State of the Federation

TNG Episode 28.5--We're Alive!

stateofthefederation@gmail.com (WS, TC, JVDJ, RF) — Sat, 31 Oct 2020 10:09:00 -0700

Are we back? WE MIGHT BE

If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element.

TNG Episode 28--Bug and Gorn Raider Card Pack Reviews

stateofthefederation@gmail.com (WS, TC, JVDJ, RF) — Thu, 12 Apr 2018 08:56:00 -0700

Wave 3 card packs wooooooo

If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element.

TNG Episode 27--State of the Meta

stateofthefederation@gmail.com (WS, TC, JVDJ, RF) — Mon, 19 Mar 2018 01:01:00 -0700

Since we've had the first major competitive event of the year, we take a look at the meta post-bannings!

If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element.

TNG Episode 26--Ferengi Faction Pack

stateofthefederation@gmail.com (WS, TC, JVDJ, RF) — Wed, 28 Feb 2018 00:00:00 -0800

Or the Independent Faction Pack 1. Whatever. We all know what's actually going on.

If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element.

TNG Episode 24--Wave 2 Borg Card Pack Review

stateofthefederation@gmail.com (WS, TC, JVDJ, RF) — Wed, 24 Jan 2018 01:17:00 -0800

As we know, the Borg are amazing--but just HOW amazing? Tune in to find out!

If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element.

TNG Episode 23--Ferengi Wave 2 Card Pack Review

stateofthefederation@gmail.com (WS, TC, JVDJ, RF) — Mon, 15 Jan 2018 00:00:00 -0800

We cover the new Ferengi Card Pack! (We were going to do the Borg one, but ran out of time--look for it next week!) Also, check out our nifty new video intro!

If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element.

TNG Episode 22--Starter Review

stateofthefederation@gmail.com (WS, TC, JVDJ, RF) — Wed, 3 Jan 2018 00:00:00 -0800

We go through the cards from the new starter (and the literally one card that matters from the Dom pack) that we haven't already discussed!

If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element.

2017 Star Trek Attack Wing Holiday Special

stateofthefederation@gmail.com (WS, TC, JVDJ, RF) — Mon, 25 Dec 2017 19:27:00 -0800

State of the Federation, Warp Core Breach, and Battle Bridge team up for the Star Trek Attack Wing Holiday Special! Listen in as Robert and Joseph play a game for charity!

If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element.

TNG Episode 21--Romulan Faction Pack Review

stateofthefederation@gmail.com (WS, TC, JVDJ, RF) — Tue, 12 Dec 2017 00:00:00 -0800

Should you buy the Romulan faction pack? Have a listen and find out! (Spoiler: Yes. Yes you should.)

If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element.

TNG Episode 20--Even More Previews

stateofthefederation@gmail.com (WS, TC, JVDJ, RF) — Mon, 4 Dec 2017 00:00:00 -0800

Sooooooooo maaaaaaaaaany preeeeeeevieeeeeews

If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element.

TNG Episode 19--Rom/Dom/Starter Pack Previews Part 3

stateofthefederation@gmail.com (WS, TC, JVDJ, RF) — Mon, 27 Nov 2017 00:00:00 -0800

We continue the wave of previews!

If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element.

TNG Episode 18--Rom/Dom Pack Previews Part 2

stateofthefederation@gmail.com (WS, TC, JVDJ, RF) — Mon, 20 Nov 2017 00:00:00 -0800

Seven more cards have come our way, and we talk about them tonight!

If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element.

TNG Episode 17--First Week Rom/Dom Pack Previews

stateofthefederation@gmail.com (WS, TC, JVDJ, RF) — Mon, 13 Nov 2017 00:00:00 -0800

We cover the first week of previews of the Romulan and Dominion faction packs! (Also Resource Rumble, because apparently we never did that.)

If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element.

TNG Episode 16--Two Feds/Two Fighters vs. "The Build"

stateofthefederation@gmail.com (WS, TC, JVDJ, RF) — Mon, 16 Oct 2017 00:00:00 -0700

(Audio-only version) Joseph flies his Nationals-winning fleet against Robert, who's piloting what we at SotF are calling... "the build."

If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element.

TNG Episode 15--Drones vs. Dreadnoughts

stateofthefederation@gmail.com (WS, TC, JVDJ, RF) — Tue, 3 Oct 2017 00:00:00 -0700

Another audio version of a video fight--this one's Robert's drones vs. Joseph's dreadnoughts!

If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element.

TNG Episode 14--New Rules

stateofthefederation@gmail.com (WS, TC, JVDJ, RF) — Mon, 18 Sep 2017 00:00:00 -0700

In this recording of a Facebook Live broadcast, we break down the newly-updated rulebook! Warning: this one is LONG.

If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element.

TNG Episode 13--Drone Swarm vs. Worlds Winner

stateofthefederation@gmail.com (WS, TC, JVDJ, RF) — Mon, 4 Sep 2017 00:00:00 -0700

A QUICK DISCLAIMER: After this episode was created, it was brought to our attention that a WORF ruling from years ago prohibits putting Thorons under Triphasics. We believe that Disruptor Beams is an acceptable replacement, however, and are doing testing to further confirm. As such, we're posting this as-is due to our belief that drone swarms will have a significant impact in the new meta Hear Joseph's swarm of drones take on Robert piloting Jordan Kott's Worlds-winning build--and check out the video of it on our Facebook page!

If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element.

TNG Episode 12--Dreadnought, IKS Ves Batlh, Prototype 02

stateofthefederation@gmail.com (WS, TC, JVDJ, RF) — Fri, 18 Aug 2017 01:08:00 -0700

Our first three-ship preview show in literally years!

If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element.

TNG Episode 11--USS Grissom Preview

stateofthefederation@gmail.com (WS, TC, JVDJ, RF) — Fri, 11 Aug 2017 00:00:00 -0700

The long wait is finally over--for the first time in what feels like forever, we've got a new ship to preview!

If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element.

TNG Episode 10--Eda and Veronica

stateofthefederation@gmail.com (WS, TC, JVDJ, RF) — Tue, 25 Jul 2017 12:28:00 -0700

We're joined today by two totally new players to talk about the challenges of learning Attack Wing!

If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element.

TNG Episode 9--Origins Recap Part 2: Worlds

stateofthefederation@gmail.com (WS, TC, JVDJ, RF) — Mon, 10 Jul 2017 00:00:00 -0700

We recap the second Origins event: the World Championship!

If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element.

TNG Episode 8--Origins Recap Part 1: Nationals

stateofthefederation@gmail.com (WS, TC, JVDJ, RF) — Mon, 26 Jun 2017 00:00:00 -0700

We recap the first of Origins' big events, and discuss what was played there! (Hint: we CALLED IT!)

If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element.

All Kott Up: 2017 Star Trek Attack Wing World Championships

stateofthefederation@gmail.com (WS, TC, JVDJ, RF) — Sat, 17 Jun 2017 23:45:00 -0700

I've been following this game for four years now--almost as long as it's been in existence. In that time, I've seen it go through a few ages and shifts: cloaked Klingons, Cloaked Mines, the Borg menace and nerf; the Regionals and first Worlds, and Peter repeating the year after--all the way to the present day. I don't know this, but I feel in my bones that another shift is coming on. I think that, in years to come, we'll look back at Origins 2017--specifically Friday and Saturday, Nationals and Worlds--as the pivot point of a new era of Attack Wing... in the best possible way.

It started with the terrifyingly strong field at Nationals. It reached its peak with the announcements of new costs and new templating at the fan appreciation event. And it finished the only way it could: with the final match at Worlds. But in order to get there, we had to have the rest of the tournament first!

General Observations

Ng Convenient: One of the top 14 Nationals players who qualified for today was Chris Oberst--but he wasn't able to make it. Fortunately, the 15th-ranked player from yesterday, Howard Ng, happened to be on hand with a fleet! He was happy to join in the fun, and we were happy to have him--he's a great guy and a lot of fun to watch!

Nemeses: There were a variety of ships on display--mostly Federation, but bioships and one Borg geometry build also--but there were swarms of Reman warbirds and fighters everywhere. Of course, that's not terribly surprising: both boast extreme firepower and strong durability (assuming the Reman has the requisite Interphase Generator). Of course, one build towered above the rest...

Deep Space Mine: Last year, Dustin Gross barely missed the Worlds cut at Nationals with a DS9 build predicated around hiding behind a wall of mines. This idea has worked for others--Albert Hsia made Top 8 at the 2016 Modesto Regional with a similar concept--and Dustin was insistent that the build had legs. Unfortunately, he once again missed making the cut with it here... but almost every Origins attendee walking by turned their head to look at it!

One and Done? Not Quite: The idea of the quickplays was to have a quick one-round tournament and award some good prizes--a nice little filler while we waited for the big tournaments. They were so popular, though, that two quickplays happened during Worlds, and when I left today people were excitedly planning for tomorrow's rounds! I've been really thrilled with the enthusiasm that's been shown about STAW over the last few days--it left us all feeling like next year is going to be even bigger!

Gee WizKids!: Last year, if you asked any of the WizKids staffers involved with STAW about the game their faces took on what could only be described as a pained expression. This year, though? Their enthusiasm was so strong as to be contagious. They're happy about what's coming up--and in my opinion? You should be too!

The Swiss

Four on the Floor: After four rounds of play yesterday--five or six for some--four more rounds quickly took their toll on the assembled playerbase. Richard and Ben, lending their considerable judging expertise once again, were sitting more than standing; Ben especially could hardly keep his eyes open and might even have been nodding off between rounds. As for myself? I spent as much time as I could sitting down, and I still feel like I've been in a high-speed shuttle crash. After I finish this off, I am going to go sleep forever!

