Starmada X
Starmada X Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
- Section 0: Introduction
- Section 0.1: Game Components
- Section 0.2: Glossary
- Section 1: The Starship Record
- Section 2: Playing The Game
- Section 3: Movement
- Section 4: Combat
- Section 5: Fighters
- Appendix A: Starship Construction
- Appendix B: Weapon Abilities
- Appendix C: Special Equipment
- Compendium Weapon Conversions
Section 0: Introduction
"Fire at will, Commander!"
[The opening short story (Fleet Captain Frederic Antimony and the Indefatigable) is flavour fiction and has been omitted.]
What is Starmada?
Starmada™ is a miniatures board game of starship combat, in which players attempt to blast each other's fleets into just so much space junk. If you've never played a game like this before, don't fret; the core set of rules has been designed with simplicity and ease of play in mind, accessible even to the greenest of beginners. On the other hand, if you happen to be a seasoned wargaming veteran, we think you'll find the simplicity of the rules quite refreshing. It allows you to concentrate on the finer points of squashing your opponent instead of arguing about rules interpretations, all without sacrificing any of the flavor or excitement of more complex games.
Speaking of flavor, you will note that this game contains background and fleets for two different races. In addition, there are several scenarios designed around this default setting. However, Starmada is much more than just an attempt to simulate space battles in (or sell miniatures for) yet another sci-fi universe. If you're like us, you recognize that most of the fun is in designing your own ships, races, and histories. Or, perhaps you've always wanted an easy way to pit starships from your favorite TV shows and/or movies against each other—if so, then Starmada is your game! In Starmada, you will find the most comprehensive starship design system on the market today, supplemented by our easy-to-use (and freely-available) Starship Construction Assistant, which you can find at our web site (www.mj12games.com). In other words, Starmada is truly a "universal" game.
Okay, I've played Starmada before, but what is "X"?
Starmada initially hit the gaming community in 1994, as a set of "freeware" rules distributed by the new (at least to me) medium of Usenet. After struggling through a few growing pains, the third edition came out in 1996, and from then until the publication of the Compendium in 2001, Starmada hasn't looked back.
However, with its impending tenth birthday on January 22, 2004, we here at MJ12 began to feel as though there was a need for one last revision of the rules, in an attempt to shore up a few of the loopholes that have managed to creep in, as well as include a few improvements that we've been tinkering with over the past few years. Thus, the idea for Starmada X was born.
If you own a previous version of Starmada, notably the Compendium, the obvious question is "Do I need to buy Starmada X?" Well, clearly our answer is going to be "yes"; but in the interests of keeping long-time players happy, X is close enough to the "old" Starmada that it was possible to generate a list of the changes that owners of previous incarnations can get hold of and use to bring their rules up to date. You can get this from our web site (www.mj12games.com). But after trying this new edition a few times, we're confident that you'll find it worthwhile to get your very own copy of the full rules.
Anyway, that's enough of an introduction. To quote from the first version of Starmada all those years ago:
"But if it's not scientifically accurate, at least it's fun, so put your favorite space-opera soundtrack in the CD player and start playing."
I couldn't have said it better myself.
Section 0.1: Game Components
In addition to the rules themselves, there are several things you will need to have on hand in order to play a game of Starmada, many of which have been included with this release. The others should be available from the game store where you found this product.
0.1.1 The Game Board
Starmada is a board game, and like most other board games, the playing area is covered with a number of spaces, in this case called "hexes" (short for hexagons). These hexes regulate things like movement and weapons fire.
An appropriate game board should be available at most game stores, or in the collection of one of your gaming friends. A game of Starmada should be played on a game board at least 20 hexes across and 30 hexes wide.
Our preferred game board is a piece of 4' by 6' black felt with a 1.5" hexgrid printed on it. It was previously manufactured by Geo-Hex, but is now carried by Monday Knight Productions (mondayknight.com):
Monday Knight Productions, 4100 NE 104th Ave, Vancouver, WA 98682, (503) 317-0144, (866) 788-7807 fax, [email protected]
Starmada can also be played without a game board, on an open tabletop. This option may be preferred by experienced wargamers, who often recoil in horror from hexes. Such an arrangement will require slight modifications to these rules, but not many. When playing in this way, the rule of thumb should be one hex = 5cm. Thus, the playing area should be at least 100cm by 150cm (approx. 40" x 60").
0.1.2 Playing Pieces
Each starship and fighter flight in Starmada is represented by its own playing piece. Included with the game are several wooden disks representing the forces of two different fleets.
While these disks are a great way to get started, and are much more durable than cardboard counters, it is likely that you will eventually wish to upgrade to three-dimensional plastic or metal miniatures. At the time of this writing, there are several different lines of starship miniatures available, almost all of which are perfectly suited for games like Starmada. One of the best sources of information about the various miniatures currently in production is Dean Gundberg's Starship Combat News (www.star-ranger.com).
In addition to starship and fighter flight playing pieces, you will also need a number of "explosion counters", the use of which is described in Section 4: Combat.
0.1.3 Starship Records
You will need to keep track of several bits of information about each starship involved in the game. Section 1: The Starship Record tells you how to make use of the starship record for this purpose. For right now, all you need to know is that the records are used to keep track of the current status of your fleet. As a starship takes damage, various systems on its record are marked off until the ship itself is destroyed.
0.1.4 Dice
All dice used in Starmada are traditional six-sided ones. You will need quite a few of these; about a dozen should suffice. The game can be played with fewer, but there are times when many dice need to be rolled, and it's nice to be able to do so all at once.
In addition to the dice used for generating random numbers, you may also wish to have a set of different-sized (or different-colored) dice that can be used to indicate how many fighters remain in each flight as described in Section 5: Fighters.
0.1.5 Pencils & Paper
In addition to pencils for filling out the starship records, it might be a good idea to have some extra sheets of paper handy to keep track of various things throughout the game.
Section 0.2: Glossary
Often when you first encounter a concept in these rules, it will be printed in a different font. This means that the term is defined below:
Battery: A group of weapons on a starship, all with the same capabilities, range and To-Hit values.
Class: The "template" to which a particular starship conforms. Most ships are not unique designs, but one of a number of nearly identical vessels.
Combat Rating: A number indicating the ship's ability to give and receive punishment relative to other ships in the game. The higher the Combat Rating, the more effective the design will be.
Crew Casualty: It is assumed that all damage suffered by starships includes some amount of casualties; however, certain types of damage have a greater than normal capacity for killing crewmembers. Crew casualties are marked off of the ship's hull boxes, but can be "overlapped" by hull hits.
