Boxx Playtest Game #1:
John Trauger vs. Darryl Gilpin

<---Click on image for full view ---> 
John Trauger in the WYN GBS (1B)
Darryl Gilpin in the Andromedan Boxx
Moderated by Jonathan Dean
Start date 8/13/98.
Last update 1/20/99.
Current Impulse 1.32
Turn 1
Turn 2
Commentary

TURN ONE

BX1.1.32 SITREP
John Trauger, WYN GBS (1B) / vorlon@vorlonagent.com
Darryl Gilpin, Andromedan TBO / djgilpin@scotiabank.com

CURRENT SITUATION
SHIP         HEX      SPEED     NOTES
==============================================
WYN TCA      1713D     16
AND TBO      2418D     30
WD/1          n/a      n/a      Launched 1.17, destroyed 1.28.
WD/2          n/a      n/a      Launched 1.17, destroyed 1.26.
WD/3          n/a      n/a      Launched 1.21, destroyed 1.28.
T-bomb        n/a      n/a      Transported 1.25, destroyed 1.28.

MOVEMENT:

IMP    WYN     AND    WD/1   WD/2    WD/3
===========================================
START  1701D   2530A
1      -----   -----
2      -----   2429A
3      1702D   -----
4      -----   2329F
5      -----   2228F
6      1703D   -----
7      -----   -----
8      1704D   2128F
9      -----   2027F
10     1705D   1927F
11     -----   1826F
12     1706D   1726F
13     -----   -----
14     -----   1625F
15     1707D   1525F
16     -----   1424F
17     -----   1423A  1707D* 1707D*
18     1807D   1523A  1708D  1708D
19     -----   1522A  -----  1709D
20     1808D   1421A  1709D  1710D
21     -----   1420A  1710D  1610D   1808D*
22     1909D   1419A  -----  1611D   1809D
23     -----   1519B  1711D  1612D   1810D
24     1910D   1618B  1712D  1613D   1811D
25     -----   1718B  -----  1714C   1812D
26     1810D   1717B  1713D  1715D@  1813D
27     -----   1816B  -----          1814D
28     1811D   1917B  1813C@         1915C@
29     -----   1916A
30     1712D   1815A
31     -----   1814A
32     1713D   1815D
              (2418D)

*Launched this impulse
@Destroyed this impulse
()displaced.

IMP ACTIVITIES:
0   WYN announces speed 15.
    AND announces speed 21.
4   WYN announces speed change to 16.
5   WYN accelerates to speed 16.
6   AND announces speed change to 27.
7   AND accelerates to speed 27.
13  WYN announces speed change to 15.
14  WYN decelerates to speed 15.
17  WYN launches drone, WD/1, direction "D", speed 20.
    WYN launches drone, WD/2, direction "D", speed 32.
19  AND announces speed change to 30.
20  AND accelerates to speed 30.
21  WYN announces speed change to 16.
    WYN launches drone, WD/3, direction "D", speed 32.
22  WYN accelerates to speed 16.
25  AND transports T-bomb to hex 1814.
26  AND fires ph-2 (3) at WD/2.  Roll: 4
    WD/2 takes 4 damage and is destroyed.
27  AND announces speed change to 28.
28  AND decelerates to speed 28.
    T-bomb detonates.  
    WD/1, WD/3 take 10 points of damage and are destroyed.
30  WYN fires OL Disruptors (A-D) at AND.
    Range 4.  Rolls: 1, 3, 4, 2.  
    AND takes 32 damage to front PAs [1 leak, 6 degradation, 25 power].
31  WYN fires ph-3s (1-3) at AND.
    Range 3.  Rolls: 1, 4, 6.  
    AND takes 3 damage to front PAs [1 degradation, 2 power].
    AND raises PAs to reinforced.
    AND fires TRLs (A-C), ph-2s (1-2,4) at WYN.
    Range 3.  Rolls: TRL (3,1,2), ph-2s (4,2,2).  
    WYN takes 41 damage to shield #1, 5 reinforcement, 6 internals.
    Internal Rolls: 5, 10, 12, 9, 7, 10
    Internals:  FHull, LWarp, RWarp, AuxCon, Tractor, Phaser-3 (1)
32  AND HETs to direction "D", bonus used.
    AND conducts H-R raid against APR.  Unguarded.
    Roll:  2.  System and BP destroyed.
    Andromedan announces activation of DisDev, facing shield #6.
    WYN fires ph-1s (4-9, E) at AND.
    Range 3.  Rolls: 4, 3, 1, 6, 1, 5, 5.
    AND takes 31 damage to rear PAs [1 leak, 6 degradation, 24 power].
    AND fires TRL(D), ph-2s (5-6).
    Range 3.  Rolls: TRL (2), ph-2s (1,6)
    WYN takes 17 damage to shield #1.
    Internal rolls: 4, 2, 5, 7, 7, 10, 3, 9, 9, 6, 10, 8, 8, 6, 4, 8,10.
    Internals:  5xFHull, 3xAHull, 2xLWarp, RWarp, Trans, Tractor, Bridge,
    2xPhaser(2,3), Drone(F).
    Andromedan displaces to hex 2418D.


