This section provides the referee with rules for a strategic-level boardgame about the second Sathar attack on the Frontier. Although the game can be played separately as a wargame, it is ideally suited to be worked into a campaign. The players and referee can alternate between role-playing and boardgaming at their gaming sessions. Fewer players are required for the boardgame.
Materials Needed To Play
The materials needed to simulate the entire Second Sathar War include the same map used for the boardgame, most of the counters included with this boxed set, the Frontier Deployment Map (the outside cover of the module included with this game), paper or ship roster forms, pencils and 10-sided dice.
Determining Sides
Any number of people can play this boardgame, but two to six players is best. The referee should control the Sathar ships if only two or three people are playing. If more than three people are involved, the referee should let one or two control part of the Sathar fleet. The other players command the ships of the UPF Spacefleet and the various planetary militias.
The ships on each side should be divided among the players as evenly as possible. For example, if there are three UPF players, each could take a single task force and the militias of three planets. Roll dice to settle any disagreements about how the forces should be divided.
All of the ships available at the start of the Second Sathar War are listed by type below. Both sides have a limited ability to repair damaged ships and replace lost ships during the war (see Replacements).
Rosters for the various ships should be filled out before ships go into battle. Each ship should be outfitted with the weapons, defenses, DCR and movement capabilities recommended in the Basic or Advanced Game rules.
If the Basic Rules are used, all weapons and ships introduced in the Advanced Game are still used, as is the Advanced Game Combat Table. Ships may move off-map as described under the Advanced Game rules. The Advanced Game Damage Table and the repair rule are ignored, however.
| 25 8 15 7 8 4 | Fighters Frigates Destroyers Light Cruisers Heavy Cruisers Assault Carriers |
|
| ||||
|
|
The fighters in each task force can be placed aboard that force's carrier, or they can be based at the station where the fleet is based. The non-attached fighters can be placed with any of the task forces, or based at any station in the Frontier.
Ships may be freely detached or added to the various UPF forces after the game begins. Task forces may even be disbanded if the UPF player wishes.
Planetary Militia Order of Battle
The colors listed beneath each planet name are the colors of that planet's militia ship counters.
| Gollywog (White Light): (black on light green) | 3 Assault Scouts 1 Frigate |
| Hargut (Gruna Garu): (black on dark green) | 2 Assault Scouts |
| Hentz (Araks): (black on dark blue) | 3 Assault Scouts 1 Frigate |
| Inner Reach (Dramune): (black on orange) | 3 Assault Scouts 1 Frigate 1 Destroyer |
| Ken'zah Kit (K'aken Kar): (black on purple) | 2 Assault Scouts |
| Minotaur (Theseus): (black on yellow) | 4 Assault Scouts 1 Frigate 1 Destroyer |
Militia ships begin the game based at a station orbiting the appropriate planet. UPF Spacefleet Fortresses Fortress Kdikit (Madderly's Star) Each fortress is in orbit around the indicated planet. All fortresses have the following statistics: HP 300 / ADF 0 / MR 0 / DCR 200 Fortified and Armed Space Stations
Each station is in orbit around the indicated planet. All fortified and armed space stations have the following statistics:
The Frontier Deployment Map (FDM) is an abstracted representation of the Frontier. It is used to keep track of fleet and ship locations on a daily basis. Combat never takes place on the Deployment Map. |
Star Systems
The large yellow starbursts labeled with system names represent the inhabited star systems of the Frontier. Each star system has one or two planets pictured inside. Each planet is labeled by name.
Transit Boxes
The paths of light blue boxes between systems mark the known travel routes in the Frontier. The boxes are "transit boxes." Each transit box marks one day of acceleration or deceleration along that route. Thus, transit boxes measure speed, not distance. Ships move from system starbursts to transit boxes, and along transit boxes to other star systems. A ship normally moves only one transit box per turn.
If a player decides that a ship should stay where it is and not jump to another system, it must decelerate back toward the star at the rate of one transit box per day. A ship in a transit box can stop accelerating and coast, maintaining its speed, for any number of turns. The ship can resume moving along the transit box track in either direction on any turn.
Sathar Start Circles
The dark red circles are Sathar Start Circles. These are possible locations from which the Sathar can launch their attacks on the Frontier. The light red boxes connecting the Start Circles to star systems are the paths that the Sathar must follow in order to attack the star systems. Each of the light red boxes is a transit box, representing one day's travel.
The start circles represent the positions of Sathar ships as they emerge from the Void. The start circle leading to Prenglar, for example, is actually inside the Prenglar system, but the ships inside the circle are moving at tremendous speed toward the star. The boxes leading to Prenglar represent the number of days the Sathar ships need to slow down enough to attack the stations and ships based there.
Combat
If Sathar and UPF ships occupy the same star system on the FDM, the counters may be moved to the boardgame map for combat.
Before placing counters on the FDM, each player should make a Fleet Deployment Sheet on a blank piece of paper. This sheet should be divided into squares large enough to hold several dozen counters each. The UPF Fleet Deployment Sheet should have boxes for Task Force Prenglar, Task Force Cassidine and Strike Force NOVA. The Sathar sheet should have boxes for Sathar Attack Fleets #1 and #2, and any other fleets the Sathar player forms.
Ships that belong to the various forces are placed in the appropriate box on the Fleet Deployment Sheet, and the counter representing the fleet is placed on the FDM. This eliminates large, clumsy stacks of counters on the FDM.
The composition of the two Sathar attack fleets is up to the Sathar player. Each fleet may contain however many ships the Sathar player wants to put in it. The Sathar player may decide not to organize his ships into fleets at all.
The contents of the fleets, or any other stacks on the FDM, may be examined freely by all players. (Both armies have well-developed intelligence networks throughout the Frontier.)
UPF Set-Up
The UPF player(s) sets up all UPF task forces, militias, stations, fortresses and non-attached ships before any Sathar ships are placed on the map. Strike Force NOVA and any non-attached ships assigned to it are placed off the map until later.
Stations and fortresses must be in orbit around their planets, as listed on the Order of Battle. Planetary militia ships are docked at the stations orbiting their planets. Task Force Prenglar and Task Force Cassidine are placed in orbit around Morgaine's World and Triad, respectively.
