San Francisco
Bay Area SFB Campaign Rules
“The Commodore’s Edition”
Revision 2.0.12
– August 29, 2003
TABLE
OF CONTENTS
A0 The
Sequence of Play
B0 The
Strategic Map
B1 General
B2 Alliance Setup
C0
Strategic Movement
C1 Strategic Speed
C2 Operation Movement
C3 Reaction
C4 Zone of Control
C5 Pinning
C6 Retreat
C7 Retrograde
C8 Screening
C9 Cloaking Devices
C10 Independent Operations
C11 Off Map Areas
C12 Possession of Planets
D0
Economics
D1 Collecting EPs
D2 Controlling Planets
D3 Paying of Deficit Spending
D4 Survey in Off Map Areas
E0
Logistics and Production
E1 Ship Supply
E2 Determine In Supply Status
E3 Order New Construction
E4 Planetary Defenses
E5 Large Orbital Bases
E6 Reveal Completed Builds
F0
Command Limits
G0
Combat
G1 The Tactical Map
G2 Battles in a previously occupied strategic hex
G3 Meeting Battles
G4 Screening Battles
G5 Pinning Battles
G6 Planetary Defenses setup
G7 Other Combat Notes
H0
Repairs
H1 Field Repairs
H2 Post-Pinning Battle Repairs
H3 Repair Facilities
I0
Special Rules
I1 Legendary Officers
I2 Patrols
I3 Raids
I4 Orion Mercenaries
I5 X-ships
J0 Rules
Resolution – a note from the GM
K0
Credits
A0
The Sequence of Play
1. Collect EPs
2. Pay Off Last Turn's Deficit Spending
3. Order New Construction (written, secretly)
4. Determine In-Supply Status of Ships and Resupply
5. Plot Operational Movement (written, secretly)
6. Operational Movement (one pulse at a time)
a. Ships with plotted movement move
b. Ships without plotted movement may react
c. X-Ships have the option of using their extra movement.
d. Determine pinning results
7. Resolve Combat Hexes
Pinning battles are fought
Survivors of pinning battles repair damage
Surviving pinned ships complete movement
Non-pinning battles are fought
8. Retrograde Movement
9. Repair Ships
10. Reveal Completed Builds
B0
The Strategic Map
B1 General: The campaign begins in
Y168. Each year is broken up into two turns sometimes referred to as Spring and
Fall. So, turn 1 is spring of Y168, turn 2 is fall of Y168, turn 3 is spring of
Y169, etc.
After each player has set his initial ship placement, everyone
will play out a turn 1. During turn 1, the entire map remains at peace. Ships may not move outside the colored
perimeter defined on the map or move in reaction (this prevents any combat
except raids and patrols). All other functions, such as EP collection,
construction, raids, patrols, retrograde movement, etc., occurs normally. At the end of turn 1, the Organians, who
have enforced an uneasy peace, disappear, and all races are free to engage in
combat.
Each race present on the map begins with an initial setup
described in the remainder of section B0. Each race begins with a set allotment
of ships along with a variable amount of extra EPs. Those extra EPs may be used
to purchase more ships, refit (but not convert) the allotted ships, or purchase
optional equipment for them. For this purchase (only), all ships and fighters
are purchased at combat, not economic, BPV. Any EPs not used in this initial
purpose go into the general treasury.
B2 Alliance Setup: The
Alliance is initially composed of four races: Federation, Gorn, Kzinti, and
Hydran. The initial setup for each of
these races is described below:
Federation
1 Homeworld in 0810E, which produces 100 EPs per turn, has a
Phaser-4 ground base on each hex facing, and is orbited by a Starbase and a
shipyard consisting of one Class II, and two Class III construction docks.
3 Major Planets in 0207E, 0611E, and 1115E, which produce 50 EPs
per turn, and have Phaser-4 ground bases on three hex sides (A,C,E). Each of these planets is orbited by a
shipyard consisting of one Class IV construction dock.
5 Minor Planets which produce 25 EPs per turn, and have a Phaser-1
ground base on each hex facing.
11 Base Stations in pre-defined locations
2 Fleet Repair Docks starting located at any Federation planet at
start.
2 Mobile Base stored at any Federation base or planet at start.
An active fleet consisting of:
A mothballed fleet consisting of:
EPs available to purchase
more ships, refit (but not convert) the allotted ships, or purchase optional
equipment for them. For this purchase (only), all ships and fighters are
purchased at combat, not economic, BPV. Any EPs not used in this initial
purpose go into the general treasury.
2000 point fleets:
Federation: 2xCC, 2xCAR, 2xCL, 1xNCL, 3xDD, 3xFFG, 2xTUG,
and 517 EPs
Klingon: 2xD7C, 2xD7B, 2xD6B, 1xD5, 4xF5B, 2xE4B, 1xTGA,
1xTGB, and 508 EPs
Romulan: KRL, 2xWE, 2xKRB, 1xSPA, 3xK5RB, 1xSKA, 1xSNA, 1xSNB,
2xKRT, and 482 EPs.
Kzinti: 2xCC, 2xBC, 2xCL, 1xCM, 2xDD, 4xFF, 1xTGC, 1xTGT, and 558
EPs.
Gorn: 2xCC+, 2xCA+, 1xHDD+, 2xCL+, 2xBDD, 4xDD+, 2xTug,
and 499 EPs.
Tholian: 2xCC, 2xCA, 3xDD, 4xPC, 4xPC+, 4xCPC and 512 EPs.
Hydran: 1xLM, 1xLB, 1xRN, 1xDG, 1xHR, 1xTR, 2xLN, 1xKN, 2xHN,
1xCU, 2xTug, and 540 EPs
Lyran: 1xBC, 1xCC, 2xCA, 2xCL, 1xCW, 2xDD, 1xDW, 2xFF, 1xTGP,
1xTGC, and 497 EPs
ISC: 1xCC, 2xCA, 1xCS, 1xCL, 3xDD, 3xFF, 2xTug, and 517 EPs
All ships are unrefitted unless noted.
All drone racks are equipped with either Type I or IV speed-8
drones (upgrades to speed 20 or other modules must be paid).
Fed ships do not included AWR refits unless noted.
Kzinti ships do not include fleet refits, such as the
"C-10" or "C-12" refits.
Klingon and Lyran ships are equipped with DERFACS and/or UIM
if standard equipment.
Hydran ships have standard loads of Stinger-2/H fighters.
Hydran ships do have the capability to hold fusion beams.
Lyran ships do have ESG capacitors and power packs (where
applicable).
ISC Ships do not have rear-firing Plasma-Fs.
Tholian ships do not include snares.
Specific race names have been assigned to the individual
territories on the map, but they can be used interchangeably for any race. The
six-player map includes terrain pre-defined in random locations. Gas Giants are shown on the map. Each is unique:
0112 - Radius 6, rings 1 hex thick.
0216 - Radius 6, No rings.
1605 - Radius 3, rings 1 hex thick.
2616 - Radius 5, rings 3 hexes thick.
3130 - Radius 2, No rings.
3515 - Radius 6, rings 2 hexes thick.
4118 - Radius 5, rings 2 hexes thick.
C0
Strategic Movement
C1 Strategic Speed: Strategic ship speed is determined by calculating
the ship's current maximum SFB speed, only using warp power, ignoring the
speed-31 limit, and dividing that speed by 5, dropping fractions. This number
may be zero. In that case, or if a ship is without warp engines altogether
either through design or because the warp engines were dropped, a ship with at
least 1 operational impulse engine may move at speed one via Non-Tactical-Warp.
The movement cost of tugs carrying pods or pallets should be
listed on the SSD. The movement cost of towing ground or mobile bases is listed
in the annexes in Module G1. This cost is added to the basic movement cost of
the tug. If a ship will towing another unit at some point in operational
movement, it will use the speed it would have while towing for the entire
operational movement sequence, not just the period it is towing (this rule is
necessary to prevent a “tractor yo-yo” allowing ships to move faster than
normally possible). This applies to
tugs with pods as well. Picking up or
dropping pods or other towed items does not force the ship to halt its movement
for a strategic impulse. However,
setting up or breaking down a MB does require the ship to stop
temporarily. See section E5.
If a ship is not in supply this turn, its speed is reduced by
half, rounding fractions up.
Traveling while cloaked will reduce this speed.
C2. Operational Movement: All normal ship movement is plotted secretly in the
plot operational movement step. Once plotted, movement cannot be changed.
Retrograde movement is not plotted.
Maximum ship speed should be 7 hexes per turn. There are special
movement rules for X-Ships. Movement occurs using the following chart:
SPEED® IMP¯ |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
1 |
- |
- |
- |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
- |
1 |
1 |
- |
- |
2 |
2 |
3 |
- |
- |
- |
2 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
1 |
- |
2 |
- |
3 |
- |
4 |
5 |
- |
- |
- |
3 |
4 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
- |
2 |
3 |
- |
- |
5 |
6 |
7 |
- |
- |
- |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
The speed calculation for X-Ships will generally result in a number
that exceeds 7. The X-Ship will move at speed 7 on the chart, but will have
extra movement points to use. The ships full movement needs to be plotted. The
owning player may choose when to make the extra movements in step c. of the
impulse procedure. Multiple extra movements may be made on the same impulse.
Traveling through hexes with certain types of terrain (nebula,
variable pulsars, dust clouds, asteroid fields, or ion storms) require an extra
pulse of movement.
During each impulse, the following occurs:
a. Ships with plotted movement move
All ships that are plotted to move this impulse move
simultaneously. None of this movement can react to anyone else's at this point,
so it can safely be done on the main map in any player order.
b. Ships without plotted movement may react
Ships that are not plotted to move this turn may now react enemy
ships that have moved into or through (but not out of) their Zone of
Control. See the reaction rules below.
c. X-Ships have the option of using their extra movement.
An X-Ship may choose to make one or more of its extra movements at
this time, if it has any remaining. If an enemy fleet moved in reaction to
intercept the X-Ship, and the X-Ship uses an extra movement to leave the hex,
it is not subject to being pinned.
d. Determine pinning and screening results
At this time, it is determined which ships in a fleet are pinned
by an enemy force, following the pinning and screening rules.
C3 Reaction Movement: Ships that are not plotted to move may react to pin
enemy ships that have moved into or through (but not out of) their Zone of
Control.
Allied ships within the ZoC of a large orbital base (BS, BATS, SB)
may react to enemy ships also within that bases ZoC, even if they have plotted
movement. This will end the movement of that fleet.
A ship may not make more than one reaction move per turn. Ships
moving in reaction must move directly and immediately to the hex containing the
fleet being pinned. A player may move only some of the ships in a fleet to
intercept an enemy fleet, but the detecting ship must move with them, unless
the detecting unit is a planet or base.
Ships must react immediately to movement. Therefore, if a ship moves
on pulse 3, any reactions must occur to it on pulse 3, if at all. If a
player elects not to react and the ship does not move again after pulse 3, no
further opportunities to react exist.
Ships, fleets, etc., cannot and do not block LoS for reaction
purposes. However, reacting units CAN be screened if they move through
the same hex as enemy ships, under the screening rules. If enemy ships are in the same hex as the
reacting fleet, they may attempt to screen some or all of these reacting ships
when they attempt to move.
A reacting ship may not move more than its maximum speed, minus
two, in hexes or a number of hexes equal to its remaining movement for that
strategic turn. For example, a Federation CA (strategic speed 6) that has not
moved could react to an enemy fleet moving four hexes from its current
position. This same CA could also move
twice by plotted operational movement, and then react 4 hexes. If the ship moved 4 hexes by plotted operational
movement, it could only react two hexes. Note that in the second and third
case, the Federation CA would need to be within the ZoC of a friendly base to
accomplish reaction after it had made plotted movement.
In the odd case that two or more fleets attempt to simultaneously
react to each other, they will both forfeit their remaining movement and meet
in a hex as near to equidistant as possible.
If more than one such hex exist, it will be determined randomly by a die
roll.
C4 Zone of Control: This is the area around a unit in which its sensors
allow it to react to enemy movement. Standard combat vessels have a zone of
control of 1 hex (i.e. the 6 hexes surrounding the hex the ship is in). Scouts,
X-Ships, and standard ships with legendary science officers have a zone of
control of 2 hexes. Planets with full 360 degree coverage by ground stations
equipped with special sensors, mobile bases, SAMS, X-Ships and scout ships with
legendary science officers all have a zone of control 3 hexes in radius. Larger
orbital bases have a special zone of control 3 hexes in radius.
