Star Trek Attack Wing Report: U.S.S. Enterprise-D Verses I.R.W. Khazara

This game was played using the "Star Trek: Attack Wing” rules by “Wizkids”. The game was set up using the recommended Federation Faction (Ship Card: U.S.S. Enterprise-D, Manoeuvre Card: Galaxy Class, Captain Card: Jean-Luc Picard and the Upgrade Cards: Geordi La Forge & Miles O’Brien) and Romulan Faction (Ship Card: I.R.W. Khazara, Manoeuvre Card: D'deridex Class, Captain Card: Toreth and Upgrade Cards: Bochra & Plasma Torpedos. The ‘encounter’ was played on an empty 3’ x 3’ space mat, with each faction beginning “opposite from each other across the play area.”

TORETH TAKES ON JEAN-LUC PICARD IN HER LUST FOR REVENGE

“The story so far… Eager for revenge upon the U.S.S. Enterprise following the starship's role in the successful defection of Vice-Proconsul M'ret and his aides to the Federation (See “Star Trek: TNG” TV episode “Face Of The Enemy”), Commander Toreth has crossed back into the Neutral Zone and then lured Captain Jean-Luc Picard's Galaxy Class vessel to her location using a fake distress signal…”

THE U.S.S. ENTERPRISE FALLS FOR A FIENDISH ROMULAN TRAP

Commander Toreth smiled evilly as the N.C.C. 1701-D came out of warp near to her B-Type Warbird's spatial location. Her foolish prey had taken the bait and now it was time for the Romulan to spring her deadly trap. Nodding to her Conn, the Sotarek Citation recipient ordered the I.R.W. Khazara to bank to port and activate its cloaking device.

Aghast at finding his starship facing "one of the largest and most powerful mainstays of the Romulan Star Empire" instead of an errant crippled science vessel, Jean-Luc Picard immediately raised his vessel's (four) shields and threw the Federation's flagship into reverse; a (red) manoeuvre which forced the U.S.S. Enterprise to switch to Auxiliary Power (and thus prevented it from executing future Red Manoeuvres as well as any Actions, even Free Actions). Mister Worf, eager as ever to engage the Klingons' bitter rivals, fired all phasers towards the D'deridex Class Warbird's last known location. But the starship was well out of range.

SNEAKY AS THEY ARE DEADLY THE ROMULANS CLOAK BEFORE LAUNCHING THEIR ATTACK

Chuckling at her blind prey's reckless shooting, Commander Toreth ordered her vessel to fly straight towards the seemingly impotent Galaxy Class starship at Warp Factor four, and readied her vessel to perform Evasive Manoeuvres if necessary.

Cautious and wary of making an unwise move too early, the Enterprise's captain simply ordered for the Federation flagship to travel forward to its original position at Warp Factor one and anxiously waited for his opponent's next move. Fortunately the manoeuvre allowed the Galaxy Class starship to switch over from Auxiliary Power, and to show he meant business Jean-Luc Picard gave Mister Worf the order to fire phasers once again.

THE U.S.S. ENTERPRISE FIRES BLINDLY UPON THEIR FAST-APPROACHING FOE

Sensing that her moment had arrived Commander Toreth suddenly had the I.R.W. Khazara turn hard to starboard, and gave the order for her Conn to execute a series of complicated Evasive Manoeuvres if the U.S.S. Enterprise suddenly turned in the cloaked B-Type Warbird's direction. Incredibly however as the D'deridex class vessel swung round towards the Federation flagship, the military officer saw her prey bank to port. The Romulan was heading straight towards the right flank of her hated opponent. 

Jean-Luc Picard realised he'd guessed wrong as soon as his starship pitched to port and the I.R.W. Khazara de-cloaked behind him. The Federation Flagship was now in range of the Romulans' disruptor arrays. Ordinarily the battle cruiser would roll three Attack Dice. But because it initiated "an attack while cloaked", it was allowed to add an extra Attack Dice to its total. The Romulans initially scored two hits and one Critical Damage. However Commander Toreth's special ability allowed her to convert one of the hits to another Critical Damage.

THE I.R.W. KHAZARA SWEEPS INTO POSITION FOR A DEVASTATING ATTACK

The U.S.S. Enterprise's great size meant it was only allowed to roll a single Defence Die to begin with. But because the Romulan was attacking from long range, the Galaxy-Class Starship was given a second die. Fortunately the vessel's captain had also ordered Battle Stations before the attack, so the vessel was able to convert one of its results to a Miss and at least negate the B-type Warbird's first hit...

Jean-Luc Picard reeled in his chair as the Federation Flagship's shields were reduced to 50% in an instant. In addition the Romulans had caused two amounts of Critical Damage, which resulted in a "Stunned Helmsman" (meaning that the next time the U.S.S. Enterprise attacked it would not roll any dice) and "Structural Damage" (meaning the vessel's Agility was reduced by one to zero until Engineering spent a successful action rolling a hit on an Attack Die). Things were not looking good for the Galaxy Class Starship.

[N.B. Applying the effects of the Critical Damage upon the U.S.S. Enterprise was a mistake as the starship still had shields. However, clearly some despicable Romulan agents interfered with our interpretation of the rules at the time, and it did make for an exciting climax to the battle...]  

CRITICAL DAMAGE REDUCES THE U.S.S. ENTERPRISE'S SHIELDS BY FIFTY PERCENT

 Wishing to see which way her prey turned before she committed her D'deridex Class Warbird, a triumphant Toreth ordered her vessel to switch to Auxiliary Power and went into full astern. Meanwhile Captain Jean-Luc Picard ordered for the Federation Flagship to bank hard to port. His duty was clear. He must retreat from the Neutral Zone and seek additional support. Fortunately Chief Engineer Geordi La Forge reported that he had repaired the starship's structural damage. The Galaxy-class vessel was as agile as ever once again.

 Sensing that her foe was preparing to flee the battlefield, Commander Toreth shouted for the I.R.W. Khazara to fly straight towards the 'limping' Federation Flagship at Warp Factor four. In addition the B-Type Warbird acquired a Target Lock upon the U.S.S. Enterprise. This meant that the Romulans could "choose any number of Attack Dice and re-roll them once during the Combat Phase, or alternatively, if within range, 'spend the Target Lock' to fire (five) "Plasma Torpedoes" at their opponent; a significant attack which would also allow the Romulan officer to re-roll all of her blank results.

CAPTAIN PICARD'S TACTICAL WITHDRAWAL SEES THE U.S.S. ENTERPRISE RETREAT 

Desperate to keep his Galaxy Class Starship out of range of the D'deridex Class warbird's formidable plasma torpedoes, Captain Jean-Luc Picard ordered his vessel to bank to starboard and continue along its course out of the Neutral Zone.

With a frustrated curse, Commander Toreth realised that the Federation Flagship was manoeuvring itself out of range of her torpedoes' launchers. She quickly ordered the I.R.W. Khazara to replicate the U.S.S. Enterprise's bank starboard. But with a sigh then saw the N.C.C. 1701-D warp out of the Neutral Zone, and it was not yet time to take the fight into Federation space. Still at least the Romulan officer had restored both her honour and brought glory to the Star Empire.