Prior to meeting Old Spock, and going off my best recollections of the film, the most detailed plan Kirk had devised basically boiled down to "chase Nero." Which given the circumstances, was the least lousy of two lousy choices (the other being "write off Earth"). What exact battle plan he would have employed without transwarp beaming, and weather it would have been at all effective, is impossible to ascertain.Stark wrote:Ironically, of course, Kirk's 'plan' for saving the Earth was complete horseshit suicide. The world was saved due to super-contrived plot, not any attribute of Kirk's. Old Spock is the hero, not idiot boy.
The basic plan that was ultimately employed upon Kirk assuming command made sense under the circumstances. Yes, it depended on transwarp beaming to work, which they would not have had without Old Spock. Without that, Kirk's options would have been more limited. But that goes for any captain. The fact remains that he took the best of an assortment of bad options, and used the resources at his disposal fairly effectively.
Granted, the plan had its flaws. While the basic idea of using a stealthy approach and then beaming a team aboard was a good idea, their is little to no excuse for the boarding party consisting only of the two most senior officers. It probably should have been a team of several engineers and security officers, plus Spock due to his mind-melding abilities. This was clearly done for dramatic effect, and it makes Kirk look like a dumbass on that point at least.