Damage: There are two meanings:
- The number of dice a weapon uses when making a damage roll (abbreviated "DMG");
- The effect(s) of a weapon hit on a target.
Damage Roll: The act of rolling dice to determine what effect a weapon hit has on the target. See "damage".
Damage Chart: A section on the starship record that determines what types of damage the ship takes, and with what frequency each type of damage occurs.
Directional Diagram: A hexagonal display on the starship record that is only relevant to certain optional rules.
DMG: See "damage".
Engine Hit: A type of damage that represents a loss of power by a starship's engines. Each engine hit reduces the number of available movement points by one.
Explosion Counter: A marker indicating the last location of a destroyed starship. An explosion has a "strength" value, depending upon the size of the ship that created it. Every turn, this strength is reduced by one until the explosion has dispersed.
Fighter: A small, fast attack craft used to harass enemy starships and defend against opposing fighters. These rules use the terms "fighter" and "fighter flight" pretty much interchangeably.
Fighter Flight: A group of six fighters that move and attack as a single entity.
Flight: See "fighter flight".
Firing Arc: One of six arcs which regulate the directions in which a weapon can fire, as illustrated below:
[Diagram omitted: six firing arcs, labelled in pairs AA BB, CC DD and EE FF on the diagram. Weapon records list arcs by two-letter codes: AB, AC, BD, CE, DF and EF.]
Game Turn: See "turn".
Hull Hit: A type of damage that represents the weakening of a starship's superstructure. When a ship has taken as many hull hits as it has hull points, it is destroyed.
Hull Points: A quantification of the size of a starship, and the number of hull hits the ship can take before destruction.
Line Of Sight: A starship is said to have "line of sight" to a target when a straight line, drawn between the center of the sighting ship's hex and the center of the target's hex, does not cross any part of a hex containing an object that blocks line of sight.
Maneuver: One of the following:
- A change in a starship's facing (see "turn");
- A sideslip, or a move in which a starship moves forward and to the left or right without changing facing;
- A move backwards.
Maneuvers are included in a starship's movement orders, and are distinct from forward movement.
Movement Orders: The system of notation that allows players to simultaneously determine where their starships are going to move.
Movement Points: A number reflecting the amount of thrust produced by the engines of a starship. In game terms, movement points are used to move the ship across the game board.
MPs: See "movement points".
PEN: See "penetration".
Penetration: The number of dice a weapon uses when making a shield roll (abbreviated "PEN").
Phase: One of several subdivisions in each game turn, organized in a way to bring order to the chaos of battle.
Pill Bug: A small terrestrial isopod crustacean of the genus Armadillidium closely related to the sow bug and having a convex, segmented, flexible body enabling it to curl into a ball when disturbed.1
Range: There are two meanings:
- The distance between two objects, as determined by counting the number of hexes along the shortest path between the two;
- The maximum distance at which a weapon may attack a target. Range is divided into three equal "bands"; short, medium, and long. For example, a weapon with a range of 12 has range bands of short 1-4, medium 5-8, and long 9-12.
Rate Of Fire: The number of dice a weapon uses when making a To-Hit roll (abbreviated "ROF").
ROF: See "rate of fire".
Scenario: A specific collection of rules for setting up the game, the forces to be used, and conditions under which victory may occur for either side. A scenario is often intended to simulate a specific "historical" battle.
Sequence Of Play: The order in which the phases of a game turn are conducted.
Shield Hit: A type of damage that represents a reduction in the effectiveness of a starship's shields. Each shield hit reduces the ship's shield rating by one.
Shield Rating: The amount of protection provided by a starship's shield generators; given as a number from 0 to 5. Sometimes referred to as just "shields".
Shield Roll: The act of rolling dice in order to determine whether a hit is blocked by the target's shields. See "penetration" and "shield rating".
Shields: See "shield rating".
Ship: See "starship".
Side: These rules have been written with the assumption that there are two players involved in the game. Although this is the most typical situation, there is no reason to exclude more players from the carnage. Simply divide each fleet among the players on that side. When doing this, remember that only the player actually controlling a starship should write movement orders or roll dice for that ship.
Throughout these rules, the term "player" refers to the specific individual controlling a ship; "side" refers to all of the players involved in the command of a fleet.
Special Equipment: Any of a number of different items that a starship may possess which give it a particular advantage or ability beyond the basic rules of the game. Special equipment is described in Appendix C.
Special Equipment Hit: A type of damage in which a starship loses one of its items of special equipment.
Starmada: The greatest game of starship combat ever written. ☺
Starship: A star-faring vessel; the basic unit in Starmada. The terms "starship" and "ship" should be considered interchangeable.
Starship Record: The piece of paper on which is recorded all of a starship's capabilities and weapon systems.
To-Hit: The number a weapon needs to roll or better on a single die in order to score a hit on its target—e.g., "4+" indicates that a roll of 4, 5, or 6 results in a hit.
To-Hit Roll: The act of rolling dice in order to determine hits on a target. See "To-Hit" and "rate of fire".
Turn: There are two meanings:
- A period of time during which each step in the sequence of play is conducted once. Better known as a "game turn".
- A maneuver by which a starship changes the direction in which it is facing.
Weapon Hit: A type of damage that represents the loss of a weapon. There are up to three different types of weapon hit, (a), (b), and (c), each of which corresponds to one of the starship's weapon batteries.
Victory Points: The method by which a winner is determined. Victory points are usually scored by destroying enemy starships, although some scenarios may include different methods for earning them.
VPs: See "victory points".
Section 1: The Starship Record
In this section, we introduce the starships you will use to vanquish your foes. There are several thousand different types of ships scattered throughout the galaxy, each with its own strengths and limitations. In the accompanying fleet books are several starship designs for two different races. Here, we will be discussing how to read the starship record, and how it is used to keep track of a ship's status.
Each starship in a game of Starmada will have a corresponding record, a sample of which is provided below.
[Sample record omitted (image). It shows the Admirable-Class Cruiser, Combat Rating 438, Hull 8, Engine 5, Shields 3; weapon battery (a) Blasters, range 4/8/12, To-Hit 4+, ROF 1, PEN 1, DMG 1; battery (b) Laser Cannons, range 3/6/9, To-Hit 3+, ROF 1, PEN 1, DMG 1; special equipment Anti-Fighter Batteries, Electronic Countermeasures 5 and Fighter Bays; and the damage chart Roll 1 Hull, 2 Ea, 3 Eb, 4 Sb, 5 Q, 6 Hull.]
1.1 Starship Name & Class
The first item on the starship record is the ship's name. This should be unique, and serves to differentiate which record represents which miniature on the game board.
Each starship design is given a name; this is referred to as its class. For example, the above record is for the Admirable-Class Imperial cruiser.
