Vorlon's FOG4 Map Page

IMP 32 Map Link: FOG4 has Finished. Winner is Blue. Things went from bad to worse for Green. The big news is the destruction of GS1. His latest weasel was his last and the D-torps from BS1's drogue coupled with BS2's four big drones sounded a spectacular death knell. GS1 declared catastrophic damage on drone impact and its bridge crew (plus a few pretty yeomen) are preserved in GS1's remaining shuttle. BS2 went on to zero in on GS7, landing a devastating phaser barrage that blew through GS7's weakened shield #5 despite 6 reinforcement and still did 30 internals, blowing out all the ship's hull, one of its plasmas, its impulse, 3 phasers, all its batteries and all but one shuttle (plus some other stuff). Having only lost 3 warp and 6 total power GS7 is still eminently flyable, but definitely playing hurt and still within 2 hexes of the ship that did it. GS7 wasn't idle either, putting three phasers into BS6, carefully destroying every last bit of power on Blue's Tholian without making it explode. They must not like webs.

In the south end of the battle, GS4's shuttle DID turn out to be a scatterpack (yes, I know: big surprise). BS4 promptly IDed three of the 6 drones, determining their targets all to be BS2. GS3 finishes his decel and weasels, but the drones impact the shuttle before it leaves the hex so GS3 gets bounced around by some collateral damage. After pulling a wide buttonhook for most of the turn, GS4 returns to the fight with a vengeance popping off ADDs as fast it it can against the rain of drones from Blue. It combined with GS1 to erect a makeshift barricade of T-bombs to defend Green's ISC CLs.

After receiving their sitreps, the remaining 5 Green captains voted 4-1 to call the engagement at this point and surrender. FOG 4 is over.

I've enjoyed hosting the visual part of this game. Though I did play as a partisan on Blue's side (captain, BS4), I did try very hard to keep my commentary as even-handed as I could. I like to think you wouldn't be able to tell if I were playing or what side I was on just from the commentary. (at least one player penetrated my "stringent website security" to find my reserve SSDs and that I had a more-complete set of Blue than Green and deduced my participation and side from that. They were pulled off the site after that)

Since secrecy means nothing at this point, all Blue SSDs have been updated to show their actual condition. BS3 and 4 never got past warp drive signature in the game (Remember tacint ranges were cut to half-normal). The light-blue color of BS2's B and D disruptors indicates they were dummy weapons.

IMP 28 Map Link: Things seemed to have calmed down but a few surprises still crop up. Blue's tug, now positively IDed as a single-pod Kzinti BT puts two groups of two disruptors into a no-doubt surprised GS3. All four shots hit. No plasma losses but the ISC CL loses a total of 4 phasers, 3 of them P-1s, plus a smattering of hull and other systems. Only one power hit and an impulse at that. Powerwise, GS3 got off light, but it'll definitely leave a mark. Another semi-surprise is that GS7 is surfacing once more.

In other news, GS5 opens up with its remaining ADDs at anything (Blue) that moves, taking down a shuttle (BS1's weasel) and a drone but too late to stop BS1's drogue from launching its plasma. BS1 is able to save its drogue and another shuttle from the onslaught. 6 D-torps are now barreling southward at high speed. GS1 labbed one of the drones in the stack that overflew it instead of hitting it and found its real target was GS3. Shortly thereafter, GS3 announced emergency decel. GS4 also gets into the ADD game, scoring a kill and a miss on the drones that had made it down south. Finally, GS3's lateral plasma runs up and impacts BS1's and followed up by GS5's lone remaining disruptor. After the reinforcement, 11 more damage to the Blue DN's still-up Shield #4.

IMP 24 Map Link: Imagine this: Split-screen of the bridges of the two command ships. Maybe there's some cables hanging down behind Green's Admiral since his ship has taken a bridge hit. Both Admirals are frowning in concentration. The Green Admiral speaks: "HET our plasma into the Weasel." "But Sir..." "Get it out of my sky!". Then the Blue Admiral sighs and says "Reactivate Fire control." "Sir?" "Do it! We can take what's left of that plasma. And re-launch my drogue!". Then cue both simultaneously look at their respective viewscreens, astonished. The Green Admiral can only silently mouth the words to the acronym "WTF?" Then Blue's Admiral shakes himself out of his silence speaking to nobody in particular on a dead-silent bridge,

GS1.P6, the big Green R-torp that we saw last time go careening to follow Blue's hastily launched weasel, was going to be doomed to orbit that weasel until either the controlling Green unit ordered the torp to HET toward its target or the weasel moved, disturbing the orbit and allowing the torp to turn enough to impact. The Green unit controlling the plasma (who I assume to be the admiral) ordered the HET, so the plasma dutifully whipped around to face the shuttle, next impulse to destroy it utterly. Moments later in that same impulse, BS1 voids its weasel by re-starting Fire Control, so the plasma goes scurrying back toward Blue's dreadnought...and can't turn tight enough to hit it. And it just used the one HET it gets in a turn. So BS1 is going to have a plasma orbiting it like a puppy running around the feet of anybody with food. For the rest of the turn, minimum. BS1's phasers weren't silent on the question. Over the next few impulses, BS1 put a total of 5 P-1s (plus a shuttle's P-3) into the plasma for a total 25 points of damage.

