Star Wars: Starfighter Battle Book Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Rules of Play
• Components
• The Picture Section
  • View
  • Range
  • Facing
• The Instrument Panel
  • The Targeting Computer
  • The Attack Warning Sensor
  • The Damage Control Indicator
  • The Lock-On Beacon
  • The View Indicator
  • The Score Indicator
  • The Range Finder
• The Maneuver Key Section
  • Gliding Maneuvers
  • Half-Throttle Maneuvers
  • Full-Throttle Maneuvers
• How to Play
• Scoring and Damage
• Locking-On

Rules of Play

This book represents your starfighter, a Rebel Alliance X-wing. Your ship is fast, maneuverable, and heavily armed. Your opponent is a TIE interceptor, your equal in speed and your superior in maneuverability, specifically designed to defeat you. This is the greatest challenge you will ever face.

Components

This game is comprised of two battle books, each representing an opposing starfighter. Each page of each book is divided into three sections:

The larger section, covering the top half of the page, contains an illustration which represents a View from the cockpit of the starfighter designated on the book's cover.

The middle section represents the ship's instrument panel; including, a targeting computer screen and instruments indicating WARNING, DAMAGE, LOCK-ON, VIEW, SCORE, and RANGE.

The bottom section of each page shows the maneuver key. This section displays the available maneuvers.

The Picture Section

If you have ever flown in an airplane, you know that there is a strong illusion that you are remaining motionless while the rest of the world is moving. In a spacecraft, this illusion is made even stronger by the lack of friction, gravity, and apparent mass. The Starfighter Battle Book simulates this feeling by showing you a picture of your opponent in relation to your position - as though you were not moving.

Each picture represents a perspective from your own cockpit and is made up of three major components: View, Range, Facing.

View

View refers to the direction in which you, the pilot, are looking out of your own cockpit while observing the enemy. There are eight possible Views: Forward, Forward Left, Forward Right, Left, Right, Rear Left, Rear Right, Rear. View is also indicated on your instrument panel (see page 3).

• Forward: You are looking straight ahead, out of the front of the canopy.
• Rear: You are looking directly behind you, out of the rear of the canopy.
• Forward Right: You are looking ahead and to the right, out of both the front and the right side of the canopy.
• Rear Right: You are looking behind you, over your right shoulder, out of the right side and the rear of the canopy.
• Forward Left: You are looking ahead and to the left, out of both the front and the left side of the canopy.
• Rear Left: You are looking behind you, over your left shoulder, out of the left side and the rear of the canopy.
• Left: You are looking directly to your left, out of the left side of the canopy.
• Right: You are looking directly to your right, out of the right side of the canopy.

Range

Range represents the distance between your ship and your enemy's ship. There are three possible ranges: Close Range, Medium Range, and Long range (see page 4).

Range is also indicated on your ship's instrument panel (see page 6).

Facing

Facing refers to the direction which the enemy ship is pointing in the View you see. There are eight possible enemy facings: Front, Rear, Left Side, Right Side, Left Front, Right Front, Left Rear, and Right Rear.

(Page 4 of the rulebook illustrates the three ranges, Close, Medium and Long, and the eight facings with pictures.)

The Instrument Panel

The instrument panel is crucial to your ship and your performance as a pilot. The panel is made up of seven basic instruments: The Targeting Computer, the Attack Warning Sensor, the Damage Control Indicator, the Lock-On Beacon, the View Indicator, the Score Indicator, and the Range Finder.

The Targeting Computer

The Targeting Computer screen has two distinct displays. In directional mode, the screen will display the relationship of your vessel to the enemy's. In the event that, using the View from the cockpit, you cannot determine the relative positions of the ships, this display will help illustrate exactly where the two ships are in relationship to each other and in which direction they are facing. This display shows your ship from above, and the enemy ship is represented by an arrow, pointing in the direction it is facing.

The Targeting Computer's other display is called tactical plot mode. The computer will automatically switch to this display when your ship is locked-on to the enemy. The display now shows the enemy ship in a vulnerable position, a position which puts you in excellent attack attitude.

On certain pages, your computer screen will read Near Collision. This means that the enemy is directly below you and cannot be seen or scanned.

The Attack Warning Sensor

The Attack Warning Sensor appears on your instrument panel whenever your opponent locks-on to your ship. This means you are in danger of being fired upon. Evasive maneuvers are suggested.

The Damage Control Indicator

This indicator appears whenever your ship takes damage. The number following the word "DAMAGE" indicates the amount of damage points your ship has taken.

The Lock-On Beacon

Whenever your opponent is in front of you, your Targeting Computer will automatically lock-on to the enemy ship. The Lock-On beacon appears at this time. Your ship is now in excellent position to attack, and you may receive a bonus in the form of a clue (see below).

The View Indicator

The View Indicator lets you know which View you are looking at from your cockpit.

The Score Indicator

The Score Indicator lets you know when you have scored hits upon the enemy. The number following the word "SCORE" indicates the number of hits.

The Range Finder

The Range Finder tells you, at all times, at what range you are from the enemy.

Note: The instrument panel is shown on all pages, regardless of the View seen in the picture section.

The Maneuver Key Section

The bottom panel of each page shows the maneuvers your starfighter can perform. Each maneuver is represented by a letter and an arrow; also, the maneuvers are grouped according to flight speed. The letter is used purely for identification purposes. The arrow demonstrates the movement your ship will make if you choose that maneuver.

Remember! The arrow shows the direction of your ship's forward motion. If you are looking at a rear, rear side, or side View, the direction of your ship's forward motion is very different from the direction in which you are looking. You must imagine which way your vessel is pointing.

