Star Wars: Silent Death Starfighter Combat Game
Star Wars: Silent Death Starfighter Combat Game Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Ship Display
Every ship in the game has its own unique Ship Display detailing the ship's systems, cost, weapons, crew, and resilience to damage. Let's look at the Ship Display in greater detail.
BPV/TPV
At the top of the Ship Display can be found the ship's type (X-wing, Y-wing, or whatever) and BPV. The BPV is the ship's Basic Point Value: the point cost of the ship without any crewmembers added.
Inside the Ship Display is a box labeled TPV, or Total Point Value. The TPV is the BPV of the ship, plus the sum of all of the crew's skill levels. TPV is used to create balanced forces on opposing sides of a battle.
Crew Boxes
Every ship requires crew. How many crewmembers and how skilled they are can be found in the Crew Boxes. All pilots and gunners are rated by skill levels which range from 1 (the lowest) to 10 (the highest). Each pilot has a Piloting skill level (Plt) and a Gunnery skill level (Gnr), while each gunner has only a Gunnery skill level.
Each ship requires a pilot and possibly one or more gunners to staff it. Pilot and gunner skill levels are either set by a given scenario or purchased for a point cost when designing your own scenarios.
Example: The Y-Wing has both a Pilot and a Gunner, as indicated in the Crew Boxes.
Crew Skills
A ship's Tight Turn cost shows how well it can perform radical maneuvers. This is based on the pilot's Piloting skill, with a higher skill level indicating a smaller die. Underneath the big hex on the Ship Display, you'll see the words Tight Turn Cost and a blank line followed by "+3." Find the pilot's Piloting skill on the "Skill Level Table" below and write the pilot's Tight Turn Cost die on the blank line in the Ship Display.
The Attack Die Bonus (ADB) is an extra die that each weapon gets to use when firing. The bigger the die, the larger the potential bonus. Which die rolled is determined by the Gunnery Skill of the crewmember firing that weapon. A higher Gunnery skill provides a bigger ADB. Find the pilot's or gunner's Gunnery skill on the "Skill Level Table" and write the ADB die in the appropriate blank on the Ship Display (either in the Pilot Weapon or Gunner Weapon box).
Hitting and damaging with weapons is detailed in the Weapons section. The Skill Level Table below shows which die to use for Tight Turn Costs and ADBs.
Drive
A ship's Drive is located in a box at the bottom of the Ship Display's central hex. The Drive of a ship represents how much engine power is available. The higher the number, the more powerful the ship's engine. As a ship gets damaged, its Drive is reduced.
How to use a ship's Drive is discussed below under Movement.
Example: The Y-Wing's Drive, 12, is located at the bottom of the central hex.
Defensive Value
Found in the upper left corner of the central hex on the Ship Display, the Defensive Value (DV) indicates how difficult a ship is to hit. The Defensive Value represents the nimbleness of the ship and the strength of its hull. The higher the Defensive Value, the more difficult the ship is to hit with a weapon.
The Defensive Value is the basic number an attacking ship needs to roll to hit the ship. If the total roll is less than the ship's DV, the attack misses. Defensive Value usually only decreases due to Critical Hits.
Example: The Y-Wing's Defensive Value, located in the upper left corner of the central hex on the Y-Wing's Ship Display, is 14.
Skill Level Table
| Piloting Skill | Tight Turn Cost | Gunnery Skill | ADB |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1d10 | 1 | 1d4 |
| 2 | 1d10 | 2 | 1d4 |
| 3 | 1d8 | 3 | 1d4 |
| 4 | 1d8 | 4 | 1d4 |
| 5 | 1d6 | 5 | 1d6 |
| 6 | 1d6 | 6 | 1d6 |
| 7 | 1d4 |
Damage Reduction
This is found in the upper right corner of the central hex on the Ship Display. Damage Reduction (DR) gauges how heavily armored or shielded a ship is. Any damage done to a ship is reduced by Damage Reduction before it is applied; thus it is possible for a ship to be hit but sustain no damage. As a ship sustains damage greater than its current Damage Reduction, the Damage Reduction value drops.
Example: The Y-Wing's DR, located in the upper right corner of the central hex on the Y-Wing's Ship Display, is 3.
Weapons
The weapons boxes are found scattered around the Ship Display. Each weapon box represents a separate weapon mount that can be used. The weapon box itself contains all the information needed to fire the weapon mount.
The first line of a weapon box indicates which crew position may fire the weapon (either Pilot or Gunner). Only that crewmember can fire that weapon. If something happens to that crewmember, the weapon cannot be fired.
The second line indicates the number and type of weapon. A single mount can house multiple barrels of the same weapon. When this occurs, the gunner has the option of firing each barrel individually or linking the cannons together. When linked, the entire mount receives a bonus to-hit and damage depending on the number and type of weapons mounted. For example, twin Laser Cannons receive a +1 to-hit and damage. When firing a linked weapon, only one die roll is made for each link. For example, if an X-Wing is firing its four Laser Cannons all linked together, then only one roll is made at +3 to-hit and damage; if all four cannons were fired separately, four separate rolls would be made, each receiving no bonus to-hit or damage. If the X-Wing fired the cannons linked two by two, then two rolls would be made, each with a bonus of +1 to-hit and damage. The decision to link a weapon must be made before any dice are rolled but can change from turn to turn.