GS1.P5, the other Green R-torp that was aimed at BS3, turned out to be a pseudo. After getting chopped a bit by BS3's phaser fire, it simply disappeared like a bad dream when it hit BS3's #4 shield. BS3 is still pointed away from the battle, but sent a drone back to make his apologies for departing in such haste. In other news, GS5 runs into a patch of bad luck as BS1's D-torp slips around to catch GS5's down #5 shield. The impact damaged the ship's warp drive, shuttle bay, killed its last big phasers, another ADD, and another Disruptor. Then BS4 rains on what's left of its parade with 5 points of OECM. The final blow was delivered by an admin shuttle. The shuttle's P-3 did a single point of damage that ended up finishing GS5's shuttle bay. The shuttle it contained popped loud enough to destroy the ship's last non-boom impulse. And, yes, BS1 did run its drogue back out the shuttle hatch, even as GS2's drogue pops off its last D-torp, killing yet another Blue drone. Now another of Blue's bashful drone squad, BS2, moves onto the practical field of combat, flanked by BS4 who is further behind by about 6 hexes. Blue's Kzinti tug launches 4 drones. And some of BS6's web fades away.

IMP 20 Map Link: Everybody on BS1 has a nosebleed. On IMP 17, the ship announces a mid-turn speed change to 14 AND emergency decel. I can picture a gentle pull toward the back as the ship begins to accelerate, then a sudden lurch forward as it comes to a stop and the THUMP! of about a thousand Gorn noses hitting a thousand control panels in front of them. Why the decel? The best we in the announcer's booth can tell is a case of "being paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get you." Green's plasma played the deception game to the hilt, not turning toward BS1 until IMP 18, apparently angling for BS1's dented Shield #4. Blue's Admiral didn't wait for a sure sign he was the target. He ordered the stop-and-drop on IMP 17. BS1's bruised and bloody shuttle officer, to her/his (can YOU tell?) credit, got the weasel off just before the plasma would impact. Even avoided collateral damage to the big dreadnought's intact #5 shield. Not that the plasma has actually HIT the weasel. It hasn't. It's still in the "screeching tires" part of suddenly turning to track its new target. BS1's drogue was reeled back in before it could pop off any D-torps but his portside D-rack filled in with a lone 10-point plasma moving to menace GS5.

Meanwhile, the Green admiral's own weasel is vaporized by an 18-point drone impact. Unlike his Gorn opposite, GS1's weasel didn't have time to exit its ship's hex (in a happenstance similarity of admirals, GS1 launched his weasel off Shield #5, same as BS1) so the Roms get treated to the whole "depth charge" thing again. And they're not even cloaked. Other drones pile on. Blue was apparently saving their heavies. A drone-mounted P-3 shoots at the dead weasel and still has enough left over to impact for 12, followed by a 24-point drone impact. GS1's shocks are getting a workout.

Other stuff DID happen. GS2's drogue plasmas claim two more Blue drones as both of Green's ISC CLs pop off lateral F-torps. Then there's BS3 and that first R-torp. BS3 turned away from the fight, letting the torp come up on his #4 shield where, coincidentally enough, every phaser on the boat can fire at it...and did at range-1, scoring 29 points of damage. All phasers were fired as P-3s, to keep from blinding the sensor channels, which had just started loaning ECM and ECCM to BS2. The big Green plasma had dropped to a warhead of 35, so the phaser damage further reduced it to 21. BS3's aft shield can handle that. Barely. Being on the run from a monster plasma didn't keep BS3 from taking pity on his poor, crippled fighter. Now landed back aboard ship, coffee and a donut (maybe something stronger) await the pilot while the techs break out the spit and bailing wire. GS2.S1.P3's target turned out to be BS6, not BS3.D7. Avoiding the Blue Tholian's latest cast web (which was solid by then) meant a disappointing (for GS2) impact on the BS6's intact Shield #4 rather than BS6's down Shield #5.

IMP 16 Map Link: GS1's big R-torp bends to the south and just for fun GS1 launches a second (R-torp) on close to the same launch track. After labbing some inbound drones as targeted on him, GS1 hastily weasels. Meanwhile, BS1's twin plasmas slam into GS5, but not after GS5 takes some mitigating phaser fire. Since Gorns got phasers pointing everywhere, BS1 follows up with a Mizia spree before GS5 turns a fresh shield. Total damage: 24 internals, killing 6 hull (includling all 3 F. Hull), 5 warp, 2 impulse, 4 phasers, 2 disruptors, an ADD, 3 batts, and a transporter. GS5 now has a bad port-side sunburn. For an encore, BS1, reels out a genuine drogue. Cue ominous music.

