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
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| Fleets set up at opposite corners of a 6x4 board |
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| Swabians splitting up to confuse the New Anglians and give themselves more tactical choices, plus with luck maybe a cross fire. |
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| The view from my side |
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| Yep, they haven't run away yet. |
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| There still there |
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| 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. |
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| Still looking. |
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| NAC split in to Heavy Division closer the the camera and Light and Medium to the right. |
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| NAC from rear. I spent some time on the engines to make the glow stand out. |
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| NSL Helleträgergruppe carriers and 2 escorts |
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| The carriers and escorts. You can clearly see the launch bays. |
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| Kriegschiffegruppe Battleship and fighters on CAP |
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| Close up of the NSL CAP |
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| Another view |
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| They're ready for anything |
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| My fleet moves |
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| NSL split in to 3 battle groups |
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| 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. |
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| 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. |
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| NSL carriers to the left, heavies in the middle supported by lights and mediums to the right |
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| The NSL Kriegschiffegruppe |
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| NAC Heavy Division |
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| NAC Mediums in the centre moving away from the camera. |
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| 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. |
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| 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. |
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| NAC Light Division keeps accelerating. Close up they are not all black, the colours are just a wash. |
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| Stay on target |
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| The Helleträgergruppe |
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| Kriegschiffegruppe heads straight for the centre |
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Kreuzergruppe turn to bring there guns to bear. Under Full Thrust rules they will keep moving to the right unless they decelerate.
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| NAC Light Division looking lonely in the distance. The Kreuzergruppe targets are not in sight |
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| Overview of the 3 NSL gruppe. The Kreuzergruppe is top right. |
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| NSL Kriegschiffegruppe Battleship Graf Spee takes aim |
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| The white ring is a template showing front, side and rear arcs which then determines which batteries can fire. |
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| 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. |
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| NSL Kriegschiffegruppe engage the NAC Light Division |
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| NSL carriers in foreground and Kriegschiffegruppe in the middle. |
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| Kriegschiffegruppe |
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| The NAC Lights keep powering forward |
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| 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 |
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| NAC Heavy Division keeps moving towards the NSL Kriegschiffegruppe |
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| No flash on this picture |
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| 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. |
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| The Kreuzergruppe |
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| The Kreuzergruppe still moving to the right but facing the NAC threat allowing them to use their best batteries. |
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| 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. |
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| The NSL carriers move forward engaging a very depleted Light Division. |
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| The NAC fighter squadrons swoop on the Kreuzergruppe do great damage. The last 2 Medium Division support. |
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| 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. |
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| The battle continues. I love the fact the NAC fighter bomber looks like a Y Wing and the fighter an X Wing. |
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| 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. |
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| 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. |
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| The capital ships slug it out. The NSL fighters concentrate on the NAC lighter heavies. |
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| A wider shot of the epic contest |
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| Head on or rear view take your pic |
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| 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. |
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| The heavies break apart but are still in range of each other to keep slugging it out. |
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| The NSL cruisers enjoy a respite due to the law of physics and good shooting. |
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| The NSL forces move on the NAC Heavy Divison |
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| Add your own dramatic music |
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| 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. |
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| Both heavies are decimated the battle is now down to a carrier face off. |
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| The NAC fighters attempt to destroy the remains of the Kreuzergruppe |
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| 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. |
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| NAC casualties |
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| 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.
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