Combat Summary

TURN PHASES

PHASE 0: PRE-ENGAGEMENT

• Before the engagement begins, players must determine their battlegroup’s starting positions. They can do this by either choosing a posture or using uptime actions.

• If the players aren’t performing uptime actions for this engagement, they simply choose a position and posture for their battlegroup as the fleet heads toward combat (see p. 48).

• If the players are performing uptime actions, they can either use the Set a Posture uptime action to choose a position or they can use Plot a Course to perform another action and then roll to find out where their battlegroup drops out of nearlight (see p. 51).

PHASE 1: LOGISTICS

Battlegroups that wish to surrender or retreat (if able) must do so at the start of the round, before the Logistics Phase.

• Remove counters from CHARGE weapons, PAYLOAD weapons, and expended RELOADING weapons and upgrades.

• Exhausted ESCORTS and WINGS are readied for use.

• Resolve any upgrades, abilities, or effects that take place during the Logistics Phase. Make sure everyone is on the same page and ready to move on.

PHASE 2: IMPACT

• CHARGE weapons that have reached 0 Charge Counters may either fire, rolling to hit, or hold their attacks.

• PAYLOAD weapons that have reached 0 Flight Counters automatically hit.

• Roll damage for any CHARGE and PAYLOAD weapons that have hit.

• Battlegroups may roll Interdiction and reduce the result from relevant attacks.

PHASE 3: ACTION

• Battlegroups take turns using Manoeuvrers and Tactics, alternating between player and NPC battlegroups.

• Non-CHARGE, non-PAYLOAD attacks made during this step resolve immediately.

• Commanders roll to repel boarders from each boarded ship at the end of their turn.

BASIC MANOEUVRERS

All player battlegroups have access to the same set of basic manoeuvrers.

ALL AHEAD FULL
Your battlegroup may advance forward by one range band, and you may fire one PRIMARY weapon before or after moving.

OPEN FIRE
Your battlegroup remains in its current range band, devoting all extra power to its weapons: you may attack with one SUPERHEAVY weapon or up to two different PRIMARY weapons.

RETROGRADE BURN
Choose one:
* Your battlegroup falls back one range band.
* Until the end of your next turn, you may ignore the next hostile effect that would force it to move.


Either way, your battlegroup becomes BOLSTERED until the end your next turn, gaining +1d6 Interdiction and granting +2 DEFENCE to each ship in the battlegroup.

RAMMING SPEED
You may only use this manoeuvrer at Close Range or Point-Blank, and only if your battlegroup is able to move. Advance your battlegroup to Point-Blank, then choose one of your CAPITAL SHIPS and a hostile CAPITAL SHIP: both ships take 2d6 damage that cannot be prevented in any way.


Ramming is not considered a standard combat doctrine by any major naval power and capital ships are never designed with such actions in mind, but desperate times may call for desperate measures.

BASIC TACTICS

All player battlegroups have access to the same set of basic tactics.