The ZoC of a fleet is considered to be the best ZoC of its member
ships. In other words, a fleet with a scout ship has, as a whole, a ZoC of 2
hexes.
Allied ships within the ZoC (3 hex radius) of a large orbital base
(BS or BATS) may react to any enemy ships also within that ZoC, even if they
have plotted movement.
“Line of sight” for reaction movement is blocked by certain kinds
of terrain, including: nebulae, variable pulsars, heat zones, ion storms, and
black holes. If a ship moves into OR
"behind" one of the terrain types that blocks LOS of reaction
movement, it may not be reacted to.
Likewise, a detecting ship in a hex with one of those terrain types, it
may not react. Think of it as similar
to firing into or out of an asteroid hex.
In the case of one or more ships reacting inside a the special
reaction zone of a base, the LOS between the base and the target must be clear
of these terrain types AND the LOS between the reacting ships and the target
must be clear of these terrain types.
The LOS between the base and the reacting fleet need not be clear (it
does not block communication).
If a fleet is traveling cloaked, it is
detected and reacted to as if it is one hex further away from the detecting
unit.
C5 Pinning: The pinning procedure begins when one fleet enters the hex
containing an enemy fleet (by reaction or operational movement). If one of the
two fleets attempts to leave the hex while the other one stays, the fleet
holding position has the option of trying to "pin" all or part of the
departing fleet. He may, of course, choose to let his foe exit without
interference. A player may secretly
record and/or announce the intention to pin at any point once he is in the same
hex as the enemy, up to and including after the enemy attempts to move. It need not be announced until the enemy
attempts to move.
The pinning fleet can force a number of ships to stay and fight
equal to its own numbers. Cloaking devices may modify this. The owner of the
fleet moving on gets to choose which ships get pinned, and which ships move
on. He may choose to keep all of his
ships together to fight the pinning battle, or allow an excess ships to
continue moving.
Only ships (or ship-equivalents – see below) may pin other ships.
Fixed defenses such as bases, defense satellites, and ground-based defenses may
not affect a fleet trying to move into, through, or out of the hex. Base or
planetary-based fighters or PFs may move to pin enemy units in the same hex as
a base, but these will be treated as operating independently – see section
C10. Ships used to pin forfeit any
remaining plotted movement.
Each PF flotilla, fighter squadron, or bomber squadron operating
independently is treated a “ship equivalent” for purposes of pinning. In other words, a flotilla or squadron
operating independently can pin one enemy ship in that hex. This does not apply to squadrons or
flotillas that enter a battle with their carrier or tender. Independent squadrons and flotillas used in
pinning must obey all of the rules in section C10 and the maximums allowed for
such units in a single battle by section F0.
If additional ships end their operational movement in the same hex
as a pinning battle, they may be added to the pinning battle, rather than fight
in a separate non-pinning battle (if there are any). These ships must fit within the allowed command limit structure
in the pinning battle. Adding these
ships to the battle later does not allow ships that were originally pinned to
advance without combat. Obviously,
these ships that end their operational movement here do not gain any ability to
advance with the pinned ships should they satisfy the requirements to move on.
If the pinning battle occurs in a hex with fixed defenses, these
defenses will only be included in the pinning battle if BOTH sides agree to do
so. If the fixed defenses are excluded,
and no other battles occur in the hex (as result of ships entering the hex by
operational movement, but choosing to join the pinning battle rather than
attack the base or planet), then any forces that are not allied to the
base/planet that remain in the hex after the battle MUST withdraw from the hex
by retrograde (they may not remain in the hex at the end of operational
movement). This prevents a fleet from
using pinning battle to “lay siege” to a planet/base for “free” and avoid
attacking it while still occupying the hex at the end of operational movement.
A pinning force must be a legal combat fleet, and follow the
command limit rules. That is to say, a group of eight FFs cannot pin down a
group of 8 enemy ships because a group of eight FFs is not a legal battle
fleet. In this case, since the largest group of FFs allowed to fight together
is 3, only 3 enemy ships could be pinned.
The ships the pinned player uses in the pinning battle must also form a
legal fleet following the rules in F0.
If it is not possible for the pinned player to assemble a fleet equal in
number to the pinning force from his available ships in the hex (perhaps due to
a lack of a command ship with a sufficient command rating), he must form the
largest legal fleet possible from his available ships in the hex and retreat a
number of ships necessary to equal the number of ships in the pinning fleet, if
available (these ships may not move on, nor may they participate in combat). Any excess ships under the pinned fleet may
then move on as normal or retreat.
A fleet (in whole or in part) can always retreat from the hex in
the direction it entered without having to deal with a pinning battle. Such ships would forfeit their remaining movement.
The pinned ships fight a pinning battle defined in the rules for
combat. Pinned ships must do ONE of the
following to defeat the pin and move on to their planned destination:
1. The pinned ships must force all pinning ships to disengage before
the end of turn 4
2. All pinning ships must be destroyed or captured before the end
of turn 4.
3. Pinned ships must that disengage off the map in a specific
direction (defined in G5) by the end of turn 4 may move on, but any ships left
on the map after this time may not move on.
Once a pinning battle is finished, any
surviving ships from the pinned force that meet one of the above requirements
may move on to “catch up” with their planned movement up to the limits of their
remaining strategic movement. If case 1 or 2 occurs, all pinned ships may move
on. In case 3, only the ships that
disengage in time may move on. This
“catch up” movement may not be reacted to. Otherwise, they may remain in the
hex. Ships that use this “catch-up”
movement have the ability to conduct some repairs before entering another
battle. See the section H2 for
details.
Fighters, interceptors, or PFs
disengaging independently must meet the same requirements as ships to advance
(they will be carried by ships exercising the “catch up” described above). This means they must disengage by the end of
turn 4 and exit the map in the specified direction. They may not disengage by any other method and still be carried
along with ships using the “catch-up” movement. Ships recovering these fighters
and executing this movement after the battle must have the capacity to carry
them WITHOUT overcrowding or crash landings (unlike the conditions for
retreats). Any fighters in excess of
this amount will be treated as retreating fighters under section C6 and will
obviously not be allowed to advance.
Ships that meet the
requirements to advance to their final destination following a pinning battle
must have sufficient warp remaining to complete this movement. This is determined after the post-pinning
repairs (see section H2) are completed.
Determine the ships new strategic speed. If the ship no longer has the strategic speed necessary to
complete its plotted operational movement, it will not reach the target. The player has the option to allow the ships
to move through as much of the remaining plotted movement as is possible to
abort the remaining operational movement.
If movement is aborted, the ship will be treated as any other ship that
failed to break through the pin as described in the conditions above. Example:
A Federation CA (30 warp, strategic speed 6) plots operational movement to
attack a Klingon base that is six hexes away.
On impulse 4, the Fed CA is pinned.
It escapes, but is badly damaged.
After conducting its allowed post-pinning battle repairs, it has 28 Warp
available. Its new strategic speed is
5. The CA has already moved three
hexes, it may only move two more in its new, damaged condition – insufficient
to reach its planned destination. The
ship may abort its movement, or move the two remaining hexes listed in it
plotted movement – ending up one hex short of the base.
Note that a player who has been pinned
has an important choice to make before the battle is played. If he elects to keep all of his ships
together, any of his ships that fail to exit the map by the end of turn 4 in
the correct direction will not be able to advance to their planned target hex
(unless he removes all enemy opposition from the map before that time). However, if he elects to move any excess ships
not pinned by the pinning force on to their target, they might still reach
their intended target, even if the pinning force is successful in stopping the
rest of his ships in the battle.
C6 Retreating: A fleet may generally choose to retreat from battle in part or in
whole, so long as there is a valid retreat path. If it has movement remaining,
it may use the full remaining amount. If it does not, it may retreat 1 hex. It
may only use the free movement once per turn.
Ships may exit the map edge to disengage, in addition to using
disengagement by acceleration or disengagement by separation. The conditions for this are described in
(C7.25).
The retreat must follow the shortest direct and valid path towards
the nearest friendly base or planet, and not pass through a hex containing
enemy ships (except other ships that are retreating – see below). If there is
no path free of enemy ships which moves directly closer to a friendly base or
planet, and the retreating ships are in supply, the retreating ships must move
to hex that is within a friendly (could be allied) supply grid that does not
pass through a hex containing enemy ships.
If none of these conditions can be met, the fleet cannot retreat.
Ships that have disengaged from a pinning battle or any other
retreating ship cannot block retreats.
If two opposing fleets attempt to retreat into the same (previously
unoccupied) hex, the two fleets will both occupy the same hex, but neither is
pinned and no battle is generated.
Either fleet may later retrograde if it is eligible. If neither fleet retrogrades out of the hex,
then the two fleets will start in the same hex on the following turn (at which
point either fleet may choose to pin the other).
Fighters (and Interceptors or bombers) may disengage independently
under the limits of (C2.0) in the SFB rules.
There must be friendly ships in the hex to recover them before the
retreat is resolved, and these ships must have the shuttle bay capacity to
carry them. Overcrowding (J1.64) and
Crash Landings (J1.65) may be used to recover fighters (or MRS or SWAC
shuttles). These conditions must be
resolved before the retreat is conducted (note that crash landing multiple
fighters into a bay or crash landing crippled shuttles could result in the
destruction of some crippled fighters under these rules). Any fighters that disengage but cannot be
recovered in this manner are considered lost.
See section E2 for how any such overcrowded situations are resolved.
PFs may disengage independently as well, but if there are no
mechlinks in the retreating fleet to carry them, they are not lost, but are
treated as independent PFs as described in C10. They may retreat one strategic hex on their own, and are then
treated as “abandoned” under the rules in section C10.
Terrain does
not, in and of itself, block retreat. A ship can always enter a terrain hex
with only one hex of movement. A second
"point" of movement is required to transit the hex, but not to simply
enter it. Clarification: Think of it as
the extra movement required to traverse a Tholian web, but on the strategic
scale.
As with pinning
movement, bases (ground or orbital) cannot block retreats. If a ship retreats into a hex containing
only enemy bases (it cannot retreat into hex containing ships), it is not
blocked in any way. However the base is
not destroyed, no battle takes place.
If this situation remains after retrograde movement, the ship will begin
its next turn in that hex and the base will be out of supply. If the ship does not subsequently move out
of the hex by the end of operational movement, a battle will take place.
Note: In general
it is very difficult to prevent a fleet from retreating, particularly if it is
inside its own supply lines. However,
if a ship is out of supply, it can be trapped and force to “fight to the death”
fairly easily.
C7 Retrograde Movement: After combat and retreats, all ships may move up to
half of their current movement rate (rounded down) back towards a line of
supply (via the most direct route) if they moved out of supply this turn or had
their supply line cut, or towards the nearest friendly base or planet (the
player can elect to move toward the single closest friendly base, OR the single
closest friendly planet, even if one is farther away than the other). All ships
in a fleet are not required to move together if they retrograde and a player
may choose to only retrograde some of the ships in a fleet. Ships considered to
be out of supply this turn are not able to retrograde.
Ships may always retrograde along the most direct path back toward
their homeworld, even if other retrograde sites are closer.
Retrogrades may not end in a hex that is occupied by any enemy
units (including enemy bases or planets), but they can pass through such
hexes. However, retrograde movement may
move ships into contact with enemy ships in the unusual case that two fleets
attempt to retrograde into the same hex (this can occur because all retrogrades
are secret and simultaneous). In this case,
no battle takes place. The ships will
begin the next turn in that hex. If
neither side does not subsequently move out of the hex by the end of
operational movement, a battle will take place. If one side attempts to move out of the hex, the other side could
attempt to pin it.
Ships which moved operationally while cloaked may choose to make
their retrograde movement uncloaked, since this will not benefit them.
C8 Screening: Screening occurs when in a fleet attempts to react to enemy
movement, but this reaction will require the reacting fleet to move through a
hex occupied by one or more enemy ships.
These enemy ships have the option to "screen" the fleet which
is the target of the reaction by "holding up" a portion of the reacting
fleet, preventing it from joining the battle.
This unique situation follows a number of steps:
1. A player decides that
he wishes to react to an enemy movement, but the ONLY path his ships may take
will take them through a hex occupied by enemy ships (this does not included
bases). This hex is now as the screening
hex. If ANY route is available that avoids this situation, screening will not
occur and reaction proceeds normally.