WYN shields status: ( 0/30/24/24/24/30)

PA Panel status:

Front [up, reinf.] (27p,  7d, 26c)
Rear  [up, reinf.] (24p,  6d, 10c)

Need SOP for 1.32-1.32 from WYN/AND.  In particular EOT panel actions.

TURN TWO

BX1.2.1 SITREP
John Trauger, WYN GBS (1B) / vorlon@vorlonagent.com
Darryl Gilpin, Andromedan TBO / djgilpin@scotiabank.com

CURRENT SITUATION
SHIP         HEX      SPEED     NOTES
==============================================
WYN TCA      1713D     12
AND TBO      2418D     28

MOVEMENT:

IMP    WYN     AND  
====================
START  1713D   2418D
1      -----   -----

IMP ACTIVITIES:
0   WYN announces speed 12.
    AND announces speed 28.


WYN shields status: ( 0/30/24/24/24/30)

PA Panel status:

Front [up, reinf.] (18p,  7d, 35c)
Rear  [up, reinf.] (18p,  6d, 16c)
 
Game:  BX1 Boxx test   Turn: 3  Impulse: 0 Status: Game Dead
 

In Corner #1: Weighing 135,000 tons, Representing a very bad test-pun, Darryl Gilpin in the Andomedan Boxx TCX

In Corner #2: Weighing 174,000 tons, Representing the galaxy's local cluster-sharks, John Trauger in the WYN Great Black shark TC
Yep, it's me in the 3-drone WYN again.  This time, the opponent is an Andro whose Dis-Dev can't fail.  I never understood player objections to the Dis-Dev *missing*.  Sure, they say it "puts the game on a single die roll", but I don't understand why it gets under their skin so much when they're the ones *FIGHTING* the Andro.  A NEVER-FAIL Dis-Dev is better?!?  Facing an Andro, I plan for him to Dis-Dev successfully.  That's what you've got to do. If the best you can do is pray for a D-D failure, you may as well concede the game on the spot. 

The Boxx has only 2 modifications over the standard Andro: 1) the dis-dev doesn't fail. 2) The Boxx has 4x TRL instead of 2x TRH.  It shakes out at 2x FH TRL, 1x LS TRL, 1x RS TRL., which makes it harder to use all 4 in attack run and takes the edge off the Andro's power curve.  If the standard Andro is slightly overgunned (as some have complained), I think the Boxx probably still is. The LS/RS TLRs balance the loss of D-D failure.  I just don't think there's anything left over to balance any advantage the Krait walks in with.  Crucial is how much advantage the lack of DD failure really is.  I think I have the odds slightly against me, but that won't stop me from trying my best to blow his doors off.  :) 

My opponent is my former HR4089 moderator Darryl Gilpin, who suffered through 8 turns of my ISC plasma dance with Maj Farsi's 4-drone WYN.  Darryl is a rated ace in the Archeo-Tholian. 

