Ezekiel Hartmn (Order #1285)

A Sky
Full of Ships
A simple (but not too simple) set of starship combat rules, which allows huge fleets
to engage each other in epic battle (and finish in a reasonable amount of time)

GAME DESIGN
Dan Abbott

DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE
Mike Hoyt, Stephen Thomson, Alex Harkness

ILLUSTRATIONS
CGI GRAPHICS COVER
& STORYLINE
Stephen Thomson Dan Abbott
Matthew Baird

PLAYTESTING
A.J. Harkness, William Ellis, Adam Baird, Evan Tozer, Peter Mokrycke
Robinder Dhaliwal, Kris Harbury, Alex Harkness, Stephen Thomson, Mike Hoyt

SPECIAL THANKS
John Leahy, Andrew Urbanski, Bill Hamilton, Andrea Tosino, João Frade
and all the great guys at the ASFoS Yahoo Group

And thanks to everyone who's suggestions helped to make these a better set of rules

Copyright 2014 HardPoint Games

All rights reserved

Ezekiel Hartmn (Order #1285)

 Introduction
Welcome to "A Sky Full of Ships - 2nd
edition", an updated and improved version of the
original simple rules for scifi fleet actions. Why a
second edition? For the longest while I didn't think
ASFoS needed one, as there were no large problems
that needed fixing. However, a few minor
'improvements' can't hurt, including a minor engine
power change, some new combat modifiers, and an
important addition to the ship construction system.
And of course the obvious cosmetic facelift.
I have always been interested in science
fiction. Whether it was in books, TV or movies, scifi
has been one of my favourite literary genres since I
was very young. Much later, when I discovered
wargaming, it was only natural for me to combine
these two favourite hobbies. Through the years I've
played many scifi games and found several favourites
that I still play today. However, none really seemed
designed to recreate those great fleet battles, those
most dramatic of moments when entire empires stood
or fell.
And so, to fill that void, these rules were
created. Instead of being just the captain of a few
ships, you take the place of an admiral, commanding
entire fleets. Using simple, fast moving game
mechanics, these rules attempt to portray the
important aspects of huge fleet engagements without
becoming too bogged down in time consuming detail.
They're for those players willing to sacrifice some
complexity to achieve a fast moving, playable, and
most importantly, FUN game.
All the basic rules needed to play the game
can be found here in this book, along with all the
optional rules - more movement options, more
combat options, more special weapons, fighters,
missiles, and a detailed construction system for
generating your own ships.
So, welcome to A Sky Full of Ships (2nd
edition), generic rules for fast & simple scifi fleet
actions. Give them a try - it may look like a lot of
rules, but they're pretty simple in action.
"A Sky Full of Ships" and ASFoS and all
material herein is copyright Dan Abbott and
Hardpoint Games.
Dan Abbott - July 2014
Ezekiel Hartmn (Order #1285)
Table of Contents
PART I – Basic Rules ................................................4
Ship Design ...............................................................5
Ship Concepts ......................................................5
Ship Systems ........................................................6
Ship Displays .......................................................7
Movement Rules ........................................................8
Sequence of Play ..................................................8
Movement ............................................................8
Movement Orders ................................................9
Movement Phase ................................................ 10
Combat Rules .......................................................... 11
Weapons Fire ..................................................... 11
Combat Chart ..................................................... 13
PART II - Optional Rules ........................................ 14
Optional Ship Classes ........................................ 14
Alternate Ship Displays ..................................... 15
Ship Construction .................................................... 16
Basics ................................................................. 16
Tech Levels ........................................................ 19
Optional Movement Rules ....................................... 20
Optional Combat Rules ........................................... 22
Critical Hits ........................................................ 23
Special Weapons ................................................ 24
Fighters .............................................................. 29
Boarding Actions ............................................... 32
Experimental Weapon Rules .............................. 34
Other Optional Rules ............................................... 35
Electronic Warfare ............................................. 35
Morale ................................................................ 37
Terrain ................................................................ 38
PART III - Appendices ............................................ 39
Terran Empire Ship Designs .............................. 39
League of Planets Ship Designs ......................... 42
Introductory Scenario ......................................... 45
Scenario Chart .................................................... 46
Printer Friendly Rules ........................................ 48
Combat Chart ..................................................... 51
Sample Ship Counters ........................................ 52
Blank Ship Displays ........................................... 53
Blank Plotting Charts ......................................... 56
Fighter Flight Counters ...................................... 57
 PART I – Basic Rules
Overview
Other than the obvious superficial facelift
for aesthetic reasons, not that much has changed from
the 1st edition. The original rules have stood up to the
test of time far better than I could have hoped.
A Sky Full of Ships (ASFoS) was designed to be an
easy, fast-moving set of rules for large sci-fi fleet
actions. Playable with as few ships per side as you
like, or as many ships as you own, these generic rules
allow large games to be played to a finish, on an
average-sized gaming table, within several hours.
The game's movement and combat mechanisms were
designed specifically for this purpose. Ships tend to
move around the table at an acceptable speed and
weapons fire at reasonable ranges. Actual time and
distance scales are not fixed.
These are also generic rules; there is no specific
background or ship designs forced upon the user.
The generic nature of the rules will allow you to play
in whatever setting you prefer, using any starship
miniatures at all from any background. Invent as
much or as little of your own universe, or borrow
from the sci-fi background of your choice. These
rules will work equally well for either.
Setting Up
The first thing players need to decide is
whether they intend to play a scenario, or a pick-up
game in which evenly pointed fleets fight it out with
the side inflicting the most damage considered the
winner. This choice will determine the fleets needed.
A scenario will have a recommended number of
ships. If it is to be a pick-up game, decide upon fleet
sizes. A game with about 150 points of ships per side
will make a good starting game that lasts a couple of
hours. Once the game type has been determined,
each player should select ships to equal his allowed
point total.
Ezekiel Hartmn (Order #1285)
This game can be played on any table surface large
enough for the players to maneuver their ships. Each
starship in ASFoS should be represented by a
miniature or counter. Several sheets of ship counters,
fighter flights and missiles are included at the end of
this rulebook. Once each side has chosen its fleet,
the miniatures (or counters) can be placed along their
side's edge of the gaming table.
If both sides agree (or the scenario requires it) terrain
can be placed on the table (ie asteroids, gas clouds).
This can either be done randomly, or one player can
place the terrain with the other player choosing which
edge of the table to set up on. After the sides have
finished setting up, the game can begin.
Playing the Game
You'll need a flat playing surface of at least
36 inches square (and preferably larger). A simple
tabletop will suffice, and covering it with a black
cloth or 'star field' covering will make the game seem
much more visually attractive.
In addition, you will need the following
items to play the game:
 These rules (which you obviously have)
 Playing pieces representing the starships
(ie miniatures or counters).
 At least one pair of differently coloured
six-sided dice (d6).
 Measuring tapes and/or rulers for
determining distance(s).
 At least one Ship Display sheet for each
different type of ship design being used.
 Ship Design
Ship Concepts
Mass
The starships used within the game, A Sky
Full of Ships, range from the smallest frigate to the Frigate: 1
largest titan. This variety requires an artificial Destroyer: 2
measure of a ship's size that we achieve through the Light Cruiser: 3 or 4
use of the game mechanic; the Hull Box. The size of Heavy Cruiser: 5 or 6
a ship is represented by the number of these hull Battle Cruiser: 7, 8 or 9
boxes - the more massive (bigger) the ship, the more Battleship: 10, 11, or 12
hull boxes it has. Dreadnaught: 13 to 18
Superdreadnaught: 19 to 24
As with modern wet navies, ships tend to be further Titan: 25 or more
classified into categories of mass. A Sky Full of
Ships follows this example with mass categories of
its own. The table to the right shows the mass Power
(number of hull boxes) of the different classes of
ships. The power of a warship is directly related to
its mass. The bigger the ship is, the more room it has
Frigates and Destroyers are both classified as for weapons and their associated power supplies. So
'Escorts'. Titans can vary greatly in size, anything when ships are built, their offensive abilities are
greater than 24 mass is called a Titan. The use of directly related to their size. Everything is again
Escorts and Titans require the use of the optional based on the number of hull boxes. They determine
rules section, so ignore them for now. The basic not just the size, but also the capabilities of the ship.
rules section applies to all the classes in between. The bigger the ship, the more combat power it has.

Beka Eslar allowed her gaze to wander about the cramped and cluttered confines of her duty station.
Observation outpost 234, one of the many unsung guardians for the Colm Star System, was without doubt the
most boring assignment she'd ever drawn, and it would be a minor miracle if she finished her tour of duty
here with her sanity intact.

"I'm gonna go nuts" Beka remarked aloud. Her voice echoed dully off the
bulkheads. "See, I'm already half way there. I'm talking to myself".

Suddenly, a series of warning lights lit up her sensor boards. Beka felt
chilled as she applied herself to her scanner controls and tried to refine
the data that was pouring into her computers from the system's sensor net.
"Status report!" The voice of the outpost commander boomed over the
intercom. He sounded calm, but then he was an old combat veteran.

Her eyes were fixed on the various icons that were appearing on her consoles. "Commander, we have
multiple contacts with an estimated 100 plus warships. They are a mix of capital ships, cruisers and light
escorts - I think there are also several troop transports following the warships". Beka spoke as calmly as she
could manage into her bridge pickup. It looked like the war had finally come to the Colm system after all.

Ezekiel Hartmn (Order #1285)

 Ship Systems
Weapons
In the basic rules, all weapons on a ship are
grouped into one of two main types;
Primary or Secondary Batteries.
The Primaries are all of a ship's large powerful anti-
ship beam batteries, and are split into four 90 degree
arcs of fire. The Secondaries are short ranged all
around defensive weapons. The Weapons Box on the
Ship Display is used to show the current strength of
both types. The example below illustrates ONE
Weapons Box.
Weapons Box
Primary Batteries - The strength of a ship's main
long range weapons, is split into four 90 degree arcs
of fire, forward, left, right and rear. Each arc can
have a different strength, depending on what
weapons are represented in that arc of fire. Forward
arc is commonly the most powerful although no
single arc normally has all of the Primary Battery
power.
Secondary Batteries - These smaller, but possibly
more numerous, rapid firing short range batteries
have a 360 degree arc of fire, but a very short
maximum range.
This example has no special weapons (special
weapons are found in the optional rules section).
 In this example the Primary Batteries have a
strength of 8 in the forward arc, 4 in the left
& right arcs and 2 in the rear arc, a strength
of 6 Secondaries and no Specials.
Ezekiel Hartmn (Order #1285)
Hull
In addition to using the Hull Box to
represent size, every ship has a basic natural
structural strength chosen during construction. This
basic strength is often good enough for escorts and
small cruisers, but some larger ships reinforce their
hulls for greater survivability. Some ships
intentionally weaken their hull to produce cheaper
ships. These practices give a large range of possible
defensive strengths for a ship's hull. Within A Sky
Full of Ships, this range is represented by a hull
strength number –
2 – weak
3 – average
4 – strong
5 – armoured
(or possibly even higher)
Electronic Defences
Usually a ship's defences are not limited to
armour. Many ships enhance their defensive strength
through electronic means, by adding electromagnetic
screens or force shields. Their strengths can range
from 0 (none) to 4 (maximum). These electronic
defences do not exist independently, they are added
to the ship's hull strength. The sum of a ship's natural
hull strength and its electronic defences is called its
Defence Factor.
Engines
To move, all ships need a drive of some sort.
The power of this drive, its acceleration and turning
capability, is represented by the Engine Rating. This
rating ranges from 0 to 5 and this number determines
how much a ship can turn, speed up, or slow down
during each turn.
 Ship Displays
The purpose of the Ship Display is to show
the capabilities of a specific ship or ship type.
The Ship Display will act as a reminder of the ship's
size, its offensive power, toughness, speed and is the
main way of keeping track of damage. Below is an
example of a Ship Display for one type of light
cruiser.
'ID' is used for simple ship identification.
Defence Factor (DF)
DF represents the ship's total hull strength.
The number inside the brackets represents the ship's
natural hull strength before being strengthened by
electronic defences. This example shows an average
hull (3) strengthened by one point of electronic
defence screens for a total defence factor of 4. The
natural strength is shown in case the screens are lost.
Ezekiel Hartmn (Order #1285)
Weapons Boxes
The first row of boxes are the weapons
boxes. Although the number of weapons boxes
always begins the same as the number of hull boxes,
only one weapons box is important, the leftmost box.
It contains the 6 numbers that represent the current
strengths of the different weapon types and arcs.
Only this box is considered active, the other boxes
are merely pre-calculated damaged strengths. You'll
notice that the numbers in each box in the row of
weapons boxes get proportionally weaker as you
move along the row to the right.
The leftmost weapons box in the row represents all
weapons at full strength. As the ship takes damage to
its weapon systems, and weapons boxes are marked
off (starting with the leftmost box and moving right)
the active box becomes the next one in line. As the
active box moves right, the strengths get weaker, so
that when only 1/2 the boxes are left, the strengths in
the left most active box is exactly 1/2 of when they
were at full strength. When only 1/4 of the weapons
boxes are left, the strengths are 1/4 of full, etc.
Primary, secondary and special strengths all decrease
at the same time, exactly in proportion to the
percentage of boxes lost.
Hull Boxes
The next row is the hull boxes. They
represent the size of the ship. Damage to the hull is
taken in a similar fashion to weapons, marking off
the leftmost box and moving right. When all the hull
boxes have been marked off, the ship is destroyed.
Critical Hits
The third row is the Critical Hits, used only
with the optional rules.
Engine Rating
The last number, inside the icon in the lower
right of the display, is the engine's power.
 Movement Rules
Sequence of Play
The purpose of the Sequence of Play is to
provide a structure for the players to play out their
turns. A Sky Full of Ships is played as a series of
simultaneous turns, with each turn divided into
several phases. Once all of the phases have been
completed, one game turn is over and the next begins.
This repeats until the game is concluded. The basic
rules for ASFoS uses a very simple sequence of play.
Movement
Movement is simultaneous in A Sky Full of
Ships. All distances are given in inches, however
you may choose to use whatever measurement unit
you believe best suits your style of play or the size of
your playing area. For instance, using centimetres
may be more appropriate for smaller tables. Or, if
you are having trouble finding rulers marked in
inches, simply use double the measurement in
centimetres (ie 2 cm instead of 1 in) instead.
A good starting speed for a game is 6 inches/turn.
Engine Power
The movement rules simulate a simple
momentum based system, without using true vector
movement. The Engine Rating of a ship, shown in
the lower right of the ship display, determines how
many points of power the ship has available for
movement. All, some or none of these engine points
may be used each turn to accelerate, decelerate, or
turn. Engine points do not accumulate from turn to
turn, unused points cannot be saved. Each engine
point expended allows the ship to speed up or slow
down by 1 inch per turn, or allows the ship to make a
45 degree turn. Ships with engine ratings of 1 have
to decide which to do, turn OR accelerate/decelerate.
They do not have enough power to do both on the
same turn.
Ezekiel Hartmn (Order #1285)
The 3 phases of a turn for A Sky Full of Ships are -
1) Plot Movement - At the beginning of each
turn all players must write Movement
Orders for each ship in their fleet.
2) Move Ships - Once all movement plots are
recorded, the ships are moved exactly
according to their plots.
3) Fire Ships - Once all ships are moved they
may fire at any target in range and arc.
Each turn you keep track of your ship's current speed,
and may increase or decrease it by a maximum of
your ship's engine rating. Speed carries over from
turn to turn.
 For example: if you had an engine power of
2, and moved 6 inches last turn, you could
speed up by a maximum of 2 this turn, and
move 8 inches, or slow down and move 4, or
anything in between. Ships may not have
negative movement - this means they cannot
move backwards.
The number of 45 degree left or right turns permitted
to your ship per turn is also dependant on engine
power. You may make a maximum number of turns
equal to the engine power, (ie 2 engine points allows
2 turns). Turns require power from the engines, so
each turn subtracts 1 point from the engine power
available this turn. Turns also occur at a specific
point in your movement.
 For example: with an engine power of 2 you
can make 2 turns, or 1 turn and speed up or
slow down by 1.
 Movement Orders
At the beginning of each turn all players
must write Movement Orders for each ship in their
fleet. Although this sounds time consuming, we've
found it actually speeds up play, as players don't stop
to plan out their movements more than once per turn
this way. Any ship that does not have an order
written for it will continue to move in the same
direction and speed as in the previous turn. If you
have a large number of ships, you should group
similar types into squadrons, and record their
movements together.