This could occur if the reacting fleet has enemy ships in its hex.
2. All of the reacting ships move to the screening hex. The reacting player must then select a
number of ships that will stay behind to deal with screen. This number must be exactly equal to
the number of screening ships that form the largest legal fleet under F0 (in
terms of numbers) in the screening hex, no more, no less. (Note this makes it possible that some ships
used to screen might have to fight a separate battle in a hex where another
battle is occurring. For example, a large fleet
moves into a hex containing a smaller number of enemy ships defending a base.
If the defending player attempts to react to some other hex, the attacking
player may choose to use some of his ships to screen them. The remaining attacking ships will be used
to attack the base.) The ships the screened player chooses to leave behind must form
a legal fleet as well (If this is not possible, he must designate enough
additional ships to equal the number of screening ships and return them to the
hex they reacted from if the screen actually takes place. Such ships will
forfeit any other operational or reaction movement for that turn.). Once this is announced, the screening player
may elect to let all the enemy ships pass without blocking their movement. A player may wish to do this if the battle
will be hopelessly one-sided in an effort to save his ships. If the screening player does not elect to
screen the enemy, the rest of the reaction movement occurs normally - no ships
are blocked. The screening player cannot
elect to block some, but not all, of the ships in the reacting fleet.
3. If the screening player does elect to screen the reacting
fleet, the screening ships and the screened ships selected by the reacting
player (which are exactly equal in number) remain in the hex and all of the
other reacting ships proceed to their target normally. No additional ships may stay behind. A legendary captain in one of the ships in
the screened force could use a bluff to attempt to avoid this situation and
elude the screen (50% chance). At this
point, the ships that were screened may also elect to retreat, in which case,
step 4 will not occur.
4. The ships remaining in the screening hex must participate in a
combat scenario, assuming the ships that were screened did not retreat (in step
3). Neither side may disengage by any
means before the end of turn 4 (unless, naturally, one side is destroyed before
this point). This scenario set up is
described in section G4 of the rules.
This particularly dangerous situation exists because the screening ships
are on an intercept course, forcing the reacting ships to slow to tactical warp
speeds. Note that this scenario places
ships much closer together than any other scenario setup in the campaign. At
the beginning of turn five, either sided may disengage without restriction.
5. Once the scenario ends, all ships remain in the hex, unless all
of the screening ships have been captured or destroyed. If this is the case, the screened ships may
complete their movement to the target hex of the reaction movement but they may
not participate in combat on that turn.
These ships are catching up to the rest of their fleet, but they are too
late to participate in combat. Note, a
screened player who successfully defeats the screening force is not required to
complete the reaction movement, but if he does not, the ships must remain in
the screening hex (and could retrograde later of course). If both sides survive and neither force
leaves the hex by a retrograde movement (determined secretly and
simultaneously), it is treated as a contested hex and either force my attempt
to pin the other on the following turn.
If neither side moves out of the hex by the end of operational movement
on this subsequent turn, another battle will occur.
This has the effect of allowing a player to use operational
movement by some portion of his force to screen the operational movement of
another, limiting the number of ships that can reach it. However, it virtually insures a decisive
engagement, with ships on both sides temporarily pinning each other. Both players are given opportunities to
avoid this situation if they wish, either by not reacting through an occupied
hex or by choosing not to screen the movement of a reacting fleet. Reacting players may only use this if there
is no other route available, preventing its abuse as simply way to react to
ships that do not move. It requires a
very specific situation.
C9 Cloaking Devices: A fleet can choose to move while cloaked. To
calculate a ship’s maximum strategic speed while cloaked, determine that ship’s
maximum SFB speed while paying for life support and the cloaking device, and
then use that as the basis for determining the ships cloaked strategic speed,
dividing by five as usual. This slower
speed applies to the entire operational movement sequence (the ship will not
“regain” its lost speed by decloaking for some portion of operational
movement). Any reaction movement by cloaked ships will also use this slower
speed.
Reaction radii are reduced by one versus the cloaked fleet.
If a fleet is moving cloaked and an attempt is made to pin it, it
takes two ships to pin one cloaked vessel.
This means that
cloaked ships must be one hex closer to any DETECTING unit than normal to be
detected for reaction movement. So, for
example, Scouts can detect a cloaked ship at range 1. Bases at range 2.
Cloaking does not reduce the reaction
range of a friendly fleet within a base's special reaction zone. For example, a Romulan fleet under cloak
moves with two hexes of a Gorn base and is detected. A Gorn fleet with a reaction range of three is within the base's
special reaction range (3 hexes) and is three hexes from the Romulan
fleet. The Gorn fleet may react once
the Romulan fleet is within two hexes of the base, but not when it is three
hexes away. This is because the REACTING fleet is not the DETECTING unit (The
base which has finally found the Romulan ship because it got closer is now
contacting the reacting fleet to intercept.)
Note that the Gorn fleet will need two ships for every one Romulan ship
they plan to pin.
C10 Independent Operations: PFs, and to a lesser extent, fighters have a limited ability to
move and fight independently of their carrier, tender, or base.
Fighter (or bomber) squadrons may
participate in a battle without their carrier, but the carrier must be in the
same strategic hex. Fighters must leave
the map to be recovered by their carrier.
Once they have left the map, they cannot return. This ability is limited to fighters based on
true carriers (which includes bases, but does not include Hydran or other
casual carriers).
Formal PF Flotillas (must include a
leader and a scout) can move one strategic hex away from their tender
(including bases) by either operational or reaction movement. After all battles are complete, they may
move one hex be either retreat or retrograde movement (allowing them to be
recovered by a tender). If a PF
flotilla cannot return to it’s tender by retreat or retrograde (possibly
because the tender moved more than one strategic hex away or was destroyed), it
is treated as “abandoned”.
Abandoned PF flotillas may not move
again (operational, reaction, retrograde, or retreat) on any subsequent turn
and must be recovered by a ship(s) with unoccupied mechlinks moving through
their hex. The PF flotilla cannot be
resupplied (with drones, T-bombs, psuedos for example) until recovered by
mechlink.
If the “abandoned” PFs are involved in
battle before they are picked up, they will suffer PF engine degradation
(K6.0). In the first such battle, the
PFs will start with 15 points of degradation and begin accumulating points
according (K6.1). If subsequent battles
occur before the PFs can be recovered, the PFs will start at whatever
degradation level they had at the end of the previous battle. Assuming average die rolls, the PFs can
expect to reach danger levels in about ten turns.
Casual PFs may not move independently.
Independent PF flotillas or fighter
squadrons can be used in pinning (see above).
Independent squadrons or PF flotillas do
not count as a ship for command limit purposes, but they must still obey the
limits on the total number of flotillas or squadrons in a battle force listed
in section F0. Note that while this
will allow these independent squadrons and flotillas to accompany a battle
fleet without an impact on command limits, they will not be supported by their
mothership, limiting their staying power and EW support in most cases.
Interceptor flotillas (a group of six)
are treated as a fighter squadron for purposes of this rule only. They do not have the range to operate
independently beyond their own strategic hex like PFs.
C11 Off Map Areas: Each race has an off map area that represents unexplored
territory. This area can only be entered by the hexes it is contact with on the
strategic map. There is no movement between each off map
area – they can only be entered from the strategic map using operational
movement.
Friendly ships can enter or exit the off map area using
operational, retreat, or retrograde movement.
Enemy ships can enter this area only by operational movement, which will
result in combat if friendly forces are present. If combat in this area occurs, the entire off map area (and all
units in it) are treated as a single strategic hex. If any forces retreat from combat in this area they may retreat
into any adjacent hex (assuming they are not occupied by opposing forces). See the Combat section for details on this
type of battle. No ships may react into off map areas.
One orbital base and shipyards may be
built in the off map areas, as if it were a normal strategic hex. Follow the normal construction rules in
section E0. Orbital bases do not
produce EPs as ships on survey duty do in the off map areas.
C12 Possession of Planets: At various points in the sequence of play, it is necessary
to determine who controls planets. Some
examples of this are the Collect EPs, Order New Construction (for production at specific
planets), Determine In-Supply Status of Ships and Resupply, Retreat, Retrograde
Movement, Reveal Completed Builds (for production at specific planets
previously ordered). For each of these
cases, possession is determined based on the status of the map at that
specific time only.
Example: A DD is holding a neutral planet (no GMG present) and
elects to move off of the planet during operational movement. No other ships
move to replace it in that hex by the end of operational movement. The planet does not now provide a valid
retrograde point – however, a ship could return there if the planet lies in
another legal retrograde path. In other
words the planet itself may not be used for this purpose, but another legal
retrograde point that lies beyond it may allow a ship to return there.
Example: A DD is holding a
neutral planet (no GMG present) at the beginning of the turn and begins
construction of a GMG. During the turn,
the ship moves off of the planet for some reason. If the planet is not in possession
of the player in the Reveal Completed Builds step (in other words, no ships are
present after all movement is completed), then the GMG is not completed and the
EPs are lost. The player could move a
ship off of the planet and then return (or move another ship into the hex) and
still complete the GMG, but something has to be present to hold the planet at
both steps in the sequence of play.
See the rules governing the
individual steps in the sequence of play for any additional details.
D0
Economics
D1 Collecting EP's: Each homeworld generates 200 EPs per turn, Each colony or
world generates 20 EPs per turn, Each neutral world generates 25 EPs per turn,
Each small planet, moon, or asteroid field generates 10 EPs per turn.
There is no limit to the amount
of EPs that can be stored at a given location.
In order for EPs to be used,
the source planet must be able to trace a line of supply to the destination. If
not noted otherwise, EPs are assumed to be sent to the homeworld as soon as
possible. As long as a line of supply exists, however, EPs can be transferred
instantly.
If a supply line to some
portion of a player’s territory is cut, the EPs produced in the area cut off
from the homeworld are not lost, but can only be used for production using
facilities located in the isolated section of the supply grid. Once the supply line to the homeworld is
reestablished, the EPs may be moved to the homeworld and used for general
production as normal. This could apply
to a group of planets and bases or a single planet with enemy ships in the same
hex, but with its ground bases still intact.
This could ONLY occur if a ship retreats into a hex containing only enemy
bases – see section C6 for details on how this can occur.
D2 Controlling Planets: In
order to conquer an enemy planet, all enemy defenses and bases must be
destroyed, and a Small Military Garrison (20 EPs, Module R1). At least one
garrison must be on the planet each turn in order for you to control its
production. If at any time, no garrison is present, control of the planets
production returns to the original owner, and the planet will (probably)
immediately begin producing defense systems that will have to be destroyed
(again) before a garrison can be replaced and the planet taken back. While the
planet is conquered, however, more garrison bases can be constructed locally
following the normal rules below. Only the first garrison need be delivered by
tug. Commando ships stationed in orbit (at least 1 size class 3 or 2 size class
4's) may take the place of a garrison base.
To control a neutral planet’s
production (one located in the neutral zone at the beginning of the campaign,
should any such planets exist), one must have some kind of presence in the
system. This can be any ship (excluding freighters) in orbit, or at least one
small garrison base. This GMG can be
delivered by tug or can be built while a ship is in orbit (however the ship
must be present at the Order New Construction step AND the Reveal Completed
Builds step – see C12). If a neutral
planet possesses enemy defenses placed previously, those must be
destroyed. If an enemy Small Military
Garrison collecting EPs from a neutral is destroyed, and only other ground
stations remain (no orbital bases or ships), the owning player does retain control
of those bases, but will not collect any EPs from the planet until a new
Garrison is established or a ship or base is placed in orbit.
To collect EPs from a small
planet, moon, or asteroid field, a small ground mining station must be
deployed. These facilities cannot produce anything with the EPs they collect.
Note that tugs or freighters,
following G14.74, may move small and medium ground bases. In order to use a
freighter for this purpose, it must be purchased, as all of the “free”
freighters are busy keeping your fleet supplied and your economy on its feet.
These bases may be deployed during movement without any penalty to the
deploying unit.
Due to the limited number of
planets on the map (an abstraction for game purposes), planets may not be
devastated or destroyed.
D3 Pay Off Deficit Spending:
Deficit spending (for repairs only) is
possible. If your EP balance went into
the negative numbers last turn (due to deficit repair spending) you need to pay
that off if possible. If it's not possible, all ship production comes to a
halt, and no other spending (such as further repairs) is allowed.