(The maneuver key section shows the flight speed, the maneuver arrows, the maneuver letters and the flight numbers.)

You must also have a sense of the speed of your ship combined with the maneuver you choose. The flight speed of each maneuver is indicated directly above the arrow. The three speeds are GLIDING, HALF THROTTLE, and FULL THROTTLE. This is a very important part of the maneuver and will be crucial to its overall success.

Gliding Maneuvers

• 1/2 LOOPS: A 1/2 loop turns your ship 180 degrees, so that it faces in the direction opposite of the direction it faced at the start of the maneuver. This maneuver does move your ship over a bit to the right or to the left in the process, however.
• JINKS: A jink is a combination maneuver: a side-slip quickly followed by a bank and slight turn in the opposite direction. This maneuver swings your ship to the side (out of the line of fire), while allowing you to continue aiming at an enemy in front of you.

Half-Throttle Maneuvers

• HALF-THROTTLE TURNS: A straight flying maneuver, at half-throttle with a turn at the end, changing your ship's direction by 60 degrees.
• HALF-THROTTLE BANKS: The ship banks and turns 60 degrees, then continues flying straight, at half-throttle.
• OVERTURNS: This tight, banking maneuver changes your ship's direction by 120 degrees. It is an excellent escape maneuver.
• ACCELERATE: This is simply flying straight, at half-throttle, with no turns.
• SKYWALKER LOOP: Invented by famed starpilot Anakin Skywalker, this difficult maneuver loops and turns your ship around completely, so that it ends up facing in the direction exactly opposite to the direction it faced at the start of the maneuver, without moving forward or backward at all.
• SLIPS: By means of this maneuver, your ship slips to the side, sliding out of the line of fire.

Full-Throttle Maneuvers

• FULL THROTTLE BANKS: Same as the half-throttle bank, but performed at full-throttle, causing you to fly farther.
• FULL-THROTTLE TURNS: Same as the half-throttle turn, but performed at full-throttle, causing you to fly farther.
• OVERACCELERATE: This is simply flying straight, at full-throttle, with no turns.
• OVERSLIPS: Same as the half-throttle slip, but performed at full-throttle, causing you to slip farther off to the side.

How to Play

Turn to the Start Page: Open your book to page 170, the Start Page. You are looking at your Left Front View, and you see the TIE Interceptor approaching at long range. You are now ready to begin. The following steps are performed during each turn of your dogfight, until one or both of the ships have been destroyed, or until you and the enemy pilot have lost sight of each other.

1. Choose Maneuver: Pick a maneuver from the maneuver key section of the page. Note the maneuver letter you have chosen on a piece of scrap paper, or simply remember it.
2. Tell Your Opponent his Mid-Flight Page Number: Look at the number printed beneath the maneuver letter you have chosen. This is your opponent's mid-flight page number for this turn. Tell your opponent his mid-flight page number.
3. Turn to Your Mid-Flight Page: Turn to the mid-flight page called out to you by your opponent. (Page numbers are printed in the upper, outside corners of the pages.) Important: Disregard the View and the instrument panel on the mid-flight page to which you have turned.
4. Find The End-Flight Page Number: On your mid-flight page, find the maneuver letter you have chosen for this turn. Below the maneuver letter is a number. This is the end-flight page number. If your mid-flight page number is 223, go to your opponent's end-flight page. Important: Both players should have the same end-flight page number. If you don't, someone has made a mistake. Go back to the beginning of the turn and start again.
5. Turn to the End-Flight Page Number: Turn to the end-flight page. The View on this page will show the position of both ships as they are now situated, as a result of this turn's maneuvers.
6. Check Status and Record Damage: Check your instrument panel for any warnings or lock-ons and announce them to your opponent. Also, if applicable, give clues and record damage (see below).
7. Continue Play: Begin the next turn with step one. If your end-flight page is 223, you have lost contact with the enemy ship, and the game ends in a draw.

(Page 223 reads: "Lost sight of opponent. Go to page he ended his turn on. If he is on 223, the combat has ended as a draw.")

Scoring and Damage

On certain pages, you see your lasers firing at your opponent. These are score pages. This means that you have hit the enemy ship and have scored damage points on it (provided that this view is on your end-flight page). A score indicator will appear on the instrument panel, telling you how many damage points you have scored on the enemy ship.

On certain other pages, you see your enemy firing at you. These are damage pages. During step six of the combat turn, check your instrument panel to see if the damage control indicator is displayed. If it is, the number listed after the word "DAMAGE" tells you how many damage points your ship has sustained. Keep track of the damage sustained on a piece of scrap paper, adding damage points each time your ship is hit. When your starfighter has reached twelve (12) damage points, it is considered destroyed.

Some pages depict a total destruction. The View shows one of the ships being blown-up; the damage indicator reads "DESTROYED." This, of course, means that either you or your enemy has been instantly destroyed, and the game is over.

Locking-On

On some pages, the lock-on beacon appears on your instrument panel, indicating that your targeting computer is beginning to get a fix on your opponent. If "LOCK-ON" is displayed on your end-flight page, you should announce this to your opponent during step six of the combat turn. If this beacon is displayed two or more turns in succession, your opponent must give you a clue as to his next move, during step six of that combat turn.

Your attack warning sensor displays "WARNING" on your instrument panel when your opponent locks-on to you.

To give a clue, you must secretly choose the maneuver you will perform. Then, you must tell your opponent a letter that is within one letter of the maneuver you have chosen. You may tell him the exact letter, if you wish. For example, if you choose to perform maneuver "M" and are forced to give a clue, you could tell your opponent "L," "M," or "N."

If both players are supposed to get clues from each other during the same turn, then no clues are given at all.