Just Dance: If yesterday was about jousting, then today was about piloting. Perhaps it was fatigue setting, but the pace of play was far slower, more deliberate, and more maneuvering-focused. The fourteen best players in the world put on a wonderful clinic in how to play the game. A small recommendation: if you're not planning on coming out to Origins because it's just too competitive? Come anyway. These folks are a joy to watch.

Photon Finish: Here's how close the field was. Going into the final round of Swiss, Caley Roark was first in the standings at 3-0 and quite a lot of fleet points. There were still situations where he wouldn't have made the cut. Only four were going to advance, but it can't be stressed hard enough that these players were all fantastic and I can't think of a name I'd have been surprised to hear made it in.

ROUND FOUR FINAL STANDINGS, TOP 4 CUT:

1. Peter Smith, 4-0

2. Jordan Kott, 3-1

3. Caley Roark, 3-1

4. James Mendez, 3-1

Top Four: The Builds

PETER SMITH

Prior to today, there had been two Star Trek Attack Wing World Championships. Peter won them both. He also entered the Top 4 as the only undefeated player--in fact, he'd never lost a single ship at all! He's part of the Guelph, Ontario crew that also includes perennial winner of pretty much everything Joseph van der Jagt and Worlds contender Matt Dobson, as well as a high number of other highly skilled players.

USS ENTERPRISE-A

Jean-Luc Picard 9

Faked Messages

William T. Riker (Pegasus)

Sakonna

Upgraded Phasers

Type 8 Phaser Array

USS HATHAWAY

Khan Singh 6

Admiral Matt Decker

Ibix Dynasty

Lure

Warp Jump

Quark (Warp Jump)

Upgraded Phasers

Type 8 Phaser Array

SAKHAROV

Styles

Warp Jump

Second of Five

Cloaked Mines

David Montgomery flew this build--designed by State of the Federation's own Robert Fletcher--in Nationals yesterday, and it frustrated Peter so badly that I literally saw him pulling at his hair. Naturally, his response was to run it the next day. This build is designed to hit you hard and make sure you never land a blow due to the powerful movement manipulation and effective attack cancellation that is Warp Jump... and Peter was carrying four. The one downside of all these Warp Jumps? No room for a resource--which Peter definitely felt the need for at least once!

JORDAN KOTT

Last year, I said that Jordan was a guy to watch. Not to blow my own horn, but boy was I ever right. Hailing from Seattle, WA, Jordan has emerged as one of the top fleet-builders in the game to the point where I now have to completely redo my list of playables just because of the three different builds he ran over the course of this past week. Prior to today his highest finish was a T4 in last year's Nationals, but he was well-equipped to improve on that here. He's always finding innovative new ways to combine cards--just like he does in the list below:

USS ENTERPRISE

Kor 8

Ibix Dynasty

Sakonna

Worf (Rotarran)

Deana Troi

Li Nalas

Tactical Station

Upgraded Phasers

Photonic Torpedoes

Charging Weapons

USS DEFIANT NCC-1764

Khan Singh 6

Admiral Q

Think Fast

Conditional Surrender

Jennifer Sisko

Miles O'Brien (Starter)

Cloaked Mines

Upgraded Phasers

Type 8 Phaser Array

QUARK'S TREASURE

Zek

Diplomacy

Second of Five

Quark (Projected Stasis Field)

Agony Booth

Resource: Co-Pilot

It's about 15 hours after I first saw this list, and I think I'm just now starting to get it. There's just way too much synergy to describe here, but I'm going to try anyway. Start with the obviously good chassis of the 3-attack Fed ships with the typical weapon upgrades. Sakonna and Worf on the Enterprise retain their traditional roles, and Li Nalas lets you Troi twice--but Li Nalas also serves as Madred insurance and all four help Kor with his rerolls.

Meanwhile on the Defiant, Admiral Q and Think Fast are cards that are usually reserved for filling out an extra point... but here they effectively give a ship that needs maneuverability a red 1 Come-About and an extra die for a Tactical Station-infused alpha strike. Jen Sisko does double duty (seeing a theme yet?) as turn one disruption but is also the perfect choice for Think Fast--which only disables her, meaning that he can still O'Brien and have her around for Conditional Surrender. In other words, every Crew on this ship is serving two or even three purposes all at once... and the shuttle provides two attack cancels and a nasty PSF-Booth-Second of Five routine that will leave opposing fleets crippled to boot!

CALEY ROARK

Coming to us from Lancaster, PA, Caley came in 5th yesterday... which was his first Regionals+ event ever! He missed the Nats cut but made this one, and was in fact the only other 3-0 going into his round four match against Peter. Caley's a solid guy with a sound tactical mind for maneuvers--which is funny, considering his fleet:

USS DEFIANT

Ronald Moore

William T. Riker (Hood)

Systems Upgrade

Sakonna

Upgraded Phasers

Type 8 Phaser Array

Aft Phase Cannon

BIOSHIP BETA

Worf 5

Biological Technology

SCIMITAR

Gul Evek

Interphase Generator

Resource: Co-Pilot

This build is designed to do one thing: survive. Don't be fooled by the lack of upgrades on the big ships; they roll a ton of defense dice (and get blanks rerolled, in the Scim's case), and can get the Battlestations conversion with a quick Co-Pilot. Plus, with Biological technology in the mix, Caley was frequently rolling 4 defense dice while still keeping the Beta's hit cancel available. The Defiant rounds it all out by providing some offensive firepower at a bargain cost!

JAMES MENDEZ

Out of Indianapolis, IN, James's biggest claim to fame is finishing second at the 2016 Chicago Regional. If I had to pin him down, I'd say he's a fundamentals player: the kind of guy who can build a rock-solid win streak by keeping his eye on the ball and mastering the most basic elements over riskier flourishes. His build definitely reflected that mentality:

USS HATHAWAY

Gul Madred

Admiral Shanthi

William T. Riker (Pegasus)

Sakonna

Upgraded Phasers

Type 8 Phaser Array

Lure

VOR'CHA CLASS

Khan Singh 6

Detonation Codes

Cloaked Mines

Quark (?)

FEDERATION ATTACK SQUADRON

Resource: Co-Pilot

I'm not sure how much more digital ink can be spilled on two-fighter builds; they're strong, and so is this. After ganking, Madred gives way to Shanthi--who can reroll against cloaks (and pick up that sweet, sweet Co-Pilot conversion) at skill 7 thanks to Riker. I'm not sure what was under Quark--I think it was a second set of Cloaked Mines. This is a bread-and-butter fleet that pretty well represents the archetype by which all others are judged.

Top 4: The Matches

Peter Smith vs. James Mendez: This game starts out very slowly, with 1 and 2 forwards pretty much all around. Peter drops his mines then docks his shuttle; James turns around and starts dancing. It looks like he's anticipating a Warp Jump-fueled flank attack--or is moving to flank himself. Peter does nothing of the sort, content to move up slowly and bring Second of Five across from the shuttle. Slowly, cautiously, the two fleets dance towards and around each other... until Peter has the Vor'cha in range and rolls 7 hits! Unfortunately for him, however, James also has hot dice and rolls 4 evades--and, by spending a Co-Pilot token, ensures that only two hits get through.

Despite needing to get his fighters into the engagement, James moves them up slowly--he does not seem to want to fly them into Peter's mines. A bank by his Hathaway brings Peter's into range; the Vor'cha slams into the back of its own fighters. Peter elects to stick around for this engagement, and it pays off: the Hathaway and Enterprise-A combine for five damage, leaving James's Hathaway at a scant 2 hull. James only has a shot on Peter's Hathaway, and can only manage one damage in reply.

James finally drops his own mines and also has Madred tell Picard just how many lights there are--leaving Riker in charge. There's an awkward moment here where it's pointed out that Peter missed a mine trigger and James missed a Hathaway free action; everyone is starting to get pretty tired. The judges elect to have the players continue as is, though. James decides to have Projected Stasis Field hit the Enterprise-A, but that's more than enough motivation for Peter to Warp Jump both ships out of there and he immediately does so. James's fleet is now clustered in the middle of the map, pointed in all directions; Peter splits his ships on opposite sides of the map.

James flips his fighters around but loses tokens to a ton of damage from a debris field and Peter's mines, while the Vor'cha moves to bracket the Enterprise-A. That's cause for a second Warp Jump. Peter then takes out James's Hathaway; one fighter can shoot at his own, but Peter spends the Ibix Dynasty. The Enterprise-A reappears on Peter's side of the board, meaning that Peter's mines are once again between it and James's fleet. James expects more tricky maneuvering, but the Enterprise-A charges straight in--drawing a startled "Oh!" from James as it does so. Clearly not having expected that, James has had the fighters turned away... leaving them helpless under the Enterprise-A's guns. James's fighters turn towards the Hathaway, but it blows straight by them on the way to target the Vor'cha--which turns around to face it at range 3. That's the situation as the ten-minute mark is announced.

Peter doesn't want to face the Vor'cha on these terms, so the Hathaway spends its last Warp Jump. The Enterprise-A only manages one hit against the shieldless fighters it sees, but one still beats zero as James whiffs. Upgraded Phasers shoot again and take those fighters down to their last token. The Hathaway reappears facing them dead on; the fighters gamely bank toward it and take an evade, but the other set is nowhere near here and certainly won't arrive in time. Neither will the Vor'cha, which speeds back even with the APT--the Hathaway kills the fighters with one shot. At this point, Peter has taken out half of James's fleet while only taking one damage the entire game.

The Enterprise-A finally turns to face the Vor'cha, as does the Hathaway; James's last set of fighters only make it to range 3 and lose a shield to mines for their trouble. The Vor'cha, still carrying that APT, does a 3 bank into close engagement range; the Hathaway shoots down its shields and time is called. The Vor'cha finally does some damage by taking off the Hathaway's shields; the Enterprise-A's return fire can't quite seal the deal, but it's academic--Peter's ahead on points and has already won.

