RULES FOR SCENARIO #6
Having now faced direct combat with a ship as powerful as your own, you are ready for an enemy that is just as dangerous and twice as devious. The Romulans use powerful plasma torpedoes as their main weapons; the rules for which are below. The Romulans use the cloaking device to make their ships difficult to target. This device reduces their electromagnetic emissions to such a low point that the scanners on enemy ships cannot lock onto them. Rules for the cloak are included below.
(FP1.0)
PLASMA TORPEDOES
A plasma torpedo is a ball of matter on the brink of being converted to
energy. The weapon is extremely powerful. It is used by the Romulans,
Gorns, and Interstellar Concordium. Plasma torpedoes are seeking weapons
represented by counters which move (like drones) and follow their targets.
(FP1.1) LAUNCHERS
(FP1.11) Each "TORP" box on the SSD represents one plasma torpedo tube and can arm one plasma torpedo at a time. In the Cadet Game all torpedoes are "type-S." The Standard Game includes the more powerful type-R used by the Romulan War Eagle. Graduate Training will introduce ships with the smaller plasma-F torpedo. SFB includes several other types.
(FP1.2)
ARMING
(FP1.21) Each plasma torpedo requires three turns to arm. Energy must be
allocated to the specific launch tube on each of three consecutive turns.
The arming energy can come from any source.
(FP1.22) The energy to arm a plasma-S torpedo must be applied over a three-turn period in EXACTLY these increments:two points on the first turn, two points on the second turn, and four points on the third turn. If not launched on the third turn, the ship must allocate two points of energy on the next turn to hold it (allowing it to be launched on that fourth turn) or the torpedo is ejected harmlessly into space. For an advanced technique, see Reserve Power (H7.2) on page 44.
EXCEPTION: A ship may, in effect, delay the launching of a plasma torpedo by only allocating two units of energy on the third turn of arming. If done, the first turn's energy is lost, and the second and third turns (two energy points each) become the first two turns of the three-turn arming cycle. This is known as the "rolling delay."
(FP1.23) Ships do not begin the scenario with torpedoes armed, but must arm them during the scenario. The robot ship is something of an exception.
(FP1.3) LAUNCHING
Each plasma torpedo may be launched during the Launch Seeking Weapons Step
of any impulse during the third turn of arming. If it is not launched
during this turn, it may be held over and launched during any subsequent
turn. However, holding an armed torpedo requires paying two additional
points of energy each turn. Plasma torpedoes CAN be launched in the same
hex as their targets. The torpedo must move directly forward on its first
impulse.
(FP1.4) MOVEMENT
Plasma torpedoes are seeking weapons represented by counters and move by
rule (F2.0). As the type-S plasma torpedoes in Basic training have
an endurance of 25 hexes, they may (if launched late in the turn) be on
the board during parts of two turns (more in Scenarios #1-#6). All plasma
torpedoes move at the maximum speed allowed in that scenario (8 in
Scenarios #1-#3, 16 in Scenarios #4-#6, and 32 in Scenarios #7-#12), so
the torpedoes are actually MORE dangerous (i.e., they stick around longer)
in the early scenarios.
(FP1.5) WARHEAD STRENGTH
The warhead strength of a plasma torpedo is determined at the instant of
impact, based on two factors: the distance that the torpedo has traveled
(it grows weaker the farther it travels) and damage done to it by phasers
and (possibly) other effects. The warhead strength after traveling a given
range (for the plasma-S torpedo) is shown on the Romulan Cadet cruiser
SSD. The damage is applied to the target during the Resolve Seeking
Weapons Step (exactly as with drones).
(FP1.6) FIRING AT PLASMA TORPEDOES
Plasma torpedoes may be fired at only by phasers (of any type) just as any
ship may be. Every two points of damage by phaser fire reduces the warhead
strength by one. Record hits made against a given plasma torpedo, and
adjust the strength of the weapon accordingly on impact. (Note that phaser
damage is effectively a permanent reduction on that specific torpedo's
strength.) Only the phased-energy beam of the phaser can damage a plasma
torpedo. No other weapon, including another plasma torpedo, will damage a
plasma torpedo. ONLY phasers or impact with a huge object (such as a
planet or asteroid) will damage a plasma torpedo.
(FP1.7) SPECIAL COMBAT RULES
If a plasma torpedo has been armed, and the torpedo launch tube is
destroyed, the torpedo may still be launched during the next 1/4 turn;
otherwise it is lost. It cannot be held. If the 1/4-turn period extends
into the next turn, no holding energy is required. Destruction of the
plasma torpedo systems box on the SSD destroys the ability of the ship to
produce new weapons, but not its ability to launch the one it has already
created.