D4 Survey In Off Map Areas: In the Collect EPs step, each race gains EPs from the off
map area based on the types of ships assigned to explorer it. Various ships earn the following EPs per
turn if assigned to this duty:
Survey ships (see note “*”
below) |
25 |
Size class 3 or larger ships
with scout sensors (see note “**” below |
15 |
Size class 4 ships with scout
sensors |
10 |
Size class 3 or larger
without scout sensors |
2 |
Size class 4 without scout
sensors |
1 |
* The following ships are
considered survey ships for purposes of this rule:
Federation
GSX, GSC, NSR, CLS
Klingon
D7E, EDW, D6E
Romulan
KRE, FHC, RGC, SPC
Gorn
SR, MSR, HSR
Hydran
PIC, MSR, SR, PGR
Lyran
SR, NSR
Any
HDW that meets the requirements of (G33.41)
** The Federation SC is treated as a
size class 3 Scout for purposes of this rule due to its unique 8-sensor
configuration.
The maximum number of EPs that can be
gained from exploration of the off map area is limited to 25 EPs per campaign
turn. However, if a race loses
possession of its own homeworld, this maximum changes to 200 possible EPs until
the homeworld is reoccupied.
See section C11 for movement into the
off map areas.
E0
Logistics & Production
E1 Ship Supply: Supply status is determined by drawing a line of supply from the
homeworld (or whatever is supplying the EPs) through a series of supply points
to the ships that are being supplied. A supply point is one of the following:
mobile base, base station, battle station, or planet. Between any two supply
points, a supply line can be no longer than six hexes. A supply line does not
need to be a straight line, however, so long as its length does not exceed six
hexes.
A supply point may support an allied fleet. In this case, items
that the allied race cannot produce will not be resupplied. A Hydran base
cannot supply a Gorn fleet with Pseudo-plasma torpedoes, for instance, and a
Romulan planet cannot supply a Lyran carrier with drones for its fighters. A
Lyran base that is linked to the bulk of the Lyran supply grid via the Romulan
supply grid could supply these items, however.
A supply line is blocked if it travels through a hex occupied by
enemy ships, an enemy base, or an enemy controlled planet. A supply line
between a base and a ship is also blocked if it passes through a supply line
connecting two enemy bases. Supply lines between two pairs of bases, or two
pairs of bases and ships may cross without blocking.
A Mobile Base in transit is not able to extend a line of supply.
A Tug (or LTT for this rule), equipped with cargo pods, may be
used as the last leg of a supply line from planets or bases to ships. The tug
may not move during the turn prior to when it acts as a supply point. If that
hex is attacked, the tug does not have to take part in the battle, but if it
does, and it disengages or if more than half of its cargo boxes are destroyed,
it cannot function as a supply point next turn. If it does not take part in the
battle, but its defenders are destroyed or disengage, the tug must retreat from
that hex or be destroyed. A tug acting as a supply point is blocked as if it is
a ship, not as a base.
E2 Determining In-Supply
Status: In The Determine In-Supply step,
supply status for all ships is determined for the rest of the turn. Even if a
ship moves out of its supply line, it will still be considered in supply until
the next turn (during this step). The only exception is for post-combat repairs.
At this point in time, all ships in supply are resupplied. The
drone loadouts that have been paid for will be replaced, as will T-Bombs. A
ships standard complement of shuttles will be replaced for free, but MRS and
other special shuttles will need to be paid for individually.
Fighters may be automatically
resupplied. Replacement fighters must be specifically constructed using the
rules listed in section E3. So long as a carrier is in supply, fighters may be
transferred to it from any base or planet to which it can trace a line of
supply. These fighters must have been built in a previous turn. Fighters
construction ordered in Step III are not considered to have been built until
step X. If a carrier is not in supply, fighters may be transferred to it from a
freighter, auxiliary carrier, tug, or FCR that is in the same hex (assuming it
is carrying fighters). If fighters are being carried in cargo boxes, each cargo
box may hold two fighters.
If shuttle bays are overcrowded
(as a result of a battle on the previous turn), this condition must be corrected
in this step. If the ship in supply,
any fighters on non-carriers or excess shuttles are removed (the fighters being
transferred to a new location). If the ship is not in supply, it must jettison
shuttles or fighters to resolve this condition at this point. Jettisoned fighters are lost. The player may select what gets jettisoned,
keeping fighters that were recovered from a lost carrier for example. However, if a non-carrier carries such a
fighter into later battle, it will begin the battle unloaded (even at WS-III)
and if no compatible ready rack is present, it will be very difficult
(impossible in most cases) to load the fighter.
E3 Order New Construction: Ordering new construction occurs in step III of the
sequence of play. Construction includes
building new ships, refitting existing ships, building or upgrading bases, and
production of those special or optional items that need to be paid for.
Ships are built using one of
three classes of construction dock, which are limited as follows:
Class IV: Size Class 4
ships
Class III: Size Class 3 ships (or smaller)
Class II: Size Class 2
ships (or smaller)
The previous limitations only
apply to new ship construction, with the exception of converting or refitting
size class 2 ships. That is, any class of dock may refit any ship or convert
any ship up to and including size class 3 ships, but only a Class II dock may
convert or refit a DN or BB. Size Class 3 ships or smaller may also be refitted
at a Base or Battle Station, which can refit one Size Class 3, or two Size
Class 4 ships in a turn by forgoing any other construction or repair work.
Only one of each type of
variant may be produced or converted per turn. Variants limited by these rules
include scouts, maulers, drone ships, stasis variants, commando ships, (true)
carriers, and PF Tenders. Survey ships and drone bombardment ships equipped
with special sensors count as scouts. Minesweepers are not allowed. Carrier
escorts and leader or command variants are not limited by the above rules.
When the game begins, each
player has a shipyard at the homeworld consisting of one Class II, one Class
III, and three Class IV docks. A maximum of one dock can be constructed around
any colony or neutral planet as follows:
Class II: 450 EPs over 5
turns
Class III: 300 EPs over 3 turns
Class IV: 200 EPs over 2
turns
Note: Class II-IV docks are the
large, medium, and small naval construction docks from the SFB Campaign
Designer's Handbook.
Docks cannot be upgraded. They
can only be scrapped (50% rebate) and rebuilt from scratch. Scrapping a
construction dock takes 1 turn.
Construction docks can only
work on one ship at a time. Minimum construction times are as follows:
0-24 warp engine boxes: 1
turn
Other size class 3 ships: 2
turns
Size class 2 ships: 3
turns
Battleships: 6
turns
The total cost of the ship must
be paid out as evenly as possible over the number of turns spent constructing
it. This number of turns may be extended beyond the minimum if desired.
Note that the Year In Service
dated listed for ships is just that, the first year that a ship may enter
service. Production may begin earlier so long as a ship is not completed any
earlier than the end of the turn just before the year it enters service. For
example, a Fed NCL+ that enters service in the spring of Y173 (turn 7) may not
finish construction sooner than the end of the fall of Y172 (turn 6).
A single prototype ship of a
given class may be constructed up to a full year (2 turns) before the class
enters service, unless prototypes of that ship class are prohibited. Ships
marked as “Y1” in the Master Ship Annex, and all size class 2 ships cannot be
prototyped. A prototype is not required to be built. Ships marked as “Y2” may be prototyped 4 turns earlier than the
date on the MSC. A second “Y2” ship may
then be built 2 turns earlier than the date on the MSC.
Limited Production ships
produced by construction or conversion may not exceed the number historically
built (if this number is known – some ships are unique or built in very small,
and specific numbers – if no number is known, assume the ship is limited to a
single example of the type). This is
the total that can EVER be built – if a unique ship is lost in combat – it is
gone forever and cannot be replaced.
Limited production ships usually have an L in the notes section of the
MSC, but all specialized DN variants must also obey this restriction. Some
specific examples of these ships: Fed DVL (1), DNF (1), FFB (3), CAD (1), CLD
(2), CF (3), Klingon C9A (1), E7 (3), E5 (3), RKL (3), F6(4), Romulan ROC (1),
FFH (3), KDR (3), Gorn DNT (1), BF (2), HSR (1), Hydran IC (1), THR (2), LNH
(2), Lyran JGP (2), CF (2), STL (1).
This is not a totally inclusive list, but covers the most likely
question areas. If a ship is not on
this list, players should use their own good judgment, reach a mutual agreement
on the allowed number, or consult the GM for a ruling, if available.
Conjectural ships are
permitted, but unless otherwise noted, the number of these ships cannot exceed
size one for size class 3 and larger or two for size class 4. Note this is the
number of ships permitted of a specific type, not the total number of
conjectural ships permitted per race.
Players are limited to ships
published in the Basic Set, Advanced Missions, C1-3, J1-2, K, R1-7, R10, M, D3 (separated
sections may not be built to operate independently), X1 (modified rules and
BPVs in CL 23 are in effect). The
following exceptions for Captain’s Log and Star Fleet Times ships are granted:
SFT34:
Romulan BEV, BHB, HFA, HSC, SNC (treat all as limited production – one ship of
each type allowed)
CL13: Klingon D7Y, D7Z, D6F
(treat all as limited production – one ship of each type allowed)
CL14: Klingon G2C (note that
this is a command ship for command limit purposes)
CL16: Federation DGX, Klingon
D5XD
CL20: Klingon D6C (command
ship), D6I, D6N, E4S, E3C (command ship), Kzinti CLC (command ship), CLD, CLE
CL22: Hydran PGS, Gorn DNC
(treat as limited production – one ship allowed), Lyran DDE, DWG
CL23: Skids, Ducktails, Prime
Trader, MCR, SK, SSK (all generic units).
CL24: Kzinti FKE, EBC (treat as
limited production – one ship allowed).
CL25: Hydran PGC, PGG, PGR
(treat as limited production – one ship allowed), PGF (treat as limited
production – one ship allowed), Kzinti SRI
CL26: Fed GVX (treat as limited
production – one ship allowed), Kzinti CDX, Gorn DNG (treat as limited production
– one ship allowed), Hydran DWG, FCX, All Pod Types.
Captured ships must be
converted to home technology following the Brothers of Anarchist articles in
Captains Log as closely as possible.
This is treated as a conversion for production purposes and must be
performed in a shipyard, no matter how simple the conversion.
The cost of T-bombs and/or
drone speed upgrades may be paid at any time during construction, but once paid
is non-refundable. Once paid for, these items will be resupplied each turn at
no cost so long as the ship is in supply. If a drone ship changes its drone
load out, the entire cost of the new drones must be paid, with no refund given
for the old drones. The basic "free" drone load out consists of
either Type-I or Type-IV or some legal mix of the two, all at speed-8. T-bombs added to a ship may not be
transferred to another ship at a later date – they are treated like drones. NSM
on old series Romulans are treated like T-bombs – all other ships must purchase
replacements after each use, assuming they are able to carry them.
All type-H drones in service
with a given race are treated as a single pool for drone percentage purposes,
as it is impossible to know which type-H drones or how many will be in a give
battle, as per (FD21.34). Note that this might allow all the type-H drones on a
particular unit to be restricted or limited availability weapons if enough
type-H drones are in service with a race’s entire fleet.
Other optional items, such as
MRS shuttles, drogues, extra boarding parties (or HW or commando squads), or
extra deck crews are one time purchases. If lost, they must be purchased again
or they will not be replaced. A ships standard complement of shuttles is always
replaced for free. Any points paid for
drone speed upgrades on drogues or MRS shuttles are lost (as are the reloads)
if the MRS or drogue is lost. All races
have access to drogues in Y178.
Prime Teams, outstanding crews,
and legendary officers may not be purchased.
They are gained using rules in section I0.
Converting a ship takes half as
long (rounded up) as it would to build it. If the conversion shifts a ship from
one building class to another (as in the case of a Lyran CA being converted to
a DN), the conversion time is based upon the new size. The cost, in EPs, is
equal to the difference in the economic costs. If the new class costs less,
then there is no cost in EPs, just time.
An incomplete
ship (one that takes more than a single turn to build) can be converted during
construction, but once the conversion is started the ship must remain in the
shipyard for the time required to complete the conversion, even if it exceeds
the normal build time for the original hull.
