COMBAT QUICK REFERENCE1. Compare UCR to determine damage modification; round down results to nearest whole.
2. Damage is done to Shields first, then Armor, then Hull. In the case of ion damage, this gets applied to Shields first then Systems.
3. Capital ships can only have 1 shield bank raised at any given time.
4. Once Armor gets reduced to 0, ships can still fire weapons; they just can't move. Hull must be reduced to 0 to blow it up.
5. The order of damage (as to which applies first) goes as follows: Warheads, Lasers, Turbolasers, Ions.
6. Starfighter/Auxiliary warheads are ONE SHOT weapons.
INITIATING A BATTLE1. All ships (hostile or friendly) must exit hyperspace in the Deep Space Zone (X).
2. At least one hostile ship must conduct a ComScan Sweep in order to ascertain the location of defending forces. The defending forces have 24 hours to post locations of all their units in both space and ground.
3. All defending ships must start on the Home Grids (H1, H2, or H3). If the defending forces do not post locations of their ships after 24 hours, then the default position is H2.
4. Once the defender makes their first post, the system is declared CONTESTED.
5. Once a system is declared CONTESTED, players have until their 2nd post before reinforcements can be called in. On their 3rd post, reinforcements - as well as Third Party Combatants - can exit hyperspace.
6. Refer to
this post for more clarity on posting order.
DEEP SPACE ZONE1. The X grid is considered "no man's land" and as such NO ATTACKING can occur from inside or into the X grid. Capital ships can exit or enter the X grid from or to any of the A grids.
2. Units may exit the X grid in whichever heading they desire.
3. Once a unit enters the X grid, it cannot exit the X grid in the same turn. (e.g. Slingshot from A1 to A4)
4. The Gravity Field of the Interdictor does not apply to the X grid.
5. Be mindful of the tactical advantages (and disadvantages) Deep Space affords you. Stacking units in Deep Space could in some sense create a
"Mandalorian standoff" or stalemate, with neither side willing to enter the battlefield and actually duke it out! That being said, players cannot hold a system indefinitely by keeping a token unit in Deep Space (and thus preventing their opponent from completing their Conquest). To reiterate, units in Deep Space are non-combatants and therefore do not need to be killed before a player can conquer a system.
TAKING TURNS AND REPLENISHING ACTION POINTSPlayers will take turns in the order of who posted first. Typically, the player who initiates a battle is by default taking their 1st turn. The defender will then take their turn. Third parties will go third. Defensive reinforcements will always bat last. Action Points for every unit will refresh at the start of a new round.
HYPERSPACE MOVEMENTThere is no travel time between systems, but entering hyperspace requires 1 AP. Note that you do not get to replenish your Action Points until a new round begins, and so an attacking force should always start their turn with -1 AP for Light CAP and SF/AUX and -3 AP for Heavy CAPs (as to reflect the AP it took to move to that system via hyperspace). If a capital ship performs an attack that depletes most of their AP, and they use their last AP to enter hyperspace, that capital ship's total AP would be 0 when they exit hyperspace elsewhere. If they exit hyperspace in a contested system, that capital ship must wait until the current round is done before it can replenish its AP. If that capital ship exists hyperspace in a non-contested system, then it must wait 24 hours to "cool down" before its full AP is restored.
FOG OF WARPlanetary facilities are considered common knowledge. Space PDF locations and Ground PDF complements are considered unknown until Com Scan occurs. Hyperspace destinations must be posted.
UNIVERSAL COMBAT RATING (UCR)1. Every unit has a Universal Combat Rating. This number accounts for the natural combat-worthiness of a unit as well as other tangible things like size, speed, overall presence, etc.
2. In combat engagements, UCR works like this:
a. Attacker UCR / Defender UCR = Damage Modifier.
b. Raw Damage x Damage Modifier = Total Damage.
3. Damage Modifier cannot exceed 1.0, so if an attacker has a higher UCR than the defender, the damage modifier automatically = 1.
4. Round DOWN all results to the nearest whole (example: 28.279 becomes 28).
SUPPORT UNITS AND RELOADING WARHEADS1. Because starfighter squadrons and auxiliary groups are being treated as single units, their durability is considered to be uniform across the whole squadron or group. For example, each X-Wing has a durability of 1.5, which means the whole squadron's durability is 18. In this game, we will not be micromanaging units to the degree that requires every starfighter in a squadron or auxiliary craft in a group to be tracked. The bottom line is that when enough damage is done to a starfighter or auxiliary to kill it, the whole squadron or group gets killed.
2. Starfighter and Auxiliary launched warheads are ONE SHOT weapons. After warheads are launched in battle, they cannot be fired again UNLESS that starfighter/auxiliary returns to their mothership to reload. SF/AUX cannot fire warheads, get recalled, reload, and then relaunch all in the same turn. Once a starfighter/auxiliary is recalled, it must remain onboard its mothership until the next turn.
FLEET ESCORTEach capital ship is permitted up to 2 independent SF/AUX that may function as Fleet Escort. These SF/AUX may not reload their warheads during battle. For capital ships with no/low ground units, attaching troop transports in the form of Fleet Escort can be a useful way to augment a capital ship's functionality.
COMBAT SPACE PATROL1. This is a special task that only SF/AUX can do. After being deployed, SF/AUX can be assigned a single grid space to protect. Their job is to intercept all incoming enemy SF/AUX that enter that grid. Doing so prevents enemy SF/AUX from being able to attack friendly capital ships in the same grid space.
2. So in order for the enemy to attack a friendly capital ship, they must engage your SF/AUX first on a 1-for-1 basis (1 SF/AUX for 1 SF/AUX). Note that SF/AUX cannot attack and then go on CSP in the same turn. It's one or the other.
