GSF Teaching Guide

GALACTIC STARFIRE QUICK GUIDE TO WHAT A SHIP DESIGN MEANS

What am I looking at? The ship design is listed in the following format. Note that there may be multiple ships within a single header and footer line, which are the same for all ships. Size of the ship in Hull Spaces Name: This is the name of the ship. Technological level Ship Type external ordinance racks (XO) XOs carry single use missiles or torpedoes

SharpShooter-class CA 8 XOa 60 Hull TL5 XO [3] S1x10A1x10ZbHsQbQb(IaIa)(IaIa)(IaIa)QbYaRbx6M1Rbx4(IaIa)Rb [4/2] :8 Trg:2 45 HTK S1x10 A1x10 Rbx11 Yax1

Turn Number of Hits to Summary The ship’s Speed/strategic Mode Targets Kill the of systems design (order That can Ship on the ship of systems) XO rack loadout Be engaged for this unit

The 2nd line contains a series of codes, repeated below, that represents the system aboard the ship and the normal order that those systems take damage, which is left to right. S1x10A1x10HsQbQb(IaIa)(IaIa)(IaIa)QbYaRbx6M1Rbx4(IaIa)Rb

Each new system begins with a capital letter. A capital letter (system) may have a quantity of 1-3 small letters or numbers following it, which, in total, determine the exact system represented. Each system maybe followed by two optional codes. The first is the restricted arc (+ forward, - aft, and > for side arc). There is no difference between the left and the right side arc in Starfire due to the ship being able to rapidly roll on its axis. The second optional code is an “x” followed by a number. This means that there are more than one of that type of system in a row. In our example ship, the first system is S1 (capital letter followed by a number). The “x10” following the S1 means that there are 10 type 1 shields on this ship. Each Starfire system may be of a different size but most take 1 point of damage to destroy (all here take 1 pt to destroy).

The rest of the ship’s systems are as follows S1x10 10 type 1 shields, which in general stops 10 points of damage. A1x10 10 type 1 armor Zb Datalink(basic): allows multiple ships to fire together if prearranged. Hs Cargo Hold (small): Meaningless in a scenario. Qb crew Quarters (basic): Important only when all crew Quarters on a ship have been destroyed since the bridge is considered Destroyed when the last quarter is destroyed. Ia Engine (alpha) Note that two of these are in (). The () represent an engine room. An engine room may provide 1 or more of the ships movement points (speed). Our example design has 4 movement points and 4 engine rooms, so each engine room destroyed costs the ship 1 point of speed. Ya Combat Sensors: these allows the ship to detect and engage enemies at longer range (if their weapons are capable of those longer ranges). Rb Missile Launcher (basic): A long range weapon firing a guided missile carrying a nuclear warhead. M1 Multiplex Targeting 1: allows a unit to engage 1 extra unit during a turn without penalties to its fire. Normally a ship can engage only a single unit with out penalty. [3] The ship’s turn mode is how many movement points must be spent between each 60 degree turn the ship makes. GALACTIC STARFIRE QUICK GUIDE TO THE RULES

Initiative Each player rolls 1d10 and applies any modifiers. No modifiers apply at this Turn Sequence: 1 Roll for initiative tournament. The highest die roll wins. In the case of a tie, the player who 2 Movement Phase LOST initiative on the previous turn, wins initiative this time. If the first turn, 3 Combat Phase reroll. 4 Tractor Phase (not used) 5 Record Keeping Phase Movement Alternate beginning with the player who lost initiative -- that player expends one movement point (MP) for all of his units (called a movement pulse). Then the next player expends 1 MP for each of his units. This continues until all units have expended all their movement points. Slower units will run out of movement points quicker and be forced to sit while faster units maneuver around them. (Ask the GM about the BLINDSPOT of a ship!). Movement Pulse: A unit expends a MP in 4 ways during a pulse. 1. Move from one hex to the adjoining hex that the unit is facing. 2. Move to the adjoining hex and then (if turn mode satisfied) change facing. 3. Remain in place and (if turn mode satisfied) change facing. Note that this is still “expends” that movement point for the purposes of counting turn mode. 4. Engine Modulation (this is special, see below). Turning: Only a unit which has satisfied its turn mode by expending a number of movement points since the previous turn on the same facing can turn. Turns are 60 degrees right or left and must be made after a unit expends a MP during that players pulse. Engine Modulation (EM): Before a unit moves is first MP of a turn, it can declare some of its MPs to be dedicated to wavering the drive field which makes the unit harder to hit. Each level of engine modulation causes a -1 to the enemies to hit chance. The maximum benefit from engine modulation is -2 to hit. The first point of engine modulation costs a number of MPs equal to the ships turn mode (3 MPs for the example ship). The 2 nd point of EM costs 2 MPs. De-Tuning: Before a unit moves is first MP of a turn, it can declare itself to be using de-tuing. De-tuning increases a units speed (+2 for I type engines, +1 for J type engines). However, there are a number of nasty penalties for using de-tuning. Turn mode is increased by 2, the blindspot is increased to 120 degrees. LRW fire is -4 to hit. SRW fire and Kinetics are -3 to hit. During record keeping phase of each 5th turn (turns divisible by 5), there is a 1 in 10 chance that a unit which de-tuning at any point during the previous 5 movement phases has an engine room (not engine system) burnout (mark all engine systems in that room as destroyed).

