Defense. Movement. Missile Image (Reverse)

Transcription

1 Astra Titanus Rulebook 1 [1.0] INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND During the Exodus Wars of , four human empires fought over territory, resources and technology. After a decade of fighting, the war-weary empires were ready for peace. Along the frontier that stretched for hundreds of lightyears, military forces prepared to stand down and return home... A frontier that was soon broken by gigantic alien war machines called... STAR TITANS. Astra Titanus is a one-player game of space opera starship combat. Formed by the collective militaries of four interstellar empires, the Terran Defense Force (TDF) is large, its crews are experienced, and its technology is advanced by years of wartime R&D. And most TDF fleets are completely out-matched by a single Titan. A Titan will steadfastly drive towards an objective. The player must stop the Titan from destroying its objective target. If the Titan is destroyed before the target is blasted apart, the player is victorious. The only advantage the TDF has is that Titans are controlled by computer programs (represented by cards) and are fairly predictable. Players match the strength of the Titans by wisely using (and sacrificing) their units. [1.1] Game Contents: Astra Titanus includes the following: (1) 11"x17" map (40) 5/8" square unit counters (20) 1/2" square missile counters (28) 5/8" round markers (20) Titan cards (4) 8½"x5½" Titan Status Boards (1) Rulebook (1) Scenario booklet You will need to provide several six-sided dice. USING THESE RULES New gaming terms, when they are initially defined, appear in dark red lettering for quick referencing. The instructions for this game are organized into major Rules sections as shown in large blue CAPS font, and represented by the number to the left of the decimal point (e.g., rule 4.0 is the fourth rule). These rules generally explain the game s components, play procedures, core systems and mechanics, how to set it up, and how to win. With each Rule, there can be Cases that further explain a rule s general concept or basic procedure. Cases might also restrict the application of a rule by denoting exceptions to it. Cases are an extension of a Rule shown in the way that they are numbered. For example, Rule 4.1 is the first Case of the fourth Rule. Important information is in red text. Examples are in blue text and this font. [1.2] Unit Counters: The square counters represent the various units, terrain and objectives. TDF units include important game statistics. Counters track the location of units on the map. Facing does not matter. The TDF Battleship (BB) has a Combat Strength of 5, a Range of 4, a Defense of 10, a Move of 4, and has two Missiles. There are two types of TDF starships: the larger capital ships and smaller escorts. When hit, capital ships are flipped to the reverse side with the starship image and damaged statistics. Escorts have a wormhole icon on the reverse side and are destroyed with one hit. Damage Capacity Objective Name Objectives are the usual target for a Titan. An objective is destroyed when it has been hit a number of times equal to the damage capacity. Titans are represented by an individual counter. There are three different known types of Titans (from largest to smallest): Atlas, Rhea and Hyperion-classes. [1.3] Missile Counters: The small square counters represent salvos of nuclear-tipped TDF anti-ship missiles. Missile Image (Front) Explosion Movement TDF Battleships (BB) and Missile Destroyers (DDM) can fire missile salvos. Each missile counter has a launch side, with an Explosion value of 3 and a Move of 3. The reverse side of the Missile counter has an Explosion value of 2 and a Move of 5. [1.4] Markers: TDF capital ships are marked with wormhole markers during the Jump Out Movement Phase as notification that this ship will be moving later in the turn. Titan markers are placed on the appropriate Titan Status Board to track the current level of damage to the Titan. Enough markers are provided to play two Titans. Defensive Lasers Primary Beams Spinal Mount Defense Titan Drive System Missile Image (Reverse) Omega Damage markers are provided to track the number of hits to an objective target or legendary starship.

