Captain's Log #51

“Exploration is a valid and important mission, and many in Star Fleet (and the government) consider it their true and primary mission or their highest calling.”

Released in May 2016, Captain’s Log #51 supports Star Fleet Battles, Federation Commander, A Call to Arms: Star Fleet, Starmada, Prime Directive, Star Fleet Battle Force, Star Fleet Marines, and Federation & Empire. “Night Hounds” by Jon Berry is about an Orion cargo ship that is hired by the Romulans to make a delivery to the Gorn Neutral Zone. Little did they know they had hired a secret Orion Pirate special ops ship!

The rest of the History section includes “NCC-1821 USS Sakharov: Voyages of Discovery” by Gary Carney, which is the history of the Sakharov and her many discoveries including a voyage to the Magellanic Cloud and, after that, to the Omega Sector. The Lyrans hire a team to recover someone in “Survivor” by Dan Ibekwi. Jean Sexton discovered a new technology, “The Astroscooter.” “Dark Gaming” pokes gentle fun at the staff at Amarillo Design Bureau.

As is usual, Communications is designed to inform readers about the company’s activities. After Action reports are on A Call to Arms: Star Fleet, Deluxe Edition, the revised Federation & Empire Fighter Operations, Klingon Master Starship Book, and various revisions of older Star Fleet Battles books. The company answers 10 questions about its operations. The Input Guide is designed to help writers and other people submitting material get their ideas into print. There are further questions ACTASF. “The Sound of Battle” is a filk song. This section is rounded out with staff awards and other information about the company’s plans.

Federation Commander has information on plans for the future, information about the Borak (a new empire for Federation Commander), and information about playing online or by email. There’s a page of Command Notes. There is a guide to close-range combat. There are battlegroups with opposing players trying to destroy an enemy or assigned to protect the base. The Command Note is about planetary assaults. Finally, there are three new scenarios. One of those is for the cover story. Another is for the battlegroup situation. The third is based on a battle from the cover story. The final one is after the Klingons decided the Seltorian forces needed to be “neutralized.”

This issue includes four scenarios for Star Fleet Battles. SL342 Mobile Bases is the battlegroup scenario.  SL343 Incident at Hakatuka is the scenario for the cover story. SL344 A Sword Short has a confrontation between Kzinti starships and Klingon and Lyran gunboats. SL345 A Rock and a Hard Place has Seltorians facing Jindarians.

The Star Fleet Battles tactics section has an account by Peter Bakija of his victory in the Platinum Tournament of 2014. The battlegroup section has eleven confrontations between two empires attacking and defending a base. The Magellanic primer focuses on the Uthiki.

Database articles include an article on the space manta. There are guidelines to convert Hydran ships to various empires’ technologies and vice versa. Operation Renaissance is updated. There are four pages of Ask Admiral Vanaxilth. There is information on the Zosmans. The section is rounded out with proposals, updates to ships’ names, and answers to background questions.

The Venues include Star Fleet Warlord, SFB Online, Play by E-Mail, Star Fleet Battle Force, Starmada, Star Fleet Marines, and Galactic Conquest. Prime Directive has an update on the Q’Naabians. A Call to Arms: Star Fleet has a new scenario.

Federation & Empire gets its own proposals, Q&A, and “Why” questions. There are three pages of Tactical Notes. The Carnivons are introduced, and an alternative history scenario (The Howling Winds) features them.

New ships for Star Fleet Battles include the Romulan K3 escort, K2 cutter, K2C cutter leader, K6 heavy police ship, and BattleHawk-B destroyer leader; the Maesron Alliance command cruiser, and Probr command cruiser. New advanced technology frigates include the Klingon Advanced Technology escort, Romulan Snipe-X advanced frigate, Gorn advanced frigate, Hydran advanced Hunter frigate and advanced Cuirassier frigate, Lyran Cheetah-X advanced frigate, Seltorian FFX Advanced Technology frigate, and Vudar advanced frigate. New ships for Federation Commander include the Borak heavy cruiser, war cruiser, war destroyer, and war frigate. New ships for ACTASF include the Class-One Small Armed Freighter, Class-Two Large Armed Freighter, Class-Three Jumbo Armed Freighter, Class-Four Heavy Armed Freighter, and Class-One Small Auxiliary Cruiser. New ships for Starmada include the Federation Battlecruiser BCP, Klingon SparrowHawk light cruiser, Romulan DemonHawk dreadnought, and Seltorian Assault Wagon.

Supports Federation Commander, Star Fleet Battles, Federation & Empire, Prime Directive, Star Fleet Battle Force, SFB Galactic Conquest, Starmada, A Call to Arms: Star Fleet, Star Fleet Marines, and Star Fleet Warlord.

The colorized SSDs from this issue are sold separately; the Supplemental File (which includes background information) is free as a PDF.