Plotting
At the beginning of each turn you record
(plot) the movement of each of your ships. This can  For example: Turn 1, speed up by 1 and
be as simple as writing your intended movement on a move forward 6. Turn 2, move 3 - turn right
piece of paper (the back of the ship display for – move 3. Turn 3, move forward without any
example), or you can use a more formal approach changes to speed or direction.
such as using the Plotting Chart (to the right).

You begin by writing the name of the ship in the 'ID'

box. Then, each turn you fill in one line to show A simpler way would be just to record
what you wish that ship to do for that turn. The 'V' on the back of the ship display:
(velocity) column represents the ship's current speed.
T1 5, +1, 6
The 'delta V' (change in velocity) column is where
2 6, 3R3
you plot any changes in the ship's speed. The final
3 6 (etc).
column is the ship's plot for the turn including any
changes in direction.

Admiral Rom looked pointedly at his main tactical imager, the glowing lights from
its holographic deeps reflected eerily off his face. The Marz system was the target
of his attention, a binary star system with two yellow stars and a dozen planets,
one of which was suitable for habitation with a minimum of terra-forming work.

His lips twisted into a deepening frown. Once Marz had belonged to his people,
they had made a promising start at colonizing it and developing it into a viable
member of their interstellar community.

That was before the enemy had discovered the Marz system, ejected the original colonists and replaced them with
their own. Marz had been for a hundred years a jewel in that enemy's crown.

A smile flickered onto Admiral Rom's face, a jewel that he was about to pry loose.

Ezekiel Hartmn (Order #1285)

 Movement Phase

Once movement plots have been completed
for all ships (or squadrons), the ships are moved. It
doesn't matter which player moves first or what order
the ships are moved since all ships must move
exactly according to their recorded plots.
Sometime ships travel a bit too fast and find they
can't turn quickly enough to stay on the gaming table.
You can resolve this in one of two ways: 1) ships
that leave the table are gone, or 2) use a 'floating'
playing area. Since one area of space is the same as
another, whenever the action drifts towards one table
edge, and ships end up off table, simply move
everything the same number of inches back towards
the center of the table, keeping the same relative
locations and facing.

Due to the difference in scale between how very large

space is and how very small our ship models should
actually be, ships cannot accidentally collide with
one another. Instead they may freely move through
each other during the movement phase. If there is a
problem placing the actual miniatures at the end of
movement due to the size of the models, then place
them as close as possible to their intended positions.
There is no intentional ramming in the Basic Rules.

 In the above example the ship model would
be moved 4 inches, make a 45 degree turn to
the right and finish by moving the final 4
inches. The ship's current speed would be 8
inches per turn.
Turns
As well as requiring power from the engines, turns
also occur at a specific point in your movement. If
you are making only 1 turn it occurs at the halfway
point. For 2 turns, the 1st is at the beginning of
movement and the 2nd at the halfway point. For 3
turns, the 1st is at the beginning, 2nd at the 1/3 point
and the 3rd at the 2/3 point (etc).

"CAPTAIN!" Both the Captain and the First Officer whirled to look at the
scan officer, who had just cried out. "Yes?" he responded with as much
unconcern as he could muster. Something felt wrong.

"One ship has broken away from the enemy convoy, it is on an intercept
course with us!" "Identify!" The Captain snapped urgently.

"Scan, estimates by power signatures, that it is a merchant ship, possibly a

fast star liner." "That would be suicide, Captain…" The First Officer responded in puzzlement.

"Not if that ship is an auxiliary cruiser, Number One." A pause. "Scan, is the convoy scattering?"
"Yes sir, and at speed. Standard shot-gun scatter pattern."

The Captain watched with a mildly surprising dispassion as the approaching ship unsheathed hidden weaponry and
sensors. Warning alarms on the bridge screamed as they detected active targeting locks.

"Right, we engage that auxiliary NOW."

10

Ezekiel Hartmn (Order #1285)

 Combat Rules
Weapons Fire
Arcs & Ranges
Players may pre-measure (ie check the
range) at any time. Since this is science fiction and
all ships are equipped with computers and sensors to
keep track of the ship's current speed, bearing, and
distance to every other object in the game, it would
be stupid not to allow players to pre-measure.
Primary Batteries - The strength of a ship's main
long range weapons, is split into four 90 degree arcs
of fire, forward, left, right and rear. The Primary
Batteries may be fired once per turn, at a single target
within ONE of the four arcs of fire. You may pick
which arc you wish to use, but the primaries may be
fired only ONCE per turn. (Many weapons actually
have more than one arc of fire, so firing your
primaries again would represent some weapons firing
in two directions at the same time). Primary
Batteries have a maximum range of 36 inches.
 In this example the Primary Batteries might
have a strength of 8 in the forward arc, 4 in
the left & right arcs and 2 in the rear arc.
During a game, you may have no eligible
targets in the forward arc, one enemy ship in
the left arc, and one in the rear arc. Since
you can't use the strongest arc (no targets),
you'd probably choose the next strongest and
fire into the left arc with a strength of 4.
Ezekiel Hartmn (Order #1285)
Secondary Batteries - These smaller rapid firing
short range batteries have a 360 degree arc of fire, but
a maximum range of only 6 inches. They may also
fire ONCE per turn, at any one target in range.
Range Bands
While the standard weapon ranges in ASFoS
are described as being in multiples of 12 inches, there
is no reason why you cannot change these ranges if
you want to. For example, using a smaller table may
require players to use shorter ranges.
A simple way of making shorter Range Bands is to
use centimeters instead of inches, or you can chose a
different number for the range bands. For example, if
you were to choose 8 inch range bands then close
range would be 0-8 inches, medium would be 8-16
and long would be 16-24. Remember to make
secondary range half of a range band, in this example
it would be 4 inches.
Line of Sight
In order to fire at a target, a starship must be
able to 'see' it, which means it must be able to trace a
line of sight to that target. This means that an
imaginary line drawn from the firing ship to the
target must not be blocked by any intervening object.
However, regardless of the actual size of the
spaceship models, all ships in ASFoS are assumed to
be tiny compared with the scale of the battle.
Therefore, all measurements should be done from the
exact center of the firing ship, (for example, the peg
holding the ship model) to the exact center of the
target. This scale difference also means ship models
do not block line of sight, ships cannot hide behind
each other.
11
 Combat Ratio
All combat within A Sky Full of Ships is
based on the relative strength of the attacker's
weapons vs the target ship's defence factor,
calculated as an attacker to defender ratio. The
attacker's strength is simply the power given in the
currently active weapons box, for the appropriate arc
in the case of Primary Batteries. The defender's
strength is simply its Defence Factor (DF).
To calculate this Attacker to Target Ratio, take the
strength of the firing ship's weapons in the arc used
and compare it to the target ship's defence factor. If
the two numbers are the same, you use the 1:1
column on the combat chart, if the attacker is twice as
powerful as the target use the 2:1 column, if the
attacker is half as powerful as the target use the 1:2
column, etc. Always round down (in favour of the
target ship).
 For example: if a ship fires with a power of
19 and the target has a defence factor of 4,
the attacker is at least 4 times more powerful
than the target's toughness but not quite 5
times. Therefore the ratio is 4:1, the attacker
would need a power of 20 before using the
5:1 column. All types of batteries use the
same chart.
The ratio between these two strengths corresponds to
a column on the combat chart (see next page). The
attacker rolls two different coloured dice. One die
represents damage done to the target's hull, the other,
damage to its weapon systems. Cross reference each
die roll in the correct Attacker to Target Ratio
column, the number resulting is the number of boxes
of the given type destroyed by the attacker's fire. A
'-' in the column means NO DAMAGE for that die.
The defender then records the number of hull and
weapon hits by crossing out one box for each
appropriate hit achieved.
 For example: rolling a white die for hull, and
a red die for weapons, a player rolls a white
3 and a red 4. He has weapon strength of 14
and is attacking a target ship with a defence
factor of 4 putting him in the 3:1 column.
Checking the chart, he has destroyed 1 hull
box and 2 weapons boxes on the target ship,
which his opponent marks off, beginning at
the leftmost box and moving right.
Normally ships may take a maximum of TWO shots
per turn, ONCE with its Primary Batteries and ONCE
with its Secondary Batteries (if in range). There is
one exception to this rule: If your weapon power vs
the target's defence factor is greater than 6 to 1, you
may use just enough weapon power make a 6 to 1
attack and the remaining power is used to calculate a
second attack (or third, etc), either on the same target,
or on another in the same arc.
If your weapon power is not at least one third of the
target ship's defence factor, you cannot damage the
target.
Firing Sequence
Although each ship is calculated separately, all
weapons of a given type are considered to be firing
simultaneously, all primaries firing first with damage
being recorded, then all secondaries firing using the
new (possibly) damaged weapon strengths.
 For example: two ships move within
secondary range of each other and fire. They
would both fire their primaries
(simultaneously) and record damage. After
this was done, they would then fire their
secondaries (simultaneously) using the new
damaged secondary weapon strengths.

"--Ready all primary weapons for firing!" The tactical officer's voice echoed
throughout the hushed stillness of the combat bridge.

Unconsciously Captain Wyn braced himself in his command chair against the
shock of firing, even though here snug in the innards of his ship they would feel
nothing. A dozen massively powerful rail guns were being laid onto target on the
enemy space station, the resultant bombardment of ballistic metal would rip the heavily protected station apart and
open the way for the conquest of this star system.

12

Ezekiel Hartmn (Order #1285)

 Combat Chart

Attacker to Target Ratio

Dice Roll 1:3 1:2 1:1 3:2 2:1 3:1 4:1 5:1 6:1

0 — — — — — — — — —

1 — — — — — 1 1 1 2

2 — — — — 1 1 1 2 2

3 — — — 1 1 1 2 2 3

4 — — 1 1 1 2 2 3 3

5 — 1 1 1 2 2 3 3 4

6 1 1 1 2 2 3 3 4 4

Modifiers
Target is Range
Fast Ship -1 Short 0 – 12" 0
Slow Ship +1 Medium 12 – 24" -1
Stationary Ship +2 Long 24 – 36" -2

Modifiers are added to or subtracted from the dice rolls of Primary weapons fire only.
Secondary Batteries are not modified.

Rolls greater than 6 are treated as 6, rolls less than 0 are treated as 0 (rolling a '0'
actually means you missed). Fast ships are any ships moving 12" or greater for the
current turn. Slow ships are any ships moving 4 inches or less for the current turn.
Stationary ships are not moving.

13

Ezekiel Hartmn (Order #1285)

 PART II - Optional Rules
Optional Ship Classes
Escorts
Escorts (ie Frigates and Destroyers) always
operate in squadrons, Destroyers in squadrons of 3
ships, and Frigates in squadrons of 4-6 ships. The
ships of a squadron are placed together on a single
base (or must be operated together) and they are
grouped together on a single Ship Display. In all
cases, these squadrons are moved as if they were a
single ship.
When they fire, the entire squadron fires at the same
target. For primary and special weapons fire, the
Attacker to Target Ratio of each ship is calculated
and rolled separately as normal. However, for
secondary fire their weapon strengths are added
together and the total is used to calculate the Attacker
to Target Ratio.
When Escort squadrons are attacked, damage is
inflicted on the first escort then carried over to the
next one, etc. Sometimes this will result in squadrons
receiving lots of hull damage and little weapon
damage. At the end of each Combat Phase, any
destroyed escort ships must have any of their
remaining weapons boxes also marked off.
Escorts require several other small changes in the
rules that will also be found in the relevant sections.
Firing at Escorts always receives a -1 to Primary
Battery and Special Weapons fire due to their small
size. During construction, Escorts always start with a
basic hull strength of 2 (weak) instead of 3 and do not
get the bonus for this decrease. The break points (see
Morale rules) of Escorts are calculated per squadron
instead of per ship.
Titans
Titan is a very general term applied to a
great range of large ships. Any ship of 25 mass or
greater is considered a Titan.
Ezekiel Hartmn (Order #1285)
For convenience, Titans are further divided into two
sub-categories, Regular Titans and True Titans. A
Regular Titan is any ship between 25 and 49 mass.
Regular Titans are used just like any other ship, there
are no special rules other than receiving a bonus
when firing against Titans because of their size.
True Titans are ships of 50 mass or greater. The
following special rules MAY be used instead of just
treating them as normal ships.
The Ship Displays for True Titans are broken into
four sections in a fashion similar to the way Primary
Batteries are broken into four arcs of fire. Each of
these sections is designed as if it were a separate ship.
The only restrictions are that the forward and rear
sections must be the same mass, the left and right
sections must be the same mass and no section may
be more than double the mass of any other section.
Primary Batteries, Special Weapons, and Secondary
Batteries may only fire into the arc which the section
occupies. For example, all weapons in the right
section may only fire into the right arc. Ships should
be designed so that weapons are placed in the section
that they would be firing into instead of the part of
the ship they actually occupy.
When fired upon, the section in arc of the enemy is
the only one that can be damaged. Once a section is
completely destroyed, the Titan can no longer be
damaged except in other undamaged sections.
Critical Hits only affect the damaged section and
only the rear section can receive the engine critical
hit, other sections re-roll that critical.
During construction and regardless of the type, all
Titans begin with a basic hull strength of 4 (strong)
and do not have to pay for this strengthening. Titan
hulls may not be weakened below 3 (average)
strength. Any ship firing at them receives a +1 to
Primary Battery and Special Weapons fire for each
25 mass of the Titan. For example, a ship firing at a
25 mass Titan receives a +1, at a 50 mass it receives a
+2, etc. The break point (see Morale rules) of a Titan
is calculated on the total mass as normal.
14
 Alternate Ship Displays
(thanks to Mike and Steve)

An alternate ship display has emerged that More Arcs

has the Secondaries box shifted into the center of the
Primaries. Although this allows slightly less room Having the extra room in the Specials box allows
for the Primary numbers, it makes the entire lower Specials to be given arcs other than just forward.
box available for Special Weapons. This has several
potential uses.
Light Cruiser

 For example: for the above Light Cruiser

More Types
with 2 Specials, the top row uses the standard
design and the bottom row uses the new
This extra room allows for different types of Specials
display idea. In both cases the 1st Special is
on the same ship. Instead of just using numbers to
lost with the second hull hit and the 2nd
represent them, use the codes for the Special weapons
Special is lost with the last hull box. The MD
and place them in the weapons row in place of the
is shown with a forward arc of fire, and the
last time its number is used. The player decides in
PC is shown with a rear arc.
what order to place the Specials.

