunderer class Battleship
1 x Renown class Battle cruiser
2 x Heavy Cruiser
2 x Suffolk class Escort Cruiser
2 x Lancaster class Light Cruiser

Medium Division
4 x Tulsa class Heavy Destroyers

Light Division
4 x Tallahachie class Destroyers
4 x Troutbridge class Frigates
3 x Corvettes

Neu Swabian League (NSL)
Helleträgergruppe
2 x Wien class Light Carrier ((24 light fighters, 24 Heavy fighters)
2 x Frankfurt class Escort Cruisers

Kriegschiffegruppe
1 x Graf Spee class Battleship
1 x Von Der Tann class Battle cruiser
4 x Lutzow class Destroyers
4 x Heavy Destroyers

Kreuzergruppe
2 x Helgoland Heavy Cruisers
2 x Kiel class Light Cruisers

The NSL division names are the results of a Google translation to give them a Germanic feel. Hopefully they make sense in German if not then I claim a drift in the language as the diaspora spread out in to the stars.  Helleträgergruppe should be Carrier Group, Kriegschiffegruppe Battleship Group and Kreuzergruppe is Cruiser Group.

THE GAME

Fleets set up at opposite corners of a 6x4 board

Swabians splitting up to confuse the New Anglians and give themselves more tactical choices, plus with luck maybe a cross fire.

The view from my side

Yep, they haven't run away yet.

There still there

New Swabian League commander realises he couldn't see the ship types of the New Anglians as some swine had painted them black so comes over for a closer look.

Still looking.

NAC split in to Heavy Division closer the the camera and Light and Medium to the right.

NAC from rear. I spent some time on the engines to make the glow stand out.

NSL Helleträgergruppe carriers and 2 escorts

The carriers and escorts. You can clearly see the launch bays.

Kriegschiffegruppe Battleship and fighters on CAP

Close up of the NSL CAP

Another view 

They're ready for anything

My fleet moves 

NSL split in to 3 battle groups

My 2 groups move forward. The Heavy Division is on the left and the Light and Medium Division are together, with the Medium in front of the Light.

The NAC split in to 3. The Light Division accelerates towards the NSL carrier group, and the Medium Division move  across the front on the NAC Heavies. The NSL Gruppe are all just edging forward wary of my faster speed.

NSL carriers to the left, heavies in the middle supported by lights and mediums to the  right

The NSL Kriegschiffegruppe

NAC Heavy Division

NAC Mediums in the centre moving away from the camera.

NAC Medium Divison takes the centre while the Heavy Division launches all fighters. The Light Division on the right on moves on the NSL carriers.

All fighters away! The fighters with green markings on the engines belong to the carrier with the green  command bridge, and the purple ones to the carrier with the purple command bridge.

NAC Light Division keeps accelerating. Close up they are not all black, the colours are just a wash.

Stay on target

The Helleträgergruppe

Kriegschiffegruppe heads straight for the centre

Kreuzergruppe turn to bring there guns to bear. Under Full Thrust rules they will keep moving to the right unless they decelerate.

NAC Light Division looking lonely in the distance. The Kreuzergruppe targets are not in sight 

Overview of the 3 NSL gruppe. The Kreuzergruppe is top right. 

NSL  Kriegschiffegruppe Battleship Graf Spee takes aim

The white ring is a template showing front, side and rear arcs which then determines which batteries can fire.

The fleets get closer. The NAC Medium division is now on the  left wing of the NAC deployment e.g. top right, heading  for the NSL cruisers.

NSL Kriegschiffegruppe engage the NAC Light Division

NSL carriers in foreground and Kriegschiffegruppe in the middle.

Kriegschiffegruppe

The NAC Lights keep powering forward 

NAC Lights relying on speed to get them in close to use their weapons  to greatest effect and counter act the longer range of the NSL Battleship and Battle Cruiser

NAC Heavy Division keeps moving towards the NSL Kriegschiffegruppe

No flash on this picture

The NAC fighters all head for the Kreuzergruppe. You can see the rear of an NAC carrier, the yellow rectangle is the fighter landing bay.

T

The Kreuzergruppe

The Kreuzergruppe still moving to the right but facing the NAC threat allowing them to use their best batteries.

The NAC Light Division get plastered by blaster fire on it's way  in to the  NSL carriers. I'm not sure my plan is working.

The NSL carriers move forward engaging a very depleted Light Division.

The NAC fighter squadrons swoop on the Kreuzergruppe do great damage. The last 2 Medium Division support.

The Kreuzergruppe accelerate from the Medium Division but cannot shake off all the fighters. Behind them the NSL CAP draw off 2 NAC squadrons from the fight. 

The battle continues. I love the fact the NAC fighter bomber looks like a Y Wing and the fighter an X Wing.

An overview of the main combats. The heavies of both sides are now engaged. Both sides have reversed direction as the are both deceleration to maintain contact.

The  Helleträgergruppe move to support their heavies. The NAC  Light Division has suffered a Crimean War Light Brigade moment and is no more but floating space junk.

The capital ships slug it out. The NSL fighters concentrate on the  NAC lighter heavies.

A wider shot of the epic contest

Head on  or rear view take your pic

Final moments before the fleets pass each other. They keep moving until they can decelerate to a stop and  that can take a few turns depending on how fast they had been moving. The NAC ships have been moving faster than the NSL.

The heavies break apart but are still in range of each other to keep slugging it out. 

The NSL cruisers enjoy a respite due to the law of physics and good shooting.

The NSL forces move on the NAC Heavy Divison

Add your own dramatic music

The slugfest takes it's toll and the 2 NSL capital ships explode, while the NAC  lose their own  battle wagons and  all bar 1 cruiser.

Both heavies are decimated the battle is now down to a carrier face off.

The NAC fighters attempt to destroy the remains of the Kreuzergruppe

NAC fighter disengage. They've had enough and are low on fuel. Since the carriers are not in range to recover their  battle is over for this fight.

NAC casualties

NSL casualties. Not as many but more larger ships.

We didn't fight to the bitter end. We decided it was a draw due to the amount of damage suffered by the NSL forces even-though they were more numerous at the end and if my carriers hadn't jumped to safety would probably have destroyed them, however the NSL would definitely have lost more ships.

A great game which led us to buy a Mega Fleet each. Guys are painted and mine, well mine are part of the led mountain. Writing this game up makes me want to get them painted up, that and playing X Wing has sparked my interest in space combat. Having said that I say every Christmas I'll finish the Mega fleet off, may be this one I will.