Speaking of drogues, GS2's drogue continues to happily pop off D-torps. If its previous targets are any judge, it is continuing to stand in for GS4 and 5 (who are unable to do their normal drone-defense functions or have their own problems). If GS2.S1.P3's target is BS3.D7, it will be interesting to see if the D-torp is carried into the weasel.. In other news, BS6 puts out another snare, blocking GS1's forward view.

IMP 12 Map Link: THIS is more like what I expected. Activity has heavily ramped down. Not that important stuff still isn't happening. As the bulk of Green's fleet continues to retreat south, BS1 pulls a risky HET and pops off a couple of torps that efficiency experts told Blue's admiral were under-utilized. If he was fleeing identification by GS5, he failed. BS1 was successfully fingered as a Gorn DNH. BS1 raises shield #6, while BS4 drops its shield #1. BS2's shuttle blossoms into another scatterpack, while GS2's drogue launches 2 D-torps. It's raining Blue drones even before anyone's racks have launched anything. The only actual damage done is to GS1 from BS1's previous plasma. Another 8-points to the Green Admiral's weather-beaten Shield #6, but crash-fans should stay tuned. There might be internal fireworks next time.

IMP 08 Map Link: And here I thought we'd seen this turn's measure of exciting stuff. I thought I'd be seeing Green retreating to the southeast corner, and that still seems to be what most of Green is doing. Except GS1 and GS5. GS5 has continued its northeast sweep, its quad-ADDs deftly popping the occasional blue drone. GS1, has executed a TAC-HET and turned to A, and E-decelled. This brought its phasers to bear on BS6 and gave Blue's Tholian a good scorching to the tune of 7 warp, all 3 impulse and the rest of the ship's weapons. GS1 also unleashed one of its monster R-torps. BS6's fresh new web chops GS1's tractor link, but there isn't much left of GS6 at this point to really retreat. Yep. Green definitely DID have it in for BS6. Meanwhile BS1 reels another one of those shuttles-on-a-tractor out of his bay. Could the two admirals be preparing to square off in a duel to the death? Film at 11. In other news, BS4's shuttle blossoms in classic scatterpack-style. 4 speed-32 drones and 2 speed-20's join the fun. BS4 was last seen tractoring the shuttle into its bay (something of a rarity this game where shuttles are more commonly tractored out). Meanwhile BS5 digs up the power to manage a speed-5 retrograde. Speaking of drones, the first of Blue's drones draw nigh to the scene. Without GS4's protection, Green ships may have to (gasp) defend themselves. Since targets for these drones were chosen last turn, it'll be interesting to see who Blue's drone boys wanted to pick on.

IMP 04 Map Link: Lots of ECM drone and EC Plasma renewals as a huge knife-fight breaks out where Green's fleet has gathered. The only thing missing is pirates with knives in their teeth swinging from ship to ship. The fight will be divided up according to who got damaged and handled below. In other news, the shuttle GS1 reeled out on a tractor was destroyed when BS5 mustered the tractor energy to break the link. Breaking a tractor link instantly kills a drogue, which is what the shuttle was. Undaunted, GS3 reels a shuttle out of his bay on a tractor, while GS5 does what he does best, namely shooting lots of ADDs at drones..

The saga of BS6: Green apparently had it in for Blue's Tholian. It started on IMP 1 with GS1 tractoring BS6. No doubt appreciating his position as the focus of Green's ire and firepower, BS6 popped out a snare firewall between it and GS1 and also lobbed a T-bomb into the middle of Green's fleet on IMP 1 as well. On IMP 2, BS6 HETed to the north, but too late to avoid a phaser strike on its weak #2 shield. On IMP 1, GS3 unloaded 4 P-1s (with help from a phaser fired as a P-3 from GS4) into BS6's #2 shield, taking the threadbare shield down, finishing the ship's hull, destroying 3 warp, 2 phasers, a trac, a bridge and torp. GS3 also launched two drones on IMPs 1 and 2. BS6 replied the following impulse with his remaining phasers and disruptor into GS1's #6 shield. On IMPs 3 and 4, GS4's drones impacted what otherwise would have been BS6's down Shield #2, but actually was his Shield #5. Then BS6's T-bomb goes up. The blast hit GS1, 3, and 5, narrowly missing GS4, tragically killing the last brave survivors of GS6 and the shuttle GS3 was reeling out of his bay.

The Saga of GS2: GS2, you'll recall, had his #4 shield hammered down on 4.32 by BS7's photons, setting up a reverse hack-and-slash. BS7 follows up with 3 P-1s. Perhaps anticipating this, GS4 uses his only non-blind sensor channel to put 4 points of static on BS7's line. Though BS7 kicks a couple of points into ECCM just before firing, GS4's OECM preserved his shipmate's EW shift at 3. Perhaps because of an expected heavy EW environment around GS2, BS7 shoots his last photon at GS3 instead. The roll of "1" would have hit GS2 but it's the only result that would, whereas BS7 had a 1-3 shot against GS3. You don't take 1-in-6 shots with OL photons unless you have no choice. BS7's phasers finished GS2's forward hull and impulse, along with another P-3 and lateral F-torp. The sensor hit could hurt GS2 down the line, but has no effect for now. BS1 did try to join in the fun with a P-1 of its own fired at GS2, but at range-8 the roll of "6" meant a clean miss even if the ship has no defensive EW, let alone 9 points of it. GS2 and GS3 did team up their phasers to try to break down BS7's #1 shield but they fell just a little short.

