Red Alert: Crystalline Entity 3

[Morgan Shackelford]

Incoming sub space signal relayed from Starfleet Command via 7th Fleet HQ
Message follows

/PRIORITY ONE ENCODED
STARDATE 2411.07.25
MSGID ALERT
TO ALL HANDS
FR UFPHQ
SUBJ ALERT STATUS RED

STARBASE 39 CONTINUING TO TRACK ANAMOLY
ANAMOLY POSITIVELY IDENTIFIED AS A CRYSTALLINE ENTITY
DESIGNATED CE3

CE3 REMAINS ON SOL INTERCEPT COURSE

7TH FLEET PLACED ON RED ALERT
RALLY AND SUPPLY SB39 PRIOR TO ENGAGEMENT OF CE3
OPERATION TIME SET STARDATE 2411.07.29, 2030 EST
CONTINUED OPS SET STARDATE 2411.07.30, 2030 EST

STATIC DEFENSE ADVISED
ENERGY WEAPONS ONLY

GOOD LUCK, WE'RE ALL COUNTING ON YOU

//SB1 SENDS

[Ezreq Blodvaerd]

Star Base 39....USS Squall is in route, eta 21:00 hours stardate: 2410.07.25

[Morgan Shackelford]

For this attempt at the Crystalline Entity, we are going to try a different strategy.

Rather than constantly circling and kiting the shards, we will set up the fleet in a static formation, and kill the shards as the approach us.

All Escort captains will need to fit a heavy configuration of cannons, and have a few rotations of Cannon: Scatter Volley available from their Bridge Officers. The idea is to maintain a constant barrage of Scatter Volley's from the various escorts available, creating a wall of sustained energy weapons fire that the shard adds cannot survive.

Science captains may want to try gravity wells as a means of slowing the shards and pulling them into killing zones for the escorts; though it is unclear if this strategy will work on the shards - but, it's worth a try.

All non-Escort captains should fit a variety of beam arrays and have rotations of both Beam: Overload and Beam: Fire at Will available. Fire at Will should assist the Escorts with taking down the shards as they spawn and head to the formation; overloads should only be used on the Entity itself.

Engineers and Science captains with hull and shield heals should be prepared to heal whomever is being hit with the CE's beam attack.

Even with all the Escorts firing on the shards, this may not be enough. ALL Captains should be prepared to switch to killing shards until we find the right combination of ships firing on the shards that will keep them from penetrating our formation.

[Cleo Mavendorf]

EMERGENCY HAIL USS LEYTE GULF:

Any vessel in range this is the Leyte Gulf...we have engaged the CE and have suffered severe damage...warp engines, weapons and shields are offline...life support holding at emergency levels...request urgent assistance...medical personnel are needed as we have a large number of injured crewmen...we are making best speed on impulse engines to SB39...Mavendorf out

((Will likely be working Friday night so the Gulf had the misfortune to encounter the CE and was badly damaged if I can't make it...if I can make it she received emergency repairs!))

[AUGERSON U.S.M.C. (Ret)]

U.S.S. MarDet on station....

MaJGen Augerson//send//

[Tokyo007]

USS Hoplite on station. Configurations made to support mission objectives.

//CDR. Jones sends

[CAPT Huckabee]

Good news. I'm able to get off so I'll be there :D

[Jason32]

sparrow794 wrote:

For this attempt at the Crystalline Entity, we are going to try a different strategy. Rather than constantly circling and kiting the shards, we will set up the fleet in a static formation, and kill the shards as the approach us. All Escort captains will need to fit a heavy configuration of cannons, and have a few rotations of Cannon: Scatter Volley available from their Bridge Officers. The idea is to maintain a constant barrage of Scatter Volley's from the various escorts available, creating a wall of sustained energy weapons fire that the shard adds cannot survive. Science captains may want to try gravity wells as a means of slowing the shards and pulling them into killing zones for the escorts; though it is unclear if this strategy will work on the shards - but, it's worth a try. All non-Escort captains should fit a variety of beam arrays and have rotations of both Beam: Overload and Beam: Fire at Will available. Fire at Will should assist the Escorts with taking down the shards as they spawn and head to the formation; overloads should only be used on the Entity itself. Engineers and Science captains with hull and shield heals should be prepared to heal whomever is being hit with the CE's beam attack. Even with all the Escorts firing on the shards, this may not be enough. ALL Captains should be prepared to switch to killing shards until we find the right combination of ships firing on the shards that will keep them from penetrating our formation.

Sir, I am not 100% sure if Gravity Well will have the desired effect, but I will log into a CE instance tonight and test it out so we aren't surprised Friday. I do highly suggest the use of Scramble Sensors for SCI ships. When used against the CE itself, nearly every Large Fragment will stop all movement, and ALL Fragments will cease their ability to explode upon impact with any other object. Once the debuff wears off, anything within 1 km of the Fragments will cause it to explode as usual.

I also recommend the use of Sensor Scan for SCI ships. Sensor Scan gives the CE a damage resistance debuff and all enemies within proximity of it. Equipping a Deflector Dish and Consoles that increase Sensors, Sensor Array or Starship Operations stats will increase the effectiveness of this ability. The Science Team ability will also increase the strength of your debuff.

[CAPT Huckabee]

If looking for options just in case, I have some 2 cents to throw if you dont mind sir.

When I jumped in it just to play around 2 weeks ago flying the North Carolina I was using a somewhat hit and run tactic. I would buff up my cannon rapid fires, my high yield and beam overload III's and attack straight at it with guns blazing, fly right past it up and to past 10k if needed, and turn around and hammer it again, repeating this process. My speed was set around 58-59 I think. With careful attention I was able to out run and dodge the fragments with decent effect. It also seemed that the fragments would break off at 10k. I'm sure at least one of the 6 other ships was helping out by knockin some off my back so not sure how effective this option might be due to lack of ships I had with me when testing. I do know that only died at most 4 times during the hour and half I was there, and that was when it was just 5 of us left in room.

And if this option was tried before by the 7th......well I'll give ya 2 cents and a quarter back for you having to read that

[CAPT Huckabee]

sparrow794 wrote:

All Escort captains will need to fit a heavy configuration of cannons, and have a few rotations of Cannon: Scatter Volley available from their Bridge Officers. The idea is to maintain a constant barrage of Scatter Volley's from the various escorts available, creating a wall of sustained energy weapons fire that the shard adds cannot survive.

Since going with this sir, would you also like the North Carolina to be equipped with Torpedo Spreads?

[Morgan Shackelford]

Huckabee14 wrote:

Since going with this sir, would you also like the North Carolina to be equipped with Torpedo Spreads?

As long as the torpedoes aren't being used on the CE itself.

[Jason32]

Well, I made 3 attempts to get into a CE Fleet Action and test a few science skills to no avail. I simply couldn't get 5 people to join in. I guess the reputation of the CE is still the same as it was when the game first started!

-Jason

[FLTCAPT Savar]

My wife and I are going on a much needed date this evening, but I should be available for Sat. Hope all does well with the run tonight.

Good Luck

[Jason32]

Have a great time sir! You deserve it! We'll see you on Sat night.

-Jason

[VADM Kor]

Long Range Science Vessel U.S.S. Revere has just received the recall signal in a remote exploration mission, and is proceeding at beyond maximum warp to the rendezvous point. My Chief Engineer informs me that the Revere should be on station in approximately 10.5 hours, provided the warp nacelles don't explode. We are frantically drilling the green crew on scrambling sensors, creating gravity wells, and our own personal favorite, the photonic fleet.