1.2 Combat Rating
Each starship has a Combat Rating, which is a number indicating the ship's ability to give and receive punishment relative to other ships in the game. The higher the Combat Rating, the more effective the design will be. The ship's Combat Rating is written below the ship's name.
1.3 Hull
The starship's hull boxes regulate how much damage the ship can sustain before destruction. There is one box per hull point possessed by the ship. Each time the ship takes a hull hit, one of its hull boxes should be filled in; once the last box has been filled, the ship is destroyed. Hull boxes also regulate crew casualties.
1.4 Engine
The number of engine boxes designates how many movement points (MPs) has to use in the upcoming Movement Phase. Whenever the ship takes an engine hit, one of the engine boxes should be filled in, and the number of MPs available is reduced by one; once the last engine box has been filled, the ship is "dead in space".
1.5 Shields
Every starship has some sort of energy barrier, if only to protect it from the impact of meteors and other debris. However, the main function of a ship's shields is to defend against enemy weapons. In Starmada, shields are given a numerical rating from 0 to 5. The number of shield boxes indicates the ship's current ship rating. Whenever the ship takes a shield hit, one of the shield boxes should be filled in; once the last shield box has been filled, the ship has no more protection.
1.6 Directional Diagram
To the right of the shield boxes, you will notice a hexagonal display, called the directional diagram. This is not used in the basic Starmada game, but is reserved for certain optional rules (e.g., see Appendix G.2: Directional Shielding, p.39). For right now, you can safely ignore it.
[Note: Appendix G.2 is cross-referenced here but is not part of the archived files; see the missing-pages note at the top of this rulebook.]
1.7 Weapons
A ship may have up to three groups of weapons, or batteries. Each battery consists of a number of weapons of the same type and with the same capabilities. A battery is represented by two or three lines. On the top line is the weapon type, followed by the battery's characteristics:
- Range is the distance at which a weapon can attack an enemy, and is divided equally into three bands: short, medium, and long. For example, weapons with a range of 9 would have range bands of 1-3, 4-6, and 7-9.
- To-hit is given as a number followed by a plus sign (e.g., "4+"), and indicates the number that a To-Hit roll must equal or exceed in order to strike its target.
- Rate Of Fire (ROF) is the number of dice the weapon rolls when attempting to hit a target.
- Penetration (PEN) is the number of dice per die that hits the target rolled against the target's shields (i.e., the shield roll). For example, a weapon with a PEN of 2 that hits with a pair of To-Hit dice will roll a total of 4 penetration dice.
- Damage (DMG) is the number of dice per die that penetrates the target's shields rolled for damage (i.e., the damage roll). For example, a weapon with a DMG of 2 that penetrates a target's shields with a pair of dice will roll a total of 4 damage dice.
The middle line of the battery display, if present, lists the special abilities of the weapon. These denote changes to the standard attack procedure when using this weapon. Weapon special abilities are described in Appendix B: Weapon Abilities.
The bottom line indicates how many weapons there are, and the firing arcs into which each may fire. More details on firing arcs can be found in Section 4: Combat; for now, you should note that each box indicates a single weapon mount.
Players should also note that a letter designation is given before the name of each weapon type; e.g., "(a)". This is used when determining damage effects, as described in Section 4.2.3: The Damage Roll.
1.8 Special Equipment
Below the weapons is a space used to list any special equipment the starship may be carrying, like a cloaking device or fighter bays. In our example, the Admirable has Electronic Countermeasures. The effects of the various types of special equipment are detailed in Appendix C: Special Equipment.
1.9 Damage Chart
Below the special equipment is the starship's damage chart, which determines what kind of damage is suffered whenever the ship is hit by enemy weapons. The effects of each damage code are given in Section 4: Combat.
Section 2: Playing The Game
The Universe is a large place, and there are an unlimited number of situations that you can simulate with Starmada. Maybe one of the fleets is blockading a star system, and the other is attempting to escort a shuttle of VIPs to safety. Or perhaps one fleet has been given orders to pick up a communications buoy, while the other happens on the scene. Included with this game are a half-dozen scenarios, each with its own rules for set-up, force lists, and victory conditions.
However, most games are of the "meeting engagement" type, in which evenly matched fleets slug it out, with the side inflicting the most damage considered the winner. This is the type of battle described here; if you play another type of situation, the rules for setup and play will need to be modified accordingly.
2.1 Starting The Game
Before getting down to business, there are some preliminary steps that must be taken.
2.1.1 Choosing Your Forces
The first thing players need to decide upon is the size of the fleets involved. This determines the total Combat Rating of the starships on each side. The recommended size is 1000 points, although you may adjust this number if you want a longer (or shorter) game.
Once the point total for each side has been determined, each side should select starships with Combat Ratings that add up to this total, or as close to it as possible, and fill out a starship record for each one. The fleets included with this game have specific rules for what types of ships can be selected, although these are merely for "historical" flavor; the ultimate arbiter of force composition is the total Combat Rating.
Sides do not have to start with the exact same Combat Rating total; as long as the difference between the two forces is no more than 10% of the lower total, the battle should be fairly even. For example, a fleet of 1024 points is fighting a fleet of 988. The difference between these two totals is 36 points. As 10% of 988 is 98, and 36 is less than this number, the sides can be considered equal.
2.1.2 Setting Up
Once each side has chosen its starships, the playing pieces can be placed on the game board. Each side should set up along one of the long edges of the game board, with no starship farther than five hexes from the edge and no closer than five hexes to either side. In the diagram below, the shaded areas represent the valid set-up areas:
[Diagram omitted: shaded set-up areas, five hexes deep along each long edge of the board.]
When placing starships, each side should roll a die, with the lower roll meaning that side places its starships and fighter flights first. A starship must always be placed on the board so that its front is pointing clearly towards one of the hex sides.
After the sides have finished setting up, the game can begin. If both sides agree, objects can be placed on the game board (e.g., asteroids, planets, etc.). This can either be done by mutual consent, or one side can place all of the objects, with the other side given the choice of which edge of the board to set up its forces along.
For the most part, these objects only have the effects of blocking line of sight and prohibiting movement through the hexes they occupy; however, somewhere in the universe there may be objects that are not so docile...
2.2 The Sequence Of Play
Starmada is played in a series of turns, each of which is divided into several phases. All of the activities of one phase should be completed before moving on to the next. Once all of the phases have been completed, one game turn is over, and the next begins with the Orders Phase.