Also on the second line is the weapon's firing arc, found in parentheses after the weapon name. A ship cannot fire a weapon at a ship outside the weapon's designated firing arc. The available firing arcs are Front (F), Front Quarter Left (FQL), Front Quarter Right (FQR), Rear Quarter Right (RQR), Rear Quarter Left (RQL), Rear (R), and All Around (360°). These locations are marked around the central hex on each of the Ship Displays to help you remember which hexside is which.
Each firing arc is a 60° cone that extends out of a side of the vessel's hex in the direction indicated. The arc covers all hexes between the cone's outer lines, as well as any hexes that the line crosses into.
The one exception is the All Around firing arc (360°), which allows a weapon to fire in any direction. A weapon system that lists two or more firing arc codes can fire into any of the listed arcs. Pilot-mounted weapons only have a firing arc of Front (F).
Example: The Y-Wing has two weapon systems installed. The Pilot fires a twin Laser Cannon while the Gunner fires a twin Ion Cannon. The Gunner's weapon has a firing arc of 360°.
The third line in the weapon box is the To Hit indicator. Every weapon has two dice it rolls, plus the ADB. These three dice are totaled with any applicable bonuses to see whether the weapon hits. If the total result is equal to or greater than the target ship's Defensive Value, a hit is scored; otherwise the shot misses.
Example: A Y-Wing pilot with a Gunnery skill of 3 (ADB: 1d4) fires the ship's twin Laser Cannon at an enemy ship. The pilot decides not to link the weapon, firing twice instead. For each attack, the pilot rolls 2d8 + 1d4 (ADB).
The next line in the weapon box is the Damage indicator. The words (Low, Medium, or High) indicate which die (or dice) to count when determining damage. There can be bonuses to damage based on the number and type of the weapon.
The #D# format tells a player which dice to roll and how many. Thus, 2D6 means roll two six-sided dice, and 1D8 means roll one eight-sided die. Occasionally, a modifier on the end of the formula adds to or subtracts from the total. For example, 3D8+4 means roll three eight-sided dice and add four to the result. "Low" means take the lowest number result, "Medium" means take the middle result, and "High" means take the highest result. If the dice come up with doubles, add them together if the damage is Low and they are the low numbers, same if the doubles are High and the damage is High. If the player rolls doubles with Medium, then use the High result.
| Dice | Roll | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 3D8 Low | 2, 4, 6 | 2 |
| 3D8 Medium | 2, 4, 6 | 4 |
| 3D8 High | 2, 4, 6 | 6 |
| 3D6 Low | 3, 3, 5 | 6 (3 + 3) |
| 3D6 Medium | 3, 3, 5 | 5 (becomes High) |
| 3D6 High | 3, 5, 5 | 10 (5 + 5) |
The next line indicates the range modifications of the weapon. This is broken into three sections: short, medium, and long range. The numbers indicate how many hexes away the target can be and still lay in the indicated range. For example, a Laser Cannon has a range of 3/9/10; a target within 3 hexes is in short range; a target within 4 to 9 hexes is in medium range; and a target 10 hexes away is in long range. Any ship more than 10 hexes away cannot be targeted. If a target ship is in short range, the to-hit roll is modified by +1, while if the target ship is in long range, the to-hit roll is modified by –1. There is no modifier if the target ship is in medium range.
Warheads
Some Ship Displays have Proton Torpedoes or Concussion Missiles. These weapons are collectively called warheads. These are self-guided weapons that maneuver on the board and attempt to impact with targets. Each circle or pip indicates a single torpedo or missile, which is marked off every time one is fired.
Players with warheads may launch one or more at any target at any range, as long as the target is in the firing ship's front arc. All warhead launches are simultaneous, and all targets must be openly declared after launch decisions are made.
Any living, undazed crewmember may fire a warhead.
When you fire a warhead, place the appropriate warhead figure on the map in the firing vessel's hex. It must face the same direction as the ship. During all subsequent Movement Phases, the warhead moves toward its designated target. A Proton Torpedo has a Drive of 12, and a Concussion Missile has a Drive of 14. A warhead remains on the board until it is either destroyed, dodged, or detonates.
Example: The Y-Wing carries six Proton Torpedoes.
Damage Track
At the bottom of the Ship Display, below the ship's Drive, is the Damage Track. Each type of ship has a unique Damage Track. As the ship takes hits, mark off boxes on its Damage Track, starting at the top left corner of the track, moving left to right.
As hits are marked off on the Damage Track, a ship's performance deteriorates. Special damage symbols and numbers are used in the Damage Track boxes to indicate exactly what happens. The various results are cumulative and take full effect as soon as they are inflicted. Below is a summary of the special damage symbols and what effects they represent.
