Romulan Battle Strategies

Fighter Deployment

Most Romulan carriers embark both G-F and G-I fighters or better, depending on the time peroid. Some suggest reversing the stated roles of the fighters. I propose a different deployment. Pair one torpedo fighter and one superiority fighter into a flight. This still carries 40 points of plasma for the close in strikes, just as the more traditional method of grouping identical types of craft into a flight. However it comes from two different platforms. This allows the torpedo fighter to perform an HET onto a pursuing craft and launch while the D fighter proceeds to the target.

Carrier Ops

The new series of Romulan carriers embark their fighters in the modular bays, leaving the torpedo suite alone. This can be useful by sending a single escort in with the strike wing to give covering fire, as well as launching any F-torps in the tubes at the target of the strike. This fact also allows the carrier to enter the battle as a warship either after the fighters are destroyed or to deliver the killing blow. The Sparrowhawk and Heavy Hawk carriers are powerful anti-fighter units with their F-torps and shotgunned S-torps, use this to assist your escort vessels in defense. Please note that shotguns must be prepared in EA and cannot be held, this is best used when a strike is inbound over a turn break when the S-torp that has been on rolling delay can be completed.

Mission Objectives

Most players know their own mission objectives, and this is important. What can be more important is knowing your opponnet's objective. In a campaign setting you can actually win a war while losing your battles, as long as the enemy cannot meet his objectives. A simplistic example is to mass fire upon a key ship (eg. troopship, tug, scout, carrier) then disengaging. It is quite possible to perform such hit-and-run strikes most of the way to your retrograde point. As the enemy fleet is damaged by the harrassing forces it becomes strung out due to engine damage. Then send in the killer squadrons. A War Eagle and two frigates or destroyers should be sufficient to mop up the cripples.

The Sabre Dance is your Friend

While the cloak can be highly effective in flushing seeking weapons and covering reloads. Do not rely on it exclusively. Often better results can be acheived by maintaining medium to high battle speeds and staggering plasma launches. The ideal would be to orbit the target between range 10-15 and launching one heavy torpedo as an enveloping torpedo each turn for two turns. The type-F torps are held to deal with any charges or for the battle run after the enemy's shields are destroyed. After two to three impacts, depending on how far out they were ran, standard S-torps can be used to save on power while scoring internals. Of course enveloping torpedoes can still be used, especially if there is a down shield facing away from you.

BattleHawks as Destroyer Leaders

The Romulan Fleet fields three different destroyer class vessels. The old series BattleHawk, the Klingon converted K5R, and the new SkyHawk. Of these only the BH mounts type G plasmas. Both the K5R and SKH carry the less versitle type F torpedoes. Consider using the BH as the squadron leader for a pair of the newer destroyers to take advantage of the heavier plasma, while using their manuverability to offset the BH's main weakness, a turn mode of D with fixed launch arcs.

This page hosted by Get your own Free Home Page