A challenge for all you armchair generals...

Base Delta Zero · Post by **Base Delta Zero** » 2006-03-30 07:25pm

Just because I was bored and felt the need to post this...

You are the captain of a United Federation of Planets Excelsior class ship, with about two hundred expendable redshirts in stock. By an act of plot, you find yourself hurtled into an unfamiliar system, with your transporters down from the trip. So, naturally, you send a shuttle down to the nearest planet. Your science officer determines that the origin of your sudden detour is an anomaly 200 kilometers from the planet surface. The shuttle you send to investigate is immediately vaporized, so you order the away team already on the surface to carefully move closer.

They report an outpost has already been established on the planet, manned by white-armored troopers and protected by a shield and weapon of unimaginable power. Your only option is a ground assault into an unfamiliar structure. Meanwhile, more bad news - a ship more than eight times the size of yours approaches, returning from patrol on the rim of the system. It will arrive in an hour, and when it does, you won't stand a chance. The only way to get out alive is to take the outpost and escape through the anomaly before it arrives. Fortunately, your transporters are back online, though you can't transport through the base shield...

In plain english for those of you who don't speak fluff:

You control the Star Trek side. You have 190 Expendable Redshirts, with 10 Phaser Rifles and 2 isomagnetic disintigrators onship. 10 Redshirts are already on the ground with the shuttle, which is an armed model. You can use it, but if you go over two thousand feet high the base turbolaser will vaporize it. You are in transporter range, but not weapons range, and you can't get any closer without being slagged by the turbolaser. The base is shielded, so you can use the transporter to move troops around but not into the base. Similarly, you can't beam the stormtroopers into space or beam down a torpedo or anything like that.

The enemy base consists of a main structure that contains the turbolaser and two towers with E-webs. There are 40 stormtroopers and 10 Imperial Officers in the mainbuilding, with 5 stormies in each tower. The base is situated on a rocky plateau with some cover and good manuverability. The scenario takes place at dusk. The only other enemy asset is an Imperator Star Destroyer coming to dispense ass-kicking if you take too long.

Your objective is to disable the turbolaser and escape. You can either blow it up or deactivate it. Deactivating it will probably be easier but you'll need to hold the control room. To destroy it you will need about 10 level 16 phaser shots to its power generator. And of course, you must do this in one hour.

So... how would you go about doing this, or do you need more information?

Batman · Post by **Batman** » 2006-03-30 07:30pm

Some more details on the layout of the base would be greatly appreciated but I rather suspect the redshirts go down hard. Like we didn't know that already.

Post by **Gandalf** » 2006-03-30 08:12pm

My half assed plan:

Replicate more rifles, give one to each of the redshirts. Can't have them going in with a dustbuster. If that doesn't work, then I'm in trouble.

Load the shuttle up with antimatter or some other explosive material, and have it do a suicide run into the power generator. If that can be found/destroyed, then the shield will hopefully be gone. If that can't be found, then I'll ram it into the turbolaser and go home.

If the shield is taken down, I'll beam straight into the base, if not, I'll beam my troops down around it in several groups.

Hopefully the blast from the shuttle takes out enough stormies for my guys to be able to walk in and deactivate it if necessary.

So my plan basically revolves around the ability of a shuttle loaded with antimatter to be able to damage an Imperial building, and for enough stormies to be incapacitated for the redshirts to have a good chance of not dying. I don't like my odds, but it's all I could think of.

Batman · Post by **Batman** » 2006-03-30 08:18pm

Gandalf's post raises an interesting question: is it an umbrella or a bubble shield? If it's a bubble shield have fun trying to get a shuttle through it. If it's an umbrella one they can go under it and Gandalf's strategy might actually work.
No offense intended, oh White Wizard.

PREDATOR490 · Post by **PREDATOR490** » 2006-03-30 08:26pm

Additional Information required:

1) Type of shield
a) Complete Umbrella ? Or can things get in at ground level ?
b) Is transport blocked only by the shield ?
c) Does it need to be lowered to fire the Turbolaser
2) Layout of base
3) Alert readiness of the base
4) Armament of starfleet shuttle

Stage 1: Recon

Gather layout of base and find weak points.
Attempt to locate any patrols in and around the base

Stage 2: Approach

Approach from an angle that gives the best cover and least amount of firepower to bear on approaching team.