SCS Notation
Instead of using the full graphic ship strengths. Remember to keep the columns straight so
display, a player may wish to use a simpler way of it will be easy to mark off an entire weapons column
recording a ship's systems and capabilities. SCS whenever the ship takes weapon damage.
Notation does this by using only text to show all the
information contained in the standard ASFoS ship For example: We will recreate the Ship Display for
display. The format is: the Lion Class heavy cruiser "Bob" using SCS
Notation.
ID: name Mass DF: df ( ) Engine: power
Weapons ID: Bob 6 DF: 4(3) Engine: 2
Frwd: Weapons
Left: Frwd: 4 3 3 2 1 1
Right: Left: 3 3 2 2 1 1
Rear: Right: 3 3 2 2 1 1
Secd: Rear: 0 0 0 0 0 0
Special: Secd: 4 3 3 2 1 1
Hull: Special: 1 1 1 1 0 0
Crits: Br FC R E ED Mn Hull: H * H H H *
Misc: Crits: Br FC R E ED Mn
Misc: C TL:4 Pts:13
You will need as many weapon columns as the ship
has mass. These will be your pre-calculated damaged *=crew unit C=chaff

15

Ezekiel Hartmn (Order #1285)

 Ship Construction
Basics
The very first thing to do, when designing
your own ship, is decide how big you want to make
it. Are you designing a cruiser or a dreadnought? As
previously mentioned, everything depends on the
size. The size will determine how many Hull Boxes
the ship has, which gives you the mass of the ship.
For example, a battleship with 12 Hull Boxes is a
mass 12 ship. The mass will determine what power
you have available for the ship's Primary and
Secondary Batteries and how much room is available
for Special Weapons and Fighters. Each mass allows
for one Special Weapon, one Fighter Flight, or four
points of Primary or Secondary Battery power.
The old overriding rule that allowed no more
than half the total mass of the ship to be used
to create the weapon factors for any given arc
is now no more. A new factor - power
requirement (defined later) - is used instead.
Decide if you want a faster ship. For a faster ship
you need bigger engines, which use up available
mass. For engine ratings greater than 1 it requires 1/4
of a ship's mass for each additional 1 engine rating.
Ships with 0 engines GAIN 1/4 'extra mass' for
additional weapons.
 For example: the available mass for weapons
of a 6 mass cruiser with an engine rating of 2
is 75% of 6 or 4.5 mass.
The old rule allowing faster engines for
greater cost is no longer used.
Decide if you want to give the ship special weapons
and how many. The number of Special Weapons
chosen is recorded in the Specials Box, in the
leftmost Weapons Box on the Ship Display. Each
one chosen will decrease the available mass for
Primary and Secondary Battery power by one.
Ezekiel Hartmn (Order #1285)
Decide if you want to give the ship Fighters and how
many. Each Fighter Flight is represented by a
Fighter icon actually placed in the Hull Boxes row.
These Fighter icons should be spaced as evenly as
possible. Each Flight chosen will decrease the
available mass for Primary and Secondary Battery
power by one.
Now subtract the number of Special Weapons and
Fighter Flights from the total mass of the ship. The
remaining number is the mass available for the
Primary and Secondary Batteries.
Each mass applied to a Primary Battery arc adds 4 to
the Attack Factor of that arc; each mass applied to
Secondary Batteries adds 4 to their Attack Factor.
Fractions of mass may be used when calculating
these Attack Factors. For example, half of a mass
may be used to give the rear arc of the Primary
Batteries an Attack Factor of 2, and the other half
mass may be used to increase Secondary power by 2.
Now the pre-calculated damaged strengths must be
recorded. The leftmost Weapons Box in the row
represents all weapons and all arcs at full strength,
which you've just finished calculating. The Weapons
Box next in line to the right should have decreased
weapons strengths exactly in proportion with how
many Weapons Boxes are left. For example, on a 12
mass battleship, the leftmost box would be at full
strength, while the next box in line would have all
weapon strengths at 11/12ths of full; the third box
would be 10/12ths of full strength, etc.
Primary Battery, Secondary Battery and Special
Weapons strengths all decrease in exact proportion to
the percentage of boxes lost; round off as necessary.
Finishing off the design is relatively easy. All ships
begin with a basic hull strength of 3 (average) except
Escorts and Titans. Decide if you want to strengthen
or weaken the hull (minimum 2) and what level of
electronic defences (maximum 4) you wish to assign
to the ship. This will give you the Defence Factor.
Decide on other minor things, such as whether to
make the ship Agile.
16
 The number of Crew Units (CU) a ship receives is
equal to one quarter of the ship's Hull Boxes, rounded
to the nearest whole number (minimum 1). The icon
for each CU (a crossed wrench and laser) is placed on
the ship's display in the row of Hull Boxes; one every
fourth Hull Box counting from the right, beginning
with the first one in the final Hull Box. Escorts get a
CU in every second Hull Box instead.
Aspect
See Optional Combat Rules if used. Ships
may not have more than 50% of their mass in
Primaries and Specials in arcs with a small aspect.
Finally, calculate the value of the ship.
Point Values
The basic cost of any ship (or Escort
squadron) begins with the number of its Hull Boxes.
For example, the basic cost of a mass 12 battleship
(12 Hull Boxes) could be as low as 12 points.
Power Requirements
Old Ship Design Pointing System - It became
increasingly obvious after a good deal of play, that
some designs were just better than others. This is due
to the ability of some ships to mass their fire, while
others - remaining true to their origins, are forced to
spread their fire arcs out. A simple change is all
that's needed to bring these designs back into balance.
The Basic Cost is the mass of the ship
plus power requirements
Power Requirements - this depends on how a ship's
weapons are concentrated and represents how much
energy is required to power all the weapons in the
ship's most powerful arc. It costs an additional 2 pts
for each mass used for primary power or specials in
the most powerful weapon arc (the other arcs are not
calculated). To this add 1 pt for each mass used for
secondaries or fighters.
 For example: the Basic Cost of a 6 mass
cruiser with 2 mass in primaries and 1 laser
lance in the forward arc, 1 mass of primaries
in each of the left & right arcs, and 1 mass in
secondaries would change from 6 pts to 6 +
(4+2) + 1 = 13 points under this new system.
Ezekiel Hartmn (Order #1285)
To this basic cost add:
+20% of basic cost per shield level
+30% of basic cost per extra hull toughness
(ie hull 4)
-30% of basic cost if hull toughness is
weakened (ie hull 2)
+20% of basic cost if ship is Agile
+30% of basic cost for Superior Sensors
+50% of basic cost for Stealth Tech
+1 point per defending marine unit
+30% to -30% of basic cost for morale quality
(see Morale rules)
The total of these calculations is the Total Ship Cost.
Do not round off fractions until the very end. If Tech
Levels are used see page 17 for additional costs.
 For example: to design a small battleship you
might choose to make it 10 mass, with 10
points for power requirements making its
Basic Cost 20 points. You may decide to
weaken the hull for -6 points (30% of 20) and
to make up for this you might add 2 screens
for +4 points (20% of 20) giving the ship a
DF of 4. You might finish the design by
adding 2 Marine units for +2 points. The
final cost would be 20-6+4+2 or 20 points.
The calculations above are used to create all
warships, ships that use 100% of their mass for
combat purposes. To create civilian or mixed ships,
use the following procedure: Decide how much of
the ship's mass will be used for combat purposes and
calculate its total cost using the method outlined
above. Next, calculate its non-combat portion of the
ship's mass. The basic cost for non-combat mass is
equal to half the normal cost. The rest of the
calculations are performed in the normal manner.
Add the combat and non-combat costs together to get
the Total Ship Cost.
Optional Systems
The icons for optional capabilities or
systems the starship might be carrying, such as agile,
chaff or cloaking, can be placed anywhere on the
Ship Displays, although for uniformity the best place
is probably to the left of the engine icon.
17
 For example: Building a Battleship

This example will be for a Warrior class battleship.

The first step is deciding upon the ship's size. Since

we are recreating the Warrior class we know we need
a mass 12 ship.

We want the ship to have the standard 1 engine

power, so no calculation is needed here.
The Warrior class has two special weapons and no
fighters so we 'use up' 2 mass leaving us with 10.
We decide to use 8 mass for the Primary battery
power. This gives us 32 attack factors (8x4) to divide
up among the four arcs. We give the ship 16 power
in the forward arc and 8 in both the left and right
arcs. This positions our Primary power and leaves us
with 2 mass to use.
We give the ship 8 Secondary power, using up the
last of the ship's available mass.
Now we fill in the required pre-calculated damaged
values for the Primary, Secondary and Special
weapons. The first box is 12/12 strength of course,
the second is 11/12, the next 10/12 etc.
The ship has the standard 3 basic hull strength.
Adding 2 levels of shields gives it a total DF of 5.
Now for the point value:
Our basic cost is the mass of the ship plus power
requirements. The ship's mass is 12. The power
requirements are dependent on the ship's most
powerful arc which is the forward arc for this ship.
This ship has 4 mass of Primary power and 2 Special
weapons in the forward arc which costs an additional
12 points (4x2 + 2x2). It also has 2 mass in
Secondaries which costs 2 points (2x1).
Adding these together gives us a basic cost of 26.
The only further calculation needed is for the 2 levels
of shielding (+20% each), which gives us a total cost
of (26 + 26x.4) or 36.4 rounding down to 36 points.

With twenty Battlecruisers at his disposal as well as a large screen of lighter warships and
troop transports, the enemy's ability to hold the contested system was soon going to be put
to the final test. The Admiral turned to his flag captain and chief-of-staff, both snapped to
attention.

"Order the Taskgroups into final formations, we will commence the attack on the system
defence squadron and space installations presently."

"Understood, Admiral." His chief-of-staff responded crisply, as he tapped the necessary

order into a computer data board. Communications would relay the necessary signals in a
matter of seconds.

"Captain, open a channel to the fleet I wish to address them before we go into action." "As
you wish, Admiral."

"Soldiers of the Fleet! We are about to embark on a dangerous mission, But know this, we are going to do more
than win a tactical victory here, we are going to right a historic injustice - we are taking back what is rightfully
ours." The Admiral paused to let his words sink in. "I have every confidence that all of you will give me your best,
the eyes of our people are on us, the weight of history is behind us, the future and whatever it holds is before us.
Good luck and good hunting to all of you."

The Admiral then turned to the tactical imager again, and signalled to his subordinates with an off hand gesture,
"Commence the attack."

18

Ezekiel Hartmn (Order #1285)

 Tech Levels
Designing Ships
In the basic rules all ships are the same Tech
Level (TL 4). To use ships of different Tech Levels,
only a very few things need to be modified. The
Tech Levels we use are:
3 (low)
4 (average)
5 (advanced)
6 (very advanced)
In the basic rules, the maximum Primary and
Secondary Battery strength of a ship is calculated as
the number of available Hull Boxes multiplied by 4.
When using the optional Tech Levels, this changes to
the number of available Hull Boxes multiplied by the
ship's TL. Calculations for Special Weapons and
Fighter Flights do not change; each one chosen will
still decrease the available mass by one.
When designing a ship, the maximum level of
Electronic Defences (shields/screens) a ship may be
given is now equal to its TL.
The battered cruiser Lorik pulled up alongside the secret asteroid repair base. The weary officers and ratings
heaved a sigh of relief, that they had finally made it to safety. They would be out of the heavy fighting for at least a
little while, as repairs were affected to their ship.
"I for one am glad to see port, even if it is only a dull repair station" one of the bridge officers remarked.
The Lorik needed it, the last few battles and actions had been as non-stop as they had been gruelling. The wear and
tear on the ship's fabric was matched by heavy losses in crew
Ezekiel Hartmn (Order #1285)
Point Values
These are added/subtracted from the Total Ship Cost
(not the basic cost).
Tech level 3: -25%
Tech level 5: +50%
Tech level 6: +100%
 For example: to calculate the cost of a
different tech ship, first calculate the Total
Ship Cost. Now add 50% to the cost for a
tech 5 ship or 100% (double) to the cost of a
tech 6 ship. For a tech 3 ship, subtract 25%
from the Total Ship Cost (multiply by .75).
Combat Effects
A TL modifier on the Combat Chart is now
used. The firing ship gets a -1 for every TL it is
lower than its target, representing inferior ECM.
This is the only modifier that applies for Primary
AND Secondary Battery weapons. A ship does NOT
get +1 for being a higher TL.
Critical Hit #5 (Electronic Defences) now includes
the following: Lower TL ships no longer get the -1
combat modifier while ED (& ECM) is down.
Scanning: a +1 AND a -1 modifier is applied for each
TL difference between ships.
Changes to Special Weapons and Fighters are found
in their relevant sections.
19
 Optional Movement Rules
Agile
A ship designated as Agile (marked next
to the engine icon) can use engine power
to make itself harder to hit. One point
from the engine power is required to gain
the benefit from this greater agility. This
does not need to be recorded or announced in any
way; however, there must be one unused point of
engine power at the end of the turn for the ship to
gain the agile combat modifier. This represents the
ship weaving and dodging.
Shadowing
Shadowing an enemy ship means to get
behind it and follow it, attempting to remain behind it
by copying its movements. To be eligible to shadow
a ship the shadowing ship must be in the target ship's
rear arc, the target ship must be in the shadowing
ship's forward arc, and the shadowing ship must be
within close range (ie 12 inches) of the target ship.
Instead of plotting your movement during the Plot
Movement sub-phase of the turn, you merely write
'Shadow' for the shadowing ship. In the Movement
Phase, announce that you have shadowing ships and
point to the ships being shadowed. Your opponent
must reveal their movement plot. Now, write your
own plot for the shadowing ship, attempting to
remain behind the target ship (although there is no
guarantee of success). All ships are then moved
normally during the movement phase.
Collisions
Because of the huge 'ground' scale used for
the playing surface in ASFoS, ships cannot
accidentally collide (space is big). Any collisions
that occur must be caused by deliberate rams.
Ezekiel Hartmn (Order #1285)
Ramming
Ramming an enemy ship during combat is a
very difficult and desperate maneuver, usually
considered a suicide mission. However, sometimes
it's the only way guaranteed to damage an enemy
ship. To pull it off you must accomplish two things:
(1) convince your crew it's necessary (ie pass a
ramming morale test); and (2) actually ram your
opponent's ship (ie plot movement and collide). You
begin by trying to guess the target ship's next move
and plotting your own ship's movement to collide at
some point during the turn. This is a normal ship
movement plot and if you fail to ram for any reason,
it is carried out as normal. When all plotting is
finished but before movement begins, announce that
you are attempting to ram, point to the target ship and
the ship attempting to ram, and take a ramming
morale test.
Ramming Morale Test - All ships are
considered initially to have NO reason to ram unless
one of the following conditions apply:
 Defending Important Location: This must
be a scenario-specific reason. The defenders
are protecting an important colony world,
home planet, or vital research base, etc. This
must be announced before the game begins.
 No Weapons: The ramming ship has lost all
its weapon boxes or its fire control is down.
 Lower Tech Level: Each TL the ramming
ship is lower than its target is considered a
reason to ram.
 Warrior Race: The ramming ship is crewed
by a warrior race. This must be generally
accepted or justified before the game begins.
Little fuzzy ships, crewed by warrior
Tribbles, ramming everyone at some
convention would be very disappointing.
20
 To pass the test, you must roll equal to or less than
the number of reasons you have to ram, on a d6.
Optional Modifiers: (to reasons to ram)
Cautious Captain -1
Aggressive Captain +1 (see Morale rules)
Movement - The ramming ship and its target now
break their movement plots into fractions to find out
if a ram occurs. For example, ships moving 12
inches per turn might break their movement into
quarters, moving three inches at a time until the ships
either pass each other or collide. The faster the ships
are moving, the smaller the fractions may have to be.
If the ramming ship comes within its own engine
rating (in inches) of the target ship, there is a chance
the ram will succeed
Evasion - The target ship hasn't been rammed yet,
it can attempt to evade. It has a basic 50% chance to
get out of the way. Roll 1d6 to evade the attempted
ram; a result of 3 or less represents a successful
evasion and both ships finish their movement plots as
if nothing happened. This number is modified by the
below factors. Sometimes the target ship will end up
with no chance of avoiding the ram.
Target Ship is:
Agile +1
per engine rating +1
escort/titan* - combat modifier
Ramming Ship is:
Agile -1
per engine rating -1
escort/titan + combat modifier
warrior race* +1
* The target ship reverses the modifier
(ie +1 for Escort or -1 for Titan).
* Warrior race: you were expecting it, after all.
Ezekiel Hartmn (Order #1285)
If the target ship fails to evade it has one chance left
to thwart the ramming attempt. It may fire all
weapons (in arc) point blank at the ramming ship. If
the target ship succeeds in destroying the ramming
ship, the target ship may continue with its movement
plot unaffected. Otherwise the target is rammed, and
damage is calculated. Firing weapons to survive a
ramming attempt forfeits the target ship's ability to
fire later during this turn's Combat Phase.
Damage - To determine the damage from
ramming, the ramming speed must first be
determined. If the ramming ship strikes in the
target's forward arc, the two ships' speeds are added
together. If it strikes in the target's left or right arcs,
the ramming speed is equal to the ramming ship's
speed. If it strikes in the target's rear arc, the
ramming speed is the rammer's speed minus the
target's speed (or 0, if the target is moving faster).
Both ships take ram damage. The Attack Factor of
the ram damage is equal to the ramming speed
multiplied by the other ship's original hull size. The
Defense Factors of the ships are their basic Hull
Strengths, do not include Electronic Defenses, and no
combat modifiers are used. Roll as many times as
necessary on the combat chart and apply damage
immediately. Both ships lose the remainder of their
movement plot for this turn.
21
 Optional Combat Rules
Expanded Firing Sequence Currently all ships have an average aspect. If a ship's
design warrants it, one Aspect of a ship may be
The Combat Phase needs to be modified when declared 'small' if the other Aspect is declared 'large'.
using Fighters and Special Weapons. The new firing Firing at a ship's small Aspect receives a -1 combat
sequence becomes: modifier, and firing at its large aspect receives a +1.