Jordan Kott vs. Caley Roark: In contrast to the other match going on, Caley sends in his big ships right away; his Defiant is more cautious, though, as are both of Jordan's ships. The Teenyprise picks up the shuttle and Cloaked Mines go down. After some closing maneuvers, Jordan relaunches the shuttle to hit the Scimitar with Diplomacy; it blows right past the shuttle and into the mines--where a hit and a crit turn into three hits thanks to Direct Hit. That's almost half its hull, and Jordan hasn't even shot yet! The 1764 turns to face the Scimitar, but also just barely has an unobstructed shot on the Beta; the Teenyprise does as well once it moves up. Troi disables Evek, but the shots are going to the Bioship; a Think Fast from Jordan and a whiff from Caley take off 5 of the Beta's 6 shields; that's enough to let the Tennyprise deal three crits to its hull--Communications Failure, Injured Captain, and Jostled Navigator! Worf might as well be blank now.

Caley scans on the Beta to dodge some mine damage, but Peter whiffs anyway; Quark's Treasure runs, but the Defiant has a shot. It takes an Evade, just in case. After some deliberation, the 1764 shoots at the Scimitar instead of the bioship, as it's not cloaked right now--and won't ever be again, as it shoots off all of the Scimitar's shields! The Teenyprise can't quite get the job done and leaves the Scimitar with 1 hull left; the Scimitar's reply leaves it with only 2 of its own. On the next round of shots, Jordan happily trades the Teenyprise for the Beta while the 1764 finishes off the Scimitar. That leaves the old Defiant pointed right at the new one and vice-versa, but the mines in the middle are Jordan's. The Defiant has already taken one mine damage and now takes two more--but the shuttle PSFs it anyway while Second of Five ganks Hood Riker. That leaves the Defiant with only 3 hull to its name, and Jordan's attack is a modified five hits and one crit. Caley only rolls one evade--Co-Pilot isn't enough to save the ship and that's the ballgame.

SEMIFINALS RESULTS:

Peter Smith defeats James Mendez

Jordan Kott defeats Casey Roark

FINALS: PETER SMITH VERSUS JORDAN KOTT

He bested Joseph van der Jagt's skill and swagger. He outflew Ben Cheung's machine-like precision. Will Peter Smith break rising star Jordan Kott's iron will and defend the championship that has only ever borne his name?

Peter starts out by immediately losing... initiative, that is. He's fine with it, as both he and Jordan have movement tricks that work better when moving after their opponent. Obstacles go down in a sort of home-plate style pentagon pointed at Jordan and one his right; Jordan sets up on the clear match, but Peter puts himself on the Obstacle side. Jennifer Sisko hits the shuttle's Warp Jump and Second of Five and the game is on! ...Sort of: both fleets just inch forward, with the Teenyprise picking up Quark's Treasure and the Sakharov renabling Warp Jump. The Hathaway rocks backward--is Peter inviting Jordan to come to him? He drops one mine... and then the other, saying that he's tired of wasting time. That's a bad sign: if Peter's fatigued enough to not have his usual patience, this could go poorly for him.

The Defiant 1 banks in and comes-about with Q; the Enterprise-A finally pick up Peter's shuttle. The nearby derelict ship removes the APT it got for doing so, then it's back to maneuvers. Peter Lures the Teenyprise into banking towards him; the Defiant inches ahead to remove the APT it picked up from Q. Both of Peter's ships are in range of the Teenyprise; the first hit strips its shields but the second gets Ibixed. The Teenyprise returns fire with a Tactical Station-fueled alpha strike; the Enterprise-A takes an Injured Captian (which Riker immediately flips) a Warp Core Breach! As that's all for combat, Peter rolls for the beach and gets... a hit. Lord, that crit is nerve-wracking in play. Peter then attempts to drop his mines.

This results in a series of events that required a quite long judge ruling discussion that really isn't worth discussing--basically, the rules were clear but no one could find them on WORF. Long story short, Quark's Treasure winds up losing its shields and taking a crit after it moves and can't use Diplomacy. It can, however, Second of Five Riker. The Teenyprise takes a Minor Hull Breach off mines after it scans, and the Enterprise-A rams into Quark's Treasure--which deals it a lethal damage per the shuttle rules. The Hathaway barely misses the mines, but takes two obstacle damage. Peter has to make a decision now: does he Warp Jump away, or stay try and kill the Teenyprise?

He stays, but he makes a crucial mistake in doing so--he's forgotten that, without Riker around, the Teenyprise shoots first. It does so, and kills the Enterprise-A outright. The Hathaway alone can't get the job done against it, leaving the Teenyprise at one hull with an Engine Room Fire. It'll have to enter the minefield next turn, though and that might do it. Jordan thinks the same way, electing to risk a red reverse--and rolls a hit for Engine Room Fire, blowing up the Teenyprise! It's now all down to the Hathaway versus the Defiant. Peter Warp Jumps to the other side of the board; that's one of two. The Hathaway moves into Jordan's mines afterward, but they whiff. There can't be too much time left now before the ten minute mark; everyone can feel it, especially the players. Right now, Peter and Jordan have both scored 80 points--they're in a dead tie.

The Hathaway hits more mines, but they whiff again. Peter's in arc but doesn't have a shot on Jordan; he elects to remain instead of Warp Jumping and cancel the attack with Ibix Dynasty instead. The ten minute warning comes down--time is definitely running short, and the pressure is on. The Defiant 3 banks to bear on the Hathaway, safely out of mine distance; Peter can't get out of range and burns his last Warp Jump to go to the other side of the board. With the help of Q, Jordan does a 1 come-about and Peter inches forward; he's trying to force Jordan to fly through the mines again. They finally come through for him and strip two shields off of the Defiant--both ships are at five durability now, but the Defiant still has an attack cancel in its pocket. The Hathaway target locks, but takes a Console Fire from mines as Peter backs back out of range. He can't avoid the engagement forever, though, and Jordan has him scanned and locked now. Console Fire blanks, Jordan finally activates Think Fast by disabling Jen Sisko... and, after quality, rolls 3H3C. That's enough to kill Peter, and the Stunned Helmsman and Jordan's still-active Conditional Surrender seal the deal.

Jordan Kott defeats Peter Smith and is the new Star Trek Attack Wing World Champion.

Final Thoughts

It's somehow fitting that what feels like the end of an era would close with Peter Smith's reign as World Champion coming to an end. Star Trek Attack Wing is about to move into a new phase of its existence, and it's going to do so with a whole new set of players in the mix. The previews we saw this week show that it's going to be an almost totally different game in just a few months; while the old guard will still remain--Jordan, Peter, and Nationals Champion Joseph van der Jagt aren't going anywhere--I'm excited to see who else next year's Worlds will see crowned.

I ended my Nationals write-up last year by saying that I'd never been more optimistic about the future of Star Trek Attack Wing. I'm going to end my Worlds write-up this year on the same note. The future of this game is in good hands--both creators' and players'--and I, for one, can't wait to see what lies just beyond that second star on the right.

2 Feds 2 Furious: 2017 Star Trek Attack Wing National Championships

stateofthefederation@gmail.com (WS, TC, JVDJ, RF) — Sat, 17 Jun 2017 15:34:00 -0700

Wow, is it Nationals already? It feels like the year just flew by--but US Nats went down today, and I was there under the State of the Federation Banner to tell you the tale!

General Observations

Best Day Ever?: We were hoping for 18. WizKids set up for 22. 26 showed up to play--tied for the second-largest recorded attendance at a Regionals+ event ever! But quality matters... which is why seeing players such as Robert Chest, Jordan Kott, Jared Hoffman, Dustin Gross, and of course the Canadian Crew of Peter Smith and Joseph van der Jagt go head-to-head was really amazing to see. A diverse range of builds, entire archetypes out of left field, exciting announcements in the fan appreciation event... this may well be STAW's best day ever!

A Lon Vacation: One disappointment to some of us who enjoy his play was Lon Porter bowing out to participate in other Origins events. He regretted playing in quickplays Wednesday and Thursday, as it left him feeling a bit burned out--plus, if he'd done well, he wouldn't be able to do anything else at Origins! (Can't say I disagree there; I've been here three days and still haven't had time to see the exhibition hall!)

Oh Captain, My Captain: There might have been a wide array of builds, but Jean-Luc Picard 9 and Khan Singh 6 were everywhere. Kor 8 also made several appearances; while he wasn't strictly a captain, Admiral Forrest was equally ubiquitous.

Warp Jump For Joy: I was disappointed when I didn't see any Warp Jumps at Fremont. Turns out, it was spending all that time getting ready for its coming-out party here. It felt like everyone had at least one--David Montgomery had four--and they served as everything from key repositioning to spot attack cancels. Look for more from this one going forward.

Across the Neutral Zone: While there was a wide variety of which ships appeared--USS Bellerophon, anyone?--Federation ships were far more prevalent than anything else (along with, of course, Type 8s and Upgraded Phasers). Reman Warbirds, meanwhile, were almost nowhere to be found--only one made the top 4, and it certainly wasn't a typical build!

Prized Fighters: There were so many fighters you guys. Peter Smith and Joseph van der Jagt both ran two, and one player even ran three! Single fighters also made many appearances--but were generally soundly countered by the prevalence of Upgraded Phasers.

The Swiss

Circuit Judges: Surprisingly, most of the judge calls were very minor--but they were constant. Hats off to Ben Cheung and Richard Kopacz for running a tight ship--and running all over the place!

Joust An Old-Fashioned Slugging Match: You'd think, in a format defined by obstacles, Warp Jump, and Admiral Forrest, that tense maneuvering games would be the order of the day. You would be wrong. Despite all the games, most fleets engaged fast and furiously

Everyone is My Co-Pilot: 26 players... over 20 copies of Co-Pilot. By the fourth round, if you didn't have one you weren't at the top five tables. It helped that Ben and Richard made the call that the first ability would work if declared--not that many people used it anyway!