Update: Missing the damage to GS3 got me sitting down with Jim's shield damage tables to be sure my SSDs were up to date. I missed a number of cuts and scrapes, which have now all been added.

The Saga of GS3: GS3 had his fingers in a lot of pies. He cut loose with 4 P-1s on BS6, he put P-3s into a close-passing blue plasma, and he shot his last 2 P-1s at BS7. His biggest joy was scoring a nice volley on BS6, but even combined with GS2 his phasers didn't quite breach BS7's mine-damaged Shield #1. BS7 was determined to throw a punch back, returning GS3's phasers with his last OL Photon. It hit GS3's #5 shield which had taken some damage I had somehow missed recording. The result was 3 internals: a hull, warp, phaser.

IMP 00 Map Link: A lot of ships are working under serious limits on their speed. GS1, BS1 and BS4 all have weasels in their recent past and are getting their head of steam back. BS5 has effectively lost the ability to move anywhere from GS4's late-turn phaser shots. Fortunately, GS1 (and therefore the core of the battle) seems content to stay close by. Of Green's ships, only GS4 is posting better than moderate speed at turn-start (many Greens in the 9-12 range also). By contrast, every Blue ship that can have their engines revved is burning the antimatter. The sole exception is BS2, whose speed remains merely moderate.

The 5.00 maps are the first built by my new mapmaker. If there's something you like or something you like to see changed, let me know.

IMP 32 Map Link: Turn 4 is now history, and with it go a whole lot of EC plasmas, some ECM drones and both Green PFs. "Turn out the lights" got played for GS7.PF2 when a blue drone (BS7.S1.D6) set off a strategically placed Blue T-bomb. The blast went through an open shield, trashing all of the PF's plasma, warp and its phaser. Both PFs dropped the useless baggage that has been made of their warp drives and took the better part of valor via sublight evasion. Buh-bye. The PFs were a source of much frivolity and will be missed. Back to live action: BS7 thumps GS2's #4 hard with fully-overloaded twin photons, blowing it (the shield) down and scoring a couple of warp, couple of P-3's and a lateral plasma torp besides the inevitable bunch of hull. GS1 breaks its weasel protection to restart fire control and reel out a shuttle on a tractor beam while Blue puts out more drones than Green kills. Green's fleet is now huddled around their motionless leader (except the PFs who are quietly scooting away). Blue has spent a lot of firepower bloodying Green's nose but it (Green) is still a force to be reckoned with.

In a late-breaking addition, GS4 blinds 3 of his 4 sensor channels to count one last round of coup on BS5. If that ship has any "get up and go" left, it has just got up and went. A total of 8 points of damage was inflicted on BS5, 7 of it warp. The other took his last (only) APR.

On the tacint front, doubt (however small) only remains for BS1 and Blue's standoffish drone-chuckers. Everybody else has been solidly nailed down.

One other thing ends with Turn 4. For three FOG games now, I have used a JavaScript-based map-making tool written jointly by myself and Tim Sargent. The Impulse 32 maps will be the last generated by that tool. I will be retiring it in favor of a new version I have written in the programming language Python. What does that mean in practical terms? Nothing, really. The new version does everything the old one does (and hits the ground doing a few things the old one couldn't). I have fiddled with the map format in trivial ways but the real changes are primarily behind the scenes and would bore a non-programmer to tears, so I'll pass them by. The Python version should be something I can more easily add new features to and that's exactly what I intend to do.

IMP 28 Map Link: GS1 gets a touch of Mizia courtesy of BS6. Impulses 25 and 26 see a single P-1 fired through its down shield. The losses come down to 4 hull, 3 warp and one each of Phaser, Plasma, Trans and Bridge. After that, BS6 releases its tractor on GS1, and launches a weasel. GS7 finishes its resurfacing in time to destroy that shuttle (it was a suicide) before impact. BS1's big plasma impacts GS3 after running a 57-point gauntlet of phaser damage. BS1 follows up with a 30-point critter. But BS1 also has a surprise. Four explosive bolts blow away, revealing a couple of extra phasers and a couple of D-racks. It then shoots phasers at an inbound green plasma, taking the edge off it before it impacts. In other news, BS7 runs over a 10-point TB speed-bump and overkills an shuttle from GS3. BS3 reaches out, trying to loan EW to BS6, but isn't yet in range to actually close the deal.