Non-attached ships can be placed in any systems where the UPF player wants them. They can be split into as many small groups or individual ships as desired. Any number of non-attached ships can be added to one or more of the task forces.
Sathar Set-Up
After the UPF ships are deployed, the Sathar player must place at least 20 of his ships (not counting fighters) on the FDM. These ships must be divided among two or more of the Sathar Start Circles. The Sathar ships can be distributed among as many start circles as the Sathar player wants, but no more than half of the ships placed can be in one start circle. Sathar ships that are not placed on the map at this time can be placed in a start circle at the beginning of the Sathar move on any later turn. On any turn, however, no more than half of the Sathar ships placed on the map may start in one start circle. (Sathar always try to attack from several directions at once, to confuse the enemy.) These ships can move as soon as they are placed on the map.
Strike Force NOVA
After the Sathar player has made his initial placement, the UPF player can decide whether to place Strike Force NOVA on the map. This formidable group of ships patrols the Frontier regularly, so the Sathar have little idea where it is located as they begin their attack. The strike force is placed randomly, however, so the UPF player also has very little idea where it is.
The UPF player can place Strike Force NOVA on the map immediately, or keep it off the map until later in the game. If SFN is kept off the map, it can be placed on the map at the start of any UPF turn. Like Sathar reinforce- ments, SFN can move normally during the turn it is placed on the map.
Whenever Strike Force NOVA is placed on the map, the UPF player must roll 1d10 and check the Strike Force NOVA Placement table. The strike force is immediately placed on the map wherever the dice roll indicates.
| Die Roll | Initial Location of SFN |
| 1-3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 | Gran Quivera (Prenglar) Pale (Truane's Star) Inner Reach (Dramune) Terledrom (Fromeltar) Zik-Kit (Kizk'-Kar) Kenzah-kit (K'aken Kar) Gollywog (White Light) Kawdl-Kit (K'tsa-Kar) |
STRATEGIC TURN SEQUENCE
After the opposing forces are set up on the Frontier Deployment Map, players follow the Strategic Turn Sequence, below:
| 1. | Sathar reinforcements are placed on the map. Sathar ships are moved. |
| 2. | UPF reinforcements are placed on the map. UPF ships are moved. |
| 3. | Sathar player declares any attacks. Sathar attacks are resolved using Basic or Advanced rules. |
| 4. | UPF player declares any attacks. UPF attacks are resolved using Basic or Advanced rules. |
| 5. | The Time Record is advanced to the next turn. The turn sequence is repeated. |
The Time Record Track
The Time Record Track is printed on the Frontier Deployment Map. It is used to record the passage of time during the Second Sathar War. Each box on the track represents either 1 or 10 days. At the end of each turn, the "Day" counter is moved to the next square on the track. When day 10 is reached, the marker is moved back to day 1 and the "Tenday" marker is placed over the 10 in the Tenday column. This indicates that it actually is day 11 of the war.
As mentioned earlier, the FDM is designed to regulate movement of ships and fleets as they travel from star to star in the Frontier. All ships begin the game in a star system or Sathar Start Circle.
Using The Transit Boxes
A fleet, task force or individual ship can leave a star system by moving into an adjacent transit box. On each following day, it advances into the next transit box. When the ship(s) enter a dark blue box marked with an arrow pointing in the same direction that the ships are traveling, those ships have jumped into the next system and are decelerating toward that star. Dark blue transit boxes with arrows pointing in the opposite direction of a ship's travel are treated as normal transit boxes.
A battle may occur when ships of both sides occupy the same system space. If Sathar ships enter a system space during Sathar movement, UPF ships in that space can avoid combat by moving to a transit box during the UPF move, since combat is declared after each side has moved.
Accelerated Movement (Risk Jumping)
At some point in the war, both sides are likely to find themselves in an urgent situation where they need to move their ships more than one transit box per day. This can be done by risk-jumping.
Players using accelerated jump movement must accept the risk of those ships making a mistake in their jump calculations and becoming lost. The chance that a ship will become lost depends on the ship's acceleration and the skill of its astrogator. These percentages are summarized on the Mis-jump Probability Table.
Ships with an ADF of 2 or more can move two transit boxes per day. Ships with an ADF of 3 or more can move three transit boxes per day. No ship can move more than three transit boxes per day, because such extreme, prolonged acceleration would disable the crew.
Ships that are risk-jumping should be placed underneath the appropriate counter (RJ 2 or RJ 3). This indicates whether the ships are moving two or three transit boxes per day.
A ship using accelerated movement must travel at the increased rate from the time it enters the first transit box until it reaches the jump point. The ship must stop moving for the turn when it enters its Jump Box (dark blue box containing arrow), even if the ship has moved only one or two boxes this turn. After the ship makes the jump, it can decelerate at the in creased rate or at a lower rate. Ships decelerating more than one transit box per turn must stop as soon as they enter the system's starburst symbol.
| Ship Type | Transit Boxes Crossed per Day |
| 2 | 3 |
| UPF Battleship UPF Ship (except battleship) Sathar Warship Frontier Militia | 95% 90% 90% 70% | 90% 70% 70% 50% |
(These percentages assume that all UPF battleships have a 6th level astrogator aboard. All other Spacefleet ships carry 4th level astrogators, as do all Sathar ships. Planetary militia ships are assumed to have 2nd level astrogators. If characters bring their own ships into the war, assume that moving two transit boxes per day allows 50% of the normal calculation time, and moving three transit boxes per day allows 30% of the normal time.)
Interlocked Computers. Ships that are traveling together can interlock their computers and share one astrogator's jump calculations. If this is done, d100 are rolled once for the entire group of ships, instead of once for each individual ship, to determine whether the ships reach their destination.
EXAMPLE: One UPF battleship, three destroyers and two militia ships at Fromeltar are moving two transit boxes per day toward Dramune. The UPF player decides to link them together and make only one roll. All of the ships get the benefit of the battleship's 6th level astrogator. If the player rolls 95 or less on d100, the entire group reaches its destination safely.
Ships in a stack can be grouped however the commanding player wants. The six ships in the example can jump together, or as two groups of three ships, three groups of two ships, or any other possible combination, including six individual ships. Each group is rolled for individually. The failure or success of one group has no effect on the other groups.
