The involved forces

• In the north we have the Republic of Avalon area, allied with the Zargons. But to far away to directly interfere. For the offensive the Republic of Avalon however supplied about 100 drones as deflector support.
• Zargons occupy the planets z1,z2,z3 and z4(Zargon HomePlanet).
• FORMOS occupy the planets f8,f9(HomePlanet),f10(FORMOS HomePlanet) and in the south two fresh colonies f11 and f12.
• Daernyithi occuping the far southern area, will also supply drone support for the FORMOS.

History

Already in the first turns on the game FORMOS had captured f9 and f8 from the Eatworms in one single blow. A very cunning move and it make the galaxy tremble. Because it was my first game I was very afraid FORMOS would push further to the north. So an agreement was signed that FORMOS would not go futher north than planet 7.
FORMOS captured the planets f11 and f12, after this f9 and f8 where colonized. Especially f8 was the moment to keep an more closely eye on the FORMOS. At the same time suddenly the FORMOS Techlevels increased at alarming rate. I suspect that FORMOS was preparing for an offensive.

The ZOC's

Zargons

Because it was my first game my first ship design was a complete disaster, a mass 49 ship with speed 8 (Ruyter).... much too slow.
In this stage of the game 2 ZOC's where defined;

• z1 - z4, of course the most important, it was only light defended by the slow Ruyter and a number of small ships ((power)deflectors).
• 5 - 7, named the OrionBelt by Avalon, not occupied but is a very strategic area. Defended by 1 Ruyter and some smaller ships.

You see the Zargon frontlines where very lightly defended. The OrionBelt was even better defended because this was the logical place where the FORMOS could strike.

FORMOS

Unknown

PHASE 1: Recce and the FORMOS attack

At the Zargon Homeplanet drones where build to probe the FORMOS planets. At the same time when the probing took place, a FORMOS division attacked planet 7, from planet f8. Because of the tense situation I already send the OrionBelt Division to that planet. This battle was won by the OrionBelt Division, the FORMOS losses where however low. The most important result was the fact that it was now absolutly neccessary to quickyl start the offensive because FORMOS started the war. Later on I understood that the FORMOS attack was in fact a mistake. Diplomatic negotiations where going on, but my mind was already made up.

PHASE 2: The directives for the offensive

The drones showed that the FORMOS homeplanet(f10) was not that well defended. However the report of planet f8 was the reason of some panic at the Zargon military staff. At that planet a mass 300-400 battlestation was stationed, at this stage it could withstand everything I could throw at it.

The Directives

• FORMOS must think that the main attack is aimed at planet f8.
  • To archieve this only planet f8 and f9 are constantly probed.
• The battlestation must be pinned down at planet f8.
  • The constant probing was done by armed probes and mass 24 ships, the risk had to be made.
• The main attack will hit the FORMOS Homeplanet(f10).
  • The main attack was performed by a new to be build 2nd-ShockStarDivision. The ships were send directly to their target. In the last turn the Deflectors were build which could reach the target in one turn. The Republic of Avalon supplied some extra Deflectors.

PHASE 3: The start of the offensive

The 2nd-ShockStarDivision was send to planet f10 and captured it. Daernyithi was aware of the attack and reacted by sending deflector support for the FORMOS, how they arrived one turn too late and by that time peace between Zargon and Daernyithi was declared.

PHASE 4: Huge blunder of the Zargons

I made a stupid mistake when I forgot to probe planet f8, so I didn't know if the FORMOS battlestation was still there. At the same time I saw on the map a '-' which I thought was the BS moving towards the FORMOS HomePlanet to recapture it. I totally draw the wrong conclusion and sended the OrionBelt division to planet f8. KABOOM!!!... (dark voice) "The battlestation was still there".
At the same time a high-shield Zargonian ship attacked f9 but was blown to pieces. However it did quite some damage and managed to further pin down more FORMOS forces.

PHASE 5: Spitsroeden lopen

Now the situation was bad, when FORMOS would send the BS through the OrionBelt to the Zargon core-planets, there was nothing to stop it.
The 2nd-ShockStarDivision was send to planet f8 to eliminate the BS. At the same the Zargonian factories produced a new OrionBelt Division which was stationed at planet 5.
After fierce fighting at planet f8 the BS and other FORMOS structures where destroyed.

PHASE 6: Drive through

The 2nd-ShockStarDivision now was send to f9, and that concluded the FORMOS offensive. The last two FORMOS planets in the south weren't a threat.
I made the mistake to boast this victory by using global messages, this scared the other races and quickly an Anti-Zargon-Club was formed. The Zargons were of course still allied with Avalon and Daernythi was slowly becoming also an ally.
It was important to hold the captured planets, so the FORMOS offensive was followed by the ZEF-action

PHASE 7: ZEF-action Prelude

The ex-FORMOS planets formed a new ZOC, and the 2nd-ShockStarDivision was controlling it. However to keep the neighbours out, the frontline had to be set outside this new ZOC. Therefore the Expeditional Army was build, two ZEF-Divisions (Zargon Expeditional Force) where build (Main ships only mass 49). The first was send to the outer OrionBelt perimeter and the second far far south to a planet (ZEF) just between the Daernythi and Gobi empire. Before that probes and especially armed probes where send to the new neighbours to keep them something to think about and to keep them from attacking me.

END OF PART 2