2 2 [1.5] Titan Status Boards: The Titan Status Board is used to track damage to the Titan. Omega rules Track start statistics Drive start Variant Drive start Astra Titanus Rulebook - v1.0 Titan type damage tracks Drive damage track [1.7] Map: The map represents the area of space the TDF will defend from the Titan. It is covered in hex shapes to regulate position and movement. The half-hexes along the edge of the map do not count for movement and cannot be used by any units, TDF or Titan. Titan weapon statistics vary by weapon type. The large number is the combat strength. The superscript number is the range (Spinal Mount range varies). The number next to the shield is the Defense. The tracks display damage to the Titan s weapons and FTL drive systems. The appropriate system marker starts on the first space on the left (drive markers start Track space on the top row). When a system takes damage, that marker is moved one space to the right. The available number of systems is equal to the first number visible to the right of the marker. When the marker is on or past the 1 space, that system is destroyed and cannot be used. An undamaged Atlas-class Titan has 3 Spinal Mount weapons, 4 Primary Beams, 8 Defensive Lasers and a Drive of 3. [1.6] Titan Cards: These cards control the movement and actions of the Titan. If the Titan card draw deck is ever depleted, the discard deck is reshuffled to form a new draw deck. Titan Movement Start Primary Beams Targeting Priority Defensive Laser Targeting Priority Card Number Activate Omega Titan Movement Destination Spinal Mount Range Spinal Mount Targeting Priority Dead in Space Repair Set up hexes are marked with letters (TDF) or numbers (Titan). Set up markings have no effect on game play. The top edge of the map is designated 0, right 90, bottom 180, and left 270. [2.0] SET UP Select a scenario and see the scenario write-up for the number and types of units. Place the TDF units on the map according to the scenario set up instructions. Capital ships are placed with their undamaged side facing up. Place two missile markers on each Battleship (BB) and Missile Destroyer (DDM). Remove the Titan Repair and Titan Recharge card from the deck of Titan cards. Shuffle the remaining cards and draw eight cards face-down. Shuffle the Titan Repair and Titan Recharge cards into the smaller pile. Place the remaining face-down cards on top of this stack. All the cards are placed near the map to form a draw deck. Pile the missiles counters, the wormhole and damage markers separately near the map. Place the appropriate Titan Status Board next to the map, and place the four Titan damage markers on the left-most starting spaces on the tracks. If this is your first game, start the Titan Drive marker on the Variant Drive starting space. This will slow the Titan s movement and make it easier to destroy. [2.1] Asteroids: Asteroids are placed on the map if designated by the scenario. There are two set ups for asteroids: fields and belts. Asteroids are the reverse side of all unused Titan and objective counters. Move asteroids placed on units during set up to adjacent hexes. Fields: Randomly drop the asteroid counters from about over the center of the map. Flip all counters so the asteroid side is visible and place in the nearest hex. Belt: Place the asteroids within the designated hex columns (L-N or K-M), with at least 3 hexes separation between asteroids.

