RULES FOR SCENARIO #3
Having completed Scenario #2, you are now a combat veteran. Scenario #3
gives you a chance to shoot at something a bit bigger than a drone.
However, as this is only your third battle, we aren't going to ask you to
fight another starship. Instead, you are going to take command of the
Klingon Cadet battlecruiser Destruction and try to destroy a convoy of
freighters. While this is something akin to shooting fish in a barrel,
these fish can shoot back. In fact, the four freighters combined have
almost as much firepower as your battlecruiser, so it isn't going to be a
picnic. (It might take you two or three tries to win.) Before playing this
scenario, you will learn some new rules.
These include: how to launch drones, how to fire disruptors, how to handle
ships that are not moving at the same speed (the freighters are much
slower than the cruiser), and how direct-fire weapons damage shields.
(C1.4) PERFORMING MOVEMENT Each unit will move one hex, and only one hex, during each impulse in which movement is called for by the IMPULSE CHART.
(C1.41) GENERAL: Each turn is divided into a number of impulses. The first three scenarios have 8 impulses per turn, the next three have 16 impulses per turn, and the final six scenarios (and those in the Captain's Edition) have 32 impulses per turn.
(C1.42) MAXIMUM SPEED: In
scenarios with 8 impulses, drones and plasma torpedoes will move at speed
8 while ships will move at any speed (depending on the power used to move)
between 0 and 8. In scenarios with 16 impulses, drones and plasma
torpedoes will move at speed 16 while ships will move at a speed between 0
and 16. In scenarios with 32 impulses, drones and plasma torpedoes will
move at speed 32 while ships will move at a speed of no more than 31 hexes
per turn. Ships can change their speed each turn; seeking weapons
travel at a constant speed.
(C1.43) MOVEMENT PROCEDURE: During the Impulse Procedure, the various units on the map (including shuttles, drones, and plasma torpedoes) are moved by a proportional movement system. In simple terms, this means that if the Klingon ship (in Scenario #3) is moving at eight hexes per turn, and the freighters (in Scenario #3) are moving at four hexes per turn, and the turn is divided into a number of impulses, then the Klingon ship will move during twice as many of those impulses as the freighters and will, of course, move twice as far in the same time.
(C1.44) THE IMPULSE CHART:
Previously you have used the 8-IMPULSE MOVEMENT CHART simply to keep track
of the number of impulses in a turn and which impulse you were performing.
Now, we will use this chart to keep track of when each ship moves. At the
start of the scenario, lay the 8-IMPULSE MOVEMENT CHART out flat and place
the "Impulse" counter (playing piece) in the "1" box. When starting the
first turn, you will work your way down the IMPULSE PROCEDURE CHART one
row at a time, as before. However, when the "Move Ships" Step appears, do
not move every ship. Instead, look at the 8- IMPULSE MOVEMENT CHART. The
counter marks the current impulse. Each column represents one possible
speed for units moving in that scenario. Note the speed of each moving
unit. A
unit moves only if there is a number in the box at the intersection of the
current impulse and its speed. The number in question indicates the
specific movement point that the ship will move.
NOTE: For keeping records of time, such as the 1/4-turn delay in firing a weapon or the endurance of a drone, count only to the impulses of the turn, not to the number of hexes actually moved. Let us assume, for purposes of illustration, that in turn 3 of Scenario #3, there is a drone moving at speed 8, a Klingon ship moving at speed 5, a freighter moving at speed 4, and a damaged freighter moving at speed 3. Thus, we will deal with the 8, 5, 4, and 3 columns, ignoring the 1, 2, 6, and 7 columns.
Look at the 8-IMPULSE MOVEMENT CHART. On the row for the first impulse, only the 8 column (the speed of the drone) has a number. So only the drone will move in the first impulse, and it will move its first hex of movement.
On the second impulse, there are numbers in the 8, 5, and 4 columns, indicating that the drone, the Klingon ship, and the undamaged freighter all move.
Impulse #3: there are numbers only in the 8 and 3 columns, so only the drone (speed 8) and the damaged freighter (3) move.
Now, which units will move during the fourth impulse? Answer: The moving
units are the undamaged freighter (speed 4), the Klingon ship (speed 5),
and the drone (speed 8). Proceeding quickly through the remaining
impulses:
Impulse 5 - drone and Klingon move.
Impulse 6 - drone and both freighters move.
