YOU must win the Dominion War

[Sionnach Glic]

Q snaps his fingers and makes you head of the Dominion just prior to their discovery of the Bajoran wormhole. You're tasked with conquering as much territory in the AQ as you can.

So, how do you go about it?

[Teaos]

They were doing pretty good with the replacing allied leaders with Founders, I'd continue with that but do a lot mre, they apparently have billions of founders (A ocean of them at the least) I'd slip in a bunch of them into the Admiralty, and captains.

I'd also take Sisko out in hide sight.

When hostilities finally break out I'd have my middle management Founders fudge everything up.

I'd also try to take Earth and Vulcan as fast as possible. Cut off the head the rest falls pretty fast. And as we saw from the Breen attack Earth is close enough to take pretty quickly.

[Coalition]

Given what I know in hindsight (from watching the series), I know that my initial forces will be all I ever have.

My goals are as follows:
1) build up my economy
2) build up my industry & shipbuilding
3) strategic targets in the Federation
4) Don't annoy the Cardassians

To build up my economy, my first wave of transports will include Jem'gineers (fast-grown engineers) and other scientific/industrial knowledge, to allow the Cardassians to rapidly improve their technology base. This will result in more efficient mines and construction processes. One of my critical requirements will be ensuring a supply of White is present for several years of sustained operations.

For my industry, I will be bringing through critical tooling supplies, where the Cardassians can build the rest of the equipment with their own supplies and tech base, while I provide the advanced technology that boosts the productivity.

Strategic targets in the Federation:
1) Bynaus - per "Datalore", the Bynars are the only ones who fully understand Federation computers. This makes the planet a critical strategic target.
2) Antimatter refineries and transports - I want to cripple the Federation, and the best way to do that is its fuel supplies
3) communications relays. I need to keep the Federation reacting slowly, and the best way is to take out comm relays
4) shipyards - if the Federation can't build ships, they are not a threat. If I use the breen, their primary targets will be the shipyards, not a demonstration strike on San Francisco.
5) Soliton wave technology - good for threatening systems near me. Just pop near several valuable systems, fire off a few waves, then move on. I can keep the Federation ships busy for a long time.
6) Coridan - critical site for dilithium mining
7-??) various strategic planets in the federation that are the sole source of a critical material

Keeping the Cardassians happy - use mixed C/D fleets, where the Dominion Bugs are used to attack several worlds in a sector, using the Cardassian ships as tenders. Once several worlds have had their defenders stripped, the Cardassians pick a planet, and they conquer it. That planet will belong to the Cardassians, under the rule of the Dominion. The Cardassians will be picking strategic targets, and my Attack ships will be doing what they do best.

One thing - if I am attacking DS9, and there is a single ship laying mines across the wormhole, I will refocus half my fleet to attacking that one ship, rather than letting the minefield get activated. Shooting each mine as it is laid will work too. If Gul Dukat stupidly focuses on DS9 and lets the Defiant lay the minefield, I will bring forward Federation prisoners. Stick one in an escape pod, and launch it towards the minefield. After it gets destroyed, I ask if anyone knows the codes to deactivate the minefield. If not, I stick another person in an escape pod, and fire it at the minefield. If I run low on escape pods, I will use torpedo casings. Repeat this until I run out of Federation prisoners or I get the codes.

Another option will be using Attack ships to do continuous strafing runs on the minefield, luring a few mines out of position, and destroying them. I just need to make a hole, and from there, my reinforcements can come through.


Potential option: If I decide to send forces through the wormhole, I will only do so after the Federation retreats (no Sisko convincing the WH aliens to destroy my fleet when he goes in). I will do so via a single mass wave of my Bug ships leading the capital ships. Those ships will only have one Jem'Hadar in each, to minimize losses.

The Self-replicating minefield has a couple weaknesses. If 20 mines are destroyed, it is enough to open a hole in it. It only has sufficient mass to replicate up to 2500 mines. By sending my Bug ships first, as they are easily replaced, I can expend the minefield for cheap casualties, and move my heavy units in after them.

The other option is running a statistical evaluation, where it might be better for my heavy ships to arrive first, as their heavier shields can take more damage, leaving me with damaged ships that can be repaired, rther than destroyed Bugs which need to be replaced.


This is just the basics, an actual war plan would take longer.

[Mikey]

Agreed with Teaos - commit even further to the campaign of espionage and disinformation, with Founders replacing every sensitive position you can find.

In addition - DS9 becomes the target of a supremely quick first-strike. Establish your own - not the Cardassians' - foothold in the AQ, before the wormhole is mined or otherwise denied. From there, you can begin to set up cloning facilities and shipyards as well as eliminate any strategic UFP wormhole-overwatch position.