Sequence Of Play
- Orders Phase
- Movement Phase
- Fighter Phase
- Combat Phase
- End Phase
2.2.1 Orders Phase
At the beginning of each turn, the players on each side secretly write down movement orders for the starships they control. In addition, there are several types of special equipment and optional rules that require pre-turn plotting; this is done during the Orders Phase.
2.2.2 Movement Phase
Once orders have been written, the ships are moved on the game board according to their orders. Detailed instructions for this process are outlined in Section 3: Movement.
2.2.3 Fighter Phase
Fighter flights are treated differently than starships, and as such are given their own phase in which to operate. Rules for fighters are given in Section 5: Fighters.
2.2.4 Combat Phase
After all fighter flights have acted, the Combat Phase can begin. Weapons fire is conducted according to the rules given in Section 4: Combat.
2.2.5 End Phase
There are some actions that may need to be completed during the End Phase; these are noted in the relevant sections of the rules.
2.3 Winning The Game
A basic game of Starmada is played for ten turns, at the end of which the side with the most points is the victor. Victory points (VPs) are scored by destroying opposing starships; some scenarios may include other methods by which sides can earn VPs. Whenever a ship is destroyed, the opposing side immediately receives a number of points equal to that ship's Combat Rating.
If, at the end of ten turns, one side has scored more points than the other, that side has won a minor victory; if one side has scored at least twice as many points as the other, that side achieves a major victory.
Section 3: Movement
The movement system given here is, admittedly, not all that realistic. No attempt has been made to simulate what maneuvering in space is or might be like. Starmada is a simple move-and-shoot game; anything more complex would take away from the spirit of the rules.
3.1 Movement Points
The movement of starships in this game is governed by the concept of movement points (MPs), which indicate how far a particular ship can move in a single turn. The number of MPs a ship has at its disposal is determined by the number of engine boxes on its starship record.
3.2 Movement Orders
a.k.a. "The Brian Rule"
For each starship under their control, players must write down movement orders on their starship records. Although this may sound time-consuming, it really isn't; once you've got the hang of it, you'll be able to write movement orders for an entire fleet in no time. And playtesting has revealed that prerecorded movement actually speeds things up in the long run, as players are not able to conduct an exhaustive search for the most advantageous location. Instead, players must try to outguess their opponents.
3.2.1 Maneuvers
Movement orders consist of a series of maneuvers, separated by forward movement. For example, the orders "3P2" mean that the starship is to move 3 hexes forward, turn one hex side to the left (port), and then move another two hexes forward. A ship may not perform two maneuvers in a row; it must move forward at least one hex between maneuvers.
A starship may only begin its movement with a maneuver if the last thing it did in the previous Movement Phase was move forward.
The various possible maneuvers are:
| Code | Maneuver |
|---|---|
| P | Turn to Port: The starship is turned one hexside to the left (counterclockwise). A turn to port costs one MP. |
| S | Turn to Starboard: The starship is turned one hexside to the right (clockwise). A turn to starboard costs one MP. |
| L | Sideslip Left: The starship is moved to the hex in front of it and to the left, retaining its current facing (see diagram below). This maneuver costs two MPs. |
| R | Sideslip Right: The starship is moved to the hex in front of it and to the right, retaining its current facing (see diagram above). This maneuver costs two MPs. |
| B | Move Backward: The starship is moved into the hex directly behind it. Unlike other maneuvers, a ship does not have to move forward between a move backward and another maneuver. Thus, "PBP" and "BBB" are perfectly legal movement orders. A move backward costs two MPs. |
[Sideslip diagrams omitted.]
3.2.2 Movement Point Cost
Each maneuver has a corresponding MP cost, as given above. Forward movement costs one MP per hex. Thus, movement orders of "3P2" would cost 3 + 1 + 2 = 6 MPs.
No starship may spend more MPs than it currently has available. A ship does not have to spend all of its MPs, but any unused are lost; i.e., MPs cannot be "saved" from turn to turn.
A starship that performs no other movement at all may turn to face any direction desired, at no MP cost. This option is also available to ships that currently have no MPs at all.
3.3 Moving The Starship
After all movement orders have been recorded, the starships are moved on the game board, according to their orders. It does not matter in what order they are moved; all ships may be moved simultaneously if desired.
3.3.1 Stacking
Starships may occupy the same hex without penalty; however, no ship may attack a target in its own hex.
3.3.2 Leaving The Game Board
Starships may leave the game board; however, any that do may not re-enter the game and are considered destroyed for victory purposes.
Section 4: Combat
We come now to the most important section of the rules; the part where you get to blow each other to smithereens...
4.1 Before Attacking
During the first Combat Phase of the game, each side should roll a die; the side with the higher roll resolves its attacks first. In the next Combat Phase, the other side will go first. Continue alternating this way until the end of the game. Keep in mind that all combat is considered to be simultaneous and that no damage is applied until the end of the Combat Phase (see Section 4.3: Effects of Damage).
When it comes time for a starship to make its attacks, there are four things that must be taken into account: declaration of targets, firing arcs, range, and line of sight.
4.1.1 Declaration Of Targets
Before resolving any of its attacks, a starship must declare at which targets it will be firing, and what weapons it will be using against each, remembering that each weapon can only be fired once per Combat Phase.
4.1.2 Firing Arcs
There are six firing arcs in the Starmada game, as shown in the diagram below:
[Diagram omitted: the six firing arcs, labelled A through F; see the Firing Arc entry in the Glossary.]
The weapons section of the ship record indicates which arcs are covered by each weapon. For example, the Admirable has one Blaster that can fire into the "AB" arc, one that can fire into the "AC" arc, one into the "BD" arc, and one into the "EF" arc. Obviously, a weapon may only attack targets that lie inside the indicated arcs.
A starship may not attack any targets in its own hex.
4.1.3 Range
The distance from a firing starship to its target is referred to as the range, and is determined by counting the number of hexes along the shortest path between the two. When determining the range, you should count the hex containing the target, but not that of the firing ship.
Each battery's range is divided into three bands: short, medium, and long. A weapon may not attack targets outside its long range band.
4.1.4 Line Of Sight
In order to attack a target, a starship must be able to trace a line of sight to that target. This means that an imaginary line drawn from the center of the firing ship's hex to the center of the target hex must not cross any part of a hex containing an object that blocks line of sight. For example, explosion counters block line of sight.
[Diagram omitted: the shaded hexes represent explosions. The firing ship could not fire at targets in hexes A or D, as the line of sight is blocked. The line to hex B is obviously open, while the line to hex C crosses the side of an explosion hex, but not through it, and is therefore not blocked. If hexes on either side of the line contained explosions, the target in hex C could not be attacked.]
Starships and fighter flights do not block line of sight.