You Must Flip It: One of the peculiar quirks of con play--we all had to wear our badges, and the players that leaned over their ships very nearly knocked them over several times! Jared Hoffman had the idea of flipping his around to the back, but it kept sliding back to the front--so he ended up flipping it over and over!

SWISS WORLDS CUT, FINAL STANDINGS:

1. Joseph Van Der Jagt, 4-0 (520)
2. Dustin Gross, 4-0 (77)
3. James Carter II, 3-1 (467)
4. Jared Hoffman, 3-1 (455)
----------CUT----------
5. Caley Roark, 3-1 (390)
6. Robert Chest, 3-1 (319)
7. Peter Smith, 3-1 (257)*
8. Chris Oberst, 3-1 (247)
9. Bill Buhler, 2-2 (391)
10. Joel Bennett, 2-2 (348)
11. James Mendez, 2-2 (342)
12. James Bess, 2-2 (342)
13. Matthew Dobson, 2-2 (313)
14. Jordan Kott, 2-2 (309)

*As sitting World Champion, Peter was already qualified for Worlds and his qualification went to 14th place.

Top 4: The Builds

JOSEPH VAN DER JAGT

Worlds 2015 finalist. National champion of two countries in 2016. Worlds top four 2016. Too many regionals to count.

You know who he is. And he was back to defend his title.

USS HATHAWAY
Jean-Luc Picard 8 (USS Enterprise-E)
Admiral Maxwell Forrest
Conditional Surrender
Warp Jump
Type 8 Upgraded Phasers
Upgraded Phasers

CONSTITUTION CLASS
Khan Singh 6
Conditional Surrender
Sakonna
Quark (Warp Jump)
Type 8 Phaser Array
Upgraded Phasers

FEDERATION ATTACK SQUADRON
Coordinated Attack

FEDERATION ATTACK SQUADRON

Resource: Co-Pilot

Joseph piloted a deceptively simple two Fed/two fighter list with tricks and punch. The Warp Jumps and Conditional Surrenders were effectively two attack cancels per ship, and the rest was high skill, high quality attack dice. Sometimes, the bread and butter gets the job done.

DUSTIN GROSS

Hailing from Carlisle in the heartland of Ohio, Dustin barely missed qualifying for Worlds last year, but he came back with a vengeance today with this list:

USS PROMETHEUS
Khan Singh 7
Admiral Maxwell Forrest
Hidden (William T. Riker [Pegasus])
Hidden (Warp Jump)
Hidden (Quantum Slipstream Drive)

SCIMITAR
Jean-Luc Picard 6
Interphase Generator
Interphase Generator

QUARK’S TREASURE
Gul Madred
Li Nalas
Quark (Warp Jump)

Resource: Co-Pilot

Dustin’s build is designed to do two things: gank a captain or two with Madred and then run the hell away. This led him to a 4-0 Swiss with all of 77 fleet points. Opponents tried just about everything they could think of against it, but had very little luck all day--up to and including Peter Smith, who was knocked out of the game and ultimately the Top 4 by this strategy in round four despite being 3-0 at that point!

JAMES CARTER II

If you were wondering who this year’s dark horse is, you’re looking at him. Straight out of Cincinnati, Ohio, James is entirely new to the national stage; he's never even played in a Regionals+ event before.

USS ENTERPRISE-A
Shakaar Edon
Admiral Maxwell Forrest
Picard Maneuver
Janice Rand
William T. Riker (Pegasus)
Secondary Impulse Reactor
Sakonna
Tactical Station
Type 8 Phaser Array
Upgraded Phasers

USS PROMETHEUS
Khan Singh 7
Second of Five
Hidden (Pavel Chekov [Reliant])
Hidden (Projected Stasis Field)
Hidden (Quantum Slipstream Drive)

QUARK’S TREASURE
Matt Decker 2
Jennifer Sisko
Positron Beam
Quark (Tractor Beam [MU])

Resource: Co-Pilot

James’s build is designed to rush in before an opponent is ready and throw their formation into disarray--which, for most fleets, is too much to come back from! If an opponent made the mistake of moving forward too far on the first turn, the Enterprise-A could (with the help of both Forrest and Picard Maneuver, thanks to Janice Rand) run in and start hitting them turn one. Positron Beam--which gets the range it so sorely lacks on a shuttle--and Tractor Beam frequently comboed to mean that one ship never saw actions again!

JARED HOFFMAN

Another Ohio native, this time from Mount Vernon, Jared posted a Top 8 finish back at Worlds 2015. His fleet was one after my own heart:

SPECIES 8472 BIOSHIP
Jean-Luc Picard 9
Biological Technology

SPECIES 8472 BIOSHIP
Khan Singh 6
Admiral Maxwell Forrest
Cloaked Mines

1ST WAVE ATTACK FIGHTERS
Flanking Attack

Sometimes, you just need a lot of attack dice with near-perfect quality. The real winner here, though, was Biological Technology combined with Co-Pilot--it very frequently meant that the bioship was almost as good as cloaked!

Top 4: The Matches

Joseph van der Jagt vs. Jared Hoffman: Joseph is dice with quality. Jared is dice with quality. As you might expect, this isn’t exactly a maneuvering game. Both line up along the edge and joust right at each other--though Jared did hold back his ships a bit on the turn of engagement to avoid being in fighter range. Jared trades a shield off of one of the Fed fighters for all of Khan’s shields--a poor roll on his part along with a rolled evade means no fighter token for him. On the next round, Jared drops Cloaked Mines in the middle of the scrum and flies Khan right up against the fighters while Picard hangs back. The Hathaway proceeds to take out Khan while getting three crits through. It looks like Joseph might take a nasty stab-at-thee of simultaneous fire… but the third flipped crit is Stunned Helmsman! Jared does manage to knock off some fighter tokens here, but that’s a poor consolation prize--especially since Joseph takes off a Hideki token and one of Picard’s shields in reply.

At this point, Joseph predicts that Jared will move forward and perhaps come-about, and performs 1 come-abouts with both fighters… but Jared just moves Picard 1 forward and has the squadrons’ backs right in front of him. Joseph does take off two more Hideki tokens with the Hathaway, which has now moved to flanking position, but takes heavy damage to the fighters--leaving them with two tokens on one and one on the other. Another set of 1 come-abouts fixes that, though, and now everyone’s back in arc. Picard gets chipped down to three hull--Biological Technology does a lot of defensive work here, but it can only do so much. Meanwhile, once again Jared can’t find the dice to take out more than a shield on the fighters, which fire back and kill Picard. Jared’s now down to his fighters, and tries for Joseph’s one-token fighters as a consolation prize--he rolls four hits, but Joseph rolls straight evades on three dice. After that, it’s a mop-up operation that leaves Joseph with his fifth tabled opponent of the day.

Dustin Gross vs. James Carter II: David got this match on film; I had to move back and forth to watch both, so I missed some of the earlier moves. Still, here’s roughly what happened.

James starts the game by Jennifer Siskoing both of Picard’s Interphase Generators--this winds up being a key play. His Prometheus charges in with a quick Quantum Slipstream after docking the shuttle; Dustin, meanwhile, docks his own shuttle and moves Madred and Li Nalas over in preparation for Gul Madred. Then it’s James and the Ent-A, which charges in with Forrest, Rand, and Picard Maneuver all in a row. Dustin, apparently flabbergasted, leans back and says, “I wasn’t prepared for this!” It looks like it might be a bad opening for him… but the Ent-A winds up millimeters out of range and he breathes a heavy sigh of relief.

James responds by launching the shuttle on the next round to use beams both Positron and Tractor to make sure Picard doesn’t get his standard complement of actions… but his tractor beam whiffs! Dustin Warp Jumps his Prometheus out of harm’s way--it’ll reappear on the opposite end of the board later--and only the Ent-A has a shot. 6 damage looks like a good start, but Co-Pilot turns 3E3BS on the defense roll into 6E!

At this point, it’s all about the dance. Madred has already hit Edon--that happened prior to the Warp Jump--so James now needs a kill to win. Another shot on the Scim forces Dustin to burn another Co-Pilot, but no damage gets through. James keeps up the chase, though, with the Ent-A and the shuttle tailing the Scimitar and the Prometheuses headed to do battle. The Scimitar looks like it finally might get a chance to take an action and put the game literally out of reach… but Tractor Beam pays dividends and an aux token goes down! The Ent-Ad also gets a crit through; the Scimitar’s Agility is reduced by 1. That’ll help, but James had to be hoping for something better.

Meanwhile, Madred (who is still around thanks to Li Nalas) makes James’s Khan see five lights, but winds up right in James’s sights and has to burn his other Warp Jump to get away. The Scimitar doesn’t get away without some damage, though, and takes another crit… which gives it its fourth aux token! (The shuttle had been beaming more on there.) There’s no way those Interphase Generators will ever be enabled--that Jennifer Sisko pays huge dividends now. It still has five evade dice and Co-Pilot… but will that be enough to survive to the end of the match? Decker makes this even harder on the next turn, bringing the Scimitar down to three durability left.

James’s Prometheus is in pretty bad shape too--Dustin takes a shot at Range 3 with his, and rolls 2H2BS. After some heart-rending choices, he decides to save the Co-Pilot for the Scimitar… which bites him when James rolls 2E on two dice! The Ent-A rolls 5H1C against the Scimitar, and Dustin burns his last Co-Pilot to save it with one hull… not realizing that Decker can (and does) take it out automatically one turn later. Ten minutes is called--If Dustin can take out James’s Prometheus he might just pull this off. (His shuttle is still docked on Prometheus, remember!) He rolls three hits, but James spends an Evade token and his last Co-Pilot to save it.