For example, a DN has completed two turns of construction (it takes
three to complete). The owner wishes to
complete the hull as a CVA rather than a DN (assumes that the CVA is a variant
of the same hull). A size class 2 ship
takes two turns to convert, so the ship must spend an additional two turns in the
yard to be completed as a CVA (a total build time of 4 turns, rather than 3 to
complete the ship as the originally planned DN). Note that CAs which are incomplete can be converted in one turn,
which will not extend the time to build the hull. This rule may not be used to shorten the construction time for an
incomplete ship. For example, a BB with
only one turn of construction completed may not be converted to a BBV at that
point to get the ship out sooner.
One special case
in incomplete ship conversions is the B8 Combined DN. A B8 is built by “converting” an incomplete B10 with at least two
turns of construction completed. This
is treated as a DN conversion, taking two additional turns. In other words, the quickest a B-8 could be
produced is 4 turns, but it could take longer if the player elects to start the
conversion later in the B10 production cycle.
Refitting a ship takes half the
time it would take to construct such a ship, retaining fractions. A dock can
therefore refit a heavy cruiser or two destroyers or war cruisers in one turn.
The cost is equal to the printed refit cost.
Klingon K-refits are a special
case. The Klingons may produce one, and
only one, ship with a K refit (by conversion, refit, or new construction) per
turn beginning in Y170. All Klingon
ships entering service in Y175 or later may include or receive the
K-refit. This is to resolve a rules
ambiguity in the rulebook.
One ISC ship per turn may
receive two rear-firing Plasma-Fs by refit, conversion, or new construction
beginning in Y171. The full number
rear-firing Plasma-Fs may not be added if the number exceeds two. The cost of this refit is 4EPs. In Y179, the ISC may begin adding the full
number of rear-firing Plasma-F by refit, conversion, or new construction
without restriction, at a cost of 2 EPs per launcher.
Romulans may produce any KR
type ships on campaign turn after the equivalent hull is produced by the
Klingons. This refers to basic hull
types, not variants. For example, the
Romulans may not produce a K7R before the Klingons produce a D7, but once the
Klingons build a D7; the Romulans are free to produce any variant of the D7
they wish (while obeying the dates listed for the KR ships in the MSC of
course).
Tholians may not produce more
than one web caster per campaign turn (per (R7.R2) and may not exceed the
historical number of each type of Neo-Tholian ships once they are
available. Neo-Tholian ships may be
constructed after their arrival date listed on the MSC.
Replacing the modules on a
Romulan Sparrowhawk or Seahawk only requires spending one pulse of movement at
a base, assuming the proper modules are available. One pulse of movement is
always lost, even if the swap occurs at the end/beginning of operational
movement. These modules can be
constructed by a base in place of augmentation modules. Changing Firehawk
modules requires a regular refit. Installation of Mauler modules on a Sparrowhawk or
Firehawk requires a conversion. Mauler conversions are always permanent.
Changing the configuration of a
Heavy War Destroyer is treated as a refit.
If the hex in which a ship is
being converted or refitted is attacked, the ship may fight in its own defense.
If the conversion or refit is to be completed this turn, it will fight in its
converted or refitted state. If the conversion or refit will be completed on a
future turn, it fights in its original form.
Fighters and PF's may be built
at any planet or base, with the exception of MB's. Fighter and PF production is
restricted on a per turn basis as follows:
Homeworld: 24 Fighters
OR 12 PFs
Colony world: 4 Fighters
OR 2 PFs
Neutral world: 4 Fighters
OR 2 PFs
BATS: 6 Fighters
OR 3 PFs
BS: 4 Fighters
OR 2 PFs
Medium bombers (3-space) and
heavy bombers (4-space) count as PFs for production purposes. Note that bombers may only operate from
special planet-based facilities.
Fighters, bombers, INTs, and
PFs may be built even if there is no base or ship that can hold them. They must
be stored in cargo boxes at a specified location and cannot be moved out of this
storage for use in combat until the Resupply Step.
Fighters, bombers, INTs, and
PFs may not be prototyped.
Fighters, bombers, INTs and
PF's may not be converted, but may be refitted. This takes one turn at any
shipyard or base. These refittings take the place of fighter or PF builds, and
are subject to the same numerical restrictions. Fighters may be scrapped for a 25% rebate.
If the Federation elects not to
build interceptors or PFs, it may produce F-111 heavy fighters without any
numerical restriction. If the Federation does build any interceptors or PFs, it
may not have any F-111s in service at the same time (existing F-111 must be
placed in storage or scrapped).
Megafighters are very
restricted in most cases. The cost to
upgrade a fighter to a megafighter is equal to 50% of the COMBAT BPV (plus the
additional cost of drone speed upgrades).
Unless otherwise defined, no race may have more than 12 megafighters in
service at any one time, but they need not be deployed as a single squadron
(per the rules in Module J2).
Additional megafighters beyond this limit may be built, but they must be
left floating in orbit as excess fighters.
Two exceptions to the 12-megafighter-limit exist. The Hydrans, with their heavier reliance on
fighters may have up to 18 megafighters in service at any one time. If the Federation elects not to build
interceptors or PFs, it may produce megafighters without any numerical
restriction (as part of the infamous “3rd way”). If the Federation does build any interceptors or PFs, it
may not have more than 12 megafighters in service at any time and must place
any extras in storage. Megafighters are
available on the dates specified in Module J2.
They may not be prototyped.
Interceptors are treated as PFs for all purposes in these rules,
unless specified otherwise. They cannot
be equipped with warp booster packs in the first campaign turn that they are
available, in accordance with (K3.61).
Interceptor scouts (K3.75) can be built for the same BPV as normal
interceptors, but it is worth noting that these experimental units are very
limited in their abilities and do not allow interceptors to raid independently
beyond their own hex (see C10). In most
cases, interceptors will be based on prototypes of PF Tenders and PF modules on
bases, as most PF tenders did not enter normal service (according to the MSC)
until PFs were introduced.
Summary Chart of construction allowed per turn:
|
Ships |
Pods/Modules/Ground
Bases (double these numbers if no fighters produced) |
Fighters/PFs |
DefSats |
Homeworld |
N/A |
1/1/2 |
24/12 |
2 |
Planets |
N/A |
0.5/1/1 |
4/2 |
1 |
BATS |
N/A |
0.5/1/1 |
6/3 |
0 |
BS |
N/A |
0.5/1/1 |
4/2 |
0 |
Type II Dock |
Size Class 2 |
6/12/12 (instead of
ships) |
0 |
4 (in addition to
ships) |
Type III Dock |
Size Class 3 |
4/8/8 (instead of
ships) |
0 |
3 (in addition to
ships) |
Type IV Dock |
Size Class 4 |
2/4/4 (instead of
ships) |
0 |
2 (in addition to
ships) |
E4 Planetary Defenses: Planets of all types are limited in the number of
ground bases they may have. Planets may possess no more than 1 direct fire or
seeking weapon ground base per hex facing. Planets may have, in addition, no more than one fighter, bomber, PF,
or SCS ground base. In addition to that, a planet may have up to three
ground-warning stations total, and one garrison base per hex face.
Only small and medium ground
bases are allowed. Note that tugs or freighters, following G14.74, may move
small and medium ground bases. In order to use a freighter for this purpose, it
must be purchased, as all of the “free” freighters are busy keeping your fleet
supplied and your economy on its feet. These bases may be deployed during
movement without any penalty to the deploying unit. Large bases must be built
in orbit, and there can be only one.
A planet may produce one ground
base per turn on its own, or two per turn if it is producing no fighters or
PFs. Any number of bases (up to per planet limits) may be placed if built
elsewhere and brought in by starship. Ground bases cannot be upgraded. They can
only be scrapped (25% rebate) and rebuilt.
A player must have possession of the planet in the Reveal Completed
Builds step to complete this construction (See sections C12 and D2). Any incomplete ground bases under
construction on a planet when it is taken by enemy forces are lost (as are the
EPs spent to build them). The new owner
of the planet does not capture the incomplete facilities.
Up to five defense satellites
may be placed in planetary orbit. These cannot be placed around solitary
BS/BATS/SBs. Either a SAM or large base in orbit, or ground stations equipped
with special sensors with full 360-degree coverage around the planet must exist
for these satellites to function. A planet may produce one defense satellite
per turn without affecting other production limits. If special sensors providing a
portion of this 360-degree coverage are destroyed in combat, the DefSats that
cannon be seen (have a line of sight) by the remaining planet-based sensors
will not function as player controlled, but will operate under the rules for
solitaire (automatic) DefSats covered in their rules (see the R-section
covering DefSats). This takes effect
immediately in combat. If the sensor
coverage is restored (by repairs) the DefSats return to normal player
control. If a planet is unable to
restore coverage by repairs (because a GWS is destroyed and insufficient GWS
remain to provide 360-degree coverage for instance), then no additional DefSats
may be deployed until 360-degree coverage is restored by new ground base
construction. (Note: As the exact
allocation of ground bases is not determined until scenario set up (section
G6), it is possible that a planet could have ground bases on different hex
sides on different campaign turns. This
would allow a planet that has 3 GWS to lose one in combat on one turn to use
the remaining two to maintain 360-degree coverage on the following turn (the base
is deployed on a different hex side. Such
movement is assumed to be handled by industrious officers in command of
planetary defenses and need not be tracked in detail by players. Of course, if such a planet was reduced two
only one GWS, it would not have 360-degree coverage and could not deploy
additional DefSats until it is restored.)
Moons and small planets shown
on the strategic map have no atmosphere and can only support a maximum of four
ground bases. They may not use DefSats.
Only mining stations may be
deployed in asteroid hexes.
A SAM may only be placed in
orbit around a planet, not in open space. SAMs may be constructed by a dock and
towed into place by a tug. Alternatively, a planet may produce its own SAM by
forgoing all other construction for a turn.
E5 Large Orbital Bases: Large bases are established, either in open space or
orbiting a planet, in a series of steps. The base must first be established by
producing a Mobile Base in a construction dock and using a tug to move it to
its new home. The MB may be set up at the end of the turn, should its tug
survive combat. Alternatively, a MB may
be set up or broken down for towing during operational movement, but this
requires the tug to expend two of its available movement points to complete
this operation before it can move out of the hex or for the base to be
available in combat after operational movement. A MB set up during operational movement is treated as having been
set up in the “Reveal Completed Builds Step” for all other purposes in the
rules (it can not be used as a deployment site for new construction on that
turn for example).
Once a mobile place has been
established, larger bases may be built. It takes one year (two turns) to build
a Base Station. The cost of the base must be split evenly over those two turns,
and a tug must be present. If either the tug or the mobile base is destroyed
during the first turn, the EPs spent are lost and no progress is made towards
the larger base. If the hex is attacked during the second turn, the new base
will appear on the map in an inactive state. If it is destroyed, the second
turn’s EPs are lost and the base must be built from scratch. If either the MB
or tug are destroyed but the embryonic base station is not, the base will be
completed at the end of the turn. Any damage inflicted upon the inactive base
must be repaired, of course.
Once the Base Station is
completed, the Mobile Base becomes inactive. It may then be towed to a new
location by tug.
Base Stations may be upgraded
to Battle Stations. This requires the presence of a tug, takes one turn and the
difference in EPs. BATS may only be created by upgrading a Base Station. They
may not be built directly.
Base Stations and Battle
Stations may be scrapped by a tug in one campaign turn (50% rebate). The Tug must remain in the hex for the
entire campaign turn. If the base is
attacked in the turn it is being scrapped, it is treated as an incomplete base
station during the final turn of construction (in an inactive state). If the
base is destroyed, only half of the rebate is received (25% rebate).
Starbases may not be produced
by any means.
A base may produce its own
augmentation modules without any outside help, in addition to its other
production. A Base Station or Battle Station may produce one module per turn. A
Base Station or Battle Station may have no more than two fighter and one PF
module. Other modules are not restricted.
All cargo pods are free (includes Lyran, Romulan, or Hydran
cargo pallets but not base augmentation cargo modules). See the
section E6 for details on how these can be used on Tugs and bases.
Tholians may maintain globular webs
around their bases at zero strength for 3EPs per web hex per turn. This must be paid every turn to maintain the
web. If this cost is not paid, no webs will
be present at the base on the following turn.
These webs start any scenarios at zero strength. Web points may be purchased to increase the
starting strength of webs according to (G10.82), but this cost must be paid
each turn. Large asteroids for use as
anchors (G10.821) may not be purchased or obtained by any means (the cost is
0.25 EPs per web strength point per web hex).
Webs purchased in this manner must be globular and may only be
established around orbital bases. Note,
this specifically prohibits “buzz saws”. For example, maintaining a six hex
globular web around a base station will cost 18 EPs per turn for a zero
strength web. For the same web to start
a scenario at strength 5, a cost of 25.5 per turn must be paid.