4.2 Attack Procedure
In order to make an attack, three separate rolls are needed: the To-Hit roll, the shield roll, and the damage roll. The procedure given here is for the most basic of weapon types. Most weapons will be handled quite differently; these differences are outlined in Appendix B: Weapon Abilities.
4.2.1 The To-Hit Roll
Each weapon receives a number of To-Hit dice equal to its rate of fire (ROF). Roll the appropriate number of dice; each die that equals or exceeds the firing battery's To-Hit number hits the target. Add +1 to each die if the target is at short range, and subtract -1 if the target is at long range.
For example, three laser cannons (ROF 1) with a To-Hit of 4+ and a maximum range of 9 are firing at a target 7 hexes away. The player rolls three dice, and they come up 3, 4, and 6, respectively. Normally, this would indicate two hits; however, since the target is at long range (7-9 hexes), the player must subtract -1 from each die. This means that the 4 is now a 3, a miss. Had the target been at short range, all three weapons would have hit, since the +1 would have changed that 3 to a 4.
Modifiers to the attack roll may occasionally result in a situation where a 7 or more is needed to score a hit. As this is obviously impossible on a six-sided die, use the following method to determine hits:
| If: | Then: |
|---|---|
| 7+ is needed | Two dice with unmodified rolls of 6 result in one hit. |
| 8+ is needed | Three dice with unmodified rolls of 6 result in one hit. |
| 9+ is needed | Four dice with unmodified rolls of 6 result in one hit. |
| Etc. | Etc. |
For example, a starship is attacking with 5 weapons (ROF 1) against the Admirable at long range. The weapons' To-Hit value is 5+, and the target has Electronic Countermeasures. Because of the long range (-1) and the ECM (-1), a roll of 7 is needed to score a hit. Five dice are rolled, coming up 1, 3, 4, 6, and 6. As two 6's were rolled, the Admirable suffers one hit.
To-hit dice from multiple weapons in a single battery may be combined for this purpose; however, To-Hit dice from weapons in different batteries must remain separate.
Regardless of modifiers, whenever a die comes up a 1, the roll automatically fails.
4.2.2 The Shield Roll
For each die that hits the target, roll the appropriate number of penetration dice and compare the results to the target's shields rating. Each die that exceeds that number causes damage to the target.
In our example from above, one hit was scored. The weapons have a PEN of 1, indicating that only one penetration die is rolled. The Admirable has a shield rating of 3, which means the firing player must roll a 4 or better to cause damage. The die is re-rolled and results in a 5: success!
4.2.3 The Damage Roll
For each die that penetrates the target's shields, roll the appropriate number of damage dice and compare the results to the target's damage chart. Any die that comes up 1 or 6 results in a hull hit, and means one hull box should be filled in on the target's record card. Rolls of 2 through 5 are considered "system damage", and indicate which systems on the starship have been damaged:
| Code | Damage Type |
|---|---|
| E | Engine Hit: One engine box should be filled in. |
| S | Shield Hit: One shield box should be filled in. |
| Q | Special Equipment Hit: The starship loses one piece of special equipment. |
| a | Weapon Hit: One of the starship's weapons in battery (a) is destroyed. |
| b | Weapon Hit: One of the starship's weapons in battery (b) is destroyed. |
| c | Weapon Hit: One of the starship's weapons in battery (c) is destroyed. |
A number in front of a code indicates multiples of that type of hit; e.g., "2E" means two engine hits.
In our example, one die penetrated the Admirable's shields. Therefore, it is re-rolled on the damage chart, coming up a 3. As the Admirable's ship record shows that a damage roll of 3 results in "Ea", the starship takes one engine hit and one weapon (a) hit.
When a starship takes a weapon hit, the exact weapon lost from the indicated battery is up to the defending player.
When a starship takes a special equipment hit, note that only those items with an associated damage box (or boxes) can be damaged—for example, the Admirable cannot lose its fighter bays to damage. The exact special equipment lost is up to the defending player.
If some of the indicated damage cannot be applied—for example, "Ea" on a target that has already filled in all its engine boxes, but still has some weapons in its "a" battery—then only apply that damage that is still relevant, and ignore the rest. However, if none of the indicated damage can be applied—e.g., "Ea" on a ship that has already filled in all of its engine boxes and lost all of the weapons in its "a" battery—then the ship takes a hull hit instead.
4.3 Effects Of Damage
As combat is simultaneous, all damage is applied at the end of the Combat Phase. Players should mark damage with a slash on the starship record ("/") when it first occurs, and then fill in the boxes once all attacks have been resolved.
Note that once targets have been declared, players cannot change their minds; thus, if an enemy starship is destroyed or rendered useless early in the Combat Phase, it is not possible to shift your focus to another target.
4.3.1 Destroyed Starships
A starship that has been destroyed is removed from the board, the opposing side gains VPs, and an explosion counter is put in its place. Explosion counters have little effect on the game other than to block line of sight. However, if a starship chooses to enter a hex containing an explosion counter (or if a ship explodes while in the same hex as another), there is the possibility for damage.
During the End Phase, any starship inside an explosion should have a number of penetration dice rolled against it equal to the strength of the explosion. For example, if a ship is inside a strength 4 explosion, 4 dice are rolled against its shields. Any of these dice that penetrate the shields are then re-rolled for damage.
As noted above, attacks cannot be made through hexes containing explosions; however, attacks into or out of explosions are possible, with a negative modifier equal to the strength of the explosion. Thus, a starship inside a strength 2 explosion would have its To-Hit rolls modified by -2.
The initial strength of an explosion counter depends upon the size of the destroyed starship:
| Hull Points | Strength Of Explosion |
|---|---|
| 1-3 | 1 |
| 4-8 | 2 |
| 9-15 | 3 |
| 16-24 | 4 |
| 25+ | 5 |
During the End Phase, each explosion counter is reduced in strength by one; any counter already at strength 1 is removed. Explosions are not reduced in strength during the first End Phase after their appearance.
4.3.2 Crew Casualties
In certain situations, the rules may call for a starship to take a crew casualty. When this happens, the next hull box should have a line drawn through it ("—"). This does not represent actual hull damage, and "real" hull hits overlap crew casualties as they occur. However, once all hull boxes have been marked, either with crew casualties or hull hits, the target can no longer move or attack, as the crew members have all been killed or incapacitated. This awards VPs to the opposing side as if the ship had been destroyed.
Section 5: Fighters
Many starships carry fighters: small, fast attack craft used to harass the enemy and protect friendly vessels from opposing fighters. Because of their unique nature, fighters have been given their own section of the rules (as well as a separate phase in the game turn sequence).