 For example: a ship shaped like a cigar may

have small front and rear aspects. An enemy
1) Primary Batteries ship firing at it while in the target ship's
2) Special Weapons forward or rear arcs would receive the -1
3) Secondary Batteries combat modifier. A second enemy ship, in
4) Other Ordinance (Fighters and Missiles) the target ship's left or right arcs would
receive a +1 (large Aspect).

Expanded Modifier Chart

 For example: a ship is targeted by an enemy
ship at long range and at the same time is Modifiers are added to or subtracted from the
attacked by enemy Fighters. First, both ships dice rolls of Primary Battery and Special Weapon fire
fire their Primary Batteries in the only. Secondary Batteries are not modified (except
appropriate arcs and damage is recorded. for TL). Rolls greater than 6 are treated as 6, rolls
Then, both ships fire Special Weapons, if they less than 0 are treated as 0.
have any in arc and they weren't lost during
Primary Battery fire, and damage is
recorded. The target ship then fires its Target is: Range:
Secondary Batteries (using new damaged
strengths) at the attacking Fighters. Last, the Agile -1 0-12" 0
surviving Fighters attack. Fast -1 12-24" -1
Slow +1 24-36" -2
Stationary +2
Aspect Escort -1 Gas/inch -1
Titan +1* Dust/inch -3
A ship's design may be such that it looks Aspect -1/+1
bigger from one direction than it does from another.
This is called its Aspect, or how big it looks Tech Level -1 TL -1
depending upon another ship's point of view. -2 TL -2
-3 TL -3
The obvious example of different Aspects on a ship
would be a ship shaped like a cigar. Viewed from the
end it seems small, viewed from the side it appears * Titans: Any firing at Titans receives a +1 size
larger. This has an effect on how easily it is targeted. modifier for each 25 Hull Boxes the Titan started
with (ie +2 for 50 mass, +3 for 75 mass). Since
The three Aspects of a ship should be front/rear, Titans start with at least 25 Hull Boxes, firing at them
left/right, top/bottom, but since our games are played always has at least a +1 modifier.
in only 2 dimensions, the 3d aspects of a ship have to
be decreased to only 2. For this to work we combine Agile ships are defined during the ship design
top/bottom and left/right so that our 2 Aspects will process and require 1 point of power from the
be: End (front/rear) and Side (left/right top/bottom). engines. Fast ships are any ships moving 12" or
Ships may not have more than 50% of their mass in greater for the current turn. Slow ships are any ships
weapon strengths in any arc with a small aspect. moving 4 inches or less for the current turn.
Stationary ships are not moving.

22

Ezekiel Hartmn (Order #1285)

 Critical Hits
Damage Procedure
If you roll doubles with the damage dice (the
same number on both the hull & weapon dice) AND
if you do damage, then you have inflicted a Critical
Hit on the target ship. Roll another die, and consult
the below chart. Multiple hits on the same location
(until repaired) are wasted.
Die
Roll Location Effect
1 Bridge (Br) The Bridge has been hit
and command functions are down. The ship must
reuse last turns movement plot, and Primary and
Special Weapons must fire at last turn's target (or not
at all). This continues until repaired.
2 Fire Control (FC) Fire Control scanners
and computers are off line. No Primary or Special
weapon firing permitted until repaired.
3 Reactor (R) A power reactor goes
critical and explodes at the beginning of the next turn
for d6 worth of extra hull damage (unless
immediately repaired).
4 Engine (E) Engines are damaged and
have shut down. Engine power rating is reduced to 0
and the +2 'stationary' combat modifier is applied due
to the ship's directional predictability until repaired.
5 Electronic Defences (ED) Shields and
screens are down. The ship uses its natural hull
strength as its defensive factor until repaired.
6 Munitions (Mn) Uncontrolled fires break
out among the munitions and fuel storage. Lose one
hull box per turn until extinguished (repaired).
 For example: If your opponent rolls doubles
getting a critical hit, then rolls a third die
which results in a '3', then he has inflicted the
Reactor critical on the target ship. If you do
not succeed in repairing this critical hit at
the end of the turn then you roll a d6 and
mark off that number of hull boxes as
destroyed. In the case of the Reactor critical,
it becomes available again whether you
repaired it or not.
Ezekiel Hartmn (Order #1285)
Escorts use a slightly modified Critical Hits Chart
since some of the explanations in the standard chart
won't make sense. For Escorts, the following Critical
Hit explanations apply (although none of the effects
actually change):
1. Squadron commander's ship is hit and
communications are down.
2. EMP burst has knocked out all targeting
computers in the squadron.
3. Catastrophic explosion on one of the
Escorts. Chain reaction explosions possible.
4. Squadron commander's ship is out of
control and cannot be contacted.
5. EMP burst from damaged ship has
knocked down all ED in the squadron.
6. Debris has struck all ships in the
squadron. Structural integrity compromised.
Damage Control
All ships have Crew Units (CUs),
small teams of crewmen dedicated to
fixing damaged systems, which can
be used to repair critical hits. The
number of CUs on a ship is equal to
1/4 of the ship's hull boxes, rounded off (minimum of
1). The icon for each CU is placed on the ship's
display in the row of hull boxes. This box still counts
as a hull box. If the box containing the CU is
destroyed, the CU is also lost.
At the end of the turn, during the repairs phase, you
declare how many CUs are attempting to repair
which critical hits, up to a maximum of 5 CUs per hit
(if you have that many). Each CU may only work on
one critical per turn, and has a 1 in 6 chance to repair
it. When multiple CUs attempt to repair the same
critical add their chances together. You may only
make one attempt to repair any given critical per turn.
The CUs need to roll equal to or lower than the
number working on the critical on a d6 to affect the
repair. Since repairs come after firing in the
sequence of play, it is possible to repair a system the
same turn it was hit.
 For example: 2 CUs are attempting to repair
a Bridge hit. Roll a d6, on a 1 or 2 the
bridge is fixed.
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 Special Weapons
General Rules
All ships may be given ONE type of special
weapon in addition to its primary and secondary
batteries. The number of special weapons a ship
mounts is recorded in the box next to the secondaries
on the Ship Display. This is different from the
normal way, instead of recording their attack factor,
you record how many special weapons the ship has.
This number decreases with weapons box damage in
the same manner as other weapons.
Special weapons fire after Primaries and always fire
in the forward arc, possibly giving a ship a third 'shot'
per turn. Unless stated otherwise, special weapons
are treated like primaries.
 For example: a ship is targeted by an enemy
ship at long range, and at the same time it is
attacked by another enemy ship at 6 inches.
First, all three ships fire their Primary
Batteries for the appropriate arc, and
damage is recorded. Then the ships fire
Specials, if they have any in arc and they
weren't lost during primary fire, and damage
is recorded. Then the two ships within 6
inches fire their Secondaries (using new
damaged strengths) at each other and record
damage.
Mass Driver (MD)
A Spinal-mounted Mass Driver, also known
as a Railgun or Gauss Gun, is a massive weapon
system that functions by using electromagnetic
grapples to accelerate solid projectiles to high speeds
and fire them along the axis of the ship. Although
Mass Drivers become less accurate with range and
have difficulty hitting agile targets, they are powerful
weapons due to the tremendous amounts of damage
they can inflict, which does not decrease with
distance.
Each Mass Driver may fire once per turn, at targets in
the forward arc. Roll one d6 for each Mass Driver
firing from a single ship, the basic chance of hitting is
'4' or higher on the die. All normal modifiers for
Primary fire apply for this 'to hit' number.
Ezekiel Hartmn (Order #1285)
 For example: firing at a slow ship at 32
inches range, would require a 5 or 6 on the
die. (ie: roll a 5, +1 for slow -2 for range =
4, a hit).
If a Mass Driver hits, it hits with an attack factor of
12. If multiple Mass Drivers from the same ship hit,
add their attack factors together. Then roll for
damage on the Combat Chart, without modifiers
(they've already been counted in the 'to hit' number).
When using Tech Levels, the Attack Factor of each
Mass Driver is equal to triple the firing ship's TL.
Particle Cannon (PC)
A Particle Cannon is a powerful but short-
ranged weapon that fires a large concentrated beam
of charged particles at near relativistic speeds. Range
is limited by the difficulty in focusing the beam
because of the tendency of the charged particles to
repel one another and thus dissipating the beam.
Because of this, damage potential drops off quickly
with range.
A ship with Particle Cannon(s) may fire them once
per turn, at targets in the forward arc. Each Particle
Cannon has an attack factor of 8. When firing
multiple Particle Cannons from the same ship add
their AFs together to get a total attack factor, which is
then used against the target ship. All modifiers for
primary fire are used normally except range. Particle
Cannons do not use the range modifiers, instead there
is a column shift on the combat chart, making the
Particle Cannon weaker with range. If firing at
medium range the Particle Cannon shifts 2 columns
to the left on the combat chart, and at long range it
shifts 4 columns.
 For example: firing 2 Particle Cannons with
a total AF of 16, at a ship with a DF of 5,
would normally result in a 3 to 1 attack ratio
on the combat chart. In this case however, if
the target was 18" away (medium range), the
attack ratio would decrease by two columns
and become a 3 to 2 attack instead.
When using Tech Levels, the Attack Factor of each
Particle Cannon is double the firing ship's TL.
24
 Laser Lance (LL)
In spite of the name, a Laser Lance is not a
laser weapon at all; rather it is an anti-matter particle
beam. Aimed and focused using magnetic fields, this
powerful beam weapon concentrates all of its energy
into a thin stream of anti-matter particles to generate
the highest possible penetrating power. When this
beam strikes the target's hull, it tends to cut deep into
the ship. In extreme cases, powerful Laser Lances
have been known to cut small ships in half.
A ship with Laser Lances may fire them once per
turn, at targets in the forward arc. Each Laser Lance
has an attack factor of 4. When firing multiple Laser
Lances from the same ship, add their Attack Factors
together to get a total AF. Roll 2d6 as normal,
however, the higher die result always represents the
hull damage and the lower die result represents
weapon damage (instead of assigning damage type to
the dice colour ahead of time). This will result in
Laser Lances causing more hull hits than weapon hits
(on average) and represents the effect of cutting deep
into the hull.
 For example: firing 2 Laser Lances with a
total AF of 8, at a ship with a DF of 4, will
result in a 2 to 1 attack ratio on the combat
chart. If the resulting damage roll is a '2' on
the Hull die and a '5' on the Weapons die,
this would reverse, the '5' die would count as
the hull damage, and the '2' die would count
as the weapon damage.
When using Tech Levels, the Attack Factor of each
Laser Lance is equal to the firing ship's TL.
Missile Battery (MB)
A Missile is a small, fast, self-guided
explosive device containing an engine and a powerful
warhead. Each Missile Battery consists of the missile
launching system and its ammunition supply, which
is considered sufficient for the entire game.
Although the launching ship must provide lock-on
guidance to fire a Missile, during flight the Missile is
capable of independently tracking its target.
Missiles are considered Other Ordinance. Each
Missile Battery can fire a single long-range Missile
per turn. This Missile has an Attack Factor of 4 and a
Defence Factor of 2. It has enough fuel to survive
two turns on the table. If it hasn't hit an enemy ship
Ezekiel Hartmn (Order #1285)
by the end of the second turn, it is removed. When
multiple Missiles successfully hit the same target,
add the Missile AFs together for a total AF and roll
for damage on the Combat Chart with all normal
modifiers for Primary Battery firing applied except
range.
Each time a Missile moves, it may first turn up to 45
degrees and then move straight forward up to 12
inches. Using Missiles requires a change to the
Movement Phase of the turn. This phase is now
broken into four sub-phases.
a) Plot Movement
b) 1st Fighter/Missile Movement: Missiles
are fired in the forward arc and may
immediately make a normal move (in effect
allowing a 180 degree firing arc). Missiles
already launched may move normally.
c) Normal Ship Movement
d) 2nd Fighter/Missile Movement: Missiles
move normally. If this is their second turn
on the table and they fail to hit an enemy
ship, they are removed.
 For example: a ship is targeted by two enemy
ships from 32 inches away, one with 2
Missile Batteries the other with 3. The
targeted ship is out of arc of both firing ships
but this doesn't matter since the missiles
won't arrive for 2 turns. This is plenty of
time to get on target.
Firing during the 1st Fighter/Missile
movement sub-phase with the maximum 45
degree arc from straight ahead allowed, they
immediately make a 45 degree turn before
moving 12 inches. Since they haven't hit the
target ship, they turn and move again during
the 2nd Fighter/Missile movement sub-phase.
If the players are using 2 sided missile
counters, they are now turned over to
represent using up 1 turn's endurance.
During the next turn's 1st Fighter/Missile
movement sub-phase the missiles turn again,
move and (hopefully) hit the target ship. Since
the target ship hasn't moved yet, the missiles
are dragged with it to remind the players that
the ship was hit.
25