Damage Track Codes
- □ (boxed number): Reduce the ship's current Drive number to the highest unmarked boxed number currently on the Damage Track.
- ◇ (diamond): Reduce the ship's Damage Reduction to the highest, unmarked diamond value currently on the Damage Track.
- w: Eliminate a weapon system of the defender's choice.
- W: Eliminate a weapon system of the attacker's choice.
- t: Eliminate one remaining warhead.
- *: Roll 2d6 on the ship's Critical Hits Table. Apply the damage effect immediately.
- X: This is the last box on the damage track. If it is marked off, the ship is destroyed and removed from the map.
Critical Hits Table
On the far right of the Ship Display is the ship's Critical Hits Table. Whenever an asterisk (*) is marked off of the Damage Track, the attacker needs to roll on the Critical Hits Table. Any effect is applied immediately. If a ship has all of its crew members killed from critical hits, but the ship is not destroyed, it remains on the map.
Below the Critical Hits Table on some of the Ship Displays are additional damage notes for certain weapons.
Sequence of Play
Each turn is broken down into five parts, called phases. The activities of each phase should be finished before moving on to the next phase. When all the phases of a turn are completed, a new turn begins and the procedure is repeated until the game is over. The activities performed in the various phases are described in the following sections.
Turn Sequence
- Warhead Launch Phase
- Movement Phase
- Warhead Results Phase
- Cannon Fire Phase
- Damage Control Phase
1. Warhead Launch Phase
There are two types of weapons: cannons and warheads. Cannons include various types of Laser Cannons, Blasters, Ion Cannons, and other direct fire weapons, while warheads include Proton Torpedoes and Concussion Missiles.
Most cannons can fire continuously throughout the game; warheads, on the other hand, are used up as they are fired. Their entries on the Ship Display should be marked off as they are expended.
Players with warheads may launch one or more at any target at any range, as long as the target is in the firing ship's front arc. All warhead launches are simultaneous, and targets must be openly declared after all launch decisions are made.
Any living, undazed crew member can fire a warhead.
When you fire a warhead, mark off that warhead's pip on your Ship Display. Then write down the target right next to the pip. This will help you keep track of which warhead is going after which ship.
Warhead Tokens
The cut-out tokens at the end of this article include tokens for Proton Torpedoes and Concussion Missiles. Place these on your Ship Display so you know which warheads the ship carries.
When you fire a warhead, place that warhead's token on the map in the firing vessel's hex, facing in the same direction as your ship. If you are firing multiple warheads, it might help to number them, so that you remember which is which.
During all subsequent Movement Phases, a warhead moves toward its designated target, using 12 movement points per turn if it is a Proton Torpedo and 14 movement points per turn if it is a Concussion Missile, until it is either destroyed, dodged, or detonates. A warhead moves immediately after its target. It pursues its target, always moving (hex by hex) so as to get closer to its quarry by the shortest path. The player who fired it determines the exact flight path of each warhead. See the Movement rules for how to move a warhead.
Upon entering its target's hex, a warhead ends its move and detonates. The target has a chance to dodge it, but if the dodge fails, the warhead damages its target. In either case, the warhead explodes and the warhead counter is removed at the end of the Warhead Results Phase.
If, during its move, a ship enters the hex of a warhead that is tracking it, that warhead immediately detonates and resolves its damage. Do not wait for the Warhead Results Phase in this case. The target ship does not get to dodge.
2. Movement Phase
Each ship has a Drive number on its Ship Display (located at the bottom of the large central hex) that represents the maximum number of movement points the vessel has available to spend that turn of the game. As a ship takes damage, its Drive may be reduced. Note such changes right on the Ship Display. When the Drive number is reduced to zero, the vessel cannot move.
Movement Order
During the Movement Phase, all ships with a current Drive of zero do not count in the movement order.
The movement of ships alternates between vessels on each side of the battle. To determine the order in which the ships move, the players roll for initiative at the start of each Movement Phase. Roll 1d10 and add the Piloting skill of your best pilot on the map. In case of a tie, roll again. The player with the lowest result must move a ship first. Players then alternate moving ships until all ships have had a chance to move. If one side runs out of ships to move before the other side, the side with the extra vessels then completes the moves for all remaining ships.
If there are uneven sides, things get a little more complicated. If one side has twice as many ships as another, it must move two ships at a time. If it has three times as many ships as another, it must move three ships at a time. If the number of vessels does not divide up evenly, the extra ships can be held back until their player's last move.
Note that the person who wins the initiative always gets to move the last ship, no matter what.
Example: Player A's highest Piloting skill is 8, while Player B's is 9. They both roll 1d10, with Player A rolling an 8 and Player B rolling a 5. Player A's total is 16 and Player B's is 14, so Player B must move a ship first. No matter how many ships each side has, Player A must wait until all of Player B's ships have moved before moving his last ship.