Stage 3: Infiltration

Attempt to jump local Stormtrooper patrols - steal equipment

OR

Avoid local patrols and get within weapons range of the E-web

Stage 4: Diversion

Have Shuttle fly under shield and Turbolaser level and fire at E-Webs.
If shuttle fails have the previous infiltaitors take them out in the fire fight.

Stage 5: Follow through

a)

If shuttle is still around have it fire on any stormtrooper and have several of the crew keep them pinned.
Attempt to destroy the shield generator and/or turbolaser

b)

If Shield is brought down then beam a torpedo inside the base and have the ship in orbit attempt to orbital bombard if possible from outside the turbolaser range.
Finish the Turbolaser

OR

If Turbolaser is destroyed then have ship move above the target and fire at the shield then bring it down.
Do as much damage to the local garrison as possible and have the ship in orbit collect as much sensor information as can be done.
Have the crew try to grab a bit of the Stormtrooper equipment if they can and the Imperial prisoners if situation allows.

Stage 6:Aftermath

Level the base as much as possible and erase the computers before enemy ship arrives.
Get out and collapse the anomaly.
Report to Starfleet and do the battle damage assessment.

Really simple plan and it would probably fail, unfortunatly its not as if you can do much else without further information on the scenario.

Post by **Gandalf** » 2006-03-30 08:29pm

Batman wrote:Gandalf's post raises an interesting question: is it an umbrella or a bubble shield? If it's a bubble shield have fun trying to get a shuttle through it. If it's an umbrella one they can go under it and Gandalf's strategy might actually work.
No offense intended, oh White Wizard.

None taken... this time.

Yeah, I just immediately jumped to the conclusion that it was a Hoth style shield.

Batman · Post by **Batman** » 2006-03-30 08:52pm

The funny part is initially so did I. It took a moment for the question of what kind of shield it is in the first place to come to mind.

Darth Cronos the Proud · Post by **Darth Cronos the Proud** » 2006-03-30 09:57pm

Base Delta Zero wrote:You can use it (the transport), but if you go over two thousand feet high the base turbolaser will vaporize it.

Unless I am reading the OP wrong, why couldn't you just load the redshirts onto the transport, fly the transport at a very low altitude (under 2000 ft.) outside the shield (I'm thinking ST VI on this one) and then transport the redshirts directly to your ship, then escape through the anomoly. This would work unless it was a Hoth like shield that prevented repulsorlift tech or general airborne vehicles from passing through. If that's the case, I wouldn't know what to do.

consequences · Post by **consequences** » 2006-03-30 10:14pm

Right, its technobabble time, boys and girls.

Remodularconfigurise the shuttle's phasers to do that drilling crap they did in at least one episode. Have the shuttle tunnel under the base, after beaming down all your spare antimatter(or replicate nuclear material. Or pump it full of hydrogen, who cares really) to fill that sucker up. Detonate it inside the shield for the win.

If I get told by my science officer that this plan is a non-starter, then he gets to lead the expendable ground assault.

Alternate plan, in the best traditions of UPF Riker: have the redshirts launch a glorious but futile ground assault to attract attention one way. Use the shuttle to get the turbolaser pointed the wrong way, and micro-warp down to the anomaly. Sing their praises after leaving them to die when I get back to Starfleet HQ.

If my engineer tells me this isn't feasible, he's just volunteered to lead the diversionary force for the expendable ground assault.

Back-up alternate plan: Convince the local native population that they really hate white plastic guys, so that they overwhelm the garrison by sheer numbers.

If this one doesn't work, I'll have to go with sheer desperation. The crew down on the planet will claim to be poor schmucks who have lost their way('see, our escape shuttle crashed after we were beset by nasty Rebels, honest nice officer'). Upon being let into the perimeter and held under guard after its revealed that they are carrying no power sources that could be weaponry, they'll wait to get close enough to the guard force, then simultaneously activate the 'combustive interdiction harnesses' that my engineering team beamed down to them in order to disable the protoplasmic intelligence units that control the defensive weaponry. Following the dust settling aftter the detonation of ten 40 pound packs of chemical explosives, and after the ricochets from the 20 pound groupings of ballbearings come to a halt, my backup ground crew will walk over the pitiful scattered bits of flesh that are all that remains of the first group.

