Dystopian Wars III: Return to the Coral Sea

 The Limey's lost a few ships hereabouts and the Commodore dispached our Cruisers as a Taskforce to see what the Empire of the Blazing Sun was up to. We had our sailing orders a day ago but had to wait to leave port until the swell had dropped to one foot high, so as to avoid swamping the Frigates.

 

Meeting engagement: Australian Re-education & Scrivening Enclave.

The FSS Frigates Reuben James, US Grant, Brooklyn & Philippines spearheaded the FSA advance while the main body of the battlegroup held back, awaiting the EoBS first move. 

"Booyah! I mean: It's a hit, Sir!"

The Nakatsu class Cruisers chugged forward to pounce on the FSA Frigates but this gave the waiting FSA Cruisers the opening they sought. FSS Congress, Virginia & New Orleans (Commodore Sheriden's Flag) moved all ahead full. Then Sheridan barked the command to link fire, the flag relayed the commands between the green but well drilled crews and the carefully laid cannon shells crashed into the middle EoBS cruiser. The rapid barrage raked the magazine, igniting it and blowing the Cruiser to smithereens.

The balance of forces at the end of turn 1.

As they turned back from watching a plume of smoke to Port, the crews of the EoBS right Uwatsu class frigate squadron saw another FSA Frigate squadron: FSS Hampton, Mariner, Portsmouth & Cyclops racing to close. The FSA gunner landed a solid hit on their EoBS counter-parts, sending damage control crews scrambling.

Engines roar as  A-17s overfly the FSS Frigates.

No matter their initial losses, the EoBS Commodore kept his nerve and pressed forward with his fleets. His Right flank frigates were quickly met by FSA A-17 Bombers, which put torpedoes in the water and sank another frigate.

The EoBS give almost as good as they get.

Empire of the Blazing Sun guncrews had not been idle though. While FSA Ack Ack had seen off all rocket attacks, gunnery from Cruisers and Frigates took down the Frigates FSS Brooklyn & Philippines. Blazing Sun DFA-170 Bombers tried to hit the Frigate Cyclops with rockets, but the combined Ack Ack of the frigates shot the salvo out of the sky.

FSS Congress, Virginia & New Orleans

Commodore Sheriden hove his cruiser group to Starboard of the burning frigates. His gunners tried to draw a bead on the fast-moving loco... EoBS Cruisers but landed only glancing hits. As Sheriden whipped down his spyglass in irritation, he saw the threat too late. In true Kamikaze fashion, EoBS frigates raced in all ahead full and got in under his guns. Their fire was savage and New Orleans took a critical hit due to lax crewmen on the Shield Generator. Luckily, the hit went on the engines, not the magazine!

In the Empire of the Blazing Sun, this crew was the lucky one.

 Next turn saw the EoBS Commodore seize the initiative. With his frigates right in amidst the FSA Cruisers, he focused his effort there. As they awaited their orders, the EoBS Bombers drifted too close to the FSA frigates. With a full squadron, the remnants of another and the nearby FSA A-17s in Ack Ack range, the resulting storm of shrapnel ripped the EoBS flyers to shreds. One cruelly suffered a critical hit, and a Sturginium flare saw it teleport miles away from the battlefield - Dishonoured for fleeing the enemy, but alive. It's fellow bomber was luckier, crashing into the rockets below the Australian Re-education & Scrivening Enclave facility, killing all hands, honour intact.

FSS New Orleans burns.

The FSA bomber crews gave jubilant whoops and clapped each other on the back. Their shouts died in their throats as they roared around and saw the smoking hull of New Orleans below. Inactive shield generator crews had allowed close range frigate broadsides to claim the cruiser. They could hear Sheriden cursing over the intercom as the EoBS fleet broke for open seas, their faster engines giving the edge in a chase. The waves were lapping almost a two feet high now and Sheriden knew he better recover crews from lifeboats post haste, lest ocean waves swamp his Cruisers' decks before they made the safety of port.

Thanks for reading. Dystopian Wars is a fun game: Fast, everything has a chance, and it rewards aggressive play. We've both got more stuff on order.