5.1 Fighter Bays
In order to use fighters in a game of Starmada, at least one of your starships must have fighter bays. Each fighter bay allows a side to use one fighter flight; each flight represents six individual craft and is treated as a single unit.
5.1.1 Including Fighters In A Fleet
Fighter flights are represented by their own playing pieces. They do not have starship records, as the only important information about a fighter flight is how many fighters it has left. Each flight starts with six fighters, and once they are all destroyed, the flight is removed from play.
The easiest way to denote fighter damage is to place a small die on top of the flight's playing piece; the number showing on the die indicates the number of fighters remaining in the flight.
Unless otherwise noted in a scenario, fighter flights begin on the game board; they are assumed to have been "scrambled" before the first turn.
5.1.2 The Fighter Phase
Fighter flights move and attack during the Fighter Phase of each turn. Their movement is not written down ahead of time, and any damage inflicted by fighters is administered immediately; thus, any ship or fighter destroyed by a fighter flight does not have an opportunity to return fire before being removed from play.
At the beginning of each Fighter Phase, if both sides have fighter flights, each side should roll one die; the side with the higher result has the advantage for the current phase. That side is allowed to choose one flight (friend or foe) to move and attack first. When that flight has finished its actions for the turn, the side that lost the initiative roll has the chance to decide which flight will go next. The sides continue to alternate until one side has no more flights left to move, at which point the opposing side may move any remaining flights as desired.
5.2 Fighter Movement
Fighter flights are moved directly on the game board; i.e., no movement orders are necessary. Flights can be moved up to 10 hexes from their starting position, in any direction and/or flight path; they have no facing and therefore no need to spend MPs to turn, sideslip, or perform other maneuvers.
5.2.1 Fighter Stacking
Fighters may move through and even end their movement in the same hex as another starship or fighter flight; however, a fighter may not attack a ship in its own hex. Fighters may attack each other while in the same hex.
All fighter flights from the same side in the same hex are considered a single target; when hits are scored, they may be taken from any or all of the flights in any combination desired by the owning player(s).
5.3 Fighter Combat
After a flight has finished moving, it has the option of immediately attacking any opposing starship or fighter flight in an adjacent hex. Fighters may also attack enemy fighters in the same hex.
Fighter flights that are destroyed are removed from the board; no explosion counters are placed.
Note that the damage from fighter flights is applied immediately. For example, if a starship takes a shield hit from fighter attacks, it loses that shield for the remainder of the Fighter Phase as well as for the upcoming Combat Phase.
5.3.1 Fighter Attacks On Starships
In order to attack a starship with a fighter flight, roll one die for each fighter in the flight; the To-Hit number is 5+. Each die that hits is re-rolled for penetration, treating the target's shields as half their current value (rounded up). For example, if fighters are attacking a ship with shields 3, the effective shield value is 2 (3 x ½ = 1.5, rounded up to 2). Each die that penetrates the shields results in one die of damage.
5.3.2 Fighter Attacks On Fighters
When attacking another flight, roll one die for each fighter left in the attacking flight. Each die that comes up a 5 or 6 destroys one fighter in the target flight. Each die that comes up a 1 destroys one fighter in the attacking flight (it is assumed the target is fighting back).
5.3.3 Starship Attacks On Fighters
When starships attack fighters, the following must be taken into account:
- Weapons attack fighters as if the range band were one higher; i.e., fighters at medium range are treated as if they are at long range, while fighters at short range are treated as if they are at medium range. Fighters cannot be attacked at long range.
- Any To-Hit die that hits a fighter flight automatically destroys one fighter; no penetration or damage rolls are necessary.
- Weapons with the following abilities have no effect on fighters: Must Re-Roll Penetration Dice; No Hull Damage.
Appendix A: Starship Construction
Since the primary motivation behind Starmada is the creation of a set of starship combat rules which can be used to simulate any battle in any science fiction setting, the game would not be complete without some way of designing your own starships. In this section are the construction guidelines that were used to create all of the designs in the accompanying fleet books. However, as with the rest of these rules, players should feel no guilt about making changes. Think fighter bays should take up less space? Go ahead and reduce their space unit requirement. Have a problem with the Combat Rating multiplier for the cloaking device? Try building a few ships with a different factor and see how it works. Starmada is made to be tinkered with, so roll up your sleeves and dig in!
Although every attempt has been made to reduce the complexity of this system, you will still need the help of a sturdy calculator to get through these steps. Additionally, players can make use of the Starmada X Construction Assistant, an Excel spreadsheet that can be downloaded from our web site: www.mj12games.com
In setting down these construction rules, we had two goals in mind:
- First, we wanted to ensure that starships were constructed in a "realistic" manner. Although this is a science fiction game, and many things are possible, a ship with two hull points and forty-seven laser cannons should not be one of them.
- Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, the system should also contain a method for different designs to be evaluated for comparison.
The rules that follow achieve this dual purpose admirably (we hope).
A.1 Designing A Starship
This section deals with the physical construction of a starship; Appendix A.2: Evaluating The Design shows how to determine the ship's Combat Rating.
[Gap: Appendix A.1.3 and the material following it up to the start of A.3.2 (Appendix A.2 Evaluating The Design, Appendix A.3 and A.3.1) are not present in the archived files; see the missing-pages note at the top of this rulebook.]
A.1.1 Hull Points
The first decision in starship construction is the size of the ship; i.e., how many hull points does it have? This decision is entirely up to the designer, but will have an impact on all of the steps that follow.
A.1.2 Space Units
The limiting factor in starship construction is space. In this sense, "space" is an abstract combination of volume and mass. Each part of a ship takes up a certain amount of space, and the sum of the space requirements for all of a ship's components cannot exceed the total number of space units (SUs) available.
A.3.2 Assigning Hits To The Damage Chart
[Gap: the opening of this section is not present in the archived files. The printed text resumes mid-sentence, at the end of the procedure for counting each type of hit: "...countermeasures and 20 mines (10 mines twice), there would be a total of 3 possible special equipment hits." Everything from here on is transcribed as printed.]
For example, the Admirable has 8 hull points, 5 MPs, 3 shields, 4 blasters (battery "a"), 6 laser cannons (battery "b"), and two pieces of special equipment that can be damaged. Therefore, the number of each type of hit is:
| Hit Type | Calculation |
|---|---|
| Engine Hits | 5 x 2 / 8 = 1.3, rounded up to 2 |
| Shield Hits | 3 x 2 / 8 = 0.8, rounded up to 1 |
| Special Equipment Hits | 2 x 2 / 8 = 0.5, rounded up to 1 |
| Weapon (a) Hits | 4 x 2 / 8 = 1 |
| Weapon (b) Hits | 6 x 2 / 8 = 1.5, rounded up to 2 |
Once the number of each type of hit has been determined, it is necessary to place them on the damage chart. This is relatively simple; assign them ascending from 2 to 5, wrapping back to 2 as needed. Place "E" hits first, then "S" hits, then "Q" hits, and then weapon hits, "a", "b", and "c".
