The Federation Empire game map by Amarillo Design Bureau is a very useful campaign system to use for ACTA Starfleet, with battles fought out using the ACTA Starfleet rules.
On that map, the Cardassia Union is to the "north" (i.e. towards the Galactic Centre) of the Kzinti and to the "north-nor-west" of the Federation. This puts the Cardassians into direct conflict with both and allows for some interesting situations. The concept being that the Cardassian Union originally was an enclave holding out within the Kzinti Hegemony, and later carving out the Union from captured Kzinti territory.
This explains why the Federation didn't encounter the Cardassians until the Next Generation era and why Cardassia is controlled by a military government. The need to survive against the Kzinti's relentless assaults permitting the military to come to dominate their government and explains why they are aggressive to outsiders and in need of a lot of raw materials. It also explains why the Cardassians would subjugate others like the Bajorans and strip mine planets like Bajor. Conflicts between the Cardassians and the Kzinti would be all too common.
The fleet so far consists of miniatures from MicroMachines, Attack Wing, Star Trek - The Official Starships Collection and Studio Bergstrom.
The Keldon class starships in the left foreground are Attack Wing and the one just behind the two Attack Wind mini's is a MicroMachines mini. I'm going to use the smaller Attack Wing model for a destroyer class, and the larger MicroMachines as the actual Keldon Heavy Cruiser.
The Hideki class Escorts in the forground are from Studio Bergstrom and are excellent models. The Galor class Cruisers in the background are MicroMachines.
In the foreground here are the Attack Wing Hideki models which are smaller and a different shape to the Studio Bergstrom mini's. So I am going to use these Attack Wing mini's as a Hador class Gunboat (i.e. a pseudo-fighter from the Star Fleet Battles days). The Attack Wing mini's come linked together in a group of three and make a perfect pseudo-fighter gunboat group.
The big Galor on the right in both of the above images is from the Star Trek Official Starships Collection. I haven't yet based this model but it is going to take on the role of my Cardassian Dreadnought class vessel.
Sandwiched between these two MicroMachines minis is the Attack Wing Keldon. This image shows the scale difference between the two and demonstrates the Attack Wing model making a good proxy for a Destroyer. The concept would be that the expanded secondary hull on the back of the model is a variable pod. The pod could be swapped out to a different pod depending upon the need, e.g. troop transport, military cargo or weapons/extra power pod. So there will eventually be a few variants in the ACTA stats for Cardassian Destroyers to reflect this.
Above - a battle group comprising Gunboats (pseudo-fighters), Escorts and a Destroyer.
A closer look at the difference in size between the Hideki versions from Attack Wing (left) and Studio Bergstrom (right). A good match for Gunboat verses Escort sized vessels.
Finally the Hideki from Studio Bergstrom again shown from a couple of different angels.
Now all I have to do is make the houserule ACTA stats for these ships. More on that in a future post.