Only Secondary Batteries may attempt to stop
missiles by shooting them down, and only one die
needs to be rolled (for hull damage). When
defending against multiple incoming Missiles, treat
them as if they were a single target; with each hit
destroying one Missile. Allied ships within
Secondary range of the targeted ship may also
attempt to shoot down the incoming missiles if not
targeted themselves.
 For example: during the combat phase the
target ship defends itself with its secondaries
and gets 3 hits destroying 3 missiles. The
remaining 2 missiles attack with an Attack
Factor of 8.
When using Tech Levels, the Attack Factor of each
Missile is equal to the TL of the firing ship and its
maximum movement per phase is three times the TL.
A Missile's Defence Factor doesn't change.
Energy Torpedo (ET)
An Energy Torpedo is a self contained burst
of high-power energy fired directly at the target ship.
Although slightly more accurate than Mass Drivers,
due to a limited amount of self-guidance, Energy
Torpedoes are also slightly less powerful. As with
Mass Drivers, Energy Torpedo damage does not
decrease with range.
Each Energy Torpedo may fire once per turn, at
targets in the forward arc. Roll 1d6 for each one
firing; the basic chance of hitting is 3 or higher on the
die. All normal modifiers for Primary Battery fire
are applied to this number.
 For example: firing at a slow ship at 32 inch
range would require a 4, 5 or 6 on the die (ie
4 is rolled: +1 for Slow, -2 for range, total =
3, a hit). An Energy Torpedo hits with an
Attack Factor of 8. If multiple Energy
Torpedoes from the same ship hit, add their
Attack Factors together for a total AF. Roll
for damage on the Combat Chart without
modifiers (they've already been counted).
When using Tech Levels, the Attack Factor of each
Energy Torpedo is double the firing ship's TL.
Ezekiel Hartmn (Order #1285)
Disruptor (D)
A Disruptor is a powerful but short-ranged
weapon that fires an asynchronous harmonics beam
which generates a disruption pattern in the molecular
bonds of the target. Range is limited by the difficulty
in focusing the beam and therefore damage potential
drops off quickly with range.
A ship with Disruptors may fire them once per turn,
at targets in the forward arc. Each Disruptor has an
Attack Factor of 8. When firing multiple Disruptors
from the same ship, add their Attack Factors together
to get a total AF, which is then used against the target
ship. All modifiers for Primary Battery fire are used
normally, except range. Disruptors triple the range
modifiers: short range -0; medium range -3; long
range -6 (normally no chance to hit).
 For example: firing 2 Disruptors with a total
AF of 16, at a ship with a DF of 4, will result
in a 4 to 1 attack ratio on the combat chart.
If the target was at medium range the combat
modifier would be -3 instead of -1.
When using Tech Levels, the Attack Factor of each
Disruptor is equal to double the firing ship's TL.
Plasma Accelerator (PA)
A Plasma Accelerator depends on a burst of
confined high-energy hydrogen plasma to deliver
damage, either in a stream or as a self-contained ball.
Due to the physical nature of this plasma, the Plasma
Accelerator is a very short-ranged weapon; its
damage potential drops off quickly. However, at
close range, its power is far greater than that of
normal beam weapons.
A ship with Plasma Accelerators may fire them once
per turn, at targets in the forward arc. Each Plasma
Accelerator has a basic Attack Factor of 4; however,
the final AF depends upon the range to the target. As
mentioned, Plasma Accelerators are very powerful
but very short-ranged weapons. The short range is
represented by using six inch range bands instead of
the normal twelve inch bands. Its power is
represented by a basic Attack Factor tripled at close
range (0-6 inches), doubled at medium range (6-12
inches), and normal at long range (12-18 inches). All
combat modifiers (including range modifiers) are
used. When firing multiple Plasma Accelerators
from the same ship, add their Attack Factors together
to get a total AF.
26
  For example: firing 2 Plasma Accelerators
with a total AF of 8, at a target 9 inches
away (medium range) would result in an
actual AF of 16 instead (8 doubled).
When using Tech Levels, the basic Attack Factor of
each Plasma Accelerator equals the firing ships TL.
Missile Packs (MP)
Meant to represent those massive launches
of small short-range missiles so popular in anime sci-
fi, a Missile Pack launcher contains six tubes each,
plus ammo supply. When they fire, all six tubes
launch simultaneously and the missiles travel
together as a pack. The battery's ammo supply is
considered sufficient for the entire game.
Missile Packs are considered Other Ordinance.
Each Missile Pack launcher may fire a group of six
small missiles once per turn. The Missiles of each
individual pack must move together and attack the
same target at the same time. These missiles only
last one turn; if they haven't hit an enemy ship by the
end of the turn they're removed from the board. Each
Missile Pack has an Attack Factor of 4 and a Defence
Factor of 1. When multiple packs successfully hit the
same target, add the missile AFs together for a total
AF and roll for damage on the Combat Chart with all
normal modifiers for Primary Battery fire, except
range.
Each time a Missile Pack moves, it may first turn up
to a 45 degree and then move straight forward up to
12 inches. Using Missile Packs requires a change to
the Movement Phase. This phase is now broken into
four sub-phases:
a) Plot Movement
b) 1st Fighter/Missile Movement: Missile
Packs are fired in the forward arc and may
immediately make a normal move (in effect
allowing a 180 degree firing arc).
c) Normal Ship Movement
d) 2nd Fighter/Missile Movement: Missile
Packs move normally. If they fail to hit an
enemy ship, they are removed.
Ezekiel Hartmn (Order #1285)
 For example: a ship is targeted by two enemy
ships from 22 inches away, one with 2
Missile Packs the other with 3. The targeted
ship is out of arc of both firing ships but
hopefully there will be time to get on target.
Firing during the 1st Fighter/Missile
movement sub-phase with the maximum 45
degree arc from straight ahead allowed, they
immediately make a 45 degree turn before
moving 12 inches. Since they haven't hit the
target ship, they turn and move again during
the 2nd Fighter/Missile movement sub-phase
this time hitting the target ship.
Only Secondary Batteries may attempt to stop
Missile Packs by shooting them down, and only one
die needs to be rolled (for hull damage). When
defending against multiple incoming Packs, treat
them as if they were a single target. The first hit will
reduce a Pack to damaged status, a second hit will
destroy it. A damaged Missile Pack represents three
missiles with an AF of 2 but with its DF unchanged.
Allied ships within Secondary range of the targeted
ship may also attempt to shoot down the incoming
Missile Packs if not targeted themselves.
 For example: during the combat phase the
target ship defends itself with its secondaries
and gets 5 hits destroying 2 Missile Packs
and damaging a 3rd (or damaging 5). The
remaining Missile Packs attack with an
Attack Factor of 10.
When using Tech Levels, the Attack Factor of each
Missile Pack is equal to the TL of the firing ship.
The AF of damaged Missile Packs is half the TL. A
Missile Pack's Defence Factor doesn't change. Their
maximum movement per phase is three times the TL.
EMP Torpedo (E)
An EMP Torpedo is designed to generate an
enormous electromagnetic pulse rather than a great
amount of damage when it detonates. If it hits the
target ship, this pulse has a greatly increased chance
of knocking important ship systems offline.
Each EMP Torpedo may fire once per turn, at targets
in the forward arc. They are treated as a Special
Weapon of the Energy Torpedo type; each EMP
Torpedo rolls to hit the same as an Energy Torpedo.
EMP Torpedoes hit with an attack factor of 4 (instead
of an 8). If multiple EMP Torpedoes from the same
27
 ship hit, add their Attack Factors together for a total
AF. Roll for damage on the Combat Chart without
modifiers (they've already been factored in).
However, after rolling the two dice, the lower die
result is treated as if it were both dice, resulting in a
Critical Hit. The higher die is the Critical Hit itself.
Remember, any time the Attacker to Target Ratio
exceeds 6:1, another roll is allowed using the left
over factors. For a Super Weapon, this extra roll
would have to be against the same ship since this was
the only ship hit by the Super Weapon.

 For example: if you roll a 2 and a 4 (hull or Limits on Missiles

weapons doesn't matter), they are treated as
two 2s. IF you've inflicted damage, the 4 (ie
engines) becomes the Critical Hit.
When using Tech Levels, the Attack Factor of each
EMP Torpedo is equal to the firing ship's TL.
Super Weapons
Super Weapons are not a new type of ultra
powerful weapon; rather, they are larger versions of
previously defined Special Weapons (Primary and
Secondary batteries may not be re-defined as Super
Weapons). Super Weapons were created for those
ships that need a few large powerful weapons instead
of many small weapons in order to stay true to their
origins (also to add variety). Some tend to be all-or-
nothing weapons, hitting or missing, while others
change the combat calculations very little.
A Super Weapon can be any size compared to the
smaller Special Weapon it's based on. Where a
normal Special Weapon would take up 1 mass, a
Super Weapon takes up a multiple of this mass. This
size defines the Super Weapon. The Attack Factor of
the Super Weapon is also a multiple of the normal
AF. Although a Super Weapon takes up multiple
mass compared to its basic counterpart, it is
considered to be ONLY one weapon and uses the
same rules to hit. Super Weapons are recorded in the
same way as Special Weapons on the Ship Display,
there are simply fewer of them.
While missiles in small numbers seem a
little underpowered, missiles in great numbers can be
a bit overwhelming. If you think missiles need to be
balanced, there are two ways this can be done.
Ammo Supply - Missile Batteries do not have
unlimited ammunition. Each battery gets 4 shots
represented by a 'magazine' icon placed evenly in the
Hull row. Each shot is marked off when fired.
If a magazine is lost, then 1 battery can no longer
fire. If a battery is lost, so is 1 magazine (but not the
Hull Box).
Wave Attacks - missiles do not all arrive at the
target at exactly the same instant. This gives
secondaries the opportunity of firing at each wave as
it arrives. All the missiles fired during a single turn
from each individual enemy ship are considered 1
wave. The attacker decides which waves attack first.
Each wave is fired on by defending secondaries, then
hit and do damage. Then the next wave attacks, is
fired on by the now damaged secondaries, hits and
does damage. Each wave is calculated separately.

 Example 1: A Particle Cannon takes up 1

mass and its Attack Factor is 8. A double
sized Particle Cannon Super Weapon takes
up 2 mass and its AF is 16 (ie 2 x 8). A triple
sized Particle Cannon Super Weapon takes
up 3 mass and its AF is 24 (ie 3 x 8).

 Example 2: A double sized Mass Driver

Super Weapon takes up 2 mass, and its AF, if
it hits, is 24 (2 x 12). However, since it's
only one weapon, only one attempt to hit is
rolled.

28

Ezekiel Hartmn (Order #1285)

 Fighters
Basic Fighter Rules
Fighters are small, fast and
maneuverable attack craft, equipped
with very short-range weapons.
Fighters must close to point-blank
range (touching) in order to attack
their targets. Typically one-man craft, they are
deployed in flights or squadrons because of their
small individual attack potential and their
vulnerability to enemy fire.
Fighter Flights are represented by tiny fighter models
or more easily, by counters. Fighter Flights do not
need ship displays, the only important information
about a Fighter Flight is whether it's been damaged or
destroyed.
Fighter Bays are represented by Fighter icons spaced
evenly in the Hull Boxes row on the Ship Display.
Each Fighter Bay represents one Flight of six
standard Fighters, occupies a Hull Box, and takes up
1 mass. Each of these Fighter Flights begins with an
Attack Factor of 4 and a Defence Factor of 3. Fighter
weapons have a maximum range of 0 inches (must be
touching the target) but are treated as Secondary
Batteries for all other purposes.
Fighters may move up to 12 inches per
Fighter/Missile movement sub-phase in any
direction. This movement is done directly on the
game table, no plotting is necessary for Fighter
movement.
Fighters are considered Other Ordinance. When
attacked, Fighter Flights are reduced to damaged
status by the first hit and are destroyed by a second
hit. Each damaged Fighter Flight represents three
fighters with an AF of 2 but with its DF of 3
unchanged.
A ship may launch and/or recover a number of
Fighter Flights equal to one third of its (undestroyed)
Fighter Bays per turn, rounded to the nearest whole
number (minimum 1). A ship may not launch or
recover fighters during a turn that it changes speed or
direction.
If the Hull Box containing a Fighter Bay is destroyed
with the Fighters still inside, the Fighters are also
destroyed; otherwise, the number of Fighter Flights
the ship can carry merely decreases by one.
Ezekiel Hartmn (Order #1285)
If you wish to combine two damaged Fighter Flights
to make a full strength one, you must first reload
them onto a carrying ship.
Fighters require a change to the Movement Phase.
This phase is now broken into four sub-phases:
a) Plot Movement
b) 1st Fighter/Missile Movement: Fighters
already launched may move 12 inches in
any direction. Un-launched fighters may
launch (but not move).
c) Normal Ship Movement
d) 2nd Fighter/Missile Movement: Fighters
already launched may move 12 inches in
any direction. Fighters touching a carrier
may be recovered.
When multiple Fighter Flights attack the same target,
add their Attack Factors together. The maximum
number of full or damaged Fighter Flights that may
attack a single target at the same time is equal to the
target's hull size (ie three Fighter Flights may attack a
3 mass Light Cruiser) or a maximum of two Fighter
Flights may attack another Fighter Flight
When defending against multiple Fighter Flights,
treat them as if they were a single target. The
defending player decides which Fighter Flights suffer
damage (spreading out the damage has the advantage
of decreasing the ability of the survivors to
concentrate). Fighters may only be attacked by
Secondary Batteries (and other Fighters) and only
one die (hull) is rolled for damage. Allied ships
within Secondary range of the targeted ship may also
attempt to shoot down fighters if not targeted
themselves.
When there are several Fighter vs Fighter combats
near each other, combine their factors and roll one
result as if it were a single large dogfight.
Remember, when calculating the odds in dogfights,
calculate the total Attack Factor vs the defender's
Defence Factor (not numbers of Fighters vs numbers
of Fighters).
29
 Tech Levels
When using Tech Levels, the Attack Factor
of each Fighter Flight equals the TL of the launching
ship; damaged Fighter Flights equal one half of the
launching ship's TL. Their maximum movement per
phase becomes 3 times the TL. A Fighter Flight's
Defence Factor doesn't change.
Fighter Variants
Fighter specialization can be created by
using the following two categories: Fighter Weight
and Fighter Mission. By choosing one aspect from
each category, 9 different Fighter types can be
created. A Medium Standard is the basic design.
Fighter Weight
Light/Fast: A type of fighter that sacrifices armour
weight for speed. Their movement rate is increased
to 16 inches per sub-phase (or 4 x TL); however,
their Defence Factor is decreased to 2 (weak). These
fighters receive the -1 Fast modifier in all combat.
Interceptors are commonly this type of fighter.
Medium: Standard Fighters (which use the basic
rules for movement).
Heavy/Slow: A type of fighter that sacrifices speed
and agility for heavier armour. Their movement rate
is decreased to 8 inches per sub-phase (or 2 x TL);
however, their Defence Factor is increased to 4
(strong). These fighters receive the +1 Slow modifier
in all combat.
Fighter Mission
Interceptor: A type of fighter designed to attack
enemy fighters at the expense of anti-ship
capabilities. They receive a +2 modifier in combat vs
enemy fighters and a -2 modifier vs enemy ships.
Standard: Standard Fighters (which use the basic
rules for combat).
Bomber: A type of fighter designed to attack enemy
ships at the expense of dog-fighting capabilities.
They receive a +2 modifier in combat vs enemy ships
and a -2 modifier vs enemy fighters.
Ezekiel Hartmn (Order #1285)
Special Fighter Designs
Torpedo Bomber: Fighters designed exclusively for
attacking enemy ships; they cannot damage enemy
fighters. Their only armament is small Missile Pack
type warheads, 3 each, which gives a flight of six
Torpedo Bombers an Attack Factor of 12 (or 3 x TL).
The range of these warheads is still normal Fighter
range (ie 0 inches) and the whole flight must fire at
the same time. Once the warheads have been fired,
the flight must be recovered onto a ship to reload
before they can fire again. These Fighters receive the
Slow combat modifier (+1 to hit) while they're
carrying warheads regardless of their actual weight.
For those of you who want really big bombers, that
can attack ships AND fight off enemy fighters,
they're called frigates!
Squadron Formations
The smallest unit of Fighters in ASFoS is a
single Flight of six (damaged Flights are treated the
same as full strength ones). However, for large fleet
battles with swarms of fighters engaged on both
sides, using massive numbers of Fighter Flights can
become time-consuming. For this purpose, larger
unit sizes are needed. If between three and five
Fighter Flights are placed together on the table, this
grouping becomes a new larger unit called a Fighter
Squadron (if you use counters, they should be piled
together; if models, they should be touching). The
Fighter Flights that make up these Fighter Squadrons
must be touching at all times and moved together. If
moved apart, they no longer make up the larger unit.
Between three and five Fighter Squadrons make up a
Fighter Group and three to five Fighter Groups make
up a Fighter Wing. To really take advantage of these
larger unit sizes requires the use of Fighter Squadron
counters and the Fighter Group Table.
Fighter Squadron counters are slightly larger than
their Fighter Flight counterparts and contain room for
individual identification.
30
 The Fighter Group Table keeps track of all Fighter
Flights in the Fighter Squadrons, all Fighter
Squadrons in a given Fighter Group, and their
constituent Fighter types and current strengths. All
Fighters in a Fighter Squadron need to be of the same
type. The Attack Factor and damaged strengths of
each Fighter Squadron can be calculated in advance
in the same manner as a normal Ship Display. These
larger groupings of Fighters may be split or
recombined at will.
 In this example, the chart is filled in for the
tech 4 "805th Fighter Group." It is made up
of four Fighter Squadrons: the 1st Fighter
Squadron (Light Interceptors) of four Fighter
Flights; the 2nd and 3rd Fighter Squadrons
(Medium Standards) each of three Fighter
Flights; and the 4th Fighter Squadron
(Heavy Bombers) of five Fighter Flights. The
Attack Factors are calculated per Fighter
Squadron and filled in on the appropriate
lines. Each squadron would have its own
Fighter Squadron counter.
Fighter Initiative
When there are large numbers of Fighters on
the table, an organized movement sequence is
required. At the beginning of each turn's 1st Fighter
Movement sub-phase, each side rolls a die. The side
with the highest roll wins the initiative and moves
first in an alternate move system. Since large
formations react slower to circumstances than small
ones, we start at the bottom.
Larger units do not have to remain in their formation
for the entire movement sub-phase, they merely have
to begin that way.
Ezekiel Hartmn (Order #1285)
Sequence for each Fighter Movement sub-phase:
1. Alternately move all single and double
Fighter Flights, starting with the side who
won the initiative. If one side has more
Fighter Flights than the other, they move
the extra after the first side has finished.
2. Move all Fighter Squadrons in the same
fashion as in 1, above.
3. Move all Fighter Groups (squadron
groupings) in the same fashion as 1 above.
4. Move all Fighter Wings in the same
fashion as 1 above.
 For example: during Fighter Group
movement, a Fighter Group of nine Fighter
Flights, (three Fighter Squadrons of three
Fighter Flights each), breaks into two
Fighter Squadrons and three single Fighter
Flights in order to attack five separate
targets.
It is important to note that Fighters cannot be pinned.
If a Fighter unit has not yet moved, then it can move
away from contact during its own movement sub-
phase. However, this doesn't mean that Fighter
Flights can just zoom past one other as if they didn't
exist. All Fighter units, whether they've moved or
not, have a six-inch Zone of Control. Any other
Fighters passing through this zone may be attacked,
out of phase if necessary. If Fighters pass within six
inches of enemy Fighters on their way toward
something else, an attack may be declared on the
passing Fighters. If an attack is declared, the passing
Fighters may stop movement and engage the enemy
Fighters. Combat calculations are then carried out
normally during the Combat Phase. If the passing
Fighters choose to continue with their movement,
they must first take any appropriate damage. In other
words, the attacking Fighters calculate their attacks
out of sequence from the normal Combat Phase.
Once Fighter Flights are engaged with at least one
enemy Fighter Flight each, they can no longer
intercept the enemy in this manner. Remember,
Fighters are allowed only one attack per turn. If they
attack out of sequence as described above, they
forfeit any attacks in the Combat Phase.
31
 Boarding Actions
Ship Defence
There is one basic premise associated with a
ship's defence against boarding actions. Nobody can
actually take over a spaceship in an age where
computers can lock up all the critical control systems
with a single keystroke from the captain. However,
this doesn't mean you can't capture it.
Boarding Parties
Boarding Parties are made up of elite squads
of Assault Marines, specially equipped and trained in
the difficult tactics of boarding enemy spaceships.
Delivered by Assault Shuttle, Boarding Parties have
Attack and Defence Factors of 4 (or their Tech Level)
and are destroyed after suffering one hit each.