Effects of a Misjump. Any ships that misjump during the course of this strategic game are lost for the duration of the war. They may reappear later in a campaign, if the referee wishes, but should not be brought back into the war.
Risk-Jump Limits. Sathar ships in the Sathar Start Circle or the red transit boxes connected to the start circles cannot decelerate more than one transit box per turn.
A ship with unrepaired hull damage may never move more than one transit box per turn.
Militia ships are somewhat limited in their movement, since the primary objective of the militia is to defend its home planet. Militia ships can travel to a star system that is adjacent to their home system, if the home system is not threatened by an imminent Sathar attack. A system is "imminently threatened" if Sathar ships have emerged from the Void inside that system. If militia ships are in an adjacent system when Sathar ships emerge inside their home system, those ships must return home as quickly as possible.
A militia ship can move more than one system away from its home world only if all of the space stations in that home system have been destroyed. When this happens, the militia ships are "deputized" by the Spacefleet and can move as Spacefleet ships.
Day One
The Sathar Approach. The Sathar player always moves first. Ships in start circles must be moved into the red transit box adjacent to that start circle on the first day. They are limited to moving one box per day until they have entered a star system space. Once a Sathar ship has entered a star system space, it can use normal or accelerated movement for the rest of the game.
UPF Reaction. After all Sathar ships have been moved on the first turn, UPF ships can move. If Strike Force NOVA is not on the map, it may be placed before any UPF ships are moved. If it is not placed at this time, it cannot be placed until the UPF move on day 2.
The Second Sathar War will be resolved, for better or worse, by spaceships. Planetary defenses will play very little role in the war, because the Sathar strategy is to destroy the Spacefleet and isolate the planets from each other. Once the planets are isolated, they can be conquered and sacked one by one. This game deals only with the spaceship battles of SW II.
Declaring Combat
If Sathar and UPF ships occupy the same starburst at the end of a day, those ships can fight each other. The Sathar player has the first option to attack, and must announce all systems where he is attacking. If there are two planets in a system that is being attacked, one of the planets must be announced as the target. Only one planet can be attacked by a specific ship or fleet per day.
These attacks are then resolved in any order the Sathar player wishes. Following these battles, the UPF player must declare any systems where UPF ships will attack Sathar ships. The UPF player may not attack Sathar ships that have already attacked UPF or militia ships.
Whichever player declared the attack is the attacker, and moves first in that combat.
Combat is resolved using either the Basic or Advanced Boardgame rules. If the battle is taking place near a planet (this is the defender's option), the planet is placed in the middle of the game map. The defender's ships are placed anywhere on the map, traveling at any speed the defender desires. The attacker's ships must enter the map from one of the narrow edges, traveling at whatever speed the attacker desires. If either side's ships are based at two planets in a single star system, all of the ships may gather for the battle. Ships are not if the defender's ships include a minelayer, the defender may place all of its mines and seeker missiles before the battle begins. The locations of mines and seekers must be recorded on paper, to be revealed to the attacker when a ship enters one of those hexes.
Which Rules To Use?
Depending on the number of ships in the battle, the following rules are recommended. If a majority of the players agree to use rules other than those suggested, feel free to ignore this chart. Players are free to use one set of rules in one battle, and another set in a different battle; use whichever set of rules provides the best compromise between detail and playability for the battle being fought.
| Ships in Battle | Suggested Rules |
| 2 to 4 5 to 14 More than 14 | Advanced Rules; average NPC skills Advanced Rules; no skill modifiers Basic Rules |
Breaking Off Combat
If a battle is goitig badly for one side, that player can try to escape the battle with whatever ships he has remaining. To do this, simply maneuver the ships away from the enemy on the boardgame map. The fleeing ships must outrun any enemy ships that pursue them, crossing the map as many times as necessary. When the fleeing ships are beyond the range of the pursuers' weapons, they have escaped and are placed in a transit box adjacent to the star system. The victorious ships are placed in the system box where the battle was fought. The ships resume normal movement on the following turn.
Militia ships in their home system must make at least one attack (fire one weapon at one enemy ship) before breaking off combat. UPF Spacefleet ships never are required to attack.
Fighters can break off combat, but they cannot enter a transit box unless they are being carried aboard an assault carrier. Fighters not aboard a carrier or station when the "Day" marker is advanced are destroyed automatically.
After a battle, ships that are "in supply" can rearm by replacing all expended weapons and defenses such as torpedos, assault rockets, masking screens and ICMs. Supply has no other function in the game.
A UPF ship is in supply if a path can be traced from the ship to a UPF Fortress without passing through a star system occupied by a Sathar ship. The path may pass through transit boxes containing Sathar ships, but not star system boxes. Supply may be traced into star system boxes that contain both UPF and Sathar ships, but not through those systems.
A Sathar ship is in supply if a path can be traced from the Sathar ship to any Sathar Start Circle, without passing through a star system containing a UPF ship or space station.
Rearming. In order to rearm, the ship must spend one complete day at a planet in a star system that is in supply. The ship may not move or attack during that day. If the ship is attacked and fights back, it is not rearmed.
Fighters can be rearmed from their assault carrier or station twice while out of supply, but the carrier or station must be resupplied before the fighters can rearm a third time.
Ships that have been damaged in battle can repair that damage normally using their DCR. If the battle was fought using the Basic Rules, repairs cannot be made until after the battle. If any hull damage repair attempt fails after the battle, no further repairs can be attempted; the ship's hull can be repaired only at a space station. If a system other than the hull cannot be repaired in space (because a 99 or Oo was rolled), the ship must return to a space station to repair this system, also.
