Why do the Klingons use cloaking devices so enthusiastically?

[Gary7]

^ The whole intention is to win the war. If a battle looks like it will be lost, one doesn't wish it to be a total loss and let everyone perish, especially if there's an option to retreat where a regrouping would result in sufficient reparations for a more effective engagement the next time around. However, if a particular battle is significant enough where retreat would result in those forces continuing on to reach other combat units, one would continue the battle and serve to weaken the enemy as much as possible, acknowledging that in the end, your unit will perish but the enemy will be weaker on their next engagement with other units on your side.

 

[Yevetha]

Don't get me wrong, I'm in favor of the Klingons using the cloaking device, it's just that it doesn't seem to jibe with everything else we know about the Klingons. From what we have seen, the Klingons apparently know little in the way of strategy and tactics and yet they use cloaking devices? Why now this island of rationality in a sea of guttural growling and bat'leth brandishing? Like I said before, one of these things is not like the other...

I dont think we see Starfleet using tactics either.

Usualy we see lone ships fighting eachother.

 

[Herkimer Jitty]

You can have tactics in a one-on-one engagement.

It strikes me as more stupid that the Federation would sign a treaty agreeing to not develop a cloaking system. And after getting hold of one in TOS' "The Enterprise Incident" there is no technical reason they couldn't have it. And with that it's also stupid and beggars credibility that they never really seemed to develop effective counter measures particularly given the TNG era's almost magic like technology is so many other areas.

I remember proposing that perhaps the Feds agreed not to use the cloak as long as the Romulans didn't use their blob o' doom weapon from Balance of Terror. Which neatly explains why we hadn't seen said weapon since.

 

[brian577]

You can have tactics in a one-on-one engagement.

It strikes me as more stupid that the Federation would sign a treaty agreeing to not develop a cloaking system. And after getting hold of one in TOS' "The Enterprise Incident" there is no technical reason they couldn't have it. And with that it's also stupid and beggars credibility that they never really seemed to develop effective counter measures particularly given the TNG era's almost magic like technology is so many other areas.

I remember proposing that perhaps the Feds agreed not to use the cloak as long as the Romulans didn't use their blob o' doom weapon from Balance of Terror. Which neatly explains why we hadn't seen said weapon since.

Those are plasma torpedoes, and about 7,000 of them were installed on a Bajoran moon apparently for "defensive" purposes.