Movement
Ships expend movement points to enter hexes and make turns on the map. When you move a ship, you can use as much of its Drive as you wish, from zero to the ship's current Drive number. How fast the ship moved the previous turn has no bearing at all. If available movement points are not spent during a Movement Phase, they are lost. They may not be transferred from one ship to another or saved from turn to turn.
A ship must complete its entire move before another vessel can begin moving. There is no restriction on passing through hexes occupied by other ships, but a vessel cannot turn in a hex occupied by another ship nor end its move in a hex occupied by another ship.
A ship expends 1 movement point to enter the hex immediately to its front, and it expends extra movement points to turn (change facing) in a hex. Ships cannot move backward or sideways.
There are two types of turns: a normal turn and a tight turn. In either case, you cannot turn twice in a row (you must move forward between turns, no matter which type you happen to be making).
Normal Turns
A normal turn is a turn of one hexside in either direction from the ship's present facing, and it costs 3 movement points. If you want to turn more than one hexside at a time, you must perform a tight turn.
If a vessel has a current Drive of less than 3 (but greater than zero), it is allowed to turn one hexside as its sole action for the Movement Phase. This turn takes all of the ship's movement to complete.
Tight Turns
A tight turn is any turn of more than one hexside at once. A tight turn costs 3 movement points plus the result of a random die roll, regardless of the number of hexsides turned. This modified random roll (called the Tight Turn Cost) is determined by the Piloting skill of the vessel's pilot and can be found on the Skill Level Table.
Example: A player with a TIE Interceptor wants to turn 180° to attack the X-Wing following him. The pilot's Piloting skill is 5, so the player rolls 1d6 and adds 3 to determine the cost of the Tight Turn. The player rolls a 2, for a total cost of 5. Assuming the TIE Interceptor has not suffered Drive loss due to damage, the player still has 13 movement points remaining of the ship's original 18.
If a tight turn ends up costing more movement points than the ship has left this phase, the craft stalls, failing to execute the turn. The ship's move ends immediately, leaving the vessel facing in the direction it was heading before it attempted to make the tight turn.
Warhead Movement
Whenever a ship or warhead completes its move, any warheads currently tracking it make their moves immediately before any other ships or warheads move. As explained in Warheads, they must spend their movement points to get to their targets by the shortest route possible.
Every turn costs a warhead 3 movement points per hexside turned, but unlike ships, a warhead can turn an unlimited number of times in a single hex. Warheads do not make Tight Turns; a 180° (or three hexside) turn, for example, would cost 9 movement points.
3. Warhead Results Phase
A warhead hits its target once it enters the target's hex, unless the ship manages to dodge it. Warheads do not use the same Attack Dice procedure that cannons use. They simply explode when they get close enough to their targets. Still, warhead targets can attempt to dodge during the Warhead Results Phase and thus avoid destruction.
Dodging Warheads
To dodge warheads, your ship must have a current Drive equal to or greater than 10. If so, roll:
1d10 + Piloting skill – number of warheads detonating – 10
The result of this roll is the number of warheads the pilot dodges. If only some warheads are dodged, Concussion Missiles are always dodged first.
Example: A ship is targeted by two Concussion Missiles. During the Movement Phase, both warheads enter the ship's hex. During the Warhead Results Phase, the pilot attempts to dodge the warheads. The player rolls 1d10, adds her pilot's Piloting skill of 7, and subtracts the number of warheads attacking, which is 2. If the player rolls a 1, the modified result is 1 + 7 – 2 – 10 = –4. All the warheads hit. If the player rolls an 8, the modified result is 8 + 7 – 2 – 10 = 3, so up to three warheads are dodged.
Warhead Hits
When a ship fails to dodge a warhead, it is hit. Now it is time to check for damage. A Proton Torpedo does 3d12 damage, while a Concussion Missile does 1d12. All warhead attacks occur in the Warhead Results Phase and are considered simultaneous. If a target is hit by more than one warhead during a single Warhead Results Phase, resolve the damage as one combined attack.
Example: A player rolls poorly and fails to dodge two Concussion Missiles tracking her ship. The two Concussion Missiles hit, each doing 1d12 points of damage. Her opponent rolls 2d12 and totals them, getting a 5 and 11. The total damage comes to 16. Smack!
Damage
Just because a ship is hit does not necessarily mean that it is damaged. Most ships have shields in addition to some sort of ablative armor to protect them against attacks. To reflect this, each ship has a Damage Reduction value. This appears in the upper right corner of the Ship Display's central hex.
Once the base amount of damage from an attack is determined, subtract the target's current Damage Reduction. Mark the remaining number of hits off of the target's Damage Track. Note that due to Damage Reduction, some hits will actually fail to cause any damage.
Example: A Proton Torpedo hits a TIE Fighter for 15 damage. The ship has a Damage Reduction of 1, so it "only" takes 14 damage.
Destroyed Ships
When a ship is destroyed, remove it from the battle mat, as it no longer has any effect on the game. If a ship is not destroyed but all of its crew members have been killed, it should be left on the board. It can still prevent other ships from stopping or turning in its hex.