After a turn of running from James and backing up to avoid flying off by Dustin, the Prometheus takes a Decker hit and uses the die to finish off its opposite number. The Ent-A is still around, though, and hits the Prometheus hard enough to put it down to its last two hull. Even so, everyone can feel the time pressure. Dustin sends the Prometheus as far away as he can, but some deft Forrest maneuvering just barely keeps it in range and arc. Even after a target lock reroll, the attack ends up with just three hits… Dustin has two green dice and needs to roll straight evades… but he only rolls one and the game is over--and as Dustin extends his hand in congratulations, the timer beeps the end of the round!

SEMIFINALS RESULTS:

Joseph van der Jagt defeats Jared Hoffman
James Carter II defeats Dustin Gross

FINALS: JOSEPH VAN DER JAGT VS. JAMES CARTER II

The last man standing of the Canadian Crew versus the Queen City kid who came outta nowhere! Joseph beat James in Round 4 of the Swiss, but it was very close--can James come back and do it again?

James wins initiative and starts setting up on the edge. Joseph knows he has to be very careful here with his setup--whatever formation he decides on will probably be attacked almost immediately. He sets up his fighters in the middle, with the Khan Connie on the side... Jared sets the A in his corner on that same side and Joseph sets up the Hath opposite it. Jennifer Sisko hits JLP's Warp Jump and Conditional Surrender... and the game is on! Jared’s shuttle docks, fighters both go 1F and evade--these first-turn actions matter in this matchup! James flips the Prometheus maneuver dial, showing… 1F?! And the Ent-A’s does too?!

Where's the ambush?!?!

Joseph, on the other hand, goes 2F with the Khannie and 1F with the Hath... is he planning on holding station by going back and forth? It’s time to set maneuvers again already--I had already expected some shooting by now. One fighter 1 come-abouts; the other banks towards the A--he's covering his flank with one while moving the other up to attack. Important when your opponent can teleport behind you!

James is taking forever to reveal his dial--it's a 6F! The question he must have been asking himself: does he Quantum Slipstream here? He decides not to--which is probably the wrong call. It looks like Joseph might have the less experienced James psyched out. The Ent-A charges right in with Picard Maneuver, though--possibly to make up for the Prometheus’s lack of aggression. Shooting will happen this turn! Joseph moves up the Hath 1F, then leans over the table to examines Shakaar Edon and company... he doesn’t see many tricks here besides a Warp Jump, and James obviously can't afford to burn that this early. After some thought, Joseph throws down an evade and BS--this is a little rough because James, who has initiative, will use the nearby derelict ship to remove the Ent-A’s aux token before Joseph can clear the Hath’s.

The Khannie moves up and takes a BS. Hathaway's Conditional Surrender is still disabled, so Joseph Warp Jumps it well out of harm’s way. The Khannie gets a single hit on the Ent-A; the Ent-A responds by using Upgraded Phasers to knock two tokens off the fighters with Coordinated Attack--which also means it won’t get a shot, because with two tokens gone it can’t punch through the Picard Maneuver penalty. When it comes time to drop Picard back onto the field, Joseph moves him all the way to the diagonally opposite corner.

On the next round of maneuvers, Joseph intentionally turns his fighters right into a debris field--sacrificing a shield but rolling a blank on the die. The other set turns around to face the engagement. After the Prometheus finally pulls the trigger on Quantum Slipstream and winds up spitting distance from Picard, it uses Second of Five to pick off his Conditional Surrender. Then it’s the Ent-A’s move, and Joseph’s fighter maneuver goes from looking odd to absolutely masterful: the Ent-A 3 banks right in the middle of their firing arcs! James has practically no choice but to Forrest out of there, clearing him from one arc but losing some quality in the process. Unfortunately for James, the Khannie makes a turn that leaves it pointed right at the Ent-A’s backside. This isn’t going to be a good day for it.

Or the Prometheus--Picard scoots out to the side of its 90-degree arc with a 4F, then a Forrest hard turn leaves the Prometheus in arc and with very little room to maneuver--it’s facing the edge of the board and may not have room to turn. Shooting starts, and the Khannie lays 4H1C against the Ent-A post Co-Pilot. James, with two shields left on it, rolls 1E1BS and elects to save his Co-Piloting for a better time. One crit gets through… and it’s a Direct Hit! James has to regret that one; it puts the A’s survival in serious jeopardy. It knocks two tokens off a fighter, but Joseph manages to eke out 2H1C from the ravaged squad. James does get an evade and spends the Co-Pilot to only take the crit and save the ship… but the crit is another Direct Hit and the Ent-A is gone!

James only has his Prometheus on the board, and it’s facing the edge--he launches the shuttle and takes the reverse. He Positron Beams Picard and Deckers for good measure, but the fighters are starting to turn towards the Prometheus now and the Khannie has the shuttle in range. Picard, on the other hand, pulls a 4F and just keeps the aux token to stay out of everyone’s range. The Khannie attack winds up with 5H on the shuttle, but one evade result and a Co-Pilot save it for one more turn--and allow it to take a single shield off Picard.

The shuttle runs up to Decker Picard again, but that puts it in arc. A hard 3 from the Prometheus, which loses the aux thanks to Chekov, puts Picard in PSF range--which James triggers just to give the shuttle a shot. Unfortunately, Joseph moves up his whole fleet for the joust and the shuttle dies horribly to the Khannie anyway. The Prometheus takes a token off a fighter, but without Upgraded Phasers that’s all it can do. It’s down to five durability.

The fighters move in for the kill--and the bump, as the Prometheus smacks right into one and ends up in both their guns. Ultimately, though, the Khannie deals a kill shot--6H after Co-Pilot is enough to take the Prometheus out, and Joseph has done it again.

Joseph van der Jagt defeats James Carter II and remains the US National Champion.

Final Thoughts

It is impossible to overstate Joseph’s dominance in this game. He faced the toughest and most competitive STAW tournament field I’ve ever seen and ended the day 6-0 with a perfect 980 fleet points. He may win Worlds tomorrow, or he may not ever win one; regardless, he’s made an undeniable mark on the early tournament history of this game.

And one more thing: having seen today the amazing array of strategies and builds out there, and tonight a small glimpse into the future of the game, I once again find myself incredibly optimistic about its future. Great things are just around the corner… and I, for one, can’t wait for tomorrow.

TNG Episode 7--Worlds Preview

stateofthefederation@gmail.com (WS, TC, JVDJ, RF) — Mon, 12 Jun 2017 00:00:00 -0700

We look ahead to Worlds, and give you a preview of what you can expect to see the most competitive players running there!@

If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element.

TNG Episode 6--Our Favorite OPs!

stateofthefederation@gmail.com (WS, TC, JVDJ, RF) — Mon, 29 May 2017 00:00:00 -0700

Wondering how to fill the time until the next round of OPs are released? Here are some recommendations for past OPs to go back and enjoy again!

If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element.

TNG Episode 5--UK Nationals and Reverse Course

stateofthefederation@gmail.com (WS, TC, JVDJ, RF) — Mon, 15 May 2017 00:00:00 -0700

What happened at UK Nationals, and what's the new hotness you should know about? Listen in and find out!

If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element.

TNG Episode 4--Common Strategies, Part 2: Cloaked Mines, Lure, and Faked Messages

stateofthefederation@gmail.com (WS, TC, JVDJ, RF) — Mon, 1 May 2017 00:00:00 -0700

Today's episode is all about three of the most powerful cards in the game: Cloaked Mines, Lure, and Faked Messages!

If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element.

TNG Episode 3--Common Strategies, Part 1

stateofthefederation@gmail.com (WS, TC, JVDJ, RF) — Tue, 18 Apr 2017 16:49:00 -0700

In this episode, we talk all about movement quality and strategies--plus a few example builds!

If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element

Show Notes--TNG Episode 2

stateofthefederation@gmail.com (WS, TC, JVDJ, RF) — Tue, 11 Apr 2017 22:42:00 -0700

Its Continuing Mission

The stunning return of State of the Federation marches on. In episode 2, Joseph, Tucker, and Robert discuss the Drive OP. Each of them builds a fleet to bring you victory, providing massive firepower, ninja treachery, or "Just the facts, ma'am" as befits each of their approaches. Those stories and more! You're listening to State of the Federation. Our notes on the show after the jump.

Timmy, Power Gamer

Robert

U.S.S. Reliant [20]

- Jean-Luc Picard 6 (Captain) [4]

- - Infiltration [5]

- - Janice Rand [2]

- Romulan Pilot [3]

Ship Total: 34 SP

Klingon/Borg Starship (B'Rel Class) [24]

- Kor 8 (Captain) [5]

- - Drex [4]

- Borg Ablative Hull Armor [10]

- Worf [2]

Ship Total: 45 SP

U.S.S. Defiant NCC-1764 [22]

- James T. Kirk 9 (Captain) [6]

- - Ibix Dynasty [6]

- - - Tactical Station [2]

- Worf (Admiral) [2]

- Type 8 Phaser Array [0]

- Upgraded Phasers [1]

- William T. Riker [4]

- Sakonna [3]

Ship Total: 46 SP

Resource: TACTICS [5]

Fleet Total: 130 SP

Johnny, Combo Player

Tucker

Quark's Treasure [16]

- Thought Maker [4]

- Quark [2]

- - Warp Jump [0]

- Elim Garak [4]

- - Picard Maneuver [5]

Ship Total: 31 SP

U.S.S. Defiant [24]

- Jean-Luc Picard 9 (Captain) [6]

- - Faked Messages [6]

- Warp Jump [5]

- Type 8 Phaser Array [0]

- Upgraded Phasers [1]

- Sakonna [3]

Ship Total: 45 SP

U.S.S. Defiant NCC-1764 [22]

- Jonathan Archer 6 (Captain) [4]

- - Lure [6]