If any spaces on the damage chart are still empty after this process, they should be marked as "Hull" hits.
For example, the Admirable has 2 "E" hits, 1 "S" hit, 1 "Q" hit, 1 "a" hit, and 2 "b" hits. These are then assigned as follows (the worksheet is reproduced as printed, including its arrow notation):
Roll 1 2 3 4 5 6
Hit Hull Hull
1►E 2►E
3►S
4►Q
5►a
6►b 7►b
This is combined to a final damage chart of:
| Roll | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Damage | Hull | Ea | Eb | Sb | Q | Hull |
That's it!
Appendix B: Weapon Abilities
This appendix lists the effects of all the special abilities that may be possessed by a starship's weaponry.
Obviously, with so many options available, there may be the potential for confusion. While we've made every effort to account for any conflicts, undoubtedly we've missed a few. So, if you're ever faced with a combination of effects that seems to contradict itself, use your best judgment and move on—remembering always that the point is to have fun.
If you do find yourself needing to make such a ruling, please let us know at [email protected] so that we can let other players know of the conflict and a possible resolution.
B.1 Continuing Damage
This weapon does no damage in the Combat Phase; instead, roll a number of dice equal to its DMG value in the following End Phase:
| Roll | Effect |
|---|---|
| 1-3 | No further rolls are made for this DMG point |
| 4-5 | Roll once on the target's damage chart |
| 6 | Roll twice on the target's damage chart |
Any dice that do not result in a 3 or less will continue doing damage in subsequent End Phases.
For example, a DMG-3, Continuing Damage weapon rolls three dice in the first End Phase after it hits its target; these come up 1, 4, and 6. This results in "Roll once…" and "Roll twice…", so three dice are rolled on the target's damage chart. The 1 means that one of the damage dice is no longer active, so in the next End Phase, only two dice would be rolled on the above chart.
B.2 Double Hull Damage
This weapon can inflict massive amounts of damage to the target's superstructure. Whenever a damage die rolled by this weapon comes up 1 or 6, two Hull hits are inflicted, instead of just one.
B.3 Double Systems Damage
This weapon is designed to play havoc with the target's electronic systems. Whenever a damage die rolled by this weapon causes a weapon, shield, special equipment, and/or engine hit, re-roll the die. If this second roll also results in systems damage, apply the result; otherwise, ignore it (i.e., this second roll cannot result in hull damage). If the weapon also causes Extra Crew or Hull Damage, this re-roll does not incur an additional crew casualty or hull hit.
B.4 Doubled Range Modifiers
This weapon's range modifiers are doubled; i.e., +2 at short range and -2 at long range. This cannot be combined with "Inverted Range Modifiers" or "No Range Modifiers".
B.5 Extra Crew Casualties
All weapon hits are assumed to cause some amount of casualties on the target. However, this weapon is specially designed to kill or incapacitate enemy crewmembers. Each damage die from this weapon inflicts one crew casualty in addition to the result from the target's damage chart. This cannot be combined with "Extra Hull Damage".
B.6 Extra Hull Damage
This weapon carves huge chunks out of the target's hull. Each damage die rolled by this weapon inflicts one hull hit in addition to the result from the target's damage chart. This cannot be combined with "Extra Crew Damage".
B.7 Halves Shields
This weapon treats the target's shield rating as if it were half normal, rounded up; e.g., the weapon would penetrate a shield rating of 5 on a roll of 4 or higher (half of 5 is 2.5, rounded up to 3). This cannot be combined with "Ignores Shields" or "Shield-Resonant".
B.8 Ignores Shields
This weapon's penetration dice automatically get through the target's shields. This cannot be combined with "Halves Shields" or "Shield-Resonant".
B.9 Increased DMG
This weapon's DMG value is affected by the success of the shield roll. The amount by which the shield roll exceeds the target's shield rating is multiplied by the weapon's DMG value to determine the number of dice rolled on the damage chart. If the target has no shields, or the weapon also Ignores Shields, a shield roll should still be made to determine the DMG value multiplier.
For example, a PEN-3, DMG-2, Increased DMG weapon is attacking a target with a shield rating of 4. The penetration dice come up 2, 5, and 6. The "2" fails to penetrate and is ignored; the "5" results in normal DMG (2), while the "6" does double normal DMG (4). Therefore, a total of 6 dice will be rolled on the target's damage chart.
B.10 Increased PEN
This weapon's PEN value is affected by the success of the To-Hit roll:
| To-Hit Die Equals: | Effect |
|---|---|
| To-Hit Number | PEN x1 |
| To-Hit Number +1 | PEN x2 |
| To-Hit Number +2 | PEN x3 |
| To-Hit Number +3 | PEN x4 |
| EtB. | EtB. |
[Source note: the final row of this table is printed as "EtB. EtB." in the archived file; it is reproduced as printed and has not been corrected.]
For example, a ROF-3, PEN-2, Increased PEN weapon is attacking a target with a To-Hit number of 4+. The To-Hit dice come up 2, 4, and 5. The "2" misses and is ignored; the "4" results in normal PEN (2), while the "5" does double normal PEN (4). Therefore, a total of 6 dice will be rolled against the target's shields.
B.11 Inverted Range Modifiers
This weapon's range modifiers are reversed; i.e., +1 at long range and -1 at short range. This cannot be combined with "Doubled Range Modifiers" or "No Range Modifiers".
B.12 Must Re-Roll Penetration Dice
This weapon is highly susceptible to shield interference. Whenever one of this weapon's penetration dice gets through the target's shields, the die must be re-rolled; if this second roll does not also succeed, the die has failed to penetrate. This cannot be combined with "Re-Rolls Penetration Dice".
B.13 Must Re-Roll To-Hit Dice
This weapon is highly inaccurate compared to other weapons of the same class. Whenever one of this weapon's To-Hit dice hits its target, the die must be re-rolled; if this second roll does not also succeed, the To-Hit die has missed the target. This cannot be combined with "Re-Rolls To-Hit Dice".
B.14 No Hull Damage
This weapon is unable to cause damage to the target's hull. Ignore any hull hits caused by this weapon. This cannot be combined with "Double Hull Damage" or "Extra Hull Damage".
B.15 No Range Modifiers
This weapon does not have any range modifiers; i.e., +0 at short range and -0 at long range. This cannot be combined with "Doubled Range Modifiers" or "Inverted Range Modifiers".
