STAW Open Game at Trilogy

While we are waiting for the next organized play kit to show up at Trilogy Games, a few of us got together yesterday to play some 100-pt games just for fun. I know, I know, playing a game without prizes or tournament support?! What were we thinking...

I played a Mirror Universe fleet with two ships.

Beardy & Smiley Go For A Drive (100pts)

- Mirror Universe Galaxy Class w/ Riker & We Won't Go Back, Jennifer Sisko, Multi-Targeting Phaser Banks and Dorsal Weapons Array
- ISS Defiant w/ Miles O'Brien & Rebellion, Ezri Tigan, Elim Garak and Quantum Torpedoes
- Improved Shields

Alex was playing a TOS-era fleet with Sulu on a flag-shipped Excelsior, Terrell on The Reliant and a generic Constitution class. The second round saw some heavy firepower tossed among the ships and it was looking like it would be a quick game. By the fourth round however most of the ships had passed beyond useful weapons range, although there was the odd torpedo fired off.

Ezri picked up Sulu's Positron beam and the Excelsior took its time rounding the planet. Riker's ship lumbered around, narrowly missing some space debris. Limping along with a single remaining hull point, no way to repair shields and relying on the remaining two improved shield tokens, Riker put down the Constitution class ship only moments before Sulu threw his teacup at the Galaxy class. The impact ruptured the fragile hull and Riker was removed from existence.

The Defiant and the Reliant jousted again as they both turned around the planet and Terrell met with a fiery death. Smiley's Shield and Hull Repair Shop was in full operation while Sulu and Scotty argued over Romulan Ale rather than fixes the their own shields. Down to just the two of them, the Excelsior's four or five missed rounds of shield repair would prove the difference when a highly accurate volley of quantum torpedoes signed their death writ.

Thoughts on the Build

Overall I quite enjoyed playing this fleet. The ships definitely lack turning ability, although I did miss the fact that the Defiant had a come-about maneuver. That would have come in handy. Ezri did her job stealing something that could be used against me and Sisko made Sulu waste a few actions in the early rounds to clear a few of those disabled tokens off. Garak's captain boost also proved highly effective as I was moving last and shooting first for the entire game and my opponent had no way to mess with my crew.

O'Brien's ability proved useful later in the game, and the Defiant's ship ability saved me from critical damage twice, which I'm sure proved the difference. Riker having two target locks without being able to fire was largely a moot point as the primary threat was usually quite obvious. The dorsal array was a decent weapon to have, and really points out the fact that the Galaxy class really should have a 180 (or even a 360) arc. Why it doesn't have something better than it does makes little sense to me.

Playing some games just for fun without the tournament setting was great. It makes me want to dig into some of the scenarios included with the various ship expansions and reminds me how much fun the game can be when it's not all about the competitive list building that generally arises in tournament play.