IMP 24 Map Link: It's all about Green this time around. GS5 goes on another of his signature lock-on-breaking binges. His normal stellar performance is reduced to a 3 of 6 success rate this time around. The big news comes from Blue's attack of GS1. BS6 tractors GS1 and GS1 doesn't resist. Then the pain begins. BS6 launches a suicide shuttle that slams into GS1's threadbare Shield #3, finishing the shield, GS1's armor, and doing a scattering of internals. BS6 then extracts two P-1's worth of revenge for BS5, in total knocking out three phasers, a F-torp, a couple of warp and a control box. GS6 also decides to give GS1 a privacy screen using a snare to put the first cast web into play for any FOG game (and forcing me to make web counters). GS1 launches a new ECP for himself, but the damage is already done (so to speak). In other news, the other blue T-bomb near GS7.PF1 and GS7 explodes. GS7's shield #3 holds, but the GS7.PF1 has no facing shield left and is reduced to a smoking ruin. The explosion proves to be the depth-charge that drives GS7 to the surface and he beings to decloak. BS7 kicks his speed to 30 and his shuttle turns out to be a scatterpack, disgorging 6 new targets for GS5's lock-on-breaking. Also, GS3 whips out two more TBs, creating a min-TB wall that bars the way for BS1 and BS7 and BS7's drones.

IMP 20 Map Link: T-bombs, plasma and drones, oh my! 5 new Blue or Green T-bombs are placed on the board. BS1 completes the T-bomb wall all the way to the eastern map edge, presumably blocking GS7.PF2's northward escape route. BS5 and 6 each drop a T-bomb in the way of GS7.PF1, one of which has already gone off, flashcubing GS7 itself (only GS6 keeps lock-on). Green's sole TB contribution is GS2 transporting a T-bomb not far off GS1's position. Meanwhile, Blue's backfield three ships each pop off a drone (with BS4 also renewing its ECM drone). GS2 proves itself busy on the plasma front as it pops off a lateral F-torp to the north. BS1 both takes and gives plasma as a torp impacts its Shield #3 after taking some defensive phaser fire. At the same time, it launches its big R-torp southward. BS5 burns about the last of its much-reduced weapons battery (3 P-1's) scorching and killing GS1's ECP.

IMP 16 Map Link: The lone Green plasma takes a turn to the right, clarifying who it isn't after to some degree, BS6 gears down to speed-11 as it moves to reinforce BS5's position. BS1gets it back in gear, voiding his weasel and kicking up to speed-10. BS6 also drops its tractor on GS7.PF1, giving it one last phaser swat to send it on its way. No warp damage but the PF takes a heavy blow to its weapons suite. Both PFs have been positively IDed as a Centurion-Es, which should come as a surprise to just about nobody. In other news, GS3 gets a shiny, new ECP and BS7 launches a shuttle. No film at eleven.

An Apology: I apparently missed the fact that GS1 announced E-decel way back on IMP 2. My bad.

IMP 12 Map Link: A light turn damagewise. A few captains put their ships in gear (GS2, GS4), A few lowered shields raised (GS3, BS4). The big news is that BS5's plasma impacts GS1's #3 shield unopposed by phaser fire or reinforcement. The shield holds but there isn't much of it left. Bet Blue is wishing they had a hellbore ship about now... GS7.PF1's world gets rocked pretty hard by a plasma from BS1, which blows down the PF's #3 shield. The phaser followup (from BS6) is what hurts. It's only 6 internals, but GS7.PF1 still loses 5 warp (bad burnout roll, dude!) and a couple of plasma torps. In other news, GS3 launches a plasma northward but its target is anyone's guess. The only safe thing to say is it isn't BS5.

IMP 08 Map Link: Green plasma impacts BS1, but enough was pseudo that the shield hung in there. Day late and dollar short, BS1 weasels after launching a 20-point plasma. Meanwhile, BS5 tosses a PPT at GS1, but the Green Admiral doesn't take the bait. BS5 now has another 30-point torp en route. GS7.PF1 continues to squirm in BS6's tractor beam, firing a phaser into the Blue Tholian's damaged #2 Shield, but as with BS1, the shield doesn't go down. Finally, GS7 fires up his transmitter and bloviates for a moment, briefly voiding his cloak. Alas, no Blue ship retained lock-on.

IMP 04 Map Link: The turn starts off slowish, continuing where Turn 3 left off. More punishment for BS5, who loses a tough tractor auction with GS1 despite the range of 2, then gets drug over GS1's NSM. Blue's remaining uncrippled fighter is now confetti (but valiantly managed to get identifying tac-int data on GS5) and BS4 gets it in gear a predicable speed of 10, while GS1 abruptly slows to speed 12 (8 while dragging BS5). Green's PFs launch a bunch of plasma north and one of them cloaks (one of the PFs not one of the plasmas) while BS6 tractors the other one (PF, not plasma), transports out a T-bomb and gets hit by a plasma. Film at eleven.

IMP 00 Map Link: We have a big range of speeds for Turn 4. Four of our remaining 13 ships are going speed 0--some of them not by choice (BS1,4,5, GS7). Four more are plotting midrange speeds (BS2,3 and GS2,3). Two are going kinda fast (GS1,5) with a final three speed-demons (BS6, 7 and GS4). Green's got the faster average speed and with the promise of much Blue seeking weaponage this turn, nobody should be surprised. Blue shows a taste for the extremes, having more ships moving fastest and more ships moving slowest, both.