If this final plan fails, then I'm going to have to inquire about benefits for defectors to the Galactic Empire.

brianeyci · Post by **brianeyci** » 2006-03-30 11:15pm

This can work. This is redshirts, not goldshirts. So I assume in general they'll be competent shots. Shuttle goes in with transporter enhancers (assuming that they have these in the era we're talking about) at low altitude with a crack team. Failing that the shuttle will actually tow a long cable as a hardline for my transporter connected to somewhere outside the shield. The shuttle lands somewhere outside visual range of the facility and starts beaming in all one hundred and fifty guys. With the hardline this should be trivial. The two towers with E-webs will be attacked by the shuttle which hopefully will take out the E-webs with two phaser blasts. If that fails, it'll come down to the isomagnetic disintegrators to take them out. Once the E-webs are gone it is a matter of attrition. If the redshirts can kill one stormtrooper for every three they lose we win.

Since you mention there is good cover, well trained redshirts should be able to close the gap especially if there's a three to one numerical advantage and air support from the shuttle to take out any stormtroopers outside the facility guarding the approach. I doubt that the shuttle's phasers will be able to shoot into the facility and seriously damage it, but they should be able to fire and destroy the E-web emplacements and any stormtroopers deployed outside the facility. Then it's just a matter of attrition. Hopefully the E-webs are deployed where the shuttle can fire at them and not inside the facility where if the redshirts have to go down a narrow hallway... can you say Aliens.

Everything depends on the shuttle. If the shuttle kills the E-web and survives it can fly around and give the redshirts air support as they're closing to effective range. If it dies, the E-web slaughters the approaching redshirts. Trek shuttles can be surprisingly robust depending on the kind of shuttle. If this is one of the more advanced shuttles that can survive a few capital ship shots, the plan can work since the shuttle will have a few hundred kilotons worth of shielding and E-webs won't shoot it down. If this is a badly shielded shuttle the shuttle might die as it closes to fire on the E-webs. Surprise is not on my side--I have to assume that they will detect the shuttle flying through/under the shield and establishing a hardline, and a 150 troops.

If the shield can't be flown through, it's a trivial matter to dig a tunnel under the ground and go underground a few dozen feet beyond the shield's perimeter.

Oh, the redshirts will also all be equipped in space suits. The highly flexible kind. Anything that gives protection from chemical weapons. As a last resort, the shuttle will have several torpedoes loaded onto it. If the redshirts can't take the facility I'll scuttle the shuttle with its torpedoes right on the facility. A few hundred kilotons should destroy the facility. That's assuming the shuttle's still flying, again everything depends on the shuttle.

Brian

The Silence and I · Post by **The Silence and I** » 2006-03-31 12:01am

If the shuttle is one of the better armed types then I have little doubt it can take the E-Webs. Assuming it can see them to shoot them of course:

A hit! Poor Truck...

With that kind of explosive, metal eating firepower the shuttle can really screw over the Imperial ground forces. All assuming it is as well armed as this one is, and that is an assumption.

Base Delta Zero · Post by **Base Delta Zero** » 2006-03-31 08:08am

Unless I am reading the OP wrong, why couldn't you just load the redshirts onto the transport, fly the transport at a very low altitude (under 2000 ft.) outside the shield (I'm thinking ST VI on this one) and then transport the redshirts directly to your ship, then escape through the anomoly. This would work unless it was a Hoth like shield that prevented repulsorlift tech or general airborne vehicles from passing through. If that's the case, I wouldn't know what to do.

It won't prevent airborne vehicles from getting out, but it will prevent them from flying in very fast. They can go through but they'll be sitting ducks while doing it. You need to get your ship through the anomaly, which is covered by the turbolaser.

1) Type of shield
a) Complete Umbrella ? Or can things get in at ground level ?

It's like a gungan theatre shield. Troops and slow vehicles can get through, aircraft and weapons can't.

b) Is transport blocked only by the shield ?