Boarding combat requires a slight change in the

definition of Crew Units. Instead of small teams of
crewmen dedicated to fixing damaged systems,
they're now defined as small teams of crewmen, who
can be spared from other duties to deal with
emergencies. Crew Units may be used to defend a
ship from boarders. They have Attack and Defence
Factors of 4 (or their Tech Level) and are destroyed
after suffering one hit each.
Assault Shuttles
In order to board an enemy ship, your
marines must reach it somehow.
Assault Shuttles are purpose built
Fighter-type craft, used for just this
purpose. Each shuttle takes up one
Hull Box. They are represented on the Ship Display
by shuttle icons spaced evenly in the Hull Boxes row.
These icons each represent one Assault Shuttle
containing one Marine boarding party. The Assault
shuttles are armoured but unarmed, move and defend
the same as a heavy/slow fighter, and are destroyed
after suffering only one hit. Assault shuttles are one-
way transportation; they cannot be reused to leave the
target ship.
Marines
Marines can also be used for
defensive purposes. A ship may
reinforce its defences by adding
Marine Units (MUs). They have the
same stats as Boarding Parties but
they help to defend a ship instead of attacking the
enemy's. The maximum number of Marines that can
be added to a ship depends on the number of Crew
Units already carried. A ship can carry a maximum
number of CUs plus MUs equal to half the ship's
mass, rounded down.
 For example: a 6 mass Cruiser with the
standard 2 CUs has room for 1 MU; an 8
mass cruiser, also with 2 CUs, has room for
2 MUs.
MUs are represented on the Ship Display in a similar
way as CUs, except with a laser icon, and add one
point each to the Total Ship Cost. These icons are
placed on the Ship Display, one every fourth Hull
Box, between the CU icons and MAY be placed in
the same Hull Box as Fighter icons. There is no
room for MUs on Escorts.

"I don't see why we have to play nursemaid to a lousy fuel carrier!" Debin Hurn snapped in irritation. As tactical
officer of the Battlecruiser Lorne, he would much prefer to be in the frontlines, rather than assigned to some
secondary and dull routine logistical mission. His companion on the bridge watch, the first officer Davil, shook his
head in resigned acceptance of Hurn's fit of temper.

"Keep it down, Hurn" he remarked reproachfully. He jerked his head around to indicate that the rest of the bridge
staff was listening to them, although they were working rather hard at the moment trying to look industrious and
focused at their work stations.

Both men failed to notice the sound of footfalls coming closer as they talked near one of the ships computer panels.
They looked up to find their captain looking coolly down at them from the bridge walkway.

32

Ezekiel Hartmn (Order #1285)

 Combat Calculations
Boarding Action Combat comes last in the
Combat Phase, during the Other Ordinance sub-
phase. The maximum number of Boarding Parties
allowed on a ship at one time is equal to half the
ship's mass, rounded down.
Add all the Boarding Party Attack Factors together,
compare to defender's CU Defence Factor, and roll
on the Combat Chart. The defender does the same.
Elite defenders (see Morale) receive a +1 modifier,
poor ones receive a -1. If this is the first turn of
boarding or there are no Boarding Parties left on
board from a previous turn, the attacker must fight
his way into the ship. To represent this, the defender
adds the ship's basic Hull Strength to their Defence
Factor. When CUs and defending Marines are
marked off the Ship Display, be careful to show the
damage as different from hull damage. The defender
gets to decide which type of unit to mark off.
When Boarding Parties invade a ship, they target one
specific area, one Critical Hit location of their choice.
If they defeat their opponents by destroying more of
them than they lose themselves, they inflict that
specific Critical Hit. They may stay at most locations
and the defenders must beat them before being
allowed to attempt to fix the Critical Hit. Locations
that they may NOT stay at are Reactor and
Munitions. They must abandon these areas and give
surviving damage control parties the chance to repair
them.
 For example: a 6 mass Cruiser with 2 CUs
and 1 Marine is boarded by 3 Boarding
Parties who choose 'Bridge' as their target.
The Cruiser's DF is 4 but 1 point of this is
due to Electronic Shielding, so its Basic DF
is only 3. Add this to the CUs and Marine's
DFs of 4 for a total DF of 7. The boarder's
AF is 12 (3x4) for a 3 to 2 attack on the
Combat Chart. If the attacker rolled a '6',
then he would inflict 2 casualties which the
defender would choose from his 2 CU and 1
Marine Unit. Simultaneously he would
attack back with an AF of 12 against the
boarders DF of 4 getting a 3 to 1 attack. If
he rolled a '1' he would inflict 1 casualty on
the boarders, losing the combat. A 'Bridge'
Critical Hit would be inflicted on the Cruiser.

"—Battle cruisers at the enemy! Give it everything!"

The commander of the battle cruiser squadron stared blankly for a moment at the order being relayed to him over
his comm. screen. The battle line was in desperate straits and needed precious minutes to withdraw and regroup;
minutes the victorious enemy was not going to give them. Not unless
something drastic was done. In this case the Admiral had decided to sacrifice
his battle cruisers to save the capital ships.

"Relay that order to all ships. I want an intercept course at once!"

"How close do you want to take us?" queried one of the commander's staff.

"Close enough, that I can throw grappling hooks over and board the enemy
ships!" the commander snapped.

He watched as his six battle cruisers came about, turning their bows towards their pursuing enemy. It was an
impressive sight, but the commander knew he was sending his ships and more importantly their crews to their
deaths. Few of his ships would even reach the enemy battle line.

"Helm, flank speed. Guns, fire all weapons as they bear."

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Ezekiel Hartmn (Order #1285)

 Experimental Weapon Rules
The following rules have not been extensively tested so, use with caution
Turrets (T)
Turrets are an exception to the normal ship
construction rules. Turrets are meant to represent
large Primary Beam weapons positioned within a
turret with multiple arcs of fire. When constructing a
ship with turrets, each 1 mass used generates 1/2
mass in battery power in each of the left, forward,
and right arcs. Due to this difference they are treated
in all ways as if they were Special Weapons and are
marked on the Ship Display appropriately. When
firing multiple Turrets from the same ship, add their
Attack Factors together to get a total AF.
 For example: a 3 mass Light Cruiser could
have one mass reserved for Primary
Batteries, one for Secondary Batteries, and
one used for Turrets. This would provide a
Beam Battery strength of 2 in left, forward,
and right arcs which would fire when Special
Weapons fired. When using Super Weapons,
fractions of mass may be used. In this
example, the Light Cruiser could have 2 1/2
mass in Turrets, giving it a Beam Battery
strength of 5 in any of the three arcs, but only
1/2 a mass would be left for Secondary
Battery power.
Nuke Packs (NP)
A Nuke Pack is the Super Weapon version
of the Missile Pack. Each NP fires a pack of six
small nuclear missiles once per game. A NP is
expended when it is fired and is immediately marked
off the Special Weapons box on the Ship Display.
Each small missile in a Nuke Pack has an Attack
Factor of 4 (or the firing ship's Tech Level) and a
Defence Factor of 1. For example, the AF of an
entire tech 4 NP would be 24 (ie 6x4). NPs are
considered Other Ordinance and are used in the same
manner as Missile Packs.
Ezekiel Hartmn (Order #1285)
Bomb Pumped X-ray Lasers (X)
This is ASFoS's only area of effect weapon.
Delivered either by Missile or by Energy Torpedo,
when it explodes it generates X-ray lasers which fire
in all directions. Since these lasers are not aimed,
they have a limited effective range (6 inches) and are
treated as Secondary weapons. EACH target in range
is hit.
X-ray Lasers hit with an Attack Factor of 2. If
multiple X-ray Lasers from the same ship hit, add
their Attack Factors together for a total AF.
Decide how you want X-ray Lasers to be delivered,
Missile or ET (or both). For Missiles, they move just
like regular missiles, do not need to hit anything, and
explode during the Special Weapons combat
subphase. Measure the range from the Missile
counter to see which targets are hit by the lasers. For
ET, place a marker where you want it to explode
during the Special Weapons combat subphase and
roll to see if you 'hit'. If you do, measure the range
from the counter to see which targets are hit by the
lasers, if not remove the counter (it failed).
When using Tech Levels, the Attack Factor of each
X-ray Laser is equal to half the firing ship's TL.
Primaries vs Ordinance
Since some genre's don't have anything that
could be considered secondary batteries, but instead
use their primaries to fire at small targets, we need to
represent this somehow in the rules. A simple
change makes this possible. Primaries may fire at
fighters and missiles with a -2 modifier. Since
spotting and targeting such small targets would be
difficult at a distance, we also only allow such fire at
close range (12 inches). You should decide whether
to include Special Weapons in this rule.
34
 Other Optional Rules
Electronic Warfare
Scanning
Scanning Modifiers
In order to add an extra dimension to the
opening moves of a game, ships can be represented
by counters (we use bingo chips) instead of models.
These counters need to be secretly marked with an ID Target is: Range:**
and a way of telling which way the ship is facing.
These counters can be thought of as blips on a long Fast +1 0-12" 0
range scanner, the first indications of an enemy's Slow -1 12-24" -1
presence. Stationary -2 24-36" -2
Escort -1 36-48" -3
Electronic Warfare sub-phase: To make this work Titan +1* 48-60" -4
we need to insert a sub-phase at the beginning of the Gas/inch -1 60-72" -5
combat phase where all Electronic Warfare takes Dust/inch -3
place. The new firing sequence becomes: Running Silent -3
Stealth -3

Tech Level*** -1 TL +/-1

1) Electronic Warfare -2 TL +/-2
2) Primary Batteries -3 TL +/-3
3) Special Weapons
4) Secondary Batteries
5) Other Ordinance
* +1 for each 25 mass of the Titan

** Scanning ranges are extended to 72 inches. A -1

Once per turn each ship in a fleet may attempt to scan
(lock-on) one enemy blip. Success means your
opponent must replace the counter with the actual
ship model which may now be targeted for firing
purposes (if in range) by all ships, the lock-on data is
instantly shared throughout the fleet. Once a ship has
been scanned, it remains visible and a viable target
for the remainder of the game. A ship that has not
been scanned may not be fired upon (except by
fighters).
This is where Escort Squadrons really shine. They
are represented by one blip per squadron, but may
make as many scans per turn as the squadron has
ships. When being scanned, only one successful scan
is required to reveal the entire squadron. Fighters do
not need to and may not scan ships.
modifier is applied for each full 12 inches between
scanning ship and target blip.
*** Apply +1 AND a -1 for each Tech Level
difference between ships.
Note: there is no Agile modifier and the speed
modifiers are reversed. When Running Silent (this
must be declared during the Electronic Warfare sub-
phase), a ship is not using active scanners and is
depending on passive scanning to keep position and
heading. The ship's shields are inactive and the ship
may not attempt to scan enemy blips or fire during
the current turn, as this would give away its position.

To successfully scan a ship, roll a 6 or less on 1d6

(yes, this would mean automatic success). Modify
the number by adding or subtracting the modifiers
shown in the following chart.

35

Ezekiel Hartmn (Order #1285)

 Expanded ECM
Breaking Lock-on: If at any time during the turn
the chance of re-scanning a ship drops to 0 or less for
all ships in the fleet, lock-on has been broken and the
ship model may be replaced with a blip marker.
However, ships may attempt to reacquire the lost ship
(ie the blip) during the Electronic Warfare sub-phase.
Breaking lock-on is normally possible only when
ships are separated by an intervening gas/dust cloud,
asteroid, planet, chaff, or destroyed ship.
Superior Sensors:
A ship with Superior Sensors counts
in combat (and for scanning) as if it
were one Tech Level higher than it
actually is. Superior Sensors incurs
a 30% increase to the basic cost of a
ship. Usually used by scout ships.

