10 hour slugfest SFBOL NK

[IKV Avenger]

UAK (Lyran TCC) vs. IKV Avenger (Romulan TKR) in NK

Action: A 10 turn knock-down-drag-out-nail-biting-white-knuckled-slug-fest!

Result: Draw

First off, I'd like to thank UAK for the game, best I've ever had to date. He played this game as if it were for the Gold Hat. It lasted maybe 7+ hours or so I figured over a couple of nights. Brought up all kinds of rules searches such as the extended firing arcs on D7/KR ships, probes as weapons, crippled ships, general reinforcement use when shield boxes are all gone etc. I'm not going to be able to do any justice in recounting the battle, I'll try to hit the highlights and if I'm off on anything maybe UAK or one of the guys watching can chime in and correct it.

As a background, this is my first time in the TKR. UAK and Racer X felt this would be a good ship for me based upon my play style. They suggested it last week in a different tourny game so I gave it a go in this battle. I very much like this ship and it was a good suggestion.

T1 - I'm facing A and UAk is facing D. I lobbed an S EPT at him which he ran through at full strength (to my surprise and delight). It knocked all shields down to 2/3 except the #2 which he bricked with 10. Towards the end of the turn he activates both ESG's at full strength, though we're around 10-12 hexes apart. I run, he chases.

T2 - I kept the speed up to where he couldn't close with the ESG's. He finally did get a R8 shot on my #4, taking it down and doing a few internals including two of my side ph-3's. And I have to hand it to his Disruptor gunner, throughout the game he shot probably around 15 Disruptors at me and hit every one of them (which thoroughly sucked for me). I fired 5xph-1's directly behind me (love those firing arcs!), taking his #2 down to 2/3 the same as his other shields. I fired a second S EPT which made him finally turn off and run it out. I zipped along the bottom of the board to gain distance while I recharged.

T3 - We were on opposite ends of the board so we spent the turn closing.

T4 - We start on the west side of the board around the middle. I fire a PPT and turn off. He gambles and runs headlong into it (nerves of steel). I HET and fire the left pl-F. He HET's and the F takes down his back shield. He alphas my #1 taking it down and does a few internals along with both ESG's (not full strength but pretty close). He's rolling great! I fire a phaser barrage and take down his #2 completely and do a couple of internals. We close and I fire the S EPT at R2 and the right pl-F on the next imp at R1. After digging into the rules a bit I realized he didn't have time to ED and pop a WW at that point. The EPT hits and damage floods in through his downed #2 & #4 then the pl-F hits (all at full strength) on #3 taking it out completely and doing internals. I think I did 36 total as well as knocking the other shields down to 1/3 strength. We both travel off to the East with me slightly behind him.

T5 - I've got downed #1 & #4, he's down on #2, #3 and #4 and the others are around 10 or less boxes. He launches two admins for fire support I'm assuming. Trying to keep him off my #1 I turn into him just putting him on my #6. Tried a tractor on him but he successfully fought it. I launch an S, I think regular. As he started at 0 this turn he's able to WW the plasma, the collateral takes out his two admins and almost downs his #6. I take some ph-1 shots and then manage to get my right side ph-1 into the rear left arc (love those D7/KR firing arcs!). Now he has #5 & #6 down. He fires an alpha at me without FC and rolls great despite the penalty. If I remember right he takes out my #5 shield and does some internals. So by now we're both hurting pretty hard.

T6 - I've been downloading an S as an F as he had one shuttle left (figured he'd WW it so didn't want to waste the power). He follows and we end up in the middle of the southern portion of the board. I launch and hit him with the F, he (of course) hits with the two or three disruptors he had active (we were both repairing disruptors and phasers all game to the limit). I should have gone ahead and made it a full S, the extra 10 internals might have sealed the deal that turn. Somehow with phaser fire I killed his #1. He does some BP H&R action on me that yielded either a phaser or APR, don't remember now.

T7 -T10 I launch my final shuttle, he also has his final shuttle on the board. Too make a long story short (too late) we end up at R1 with his non-existent #1 to my #2 (and later with a TAC my #3). With both at speed 0 it's just a slug fest knife fight. I didn't load my last remaining plasma since I didn't figure it would last the three turns to fire it (it didn't). He finally killed it (I think) with a H&R. I returned the favor with max phaser damage. I was able to brunt most of the damage from his two alphas with bricks of 15 and 22. But he still got in enough to defang me. However, with my admin I FINALLY took out his last disruptor and phaser. He gets me with an armed PROBE!!! His Marines did a good job as well...till I finally killed them all LOL.

So we ended up with no weapons for either of us. I had 9 power, one or two control, a probe and one or two other boxes, UAK had three power, I think one control box, a probe and one or two other boxes. We each had one admin buzzing around and the only shields up were my untouched #6 (on the opposite side from him unfortunately).

We decided to call it a draw. And to be honest, this game didn't deserve either of us losing. It was an outstanding game from start to finish. I learned a LOT from it that I will be putting into my next games. Again, my thanks to UAK and everyone watching that chimed in with assistance when we were looking up several rules.

If I made any errors on the recount, please chime in with a correction. Great game and looking forward to the rematch.