Transport is blocked only under the shield. You can't beam into it, out of it, or within it.

c) Does it need to be lowered to fire the Turbolaser

No.

2) Layout of base

I'll get to this as soon as I get home... and have some way to host the file...

3) Alert readiness of the base

They know you're present, but not that you have any troops on the ground.

4) Armament of starfleet shuttle

1 Class IV phaser. No torpedoes or other fancy stuff.

PREDATOR490 · Post by **PREDATOR490** » 2006-03-31 10:16am

The general outline of the plan isnt changed much.

Although, saying "transport is prevented under the shield" is a bit vague. Does that mean the shield is preventing transport or that the buildings themselves are shielded ?

If the former then its just a case of nail the shield, if the latter then transport torpedos as close to the buildings as possible once the shield is dropped or just let the ship in orbit fire away.

If this is a Fed vessel then it would have more shuttles anyway and all it has to do is have them come in from outside the range of the turbolaser.
Pretty much makes if a fight of shuttles vs. one base.

Also possible that those Federation tricorders could do their funky shield hole thing that they so often do.
Barring that, just dig under the shield or cut through the shield so that infantry can get through.

Have the infantry set up ambush points at base entrances then have the shuttle attempt to go through the shield.
When the base garrison is scrambled then they come out the entrances and get caught in a bottle neck while -hopefully- some of the redshirts take out the E-webs.

If the shuttle makes it through the shield and the E-webs are down then its the same plan as before.
If all else fails then have the shuttle loaded and sent in kamakazi style. While the Infantry keep the defences distracted.

loomer · Post by **loomer** » 2006-03-31 10:35am

On the note of not being able to beam torpedoes down into the facility... Beam 'em down outside under cover of night, and dig them into the ground with a remote detonator if possible, or a rigged pressure switch. Then you wait until day time after concealing the torps and lure them out... Assuming you can escape detection long enough. Manuever into an asteroid field if it's there, move out of the system if you have to. Don't fight the Empire on their terms, you either have to go for an all out sudden assault or guerilla warfare for a few hours before the ISD can deploy more troops on the planet.

This is sort of the only way I can see the Federation doing any damage to the Empire in an actual campaign being waged against them- Federation technology is extremely outmatched, so it has to be less honourable combat techniques to stand a chance.

Noble Ire · Post by **Noble Ire** » 2006-03-31 03:32pm

Don't fight the Empire on their terms, you either have to go for an all out sudden assault or guerilla warfare for a few hours before the ISD can deploy more troops on the planet.

The latter isn't a very good idea, if you mean harrying the base from outside. The NJO demonstrates that ISDs and similar warships can tone down their TLs enough to completely annihilate the area around a base from orbit, without actually harming the base itself.

Base Delta Zero · Post by **Base Delta Zero** » 2006-03-31 03:52pm

Although, saying "transport is prevented under the shield" is a bit vague. Does that mean the shield is preventing transport or that the buildings themselves are shielded ?

If the former then its just a case of nail the shield, if the latter then transport torpedos as close to the buildings as possible once the shield is dropped or just let the ship in orbit fire away.

The shield is preventing transport. Nailing the shield isn't that simple, the controls are in the same place as the turbolaser controls (making it pretty much moot) and you have zero chance of disabling it, ever, even with your full torpedo loadout.

Also possible that those Federation tricorders could do their funky shield hole thing that they so often do.
Barring that, just dig under the shield or cut through the shield so that infantry can get through.

Infantry can already get through, as can any vehicle moving slowly enough. The shield hole thing is dependent on frequency, IIRC.

Manuever into an asteroid field if it's there, move out of the system if you have to. Don't fight the Empire on their terms, you either have to go for an all out sudden assault or guerilla warfare for a few hours before the ISD can deploy more troops on the planet.

It's not so much a matter of the ISD deploying more troops as a matter of the ISD reducing your ship to a rapidly expanding cloud of vapor with a single HTL bolt. Running away really won't work. You could possibly hide in an asteroid field, but you'll need to leave eventually. Going outsystem just plain won't work, I believe the disparity between warp and hyperdrive has been discussed before...