Jamming Warheads
To reflect the use of electronic countermeasures, all vessels are capable of jamming warheads that are presently tracking them. At the end of the Warhead Results Phase—after all warhead detonations are resolved—each ship that currently has at least one warhead tracking it can attempt to prematurely detonate ("jam") one of those warheads.
To jam a warhead, the player selects a warhead tracking his or her ship and declares the jamming attempt. The player rolls 1d10; if the result is within the ship's Jammer Range (as noted in the bottom right corner of the Ship Display), the warhead is jammed and immediately removed from the board. A ship can only jam a warhead that is tracking it, not a warhead that is tracking another craft. Jammed warheads never do damage to any ship.
Example: A player whose A-Wing is tracked by two Concussion Missiles chooses one of them to jam and rolls 1d10. The A-Wing's Jammer Range is 1–2. John rolls a 3, so the Concussion Missile is not removed.
4. Cannon Fire Phase
All cannon weapon systems have various parameters that affect their range, damage potential, and targeting ability as noted on the Weapon box of every Ship Display. In the Weapon box on the Ship Display, each weapon mount is also given one or more firing arcs through which it can attack. The target of a weapon system must lie within that weapon system's range and firing arc(s) in order to be attacked. Otherwise, the weapon cannot reach it.
Each pilot and gunner can fire their assigned weapon system(s) every Cannon Fire Phase. Any crew members that launched a warhead during the Warhead Launch Phase can still fire a cannon weapon during this phase.
Range Increments
Each cannon has a Short, Medium, and Long Range increment. A target must lie within one of these range increments to be targeted. Attacks at Short Range have a +1 bonus to hit, and attacks at Long Range suffer a –1 penalty to hit.
Intervening ships or warheads do not block shots from an attacker to a target.
Attack Dice
If a target is within a weapon system's firing arc and range, it can be attacked and damaged by the weapon.
Attack dice are a unique form of combat resolution. One roll of the attack dice determines whether or not a target is hit and, if so, how much damage the attack deals. To figure out whether an attack hits its target, add up the thrown dice. If the sum is equal to or greater than the target's Defensive Value, then the attack hits. The weapon type used on the attack determines which of the attack dice are read for damage.
The total attack dice roll for a cannon weapon system incorporates the Base Attack Dice listed for the weapon type on the Weapon Table and the Gunnery Attack Die Bonus (ADB) listed on the Skill Level Table. Other modifiers might apply as well.
Example: An X-Wing and a TIE Fighter are in a dogfight. The X-Wing fires its quad Laser Cannons (all linked together) at the TIE Fighter. The Laser Cannons have a Base Attack Die of 2d8+3. The X-Wing's pilot has a Gunnery skill of 6, which has an ADB of 1d6, so the X-Wing rolls 2d8+1d6+3. The dice are thrown and come up 7, 4, and 4, for a total of 18 (including the +3 bonus). The TIE Fighter's Defensive Value is a 14. The X-Wing's total is greater than or equal to the TIE Fighter's Defensive Value, so the X-Wing's quad Laser Cannons hit.
Multiple Gun Weapon Systems
Some cannon weapon systems contain more than one gun (for example, the Y-Wing's twin Laser Cannons). When this occurs, the gunner has the option of firing each barrel individually or linking the cannons together. When linked, the entire mount receives a bonus to-hit and damage depending on the number and type of weapons mounted. When the cannons are fired unlinked, dice are thrown for each individual cannon attack. Linked cannons tend to hit more often, but sometimes do not deal as much damage as when they are fired individually.
When firing a linked weapon, only one die roll is made for each link. For example, if an X-Wing is firing its four Laser Cannons all linked together, then only one roll is made at +3 to-hit and damage, whereas if all four cannons were fired separately, then four separate rolls would be made, each receiving no bonus to-hit or damage. If the X-Wing fired the cannons linked two by two, then two rolls would be made, each with a bonus of +1 to-hit and damage. The decision to link weapons must be made before any dice are rolled, but can change from turn to turn. All possible weapon link options are listed on the Ship Display in the weapon box.
When eliminating a weapon system, you must remove the entire mount at once. It is impossible to simply eliminate a single cannon from a multiple weapon mount.
Firing Order
The order in which ships fire their cannons depends on the Gunnery skill of the various pilots and gunners firing them. Gunners with Gunnery skill 10 fire first. Gunners with Gunnery skill 9 fire next, and so on until finally the gunners with Gunnery skill 1 fire. If opposing gunners have the same Gunnery skill, they resolve their fire simultaneously.
After all eligible gunners have fired, pilots then trigger their weapons. Pilots resolve their fire in sequential order just as gunners do, based upon their Gunnery skill, moving from highest to lowest. No pilot can fire until all gunners have had a chance to fire.
Note that attacks are resolved sequentially, with all damage from one attack taking effect before the next vessel's weapon system is fired. The only exception to this is when gunners or pilots with the same Gunnery value have their attacks resolved at the same time. Damage is then resolved simultaneously.