UPF Repairs
UPF ships can be repaired at any spaceship construction center in a system that contains no Sathar ships. Each SCC can repair a certain number of hull points per day. The Repair Capacity Table lists the number of hull points that can be repaired per day at each SCC. These repairs can be divided among as many ships as the UPF player has at that station.
| SCC: System/Planet | Daily HP Repair Cap. |
| Araks/Hentz Cassidine/Rupert's Hole Cassidine/Triad Dramune/Outer Reach Fromeltar/Terledrom Prenglar/Gran Quivera Theseus/Minotaur Truane's Star/Pale White Light/Gollywog | 20 10 40 10 20 40 20 10 10 |
Damage other than hull damage also can be repaired at an SCC. One system can be repaired per day. The repaired system is completely restored. No other system repairs or hull repairs can be performed that day. For example, if a ship lost 3 ADF points and 8 hull points, it must spend two days in the shop to be repaired: One day to repair the hull, and one day to completely repair the drives.
Sathar Repair
Sathar ships can be repaired two ways: by returning to their home base, or by using captured construction centers.
To return to a Sathar base, the damaged ship must travel to a Sathar Start Circle and enter the Void. The ship counter is then placed on the time track, six days ahead of the Day marker. When the Day marker reaches the box the Sathar ship is in, that ship is placed in a Sathar Stan Circle, completely repaired. Any number of ships can be repaired this way.
Sathar ships also can be repaired at captured SCCs. An SCC is considered captured when all space stations in its system have been destroyed and no UPF or Militia ships are in the system. Because of sabotage and unfamiliar tools, however, Sathar can repair only one-half as many hull points per day as the construction center's capacity. Other systems can be repaired normally, in one day.
This rule intensifies the strategy of the game, but also lengthens it. Its use is optional, so players should decide whether they will use it before starting to play.
Replacements can appear at the end of every 20 days.
Sathar Replacements. The Sathar player can try to replace every ship destroyed in combat in the 20 days prior to the replacement phase. To do so, he must roll dl00 for each ship. If the result of the roll is 35 or less, that ship can be brought back into the game through an SSC during the next turn. If the result of the roll is) 6 or more, that ship is permanently removed from the game and no more attempts to replace it can be made.
UPF Replacements. The UPF's replacements depend on how many fortresses and fortified stations the UPF has remaining. For each fortress that has not been destroyed by the Sathar, the UPF can replace one ship larger than an assault scout (i.e., Frigate class or larger). For each Fortified station left undestroyed, the UPF player can replace two assault scouts, two fighters, or a fighter and an assault scout. These replacements are placed on the map at the start of the next turn at the appropriate station or fortress.
Both players may only replace ships that have been destroyed; they can never increase their fleets beyond their original size.
Planetary militia ships may not be replaced at all during the war.
Shatter drones were introduced by the Sathar, but by the time of the Second Sathar War they were being used by both sides. A shatter drone is essentially a ship that has been turned into a huge bomb. They are used to destroy large, tight formations of enemy ships.
Before the first turn, each player chooses two of his frigates to be shatter drones. The UPF can use either Spacefleet or militia frigates.
Shatter drones carry no live crew. Computer and robot controls allow them to perform as normal frigates. However, the ships are packed with hundreds of fusion bombs.
Shatter drones can be detonated at the end of the active player's movement phase, before defensive fire. When the drone detonates, the explosion inflicts one torpedo hit on every other ship in the drone's hex. No attack roll is needed. Every ship in the hex, whether enemy or friendly, must roll on the Damage Table with a -20 modifier (Advanced Rules). Ashatter drone has a hull damage rating of 5d10 in both the Basic and Mvanced Games.
A detonated shatter drone is completely destroyed. It is not counted as a destroyed ship for victory conditions, and it cannot be replaced.
In order to win, the Sathar must destroy UPF space stations and orbital fortresses. Because so little is known about the Sathar, the UPF player never is sure exactly what must be done to defeat the Sathar.
Sathar Victory
The Sathar player wins immediately if the Sathar forces destroy 12 space stations, including all four fortresses.
UPF Victory
If the Sathar can be forced to retreat while the UPF has at least two fortresses left, the UPF wins the war. If the Sathar are forced to retreat, but the UPF has only one fortress remaining, the game is a draw.
Sathar Retreat. The UPF does not know what the Sathar want, or what type of damage hurts them the most. To reflect this, the Sathar player gets to select one of five Retreat Conditions before the first turn. This choice is written down, and revealed to the UPF player when the conditions are met.
SATHAR RETREAT CONDITIONS (Choose One)
The Sathar fleet will retreat if:
| 1. | The Sathar have lost two assault carriers; |
| 2. | The Sathar have lost five heavy cruisers; |
| 3. | The Sathar have lost 40 ships, including fighters; |
| 4. | A tenday passes without the Sathar destroying at least two stations, two fortresses or a station and a fortress; |
| 5. | At the end of any tenday, the Sathar have lost more ships in combat than the UPF. Fighters and Militia ships are not counted toward this condition. |
As soon as the chosen condition has been met, the Sathar player must retreat all of his ships as quickly as possible to the nearest Sathar Start Circle. The ships enter the Void, returning to the Sathar worlds, leaving the Frontier in peace once again.
| Roll | Box / Day |
| 1-3 | 1 |
| 4-6 | 2 |
| 7-9 | 3 |
| 0 | 4 |
Defensive Systems
The following types of spaceship defenses are available in the Basic Game. If a ship has more than one defensive system, an attack's chance to hit is calculated against the most effective defense.
Reflective Hull. This is mirror-Iike paint that is sprayed onto a ship's hull. It will often cause a laser beam to bounce off the ship without causing any damage. A reflective hull is the most common defense on spaceships.
Masking Screen. A masking screen is created when a ship releases a cloud of water vapor into space. The vapor crystalizes a nd forms a protective cloud surrounding the ship. Besides making the ship more difficult to hit, a masking screen absorbs energy from a laser. If a ship is hit by a laser while inside a masking screen, the amount of damage that is rolled is divided in half (fractions are rounded up). The result is the number of damage points inflicted on the target ship. A masking screen has exactly the same effect on a laser fired out of the screen as it does on a laser fired into the screen. If a ship surrounded by a masking screen fires its lasers, resolve the attack as if the defending ship is masked.
To indicate that a ship is using a masking screen, place a screen counter on top of the ship counter.This screen counter stays on top of the ship as long as the ship travels in a straight line at its current speed. If a ship or space station in orbit around a planet creates a masking screen, the screen will last through one complete orbit. The hex the ship or station was in when the screen was created should be marked with an upside-down counter, so players will know when one orbit is finished. A ship can carry only a limited number of masking screens. These must be marked off the ship's record sheet as they are used. When all of them are used, the ship cannot create any more masking screens.
