Making the Grade: Strategic Mine Laying

Posted on June 17, 2022 by talespin

Due to focusing on my studies, it has been months since my last article on Christmas Planets. I have a break between semesters, so I am taking time to write an article which might help players choose which race to embrace — if you are one of those who likes to focus on just one race. This piece examines the capabilities of the eleven Echo Cluster races to control the battlefield with minefields, i.e., strategic mine laying, and it assigns a letter grade to each race based on three skill categories: long term sustainability, countermining potential, and minefield specialisation.

https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Minefield

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The State Of The Magazine: Update

Posted on June 17, 2022 by Gnerphk

From the desk of the Editor

Good morning, Planets Nu! We’re back!

We had a post-Christmas hiatus planned here at the Mag in order to permit both Talespin and myself to focus on other, pressing projects. While Talespin’s schooling is going well, I regret to say that the release of my book continues to be delayed. As well, and much to my personal disappointment, the planned guest contributor failed to materialize, and we’re left with a script for a lengthy Planets comic strip and some samples but no actual art.

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Threat Assessment: The Lizard Alliance

Posted on April 15, 2022 by Gnerphk

This is the ninth in a series of anonymous reports that mysteriously appeared on the Editor’s desk. These redacted versions were approved by the Senate for immediate publication, to be read by commanders of each respective race so they can review their own vulnerabilities in the face of the unknown external threat that commissioned the studies. In this dispatch we focus on that faction known as the Lizard Alliance: its strengths, its weaknesses, and how best to defeat it in battle.

Overview

Ease Of Command: Novice and Up
Difficulty To Defeat: High
Style: Aggressive

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On Double-Edged Swords

Posted on April 1, 2022 by Gnerphk

EDITORIAL

For a while now, I’ve had a personal, private theory about why it is that the Evil Empire keeps losing. After all, on the face of things they do have the single best ship in the game, a wide variety of support carriers, free fighters, a hyperspace courier, and an innate advantage that gives them complete information about the static defenses of their rivals. On paper, there’s simply no reason for them to ever lose.

Except, of course, they do. A lot. And I’ve got a theory about why — one that’s made me unpopular a time or two.

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Threat Assessment: The Privateer Bands

Posted on March 11, 2022 by Gnerphk

This is the eighth in a series of anonymous reports that looks like it could go all the way to eleven — perhaps even twelve. These redacted versions were approved by the Senate for immediate publication, so they can be read by commanders of each respective race in order that they can review their own vulnerabilities in the face of the unknown external threat that commissioned the studies. In this dispatch we focus on that faction known as the Privateer Bands: its strengths, its weaknesses, and how best to defeat it in battle.

Overview

Ease Of Command: Expert
Difficulty To Defeat: Moderate to High
Style: Highly Aggressive / Swashbuckling

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TROPHY!

Posted on February 25, 2022 by Gnerphk

We asked the victor in our first Planets Magazine Classic Invitational to send us some pictures of his trophy. This was Megalomaniac sent us in return:

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First Turns: The Robotic Imperium

Posted on February 9, 2022 by Gnerphk

Most games are won or lost in the first few turns. This series concentrates only on those critical few turns leading up to the Ship Limit as a key to achieving long-term goals necessary for victory.

Overview:

The Robots have a powerful and unique, yet limited, ship list. They are remarkable not only for having not one but two effective heavy carriers, the Golem and the Automa, but also for their ability to control vast swathes of the battleground using their mass minelaying advantage by way of their lone minelayer, the Cat’s Paw. The inexpensive and relatively low-tech medium carrier, the Instrumentality, is the cherry on top.

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The Great Winter Slowdown

Posted on January 29, 2022 by Gnerphk

Hi, everyone! I’m Gnerphk, and that over there is Talespin.

TS: [non-caffeinated grunt]

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“They’re Just Dots In Space!”

Posted on January 28, 2022 by Gnerphk

How many times have we heard that said? Am I right, fellow Planets players?

We all know they’re more than just dots. We wouldn’t spend so much time and effort — and lose so much sleep — over a collection of dots. (Or would we? Hmmm…)

But if they’re just dots to us, what are we to them? Especially now that our presence has become ever so slightly more noticeable…

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It’s Like Christmas – Part II

Posted on January 15, 2022 by talespin

In the first article of this two-part series, I introduced the concept of “Christmas planets” – those newly-scanned worlds which make you cry out, “Yus!” and unabashedly pump your fists. There’s lots of resources on a map, but these beautiful gifts bring joy to both new and experienced players. They supply every production facility within 2-3 turns and boost entire economies up to 2-3 clusters away. Most planets provide resources for 10-30 turns, but these anti-misers keep giving long into the end game. This article highlights several top-priority Christmas planets.

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