E6 Reveal Completed Builds: Any construction that is completed during a turn takes
effect is announced in step X, and is revealed on the map if appropriate. Ships
that are newly built or converted may immediately be moved to any base owned by
that race that can trace a line of supply to the construction dock that built
the ship. Allied bases are not valid end points. Only the production of ships
and large bases (not optional items, ground bases, pods, undeployed mobile
bases, etc.) need to be announced.
A mobile base may be deployed
at this time. Doing so must be announced and revealed on the map. Other new construction my not be deployed to
a mobile base in the same turn that it is initially deployed.
At the end of every turn,
during the reveal completed builds step, a player may assign
cargo pods to bases, or tugs that are in supply, with vacant
docking spaces to hold them. This is the only time when this change
can be made. Incomplete bases are not eligible. If a tug is already
carrying some other pod, it must drop it to add the cargo pods. The
dropped pods may be docked to another eligible unit in the strategic hex
at this point or be left to operate independently (This could make some
pods little more than a target). The tug will carry these cargo pods
until the beginning of combat on the following turn (it may not drop the cargo
pods before Impulse 1 of Turn 1 in a combat scenario) unless it stops at some
location during strategic movement to pick up another pod. Tugs carrying cargo pods may not simply drop
the cargo pods and increase speed – they must carry the cargo pods or pick some
other type. These cargo pods will impact the tugs strategic speed for
that turn, based on the characteristics of each tug. This rule is places
restrictions on tugs using this rule at the strategic level in exchange for the
increased durability it gives them in combat.
Ships acting as a supply point are unaffected as they may not move while
serving as a supply point in any case.
F0
Command Limits
All ships have a command rating
equal to the Federation and Empire command rating minus five, with a minimum
value of two.
The ship with the highest
command rating in a fleet must be the flagship in battle. Crippled ships are
excused from this duty, unless there are no other candidates. The flagship may
command a number of ships in battle equal to its command rating. Flagship
status and fleet size are only important in setting up a battle. Once battle
begins, the loss of the flagship does not require additional ships to
disengage.
When attacking a Base Station
or conquered planet, the flagship’s command rating is increased by one. When
attacking a conquered planet protected by a Base Station, or a Battle Station,
the flagship’s command rating is increased by two. When attacking a planet
protected by a Battle Station, the flagship’s command rating is increased by
three. When attacking a homeworld, the flagship’s command rating is increased
by four.
Command ships (BB/DN/BCH/CCs
and leader variants) always count as two ships for command limit purposes. They
may, however, lead a non-command variant of their class for free. A second
command variant of a given class may not lead a ship until the first command
ship has a full squadron of two ships assigned to it. Note that the second ship
assigned to a command variant is not
free. BCH and CC classes are leaders of CA (but not CL/CW or smaller) class
ships for this purpose. BB and DN class ships may not command squadrons, only
fleets. CAs and NCAs can be mixed in
squadrons. CLs and CWs can be mixed in
squadrons. DDs and DWs can be mixed in squadrons.
Each fleet has one free slot
that may be used either for a scout or a tug that is not equipped with a battle
pod, carrier pod, PF pod, or other combat pod.
A tug may not be part of a squadron.
If a tug has the highest command rating in a fleet it is the flagship
unless another ship has the same command rating, in which case it is the
player’s choice. If a tug carries a
battle pod, PF pod, or other combat pod, it counts as two ships for command
purposes. If it carries a carrier pod,
it is treated as a carrier, and must be escorted.
LTTs are treated as Tugs for
command limit purposes and may perform any mission a tug can. Note however that an LTT will be
considerably slower than a Tug carrying the same payload and in many cases, an
LTT can only carry a single pod. This
may restrict a single LTT from performing some missions, such as moving both
sections of a MB. As with tugs, an LTT
carrying a combat pod (battle, PFT, drone, etc) will still count as two ships
for command limit purposes (which will mean that they will basically suck at
these missions) and, as with tugs, if they carry a carrier pod, they must be
escorted. An LTT can act as a supply
point just as a tug can, and can be used for building and scrapping orbital
bases.
Carriers are always assumed to
be escorted for command limit purposes, even if those escorts aren't there!
Size class 2 carriers require 3 escorts, size class 3 carriers require 2
escorts, and size class 4 carriers require 1 escort, unless the carrier is
specified in its description as being able to operate without escorts. One
extra escort beyond the minimum is allowed. Different escorts than those listed
may be used, but a size class 4 escort must fill at least one escort slot. Only
real carrier escorts may fulfill this duty. Carrier escorts not escorting a
carrier count as two ships for command limit purposes, and may not be part of a
squadron.
Fighters carried by carriers do
not count against command limits. PFs carried by PF Tenders do not count
against command limits. There may be, however, no more than 2 squadrons of
fighters, 1 PF flotilla, or one of each in a fleet. Casual PFs count against
this limit and in addition count as 1 ship (as a group) against the overall
fleet command limit.
The full fighter/PF complement
of any single ship (such as a Federation SCS or SCSA or Kzinti SSCS) may always
be used.
Hydrans, with their casual
carriers, are allowed a combination of 3 squadrons of fighters and PF
Flotillas, but are still limited to no more than 1 Flotilla.
Lyrans, with their emphasis on
PF deployment, are limited to a total of 2 flotillas of PFs. 6 of these 12 PFs
may be carried casually (any more than six will require a tender – all 12 could
be based from tenders if the Lyran fleet has two true PFTs available to support
them). They may have a combination of 3 fighter squadrons and PF Flotillas, but
are still limited to no more than 2 fighter squadrons or 2 PF Flotillas.
Modular Dreadnoughts, such as
the Romulan Omnihawk, Megahawk, or Demonhawk cannot be used to fill scout,
escort, or tug roles for command limit purposes, even if they carry modules
designed for those functions.
Lyran BCs are treated as a
special case for commanding limit purposes, due to their use both as command
ships and basic warships in some circumstances in the Lyran fleet. The 1st
Lyran BC in a fleet besides the flagship counts as 1 ship. Any additional BCs
count as 2 ships. Alternatively, a
Lyran BC can act as a squadron leader for CAs or NCAs, but the 1st Lyran BC
(besides the flagship) must be used for this purpose and would count as two
ships (the CA would be free). This does
not apply to any BCH, including the Lyran BCH or to any other ship classified
as a "battlecruiser" (such as the Gorn BC or the Klingon D7 - both
treated as CAs). A Lyran BCH can act as a flagship in a fleet that also
includes Lyran BCs, but a BCH (which always counts as 2 ships) cannot
"lead" a BC for free - only CAs or NCAs. Examples:
1. Lyran fleet 1: BC (flagship, CR 10-52=5), BC (1 first BC in
fleet, counts as 1), BC (2nd BC, counts as 2).
No BCs act as a leader.
Remaining command slots = 2
2. Lyran fleet 2: BC (flagship, CR 10-5=5), BC (1 first BC in
fleet, acting as a leader, counts as 2), CA (lead by BC, free), CA (lead by BC,
counts as 1), BC (2nd BC in fleet, acting as a leader, counts as 2), NCA (lead
by BC, free). Remaining command slots =
0
3. Lyran fleet 3: BC (flagship, CR 10-5=5), BC (1 first BC in
fleet, acting as a leader, counts as 2), CA (lead by BC, free),CA (lead by BC,
counts as 1), BC (2nd BC in fleet, not acting as a leader, counts as 2). Remaining command slots = 1
Romulan KE:
Always counts as 1 ship (no leader penalty). This is based on the R-description
that specifically lets it operate as a leader or in squadrons.
Romulan NH, SUP,
RH and KH are treated as BCHs for purposes of campaign command limits (count as
two ships and can lead CAs - such as the FH).
Federation CVL
(GSC in carrier mode): Can be
accompanied by escorts or may operate freely without them (counting only as one
ship - no penalty for missing escorts).
Just something the Feds get to do due to the unique nature of the Fed
GSC.
Federation DNV:
If operating alone, this ship is free to operate without escorts at no penalty
(per the ship description). If it is
include in a fleet, its escorts are counted for command limit purposes, even if
they are not present, just like any other carrier. (In fact, any carrier can operate independently in this campaign
under the existing rules - a single carrier operating alone isn't going to care
if it's absent escorts are taking up command slots - there is nothing else to
command anyway - this is just to clarify what the this particular ship must
have when operating with other ships).
The DNV also DOES NOT include a SWAC in its BPV, as stated incorrectly
in the rules description in J2. This is
an error the SVC has corrected with a ruling on the SFB BBS.
The fighters or PFs of a defending base do not count as part of
any of the above limits.
Ground bases and defense satellites do not count against command
limits.
ISC fleets are subject to the E11.17 limit on PPD’s in a fleet.
Tholian fleets are subject to the E12.16 limit on the number of
web casters in a fleet.
The fleet flagship cannot function as a
squadron leader unless that squadron is the entire fleet. A carrier can always command a single
carrier group, and may be the flagship of a larger fleet if its command rating
allows.
HBMs, carrier
pods, or any other carrier may be used to carry admin shuttles. These extra shuttles will be treated as
fighters for campaign economic purposes - they must be purchased separately
and, if destroyed, they must be purchased again. Replacement is not automatic.
In addition, any shuttles purchased in place of fighters on these units
will not be treated as "originally assigned shuttles" for the
purposes of (J3.16), which means they will not be eligible for use as a WW (but
could be used for some other missions).
This will allow carrier pods to be used to carry large numbers of GAS
shuttles for planetary attacks for example - a historical use for those units.
G0
Combat
G1 The Tactical Map: Once operational movement is complete, hexes that contain
more than two or more non-allied races’ units must be resolved. If three or
more races have units in a hex, there will still be only one battle, as the
allied fleets will fight together.
Terrain will only be used if it is shown on the strategic map, or if
specifically called for elsewhere in these rules. If a hex is “contested” after all operational movement is
complete (units of any type belonging to two opposing races in the same hex),
then a battle MUST be played.
The map for all battles will be
a 2x2 map. This may be approximated by
a standard 42x30 hex map, which floats around a center point: a planet, base,
terrain feature, or center marker. Note: This is the order of precedence. If a
planet is present, it is the center point.
If no planet is present, but a base is, the base is the center
point. If neither is present, a
non-area terrain feature will be the center marker (a moon, comet, pulsar, or
black hole, for example). If none of
these are present, a simple counter is used to mark the map center. The map may float freely around this center
point as needed, but the center point must remain on the map. If a ship moves in a way that will force
either it or the center point to “float of the map”, the ship will have
disengaged. This is roughly equivalent
to a 2x2 map and will be satisfactory in most cases, particularly when space is
limited or battles are played with miniatures.
Setups for a single map floating around a center point and a 2x2 fixed
map are provided for each case below.
A |
B |
C |
D |
G2 Battles in a previously
occupied strategic hex: If a strategic hex
was occupied by one side from a previous campaign turn (usually in the case of
base or planetary defense), the following set up will be used:
2x2
fixed map
Defender
(set up first): Setup within five hexes of 4230 on map A, WSIII, speed max,
heading player’s option.
Attacker:
Setup within five hexes of 0101 on map A, WSIII, speed max, heading C .
Single
map with a floating center point
Center
point at start: 4230
Defender
(set up first): Setup within five hexes of 4230, WSIII, speed max, heading
player’s option.
Attacker:
Setup within five hexes of 0101, WSIII, speed max, heading C.
Ships may disengage in any
direction.
G3 Meeting Battles: If two opposing sides entered a previously unoccupied hex
by operational movement, a meeting engagement occurs. Raids and Patrols will always use this setup, but weapon status
and starting speed may be modified.
Both sides set up simultaneously.
Note that pinning and screening battles are handled separately.
2x2
fixed map
Fleet
one: Setup within five hexes of 2215 on map A, WSIII, speed max, heading C.
Fleet
two: Setup within five hexes of 2215 on map D, WSIII, speed max, heading F.
Single
map with a floating center point
Center
point at start: 2215
Fleet
one: Setup within five hexes of 0101, WSIII, speed max, heading C.
Fleet
two: Setup within five hexes of 4230, WSIII, speed max, heading F.
Ships may disengage in any
direction.
G4 Screening Battles: The ships remaining in the screening hex must participate in a
combat scenario, assuming the ships that were screened did not retreat (in step
3 of the screening process defined in C8).
