Final 4 Round – Rated Ace Ken Rodeghero (Romulan Firehawk)

I went into this match a bit worried, since I think a Romulan, if played carefully, can cause the Orion a lot of engine problems if it plays the EPT game after the first exchange of internals. It also did not help that Ken was getting advice from Bill Schoeller, who just a few rounds earlier went toe-to-toe in his Firehawk against Paul Scott’s Orion Hellboat and barely lost. I was tempted to take the F-torp package for surprise but decided in the end to go conventional.

Turn 1: I doubled 1 engine and did a 16/31 split. I put 4 into tractors and 8 into general reinforcement and held a suicide and a weasel. Ken also did a 16/31 split, crossed my T and launched an EPT at around range 10 on impulse 22. I went forward a few hexes, then turned right to keep Ken in my FA and kept charging until Ken turned off at which point I turned and ran.

Turn 2: I doubled only 1 engine again and did a 31/26/31 split with 7 reinforcement on my #2. I ran out the EPT while Ken turned back towards me to chase at long range. Ken went 26 most of the turn. On impulse 19, I was close to the bottom of the map with Ken at the middle. At around range 13, Ken launched an S and an F. I timed my movement so that it would hit my brick on impulse 31 (11 hexes) after phasering. On impulse 30, I reduced the F to 0 with 6p3s and another 5p3s on the S took it down to 13. It was fake. I ended the turn near the middle of the map.

Turn 3: I doubled both warp to chase him down if he did not cloak. I plotted 26 all turn with 3 pts into tracs and no brick (had to recharge phasers). He announced speed 16 and on impulse 1, he launched an EPT. This meant that he was not going to cloak. I slammed the EPT at full and chased him to the top of the map. He turned right to skate the wall and launched his other f-torp, which I took on my #5 after phasering it down a bit to avoid internals. When I got to range 2 on his #3, he fired 4p1s and 3p3s to do 12 internals including 2 impulse engines. Next impulse, he slammed the wall and popped the weasel. I took a range 1 alpha under weasel, firing a std hellbore in the first option and an OL in the second, missing with the standard. I ended up doing 16 + 15 internals through his #4 and knocked out all 4 p3s and 1 f-torp. We ended the turn about 4 hexes apart with Ken still under weasel.

Turn 4: I doubled one engine and I ran to rearm thinking he might have another EPT. Ken went speed 9 most of the turn. At around impulse 28 range 12, he launched an EPT. Ken fixed one box on his down #4.

Turn 5: I doubled one engine again and spent much of the turn running out the EPT, while Ken moved speed 14 most of the turn. I fixed shield boxes on my 2 down shields. Ken fixed another box on his down #4.

Turn 6: Now down to only 19 warp and 1 impulse, I doubled 1 again and expected to run from yet another EPT. I started out on the left edge of the map and turned towards Ken. The EPT came out around impulse 4, and I ran again. I fixed shield boxes on my 2 down shields. At this point, I was starting to get a little desperate. With 2 shields down, I could not afford to slam through that EPT unless I was assured of dealing a killing blow. Ken had been playing a masterful game so far with EPTs after the first exchange of internals.

Turn 7: I was near the middle top of the map with one engine doubled. I went 16/19, trying to keep range so that he would not launch the plasma until later in the turn, where I would have the option of weaseling very early next turn. He ended up launching on impulse 22, herding me to the upper right corner. I fixed shield boxes on my 2 down shields. Ken fixed an f-torp.

Turn 8: I decided to juke the plasma instead of weaseling since I could no longer wait due to him rearming another F torp. I burned both warp. I HETed and juked the EPT on impulse 2. I then gave chase. Ken moved speed 16/26. I got to range 8 on impulse 27 and fired 4p1s. On impulse 32, I fired an OL hellbore and standard hellbore at range 6, hitting with only the standard and doing 4 internals. I fixed one box on my #1. I wanted to prepare myself to eat the next EPT.

Turn 9: I doubled both warp again for 35 power total. I was hoping that Ken would think that I would run that turn and re-arm, as it looked to be a reasonable thing to do. I decided to gamble and come in to fight without the Bores. On impulse 2, Ken turned in to get me in arc of his front plasma but did not launch. I waited until I was out of his front plasma arc before turning in to engage. It turns out, Ken planned to herd me to a corner and EPT me to death next turn. As I approached, I waited for a HET, which did not come since he had no batteries left and did not pre-allocate it. So I was able to cruise on in and get his down #4 at close range to end the game. Whew! That was extremely tough and I felt fortunate to have made it past this round. Had Ken known that I was coming in, he would have likely won the game.