- Maxwell Forrest (Admiral) [3]

- Type 8 Phaser Array [2]

- Upgraded Phasers [3]

- Brunt [1]

- Jennifer Sisko [3]

- - Warp Jump [5]

Ship Total: 49 SP

Resource: Co-Pilot [5]

Fleet Total: 130 SP

Spike

Joseph

U.S.S. Hathaway [U.S.S. Hathaway] (22)

Khan Singh [GenKhan] (4)

Sakonna [Gavroche] (3)

Warp Jump [U.S.S. Hathaway] (5)

Systems Upgrade [U.S.S. Hood] (2)

Upgraded Phasers [U.S.S. Lakota] (1)

Type 8 Phaser Array [U.S.S. Hood] (0)

Total (37)

U.S.S. Stargazer [U.S.S. Stargazer] (22)

Jean-Luc Picard [Starter] (6)

Adm Maxwell Forrest [Enterprise NX-01] (3)

Warp Jump [U.S.S. Hathaway] (5)

Systems Upgrade [U.S.S. Hood] (2)

Upgraded Phasers [U.S.S. Lakota] (3)

Arsenal [U.S.S. Phoenix] (4)

Type 8 Phaser Array [U.S.S. Hood] (2)

Total (47)

USS Defiant (24)

Gul Dukat (6)

Picard Maneuver (5)

William T. Riker (4)

Systems Upgrade (2)

Warp Jump (5)

Type 8 Phaser (2)

Upgraded Phasers (3)

Total (46)

Fleet total: 130

TNG Episode 2--Drive OP

stateofthefederation@gmail.com (WS, TC, JVDJ, RF) — Sat, 8 Apr 2017 00:07:00 -0700

We discuss all things Drive OP! Apologies for the audio quality--we're working on a solution!

If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element

Show Notes--TNG Episode 1

stateofthefederation@gmail.com (WS, TC, JVDJ, RF) — Tue, 21 Mar 2017 12:00:00 -0700

Its Continuing Mission

The stunning return of State of the Federation begins. In the inaugural episode of the Next Generation of the podcast devoted to all things Star Trek: Attack Wing strategy, hosts new and old introduced themselves; Tucker, Joseph, and Robert took turns listing their favorite Ship, Captain, Admiral, Elite Talent, Crew, Weapon, and Tech, and then discussed some applications for each. Those stories and impassioned remarks about the nature of the Designated Hitter interspersed throughout. Our notes on the show after the jump!

Timmy, Power Gamer

Robert’s favorite card selections:

Ship: USS Defiant NCC-1764

Captain: Karr

Admiral: Gul Madred

Elite Talent: Lure

Crew: Quark

Weapon: Prototype Weapon

Tech: Quantum Slipstream Drive

Johnny, Combo Player

Tucker’s favorite card selections:

Ship: Generic Bioship

Captain: Khan Singh (GenCon promo)

Admiral: Maxwell Forrest

Elite Talent: Diplomacy

Crew: Eric Motz

Weapon: Type-8 Phaser Array and similar

Tech: Projected Stasis Field

Spike

Joseph’s favorite card selections:

Ship: Scout 608

Captain: Jean-Luc Picard (starter set)

Admiral: Matt Decker (USS

Elite Talent: Lure

Crew: Sakonna

Weapon: Magnetometric Guided Charge

Tech: Interphase Generator

Rocks Into Replicators

How, exactly, does Kolo interact with Diplomacy? Does the clause on page 18 regarding breaking the rules apply? ("If one card ability forbids an effect, and another allows it, the effect is forbidden.") Does the ruling on Mirror Bashir allowing its ability to work outside of arc apply? This is a potentially powerful interaction--just look at 2016 Worlds!

Reference Links:

Timmy, Johnny, and Spike: http://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/making-magic/timmy-johnny-and-spike-revisited-2006-03-20-2
Mirror Bashir Out of Arc: http://win.wizkids.com/bb/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=9995&p=22202&sid=9659a93d671303947116ea7771d69bfa#p22202

TNG Episode 1--The Next Generation

stateofthefederation@gmail.com (WS, TC, JVDJ, RF) — Mon, 20 Mar 2017 00:00:00 -0700

State of the Federation is BACK, and with a new lineup! This time, we'll be discussing our favorite cards and why we like them!

If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element

Episode 53 - Blind Booster set 3 Bohnanza!

stateofthefederation@gmail.com (WS, TC, JVDJ, RF) — Sat, 29 Aug 2015 06:30:00 -0700

Episode 53 - There are ten new Blind Booster ships coming up that are going to throw a wrench in your OP tournament plans! How do they stack up, and what different kinds of tactics might you have to employ to make the most out of them? Find out in our no fluff, super critical reviews! Special thanks to David Montgomery for all the Blind Booster preview info, you can find card spoilers and more over at his youtube channel: The Shipyard ! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCW3bzLxfBORMltlBTGPN6I

If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element

Episode 52 - I.R.W. Vrax, U.S.S. Thunderchild, Scout 608 counters, SotF changes

stateofthefederation@gmail.com (WS, TC, JVDJ, RF) — Tue, 18 Aug 2015 06:30:00 -0700

Episode 52 - (re-up) There's some changes in store for SotF, but before that we have some final reviews of the Vrax and Thunderchild, followed by a strategy section on dealing with THE championship scout 608! While we here at SotF are going to be taking it a little easier, please check out these other wonderful STAW fans and podcasters! Warp Core Breach - David Montgomery and Nick Norris - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/warp-core-breach/id1021546639?mt=2 Battlestation - Tucker Cobey - https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/battle-station/id1012841785?mt=2 Trek Talking - Daid Montgomery and Jim Yager - http://www.blogtalkradio.com/trektalking Trueflight Silverwing - https://www.youtube.com/user/Trueflights The Shipyard - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCW3bzLxfBORMltlBTGPN6Ig

If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element

Episode 51 - I.K.S. T'Ong, U.S.S. Bellerophon, Year of Hell OP July 2015

stateofthefederation@gmail.com (WS, TC, JVDJ, RF) — Tue, 21 Jul 2015 06:30:00 -0700

Episode 51 - Back to business as usual! Next wave previews are starting, and we also take some time out to examine the Year of Hell scenario, what to do for it, and frankly - is it any fun?

If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element

Episode 50 - State of the Game! July 2015

stateofthefederation@gmail.com (WS, TC, JVDJ, RF) — Tue, 14 Jul 2015 06:30:00 -0700

Episode 50 - State of the Game is our Biannual evaluation of the current health of the game along with the most recent changes and the positive or negative impacts we think they are having. Also we have the Venue Report, go check out any of these places if you can, you'll definitely find players there who are active in the online STAW community! https://goo.gl/Z0hGQJ

If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element

Episode 49 - Wave 16 Kreetcha, U.S.S. Pasteur, U.S.S. Dauntless, Lure

stateofthefederation@gmail.com (WS, TC, JVDJ, RF) — Tue, 7 Jul 2015 06:30:00 -0700

Episode 49 - Today we break out the Wave 16 reviews! What's hot and what's not? there's a surprising amount of playable things in these packs, and also a suprprising amount of poor wordings unfortunately... What's going to make you smile and what's going to just give you a headache? Well if an extra half hour discussion on the single card "Lure" at the end of the broadcast doesnt send you packing, you have plenty to choose from!

If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element

Episode 48 - Ratosha, I.R.W. Terix, Q OP3, Q Grand Prize

stateofthefederation@gmail.com (WS, TC, JVDJ, RF) — Tue, 30 Jun 2015 06:30:00 -0700

Episode 48 - Today we finish up our wave 15 reviews, and sneak in the last of the Q OP series stuff, including some strategy on how to win it of course! Lots of segments, but surprisingly not too many exceptionally interesting cards in this series. But that all changes next week when we break out the Wave 16 reviews!

If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element

Episode 47 - U.S.S. Prometheus and I.K.S. Ning Tao

stateofthefederation@gmail.com (WS, TC, JVDJ, RF) — Tue, 23 Jun 2015 06:30:00 -0700

Episode 47 - Welcome our new guest host, Joseph Van Der Jagt, the current player ranked #2 in the World! Hope we don't scare him off too quickly! Tonight we finally get back to ship reviews, going over both the Prometheus and the Ning Tao. New hotness or new disappointments? Only one way to find out!

If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element

Episode 46 - World Championship Finals!

stateofthefederation@gmail.com (WS, TC, JVDJ, RF) — Tue, 16 Jun 2015 06:30:00 -0700

Episode 46 - Not sure how well commentary on a game replay will come across audio only, but let's give it a shot! Also, we bid a sad farewell to David this episode as he moves on to other projects!

If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element

Episode 45 - How did the World Championship go?

stateofthefederation@gmail.com (WS, TC, JVDJ, RF) — Thu, 11 Jun 2015 15:04:00 -0700

Episode 45 - Today we take our last look at World's before the event itself! There are still some unanswered questions but we'll look at considerations for the scenario, in additional four of our favorite fleet picks for the current suggested rules format!

If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element

Episode 44 - World's Scenarios and Fleets

stateofthefederation@gmail.com (WS, TC, JVDJ, RF) — Tue, 26 May 2015 06:30:00 -0700

Episode 44 - Today we take our last look at World's before the event itself! There are still some unanswered questions but we'll look at considerations for the scenario, in additional four of our favorite fleet picks for the current suggested rules format!

If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element

Episode 43 - I.S.S. Avenger and Wave 14

stateofthefederation@gmail.com (WS, TC, JVDJ, RF) — Tue, 19 May 2015 06:30:00 -0700

Episode 43 - We finish up the wave 14 previews and reviews, including the extra info we didn't have for you guys last week! Asid from that though, we still don't have rulings for fighters, or scenario for Worlds yet so we're still holding on! Hopefully we get some answers soon, the Championship is approaching fast!

