Scenario Name: Operation Sledgehammer
Location: Vagyr-occupied Hiigaran territory
Date: Post Invasion, early HGN counterattacks
Scenario Condition: Assault

Assigned Resources:

15th Fleet Shipyard Theta
1x Empress V Fleet Support Station
with escorts of
3x Bloodhound II Battle Frigate
1x Nightingale III Support Frigate

Relief Convoy HJ10/ TG 32.8 ? destination Shipyard Theta

2x Bishop Heavy Transporters, with escorts of:

1x Imperator IV Fleet Carrier HGN Rachel II
with fighter complement of
2x3 Avenger III HSSFs

2x Arbiter II Lineships
1x Sentinel V Escort Lineship
2x Linebacker V Tactical Shield Projectors

15th Fleet Task Group 32.3

1x Defiance II Space Control Ship
2x Lothringen Assault Frigates
2x Hydra III Torpedo Frigates

Briefing from Task Force 32 Command:

Sledgehammer is in full swing and the newly reconstituted 15th Fleet is tasked to spearhead the second phase of the operation. Our objective is to strike at the logistical heart of the Vagyr military fleet detachments within the former HCZ (Hiigaran Control Zone), namely mobile shipyards and rear-lines fleet carriers.

This objective will be accomplished with a series of surgical strikes directed by Sobani intelligence elements working behind enemy lines, while the 10th and 12th Fleets aggressively engage the enemy in the vicinity of occupied Hiigaran planets and other locales of strategic military importance.

Needless to say, our success will decisively affect the war effort.

H+72 Hours, HQ TF32:

Situation is as follows:

After a series of wild goose chases we have located our assigned target in this star system (Galactic coordinates PX-3524), and it is imperative that we act on it as soon as humanly possible.

30 minutes ago Vagyr forces in this system mounted a delaying action against TF32?s main force, impeding their progress with gravity well generators. Support Station Theta was following the main force, but was not pulled out of hyperspace by the gravity well, successfully translating to the task force?s original destination, which turns out to be the enemy shipyard we had been looking for all this while.

Vagyr forces around Theta?s location are now massing for an all-out assault on the shipyard, which is unsupported save for rudimentary defenses on a nearby derelict logistics outpost they commandeered remotely, besides onboard weaponry and a frigate squadron. They will not last long against a prepared offensive by first-rate warships.

TF32 is still locked in battle and is unable to redeploy in force, but we still retain the opportunity to turn the tides against the enemy. A relief convoy has been dispatched from the 15th Fleet in support of FSS Theta along with the release of operational reserves, and TF32 is focusing their efforts to open a corridor through the enemy defenses for the passage of taskgroups redeploying to support FSS Theta.

15th Fleet will coordinate a simultaneous arrival of all relief forces on Theta?s location, in order to perform a multiple-vector attack on the weakest point identified in Vagyr defenses along the target asteroid belt. Exploiting the initial effect of shock they will then secure an advance interdiction position in said location, and proceed to defensively neutralize the forces threatening FSS Theta before commencing a capital ship offensive against the enemy shipyard.

Gameplay:

1. Rally your initial forces at this location for lowest time to the 3 taskgroups' convergence (see screenshot). Aggressive settings, waypoint movement orders, AI of the Defiance and convoy taskgroups will do the rest.

For the convoy - have the little ones fly close escort to the Bishop transporters as mobile reserves while the Arbiter lineships surge ahead. When you attack the Vagyr fortifications you will require the survivability of well-armoured lineships.

The Defiance taskgroup is spaced such that a waypoint movement order to the designated rally point given to both squadrons will have them arrive precisely on schedule with both the convoy and shipyard forces for a simultaneous attack.

The shipyard's frigate escorts require more intervention from the player, as they need to be placed in a zigzag movement pattern to avoid overtaking the shipyard.

Employ them as mobile reserves concentrating firepower against enemy fighter groups - gunship frigates do not fare well in capital ship firefights.

2. Commence a 3-prong assault on the weakest of the Vagyr defensive fortifications, and retire the merchant vessels at the shipyard (simulating unloading of war supplies and subsequent PDA processing)

Call in reinforcements (forget about setting up warship assembly lines, it takes too long) and prepare for Vagyr reactions.

3. Drive on through the asteroid belt engaging all points of enemy resistance.

Keep your frigate squadrons as mobile reserves, keep them out of capital class slugfests. Capital ships have limited maneuverability in the asteroid belt so move along its flanks.

Do not get overconfident, ensure that each of your maneuver groups can provide interlocking support fire to each other - and always have a reserve force on hand to exploit tactical situations or provide cover to your capital ships when things go bad.