Interceptor Missiles (ICM). Interceptor missiles are small missiles that can be fired at incoming torpedos, assauIt rockets and rocket battery barrages. Before the torpedo or rocket attack is resolved, the player controlling the target ship can declare that it is launching ICMs. The player must declare how many ICMs the ship is using. The attack's chance to hit is determined as if the attack was hitting a reflective hull or a masking screen, whichever the ship is using. The number of ICMs launched by the target ship is multiplied by the modifier on the Combat Table, and the result is subtracted from the attack's chance to hit.
EXAMPLE: A torpedo is launched at a ship with a reflective hull. The player that controls the target ship announces that it wiII fire two of its ICMs in defense. The torpedonormaIly has a 70% chance to hit, but each of the ICMs lowers this by lO%. The torpedo's final chance to hit is !70 - 20 =) 50%. A ship carries a limited number of ICMs. Whenever one is used. it must be checked off the ship's record sheet. ICMs can defend onlv the ship that launched them.
None. This is a category used to describe the many ships (usually civilian) that do not have even a reflective hull as a means of defense.
Proton Screen. This screen is a field of charged particles which surrounds a ship. It is effective in blocking proton and disruptor beams, but actually attracts electron beams!
Electron Screen. This screen is the opposite of a proton screen. It blocks electron and disruptor beams, but attracts proton beams.
Stasis Screen. A stasis screen is moderately eff ective aga i nst all electrical beam weapons. It is not as good as a proton or electron screen against their respective weapon types, but it does not attract any beams. However, the electrical pulse of a stasis screen allows missiles and rockets to home in with increased accuracy.
NOTE: When using electron, proton or stasis screens, exceptions will occasionally arise to the rule that states "A weapon's chance to hit is determined against the most effective defense in use." Since some defenses actually attract a weapon type, the percentage chance to hit is calculated against the defense that is attracting it, not the defense that is most effective against it.
When a player activates a screen. he simply circles in pencil the notation for that screen on his ship roster. When the screen is deactivated. the circle is erased. No more than one screen can be activated on a ship at one time.
Combat Table
The Advanced Game Combat Table is used the same as the Basic Game Combat Table. All weapons and defenses used in the game are included on the Advanced Game Combat Table.
Each entry on the Advanced Game Combat Table has two percentages; the first is used in the Advanced Game, and the shaded number is used with characters who have gunnery skills (see Skills in the Campaign Book). Use only the unshaded entries for now. [Web Editor's Note: Yellow cells were added for referencing purposes only and were not found in the original, printed version. References to "shaded" numbers on the table are in the blue and green colored columns.]
| COMBAT TABLE | ||||||||||||||
| Defense | ||||||||||||||
| Weapon | None | Reflective Hull | Proton Screen | Electron Screen | Stasis Screen | Masking Screen | ICM | Hull Damage | ||||||
| Laser Cannon | 75% | 60% | 60% | 45% | 75% | 60% | 75% | 60% | 75% | 60% | 25%* | 10%* | --- | 2d10 |
| Laser Battery | 65% | 55% | 50% | 40% | 65% | 55% | 65% | 55% | 65% | 55% | 20%* | 10%* | --- | 1d10 |
| Proton Beam Battery | 60% | 50% | 60% | 50% | 25%* | 15%* | 70% | 60% | 40% | 30% | 50% | 40% | --- | 1d10 |
| Electron Beam Battery | 60% | 50% | 60% | 50% | 70% | 60% | 25%* | 15%* | 40% | 30% | 50% | 40% | --- | 1d10 |
| Disruptor Cannon | 60% | 45% | 60% | 45% | 50% | 35% | 50% | 35% | 40% | 25% | 50% | 35% | --- | 3d10 |
| Torpedo | 50% | 45% | 50% | 45% | 50% | 45% | 50% | 45% | 75% | 65% | 50% | 40% | -10 / ICM | 4d10 |
| Assault Rocket | 60% | 50% | 60% | 50% | 60% | 50% | 60% | 50% | 60% | 50% | 60% | 50% | -5 / ICM | 2d10+4 |
| Rocket Battery | 40% | 30% | 40% | 30% | 40% | 30% | 40% | 30% | 40% | 30% | 40% | 30% | -3 / ICM | 2d10 |
| Mines | 60% | 60% | 60% | 60% | 80% | 60% | -5 / ICM | 3d10+5 | ||||||
| Seeker Missile | 75% | 75% | 75% | 75% | 90% | 75% | -8 / ICM | 5d10 | ||||||
| * Weapon causes half-damage (rounded up) on Hull hits. | ||||||||||||||
| DAMAGE TABLE MODIFIERS | |
|---|---|
| Laser Cannon | 0 |
| Laser Battery | 0 |
| Proton Beam Battery | +10 |
| Electron Beam Battery | +10 |
| Disruptor Beam Cannon | +20 |
| Assault Rocket | -10 |
| Rocket Battery | -10 |
| Torpedo | -20 |
| Mine | -20 |
| Seeker Missile | -20 |
| ADVANCED GAME DAMAGE TABLE | |
|---|---|
| Modified Die Roll | Type of Damage |
| -20 -- 10 | Hull hit: double normal damage |
| 11 -- 45 | Hull hit: roll normal damage for weapon |
| 46 -- 49 | Drive hit: lose 1 ADF point |
| 50 -- 52 | Drive hit: lose 1/2 total ADF (round up) |
| 53 | Drive hit: lose entire ADF |
| 54 -- 58 | Steering hit: lose 1 MR point |
| 59 -- 60 | Steering hit: lose entire MR |
| 61 -- 62 | Weapon hit: LC; LB; PB; EB; AR; RB |
| 63 -- 64 | Weapon hit: PB; EB; LB; RB; T; AR |
| 65 -- 66 | Weapon hit: DC; LC; AR; T; LB |
| 67 -- 68 | Weapon hit: T; AR; EB; PB; LB; RB |
| 69 -- 70 | Weapon hit: LB; RB; T; AR; PB; EB; LC |
| 71 -- 74 | Power short circuit: lose all screens and ICM's |
| 75 -- 77 | Defense hit: PS; ES; SS; MS; ICM |
| 78 -- 80 | Defense hit: MS; ICM; SS; PS; ES |
| 81 -- 84 | Defense hit: ICM; SS; PS; ES; MS |
| 85 -- 91 | Combat Control System hit: -10% on all attacks |
| 92 -- 97 | Navigation hit: lose maneuvering control |
| 98 -- 105 | Electrical Fire: roll additional damage at +20 each turn |
| 106 -- 116 | Damage Control hit: DCR cut in half |
| 117 -- 120 | Disastrous Fire: DCR cut in half; lose entire ADF and MR; -10% on all attacks; roll addtional damage at +20 each turn |
Explanation of Results
Hull Hits. Hull hits affect the ship's hull points. The player that scored the huII hit rolls the correct number of dice (indicated by the weapon's HDR) and the result is subtracted from the target ship's hull points. If the result indicates "Double Damage," the attacker should roll the dice and multiply the result by 2.