3 Astra Titanus Rulebook 3 [3.0] SEQUENCE OF PLAY A turn is comprised of a series of phases. Each phase is completed in its entirety before the next phase begins. 1. FTL Jump Out: Determine which TDF units will move this turn [4.1]. 2. Draw Titan Card: The top card of the Titan card deck is revealed [5.0]. 3. Titan Movement: The Titan moves [6.0]. 4. TDF Attack: TDF units within range of the Titan perform non-missile fire [7.1]. 5. Titan Attack: The Titan targets and attacks TDF units within range [8.1]. 6. Missile Phase: TDF Missiles move/launch [9.0]. 7. FTL Jump In: TDF units marked with wormholes are moved [4.3]. 8. Victory Point: Victory or defeat is checked, otherwise play continues [10.0]. 9. End Phase/Repair: TDF units and Titans may attempt repairs [11.0]. [4.0] TDF MOVEMENT TDF starships use a wormhole generator to jump space and move faster-than-light ( FTL ). TDF sub-light drives would take many turns to move one hex on the map. [4.1] Jump Out: During the FTL Jump Out Phase, select the starships that will be moved later this turn. Escorts are flipped to the reverse side, displaying the wormhole icon. A wormhole marker is placed on each capital ship that will be moved. [4.2] Jumping: Starships marked with a wormhole cannot attack, launch missiles or be attacked. They do not interact with any other units or terrain while jumping. [4.3] Jump In: During the FTL Jump In Phase, select one of the marked starships to move. A starship must move a minimum number of hexes equal to ½ Move, but no more than their maximum Move. Starships do not move through the intervening hexes between their starting hex and destination hex. After moving, flip escorts face up or remove wormhole markers. Repeat until all starships have been moved. A TDF battleship has a movement of 4. It must move at least 2 hexes, but could move up to 4. The + are all valid destination hexes. [4.4] Restrictions: A TDF starship cannot jump into the hex of another starship or Titan. After movement, only one starship is allowed per hex. Starships cannot jump into an asteroid hex. Jumping into a hex adjacent to an asteroid counter is dangerous. Roll a die and on a result of %-^, destroy that starship. [5.0] TITAN CARDS Most Titans are controlled by AI programs and alien computers. These Titans follow rigid rules and rarely deviate from their programming. Titans, by their very nature, are goal orientated. [5.1] Titan Card Uses: Titan cards determine the movement, attack preferences, special actions and spinal mount attack range each turn. One card is drawn at the beginning of the turn. The same card is used to determine movement and attack actions for the turn. At the end of the turn, the current card is discarded. Card #10 is drawn. It will be used to determine Titan movement, combat, and if the Titan is immobilized, it will repair two Drive spaces at the end of the turn [5.5]. [5.2] Omega : Titans immediately use the Omega when a Titan card with an Omega symbol is drawn and the logic condition on the Titan Status Board is met and the Omega marker is not in the used box. The Omega marker is moved to the used box after use. Card #2, with an Omega symbol, is drawn. The Hyperionclass Titan has an unused Omega. It immediately checks to see if the logic condition ( If there are at least two adjacent capital ships within range 5. ) is true. If it is, the Omega is used; all adjacent capital ships within range 5 take a strength 5 attack [8.3]. [5.3] Omega Recharge Card: If the Recharge Omega card is drawn, and the Omega has been used, it is immediately recharged. If not used, a replacement card is drawn instead and the Recharge card is shuffled back into the Titan card deck. [5.4] Titan Repair Card: When the Repair Systems card is drawn, all damaged systems (weapons and drive) are immediately repaired one space (damage markers are moved one space to the left). If there are no damaged systems, a replacement card is drawn instead and the Repair card is shuffled back into the Titan card deck. The Titan Repair card is drawn when the Defensive Laser damage marker is covering the 3 on a Hyperion-class Titan. The Titan currently only has two Defensive Lasers available. After the marker is moved one space to the left (now covering the 4), the Titan gains an additional laser. [5.5] Dead-in-Space Repair: If the Titan card features a Dead-in-Space symbol, then during the End Phase/Repair, if the Titan Drive marker is on Dead in Space, the Titan Drive is repaired a number of spaces equal to the number in the Dead in Space symbol [11.2].