Impulse 7 - drone and Klingon move.
Impulse 8 - all four units move.
No impulses are skipped, even if no unit is to move. Units may still fire
and launch weapons and perform other functions on impulses in which they
do not move. In reality, the units are moving, but haven't "crossed the
border" into the next hex yet.
(D3.0)
SHIELDS AND DIRECT-FIRE WEAPONS
(D3.4) DETERMINING WHICH SHIELD WAS HIT
BY ENEMY DIRECT FIRE
It is important to determine which shield has been damaged by enemy
action. For direct-fire weapons, the line of fire must be determined. To
do this, simply draw an imaginary line from the center of the target
ship's hex to the center of the firing ship's hex, and determine which
shield is crossed. For example, the Constellation is in hex 0202 (facing
A) and is attacked by the Destruction in hex 0305. A line from hex 0202 to
hex 0305 crosses the hex side separating hex 0202 from hex 0203;
therefore, it is the rear shield (#4) which takes the damage.
(D3.41) SHIELD BOUNDARIES: In the event that the line from the firing to target hex travels exactly along a hex side (for example, if the Klingon ship in the above example was in hex 0304), then the shield actually hit is resolved by arbitrarily assigning odd numbers to one shield and even numbers to the other, then rolling a die to determine which shield is hit. (In Scenario #10, you will find more elaborate procedures for this situation.)
(D3.42) SHIPS IN THE SAME HEX: If two ships are in the same hex, firing
directions are judged (for both shields and weapons purposes) from the
positions occupied the impulse before the impulse on which the ships
occupied the same hex. The range is still zero, and the ships are still in
that hex.
NOTE FOR THOSE IN A HURRY: It is possible to play Scenario #3 without
reading the rules on the disruptors and drone racks. However, to do this
you will have to use the Federation Cadet cruiser instead of the Klingon
Cadet battlecruiser (since you have learned the Federation weapons). If
you are slightly confused by the Impulse Rules above, you might want to
play the scenario with the Federation ship before adding the additional
burden of learning the disruptor and drone rules. You will, however, need
to read the rules on freighters below.
(E3.0)
DISRUPTOR BOLTS
Disruptor bolts are carried by Klingon ships (and certain others).
Disruptors operate on the principle of an energy discharge. They are less
effective than photon torpedoes, but can be fired more often. The total
effect over several turns is nearly identical, but a dynamic situation is
created. Disruptors cannot wreck a ship in one shot like photons can, so
the Klingon must maneuver for a second shot. The arming cycle of the
Federation photons force the ship to operate in a rhythm of alternating
fire/reload turns.
(E3.1) DESIGNATION
Each "DISR" box on the SSD represents one disruptor bolt firing point.
Each is recorded and fired separately.
(E3.2) ARMING PROCEDURE
Disruptors can be fired every turn (like phasers). They are direct-fire
weapons and are fired during the Direct-Fire Weapons Step of any impulse.
Each disruptor can be fired once per turn. For Scenario #3 we will
continue to assume that the Chief Engineer will make sure that power is
available to fire these weapons. Be advised, however, that in Scenario #4
you will learn how to arm them for yourself.
(E3.3) FIRING PROCEDURE
The number of damage points scored by the disruptor is determined by the
range and a die roll. Refer to the DISRUPTOR BOLT CHART on the Klingon
SSD. Using the range, look on the chart to determine the hit probability.
Roll a single die. If the result is within the range of probabilities
listed, the weapon has hit, scoring damage points as shown on the bottom
of the chart.
(E3.31) When the effective range of a disruptor bolt is different from the true range (i.e., the target is cloaked), use the effective range to determine the probability of a hit and the true range to determine the number of damage points scored (if a hit is made).
(E3.32) The maximum range of disruptors is different with each ship class that carries them. Most ships armed with disruptors in Cadet Training Handbook have a maximum range of 30 hexes. Note that disruptors cannot be fired at a range of zero.
(FD1.0)
DRONES: GENERAL RULES
Drones are small unmanned missiles with warp-speed capability. Klingon and
other ships carry these devices as auxiliary weapons. Drones are similar
to 20th Century radarhoming missiles. They home in on (i.e., follow) the
target.
(FD1.1) DRONE LAUNCHERS
Drones are carried in drone racks which carry four drones and can launch
one of them each turn (not within 1/4-turn of a launch by that specific
rack on the previous turn). Notice, for example, on the Klingon Cadet
battlecruiser a row of four boxes (below the ship) marked Drone Rack #1."