04/28/ 2005: I got my Tac-Intel answers. All SSDs have been updated to current tac-intel. We know with certainty what GS1, BS5 and Blue's fighters are with plenty of other updates.

IMP 32 Map Link: Green gets some retribution for GS6. BS5 pays the first two installments of the price for his one-man freebooting adventure as GS1 makes his way over there and puts a solid blast of phasers into his (BS5, not GS1)shield #5 and does significant internals, as well as slapping a tractor beam on him (BS5, not GS1). BS5 does attempt to launch some shuttles for fire support prior to the tractor, but all that does is trigger the T-Bomb GS1 had transported next to him off his down shield (BS5, not GS1), resulting in 10 internals more hurt. GS1 shoots one final phaser at BS5, but it strikes BS5's still-functioning #4 shield. Given that GS5 is one hex away from BS5 I just assume that there is no tac-intel secrecy left and have posted BS5's complete SSD. The question now is: What's GS1? Expect a complete tac-intel update after I get a few answers from the moderator.

Much fireworks connected to Blue's command ship also as BS1 E-Decels and weasels just in the nick of time. The shuttle got to move on IMP 32 sparing the big Gorn even collateral damage. In other news, Blue just can't seem to stand not having some drones on the board. BS2 cuts loose the post-e-decelled deadweight of BS4, who promptly shoots off drones (not at BS2). Also launching drones is the remaining intact Blue fighter. The fighter and the drones thread the gap between Green's two Klingons, a dangerous move for both fighter and drones. One of the fighter's three (?!?) drones pays the price. Both Blue fighters go erratic on IMP 32. The fighter does get off its twin P-3's at GS4, scorching its #4 for 2.

04/12/ 2005: Per a suggestion by Tos Crawford, I have added a link to the map referenced by each set of blog comments. I had the idea that this might eliminate the need for the big map archive.part of my page. Click here to check it out. Comments welcome.

GS6 is no more. Its death came suddenly for all of us. One minute it was fine, ESGs warming up, free of GS1's deadweight and eager for mayhem, then 120 points of plasma from BS5's drogues turn him into an instant plasma-cloud. Survivors are presumed crammed into GS6.S1 as CD was declared. Score one for Blue who looked to be marginally taking the worst end of the engagement to date. Apparently the "plasma-SP" trick are drogues, something I didn't pick up on previously. This continues a tradition from FOG2 where Blue's "NO PRISONERS" attitude toward enemy ships first showed itself. This may have been wise as GS6 stopped towing GS1 and appeared to be setting up for an ESG ram. The blast from GS6 rocks GS1, GS7 and both Green PFs but does little damage. GS7.PF2 took the worst of it, losing its aft shield and a warp engine. It had already taken a F-torp (from BS5) in the face. All in all, GS7.PF2 is still functional but down a plasma and 5 of 12 warp. Green's anti-drogue measures (a combination of phasers plus bolted and non-bolted plasma, come in a little late, destroying one drogue and damaging the other well after their fatal twin plasma launches.

Meanwhile, GS7 announces E-Decel, its drogue launches plasma northward, (to which GS1 and GS7 add F-torps), fires some phasers at GS5 and begins to cloak (The E-Decel actually comes BEFORE BS5 launched GS6's death-blow). Also, GS5's disruptors thump Blue's remaining good fighter for 6 points of damage (3 Disrs, 3 hits and a pay raise for the weapons officer) Switching over to the Blue side, much Green plasma hits BS1. Seems like 10-12 points of damage was the rule whether it's one plasma (GS3.P6-10 points) or all 6 D-torps from Green's plasma-drogue (12 points). Same thing for a BS1 plasma impacting GS5 (10 points of plasma, 6 points of actual shield damage). Finally, BS6 contributes to another FOG tradition. TB walls have formed in all FOG games to date. One side starts a wall and, inevitably it seems, the other side adds to it.

IMP 24 Map Link: BS4's uncorks a lock-on-breaking frenzy and scores a 1-for-6 kill ratio on Green's drones. In fairness, it would have been 50-50 except two drones simply refused to be broken. BS2 has been kind enough to tractor BS4 till he gets his wind back. GS7's tractored shuttle launches a couple of plasmas (along with one from GS7 itself) while BS5 tractors out two shuttles of its own. BS1's big 50-point plasma finally came in range to be phasered and GS5 cuts loose with a 31 point phaser hose. GS4 does the same thing to the torp chasing it, scorching it for 19-points. It is reduced to a manageable 8-point shot to Shield #5. Meanwhile, BS7 continues to dance a jig with a green plasma that has turned out to be a phantom. The plasma actually impacted on IMP 18 and Cheredon's utility didn't notice. This is its last dance.