3. When starfighter/auxiliary unit A engages starfighter/auxiliary unit B (that is on CSP), starfighter/auxiliary unit A cannot break away from the dogfight until starfighter/auxiliary unit B cancels its CSP or is destroyed. Note: it is still possible to attack CSP from a distance using warheads, but this does not count as "engaging the CSP." Starfighter/auxiliary unit A has to enter the same grid as starfighter/auxiliary unit B (that is on CSP) in order to engage it.
ATTACK RUNSStarfighters and Auxiliaries can perform Attack Runs on enemy units during battle for 2 AP. During an Attack Run, any or all warheads can be fired at a target. Because some warheads have non-zero range, it is possible for one SF/AUX unit to engage another SF/AUX that is on CSP without ever entering their grid space!
SHIELD BANKSOne new idea being used in this game is that of Shield Banks. In previous SWSF games, shields were one total amount, however in this game they are broken into individual banks - which each bank only providing a certain level of protection. No more than ONE shield bank can be active any any given time. Therefore, it is only when one shield bank gets depleted can a capital ship raise a new bank. This adds a degree of vulnerability to each capital ship, because in past games very big ships could simply hide behind their shields for most of the battle and run away when things were looking dicey. No so with Flashpoint! Here it is possible to make a capital ship bleed every round.
ION DAMAGE, DISABLING UNITS, TRACTOR BEAMS, AND BOARDING PARTIES1. Ion Cannons hit a unit's shields first, and once that unit's shields are depleted, the damage is applied to Systems. Once a ship's Systems are depleted, it becomes DISABLED. Once a ship is disabled, it must fully repair its Systems before it can Move or Fire Weapons. Disabled units may still launch/recover support units.
2. Tractor Beams are powerful tools that can be used to tow a disabled capital ship. Once a tractor beam is engaged (for 2 AP) by the home ship, tractor lock must be maintained continuously each post (for a recurring 2 AP). While tractor lock is maintained a disabled capital ship is brought into the same grid as the ship engaging the tractor beam. From that point forward, any movement (sublight or hyperspace) the home ship does, the disabled ship goes with it. A disabled ship that completes repairs of its systems can break tractor lock only if it has a tractor beam of its own (to reverse polarity).
3. Disabled ships under tractor lock CAN BE BOARDED by Auxiliary Craft that can transport Ground Units. Normal rules for ground combat apply. The defending ship can utilize ALL of its ground units in the battle to fight the boarding party, in addition to 1 BONUS infantry unit that represents the crew, that has UCR of 10 and an Attack and Durability rating equal to that ship's Action Points x10. Once a ship's ground units and crew have been killed, the ship can be DEFLAGGED and control of the vessel can be transferred to your faction. If a ship's crew can hold out long enough to restore its systems and break free from a tractor lock, it can still be deflagged if it cannot defeat the boarding party!
WARHEADSWarheads are not interceptible. Instead, their damage has been relativized in order to be calculated through the UCR System.
HOW TO BLOW STUFF UP: GIVING AND TAKING DAMAGE1. If a unit takes enough to reduce its Armor to 0, then its status becomes CRITICAL. Overflow damage done to Armor goes to the Hull. Once the Hull is reduced to 0, the ship EXPLODES.
2. Any capital ship that is CRITICAL can no longer move, but it may fire weapons and launch/recover support units normally.
3. If a CRITICAL capital ship uses Damage Control to repair its hull and armor during a post, then it may resume normal operations (movement and attack). All it needs is maximum Hull and 1 Armor point.
4. If enough damage is done to a ship to make it explode, then it CANNOT RETURN FIRE, EVEN IF it has enough Action Points to do Damage Control.
ORBITAL BOMBARDMENT, AIR-TO-GROUND ATTACK RUNS, AND DESTROYING FACILITIES1. Heavy Capital Ships with Turbolasers and Missiles can conduct orbital bombardment to destroy enemy facilities. Starfighters in the H-2 grid may also attack facilities. However, in doing this, these facilities will be permanently destroyed for the duration of the campaign and if the system is later captured they can't be rebuilt. Each facility in the game has a UCR of 1 and a Durability of 200 points. The only facility that cannot be destroyed from orbit is the Planetary Shield Generator and Underground Network for obvious reasons.
2. Ground units can destroy ANY facility (even the Planetary Shield Generator and Underground Network), all they need to do is target that facility in battle as they would any other unit. Once the durability is reduced to 0, it EXPLODES.
3. Starfighters and Auxiliaries can attack enemy Vehicles during an Attack Run. Compute damage normally using UCR. Infantry cannot be attacked due to their ability to scatter or entrench themselves.
PLANETARY LANDING AND ASSAULT1. Heavy Capital Ships with exception to the DREAD cannot conduct planetary landings, only Light Capital Ships can. Once LANDED, capital ships cannot raise shields or fire weapons, and are vulnerable to Orbital Bombardment (normal UCR applies) and getting BOARDED by enemy ground forces. Crews cannot abandon ship and participate in ground battles alongside your other forces.
2. Auxiliary Craft can land on the surface as a separate movement once they are already in the H2 grid. So if for instance an AUX expends all of its AP to get to the H2 grid, they cannot move any further and conduct a landing. The landing itself is a move, which requires 1 AP. The same applies for takeoff: 1 AP to takeoff, plus 1 AP to actually move out of the H2 grid.
3. Please see
this Mock battle post which goes into ground battles in a little more detail.
REPAIRING UNITSCapital ships that suffer damage during battle must undergo repairs when the battle is done. The effective rate of repair is 1 Shield, Armor, Systems, AND Hull point per day for every 1 Action Point that capital ship has. For active players who desire a fast-paced game, it is conceivable that multiple attacks over a short period of time might prevent enemy players from being able to fully repair their ships!
