Weapon/Defence Archive: Defences: Armour

[Interweaved Superconducting Armour]

INTERWEAVED SUPERCONDUCTING ARMOUR

This armour consists of standard armour composite, interwoven with superconducting materials. This has the effect of spreading the heat or electrical damage from weapons that use these effects for damage over the entire hull, thus reducing the damage potential of these weapons. This armour would actually be weaker than normal armour due to introducing flaws/weaknesses into the armour composite in the shape of the superconducting material.

This armour provides the same defence as normal armour for kinetic/explosive weapons (SMLs, K-guns,etc). For heat/energy weapons, (eg.-HET lasers, Beam batteries, Pulse Torpedoes etc.), the superconducting layer radiates the effect over the entire hull, reducing their effectiveness. The damage must exceed the total armour rating of the superconducting armour in a turn, to apply damage to the hull. This represents the limits of the armour/superconducting laminates to absorb and redirect the energy. The superconducting armour loses one point for every turn its attacked (even only 1 DP would reduce it by 1), and attacks that exceed the total armour rating (burn through) reduce the armour further by 1+ the hull damage as well. Re-roll damage for heat/energy weapons is also taken on the armour, not penetrating to the hull beneath.

Each point of Interweaved Superconducting Armour requires 2 MASS. It has a point cost of 4? per point.

ICON:    

[Noam] Damage from mixed sources will be hard to determine (what hits first - the explosives or the beams?). Why are Torpedoes considered heat weapons instead of explosions? System is under costed for effect. If the ISA is actually weaker than normal armour, it could be more sensitive to the kinetic/explosion weapons, for example having all such weapons penetrate after marking off 1 armour box, as with K-guns. Similarities to Damage Shield, Globular Shield, and Pinpoint Shield.

Last Update May 31, 2002, NRI