When more than half of the ship's hull points are gone, the ship is severely damaged and there is a chance it will break apart. Whenever a severely damaged ship accelerates, decelerates or turns, the player controlIing the ship must complete the following steps to determine if the ship breaks apart:
A ship that is torn apart is completely destroyed.
EXAMPLE: A destroyer with 50 hull points has taken 32 points of damage. The player that controls the destroyer wants to get it away from the battle as quickly as possible, so he decides to accelerate and turn one hex side. The destroyer's ADF is 3, and 1 MR point is used to make the turn. Subtracting one-half of the destroyer's original hull points from the ship's damage gives (32-25=)7. The ship is using (3+1 =)4 ADF and MR points this turn. The chance the ship will break apart is (7x4=) 28%. The player rolls d100 and gets a 29--the destroyer makes its move successfully! If the player had rolled 28 or less, the ship would have been destroyed.
All weapons cause the same damage when they hit anything other than the hull. The attacker does not roll dice to reduce the ship's hull points unless the result on the Damage Table was a Hull Hit. The number of dice rolled is determined by the weapon that was used.
Drive Hit. A drive hit can cause a ship to lose 1 ADF, one-half of its original ADF or all of its ADF. If a ship with 3 ADF loses 1, its ADF is reduced to 2. If it loses one-half of its ADF, its ADF is reduced to 1 (one-half of 3. rounded down). If the ship loses its entire ADF, its ADF is reduced to 0. If a ship has taken some drive damage, and receives a "1/2 ADF" hit, it loses a number of ADF points equal to one-half of its original ADF.
Losing ADFs does not affect the ship's current speed. A ship that loses its entire ADF can turn, but it cannot accelerate or decelerate. The ship may recover ADF during the Repair Turn.
Steering Hit. Steering hits reduce a ship's MR. The hit will either lower the ship's MR by l, or reduce the ship's MR to 0. A ship with an MR of 0 cannot turn or change its facing, even if it stops and remains in a single hex. Damage to a ship's MR can be repaired.
DRIFTING. A ship that loses all of both its ADF and MR will drift. A drifting ship travels at the same speed and in the same direction it had before it started drifting. It cannot turn, accelerate or decelerate until repairs are made.
Weapon System Hit. If a weapon system is hit, the system that is destroyed is the system that is Iisted first at that Damage Table result. If the damaged ship does not have that type of system, then the system listed second will be destroyed, and so on. If the ship has none of the listed systems, then treat this result as a huII hit. If an LTD system with no ammunition left is hit, the system is still destroyed.
EXAMPLE: A destroyer is damaged in combat. The attacker rolls d100 and gets a 66--Weapon hit: DC. LC, AR, T, LB. The destroyer does not have a disruptor cannon. The next system listed is a laser cannon. The destroyer does have a laser cannon, so the laser cannon is destroyed.
Power Short Circuit. All active defenses on the damaged ship stop working. This includes ICMs and electron, stasis and proton screens, but not reflective hulls and masking screens that have already been launched. No new masking screens can be released, however. Repairing a power short circuit will remove all effects of the hit.
Defense Hit. Defense hits are handled the same as weapon system hits, except defensive systems are destroyed instead of weapons.
Combat Control System Hit. The ship's automatic targeting devices are damaged. The player must subtract 10% from this ship's chance to hit with any weapon.
Navigation Hit. The ship's navigation and steering equipment is damaged. The player controlling the ship must roll 1d10 before the ship moves. If the result is 1-5, the ship must turn to the left in each hex it enters until its MR is used up. If the result is 6-10. the ship must turn to the right. The ship remains out of control until the damage is repaired. If the ship's hull is severely damaged, these turns affect the ship's chance of breaking apart. A stopped ship can ignore a navigation hit.
Electrical Fire. Electrical equipment in the ship is burning. Place a "fire" counter on top of the ship's counter. The player must make another damage roll for this ship with a +20 modifier at the start of his opponent's combat step every turn, until the fire is put out. If a fire causes hull damage, it will cause 1d10 points of damage.
Damage Control Hit. The ship's DCR is cut in half (round fractions up). This can be repaired, the same as normal damage.
Recording Damage
The player that controls a damaged ship must mark the damage on his ship roster. If a weapon or defense system is damaged, then that system is crossed off the roster in pencil. If a torpedo, assault rocket or other LTD weapon is damaged, the entire system is shut down, not just one torpedo or rocket. When a ship's movement ability is damaged, the original ADF or MR is crossed out and the modified number written in penciI. ElectricaI fires, navigation, combat control and damage control hits are recorded in the box labelled "Damaged Systems" on the Advanced Game ship roster.
Most damage is cumulative. For example, if a ship takes three drive hits and each calls for the ship to lose 1 ADF point, the ship loses 3 ADF points altogether. If the ship had only 1 or 2 ADF points to begin with, then its ADF is brought to 0 and all further drive hits are treated as hull hits. Damage will remain in effect until it is repaired (see Repair).
Combat control system and damage control hits are not cumulative. After one of these systems has been hit, any more hits on that system are considered hull hits. Also, a ship can have only one fire at a time, so a result that would cause a second fire is treated as hull damage.