If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element

Episode 42 - U.S.S. Hood, U.S.S. Pegasus, Kyana Prime

stateofthefederation@gmail.com (WS, TC, JVDJ, RF) — Tue, 12 May 2015 06:30:00 -0700

Episode 42 - It's all about new ships today as we look at these new Excelsior, Oberth, and Krenim Weapon ships. This is the last legal wave for Worlds, so will any of them make the cut? Let's take a look!

If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element

Episode 41 - The Nerf Era, Q-Continuum 1

stateofthefederation@gmail.com (WS, TC, JVDJ, RF) — Tue, 5 May 2015 06:30:00 -0700

Episode 41 - In the last week we've had a major change to flip the Alpha Quadrant on it's head! Or have we? Tonight we'll take a look at the "Great Borg Nerfing of '15" and what, if any, of the other factions will emerge from the "end" of the Dark age of Borg. After that we'll take a look at Q-Continuum OP1... or at least David and Tucker will since my sound seems to have issues...

If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element

Episode 40 - Nationals Reviews and the Future of Attack Wing

stateofthefederation@gmail.com (WS, TC, JVDJ, RF) — Tue, 28 Apr 2015 06:30:00 -0700

Episode 40 - We've got a special guest tonight, the U.S. National Champ Danial Dalotta! We'll talk about how he did and what he saw in the U.S. Championship, and then we'll also discuss some of the results of the Canadaian Championship with Joseph Van Der Jagt from the chat! After that we ask are champ a few questions, including what he thinks about the future of the game. And make sure you Register for Origins Game Fair in June if you want to see us all at the World Championships!

If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element

Episode 39 - Competing on a Budget, Top 5 Crew

stateofthefederation@gmail.com (WS, TC, JVDJ, RF) — Tue, 21 Apr 2015 06:30:00 -0700

Episode 39 - Sadly, Tucker is unable to join us tonight, but luckily, we still have ship reviewer David! Got any of those competitive friends looking to jump into the game, or jut trying to buff up your collection in time for Worlds? We'll give you the top picks for STAW official events right here! After that we'll talk about the best crewmen out there. If you see these guys (or ladies) just hanging out on a space station, don't hesitate to recruit them!

If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element

Episode 38 - Sakharov, Peak Performance, Top Tech

stateofthefederation@gmail.com (WS, TC, JVDJ, RF) — Tue, 7 Apr 2015 06:30:00 -0700

Episode 38 - we go into some deep strategy of this little Star Trek Wargame. Can you give us your... "Peak Performance"? We'll be taking a look at this OP scenario as well as its prize, our first shuttle, the Sakharov! Then finally, we'll take a look at our top 5 Tech upgrades. What's your pick for one of the most powerful upgrade slots in the game?

If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element

Episode 37 - Wave 13 I.S.S. Enterprise, Nationals Part 2, Talent Show!

stateofthefederation@gmail.com (WS, TC, JVDJ, RF) — Tue, 31 Mar 2015 06:30:00 -0700

Episode 37 - Good evening citizens of the Terran Empire!Welcome to everybody's favorite government approved broadcast, State of the Empire! Today we will be looking at the most glorious flagship of our Imperial Starfleet, the ISS Enterprise. See how we have kept all other races underfoot and continued to spread our dominance throughout the Alpha Quadrant! Also, some thing about STAW Nationals and some kind of Top 5 Talent show or what not. Surely the gods have smiled upon us this day!

If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element

Episode 36 - Wave 13 Previews: Independent Gornarus and Dominion Reklar

stateofthefederation@gmail.com (WS, TC, JVDJ, RF) — Tue, 24 Mar 2015 06:30:00 -0700

Episode 36 - Wave 13 is approaching fast! For some innocuouus looking ships there are some big changes in this wave! We'll take a loot at what's good, what's bad, and what the biggest game changers are.

If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element

Episode 35 - Attack Wing Nationals, Top 5! - Underdog Ships

stateofthefederation@gmail.com (WS, TC, JVDJ, RF) — Tue, 17 Mar 2015 06:30:00 -0700

Episode 35 - Hope you all enjoyed our live on-air Attack Wing game last time, if you haven't seen it yet, it's only available on our youtube channel, so go check it out! On today's episode we discuss what's going on with STAW nationals, logistics of the tournament, and what kind of builds you can probably expect to face there. After that we get together our top 5! This week - underdog ships! Our favorite ships that probably deserve more play. Does your favorite make the list?

If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element

Episode 34 - Ogla-Razik, A Matter of Honor, Top 5! - Ships

stateofthefederation@gmail.com (WS, TC, JVDJ, RF) — Tue, 24 Feb 2015 04:30:00 -0800

Episode 34 - Wave 12 concludes with a look at the Kazon Ogla Razik. The wave releases on March 4th, so I hope you know what you're picking up! After that we take a look at A Matter of Honor. Surprisingly straightforward for a scenario with such a lot of setup. After that its time to discuss the best 5 ships in the game on our Top 5!

If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element

Episode 33 - I.R.W. Haakona, Top 5! - Underdog Captains

stateofthefederation@gmail.com (WS, TC, JVDJ, RF) — Fri, 20 Feb 2015 05:30:00 -0800

Episode 33 - Wave 12 starts to heat up with some very interesting new Romulan options on the Haakona, and then it's on to top 5 underdog captains! We may have briefly skipped over A Matter of Honor due to time, but I'm sure we can find time for it next week.

If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element

Episode 32 - Wave 11 Update, Tholia 1, Top 5! - Captains

stateofthefederation@gmail.com (WS, TC, JVDJ, RF) — Tue, 10 Feb 2015 04:30:00 -0800

Episode 32 - It's time to get rolling again! With wave 11 released we can finally fill in the information gaps that we didn't get in the previews. After that Will look at Tholia 1 in its entirety followed by a new segment, some of our Top 5 things! This week we're lookign at top 5 captains and it was quite a bit of fun actually. What should we do next week?

If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element

Episode 31 - Building some Fleets!

stateofthefederation@gmail.com (WS, TC, JVDJ, RF) — Tue, 27 Jan 2015 07:00:00 -0800

Episode 31 - We're here at the Utopia Planitia shipyards, because where better to discuss some fleet building? I'll kick us off with a look at some ways to use Cloaking in this day and age. After that Tucker will take the lead on returning us to the good old days of Borg Attack Negation and upgraded with Fighters. Finally, We all just spitball some ideas for other fleets and end up pondering the nature of the 5 ship Raptor Swarm!

If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element

Episode 30 - Fighter Tactics, DS9 Builds, I.K.S. Pagh

stateofthefederation@gmail.com (WS, TC, JVDJ, RF) — Tue, 20 Jan 2015 04:30:00 -0800

Episode 30 - Greeting attack wing players! it's been so long since we got to do a good strategy show instead of just previews! We'll look at some fancy flying you can do with fighters, ways you can bring that impressive looking space station to your game (to make those X-Wing players at the next table jealous!), and finally some news about resources and the Episodic OP prize, the Pagh!

If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element

Director's Cut - SotF ep 28 - Resistance OP3, 1st Wave Attack Fighters

stateofthefederation@gmail.com (WS, TC, JVDJ, RF) — Fri, 16 Jan 2015 01:00:00 -0800

This Director's cut version was done on a temporary set-up, but we still had a great show anyway!

If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element

Director's Cut - SotF ep 27 - Trager, Fina Prime, Regent's Flagship

stateofthefederation@gmail.com (WS, TC, JVDJ, RF) — Fri, 16 Jan 2015 01:00:00 -0800

Terrible audio on this one, but if you like us enough to listen anyway then thanks and enjoy!

If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element

Episode 29 - Wave 11 previews

stateofthefederation@gmail.com (WS, TC, JVDJ, RF) — Tue, 13 Jan 2015 04:30:00 -0800

Episode 29 - Welcome back everyone to a new show for a new year! We're back in business with some upgraded equipment to bring you the Previews for Wave 11. More fighters to add to your collection, The strangely niche Romulan Drone, and the pretty respectable Hirogen Hunter ship. Which ones will you be getting when the finally ship later this month?

If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element

Episode 26 - State of the Game

stateofthefederation@gmail.com (WS, TC, JVDJ, RF) — Thu, 27 Nov 2014 07:00:00 -0800

Episode 26 - On this episode we're throwing out the Prime Directive like any good starfleet captain! Instead of strategy today we're talking about recent changes to the game, including the Wizkids Rules Forum and Alternate Gameplay Formats. How have these things impacted Attack Wing as a game, and is it good for the game's future? Again, Sorry for the audio issues. There's no good reason it should be doing it, but we should have a fix for next week.

If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element

Episode 25 - Wave 9 Review

stateofthefederation@gmail.com (WS, TC, JVDJ, RF) — Sat, 15 Nov 2014 07:00:00 -0800

Episode 25 - We've finally got a chance to review Waver 9 - Chang's BoP, the Scimitar, and the I.S.S. Defiant! Apologies in advance for the audio issues, might want to turn the volume down a bit for this one.

If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element

Episode 24 - Fleet Building for Dummies!

stateofthefederation@gmail.com (WS, TC, JVDJ, RF) — Tue, 11 Nov 2014 07:00:00 -0800

Episode 24 - It's another "Back to Basics" episode this week on State of the Federation! We've got guest host Sean with us today to talk about some of the builds he helped design for the Colorado Regionals and about fleet building in general. We'll go over what you can do to bring a fleet up to snuff, from concept design, to contingency plans, and finally fine tuning!

