DARKSTAR CAMPAIGN UPDATE: DUCHESS ANNABEL’S WAR IS OVER
Task Force Oriskany vs. Black Dragons (P1)
So with all the Darkstar wargaming that’s been going on lately in MS Excel / web conference, D20, and Tabletop Simulator, I thought I would actually *gasp* put some playing pieces on an actual game board and play a game of Darkstar old-school, with physical sheets and playing pieces.
Furthermore, I wanted to finally “put my own skin in the game” again, with none other than the Valcour class destroyer USS Oriskany (DSGN-797) and her task force (destroyers USS Princeton, USS Valley Forge, the Marine Corps aerospace carrier USS Tarawa, and Mako class torpedo corvette USS Daggerfish) in a full-consequence, live-opponent, “timeline canon” battle set back during the Xi Scorpio War last year.
I didn’t want to set it in the ongoing Duchess Annabel’s War between the British, Prussians, Russians, Panasians, New Romans, and other factions, as the Americans aren’t really a good fit for that conflict (it was honestly written for other factions)
Anyway, the opponent for the night would be the breakaway Sino-Russian rebels of the “Khitan-Tunguska” Free State (Black Dragons), one of the expansion factions.
The problem is, with the Oriskany and her task force so elite and so upgraded, their scenario point cost is very high, so in order to set up a balanced game, the enemy winds up with a lot of firepower.
Case in point: The Black Dragons will come on the table with the Slava class heavy cruiser KTS Tzarakin, the Xhia class light missile cruisers Zhang Jia (Oriskany’s hated rival), the Xin Tian, and the Gagarin-class light fleet carrier Zharanyeva.
Gladesrunner (Jennifer) has agreed to play the Black Dragons for the evening. In all, she outweighs me by at least 3-1, but both fleets are nearly perfectly balanced at 376-375. It’s gonna be a big game, with a powerful Black Dragon task force up against a small, experienced, elite, and fast American task force. Here’s hoping experience and technology and speed win out over weight, size, and firepower.
Damn that little eagle!!! 🙂
Awesome battle so far! I love seeing asymmetric engagements, because they show off such a wide variety of tactics.
I’m hoping that soon* I’ll have my own project blog out, detailing creating a Darkstar module for Vassal. A couple of technical challenges to work out, (trying to figure out if I can incorporate player made ships) but I think the platform should work.
*soon here being the same promise @oriskany made, by the end of the year! ?
Hey, @sigmundr , I made that deadline with ONE DAY to spare. 😀
Yeah, every time someone asks me to port one of my wargames to Vassal, I always take one look at it and sky away. Nothing wrong with Vassal, just not as much flexibility as I am used to.
Another great battle has begun!
Again enjoying the moment by moment breakdown and the inclusion of tactical advice in an instructional tone woven into the commentary.
@oriskany said, “However, this allowed by Marine aerospace ordinance to get through (hence, you always want to combine your ordinance strikes into single, massive waves).”
I’m on pins and needles to see if those torpedos strike with as much force as Jennifer (aka @Gladesrunner) was intending or if she sent those knowing that this is how you would react and now she’s about hit you with the second part of her planned attack.
Part 2 of the battle report (the rest of the battle) coming out as soon as I get some sleep, I promise!
A fascinating read. It sounds that the Americans might be in some serious trouble. Quantity is quality as well 🙂
Thanks @yavasa ! Indeed, the Americans started out with a huge success crippling the Tzarakin, but then things got sticky in a hurry with those faster, more agile, and torpedo-heavy Xhia class light missile cruisers.