If the damage table indicates a hit on a system that a ship does not have (a weapon hit on a civilian ore carrier. for example), the hit is considered as a hull hit. Likewise, if a hit is scored on a ship's system that has already been destroyed by damage (a drive hit on a ship with no ADF left, for example), that hit is treated as a hull hit.
Defensive Fire
As in the basic game, the non-moving player gets defensive fire at the moving player's ships as they move. The moving player finishes moving, and then the non-moving player can shoot at the moving player's ships in any hexes they traveled through. Any damage that is caused does not take effect until the ships have finished moving, however. For example. a ship that lost its entire MR at the beginning of its move could still maneuver during that turn.
| Outer Reach (Dramune): (blackon lt. orange) | 2 Assault Scouts 2 Frigates | Outer Reach (Dramune) | ||
| Inner Reach (Dramune): (black on orange) | 3 Assault Scouts 1 Frigate 1 Destroyer | Inner Reach (Dramune) | ||
| Terledrom (Fromeltar): (black on brown) | 3 Assault Scouts 1 Frigate | Groth (Fromeltar) | ||
| Terledrom (Fromeltar) | Terledrom (Fromeltar) | |||
| Zebulon | ||||
| Gollywog (White Light): (black on light green) | 3 Assault Scouts 1 Frigate | Fortress Redoubt (Gollywog, White Light) | ||
| Hargut (Gruna Garu): (black on dark green) | 2 Assault Scouts | Hargut (Gruna Garu) | ||
| Hentz (Araks): (black on dark blue) | 3 Assault Scouts 1 Frigate | Hentz (Araks) | ||
| Zik-kit (Kizk'-Kar): (black on tan) | 2 Assault Scouts | Zikit (Kizk'-Kar) | ||
| Ken'zah Kit (K'aken Kar): (black on purple) | 2 Assault Scouts | Ken'zah Kit (K'aken Kar) | ||
| Pale (Truane's Star): (black on gray) | 3 Assault Scouts 1 Frigate | New Pale (Truane's Star) | Fortress Pale (Truane's Star) | |
| Minotaur (Theseus): (black on yellow) | 4 Assault Scouts 1 Frigate 1 Destroyer | Minotaur (Theseus) | ||
| Morgaine's World (Prenglar) | Task Force Prenglar | Fortress Gollwin (Morgaine's World, Prenglar) | ||
| Gran Quivera (Prenglar) | Task Force Prenglar | Gran Quivera (Prenglar) | ||
| Rupert's Hole (Cassidine) | Task Force Cassidine | Rupert's Hole (Cassidine) | ||
| Triad (Cassidine) | Task Force Cassidine | Triad (Cassidine) | ||
| Madderly's Star | Fortress Kdikit (Madderly's Star) | |||
| Dixon's Star | ||||
| Lossend (Timeon) | Lossend (Timeon) |
| UPF Spacefleet Fortresses | HP 300 / ADF 0 / MR 0 / DCR 200 Weapons: LB (x3), EB, PB, RB (x12) Defenses: RH, MS (x3), ES, PS, ICM (x20 |
| Fortified Stations: | HP 140 / ADF 0 / MR 0 / DCR 100 Weapons: LB (x2), RB (x8) Defenses: RH, MS (x2), ICM (x10) |
| Armed Stations: | HP 80 / ADF 0 / MR 0 / DCR 75 Weapons: LB, RB (x6) Defenses: RH, MS (x2), ICM (x6) |
The format used for each ship will be:
| Ship Type: | Hull Points; ADF; MR; Damage Control Rating |
| Weapons: | |
| Defenses: |
The following abbreviations are used for weapons:
| AR | = | Assault Rockets | M | = | Mines |
| DC | = | Disruptor Beam Cannon | PB | = | Proton Beam Battery |
| EB | = | Electron Beam Battery | RB | = | Rocket Battery |
| LB | = | Laser Beam Battery | S | = | Seeker Missiles |
| LC | = | Laser Beam Cannon | T | = | Torpedos |
Defenses use the following abbreviations:
| RH | = | Reflective Hull | SS | = | Stasis Screen |
| ES | = | Electron Screen | MS | = | Masking Screen |
| PS | = | Proton Screen | ICM | = | Interceptor Missiles |
| Fighter: | HP 8 ADF 5 MR 5 DCR 30 | |
| Weapons: AR(x3) | ||
| Defenses: RH | ||
| Assault Scout: | HP 15 ADF 5 MR 4 DCR 50 | |
| Weapons: AR(x4) LB | ||
| Defenses: RH | ||
| Frigate: | HP 40 ADF 4 MR 3 DCR 70 | |
| Weapons: LC RB(x4) LB T(x2) | ||
| Defenses: RH MS(x2) ICM(x4) | ||
| Destroyer: | HP 50 ADF 3 MR 3 DCR 75 | |
| Weapons: LC RB(x4) LB T(x2) EB | ||
| Defenses: RH MS(x2) ICM(x5) | ||
| Minelayer: | HP 50 ADF 1 MR 2 DCR 75 | |
| Weapons: M(x20) S(x4) LB(x2) | ||
| Defenses: RH ICM(x4) | ||
| Light Cruiser: | HP 70 ADF 3 MR 2 DCR 100 | |
| Weapons: DC LB EB PB RB(x6) T(x4) | ||
| Defenses: RH ES SS ICM(x8) | ||
| Heavy Cruiser: | HP 80 ADF 2 MR 1 DCR 120 | |
| Weapons: LB(x2) PB EB DC S(x2) T(x4) RB(x8) | ||
| Defenses:RH ES PS SS ICM(x8) | ||
| Assault Carrier: | HP 75 ADF 2 MR 1 DCR 150 | |
| Weapons: LB PB RB(x8) fighter(x10) | ||
| Defenses: RH MS(x4) ICM(x10) | ||
| Battleship: | HP 120 ADF 2 MR 2 DCR 200 | |
| Weapons: DC LB(x3) PB EB(x2) S(x4) T(x8) RB(x10) | ||
| Defenses: RH ES PS SS ICM(x12) | ||
| Space Station: | (Statistics for stations vary with the size and type of station.) | |
| HP 20-300 ADF 0 MR 0 DCR 1/2 HP | ||
| Weapons: 1 EB, LB, PB or RB per 50 HP | ||
| Defenses: RH All Screens ICM(x4-24) |
| Weapon | -- | Forward Fire | Range Diff | Range | Damage Mod | Hull Dmg |
| Laser Cannon | LC | FF | RD | RA 10 | DTM 0 | HDR 2d10 |
| Laser Battery | LB | RD | RA 9 | DTM 0 | HDR 1d10 | |
| Proton Beam Battery | PB | RD | RA 12 | DTM +10 | HDR 1d10 | |
| Electron Beam Battery | EB | RD | RA 12 | DTM +10 | HDR 1d10 | |
| Disruptor Beam Cannon | DC | FF | RD | RA 9 | DTM +20 | HDR 3d10 |
| Torpedo | T | MPO | LTD | RA 4 | DTM -20 | HDR 4d10 | |
| Assault Rocket | AR | FF | MPO | LTD | RA 4 | DTM -10 | HDR 2d10+4 |
| Rocket Battery | RB | LTD | RA 3 | DTM -10 | HDR 2d10 | ||
| Mines | M | LTD | RA 0 | DTM -20 | HDR 3d10+5 | ||
| Seeker Missile | S | LTD | RA | DTM -20 | HDR 5d10 |
Explanation of Terms
FF --- Forward-firing weapon
MPO --- Moving Player Only. MPO weapons can be fired only during the attacking player's combat phase.