[kostmayer]

DS9 would be my first target too. - Take it, or if neccesary destroy it and put your own defenses there. Send what ever resources are needed through the Wormhole and start building shipyards and cloning facilities as quickly as possible.

[Tyyr]

Curb stomping DS9 would be the top priority. Without the minefield in place the Dominion could likely have steamrolled the Federation.

[RK_Striker_JK_5]

At the risk of sounding redundant, take Deep Space Nine before the mine field goes up. Send Founders to Alpha/Beta Quadrant worlds to impersonate their leaders and sow chaos.

[Bryan Moore]

On top of the founders in key positions and DS9 explosions, I'd learn to cloak my fleet. Forget intimidation; surprise attack major systems. Send a cloaked fleet of a few hundred or even a thousand or two ships, uncloak over a key system, and bam. Clearly the build up of defenses didn't happen until after the start of the war, so I'm guessing you could do some serious damage if you struck early.

[Aaron]

We've already hit on the major ideas of hit DS9 before the minefield goes up as well as accelerate shipbuilding.

At the earliest opportunity I hit Earth with every WMD at my disposal, NBC, the whole nine yards. With the Federation leaderless, it's a safe bet that the Alliance won't come to pass and the Dominion steamrolls the AQ/BQ.

[Monroe]

I like Coalition's ideas but I think it can be even simpler than that. This is before war is declared right? Mass every ship the Dominion would have sent had they not been deleted or destroyed (I haven't seen the series so bare with me ) and then some. Head into the AQ. Make up some bogus story on how you're refuges fleeing from the Borg or something and passing through Federation space on a peaceful mission to new land and then when my fleet gets near Earth and Vulcan begin razing every planet and ship yard to the ground. Leave no survivors. Then fan out attacking on Federation outposts. Send word to the Romulans and Cardasians and Breen promissing territory they can rule themselves. Once the Feds are killed move against the Klingons. Then wait a few years to solidify bases in the former Federation land I control. Then begin taking out myformer allies.

No need to rely on the Cardasians. No need to reply on the Wormhole if you send everything at once. Take advantage of the Federation's peaceful ways and destroy them.

[Deepcrush]

Everyones plans rest on taking out the UFP. It wont work. Why? Because the KE and RSE and many others would panic and come together with all the left overs from the UFP that you couldn't take out because they are so spread out.

Best bet if you have to take over territory in the AQ/BQ...

Start off by siding with the CU just like they did. Kick the shit out of the KE. When the KE attacks the UFP. Race to the UFP's aid. Sign a treaty with them. The Dominion is known for keeping its treaties as I trust them more then the KE or RSE. Now you have a CU/UFP/Dominion alliance which just crushed the KE and could easily move onto the RSE to knock out the that threat. Once you've done that the Dominion is free to grow all around behind the KE, CU and RSE since the UFP has no say in that. With two of the three super powers crushed and the other being your ally. You are free to grow all you want. Even in just taking over the KE you're better off then the Dominion ever was during the DW.

[Teaos]

The Feds would never sign a military allaince with the Dominion, at most they would sign a NAP like the RSE did to begin with.

[Sionnach Glic]

I'd postpone the attack for a while, and hide my presence from anyone poking their nose through the wormhole. I'd then embark on a campaign of infiltration to try and get Founder agents into positions of power and influence. This will be a major help when I reveal myself. Depending on how influential my agents have managed to become, the UFP, KE and RSE could either sign an alliance with me or be paralysed by inaction.

Instead of allying with the Cardassians, I try to ally with the far more powerful Klingons. Again, this is where my agents come in.
Ally with anyone else that's willing in the AQ. Most notably, try and ally with the Bajorans to gain control of DS9.
Declare war on the UFP, with the assistance of the KE, Breen and anyone else who's willing. Said war will be declared by a massive strike on Earth, leveling everything on the surface. This should temporarily paralyse the UFP as its military and civilian headquarters, along with many of its leaders, are destroyed.
Follow up with an assault on DS9. With the UFP crippled and rushing to deploy forces to protect the rest of its homeworlds, it's quite possible they'll overlook DS9's strategic importance. Again, my agents in Starfleet's admiralty can assist in this.
I follow this up by using captured Federation ships to attack resource-rich Romulan worlds. Make it look as though the UFP raided them for materials. Use this to try and get the Romulans on my side.
Hammer the UFP into the ground.
Once this is done, turn on the RSE. The Klingons aren't particularly going to object, given the dislike between the two races.
Once that's done, attack the KE.
Mop up any minor powers in the region.
Chill out on Risa and enjoy the spoils of war.

[Teaos]

I'm not sure how open the Klingons would be to an Alliance. They're not ones to follow orders or accept help when they dont need to.

[Sionnach Glic]

They alied with the UFP, and there's century of hatred and warfare between them. They're smart enough to know a good deal when they see one.