I picked the 3-drone GBS because I got beaten by a standard Andro flying a GBS in the first round of HR3.  I'm looking for a little payback.  I thought long and hard about what went wrong and I want to see how much I've learned. 

Turn 1
IMP 16: As is often the case, the first half of the turn was a yawner.  Darryl has cut across my bow in according with standard tactical doctrine off the Andro page.  In the (slightly altered) words of Maxwell Smart, "The old 'S' maneuver.  Third time I've seen it this week."  When you're through playing, I'll be in the center of the board waiting for you, Darryl. 
IMP 17: He turned back to A!.  This threw me at first.  Then I understood.  Standard Andro S-tactics revolve around those FH heavy weapons arcs. Darryl is setting up a centerline pass so he gets all 4 guns on me.  Hmmm...Andro gets a sitrep when I sideslip.  Guess the Andro is real picky about where I go.  :) 
Naughty Moderator forgot about my drone launches.  Rewind back to 17... 

Well, my opponent is FINALLY back! 

Seems he thought his wife having a baby was more important than this game! 

Some people have no sense of priority. 

IMP 26:  It's really hard to see what the break is about.  I think it's another sideslip break.  The Andro dropped a T-bomb in the way of my drones.  You'd think he didn't want to lose phaser firepower or something.  Sheeze, if THAT was what he was worried about he needn't have fried that incoming drone. 

But it took him 2 phasers.  :) 
IMP 27: Andro going to speed 28: No surprise.  28-32 speed 28's as good as 31 and gives him a better turn mode. 
IMP 28:  BOOM!  He blew his T-bomb on 2 drones.  Hey, I'm happy that the damned thing is out of the way with... 
IMP 30: Have some disruptors, you experimental, extra-galactic scum!  I hit with all 4 too!  He didn't announce displacement so I'm holding phasers in reserve. 
IMP 31: No displacement yet, but I figure that I'd better shoot some P-3's or loose 'em.  This was a reasonably good move as the Andro cut loose with the 3 facing TRL's.  They blew through my front shield and killed the front P-3. 
IMP 32: HET to bring his offside P-2's and TRL to bear.  I figured he's do this and decided I'd let him in order to heat up his rear panels so I could pursue and dog him nest turn.  This, in retrospect, was a mistake.  I should have heaped the P-1s on his forward panels, blown through and taken my internals up front.  That would have allowed me to turn a fresh shield to what happened next.  Not only did I take 17 internals from his weapons, He hit-and-ran an APR, which sucks mightily.  I'm flyable, but I'm down at total of  6 power, 3 P-3's and a drone rack (not forgetting tons of hull, bridge, etc) for my trouble. I got his rear panels nice through.  10 short of filling it entirely.  My mistake was an addition one.  I was somehow possessed to think he'd be at range 8 after displacing (remember his DD never fails).  Unfortunately, 3+6 is still 9 and overload range is still 8.  I'm not out of it by any means  I can still make life unpleasant next turn and possibly crest his rear panels anyway. 

Turn 2
Or maybe not.  I have been reminded by my opponent that my maximum possible speed has dropped from 31 to 26 from engine damage.  I can't pace him to IMP 9 like I originally planned so I'm gonna recharge stuff and poke along at 12.  He's jetting at 28 with a probable IMP 8 speed change to 31.  But I can stop him from dumping, anyway... 

Nightshade's working full time on HR5 so this has been back-burnered.  We'll get back to it.  No hurry.

6/4/99: since Steve Cole's made his changes to the official Tourney Andro, odds are this game is a dead issue.

This game is a dead issue.  Darryl Gilpin definitely had the edge on me and probably would have won.  Then again, I didn't think the Boxx's determents balanced out its advantages, so I have an "out" for my pride.

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