The year is 1984, and we are in the time of "Red Storm Rising" by Tom Clancy (and Larry Bond). In this simple Cold Waters scenario, "One Versus All", a survival scenario... Where you, a simple little Knox-class frigate, just ran into a Soviet battlegroup lead by none other than Kirov battlecruiser... and two escorts. Your primary job is to survive... If you can do any damage, it'd be bonus.

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After trying this about 10 times, I think I finally figured out it.

Before you start, load all four torpedo tubes with MOSS decoys.

The moment you get "contact bearing xxx", turn in the opposite direction and go flank. You can only go 28 kts, they can go 34 kts. They WILL chase you down... UNLESS you give them a reason not to.

And the only thing you carry that can give them pause are the MOSS decoys... They have to prosecute each as if each is a real sub, and stay away from the contact. THAT gives you a chance to open the range.

Shooting actual missiles at them only hastens your demise. You only have 8 Harpoons, simple subsonic ASMs that their SAM screen and CIWS will handle easily. Then they start shooting at you with their ASMs and you die. Maybe not immediately, but once you got hit in propulsion or such your ship's survival is measured in seconds.

So once you turned away and went to flank speed, do the following:

* Launch one MOSS in their direction, directly at them. Remember the range limit.

* Raise ESM mast, so you get a combined classification rather than just the sonar. You don't really need to know which is which right now. The idea is just to get away. The crew will finish IDing them later.

* They will send Helix and/or May to drop depth charges and torpedoes on the decoy. Let them. If they get too close your CIWS will engage them. I've seen the Soviets lose a May plus a few Helixes this way.

* In the meanwhile, the ships should turn away from the pursuit course to avoid getting too close to the decoy. Then turn toward you again.

* When they turn toward you again, send ANOTHER decoy in their direction. If they split up, fire one decoy at each. Keep running, don't shoot anything else at them.

* Pretty soon the Kirov should give up and turn directly away from you, while the two other escorts will charge you, and they can do 32 or 34 kts, while your flank speed is 28 kts. Therefore, you must keep throwing decoys in their way.

* Attempt to disengage via the ESC menu and leave the area if you can. If it's not possible, check range, and throw another decoy at them. And keep trying.

* Once you disengaged, count yourself lucky that your itty bitty frigate survived an encounter with the mighty battlecruiser Kirov.

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If you REALLY REALLY want to cause a little damage, do rapid-fire on the Harpoons and launched all 8 as quickly as possible and put the activation point halfway to the enemy vessels. You may want to wait until AFTER Kirov had left the party. That's one fewer vessel to worry about. However, chance of you penetrating their SAM screen with Harpoons is minimal. And they have far more anti-ship missiles (and nastier ones) than you do. I consider that a losing exchange, but that's your decision. Just keep your finger on the chaff button and start popping as your CIWS open up.

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