Chaff and Decoys: Stealth Technology:

They disrupt enemy targeting and are
deployed as an expendable defensive
counter measure. Chaff/Decoys can
be anything from tin-foil strips, sand,
or decoys to electromagnetic pulses.
A Chaff/Decoy marker is placed next to the ship and
the ship is treated for the purposes of firing as if it
were in the center of a one inch radius dust cloud.
Enemy ships now receive the -3/inch modifier for
scanning and/or firing. However, it may also lose
lock-on with all enemy ships and may need to re-
acquire its own lock-on (also with the -3 modifier)
with no help from the rest of the fleet. Chaff/Decoys
only lasts one turn and a ship may fire it only once
per game.
Stealth Technology has the effect of
doubling the normal Running Silent
modifier (ie -6). This makes a ship
impossible to scan by most enemy
ships unless they have a scanning
bonus. Ships with Stealth Technology always begin
the game Running Silent. During the Electronic
Warfare sub-phase, a ship may declare that it is
deactivating its Stealth Technology. A ship may only
reactivate its Stealth when it intends to leave the
battle. Stealth Technology incurs a 50% increase to
the basic cost of a ship.

"Ebon Group, Aqua Group, Saffron Group form up on me." The Wing
Commander's voice crackled over the comm. system. One hundred
and thirty-seven space fighters of various types reformed into an
attack formation.

"Ebon Group proceed forward at maximum speed, blast us a hole in

the enemy defensive fighter screen. Aqua and Saffron Groups will
follow me and swarm the first enemy cruiser squadron we encounter.
Execute on my mark."

Seconds ticked by with agonizing slowness as the three groups raced towards the enemy battle line, who seemed
oblivious to the threat. They would soon find out. "All groups! Mark!"

These three single words sent the forty two interceptors of Ebon Group blazing in on full after-burners, straight into
the now approaching enemy fighter screen. A furious dog-fight erupted as the powerful fighters twisted and turned
seeking killing hits on their opponents. The slower but deadly fighterbombers of the Aqua and Saffron Groups
dodged the firefight and struck towards the cruisers that lay beyond.

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Ezekiel Hartmn (Order #1285)

 Morale
Command Quality
Command Quality represents the efficiency
of the command structure of a ship, the
aggressiveness of the captain, the ability of his senior
officers, and the willingness of the crew to follow
them. All ships and escort squadrons begin with an
average Command Quality (2), although this can be
modified. Command Quality ratings are:
1 - cautious 2 - average 3 - aggressive
This quality is used for certain morale tests required
of the ship and is added to the Crew Quality to get
the Ship Morale. To increase/decrease this rating by
one level, a modifier of +15% / -15% is applied to the
ship's Basic Cost.
Crew Quality
 For example: a ship with an aggressive
captain (3) and an average crew (2) would
have a Ship Morale of 5. The Ship Break
Point would be 5 x 15, or 75%.
Using the Ship's Break Point, the number of Hull
Boxes a ship must lose before breaking off contact
with the enemy is calculated. Multiply the number of
Hull Boxes that the ship starts with by the Ship Break
Point, and round up. The result represents how many
Hull Boxes the ship must lose to require the ship to
break contact with the enemy. The ship must use the
quickest route when leaving the battle and may not
fire any weapons except in self-defence. If attacked
by Fighters or Missiles during this break-off
movement, they may fire Secondary Batteries at the
attacking ordinance. If a disengaging ship is fired on
by other ships, it may return fire but ONLY on the
ship(s) that fired.

Crew Quality represents the crew's training
and professionalism, morale, and willingness to fight.
All ships and escort squadrons begin with an average
Crew Quality (2), although this can be modified.
Crew Quality ratings are:
1 - poor 2 - average 3 - elite
This quality is used during boarding combat and is
added to the Command Quality to get the Ship
Morale. To increase/decrease this rating by one
level, a modifier of +15% / -15% is applied to the
Basic Cost of the ship.
Ship Morale and Ship Break Point
In order to calculate Ship Morale, add the
Command Quality and the Crew Quality. This
number, multiplied by 15, gives the Ship Break Point,
calculated as a percentage.
 For example: a Battleship of 12 mass and a
Ship Break Point of 60% would have a break
point of 7.2 Hull Boxes (12 x 60%) rounded
UP to 8. The eighth hull box from the left
would be marked somehow (possibly with a
small star in the corner). When this eighth
Hull Box is lost, the Battleship would have to
disengage from combat.
A ship may also be forced to break off contact with
the enemy because of the loss of all its weapons. If a
ship loses all its Weapon Boxes before reaching its
Break Point, it has to roll a Morale Test to remain in
combat. The test is a simple one; roll the Command
Quality or less on 1d6. If successful, the ship may
remain in combat until it reaches its Break Point
(when it has to disengage anyway). Failure means
the ship must immediately break off from contact.

Captain d'Merl watched uneasily as his brand new ship went into action stations. The unease was caused by the
fact that this wasn't a drill, this time the enemy was real and the weapons being aimed at his ship could kill. "All
torpedo decks cleared for action, all energy batteries charged up, point defense on stand-by, Captain" his first
officer intoned crisply. He certainly looked calmer than his captain felt.

Captain d'Merl's gaze moved back to the tactical screen and watched as it plotted courses, updated information on
velocities, power signatures and made possible threat assessments. The captain found its quiet efficiency and
unrelenting logic soothing, computers unlike people, never panicked.

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Ezekiel Hartmn (Order #1285)

 Fleet Break Point
In scenario-based games, there may not be
any need for a Fleet Break Point since the scenario
itself will determine the winner and loser. For equal
point pickup games, unless you intend to fight to the
death, some way of determining the winner is
needed. For this we can use the Fleet Break Point.
Each ship or Escort squadron in a fleet is given a
value equal to 10% of its cost, rounded to the nearest
whole number (minimum of 1). The sum of all these
costs represents the Fleet Morale. When a fleet has
lost 60% of this value due to ships being destroyed or
breaking off contact, the fleet is considered beaten
and must retreat.
Fleets may also be given different Fleet Morale
values that represent different levels of engagement,
depending on the situation or scenario. The different
levels of engagement are:
1 - skirmish 2 - committed 3 - desperate
Terrain
Basic Effects
Gas Clouds: Gas clouds interfere with line of sight.
For each inch of dust cloud between a ship and its
target, a -1 combat modifier is applied. Gas clouds
may be passed through with no penalty.
Dust Clouds: Dust clouds interfere with line of sight.
For each inch of dust cloud between a ship and its
target, a -3 combat modifier is applied. In addition,
ships which move through dust clouds risk taking
damage. Multiply the ship's speed by the number of
inches of cloud the ship moved through. This is the
Attack Factor of the dust cloud which is compared to
the ship's DF. Roll on the Combat Chart using no
modifiers except ship size and apply the result
immediately, including any Critical Hits.
Ezekiel Hartmn (Order #1285)
The standard level of engagement is 'committed'. To
increase or decrease this Fleet Morale rating, a
modifier of +30% / -30% is applied to the total cost
of the entire fleet. The Fleet Break Point is
calculated by multiplying the Fleet Morale by 30.
Since this results in extreme Fleet Break Point values,
half values are permitted at a cost of +15% / -15%.
 For example: a fleet of two 36 point
Battleships and three 13 point Heavy
Cruisers would have a Fleet Morale value of
11 (4+4+1+1+1). If this fleet had an
engagement level of 2, 'committed', it would
have to retreat once it lost 60% or 6.6 (60% x
11) points worth of ships (rounded UP to 7).
If for instance it loses two battleships (2 x 4
points each), or one battleship (4 points) and
three heavy cruisers (1 point each), it must
break contact. If this fleet had a Fleet
Morale rating of 2.5, it would cost an extra
15%, (36+36+13+13+13 x 1.15 or 111
points), and its Fleet Break Point would be
75%, or 9 points worth of ships.
Asteroids: Asteroids are represented by objects of
appropriate shape and size. They block line of sight
so no ship may target and fire at an enemy ship
through an asteroid. Any ship that collides with an
asteroid is destroyed.
Planets, Moons and Other Large Celestial Bodies:
The scale distortion created by these objects is
largely ignored. They are often represented along
one entire table edge. Any ship crossing this table
edge is considered to have left the battle.
Destroyed ships: Destroyed Cruisers are treated as a
one inch diameter gas cloud. Destroyed Battleships
(or larger ships) are treated as one inch diameter dust
clouds. Destroyed Titans leave a dust cloud equal in
radius to one inch plus their combat size modifier.
Monsters: They eat you!
38
 PART III - Appendices
Sample Fleets
Terran Empire Ship Designs
In spite of its military sounding name, the average
citizen of the Terran Empire enjoys a level of
personal freedom and political entitlement seldom
before seen in human history.

A result of the early chaotic days of space

colonization by the independent nations of earth, the
Empire replaced the United Nations when that
organization proved itself incapable of restraining the
expansionist policies of its more aggressive member
states. Arising out of a war between two great
alliances, the formation of the Terran Empire brought
peace throughout the human sphere and a framework
for further peaceful expansion.

Bonaventure Class (DN): The Imperial fleet, unlike

its League counterpart, relies on a centralization of
fighter resources. The Bonaventure class fulfills this
role serving as the sole fighter platform in the
Imperial fleet. Carrying more fighters than any other
ship available to either side, the Bonaventure is able
to deliver an entire small Fighter Group to the
battlefield.

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Ezekiel Hartmn (Order #1285)

 Warrior Class (BB): The primary capital ship of the
Imperial fleet, the Warrior class has served with
distinction for many years. Due to its concentration
of fire it generally has an edge in firepower over
battleships in the League fleet. Its main tactic is to
drive straight forward, directly at the enemy ships
while firing its massive Primary Batteries and its
spinal mount Energy Torpedoes.

Lion Class (CA): While battleships carry the battle

they are too slow and cumbersome to deal with all
the small duties that fall to a modern fleet, including
chasing down enemy cruisers. Armed with all
purpose Primary Batteries and a single Energy
Torpedo, the Lion class fulfils this job with
distinction.

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Ezekiel Hartmn (Order #1285)

 Zulu Class (CL): Conflicts occur all along the
fringes of space far from the main battle fleets. It is
here that the Zulu class can be found scouting into
enemy territory and escorting convoys. This fast
cruiser mounts minor Primaries, good Secondaries,
and a single Energy Torpedo.

Piranha Class (DD): With powerful engines and

each destroyer in the squadron mounting an Energy
Torpedo, the Piranha class can be thought of as a type
of very large torpedo boat.

41

Ezekiel Hartmn (Order #1285)

 League of Planets Ship Designs When the number of humanity's easily accessible
colony planets grew short, a decision was made to
explore the far side of the gigantic nebula SH 2-216.
Unexpectedly, the area beyond the nebula was rich
with potential sites and in the resulting scramble for
colonies, expansion efforts were directed almost
exclusively into this sector. The new colony worlds
grew quickly, although communication delays
imposed by their separation from humanity's core
worlds resulted in a decentralization of local
governments.

The result was predictable. The soon self sufficient

colonies decided to become self governing as well
and banded together in order to "throw off the yoke"
of the Terran Empire. Humanity's core worlds,
having many times experienced the dangers of
competing sovereign powers, objected.

Challenger Class (DN): The largest ship in the

League fleet, the Challenger class is designed to
engage and destroy enemy capital ships. Mounting
massive Primary Batteries, three spinal mount Mass
Drivers and carrying five Fighter Flights, the
Challenger is able to handle anything the enemy
throws at it. Ultimate proof that bigger is better.

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Ezekiel Hartmn (Order #1285)

 New Mars Class (BB): This battleship design, while
a viable combat vessel, is somewhat outclassed by its
traditional counterparts due to its versatile nature. It
has two spinal mount Mass Drivers as well as good
Primary broadsides. It tends to circle its opponents,
firing, while it tries to keep its targets in arc.

Swordfish Class (CA): This ship's all around

Primaries and single Mass Driver gives it an edge
against opposing ships of a similar size. Its main
duties are to stick with the battleship line, adding its
fire to the main effort, while giving the battleships a
little extra anti-fighter protection.

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Ezekiel Hartmn (Order #1285)

 Calypso Class (CL): The newest ship in the League
fleet, the Calypso class has been designed to engage
enemy cruisers. Mounting powerful engines, and all
around Primaries, this ship can often be found on the
flanks of a battle, looking for targets of opportunity.

Aurora Class (DD): Many a battle has been decided

by a well timed escort wave swooping in on crippled
battleships. The Aurora class is designed to literally
swarm a target with fire. Their main weapons are
their speed and their powerful Secondary Batteries.

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Ezekiel Hartmn (Order #1285)

 Introductory Scenario
Encounter at Emerald
This scenario is designed for 2 players, although it
can easily accommodate more if required.

Special Terrain Rule

It's the third year of the war, who'd have suspected
such a small conflict could have lasted this long or
grown so large. Intelligence intercepts have placed
an enemy battle squadron arriving in the vicinity of
the space anomaly known as 'The Emerald', a large
gas cloud in otherwise empty space. Your squadron
has been dispatched to challenge the enemy's right to
be there.
Gas clouds only interfere with line of sight, they do
not block it. For each inch of gas cloud between a
ship and its target, an extra -1 combat modifier is
applied to the dice. Gas clouds may be passed
through with no penalty.

Setup
Use any available board or tabletop, a 4 foot by 4
foot surface would be best. Place an irregularly
shaped 'gas cloud' in the center. For this gas cloud
use any irregular shaped 6 inch diameter shape or cut
one out of paper or cloth. For spaceships use
whatever models you like best.

Each player has an identical fleet consisting of -

2 Warrior Class Battleships

3 Swordfish Class Heavy Cruisers

The players each roll a six sided die. The player who
rolls highest chooses a corner and deploys his entire
fleet within 6 inches of it. His opponent then deploys
his entire fleet within 6 inches of the opposite corner.
All ships start the game with a speed of 6.
Victory
The player that destroys all his opponent's ships or
drives him from the table is the victor.