Damaging the Target
Each weapon type on the Weapon Table has an entry in the Damage column; either Low, Medium, High, or All. This entry indicates how to read attack dice that have hit their target to determine the base amount of damage done. The entries are defined as follows:
- Low: Damage equals the lowest number rolled. In case of ties, add all the low numbers together. If all three dice are the same, total them.
- Medium: Damage equals the middle number rolled. In case of ties (in which case there is no middle number), add the high numbers together. If all three dice are the same, total them.
- High: Damage equals the highest number rolled. In case of ties, add all the high numbers together. If all three dice are the same, total them.
- All: Damage equals the total of all dice. When rolling multiple dice, this is the default method if no other is listed.
Ion Cannons
Ion Cannons are used to disable a ship rather than destroy it. They are slower to fire and not as accurate as Laser Cannons, but they can leave a valuable target floating in space rather than being blown to dust. An Ion Cannon does Medium damage, but the result is halved (round up). After subtracting Damage Reduction, the remaining damage marks only Drive and Weapon hits on the Damage Track. The X box in the damage track—the one signifying the destruction of the ship—is never marked from Ion Cannon fire. Damage from an Ion Cannon can be repaired normally using Damage Control.
Attacks Against Warheads
A warhead can be attacked by other weapon systems, including other warheads. The Defensive Value of a warhead is 10, its Damage Reduction is 0, and it is destroyed when it takes 1 point of damage. Warheads attempting to dodge other warheads have a Piloting skill of 5 for purposes of dodging.
5. Damage Control Phase
Ships in the Star Wars universe all have systems dedicated to repairing a ship during combat so that it can return to its base. These range from the automated repair systems of a TIE Fighter to a full-fledged astromech in the X-Wing and Y-Wing.
To attempt damage control, a player rolls 1d10. If the roll falls into the ship's Damage Control spread (as shown in the bottom right corner of its Ship Display), it gets back a number of boxes equal to your roll. Successful damage control restores the last boxes marked off on the vessel's Damage Track. If these boxes contain special damage symbols, the effects of those hits are negated. The two exceptions to this are critical hits and lost warheads. When warheads are lost, they cannot be recovered. Critical hits are so severe as to be simply irreparable.
Example: A Y-Wing has a Damage Control spread of 1–4. During the Damage Control Phase, the player attempts to repair his Y-Wing. He rolls 1d10 and gets a 3. He then can erase the marks off of the previous 3 boxes that were marked. If he had rolled higher than a 4, no boxes would be repaired.
Optional Rules
The following sections detail rules that can be added to the game as players see fit. They are each entirely optional.
The incorporation of certain optional rules might better balance the play of scenarios that seem to constantly favor one side over another. They also allow the game to be tailored to the players' own tastes. The more options used, the more complicated the game becomes. Keep this in mind when deciding which rules to use in your game.
Before starting a scenario, players should agree among themselves which, if any, optional rules are going to be in effect.
Time Limit
Players are encouraged to enforce a time limit of 30 seconds for the movement of each ship. If at the end of 30 seconds a player has not completed a ship's move, that ship must stop in the hex it's currently in and retain its current facing.
If the move would be an illegal one, the ship is returned to the hex and facing it had before it began its move.
Drive 0 Turns
Players can allow a ship with a Drive number reduced to zero to change facing by one hexside per turn. This would represent the action of positioning thrusters used by ships during docking maneuvers. Allowing this option provides crippled ships with a minimal tactical option. Any Drive 0 turns must be performed at the beginning of the Movement Phase, before initiative is rolled. Note that ships with a Drive of zero still do not count as being able to take part in the movement order.
Destroyed Ship Debris
When a ship is destroyed, replace it with a marker signifying a debris field. Any ship or warhead that enters the hex sustains a 3D6 Low attack.
Sideslips
A sideslip is a move that places a ship or warhead into its front left or front right hex, instead of the hex directly ahead. A sideslip costs 2 movement points to perform. Forward movement, sideslips and turns can be combined in any desired manner, except that a ship cannot make 2 sideslips in a row.
Asteroids
Battles within the depths of an asteroid field can be challenging and exciting. The following rules detail how to distribute asteroids on the playing surface, what happens when an asteroid and a ship collide, and how asteroids affect attacks.
When asteroids are used in a scenario, one player should take the number of asteroid miniatures stated in the scenario (or 20, if it is unspecified) and, with eyes closed, sprinkle them over the playing surface from a height of about three feet. Place the asteroids in the hexes they most fully land in, one per hex maximum. Alternatively, each player can take an even number of asteroids and take turns placing one on the map.
Once the game begins, asteroids drift by, moving one hex per turn in a direction randomized at the beginning of the scenario; roll 1d6 to determine the direction in which all asteroids will drift throughout the game. Asteroids drift all at once, at the end of every turn. If, due to this drifting action, an asteroid drifts off the edge of the playing surface, it reenters on the side of the map directly opposite.
If a ship, during its Movement Phase, enters a hex with an asteroid, that ship immediately takes 10D12 points of damage. If a ship and an asteroid drift into each other, the ship takes 5d12 points of damage. Asteroid collisions immediately destroy launched warheads.