4 4 [6.0] TITAN MOVEMENT Titans are moved through space by gigantic stardrives powered by unobtanium. Titans use a hyperspace network for FTL travel, but the network does not operate near the mass of stars and Titans must make the final approach in normal space. Titans occasionally travel between systems at sub-light speeds. [6.1] Titan Movement: Titans move according to the movement graphic on the drawn Titan card, up to a maximum number of hexes based on the current Drive of the Titan. Movement example of a Hyperion with a Drive of 3. With a Drive of 2, it would have stopped before moving up to the next row. If, by moving, the Titan would move to a hex column to the right of the target, the Titan instead moves towards the target by the shortest possible path. Titans stop before moving into the same hex as a colony or moon. Unless allowed by scenario rule, the Titan cannot move off the map. The Titan stops moving at the map edge. Hyperion-class Titans with a Drive of 4 move one additional hex in the direction of the arrow on their movement diagram. Astra Titanus Rulebook - v1.0 [7.0] TDF COMBAT PROCEDURES TDF warships use a variety of energy beam and kinetic kill weapons. The TDF also use long-range nuclear tipped missiles that can accelerate at thousands of gravities. s have a Combat Strength and Range. The greater the Combat Strength, the easier it is for the weapon to penetrate the Defense of the target. [7.1] TDF Procedure: All TDF starships not jumping [4.2], and within range [7.2], can attack the Titan. The TDF player announces which unit or units are attacking and the targeted system. The TDF player can target the Defensive Lasers, Primary Beams, Spinal Mount or Drive. The Omega cannot be targeted. Combined attacks are announced [7.3] and the combat roll is made [7.4]. If the attack is successful, damage is applied to the Titan [7.5]. Each unit can attack once per turn. [7.2] Range: The attack range is the shortest number of hexes between the attacker and the defender, not counting the hex of the attacker. Range can be counted at any time. Only targets within the weapon s range can be targeted and attacked. The maximum range of a CA s attack is 3. When damaged, the CA can only attack to a range of up to 2. [7.3] Combined TDF Attacks: Multiple TDF units within range can attack the same target. Pick one starship as the primary attacker. For each attacking starship beyond the first, add +1 to the Combat Strength of the primary attacker. A unit can attack or participate in a combined attack once each turn. A BB (Strength 5) combines fire with a BCH (+1), BC (+1) and CA (+1) for a total Combat Strength of 8. Movement example of a Hyperion with a Drive of 4. [6.2] Starship Devastation: If a Titan moves into a hex with a non-jumping TDF starship, roll a die:!-% The TDF starship is destroyed. ^ TDF starship immediately Jumps Out [4.1] [6.3] Asteroid Devastation: If a Titan moves into a hex with an asteroid counter, remove the asteroid. [6.4] Objective Devastation: A Titan that stops movement in the same hex as a space station ( Tau or Zeta objectives), destroys the station. A Titan cannot move into the same hex as a moon or colony, and therefore cannot devastate those objectives. [6.5] Titan Drive Damage: After completing movement, the Titan loses one Drive for each TDF starship, asteroid and space station destroyed by devastation this turn. [7.4] Combat Roll: Add the result of one die roll to the Combat Strength. If this total is equal to or greater than the Defense of the target, the target is hit and damaged. If the result is lower, the attack misses. A DD has a combat strength of 2. If it targets the Defensive Lasers of a Rhea (Defense 8), it would need to roll a ^ to hit. It could not hit the Primary Beams (Defense 9) or Spinal Mount (Defense 10). [7.5] Titan Damage: For each hit, the appropriate damage marker is moved one circle to the right. If the Drive marker is on the right-most space of a higher row, it is moved to the left-most space of the next lower row when damaged. The number of systems available is equal to the first number to the right of the damage marker the number underneath the marker does not count. A system is destroyed if the damage marker is covering the last number. The Titan is destroyed when all systems are destroyed. (Note that the Omega cannot be targeted or damaged.) The first three hits to an Atlas Spinal Mount will only damage armor. The fourth hit will reduce the number of spinal attacks to 2.