This is the "ammunition track" which records the number of drones loaded
on the launch rack shown on the ship itself. If that launcher is destroyed
in combat, any drones still on the launcher are also destroyed. This track
cannot be used to score internal damage. As each drone is fired, check off
one box on the track.
(FD1.2) LAUNCHING DRONES
Drones can be launched during the appropriate step of each impulse during
each turn. When launched, the drone is placed on top of the launching
ship, facing any direction at the option of the owning player so long as
the target is in the drone's FA arc. The target for each drone must be
announced in this phase. (Players can experiment with the more advanced
rules in which drone targets are a secret.) It requires no energy to
launch a drone. Whenever a drone is launched, mark one box on the
ammunition track for that drone rack. Note that while a drone can be
launched in any direction, it must move one hex in that direction (to
satisfy its turn mode) before it can turn.
(FD1.3) DRONE TARGETS
A drone may be targeted on anything (including another drone or a shuttle)
except a plasma torpedo. The target of a drone is set at the time of
launch and can never be changed.
(FD1.4) DRONE RANGE
All drones are assigned an endurance expressed in turns. In Cadet Training
Handbook, this is three turns for all drones. If the drone has not been
destroyed or has not hit its target when this endurance is exhausted, it
is removed from play. Drones cannot be recovered (i.e., cannot be picked
up). Note that if a drone is fired during a given impulse of a turn, it
will reach the end of its endurance during the same impulse of a later
turn. For example, a drone launched on impulse #4 of turn #3 will be
removed if it has not hit its target or been destroyed by the end of
impulse #4 of turn #6.
(FD1.5) FIRING AT DRONES
Any type of weapon can be fired at drones, but some (because of their
nature) are penalized when doing so.
(FD1.51) Phasers, plasma torpedoes, and other drones can all be fired at drones without penalty.
(FD1.52) When firing photon torpedoes, disruptors, fusion beams, or plasmatic pulsar devices, add 2 to the die roll when firing at drones, thus making it harder to hit them. (You were allowed to ignore this penalty in Scenario #2, but never again. From this point on, space gets dangerous.)
(FD1.53) Other weapons, not in Cadet Training Handbook, have different effects. You will see them in this rule in the Basic Set.
(FD1.54) A drone is destroyed if it receives damage points equal to its destruction rating, which is four points for all drones used in Cadet Training Handbook.
(FD1.55) If several drones are in the same hex and one is destroyed, the others are not affected.
(FD1.6) DRONE COMBAT
When a drone is in the hex of its target during the Resolve Seeking
Weapons Step, it explodes and scores a number of damage points on the
facing shield of the target equal to its warhead rating (as in Scenario
#2). This is six damage points when using Cadet ships (twelve damage
points when using the regular ships in Scenarios #7-#12). Damage points
are scored against the shield facing the direction of approach (assuming
that shield is still functioning). Damage points in excess of the shield's
strength are scored as internal damage.
(R1.6) FREIGHTERS
In the Captain's Edition, freighters are handled in considerably more
detail than in Cadet Training Handbook. In the scenarios here, however,
freighters are used only as abstract targets. For Scenario #3, the
following rules are used:
1. Each freighter's shields will be considered to be down after five
damage points are scored on that freighter from any direction or
combination of directions; after that point, all damage is considered to
be internal damage. (This is an abstraction of the normal freighter shield
rules. After playing this scenario, INSTANT REPLAY will provide an
alternative system.)
2. Each freighter is armed with a phaser-2 that can fire in any direction.
The weapon will cease to function immediately when the freighter has
received five points of internal damage.
3. Each freighter will move at a speed of four hexes per turn. After
receiving 10 points of internal damage, the speed is reduced to three
hexes per turn. After receiving 15 points of internal damage, the speed is
reduced to two hexes per turn. These speed reductions take effect at the
start of the next turn after that damage is scored.
4. After receiving 20 points of internal damage, the freighter is
destroyed. Damage on each freighter is resolved and recorded separately.
Note that a total of 25 damage points is required to destroy a freighter,
5 for the shields and 20 for the ship itself. FOR FURTHER TRAINING If you
feel you need further training with the disruptors, return to Scenario #2
and play it with the Klingon ship. Ignore the
penalty in (FD1.52) for purposes of that scenario ONLY.