General Beginner's Tactics

Long Range (16+ hexes)
or The Approach Battle

At these ranges, individual ships can rarely damage each other unless one is caught by surprise. Average damage for a cruiser is usually less than 10 points, which can be absorbed by shield reinforcement. However, fleets can deliver significant damage at this range, knocking in a shield or crippling a small ship.

The main key in the approach battle is when during the turn you reach medium range. For example, disruptor-using races often want to soften up their enemy with a range-15 shot before closing to overload range. They want to end the turn just inside of 15 hexes, while their enemies probably want them either outside or well inside that range.

Maneuvering at this range is mostly about controlling the range. In fleet battles, though, which shield is being hit becomes important as it can be eroded before closing.

Medium Range (9-15 hexes) or

At this range individual ships can inflict significant shield damage. In a duel, disruptors and phasers can take a shield down by 30-50%. Fleets can destroy small ships at this range. This leads to several important tactics:

• Sabre Dancing: This is the process of maneuvering to stay at medium range for several turns to wear down your opponents shields -- known originally as a Klingon tactic. You approach the enemy by angling towards him, then firing when he is off your side shield (#2 or #6) and turning away. Then you can loop around and repeat this -- this is also known as the ``lazy S'' for the curving approach...
  Clearly if the enemy's weapons are more short-ranged this gains an advantage. It is also useful if your opponent is holding overloads -- he cannot fire them unless he gets to range 8.

  Plasma-using races may use a version of the sabre-dance by using the plasma bolt (i.e. direct-fire) at range 10 -- known as the Glory Zone. Plasma bolts are particularly ineffective beyond range 10. This is a more difficult maneuver since the plasma ship needs to reach range 10 but avoid range 8 (where a direct-fire opponent can use overloads).

• Aborted Sabre Dance: An important corrolary to the sabre dance is the point when the ship stops ``dancing'' and dives in towards the enemy. If the enemy fires a significant portion of his weapons, the sabre-dancer may swoop in to catch him on the reload turn.

• Plasma Ballet: This is the tactic of firing one plasma torpedo (often an enveloping one) from medium range, and then turning away. This forces the opponent to make a choice: in order to chase, the enemy will have to chew his way through the torpedo. Like the sabre dance, this slowly wears the opponent down.

Near Range (5-8 hexes)

While overloads can reach out to 8 hexes, this range bracket is not generally a decisive engagement. Phasers (especially the Klingon Phaser-II's) are weak here, and photon torpedoes only have a 50% chance of hitting. The damage at point-blank may be double or more what is done here.

This is a threatening range: close enough to crack shields, with the chance of doing internals on a fresh shield. However, it can be disastrous to fire at this range if the opponent then takes the opportunity to close to point-blank and take a real killing shot.

One vital tactic at this range is bluffing. As you get into this range, the opponent may put his power into shields and weapons rather than movement, expecting to close for the better shot. At range 8, you fire your weapons and move out of range 8 the next impulse, denying him an equal shot in return. However, this is extremely risky. If he can close with you before the end of the turn, you may take more than you gave and be in a poor position for later.

Close Range (3-4 hexes)

This range is typical of a `battle pass', where ships fly close by each other, but do not drop into point-blank range. Damage in a duel is usually guaranteed to get internals. Specifically, this range is dangerous for the Federation and Hydrans. Disruptors have an advantage at 3 hexes, and Klingons prefer an oblique approach to use their rear phasers.

An important tactic here is considering early fire. If you hold all your weapons for a closer range shot, then some weapons may be destroyed before they can fire and you might not be able to get into that close range. Thus, some players will fire 1 torpedo and 2 phasers early -- thus weapon hits will be spent on already-fired weapons.

On the other hand, the opponent may be able to turn so that your `early' fire is on a different shield than your close-in strike. This can cost you internals.

Knife-Fighting Range (0-2 hexes)

This range is where ships are crippled and destroyed by full overload volleys. There are several critical issues here

• The Anchor: (aka Gorn Anchor) This is the tactic of attaching a tractor beam to your enemy -- generally to allow seeking weapons to hit. If tractored, your opponent is slowed down and cannot use a wild weasel to distract seeking weapons. This is thus ideal to get plasma torpedoes to hit, along with drones and seeking shuttles.

• Overrun: This is where you close to point-blank range before the end of the turn and keep moving past him. If this happens, maneuverability becomes extremely important as next turn both ships will try to turn around faster and get the next shot in.

• Knife-fighting: This is where after closing to point-blank, the opposing ships remain close and facing each other at the end of the turn. This could happen because one or both ships emergency decelerated (probably to launch a wild weasel or perhaps just for the shield reinforcement or to use tactical maneuvers).

  The next turn then becomes known as `knife-fighting', when the ships sit still or move very slowly. At this point, TAC maneuvers are better for turning than normal movement. Usually a lot of power goes into weapons plus tractors, negative tractor energy, and/or shield reinforcement.

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