Gratuitous Federation & Empire

The Klingons are clearly massing for a major offensive on our front, so once again we make a lightning thrust to disrupt their logistics. I take part in the only engagement that is needed, as we easily vaporise their last remaining border Battle Station, if you don't count the ones supposedly controlled by the Vudar. The Klingons are still hampered by their lack of a Dreadnought-class command ship, but they are learning how to deal with our Stingers as best they can. However, by concentrating their fire on the littlest guys, they present an opportunity for our Heavy Cruisers simply to drive up and blow the station away. Even we are astonished. The Klingons leave hastily. In the aftermath, we realise that not a single ship was actually damaged on either side. This means that my seventh fleet combat is a bit of a no-show. Not that I'm complaining...

 ... and ending it with a bang: Apart from the forces needed on the Federation border, the Kzinti have now entirely retreated to defend their capital region. The Hydrans, however, are making another assault on a Klingon Battle Station to try to disrupt preparations for a direct Klingon attack on the Hydrans' main Starbase on this front.  My Hydran game is turning out differently from what I gather happened according to the timeline of the Amarillo Design Bureau's original campaign history. For a start, I didn't throw away good ships by making a vainglorious run for Federation space, nor am I going to defend the capital until the last ship. Also, you should be able to make out a stack of crippled vessels in the bottom left of the map as you look at it; underneath that lot is a newly completed Hydran Starbase. I'll also try to build a Battle Station in the extreme bottom left hex when a Tug becomes available. The Kzinti will be under a great deal of pressure when the coal...

 The Klingons split their Western Fleet in two and attack the last two remaining Hydran Border Battle Stations. Due to command ship losses, each fleet is only led by a D7C Command Cruiser, with no others in reserve. One of these fleets is probably going to have a bad time because it will meet the Hydrans with the Uhlan Carrier Group. It is possible that the force ending up in this situation may be able to wear the Hydrans down through sheer weight of numbers, but it is very unlikely. It turns out that the carrier is in the more northerly (or less rimward, if you prefer) of the two stations, and the Klingons have d distinctly bad time here. This force is named with the honorific Battle Group Blood because it is not expected to do well - any force that fights under this banner is effectively being used to distract and delay a much more powerful enemy force, while Klingon numbers succeed elsewhere. In two engagements, the Hydran exchange lots of fighters for a D7C Command Cruiser, a D...

 This will be my fifth fleet action, and again it is in defence of one of our Battle Stations on the Klingon border. Our fleet is most impressive: a Paladin Dreadnought leads, and the Inevitable  and another Knight Destroyer are assigned to accompany the flagship, along with a Scout Frigate. The remainder of the fleet is composed as follows: a Lord Bishop Command Cruiser and a Thoroughbred Fast Cruiser acting as a team; a Heavy Cruiser Squadron comprising a Dragoon and two Rangers; our Uhlan Carrier Group, reduced somewhat because one of their Escort Frigates was crippled on a previous occasion; and three Lancer Destroyers. Command has decided not to bother engaging the Klingons at a remove from the station, figuring that concentrated force will allow us to do the most damage. It will be touch and go as a series of battles, because although we have the advantage of powerful ships, fighters and the station, the Klingons outnumber us significantly. We don't expect them to be led...

 We have massed everything we have that is still intact on the Kzinti Front, and head straight for the planet of Lumien, which our forces just failed to take on a previous occasion. This time, though, we are confident in our numbers. Since the Axe Guard  is the best escort vessel in the fleet, I am assigned to defend the D6 CV Carrier on the line, along with a much smaller E4E Carrier Escort.  Our group does quite well, managing to force an enemy Destroyer to disengage with heavy damage. However, our fleet takes quite a pounding, and after destroying our lightest vessels, the Kzinti Strike Carrier Group turns towards us. I've seen what those things can do, and this one is accompanied by a couple of Medium Escort Cruisers. That's a lot of Phaser-1s. Fortunately for us, though, Admiral Ulorf gives the command to retire. I have survived my first battle as commander of my own vessel. The second battle is equally as tough, especially for the Axe Guard . Our carrier commander h...

 The second major campaign for Autumn 170 gets under way, with the Klingons massing to assault Lumien once more: This one goes well for the Kzinti. They manage to strip the F5 Light Carrier of its Escorts and then blow it with a drone wave, the second time this tactic has been used. In total, they wipe out the Klingon fighters; destroy the F5V and a D5C War Cruiser Leader; cripple the Orion and a D5; and inflict heavy damage on a D7 Battlecruiser. In return, the Klingons destroy fifteen fighters and force a Destroyer to retire with heavy damage - so not a lot. They do, though, get a lucky hit on the Flag Bridge of the Kzinti Dreadnought, wounding old Admiral Mr'iarr and putting him out of the campaign. His replacement has a bit more energy: The Kzinti have an extra ship in the line this time, but overall there is little change for both sides as they regroup for round two ... ... and so it goes. This time the Klingons wipe large numbers of fighters - 37 in total. They also manage to...

 Campaign losses have resulted in my being promoted; I am now Leader of the Second Flight of three assigned to the CVL Light Carrier Tempest . CVL is something of a misnomer in this case; it is a Light Carrier because it only carries nine fighters, but it also has the firepower of a Battlecruiser. Sr'esint is Squadron Leader. We wait our turn in the fleet reserves as the Lyrans attack the planet of Zimdars, the last bastion between them and our home systems. The initial Lyran attack almost breaks through to the planet itself, but is only just beaten back. Attrition mounts as our pilots are fed into the defence in waves, until eventually, for the fourth engagement, the Tempest  is assigned to the main line. We deploy together with a Fast Battlecruiser and the flagship, a fully-kitted Battle Tug, and set up well off to the port side of our defensive line. The Lyrans opposite us comprise a War Cruiser Squadron; the rest of their fleet is heading straight towards Zimdars. We are g...

 The Coalition's planet-hopping campaign is now in full swing on the Kzinti Front: These are the forces for the initial engagement at the planet of Zimdars, which is pretty much all that now stands between the Lyrans and the Kzinti capital - well, that and the Count's Fleet stationed there. The initial stages are usually when the Lyrans are at their most powerful; it can take a while to degrade the Kzinti combat power because of all those fighters. The Kzinti prefer not to offer approach battles because against Lyran combat capabilities they need all the fighters they can get, and the two squadrons from Zimdars will be most useful. Evem so, the Lyrans nearly take the planet on their first attempt, wiping large numbers of fighters (26) and forcing two Battlecruisers and the Orion mercenary to retire, heavily damaged. In return, the Lyran Dreadnought and one of their Heavy Cruisers have to leave with heavy internals, and all of their fighters are destroyed. A little bit of luck g...