IMP 20 Map Link: BS1's plasmas take a sharp turn left and start sniffing after GS4, one of Green's Klingons. Unconsciously returning the favor, GS4 lobs drones in behind all that plasma headed for BS1. More plasma fireworks as more Green plasma impacts BS5's weasel explosion, while the remaining good Blue fighter pops a chaff pack and shakes his pursuers. Once again BS7 finds himself cruising right next to a plasma. One has to wonder what its target is. Maybe BS7 should call himself "Dances with Plasma?" Maybe not.

02/10/05: I added a "Weasel Explosion" counter for each race and redid the IMP 3.16 maps, adding the new counter and deleting plasmas that had impacted the two Blue weasels.

IMP 16 Map Link: BS4 and BS5 escape certain death (or at least certain serious internal damage) by well-timed and also synchronized E-Decels followed by weasels. Nonplussed, Green launches still more plasma, presumably at other targets. In this case, the source appears to be an improvised plasma-SP. Meanwhile, the north-turning Green Klingon thinks better of helping out the ISC peaceniks and turns south to join the slow-motion rundown of GS5 (now stopped), who will no doubt find that frying pans and fires and never far between. Green finally manages to cripple one of Blue's fighters with more disruptor fire. Never a Carnovon around when you need a hound to go grab the duck and bring it back...

IMP 12 Map Link: Green slows down, Blue speeds up. Most Green ships are now in the low end of their teens for speed, while just abut every Blue is booking at 24 or faster. In the face of Green's plasma onslaught, Blue's fleet cohesion breaks down as the Fed DW and Tholian go one way, the two Gorns go two different ways and the remaining Fed + Kzintis go a fourth way. Blue's Fed DW finds itself sharing a hex with an enemy plasma (unusual for such an experience to last long) Meanwhile, the ISC ships turn southwest behind their T-bomb screen. The other Fed and one of the Kzintis started slipping to delay the inevitable plasma impacts and it looks like some plasma is going to pass them by. Not wishing to be left out, Blue's Gorn DN has popped off some plasma of its own. Perhaps that's why one of the ISCs is trailing a shuttle? In other news, Green's swarm of southeast-pointing plasma has almost caught up with Blue's cut-off and alone Gorn CL (BS5), who has launched a plasma of his own back at his pursuers. Expect fireworks next time unless BS5 can cobble together a Dis-Dev.

IMP 08 Map Link: Green continues to add to the amount of plasma on the field as its core fleet splits. The remaining ISC turns northwest after its brother, also one of the back-field Klingons is turning north, following the path of the bulk of Blue's fleet (along with most of Green's plasma), while GS1 and 6 turn SE, toward GS7, the PFs, BS5 and Blue's fighters. It's unclear how much of Green's plasma outlay is going into BS1's face as it bravely charges forward to confront opponents who are now all running in other directions, all away from BS1.

IMP 04 Map Link: GS2 puts up a desperate screen of plasma and T-bombs to block Blue's advance while the main body of Green presses forward. Looks like BS1 is the welcome wagon. Meanwhile, BS5 seems to be pulling a flanking action. Looks like a duel brewing between BS5 and GS7 with nearby fighters and PF turning it into a small donnybrook all its own.

IMP 00 Map Link: Blue seems strangely unafraid of Green's new plasma with units in the main formation going speed-16. Only stragglers and fighters are moving at or above 20. Most of Green is pouring on the coal. Nice to see that both admirals lead their attacks from the front as Green's DN positions itself as the spearhead of Green's strike. Meanwhile, BS4 and BS3.F1 lock onto the ever-elusive GS7.

IMP 32 Map Link: The turn ends with Green putting some plasma on the board (50-pointer from GS1 and 20 pointers from GS2 and 3). BS2 also scratches GS2's #2 shield for 3. That R-torp may not vaporize as easily as those Green S-torps...

IMP 28 Map Link: Blue's fighters continue to run from Green plasma (no chaffing an F-torp) while all of Green's disruptor boats yell "pull!" and take shots at them. In other news, the final Green TB goes up and they clean up the last of the immediate-threat drones and Blue seems to be muddling toward something like a formation.

IMP 24 Map Link: Blue's two fighters, who were on a flanking action, launch four drones and run. Blue's forces are getting increasingly scattered as the DN fights to catch up with the CL and the Tholian hanging out with them turns toward the Green fleet. Their back-echelon forces have fractured into two groups. In the meantime, Green's T-bomb fireworks claim some Blue drones, others are lock-broken and some even have D-torps tracking them (unless the PFs have gone rogue) GS6 decides he liked the fireworks and drops a T-bomb for more. Blue's nearby drones are in for a brief show. Meanwhile, GS7 finishes re-cloaking (something I missed last time) The PFs re-dock at the last possible moment. BS4 retains lock-on.