5 Astra Titanus Rulebook 5 [7.6] Legendary Starships: Starships with exceptional crews and officers or starships with advanced technology are set up by scenario rule with a "Legendary" marker. This marker adds +1 to Combat Strength, Range and Defense. A Legendary capital ship takes two hits to damage (flipped), and two more hits to destroy. A Legendary escort is destroyed after two hits. [7.7] Asteroid Effects: If a line from the center of the primary attacker's hex to the center of the defender's hex crosses one or more hexes containing an asteroid counter, subtract 2 from the Combat Strength. If the line crosses one or more hexes adjacent to an asteroid counter, but doesn't cross the actual asteroid hex, only subtract 1 from the Combat Strength. [8.0] TITAN COMBAT PROCEDURES Titans are armed with batteries of defensive lasers, primary energy beam projectors and massive spinal mount cannons. The spinal mount cannons are capable of extinction-level event attacks on inhabited planets. They have meters of armor plating protected by energy screens. Each type of Titan also features a special weapon, branded Omega by TDF analysts, capable of devastating attacks or altering fundamental forces of nature in local space. The Titan card lists the priority targets to attack for the each weapon system on the Titan. [8.1] Titan Attack Procedure: Titans choose their targets based on the targeting priority lists on the current Titan card. Starting with the top of the Defensive Laser column, the Titan targets the closest named unit and makes one combat roll [8.3] against the target. The Titan then selects the next unit on the list and repeats until (a) all units on the list are destroyed or out of range, or (b) all weapons have been used, or (c) the Titan runs into a stop sign. If the bottom of the list is reached, the Titan returns to the top of the list and continues. You may find it helpful to use a spare die to track Titan attacks. If there are no more listed targets within range, the Titan combines all remaining Defensive Lasers and fires at the closest capital ship within range [7.2]. The Titan then repeats the process with the Primary Beams. If there are no more listed targets within range, the Titan fires at the closest target of any type (including the objective Target) within range. The range of the spinal mount weapons is determined by the large range number on the card in the spinal mount target priority column. If the objective Target is within range, the Titan will always fire at the objective first. Any remaining spinal mount weapons are fired at the targeting list. The symbol at the bottom of list indicates the Titan will STOP attacking with the current weapon and attack with the next weapon type. If there are multiple targets at the same range, randomly select one target by die roll. DDM and DD are considered equal priority. BCH and BC are considered equal priority. The Titan is using card #09 to determine targets. First, one Defensive Laser will fire at a missile, if one is in range. If not, or after that attack is resolved, it will target a legal DD or DDM. It will then target a FF, CA and FF (in that order) until it runs out of Defensive Lasers. If there are still targets, it will continue from the top of the list. Once it runs out of Defensive Lasers, it will move to Primary Beam attacks. If there are still Lasers available, but no more targets in that column, it will combine all remaining Defensive Lasers and attack the closest BC or BCH, BB, or CA (whichever is top-most). It will then move to Primary Beams. It could attack the same CA twice with Primary Beams. Regardless, it will stop attacking with Primary Beams when it reaches the stop sign. [8.2] Combined Titan Attacks: Multiple Titan weapons can attack the same target when there are no more listed targets within range. For each weapon beyond the first, add +1 to the Combat Strength of the attack. [8.3] Combat Roll: Add the result of one die roll to the Titan s Combat Strength. If this total is equal to or greater than the Defense of the target, the target is hit and damaged. If the result is lower, the attack misses. [8.4] TDF Damage: An escort or a damaged capital starship is removed with a hit. An undamaged capital starship is damaged and flipped to the reverse side. [9.0] MISSILE COMBAT In addition to light-speed energy weapons, the TDF employ giant nuclear-tipped missiles. Without having to worry about crew or radiation shielding, the missiles are capable of thousands of Gs of acceleration. During the Missile Phase, TDF missiles launched the previous turn are flipped to the Move 5 side and moved. Any of these missiles that fail to reach the targeted Titan are removed due to fuel depletion. Then the TDF player may launch new missiles by placing them adjacent to the firing TDF ship on their Move 3 side in the hex closest to the targeted Titan and moving them towards the target. [9.1] Missile Equipped Ships: TDF units equipped with missiles have one or more missile icons ( dots ) next to the unit name. The number of dots equals the number of missile salvos (i.e., number of missile counters) loaded during set up. There is no reloading. If a unit with two unfired missiles is damaged, it loses one of the unfired missiles. If a damaged ship is repaired, it does not gain any additional missiles.