Neither side may disengage by any means before the end of turn 4
(unless, naturally, one side is destroyed before this point). Both sides
set up simultaneously.
2x2
fixed map
Screened
ships: Setup in within two hexes of 4215 on map A, WSIII, speed max, heading D.
Screening
ships: Setup in within two hexes of 4215 on map C, WSIII, speed max, heading A.
Single
map with a floating center point
Center
point at start: 2215
Screened
ships: Setup in within two hexes of 2201, WSIII, speed max, heading D.
Screening
ships: Setup in within two hexes of 2230, WSIII, speed max, heading A.
Ships may disengage in any
direction on or after impulse 1 of turn 5.
G5 Pinning Battles: In the case of pinning battles, ships that have been
pinned must
do ONE of the following to defeat the pin and move on to their planned
destination:
1. The pinned ships must force all pinning ships to
disengage before the end of turn 4
2. All pinning ships must be destroyed or captured
before the end of turn 4.
3. Pinned ships must that disengage off the map in a
specific direction by the end of turn 4 may move on, but any ships left on the
map after this time may not move on.
Once a pinning battle is finished, any surviving ships from the
pinned force that meet one of the above requirements may move on to “catch up”
with their planned movement up to the limits of their remaining strategic
movement. If case 1 or 2 occurs, all pinned ships may move on. In case 3, only the ships that disengage in
time may move on.
Pinning battles are played before other battles, as some of the
pinned ships may be able to reach their targets and join other ships
participating in other battles.
2x2
fixed map
Pinned
ships: Setup in within five hexes of 0101 on map A, WSIII, speed max, heading C.
Pinned ships must disengage by exiting the anywhere on the edge of map D by the
end of turn 4 to advance (it is possible some ships may make it off the map in
time to advance but others may not) OR force the disengagement, destruction, or
capture of all pinning ships (or ship equivalents – see C5) by the end of turn
4 (if this occurs, all pinned ships may advance, even if they could not exit
the map by the end of turn 4).
Pinning
ships: Setup in within two hexes of 4230 on map A, WSIII, speed max, heading
F. May disengage in any direction.
Single
map with a floating center point
Center
point at start: 4230
Pinned
ships: Setup in within five hexes of 0101, WSIII, speed max, heading C. Pinned
ships must disengage by exiting the map by “moving the center point” off of the
map via the 01xx or xx01 hex row by the end of turn 4 to advance (it is
possible some ships may make it off the map in time to advance but others may
not) OR force the disengagement, destruction, or capture of all pinning ships
(or ship equivalents – see C5) by the end of turn 4 (if this occurs, all pinned
ships may advance, even if they could not exit the map by the end of turn 4).
Pinning
ships: Setup in within two hexes of 4230, WSIII, speed max, heading F. May disengage in any direction.
Tactical Note: An average speed
of 21 over four turns will be enough for the pinned ships to cross the map and
move on, assuming they can take a relatively direct path across the map. If they are forced to take a longer, less
direct route, getting across the map in time may be more difficult.
G6 Planetary Defenses Setup: The arrangement of any planetary defenses are laid out
before the ships are placed on the map, with the owning player positioning the
respective bases on the planet’s six hex sides. Then a die is rolled and the planet’s “A” hex side is faced in
the direction of the result (in the appropriate hex). The defending player then places any orbiting bases or other
units at his discretion, within 5 hexes of the planet. Finally, the attacking player places his
fleet in the opposite corner of the map (within 5 hexes of 0101 or 4230).
G7 Other Combat Notes and
Restrictions: Each side forms a single
battle fleet in accordance with the fleet command limit rules (F0). If using a
mixed fleet, the majority of the fleet ships must come from the race that
provides the flagship. Ships that are not part of the battle fleet do not get
to fight. Reserves do not get to join the battle in progress, as this could
severely prolong battles. Eventually
one side will either be destroyed, or will retreat. At that point, all ships
from that side not involved in the battle must retreat from the hex. If there
is no legal retreat path for the ships, then they may not retreat, but must
fight to the death. This may result in more than one battle being required to
resolve a hex (for any ships that may have been left out of the original
battle).
Once a battle is completed, any
surviving ships may check to see if a Legendary Officer was “discovered” during
battle. See the rules under Legendary Officers (I1). After any battle, a ship may conduct repairs within its normal
CDR limits (assuming it had CDR capacity remaining). This is in addition to repairs conducted in the Repair Ships step
described in section H0.
Before “catching up”, ships
which were pinned and managed to advance may repair a limited amount of damage
if they were in supply this turn, as detailed in the repair rules. Drone racks
may be replenished by drones in “deep storage”. Extra fighters stored among fleet
ships may be made ready (these need to have been purchased, ships don’t get
them for free). Once repairs are complete, they may follow their movement plots to the limits of
their current speed, taking into account hexes already moved. This “catch up”
movement may not be reacted to. These ships have the option of either following
their original movement plot, or staying in their current hex.
H0
Repairs
H1 Field Repairs: If a ship can trace a line of supply during the repair phase of
the turn, then its assumed that the ship can be assisted by repair ships,
making them eligible for the extended D9.4 repairs during that step.
If the ship is not currently able to trace such a line, but was in
supply at the beginning of the turn, it may take advantage of G17.132. It may
do this even if it already used G17.132 after a pinning battle (see below), but
only to repair damage suffered during the second battle.
If the ship was not and is not able to
trace a line of supply, no repairs are possible. This also applies to any PF
flotillas on independent operations that have been “abandoned” (see C10).
These repairs can only be made to damage
suffered during the current turn.
H2 Post-Pinning Battle Repairs: Ships that have been pinned and fought their way clear to their
destination may take advantage of the G17.132 repairs before their subsequent
battle, assuming those ships were in supply this turn. These repairs take place outside the normal
sequence of play. These ships may not
use D9.4 before their second battle.
H3 Repair Facilities: Any damage not repaired at this point becomes
"permanent", and must be repaired at cost at a FRD, construction
dock, or base. 1 EP must be paid for every 5 repair points spent.
Dropped warp engines are always treated a permanent damage – they
must be “repaired” at a FRD, construction dock, or base. (Note: replacing dropped engines is
EXPENSIVE. It will cost 48 EPs (240
Repair points) to replace two 12-box warp engines).
These repairs may not be used to replace separated sections
(Federation or Klingon rear hulls).
Lost sections are replaced as a conversion in a construction dock. The cost of this conversion is the cost of
the ship minus the cost of the surviving section. A ship may also be converted to a different variant while this
section is being replaced. For example,
a Klingon D7 boom enters a dock for replacement of its lost rear hull. While
this one turn replacement is completed (half the time to build a new ship), the
ship is also converted to a D7A. (Note: Ships replacing separated sections do
not use the repair costs discussed above for dropped warp engines. Ships use one of these two procedures, not
both.)
Repairs to fighters or PFs cost only 1 EP per 10 repair points
spent.
A construction dock may produce up to 1000 repair points per turn.
An FRD may produce up to 600 repair points per turn.
A BATS or BS may produce up to 200 repair points per turn.
So long as the treasury is not negative at the beginning of the
repair step, repairs may be made (and paid for) even if these repairs take the
treasury into “the red”. This is the
one case where deficit spending is allowed.
Any ship located in a hex with a
construction dock or FRD may be scrapped. This does not prevent other
construction from occurring in a construction dock. 25% of the value of the
ship is recovered if the ship is in full repair. Otherwise, the player recovers
whichever is greater: 10% of the ships base value, or 25% minus half the cost
to repair it.
I0
Special Rules
Legendary Officers: Occasionally in the stress of combat, an officer of
exceptional skill will rise to the forefront. These crewmen are masters at
their particular discipline, and provide the vessel with special bonuses in
combat.
At the end of a battle, any surviving ships on both sides may see
if they’ve gained or discovered a legendary officer (or outstanding crew). To
have a chance to do so, the fleet in question must have inflicted internals
upon the enemy, although individual ships within the fleet are not required to
have done so. In both cases, the percentage to look up on the chart is
determined by dividing your enemies BPV by yours. The battle must last at least
3 turns for anyone to roll, however. Ships that disengage before the last turn
of the battle are not qualified.
Enemy BPV / Your BPV
% Chance
< 90%
1%
90% - 110%
2%
111% - 125%
5%
126% - 150%
10%
151% - 175%
15%
176% - 190%
33%
191% - 250%
50%
251% and above
66%
Note that the above chart is rolled once for each qualified ship.
For each successful roll above, roll on the following chart (2D6):
2: Outstanding Crew
3: Weapons Officer
4: Engineer
5: Navigator
6: Doctor
7: Supply Officer
8: Marine Major
9: Science Officer
10: Prime Team
11: Admiral
12: Captain
If any of the above rolls result in gaining an officer that the ship
already possesses, roll again until a new result is achieved.
In addition, each race rolls once per turn on the above charts and
applies the results to a random Size Class 3 or 4 ship in its fleet.
Legendary Officers, except Admirals (see below), may not be
transferred to another ship unless their own ship is destroyed and they survive
(see the SFB rules for this). In this case, they may only be moved to another
ship of the same class. An outstanding crew on a vessel is lost when the ship
is destroyed. Prime Teams may not be
transferred.
Legendary Officers have some strategic impact:
- Legendary Supply Officers allow their ship to remain in supply
at extended ranges, up to nine hexes from the nearest supply point. (This is
their only benefit.
- Legendary Science Officers increase the zone of control for
their ship (see section C4)
- Legendary Navigators can ignore terrain for the purpose of
strategic movement.
- Legendary Engineers (who add 4 power to the ship) can affect
ship’s strategic speed if the 4 points increase its warp power enough to
increase its strategic speed (C2)
- Legendary Captains may act as a Navigator or Engineer and may
use one of their strategic benefits, but not both, during the movement phase of
a campaign turn.
Legendary Captains may not bluff, except
in the case of screening battles (see C8).
Legendary Admirals have benefits at the
tactical level only. They are not
treated as a Legendary Captain. In each
battle, the Legendary Admiral may do ONE of the following:
- Inspired
command: Increase the F&E command rating for the ship they are on (listed
in the MSC) by one. This cannot
increase the F&E command rating any higher than 10.
- Tactical
Surprise: All enemy ships begin the battle at a weapon status one level below
normal.
Only one Legendary Admiral a fleet can
function in a given battle, even if more than one is present. They will only function if on the fleet
flagship as defined by F0.
Legendary Admirals may be transferred
between ships in the same hex during the “Reveal Completed Builds step” They
may not be transferred at other times in the strategic sequence of play (they
could leave their ship in combat if needed, just as other legendary officers
could).
I2 Patrolling: All races
routinely conduct patrols to maintain security.
Prior to
operational movement, each race may select 1 size class three or four ship to
be assigned to a patrolling mission.
The ship must be in supply, but otherwise, may be located anywhere on
the map. The ship does not conduct operational
movement and remains in the same hex for the duration of the turn. In the event that enemy ships move into that
hex, the player may elect to abort the patrolling mission to use the ship in
defense. Or, he can elect to leave the
ship on patrol, but it will not participate in any battles to defend the
hex. The fact that the ship in a
particular hex is on patrol is not known until an enemy unit enters the hex or
until all operational movement is complete.
2. Before any
combat hexes generated by operational movement are resolved, two die are rolled
to determine what the patrolling group has encountered. Consult the chart below:
2 - This
six-month patrol has been the stuff of legend. Ship has performed
superbly. Roll for one legendary
officer. No battle generated.
3 - Encounter a
marauding ship of 10% higher BPV (race determined randomly). EPs earned = 10%
of BPV if internaled, 25% if crippled or disengaged, 50% if destroyed.
4 - Encounter a
marauding ship of equal BPV (race determined randomly). EPs earned = 5% of BPV
if internaled, 20% if crippled or disengaged, 40% if destroyed.
5 - Encounter a
marauding ship of 10% lower BPV (race determined randomly). EPs earned = 5% of
BPV if internaled, 15% if crippled or disengaged, 30% if destroyed.
6 - Neutral
planet visited, 10 commando squads recruited (or conscripted). Commandos
distributed at player's option after combat on current turn to any ships in the
race's fleet. No battle generated.
7 - Nothing
encountered on a quiet six-month patrol.
No battle generated.
8 - Derelict
freighter loaded with valuable resources encountered. No battle generated, 10
EPs gained.