Combat Alternate beginning with the player that won initiative -- that player fires one ship or one datagroup (called a combat pulse). Then the next player fires one ship or one datagroup. This continues until all units have fired or declined to fire. Datagroup: Units with Z type systems are arranged before battle in datagroups. The type of Z determines how many units are in each group (Tournament datagroups are already decided). Only those datagroup member ships within 2 hexes of the unit leading the fire (this can be any unit in the datagroup). Firing in datagroups is important as damage occurs before enemy units respond. Damage: Usually damage occurs left to right. However, some weapons have the ability to skip some systems. Eb and Lb are such (Ask about them). Status Changes: You must announce “shields down” (when all shields on a unit are destroyed), streaming atmosphere (when the first non-shield, non-armor system is destroyed by non-precision damage), “drive field fluctuates” (when an engine room is destroyed or shuts down), and when the drive field shuts down (all engine rooms off). Teaching order Explain the designs and what the systems represent Explain Datalink Explain the combat chart (to hit, fixed damage by range), Explain how damage is marked (left-to-right, systems skipped by E or L) Explain movement (4 options – Sit, Sit and Turn, Move forward, Move forward and Turn) Explain Turn Mode Explain EM Explain briefly the tactics!

Special Rules The map does “float” Fleets start on opposite edges of the map within 10 hexes of the map’s edge (inclusive). All crew grades are average grade.

Rules Not in Use The pulse chart will be not used at tactical level. Tournaments are tactical scale. Optional rules are not used including ramming, breakoff and surrender. Flagship loss penalties will NOT apply (B2.03) and no flagship need be designated.

TABLE 1. STARSHIP TO HIT TABLE

Weapon XO* 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34+ Beam E - 9 9 8 8 8 7 7 7 7 6 6 6 6 5 5 5 5 4 4 4 4 3 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 Kinetic - 7 7 7 6 6 6 6 5 5 5 5 5 4 4 4 4 4 4 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 Ptb ** 16 3 3 3 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 3 3 3 2 2 1 1 0 0 -1 ------Rb 13 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 5 5 4 4 3 3 ------E Energy weapons are always -1 to-hit on the beam table. * XO value is the maximum range when mounted on (XO), at a –1 penalty for weapons with internal launchers. * XO value is also the maximum range when launching any LRW from an advanced hull ** Base to-hit is increased by target’s TM/2 (FRD). Units without a turn mode (i.e. bases, DF down, etc.) add +2. Maximum base to-hit (after modifiers) is 6. Plasma torpedoes are unaffected by EM/EMS..

TABLE 2. STARSHIP WEAPON DAMAGE

LRWeapon XO* 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34+ Kb 12 3 3 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 ------Ptb 16 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 2 ------SRWeapon XO* 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34+ Eb - 3 3 2 2 2 1 1 ------Lb - 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 ------Fb - 3 3 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 ------Fixed Damage Weapons: ONE point = R(all) Damage That Skips [D4.01.1B]: Laser damage skips shields, Energy damage skips armor and all holds. GENERIC MISSILE FLEET HS=308 TWO Alpha-class CA 60 Hull [3] S1x10 A1x10 ZbHsQbQb(IaIa)(IaIa)(IaIa)QbYaMgMgRbx5Mg(M1)Rbx4(IaIa)Rb [4/2]

[3] S1x10 A1x10 ZbHsQbQb(IaIa)(IaIa)(IaIa)QbYaMgMgRbx5Mg(M1)Rbx4(IaIa)Rb [4/2]

Trg:2 47 HTK S1x10 A1x10 Rbx10 Yax1 Beta-class CT 16 Hull [2] S1S1A1x3ZaHsQb(Ia)(Ia)[SRW](Ia)[SRW]

[2] S1S1A1x3ZaHsQb(Ia)(Ia)[SRW](Ia)[SRW]

Trg:1 12 HTK S1x2 A1x3 [SRW]x2

GENERIC KINETIC FLEET HS=308 TWO Alpha-class CA 60 Hull [3] S1x12 A1x12 ZbHsQbQb(IaIa)(IaIa)(IaIa)QbYaKbx3(M1)Kbx2(IaIa)Kb [4/2]

[3] S1x12 A1x12 ZbHsQbQb(IaIa)(IaIa)(IaIa)QbYaKbx3(M1)Kbx2(IaIa)Kb [4/2]

Trg:2 45 HTK S1x9 A1x9 Kbx6 Yax1 Beta-class CT 16 Hull [2] S1S1A1x3ZaHsQb(Ia)(Ia)[SRW](Ia)[SRW]

GENERIC PLASMA TORPEDO FLEET HS=308 TWO Alpha-class CA 60 Hull [3] S1x9 A1x9 ZbHsQbQb(IaIa)(IaIa)(IaIa)QbYaPtbx2(M1)Ptbx2(IaIa)Ptb [4/2]

[3] S1x9 A1x9 ZbHsQbQb(IaIa)(IaIa)(IaIa)QbYaPtbx2(M1)Ptbx2(IaIa)Ptb [4/2]

Trg:2 38 HTK S1x9 A1x9 Ptbx5 Yax1 Beta-class CT 16 Hull [2] S1S1A1x3ZaHsQb(Ia)(Ia)[SRW](Ia)[SRW]

[SRW] = It can be either Lb, Eb, or Fb.