(FP1.8) FEEDBACK
If the torpedo is launched in the same hex as its target and hits its
target before the target moves to another hex, the firing ship receives
"feedback" damage on the shield facing the target equal to 25% of the
warhead's strength (multiply by 0.25 and drop any fraction less than 0.50,
raise fractions of 0.50 to the next whole number). This does not reduce
the warhead's strength. This feedback damage does not affect any other
unit in that hex.
(FP2.0) TYPES OF PLASMA TORPEDOES
Only the type-S torpedo is used in the Cadet Game. Type-R torpedoes (used
in the Standard Game) require 2-2-5 energy to be armed and cannot be held.
Type-F torpedoes (used in Graduate Training) require 1-1-3 energy to be
armed and cost 1 point to hold. Note that the terms "plasma-S" and "type-S
plasma" are interchangeable, as with phaser-2 and type-2 phaser. In the
Captain's Edition, there are several other types of plasma torpedo (types
G and D) which are smaller than the type-S.
(FP3.0)
FIRING ARCS AND LAUNCHERS
During the Launch Seeking Weapons Step in which a plasma torpedo is
launched, the counter for the torpedo is placed on top of the firing ship.
The direction that the counter is faced depends on the launcher. There are
two types: fixed and swivel.
(FP3.1) FIXED LAUNCHERS
This type of launcher is used on the Romulan Cadet cruiser and Romulan
Cadet KR cruiser (and on the War Eagle in the Standard Game). It is fixed
in position and will only launch a torpedo directly ahead; the target must
be in the ship's FA firing arc or the torpedo cannot see it and will be
lost. If no target is within the valid arc, the torpedo cannot be targeted
(a plasma-R, which cannot be held, would have to be ejected into empty
space). The counter must be faced in the same direction as the ship.
(FP3.2) SWIVEL MOUNTS
These are not used in Basic Training. This section can be ignored until
you complete Scenario #6, but will be needed later. Some ships have
"swivel" tubes allowing their torpedoes to be aimed at targets within a
larger arc. In Advanced Training, the Romulan KR uses this system. (The KR
used in the Cadet Game uses a fixed launcher.) The left torpedo can be
launched in directions 1, 5, and 6 (relative to the ship) and can be
locked on any target in the LF and L firing arcs. The right torpedo can be
launched in directions 1, 2, and 3 (relative to the ship) and can be
locked on any target in the RF and R firing arcs.
(FP4.0) PLASMA TORPEDO GUIDANCE
Plasma torpedoes are self-guiding. Once launched, they do not require the
assistance of any ship to find their targets.
(G13.0) THE
ROMULAN CLOAKING DEVICE This is a simplified digest of the
somewhat complicated cloaking rules. It will be adequate for all of the
scenarios in Cadet Training Handbook. If you do not want to use the
cloaking device, or if you want to learn the above rules first before
adding the complexity of the cloaking device, then skip these rules and
play Scenario #6 immediately. Use the KR cruiser.
(G13.1) At the start of each turn, after the Energy Allocation Phase, the Romulan player announces if his ship is cloaked or uncloaked. If cloaked, use the special "cloak" counter to desig- nate this fact. (It can be placed on the Romulan ship counter or beside it). If cloaked, the ship remains cloaked for the entire turn; if uncloaked, the ship remains uncloaked for the entire turn.
(G13.32) If the Romulan player wants to cloak his War Eagle- class ship, he must pay six points of energy (per turn) to activate the device. A KR-class Cadet ship pays eight points of energy (per turn).
(G13.33) If the Romulan ship is uncloaked, it operates normally. If it
was cloaked during the previous turn, it cannot fire or launch weapons on
the first impulse of the turn it is uncloaked.
(G13.34) If the Romulan ship is cloaked, it cannot fire any weapons. If any direct-fire weapons are fired at it, take the actual range in hexes (true range), double it, and then add five. Use this range (i.e., the effective range) to determine the damage scored by the weapons. If any drones or plasma torpedoes (launched before or after the ship cloaked) targeted on the cloaked ship enter its hex, roll one die. If the result is 1-4, the seeking weapon misses and is removed from the game. If the result is 5-6, the weapon strikes normally but does only half the normal damage.
Note: See (E3.31) when firing disruptors at a cloaked ship.
RULES
FROM PREVIOUS SCENARIOS USED IN SCENARIO #6
This scenario uses these rules from earlier scenarios:
#1: the movement, turning, combat, and phaser rules.
#2: the shield, seeking weapon, and photon torpedo rules.
#3: the impulse, shield, drone, and disruptor rules.
#4: the energy allocation rules.
#5: the damage allocation rules.
#6: the rules for this scenario given above.