Anyways, the towers are on opposite edges of the main base building, which is an essentialy square turbolaser tower. There are many small corridors, wide enough for about 4 men to walk abreast, which branch off in all directions. There are a few open spaces, such as the gangplanks leading to the reactor, about 4 stories below ground, of course control rooms, barracks, etc. There are a few armories around, but it's debatable whether you will be able to use the weapons.

Post by **NecronLord** » 2006-03-31 04:02pm

loomer wrote:Beam 'em down outside under cover of night,

Better in the day. There are things that are more obvious at night, and a big column of sparkles is one of them.

FOG3 · Post by **FOG3** » 2006-03-31 04:08pm

So is there some reason I can't just beam the away team up, hail the base, "surrender", and after a short discussion informing them my ship isn't really designed to enter atmosphere and what a sensible thing it'd be for me to sit under their guns while waiting for the other vessel? After which we edge over to the anamoly before making a end run at max warp through the anamoly.

It's not like they don't already know my ship's there, and appearing weak and complacent should allow me to accomplish my goals. Plus there's no reason for the Imperials to be trigger happy unless they actually understand what the anamoly is, which would mean my Superior would probably already have a blaster pointed at their head by now.

Base Delta Zero · Post by **Base Delta Zero** » 2006-03-31 04:27pm

So is there some reason I can't just beam the away team up, hail the base, "surrender", and after a short discussion informing them my ship isn't really designed to enter atmosphere and what a sensible thing it'd be for me to sit under their guns while waiting for the other vessel? After which we edge over to the anamoly before making a end run at max warp through the anamoly.

It's not like they don't already know my ship's there, and appearing weak and complacent should allow me to accomplish my goals. Plus there's no reason for the Imperials to be trigger happy unless they actually understand what the anamoly is, which would mean my Superior would probably already have a blaster pointed at their head by now.

Uh... that could work, and it's definently a Federationish thing to do, but... that's not really the point, yaknow?

harbringer · Post by **harbringer** » 2006-04-03 07:05am

build EMP generators with left over garbage on board (ships engineers do this all the time) and fry the base or at the very least those sensor equiped stormie helmets. At the very least you would equalize to some extent the tech advantage (sorry my clumsy sensors did what your your base?????) Remove warheads from the torpedos and sneak them into the base or around its perimeter set to detonate or get one of your many precious redshirts to keep a finger on the button to prevent it detonating (at least till he gets tired or one goes off......).

Turn the redshirts into GM (guided munitions lmao) by giving them warheads in a back pack and rigging a life sign (or in this case lack there of) detonation make it interesting and give them a poison/drug (they could be convinced they will have the best orgasm if they just killed themselves at the right time....) that will take affect some random time after they pass through the shield.

Force them to wear heavy hot plastic stormtrooper costumes and knock their helmet hoping someone will think its a comm malfunction.

Post by **NecronLord** » 2006-04-03 10:51am

Can't I just go to warp? Seriously, why do I have to fight them?

Batman · Post by **Batman** » 2006-04-03 09:43pm

NecronLord wrote:Can't I just go to warp? Seriously, why do I have to fight them?

I think the general idea is they need to go through the anomaly to go back home or their in the situoaton VOY was in, only more so.
And I just noticed something.
If that Excelsior is in transporter range they're ALREADY deep within the range of the turbolaser. Unless they're outside its field of fire they're screwed anyway.

chitoryu12 · Post by **chitoryu12** » 2006-04-03 10:51pm

Send 5 patrols of 20 men each to scout the perimeter for 5 minutes. Keep the other 90 men near the shuttle. When scouting is finished and enemy patrol routes are discovered and mapped, use guerilla tactics to slowly eliminate the stormtrooper patrols. Take the stormtrooper equipment and attempt to learn how to use them. Because the stormtrooper comlinks are automatically removed from the channels if the helmet does not change frequencies with the rest of the helmets, per standard Imperial procedure, attempting to act like an Imperial would not work. Instead, the blasters and armor will make the job easier.

Half will infiltrate the base using the stormtrooper rapelling gear to scale the plateau. Plant thermal detonators at the base walls and shoot to detonate (the buttons are unmarked so only stormtroopers can use them). While the Imperial troops gather around the commotion and the E-Webs start warming up, the other half will use the scopes on the E11 rifles to pick off the gunners on the repeating blasters. With the defenses down, the redshirts will enter the base, firing wildly and throwing thermal detonators all around. A 10-man squad will enter the turbolaser control room and shoot the equipment to render it useless. Do the same with the shield generator.