If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element

Episode 23 - Tac Cube 001, Resistance OP2, and Federation 720 build

stateofthefederation@gmail.com (WS, TC, JVDJ, RF) — Tue, 4 Nov 2014 07:00:00 -0800

Episode 23 - The STAW community got a treat this last week when Teri Litirco did an early release video as a thanks for he successfull charity fundraiser! So this week we get to look at the Resistance OP Grand Prize: Tactical Cube 001! We'll also figure out some kind of strategy for Resistance OP2 (maybe), and then take a look at the last Regional event winning list, a two-ship Federation build doubling up on 360 Arcs with Voyager and the Enterprise-D.

If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element

Episode 22 - Korok's Bird of Prey, Suggested Format Changes, and Lore's Puppets build

stateofthefederation@gmail.com (WS, TC, JVDJ, RF) — Sat, 25 Oct 2014 07:00:00 -0700

Episode 22 - From OP1 prize last week to OP2 prize this week, we then take a look at the recent "Suggested Format Chage" released this week. Will it really "shake up" the metagame? Finally last but not least we take a look at what I'm calling the Lore's Puppets build which is suddenly not legal anymore in any venue adopting the new format... sadness!

If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element

Episode 21 - NC Regional, CO Regional, and Avatar of Tomed

stateofthefederation@gmail.com (WS, TC, JVDJ, RF) — Tue, 21 Oct 2014 07:00:00 -0700

Episode 21 - There was a lot of action this weekend! I'll talk a bit about my experience at North Carolina, and Tucker will also be bringing stories from his experience at Colorado - including some upcoming info from a very special guest interview! After that we'll wind down by taking a look at the Avatar of Tomed and some of the silly new things you can do now that EVERY faction can pull some borg shenanigans.

If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element

Episode 20 - Wave 8 Val Jean, Enterprise-E, and Queen Diamond

stateofthefederation@gmail.com (WS, TC, JVDJ, RF) — Tue, 14 Oct 2014 07:00:00 -0700

In episode 1 we look at a Conditional Surrender build, review the U.S.S. Equinox expansion, and talk about the Mutara Nebula scenario.

If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element

Episode 19 - San Diego and Chicago regionals

stateofthefederation@gmail.com (WS, TC, JVDJ, RF) — Tue, 7 Oct 2014 07:00:00 -0700

Episode 19 - There were two regional events this weekend, and we'll be looking at the top 4 builds from both!

If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element

Episode 18 - Mirror Universe Prakesh, Vulcan Tal'Kir, Resistance OP1

stateofthefederation@gmail.com (WS, TC, JVDJ, RF) — Tue, 30 Sep 2014 07:00:00 -0700

Episode 18 - We finish up with the RiF Blind Bosster previews, and then look into some strategy for the upcoming Resistance is Futile OP1 event!

If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element

Episode 17 - Bok's Marauder, Kazon Relora-Sankur, WKO Portland

stateofthefederation@gmail.com (WS, TC, JVDJ, RF) — Tue, 23 Sep 2014 07:00:00 -0700

Episode 17 - Continuing the Wizkids open coverage, we have two more of the RiF blind boosters. As an unexpected treat, while examining Portland winner Mark's Weyoun/Varel Tac Cube build, the man himself is able to join us in the chat and we get to pick his brain a little bit!

If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element

Episode 16 - Borg Scout 255, WKO Texas, Collective OP3 Recap

stateofthefederation@gmail.com (WS, TC, JVDJ, RF) — Tue, 16 Sep 2014 07:00:00 -0700

Episode 16 - The wizkids open was this past weekend, and boy did we get alot of information! We'll start looking at the Resistance is Futile Blind Boosters that premiered there, as well as the 1st place Super Voyager list. After that, we'll wrap up our coverage of Collective OP3 with a couple after action reports!

If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element

Episode 15 - Favorite Missions!

stateofthefederation@gmail.com (WS, TC, JVDJ, RF) — Tue, 9 Sep 2014 07:00:00 -0700

Episode 15 - We take a look at some of our favorite missions today, good for new players and old veterans alike! We examine Bioship Alpha's "Scorpion", the Vulcan D'kyr's "Rendezvous, the 4th Div Battleship's "Collect Technical Data", and also a quick look at the Koraga's "Badlands".

If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element

Episode 14 - Officer Cards, Wizkids Open

stateofthefederation@gmail.com (WS, TC, JVDJ, RF) — Tue, 2 Sep 2014 07:00:00 -0700

Episode 14 - We finish up the look at OP3 by looking at the participation resource: Officer Cards! After that we do an in depth look at the rules and scenario conditions of the Attack Wing Regionals that are part of the WizKids Open events!

If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element

Episode 13 - Stargazer, Assimilation Target Prime, Collective OP3

stateofthefederation@gmail.com (WS, TC, JVDJ, RF) — Tue, 26 Aug 2014 07:00:00 -0700

Episode 13 - Too many releases to keep up with! Today we look at (almost) everything Collective OP3 - From the Prizes to the Strategy. The Battle of Sector 001 is a pretty big event, so don't miss it!

If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element

Episode 12 - NX-01, GenCon Reports, Collective OP2 Debuff

stateofthefederation@gmail.com (WS, TC, JVDJ, RF) — Tue, 19 Aug 2014 07:00:00 -0700

Episode 12 - Continuing the previews we get a look at the NX-01. After that it's time to see how the battles in the GenCon sector fared, as well as one more look at OP2 and the effectiveness of a debuff fleet! All of these will surely be important in preparing for the upcoming Regionals and OP3 events!

If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element

Episode 11 - Ni'var, GenCon 2014

stateofthefederation@gmail.com (WS, TC, JVDJ, RF) — Tue, 12 Aug 2014 07:00:00 -0700

Episode 11 - We take a look at the Ni;var preview, a surprisingly solid little Vulcan ship, and we look at the tournament scenario (or lack thereof) and strategy for the GenCon attack wing events!

If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element

Episode 10 - Collective OP2 Report, Borg Scout

stateofthefederation@gmail.com (WS, TC, JVDJ, RF) — Tue, 5 Aug 2014 07:00:00 -0700

Episode 10 - In this episode we have an after action report from OP2, what worked and what didn't in a penalty-pure environment (and the outcome may surprise you!), and we also take a look at the recently spoiled Borg Scout Cube!

If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element

Episode 9 - All Things Collective OP2

stateofthefederation@gmail.com (WS, TC, JVDJ, RF) — Wed, 30 Jul 2014 00:00:00 -0700

Episode 9 - Some audio echo in this episode, hopefully fixed for next time. Come join us as we discuss all things OP10 (Collective 2) including the Fleet Captains Resource, the U.S.S. Raven prize ship, and scenario strategy in general!

If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element

Episode 8 - Ask Anything! Gencon 2014 Promos

stateofthefederation@gmail.com (WS, TC, JVDJ, RF) — Wed, 23 Jul 2014 00:00:00 -0700

Episode 8 - This episode was originally intended to be an "Ask Me Anything" style show but changed as we experienced some technical difficulties. Most of that was edited out though, so enjoy the ensuing discussion on the upcoming GenCon Promo cards!

If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element

Episode 7 - Wave 5 and 6 tricks, Collective OP1

stateofthefederation@gmail.com (WS, TC, JVDJ, RF) — Mon, 14 Jul 2014 00:00:00 -0700

Episode 7 - State of the Federation is looking at getting rolling again. It's just me tonight, but I'm still gonna give it my all! We'll look at some of the fun combos we've found in the last few weeks, as well as some strategy discussion for the first Borg Collective OP event!

If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element

Episode 6 - Torpedo Boats, Wave 5, Koayashi Maru

stateofthefederation@gmail.com (WS, TC, JVDJ, RF) — Fri, 16 May 2014 07:00:00 -0700

Episode 6 - Since the borg assimilated all of our time last week, this week we're looking at the concept behind Torpedo Boats, previewing some of our favorite cards from the upcoming Bajoran Interceptor and Vulcan D'Kyr expansions, and work out some tips a tricks you can use to overcome the "no win scenario" of the Kobayashi Maru!

If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element

Episode 5 - Resistance is Futile

stateofthefederation@gmail.com (WS, TC, JVDJ, RF) — Fri, 16 May 2014 07:00:00 -0700

Episode 5, all hail our new Borg masters! But they're easy to beat if you build specifically for them right? Not if you're Borg know what they're doing! This episode helps us see what makes the Borg so strong, and ups the game of Borg players everywhere. After all, the only way to figure out how to fight an enemy is to understand how it works at its best! If you're having trouble downloading this episode, please consider the donation link on my youtube channel, it's tough being popular enough to have bandwidth issues. If you can't, though, don't worry about it! All our episodes will always be 100% free on the youtube channel, and bandwidth resets every month!

If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element

Episode 4 - Fundamentals, What do I buy first?

stateofthefederation@gmail.com (WS, TC, JVDJ, RF) — Tue, 6 May 2014 07:00:00 -0700

Episode 4 is all about going back to basics! What the heck is an "action economy"? What ships should I buy first and why? All this and some other fundamentals makes this a great episode for both new players just learning and old veterans who just want to brush up!

If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element

Episode 3 - Cloaked Mines, Many Ships vs Fewer Ships

stateofthefederation@gmail.com (WS, TC, JVDJ, RF) — Sun, 20 Apr 2014 01:00:00 -0700

In episode 3 we discuss Cloaked Mines, and examine some of the differences in 1-, 2-, 3-, and 4+ ship builds!

If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element

Episode 2 - Antimatter Mines, Mobility Effects, Tholian Web

stateofthefederation@gmail.com (WS, TC, JVDJ, RF) — Sun, 20 Apr 2014 01:00:00 -0700

In episode 2 we look at examine Antimatter Mines, check out the different options for adding mobility to a build, and discuss what will and won't be useful in the Tholian Web OP scenario!

If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element

Episode 1 - Conditional Surrender, U.S.S. Equinox, Mutara Nebula

stateofthefederation@gmail.com (WS, TC, JVDJ, RF) — Fri, 11 Apr 2014 06:00:00 -0700