RD --- Range Diffusion. The accuracy of RD weapons is reduced by 5% x the range to the target.
LTD --- Limited Supply. A ship can carry only a limited supply of these weapons. They must be marked off the ship's record sheet as they are fired.
Range: # --- The weapon can be used only against targets within the listed range of hexes.
Damage: #d10-- - This is the number of 10-sided dice that are rolled to determine how many points of damage are caused by a successful attack.
Laser Cannon - FF / RD / Range: 10 / Damage: 2d10
A laser cannon is a large weapon that is mounted on the bow of a spaceship. It fires an intense, concentrated beam of light.
Laser Battery - RD / Range: 9 / Damage: 1d10
A laser battery is a cluster of very small laser cannons mounted in a rotating turret. It can fire in any direction, but is not as powerful as a laser cannon.
Torpedo - MPO / LTD / Range: 4 / Damage: 4d10
A torpedo is a self-guided nuclear bomb that homes in on its target after it is launched. Torpedos are propelled by prolonged fission reactions which enable them to travel at tremendous speeds. A ship can carry only a limited number of torpedos, and these must be marked off the ship's record sheet as they are used.
Assault Rockets - MPO / FF / LTD / Range: 4 / Damage: 2d1O+4
Assault rockets usually are carried by fighters and other small ships. They can be launched at a target during the owning player's combat phase. Assault rockets are powered by a brief fusion reaction which causes them to fly even faster than torpedos. Unlike torpedos, however, assault rockets are not guided missiles. They rely on their tremendous speed to hit their target before it can dodge away. A ship can carry only a limited supply, so assault rockets must be marked off the ship's record sheet as they are fired.
Rocket Battery - LTD / Range: 3 / Damage: 2d10
A rocket battery is a cluster of small rocket launchers. These rockets are much smaller than assault rockets, but they cause nearly as much damage as an assault rocket because many rockets are fired together. Like torpedos and assault rockets, rocket batteries must be marked off the ship's record sheet as they are fired.
Proton Beam Battery - RD / RA 12 / DTM +10 / HDR 1d10
This weapon fires an electrical beam of positively charged particles (protons). Like all batteries, it can fire in every direction.
Electron Beam Battery - RD / RA 12 / DTM +10 / HDR 1d10
An electron bea m battery fires an electrical beam of negatively charged particles (electrons). It can fire in all directions.
Disruptor Beam Cannon - RD / FF / RA 9 / DTM +20 / HDR 3d10
This powerful weapon must be mounted on the bow of a large spacecraft. It fires an intense beam, alternating protons and electrons. Disruptor beams can do heavy damage to a ship's electrical system.
Mines - LTD / RA 0 / DTM -20 / HDR 3d10+5
The defending player can place mines in a hex before the game starts, or either player can drop them from a minelayer during the course of play. When a hex is mined, the player that placed the mines must record the number of that hex on a sheet of paper. When an enemy ship enters that hex, the mines detonate automatically at the end of all movement for that turn. If several enemy ships enter or pass through a mined hex on the same turn, all of them will be attacked by the mines (a mine pattern involves several hundred individual explosive devices). After the mines in a hex have exploded, the hex is no longer mined.
Seeker missiles - LTD / RA / DTM -20 / HDR 5d10
Seeker missiles are placed the same way mines are; the defending player can put them in a hex before the scenario begins, or a ship that carries seekers can drop them at any time. Once a seeker missile is placed, it will not move until it is activated. The player that placed a seeker can activate it at the beginning of his movement phase on any turn.
Immediately after it is activated, the seeker will move two hexes toward the closest ship. If the closest ship is more than two hexes away, the turn is over for the seeker. On the next turn, the seeker will move four hexes toward the closest ship. It will continue accelerating at the rate of two hexes per turn (six on the third turn, eight on the fourth, etc.), and can make an unlimited number of facing changes to keep itself aimed at the nearest ship. A seeker can change facing up to three times before it moves each turn.
Note that the seeker may change targets many times, because a different ship may be closest to it at the beginning of each turn. The seeker cannot tell the difference between friendly and enemy ships, and will always fly toward the closest ship. If two or more ships are an equal distance from the seeker, players should roll a die to determine which ship the missile will aim at.
A seeker detonates as soon as it enters a hex containing a ship, or a ship enters the hex containing the activated seeker. If the hex contains more than one ship, the seeker will attack the largest. If the two largest ships are the same size, players should roll a die to determine which ship the missile attacks. When the seeker explodes, the player that placed it rolls one attack on the Damage Table.
On the turn that a seeker moves 12 hexes, it will automatically detonate. If there is no ship within range at that time, the explosion will do no damage. Seekers will not be attracted to planets, moons, asteroids or space stations.