The shuttle will then strafe the base while the shields are down, aiming for E-Web towers and barracks. When a suitable number of stormtroopers are down, the shuttle will land in the base and transport the UFP soldiers back to the ship above. The Excelsior will end by bombarding the base.

Mission complete. Most likely many Starfleet casualties, but the mission is won.

Patrick Degan · Post by **Patrick Degan** » 2006-04-04 03:54am

chitoryu12 wrote:Send 5 patrols of 20 men each to scout the perimeter for 5 minutes. Keep the other 90 men near the shuttle. When scouting is finished and enemy patrol routes are discovered and mapped,

All in five minutes?!

use guerilla tactics to slowly eliminate the stormtrooper patrols.

Which assumes perfect infiltration and perfect close-quarters combat by the redshirts with zero fatalities.

Take the stormtrooper equipment and attempt to learn how to use them.

And just how long are the redshirts going to have for this minor miracle, assuming none of their number were lost and none of the Stormies managed to raise an alarm?

Because the stormtrooper comlinks are automatically removed from the channels if the helmet does not change frequencies with the rest of the helmets, per standard Imperial procedure, attempting to act like an Imperial would not work. Instead, the blasters and armor will make the job easier.

Which assumes that an unusual number of "stormtroopers" with simultaneously non-functional comlinks would not be regarded as suspicious.

Half will infiltrate the base using the stormtrooper rapelling gear to scale the plateau.

Which assumes a lack of surveillance devices or other sensors detecting unplanned movements of unidentified personnel within a security control zone.

Plant thermal detonators at the base walls and shoot to detonate (the buttons are unmarked so only stormtroopers can use them). While the Imperial troops gather around the commotion and the E-Webs start warming up, the other half will use the scopes on the E11 rifles to pick off the gunners on the repeating blasters.

Or the Imperals will rightly assume an attack and deploy in defensive posture; using cover while positioning themselves to set up overlapping fields of fire to repel the intruders.

With the defenses down, the redshirts will enter the base, firing wildly and throwing thermal detonators all around.

That may work in an Arnold Schwarzenneger movie. It would not work against any body of trained professional soldiers who would not simply mill-about in confusion.

A 10-man squad will enter the turbolaser control room and shoot the equipment to render it useless. Do the same with the shield generator.

This of course assumes said facilities are not within blastproof bunkers with heavy armoured doors as protection (see Endor forest moon, Imperial shield bunker).

The shuttle will then strafe the base while the shields are down, aiming for E-Web towers and barracks. When a suitable number of stormtroopers are down, the shuttle will land in the base and transport the UFP soldiers back to the ship above. The Excelsior will end by bombarding the base.

Even assuming all the previous wankage to this point comes off perfectly with zero casualties on the Starfleet side, what prevents the base commander from transmitting an emergency distress signal alerting any nearby Imperial force of an attack on their position? If I'm the Imperials, I'd make this a single beacon-call activated by pushing a button or an automatic signal keyed to transmit when the alarm is sounded.

Mission complete. Most likely many Starfleet casualties, but the mission is won.

No, more likely the Imperials at the least get off a signal to the Imperator that the base is under attack, that said attack bogs down because no military operation, especially an improvised one, carries off with 100% efficency, and the Federationists are caught on-planet or in orbit, with unpleasant consequences to follow.

Base Delta Zero · Post by **Base Delta Zero** » 2006-04-04 09:33am

If that Excelsior is in transporter range they're ALREADY deep within the range of the turbolaser. Unless they're outside its field of fire they're screwed anyway.

I recall transporter range being in the thousand to tens of thousands of kilometers, which, discounting NJO wankery, is significantly longer than effective turbolaser range. And besides, even if a turbolaser does have light-hour range that just means they have hours to dodge it.

Can't I just go to warp? Seriously, why do I have to fight them?

Somehow, trying to run away from a ship that is perhaps millions of times faster than yours doesn't seem like a good idea.