6 6 [9.2] Launching Missiles: Missiles are launched during the Missile Phase. A single missile counter represents dozens of missiles in a salvo. To launch a missile salvo, place it in a hex adjacent to the launching ship. All missile equipped ships may only launch one missile salvo per turn. In scenarios with multiple Titans, the TDF player must declare which specific Titan is being targeted when each missile is launched. [9.3] Missile Movement: A missile counter is moved by the least number of hexes (if there is a choice, the TDF player decides) towards their targeted Titan equal to their movement. Missiles move 3 hexes during the first Missile Phase and 5 additional hexes during the Missile Phase of the following turn. If they enter the hex of their target, they impact. If the target moves into a hex containing a missile targeted on it, the missiles impact. [9.4] Missile Asteroid Effects: If a missile moves into an asteroid hex, the missile is immediately destroyed. [9.5] Missile Defenses: Missiles in flight can be targeted by the Titan's weapons. Missiles are Defense 7 and are destroyed with one hit. [9.6] Missile Damage: For each missile salvo that impacts, roll a number of dice equal to the Explosion value of the missile counter (3 or 2) and consult the following chart. If the targeted Titan has one or more Defensive Lasers, roll one less die for the first missile counter that impacts the target each turn.! 1 Drive hit $-% 1 Defensive Laser hit ^ 1 Primary Beam hit No effect if system destroyed. [10.0] VICTORY OR DEFEAT If the Titan has fulfilled its victory condition at the end of a turn, the TDF player loses the game. The standard victory condition is the destruction of all objective targets (starbases, moonbase and colony planet). If the Titan is destroyed (all systems are destroyed; i.e., all markers are on or past the 1 space), the TDF player wins the game. If all objective targets and Titans are destroyed simultaneously, the Titan is victorious. [11.0] TITAN REPAIR AND DAMAGE CONTROL Titans are capable of absorbing an enormous amount of damage. Auto-repair systems will repair any amount of damage to a Titan given enough time. TDF Engineers and damage control parties do their best. [11.1] Titan Dead in Space Repair: If the Titan Dead in Space symbol appears on the Titan card, and the Titan Drive is 0 (i.e., the Titan is Astra Titanus Rulebook - v1.0 immobilized), repair the Titan Drive system the number of spaces listed on the Titan card (move the Drive marker to the left). [11.2] TDF Repair: The TDF player may attempt to repair capital ships damaged on a previous turn during the End/Repair Phase. The TDF announces the damaged capital ship to repair and rolls one die. On a result of %+, the capital ship is flipped back to its undamaged side. (A Legendary ship is repaired of one hit.) The TDF player can attempt to repair each previously damaged capital ship once per turn. [11.3] End Phase: Once all units have been repaired or attempted repairs, the phase is over. The next turn begins with the next FTL Jump Out Phase [4.1]. REFERENCE TDF Unit (Capital Ships and Escorts) Designations Battleship (BB) Heavy Battle Cruiser (BCH) Battle Cruiser (BC) Heavy Cruiser (CA) Missile Destroyer (DDM) Destroyer (DD) Frigate (FF) Titans Atlas-class Titan s: Spinal Mount (x3), Primary Beam (x4), Defensive Laser (x8) Drive: Speed class 3 Omega: Destroy 1d3 (roll 1 die, divide by 2, round up) escorts within range 3. Rhea-class Titan s: Spinal Mount (x2), Primary Beam (x3), Defensive Laser (x6) Drive: Speed class 3 Omega: Range is any Titan weapon. Hyperion-class Titan s: Spinal Mount (x1), Primary Beam (x2), Defensive Laser (x4) Drive: Speed class 4 (bonus at Drive 4, [6.1]) Omega: The targeted capital ships do not have to be in range of any Titan weapons. Hyperion Titans have lower Defenses CREDITS Game Design & Documentation: Chris Taylor Development: Alan Emrich Graphic Design: Scott Everts Unit Art: Abraham Katase Playtesting: Art Bennett, Michael Bourgeois, Scott Everts, David Finnigan, Fiona Finnigan, Kameron Gibson, Lance McMillan, Jason Rider, Nathaniel Taylor, Diane Upshaw, Oliver Upshaw Proofreading: Hans Korting, Leigh Toms, Gary Sonnenberg, Ian Wakeham