B.16 Range-Based DMG
This weapon's DMG value is tripled at short range, and doubled at medium range. Thus, a DMG-1 weapon would have DMG-3 at short range and DMG-2 at medium range.
B.17 Range-Based PEN
This weapon's PEN value is tripled at short range, and doubled at medium range. Thus, a PEN-1 weapon would have PEN-3 at short range and PEN-2 at medium range.
B.18 Range-Based ROF
This weapon's ROF value is tripled at short range, and doubled at medium range. Thus, a ROF-1 weapon would have ROF-3 at short range and ROF-2 at medium range.
B.19 Repeating
This weapon may re-roll any of its To-Hit dice that hit the target; if this second roll succeeds, another hit is scored, and the die may be re-rolled again. This continues until the die fails to hit the target.
B.20 Re-Rolls Penetration Dice
This weapon is allowed to re-roll (once) any of its penetration dice that fail to penetrate the target's shields. If this second roll also fails, the penetration die does not get through the shields. This cannot be combined with "Must Re-Roll Penetration Dice".
B.21 Re-Rolls To-Hit Dice
This weapon is allowed to re-roll (once) any of its To-Hit dice that fail to hit the target. If this second roll also fails, the To-Hit die has missed. This cannot be combined with "Must Re-Roll To-Hit Dice".
B.22 Shield-Resonant
This weapon's PEN value is multiplied by the shield rating of its target. For example, a PEN-2 weapon attacking a target with a shield rating of 4 would roll 8 dice to penetrate the shields. Against a target with a shield rating of zero, the weapon rolls its normal penetration dice. This cannot be combined with "Halves Shields" or "Ignores Shields".
B.23 Variable DMG
Before rolling this weapon's damage dice, roll one die per point of DMG on the following chart:
| Roll | Effect |
|---|---|
| 1-3 | One damage die |
| 4-5 | Two damage dice |
| 6 | Three damage dice |
For example, a DMG-2, Variable DMG weapon has penetrated its target's shields. Two dice are rolled, coming up 2 and 6. This results in a total of four damage dice, which are then rolled on the target's hit location chart. [sic: "hit location chart" as printed]
B.26 Variable PEN
Before rolling this weapon's penetration dice, roll one die per point of PEN on the following chart:
| Roll | Effect |
|---|---|
| 1-3 | One penetration die |
| 4-5 | Two penetration dice |
| 6 | Three penetration dice |
For example, a PEN-2, Variable PEN weapon has hit its target. Two dice are rolled, coming up 1 and 6. This results in a total of four PEN dice, which are then rolled against the target's shields.
[Note: the archived text numbers the Appendix B entries B.1 to B.23 and then B.26; no B.24 or B.25 is printed.]
B.27 Variable ROF
Before rolling this weapon's To-Hit dice, roll one die per point of ROF on the following chart:
| Roll | Effect |
|---|---|
| 1-3 | One To-Hit die |
| 4-5 | Two To-Hit dice |
| 6 | Three To-Hit dice |
For example, a ROF-2, Variable ROF weapon is being fired. Two dice are rolled, coming up 2 and 4. This results in a total of three To-Hit dice, which are then rolled to hit the target.
Appendix C: Special Equipment
Most starships are furnished with some type of special equipment; these require their own section of the rules in which to explain their use.
C.1 Anti-Fighter Batteries
Many starship designers, not content to rely on friendly flights to protect their starships from enemy fighters, have chosen to equip their designs with anti-fighter batteries (AFB), tiny weapons which can only attack at extremely close quarters.
Whenever a fighter flight attacks a starship equipped with AFB, it loses a fighter on a roll of 1, just as if it were attacking another fighter flight.
C.2 Armor Plating
As a low-cost, low-tech alternative for increasing the staying power of a starship, several designers have opted for an extra layer of reinforced material to protect it from harm.
Whenever a starship with armor plating takes a hull hit, roll a die: if the result is 5 or 6, the hit has no effect.
C.3 Armored Gun Batteries
Starship designers are constantly looking for a way to enhance the survivability of their ships' weaponry. One simple method is to reinforce the weapon mounts themselves, not only increasing the thickness of the armor, but also adding shielding against electromagnetic interference and improving auto-targeting systems to hedge against temporary loss of control.
Whenever a starship with armored gun batteries (AGB) suffers a weapon hit, roll a die: if the result is 5 or 6, the hit has no effect.
C.4 Auto-Repair Systems
Many starships are equipped with self-operating diagnostic and repair programs. These auto-repair systems (ARS) can put damaged systems back on line, but are unable to restore structural integrity.
During the End Phase, any starship equipped with ARS may roll a die for each damaged weapon and lost shield point; on a 5 or 6, that weapon or shield point is restored.
C.5 Battle Satellites
Battle satellites, or "battlesats", are small, remotely-operated craft that can significantly extend a starship's attack capability. Launched during the End Phase, a battlesat moves and attacks during the Fighter Phase. A ship can only launch up to three battlesats per turn, but there is no limit to the number that can be active at any given time.
Battlesats have 5 movement points, but no facing; they can therefore move in any direction at any time.
Each battlesat has a single weapon with a range of 12 and a To-Hit of 3+. It has ROF, PEN, and DMG values of 1,
[Gap: the Battle Satellites entry breaks off here. The archived file does not contain the rest of this entry (the remaining ROF, PEN and DMG values, the battlesat's special abilities, and any further C entries), because the page that continues it is missing. Nothing has been reconstructed.]
Compendium Weapon Conversions
Players who own the Compendium or other, earlier versions of Starmada may find this chart helpful; it provides ROF, PEN, DMG, and special abilities for each of the weapons that appeared in previous publications.
Note that the final result may be somewhat different than the weapon's earlier incarnation; for example, phasers halve their target's shields, instead of gaining a +1 to their shield rolls. However, each weapon retains its basic flavor. Also note that several weapons may have identical characteristics, as some weapon abilities have not made the transition to Starmada X.
| Weapon | ROF | PEN | DMG | Special |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Matter Beam | 1 | 1 | 1 | Extra Hull Damage |
| Blaster | 1 | 1 | 1 | Range-Based PEN |
| Bore Missile | 1 | 1 | 1 | Continuing Damage |
| Burst Cannon | 1 | 1 | 1 | Variable DMG |
| Cluster Missile | 1 | 1 | 1 | Variable ROF |
[The archived chart ends at "Strike Missile". Whether further rows were printed on a missing page cannot be determined from the files.]
Footnotes
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Source: www.dictionary.com. Note that pill bugs may not wheel. ↩