Asteroids directly between an attacker and a target block cannon fire. To determine if the fire is blocked, draw an imaginary line from the center of the firer's hex to the center of the target's hex. If the line passes through any part of a hex containing an asteroid, the attack cannot be made. A firing line that runs along the edge of a hex occupied by an asteroid is not blocked unless there are such edges on both sides of the line. If the firing line is blocked, the firer is free to select another target.
Scenarios
The following are three scenarios to help get players started. They are arranged in ascending order of difficulty.
1. Patrolling the Depths of Space
Location: Near the Dantooine System
Background: Two Rebel A-Wings are flying a patrol around an abandoned Rebel base when three Imperial TIE Fighters jump them.
Rebels (66 points):
- A-Wing A Pilot (Plt 6, Gnr 8)
- A-Wing B Pilot (Plt 9, Gnr 5)
Imperials (70 points):
- TIE Fighter A Pilot (Plt 4, Gnr 6)
- TIE Fighter B Pilot (Plt 8, Gnr 5)
- TIE Fighter C Pilot (Plt 6, Gnr 8)
Setup: Divide the map in half. The Rebels place their ships first on one half of the map, on the edge, while the Imperials do the same on their half of the map.
Victory Conditions: The Rebels can withdraw at any time, although this gives an Imperial victory. Otherwise, the side with the last ship left wins.
2. The Liberation of Syruss
Location: The Syruss System
Background: A Rebel strike force is launched against an Imperial station. The Empire scrambles all of its available fighters to counter the attack.
Rebels (181 points):
- Y-Wing Pilot (Plt 6, Gnr 7)
- Gunner (Gnr 6)
- X-Wing A Pilot (Plt 7, Gnr 5)
- X-Wing B Pilot (Plt 5, Gnr 8)
Imperials (185 points):
- TIE Fighter A Pilot (Plt 9, Gnr 5)
- TIE Fighter B Pilot (Plt 4, Gnr 10)
- TIE Fighter C Pilot (Plt 6, Gnr 7)
- TIE Fighter D Pilot (Plt 5, Gnr 8)
- TIE Bomber A Pilot (Plt 4, Gnr 4)
- TIE Bomber B Pilot (Plt 7, Gnr 6)
Setup: The Rebels set up on one edge of the map; the Imperials can place their ships anywhere on their half of the map. The Imperials place their ships first.
Victory Conditions: The Rebels win if the Y-Wing can exit the map on the Imperial side. The Empire wins if they destroy the Y-Wing.
3. Dark Lord of the Sith
Location: The Dantooine System
Background: Darth Vader decides to take matters into his own hands and crush a Rebel outpost.
Imperials (332 points):
- Vader's TIE Adv. Pilot (Plt 10, Gnr 10)
- TIE Interceptor A Pilot (Plt 6, Gnr 6)
- TIE Interceptor B Pilot (Plt 8, Gnr 9)
- TIE Interceptor C Pilot (Plt 7, Gnr 7)
- TIE Interceptor D Pilot (Plt 6, Gnr 4)
- TIE Bomber A Pilot (Plt 4, Gnr 5)
- TIE Bomber B Pilot (Plt 3, Gnr 5)
- TIE Fighter A Pilot (Plt 8, Gnr 8)
- TIE Fighter B Pilot (Plt 5, Gnr 4)
- TIE Fighter C Pilot (Plt 6, Gnr 9)
- TIE Fighter D Pilot (Plt 5, Gnr 6)
Rebels (332 points):
- X-Wing A Pilot (Plt 9, Gnr 10)
- X-Wing B Pilot (Plt 7, Gnr 7)
- Y-Wing A Pilot (Plt 5, Gnr 6)
- Gunner (Gnr 8)
- A-Wing A Pilot (Plt 8, Gnr 7)
- A-Wing B Pilot (Plt 6, Gnr 7)
- B-Wing Pilot (Plt 5, Gnr 9)
Setup: The Rebels set up anywhere on one half of the map; the Imperials can place their ships on their half of the map in the first three hex rows. The Rebels place their ships first.
Victory Conditions: The Imperials win if they destroy every opponent; likewise the Rebels win if they destroy or rout the Imperials. Incidentally, if for some reason Vader's TIE Advanced ship is destroyed, assume that Darth Vader ejected and successfully escapes capture by the Rebels. After all, he is the Dark Lord of the Sith!
It's Called Silent Death for a Reason
As you'll learn after playing one or two games of Silent Death, combat is dangerous. The scale is such that a starship the heroes spent all their credits on could be space dust in the blink of an eye. While Silent Death isn't meant to be an alternative to the starship combat system in the STAR WARS Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook, you can adapt your heroes to fly in Silent Death. Here are some guidelines for doing so.
Piloting and Gunnery Skills
To convert your hero's d20 statistics to Silent Death statistics, you first need to know two things: the hero's Pilot skill and ranged attack bonus (as defined in the STAR WARS Roleplaying Game).