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Ezekiel Hartmn (Order #1285)

 Scenario Chart
While it can be fun playing equal pointed
pickup games, where the two fleets set up on
opposite sides of the board and fight it out in the
middle, sometimes something different is desired. If
you're playing games generated from a campaign
then you are lucky, different scenarios will occur
naturally. For the rest of us, this scenario chart is
offered.
To decide which scenario to use, simply pick your
favourite, or alternatively roll 2 six-sided dice and
check the chart. Set Piece Battle will be the most
common result. Once you've played the scenarios a
few times you'll know them well enough to modify
them and their set-up or victory conditions to make
the games more balanced. Soon enough you'll be
creating your own scenarios.
2D6 roll Scenario
2 Free 4 All 8 Set Piece Battle
3 Deep Raid 9 Spacehulk
4 Carrier Duel 10 Ambush
5 Convoy 11 Leviathan
6 Set Piece Battle 12 Space Dock
7 Cruiser Skirmish
Free 4 All - Pirates and smugglers are a problem
because of the disruption in law and order that results
where ever the war touches. But this is great for the
pirates and smugglers. This scenario is designed for
multiple players. Everyone chooses a fleet half the
size normally used. Everyone else is the enemy.
Last one with a ship on the table is the winner. Best
as a multi-player game.
Ezekiel Hartmn (Order #1285)
Deep Raid - An opportunity to strike an unexpected
blow has presented itself. The enemy's fleet has
stopped for resupply, and your spies have discovered
its position. A fast moving strike force has the
chance to inflict serious damage. It will be a difficult
and dangerous mission.
The defender sets up his fleet, stopped, in the center
of the table. The attacker can spend half as many
points on ships as the defender, and may only
purchase cruisers and escorts. The attacker sets up
anywhere, one movement turn outside weapons
range. Use ship morale points for victory conditions,
the points for the defender's ships counting double.
Whichever side inflicts the most points of destroyed
and broken ships is the winner.
Carrier Duel - Circumstance has determined that the
next fleet battle will be decided by carriers. All the
battleships have been relocated to a newly threatened
area leaving only the carriers to hold the line. This
has occurred just as the enemy seems ready to make
another big push.
Both sides set up as normal. Both fleets consist of
only carriers and cruisers. Whichever side drives off
the enemy is the winner.
Convoy - A convoy of merchant ships must get
through a dangerous region of space. The defender's
fleet is given the job of making sure they make it
through safely. Suddenly a hostile fleet appears. The
enemy has discovered the convoy's route and timing,
and is determined to cause as much damage as
possible.
Decide upon a point total for each fleet. Each player
may spend this amount on any warships. The
defender also gets non-combat ships equal to ¼ of
this total. Set the two fleets up normally. The
merchant convoy has a maximum speed of 6 inches
per turn. The defender wins if he can get at least half
of the merchant ships off the attacker's board edge.
The attacker wins if he can prevent this.
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 Set Piece Battle - The enemy has gradually built up
his fleets along the border. To delay opening an
offensive is to risk the chance that he will soon have
a greater force than you. The time to strike is now.
Both players set up as normal. There are no
restrictions on ships. A good points total for each
fleet would be about 180 points per player. The
winner is the side that forces the enemy to retreat.
Cruiser Skirmish - Not all battles in war are
between great fleets. Sometimes it's the little ships
that turn the tides of war.
Set up fleets using half the points you normally use.
All ships must be cruisers or escorts. The game is
otherwise played the same as a Set Piece Battle. The
last player on the table is the winner.
Spacehulk - A derelict starship has been discovered
along the border with a neighbouring star nation.
The ship is from a previously unknown alien race and
may contain valuable technologies. A small fleet has
been dispatched to claim the starship and tow it back
to dock for investigation.
Place a large ship in the center of the table. Both
players deploy their fleets as normal. Any ship
touching the alien starship and not moving (speed 0)
may transfer boarding parties onto it. If only one
player has boarding parties on board the alien
starship at the end of the game, he is the winner.
Ambush - The defender is on regular patrol through
the outer reaches of a star system. Suddenly an
enemy fleet appears and attacks. The defender must
break out of this ambush and bring word of the
attacker's presence back to base.
Ezekiel Hartmn (Order #1285)
Decide on a point total for the attacking fleet. The
defender's fleet gets half this amount and must be
Battlecruisers or smaller. The attacker's fleet may
contain any ships desired. The defender sets up in
the center of the table, the attacker may set up on any
board edge. The defender's mission is to get at least
half his ships off the attacker's board edge.
Leviathan - Sometimes even the flagships have to
earn their keep. An enemy Titan has been reported
close to the front lines. Your flagship has been
ordered to intercept and destroy it. All other ships
have been ordered out of the way.
Decide on a point total for each side. Design a single
Titan using all the points, no other ships are
permitted. Deploy normally, drive the enemy Titan
away to win.
Space Dock - The attackers have launched a daring
raid targeting the Repair & Re-supply center of the
enemy. They've managed to break through to the
main space docks and supply area, where the
defender's ships are being refuelled and rearmed. All
of the defender's ships are stopped and powered
down. They may not fire, move or raise electronic
defences until they activate. To activate a ship roll a
d6. On the first turn you need a 1, on the second
turn, a 2 or less, third turn 3 or less, etc.
The defenders set up in the center of the table. The
attackers set up one movement turn outside weapons
range with half the total points in ships as the
defender. The winner is whoever destroys or breaks
the greatest points of enemy ships.
47
 Permission is granted to photocopy the following sections for personal use.
Printer Friendly Rules
Ship Design
The starships used within the game, requires an
artificial measure of a ship's mass that we achieve
through the use of the game mechanic; the Hull Box.
The size of a ship is represented by the number of
these hull boxes - the more massive (bigger) the ship,
the more hull boxes it has.
The power of a ship is directly related to its mass.
The bigger the ship is, the more room it has for
weapons and their associated power supplies.
Everything is again based on the number of hull
boxes. They determine not just the size, but also the
capabilities of the ship. The bigger the ship, the more
combat power it has.
In addition to using the Hull Box to represent size,
every ship has a basic natural structural strength.
This gives each ship a hull strength number, which
can be either 2 (weak), 3 (average), 4 (strong), 5
(armoured), or possibly even higher.
Weapons
In the basic rules, all weapons on a ship are grouped
into one of two main types;
Primary Batteries or Secondary Batteries.
The Primaries are all of a ship's large powerful anti-
ship beam batteries, and are split into four 90 degree
arcs of fire, while the Secondaries are short ranged all
around defensive weapons. The Weapons Box on the
Ship Display is used to show the current strength of
both types. The example below illustrates ONE
Weapons Box.
All ships may be given ONE type of special weapon
in addition to its primary and secondary batteries.
Ezekiel Hartmn (Order #1285)
Special weapons have unique rules for combat, each
type of Special weapon being different. They fire
after Primaries and always fire in the forward arc,
giving a ship a third 'shot' per turn. Unless stated
otherwise, special weapons are treated like primaries.
Defences
Usually a ship's defences are not limited to armour.
Many ships enhance their defensive strength by
adding electromagnetic screens or force shields.
Their strengths can range from 0 (none) to 4
(maximum). These electronic defences do not exist
independently, they are added to the ship's hull
strength. The sum of a ship's natural hull strength
and its electronic defences is called its Defence
Factor.
Engines
To move, all ships need a drive of some sort. The
power of this drive, its acceleration and turning
capability, is represented by the Engine Rating. This
rating ranges from 0 to 5 and this number determines
how much a ship can turn, speed up, or slow down
during each turn.
Ship Displays
The purpose of the Ship Display is to show the
capabilities of a specific ship or ship type.
The Ship Display will act as a reminder of the ship's
size, its offensive power, toughness, speed and is the
main way of keeping track of damage.
48

DF is the ship's Defence Factor, which represents the
ship's total hull strength. The number inside the
brackets is the ship's natural hull strength before
being strengthened by electronic defences. The ship's
natural strength is shown in case the screens are lost.
The first row of boxes are the weapons boxes.
Although the number of weapons boxes always
begins the same as the number of hull boxes, only
one weapons box is important, the leftmost box. It
contains the 6 numbers that represent the current
strengths of the different weapon types and arcs.
Only this box is considered active, the other boxes
are merely pre-calculated damaged strengths. You'll
notice that the numbers in each box in the row of
weapons boxes get proportionally weaker as you
move along the row to the right.
The next row is the hull boxes. They represent the
size of the ship. Damage to hull is taken in a similar
fashion to weapons, marking off the leftmost box and
moving right. When all the hull boxes have been
marked off, the ship is destroyed.
The third row is the Critical Hits, used only with the
optional rules.
The last number, inside the icon in the lower right of
the display, is the Engine Rating.
Ezekiel Hartmn (Order #1285)
Movement
The movement rules simulate a simple momentum
based system, without using true vector movement.
The Engine Rating of a ship, shown in the lower right
of the ship display, determines how many points of
power the ship has available for movement. All,
some or none of these engine points may be used
each turn to accelerate, decelerate, or turn. Engine
points do not accumulate from turn to turn, unused
points cannot be saved. Each engine point expended
allows the ship to speed up or slow down by 1 inch
per turn, or allows the ship to make a 45 degree turn.
Each turn you keep track of your ship's current speed,
and may increase or decrease it by a maximum of
your ship's engine rating. Speed carries over from
turn to turn.
The number of 45 degree left or right turns permitted
to your ship per turn is also dependant on engine
power. You may make a maximum number of turns
equal to the engine power, (ie: 2 engine points allows
2 turns). Turns require power from the engines, so
each turn subtracts 1 point from the engine power
available this turn. Turns also occur at a specific
point in your movement. If you are making only 1
turn it occurs at the halfway point. For 2 turns, the
1st is at the beginning of movement and the 2nd at
the halfway point. For 3 turns, the 1st is at the
beginning, the 2nd at the 1/3 point and the 3rd at the
2/3 point.
Movement Orders
At the beginning of each turn you record (plot) the
movement of each of your ships on a piece of paper
(the back of the ship display for example). If you
have a large number of ships, you should group
similar types into squadrons, and plot them together.
Once movement plots have been completed for all
ships (or squadrons), the ships are moved. It doesn't
matter which player moves first or what order the
ships are moved since all ships must move exactly
according to their recorded plots.
Due to the difference in scale between how very large
space is and how very small the ships are supposed to
be, ships cannot accidentally collide with one
another. Instead they may freely move through each
other during the movement phase. There is no
intentional ramming in the Basic Rules.
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 Combat Rules
Players may pre-measure (ie check the range) at any
time. Since this is science fiction and all ships are
equipped with computers and sensors to keep track of
the ship's current speed, bearing, and distance to
every other object in the game, it would be stupid not
to allow players to pre-measure.
Primary Batteries - The strength of a ship's main
long range weapons, is split into four 90 degree arcs
of fire, forward, left, right and rear. The Primary
Batteries may be fired once per turn, at a single target
within ONE of the four arcs of fire. You may pick
which arc you wish to use, but the primaries may be
fired only ONCE per turn. Primary Batteries have a
maximum range of 36 inches.
Secondary Batteries - These smaller short range
batteries have a 360 degree arc of fire, but a
maximum range of only 6 inches. They may also fire
ONCE per turn, at any one target in range.
Special Weapons - All ships may be given ONE type
of special weapon in addition to its primary and
secondary batteries. Special weapons have unique
rules for combat, each type of Special weapon being
different. They fire after Primaries and always fire in
the forward arc, giving a ship a third 'shot' per turn.
Unless stated otherwise, special weapons are treated
like primaries.
While the standard weapon ranges in ASFoS are
described as being in multiples of 12 inches, there is
no reason why you cannot change these ranges if you
want to. A simple way of making shorter Range
Bands is to use centimeters instead of inches, or you
can chose a different number for the range bands.
For example, if you were to choose 8 inch range
bands then close range would be 0-8 inches, medium
would be 8-16 and long would be 16-24. Remember
to make secondary range half of a range band, in this
example it would be 4 inches.
Ships need to be able to see their targets in order to
hit them which is called Line of Sight. However,
regardless of the actual size of the spaceship models,
all ships in ASFoS are assumed to be tiny compared
with the scale of the battle. Therefore, all
measurements should be done from the exact center
of the firing ship, to the exact center of the target.
This scale difference also means ships do not block
line of sight, no ship can hide behind another.
Ezekiel Hartmn (Order #1285)
Combat Ratio
All combat within A Sky Full of Ships is based on
the relative strength of the attacker's weapons vs the
target ship's defence factor, calculated as an attacker
to defender ratio. The attacker's strength is simply
the power given in the currently active weapons box,
for the appropriate arc in the case of Primary
Batteries. The defender's strength is simply its
Defence Factor.
To calculate this Attacker to Target Ratio, take the
strength of the firing ship's weapons in the arc used
and compare it to the target ship's defence factor. If
the two numbers are the same, you use the 1:1
column on the combat chart, if the attacker is twice as
powerful as the target use the 2:1 column, if the
attacker is half as powerful as the target, use the 1:2
column, etc. If your weapon strength is not at least
one third of the target ship's defence factor, you
cannot damage the target. Always round down (in
favour of the target ship).
The ratio between these two strengths corresponds to
a column on the combat chart. The attacker rolls two
different coloured dice. One die represents damage
done to the target's hull, the other, damage to its
weapon systems. Cross reference each die roll in the
correct Attacker to Target Ratio column, the number
resulting is the number of boxes of the given type
destroyed by the attacker's fire. A "-" in the column
means NO DAMAGE for that die. The defender then
records the number of hull and weapon hits by
crossing out one box for each appropriate hit
achieved.
Normally ships may take a maximum of TWO shots
per turn, ONCE with its Primary Batteries and ONCE
with its Secondary Batteries (if in range). There is
one exception to this rule: If your weapon strength vs
the target's defence factor is greater than 6 to 1, you
may use just enough weapon strength make a 6 to 1
attack and the remaining strength is used to calculate
a second attack (or third, etc), either on the same
target, or on another in the same arc.
Although each ship is calculated separately, all
weapons of a given type are considered to be firing
simultaneously, all primaries firing first with damage
being recorded, then all secondaries firing using the
new damaged weapon strengths.
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 Combat Chart
Attacker to Target Ratio

Dice Roll 1:3 1:2 1:1 3:2 2:1 3:1 4:1 5:1 6:1

0 — — — — — — — — —

1 — — — — — 1 1 1 2

2 — — — — 1 1 1 2 2

3 — — — 1 1 1 2 2 3

4 — — 1 1 1 2 2 3 3

5 — 1 1 1 2 2 3 3 4

6 1 1 1 2 2 3 3 4 4

Modifiers
Target is Range Tech Level
Agile -1 Short 0 – 12" 0 -1 TL -1
Fast -1 Medium 12 – 24" -1 -2 TL -2
Slow +1 Long 24 – 36" -2 -3 TL -3
Stationary +2
Escort -1 Gas/inch -1
Titan +1* Dust/inch -3
Aspect -1/+1

Modifiers are added to or subtracted from the dice rolls of Primary weapons fire only. Secondary
Batteries are not modified except for Tech Level. Rolls greater than 6 are treated as 6, rolls less than 0
are treated as 0, (getting a '0' actually means you missed).

Agile ships are defined during the ship design process. Fast ships are any ships moving greater than
12" for the current turn. Slow ships are any ships moving 4 inches or less for the current turn.
Stationary ships are not moving. Aspects (if used) are defined during ship design.

* Titans: Any firing at Titans receives a +1 size modifier for each 25 Hull Boxes with which the Titan
began (ie +2 for 50 mass, +3 for 75 mass). Since Titans start with at least 25 Hull Boxes, firing at
them always has at least a +1 modifier.

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Ezekiel Hartmn (Order #1285)

 Sample Ship Counters
Photocopy these ships as many times as needed. Glue them onto cardboard and cut them out.
You now have 2 small fleets for use in your games.

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Ezekiel Hartmn (Order #1285)

 Blank Ship Displays

53

Ezekiel Hartmn (Order #1285)

 54

Ezekiel Hartmn (Order #1285)

 55

Ezekiel Hartmn (Order #1285)

 Blank Plotting Charts

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Ezekiel Hartmn (Order #1285)

 Full Strength & Damaged Fighter Flight Counters

Fighter Group Table & Squadron Counters

Missile & Missile Pack Counters

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Ezekiel Hartmn (Order #1285)

 Instead of being a mere captain of a few ships, wouldn't you rather take the place of an admiral, commanding during
those great fleet battles, those most dramatic of moments when entire empires stood or fell. If so, 'A Sky Full of
Ships' just might be the rules for you. Using simple, fast moving game mechanics, ASFoS attempts to portray the
important aspects of huge fleet engagements without becoming too bogged down in time consuming detail.

Combat Chart
Attacker to Target Ratio

Dice Roll 1:3 1:2 1:1 3:2 2:1 3:1 4:1 5:1 6:1

0 — — — — — — — — —

1 — — — — — 1 1 1 2

2 — — — — 1 1 1 2 2

3 — — — 1 1 1 2 2 3

4 — — 1 1 1 2 2 3 3

5 — 1 1 1 2 2 3 3 4

6 1 1 1 2 2 3 3 4 4

Modifiers
Target is Range Tech Level
Agile -1 Short 0 – 12" 0 -1 TL -1
Fast -1 Medium 12 – 24" -1 -2 TL -2
Slow +1 Long 24 – 36" -2 -3 TL -3
Stationary +2
Escort -1 Gas/inch -1
Titan +1 Dust/inch -3
Aspect -1/+1

A Sky Full of Ships is designed to be an easy, fast moving set of rules for large scifi fleet actions. Everything
required for play is included in this single 56 page book - ship design, movement and combat rules, optional rules
such as electronic warfare, special weapons and technological levels, as well as scenarios, sample fleets and more.

Admiral, your fleet awaits.

Hardpoint Games
http://www.hardpointgames.com

Ezekiel Hartmn (Order #1285)