IMP 20 Map Link: The Green PFs waste no time popping off plasma. A nifty composition of 10's and 20s, all speed-40. In possibly-related events, Green's anti-drone planning moves into full swing as drones are labbed, lock-on-broken, phasered, and will soon be T-bombed. Meanwhile, Blue's Gorns and Tholian head south as its Feds and Kzintis (mostly) turn north. BS4 suddenly lights up with ECCM and gets a few more pieces of the Tac-Intel puzzle

IMP 16 Map Link: The Green plasma impacts and most of it is pseudo. The one real torp hits for more than I thought it would. Go figure. Green was holding back, as careful observers might have already figured. Since most of Green's units have dropped to speed-14, look for a hot time in the old town on Turn 3. In the meantime, the mysterious GS7 begins to de-cloak, and drops off a couple of PF who show solidarity with the mother ship by also starting to de-cloak. GS7 also launches a shuttle tractored before it even leaves the bay. The current PF counters are place-holders as there is no tac-ntel data available on them (the PFs) yet.

IMP 12 Map Link: BS1 gets by with a little (tractor) help from a friend and keeps ahead of the plasmas for one more set of downs. If my calculations are right (and they may not be), the plasmas will impact BS1 on IMP15 for 1 point apiece (those that are real, anyway). Meanwhile, the main body Green's fleet re-forms with the Klinks making a wide turn to catch up and GS7 doing his own thing near the main body.

IMP 08 Map Link: After taking a whole bunch of Green phasers, Blue's plasma impact two of their three targets. Torps slam into the Klingons, doing only shield damage. The plasma targeted on GS3 turned out to be a pseudo. Barring something unusual, we should see how Green's plasma fare against Blue.

IMP 04 Map Link: Cue ominous music. The Green klinks and one of their ISC are about to get themselves nudged by Blue's plasma. Meanwhile, the bulk of Green's plasma has begun to bunch up. Look forward to fireworks next time, folks! Oh, BTW, no new Tac-Intel.

IMP 00 Map Link: Annnd we're off! 5 out of 7 Green ships are peeling out 29, to run out the inbound Blue plasma. The slowpokes are running at 16 and 17. Blue speeds are rather similar at 23-24 for the plasma-chuckers, the Tholian and the small Fed and 16 for the rest.

IMP 32 Map Link: The distance between the Green fleet and the aggressive part of Blue continues to open while Blue's standoffish other half has seriously uncorked some drones. This caused a brief moment of controversy, but was resolved just as fast. Then Green suddenly remembered they had weapons other than seeking ones. The mini-orgy of destruction sees GS1 and 2 phasering the incoming Blue plasma and GS5 taking a twin disruptor shot in the dark at BS4 and scoring a quick four points of damage. First-shield to Green! It'll be interesting to see who gets first blood.

More good tac-intel info for Green. At the last possible moment, they get coarse-hull identification on all unknown Blue ships. GS2 is a Kzinti Tug hull, GS4 is a Fed CL hull, GS7 is Fed DW hull. Now that all hull types are known, let the Green number-crunch begin.

IMP 28 Map Link: Now the plasma combatants part ways again, running from the collective plasma launched at them by the enemy. It's a footrace now and the plasmas have the better sneakers on. Meanwhile Blue ships start launching drones.

Tac-Intel has something for everybody: The cloaked Green Rom is IDed as a Skyhawk hull and a non-cloaked Blue Kzinti is pegged as a NCA hull. SSD updates to follow as SSDs are updated. Update - Running the Tac-Intel numbers impulse by impulse, an IMP 25 ECCM loan briefly allowed BS1 to positively nail GS1 as a Rom Vulture hull. After starting off slow at the ship ID game, Blue now has coarse-hull info on all Green ships.

IMP 24 Map Link: At last: action! Both sides open up their respective cans of plasma whoopass. Speed-40 fun for all. Meanwhile the Blue backfield starts launching drones. What does it mean that the Green ECM plasma isn't loaning to the cloaked ship?. Is it loaning to something else? Tune in tomorrow... Update - ECPs can't loan to cloaked ships. (Answer courtesy of Dave Crew). That'd really suck if we were using hidden cloaking, having this plasma following you around everywhere like an annoying little brother?

On the Tac-intel front, the Blue fleet looks pretty firm at 2x Feds, 2x Gorns, 2x Zinti with a side-order of Tholian.

IMP 20 Map Link: The Green fleet now looks pretty firm at 2x Roms, 2x Klinks, 2x ISC, and a side order of Lyran. Exactly WHAT the ships are is now the thing.

IMP 16 Map Link: We're halfway through the first turn and the most exciting thing to report is that Blue now has a trickle of new tac-intel information.

IMP 12 Map Link: I decided to pull the hulls where race was known but coarse hull wasn't. You can still click on the Question marks and get what should be current tac-intel info. I'll try to keep it updated but final tac-intel authority is Cheredon's site, so check there to see if more info has come up that I forgot to post.

IMP 0-08 08 Map Link 04 Map Link: These comments are lost to the world. Suffice it to say with ships over 40 hexes apart most of it was "We're off!", then covering every minor change in tac-intel like it was big news. There is no IMP 00 map because there wasn't enough tac-intel info to tell where everybody was exactly.