An RPG hero's Piloting skill is:
Pilot skill bonus (including Dexterity and miscellaneous modifiers) / 2 – 1
An RPG hero's Gunnery skill is:
Ranged attack bonus (including Dexterity and miscellaneous modifiers) / 2
Piloting and Gunnery skills in Silent Death cannot be less than 1 or higher than 10.
An RPG pilot without the Starship Dodge feat suffers an additional –2 penalty when dodging warheads aboard a starfighter (see the Warhead Results Phase). A similar penalty applies to pilots who fly YT-1300 transports and similar ships without the Starship Dodge (space transports) feat.
An RPG pilot or gunner without the Starship Operation (starfighter) feat suffers a –2 penalty to-hit with cannon weapons aboard a starfighter. A similar penalty applies to pilots and gunners who attempt to fire cannons on YT-1300 transports and similar ships without the Starship Operation (space transports) feat.
Injury and Death
Crew members in Silent Death are not as important as heroes in the STAR WARS Roleplaying Game. When a ship is destroyed in Silent Death, its crew members are lost as well. Before placing your beloved roleplaying game heroes at such risk, consider the following changes:
Critical Hits
A pilot or gunner who is instantly "killed" by a critical hit is instead reduced to zero wound points. The hero must succeed at a Fortitude saving throw (DC 10) or die. Use the rules on page 131 of the Core Rulebook to determine whether the hero stabilizes or continues dying.
When a ship suffers a reactor hit due to a critical hit, it is destroyed. Allow the crew members aboard the ship a chance to eject safely. If a hero succeeds at a Reflex saving throw (DC 20), she ejects in the nick of time, loses all vitality points, and is fatigued (see page 131 of the Core Rulebook). Otherwise, assume that the hero is killed in the blast.
Starship Destroyed
When a starship is destroyed by crossing out the last box of its damage track, it is not necessarily gone. Typically it breaks up in a way that doesn't prevent other ships from passing through the hex it once occupied. If the heroes onboard are not wearing protective suits, they die. If they are, there is a chance they'll be injured.
Crossing out the last box of a starship's damage track deals 3D8 points of wound damage to the ship's crew members. All heroes (even unconscious or stunned ones) attempt a Reflex saving throw (DC 15) to apply the damage to vitality instead. If the attempt fails by more than 10, the hero's suit ruptures, leaving the character dead in 1d10 rounds due to exposure to vacuum.
YT-1300 Transport
Below is a Silent Death Ship Display for that ever-popular hunk o' junk, the YT-1300 transport. It's not nearly as durable as the Millennium Falcon, so don't be surprised if it doesn't fare quite so well against TIE Fighters from the Death Star!
The YT-1300 Ship Display is an image-only page and is not transcribed here.
Errata: Official and Unofficial Fixes and Changes to the Article
Disclosure: this section is transcribed from page 1 of the BoardGameGeek file (filepage 224244). It is a fan-compiled fixes sheet, not a publisher document. The file description states that it includes some fixes suggested by the article's original designer, Erik A. Dewey; the sheet itself does not separate official from unofficial items. The rule text above is transcribed as printed in the magazine article and has not been changed to match these fixes.
"What Good are Snub Fighters.." Dogfighting using the Silent Death Rules was originally published in issue #3 of Star Wars Gamer magazine in 2001.
Missing Information and Game Fixes/Suggestions
Multiple Weapon Systems
Firing multiple weapons is not covered in the rules published in the magazine, but the rules from the Silent Death rule book are that a pilot or gunner may fire one of their assigned weapon systems once during each Cannon Fire Phase. A pilot or gunner that launched a missile or torpedo during the Warhead Launch Phase can still fire one of their assigned weapon systems during the Cannon Fire Phase. This means that a pilot of a B-Wing can only fire one of the three pilot weapon systems during the Cannon Fire Phase.
Launching Warheads
The X-Wing, Y-Wing, B-Wing, and A-Wing are limited to launching two warheads during the Warhead Launch Phase. The TIE Bomber is limited to launching four warheads. Note: If three ships launch two warheads each at the same target, and all six warheads reach the target at the same time, the targeted ship will need to dodge six warheads – not three sets of two.
Proton Torpedo
Proton Torpedoes inflict 2d12 damage instead of 3d12. Concussion Missiles remain unchanged (1d12 damage). This is to represent a smaller, lighter, more agile Proton Torpedo that would be better suited for attacking enemy space fighters.
TIE Bomber
TIE Bombers can be equipped with either Proton Torpedoes or Concussion Missiles. Use the check-boxes on the ship's display to note which ordnance a TIE Bomber is to be equipped with before the start of a game.
B-Wing
Several mistakes/typos have been identified on the B-Wing's ship display in the original article. These have been fixed using Erik Dewey's (author of the article) suggestions, and a new B-Wing ship display has been put in its place. We have also fixed the typos on the TIE Interceptor ship display.
The replacement B-Wing and TIE Interceptor ship displays are image-only and are not transcribed here.