9 - Defend a
large freighter from a raider of 10% lower BPV (race determined randomly). EPs
earned = 5% of BPV if internaled, 15% if crippled or disengaged, 30% if
destroyed. Reduce one level if
freighter destroyed.
10 - Defend a
large freighter from a raider of equal BPV (race determined randomly). EPs
earned = 5% of BPV if internaled, 20% if crippled or disengaged, 40% if destroyed.
Reduce one level if freighter destroyed.
11 - Defend a
large freighter from a raider of 10% higher BPV (race determined randomly). EPs
earned = 10% of BPV if internaled, 25% if crippled or disengaged, 50% if
destroyed. Reduce one level if freighter destroyed.
12 - This
six-month patrol has provided valuable training experience. Away team
performance has soared. Ship gains one,
non-transferable, prime team. No battle
generated.
Note 1: Opponent
will be randomly selected from the following races: 1. Andromedan, 2. ISC, 3.
Kzinti, 4. Tholian, 5. WYN, 6. LDR.
Note 2:
Encounters (3-5) are played as meeting engagements (G3). Freighter defense missions (9-11) are played
as a previously occupied hex battle (G2) – the convoy sets up as a defender –
starting speed of all freighters or Q-ships is ZERO (this is necessary given
the small maps used for these battles) – any escorts are speed max. Freighters may only disengage by leaving the
map by exiting the map edge.
3. The
patrolling battle is played (assuming the patrolling group does not abort its
patrol to defend its hex). After
resolving all combat (due to operational movement) in that hex, if enemy ships
are still present in the same hex as the patrol ship (i.e. they were not forced
to retreat from a battle), the patrol ship must retreat from the hex using up
to half of the normal operational movement after its patrolling game is
complete. Unlike normal retreats, this cannot be blocked by enemy ships.
4. Each
patrolling battle is played by a player controlling the patrolling ship and a
player from the opposing side controlling any ship that the patrol encountered.
5. Any ships captured by the patrolling ship are placed on the
strategic map in the same hex as the patrolling ship. Once on the strategic map, it is treated like any other captured
ship (must be returned to a shipyard for conversion following guidelines in
Captain's Log or scrapped). A captured
Andromedan ship MUST be scrapped. They
cannot be converted to use non-Andro technology and no galactic race can use
Andro technology.
I3 Raiding: All races
conduct raids behind enemy lines during wartime.
1. Prior to
operational movement, each race may select 1 size class three or four ship or a
DNL (from Module R7) to be assigned as a raider. The ship must be in supply,
but otherwise, may be located anywhere on the map. The raider does not conduct operational movement and remains in
the same hex for the duration of the turn.
In the event that enemy ships move into that hex, the player may elect
to abort the raiding mission to use the ship in defense. Or, he can elect to leave the ship on the
raid, but it will not participate in any battles to defend the hex. The fact
that the ship in a particular hex is on a raid is not known until an enemy unit
enters the hex or until all operational movement is complete.
2. Before any
combat hexes generated by operational movement are resolved, two die are rolled
to determine what the raiding group has encountered. Consult the chart below:
2 - Intercepted
by a ship of 10% higher BPV (race determined randomly). EPs earned = 10% of BPV
if internaled, 25% if crippled or disengaged, 50% if destroyed.
3 - Intercepted
by a ship of equal BPV (race determined randomly). EPs earned = 5% of BPV if
internaled, 20% if crippled or disengaged, 40% if destroyed.
4 - Intercepted
by a ship of 10% lower BPV (race determined randomly). EPs earned = 5% of BPV
if internaled, 15% if crippled or disengaged, 30% if destroyed.
5 - Large
freighter found with no escort. No battle
generated. The raiding player gains 10
EPs.
6 - Small
freighter found with no escort. No
battle generated. The raiding player
gains 5 EPs.
7 - The raid was
unable to find a target. No battle
generated.
8 - Convoy of 3
small freighters protected by a ship of 25% lower BPV (race determined
randomly). 0.2 EPs awarded for each cargo box destroyed.
9 - Convoy of 3
large freighters protected by a ship of 25% lower BPV (race determined
randomly). 0.2 EPs awarded for each cargo box destroyed.
10 - Convoy of 2
small freighters and two small Q ships (race determined randomly). 0.2 EPs
awarded for each cargo box destroyed.
11 - Convoy of 2
large freighters and two large Q ships (race determined randomly). 0.2 EPs
awarded for each cargo box destroyed.
12 - Military
convoy. 1 large armed freighter and 2 small armed freighters protected by a
ship of 10% lower BPV (race determined randomly). 0.5 EPs awarded per cargo box destroyed. Damage to escort: EPs earned = 5% of BPV if
internaled, 15% if crippled or disengaged, 30% if destroyed.
Note 1:
Defending ships will be of a randomly selected race of the opposing
alliance. The defending ship will not
be drawn from the ships of that race, but will ship provided for the raiding
scenario only. This reflects the convoy
escorts not represented on the strategic scale (just as the convoys themselves
are not shown).
Note 2:
Encounters (2-4) are played as meeting engagements (G3). Freighter defense missions (8-12) are played
as a previously occupied hex battle (G2) – the convoy sets up as a defender –
starting speed of all freighters or Q-ships is ZERO (this is necessary given
the small maps used for these battles) – any escorts are speed max. Freighters may only disengage by leaving the
map by exiting the map edge.
Note 3: DNLs and
CFs have the option to select up to three possible die roll results to ignore
when assigned to a raid. If one of
these numbers is rolled, the result is ignored and the dice are rolled again
until a different result is obtained.
This reflects the unique nature of these purpose-built warships designed
for lone raiding behind enemy lines.
3. The raid is
played (assuming the raiding group does not abort its patrol to defend its
hex). If, after resolving all combat
(due to operational movement) in that hex, enemy ships are still present in the
same hex as the raiding group (i.e. they were not forced to retreat from a
battle), the raiding group must retreat from the hex using up to half of the
normal operational movement after its raid is complete. Unlike normal retreats,
this cannot be blocked by enemy ships.
4. Each raiding
battle is played by a player controlling the raiding ship and a player from the
opposing side controlling any ship that the raid encountered.
5. Any warships or armed freighters captured on the raid are
placed on the strategic map in the same hex as the raiding ship. Once on the strategic map, it is treated
like any other captured ship (must be returned to a shipyard for conversion
following guidelines in Captain's Log or scrapped). Any captured freighters are exchanged for 0.3 EPs per undestroyed
cargo box.
I4 Orion
Mercenaries: Each campaign turn, during the Reveal Complete Builds step, an
Orion mercenary will be available for hire.
The pirate is offering his services to the highest bidder during the
upcoming campaign turn.
1. Selecting a
Pirate: What type of Pirate ship will
be available each turn is determined randomly.
Roll two die and consult the following chart to determine what type of
Pirate ship is available.
2 - CA
3 - BR
4 - DBR
5 - MR
6 - DW
7 - LR
8 - CR
9 - HR
10 - SAL
11 - AR
12 - BRH
Note: If the
ship selected is not yet in service, roll again.
2. Bidding on a
contract: Once the type of pirate is determined
all players bid a number of EPs for the pirates services. Players bid once, secretly and
simultaneously. The highest bidder wins
the pirate's services and pays the number of EPs he bid. Other players do not lose the number of EPs
they bid.
3. Option
mounts: The pirate ship is outfitted with optional weapons, additional refits,
cloaks, commander's options, drone speed and payload upgrades, etc. using
the EPs that the winning player bid.
All of the amount bid can be used to purchase these items (commander's
options limited to 20% of the pirate ship's BPV), but the player may not spend
more than he bid. For purposes of
option mount selection, the winning player's race is treated as home territory
and any race holding a base or planet that can trace a line of supply to the
winning players territory is treated as the operating zone. For example, a Federation player wins a
pirate contract. A Romulan planet and a
Klingon base are both six hexes (range of supply) or less from a Federation
supply point. The Pirate will treat
Federation space as its home territory and Klingon and Romulan Space as its
Operating Zone.
4. Deploying the
pirate. The winning player may deploy
the contracted ship within 2 hexes of any base or planet controlled by the player's
race. This does not include any allies
the player has. This is done at the
same time as the player deploys his new construction in the strategic sequence
of play.
5. The rest of
the turn. The pirate ship may be used
freely as part of the winning bidders fleet for THE CURRENT TURN ONLY. When the campaign turn ends, the contract
expires and the Pirate and all of its equipment is removed from play. In the event that the Pirate ship is
captured, the capturing player gets the EPs that the winner bid (he does not
keep the ship or any of its equipment).
I5 X-Ships: These advanced starships appeared near the end of the General War.
They have several capabilities and costs that don’t fit within the normal
rules. Their special movement rules have been folded in to the standard rules.
The rest are covered here.
In order for a construction dock to build X-ships, that dock must
be upgraded. This upgrade must be paid for before any X-ship construction can
begin.
Dock Type |
Dock Upgrade Cost |
Can Build |
Type-II |
100 EPs |
X-ships with a move cost of 1.
Takes three turns to complete. |
Type-III |
75 EPs |
All other size class 3 X-ships (two turns to complete). |
Type-IV |
50 EPs |
All size class 4 X-ships (one turn to complete). |
Larger docks can be used to build smaller X-ships.
Non X-CWs and DWs cannot be converted to X-ships – they must be
new construction. This also applies to
the Fed DDX, Romulan SPX, and Gorn CMX. It does not apply to the Gorn BDX,
BDSX, SKX, SKSX
X-ship repairs cost twice as much as standard ship repairs except
during self-repair.
X ships use the updated rules
and BPVs published in CL 23.
A fleet in battle is either designated a standard fleet or an X-squadron. An X-ship in a standard fleet is always considered to be a leader or flagship. In an X-squadron, they follow normal designation types, but any non-X ship has a command cost of 2.
Standard BATS may be upgraded to X-BATS
by a tug in the same hex for one entire turn.
The cost is the difference in BPV.
A BS must be upgraded to a BATS before it can be improved to an X-BATS.
J0
Rules Resolution – a note from the GM
It is extremely difficult to write a
rule set that can cover every eventuality that might occur in a campaign. This rule set has gone through numerous
revisions and every effort has been made to produce a solid product. However, ambiguities will almost inevitable
occur – the inventiveness of wargamers knows no bounds.
Players should, above all else, approach
these rules with this fundamental concept in mind: “If the rules do not
explicitly forbid something, do not simply assume that you can do it. If the rules do not clearly indicate that
you CAN do something, ask for a clarification before you proceed.” In other words, think of this rule set as a
list of things that you CAN do, and if you want to do something that the rules
don’t clearly say is possible ... ASK first!
If at all possible, consult the GM if
you have a question. His job is to
clarify the campaign rules, fix problems with the rules if needed, and remain a
neutral, unbiased party to keep things on track – use him! Check the SFB rulebook – many times the
answers to common questions already exist there. Ask for an official ruling, if appropriate, on the SFB online BBS. If you still can’t resolve it, bring it up
with the campaign group directly. Don’t
think of this as ruining your well-thought-out surprise. Rather, you are helping to maintain a
friendly campaign atmosphere and upholding the principle of good sportsmanship
and fair play – this is a game we play for fun after all.
All of this being said, the goal of the
campaign is create SFB games with a greater purpose – the ultimate strategic
defeat of the enemy. Ultimately,
somebody is going to end up on the losing end of things. It is good to be competitive, but be a good
sport. Fight the good fight if your
losing and don’t rub it in when your winning.
Far too many wargaming campaigns end with good friendships wrecked over
what is ultimately, just a game.
These comments aren’t meant to be
preachy. Everybody, including the writer, has moments in the heat of
competition where they get so absorbed in finding a way to win that some of
these ideas get unintentionally overlooked.
Coming back to this section on occasion will help remind all of us –
including me – to keep things in perspective.
Remember – this is an escape from
reality – get in there – roll some dice – blast some ships – and have some
fun!
K0
Credits
These rules were originally produced by
Jeff Lorenzen. Inspiration for these campaign rules was drawn from a number of
sources, including but not limited to: past campaigns, the SFB rulebook,
Federation and Empire, the AoG's SFB Campaign Designer's Handbook, and
discussions with and writings by James Machado. Beginning with Revision 1.7.0,
these rules have been altered due to further input from Dale McKee, Jeremy
Gray, Justin Howell, and Marc Baluda.
The current version – “The Commodore’s Edition” was produced by Jeremy
Gray.