Weapon/Defence Archive: Defences: E.C.M. Systems

[Blind Field] -[Cloaking Node] -[Cloaking Shroud] -[Holofield] -[Jammer] - [Missile Jamming System] - [Stealth Mechanics] -[Stealth Hull] -[Stealth Jitterbug] -[Stealth Node] -[Stealth Shroud] -[Stealth System]

BLIND FIELD

The Blind Field is a suite of powerful ECM equipment coupled with chaff, flares, and a few PSB items that is designed to protect a volume of space. Unfortunately there were several drawbacks that prevented its use on capital ships, but for smaller escorts it is a viable system.

The Blind Field effectively doubles the distance between any two ships (or the ship and a missile) as far as targeting and firing is concerned — i.e., Ship A (with Blind Field) is 8mu away from Ship B, but if B fires on A it would be as though the ships were 16mu away. the field works both ways: B is also considered to be 16mu away should A wish to fire upon it.

The radius of the Blind Field on the board in mu is the ninth root of the MASS of the system — note you need to escort a vessel (per fighter rules) to grant this protection to another ship. Blind fields cannot be combined with other types of shields or screens.

A blind field requires 3 MASS or 30% of the MASS of the ship, whichever is greater, and costs 4 points per MASS of the field.

ICON:    

[Charles] The Blind Field is effectively a powerful Stealth System (level 4) that effects both the attacker and the defender. I think it would be much simpler just to give the Blind Field a fixed radius of effect, say in the range of 1 to 3 mu.

CLOAKING NODE

This system is found in the Aliens: Sa'Vasku section.

CLOAKING SHROUD GLAND

This system is found in the Aliens: Phalon section.

HOLOFIELD

The following is the consensus system arrived at through WOTW discussion of GZG-L in April 2001. Below it are the two original concepts of the Holofield before the WOTW discussion.

The Holofield has the same effect as a Level-1 Screen against all beam-type weapons weapons (Beam Batteries, Stinger Nodes, Pulsars, etc.) It also provides this protection against Submunitions Packs, Multiple Kinetic Penetrators, Kra'Vak fighters and Scatterguns used in anti-ship mode, all all of these use a 'beam die' damage mechanic, (although the last three do not allow re-rolls), the effect of the Holofield is that these weapons do no damage on a roll of 4, while other dice rolls have the usual result.

The Holofield applies a -1 penalty to the value of the 'to hit' dice roll (i.e. treat a roll of 2 as a roll of 1, a roll of 5 as a roll of 4, etc.) of Kinetic-Guns, Pulse Torpedo Launchers, Pod Launchers (where the pod type being fired requires such a roll, such as Lance or Leech Pods) and any other weapons with a similar mechanic (such a Cutter Beams).

The Holofield has no effect on Plasma Bolts, Spinal Mount Nova Cannon, Wave Guns, and all other area effect weapons.

These are two options as to what defence a Holofield provides against missiles:

1. Reduce the 'lock on range' of both MT missiles and Salvo Missiles to 5 mu (or 2½ mu if playing Vector and normally using a 3mu lock on range).
2. Treat the holofield as one 'extra' Point Defence System against every MT missile or missile salvo.

The Holofield does not function with either Screen Generators, Vapour Shroud Glands, or any level of Stealth (There is no reason why both cannot be installed in the same hull, capacity permitting, however the effects are not cumulative).

The Holofield requires 10% of the ship's total MASS but with a MINIMUM requirement of 4 MASS. A Holofield costs 3 points per MASS required. Alternatively, for a 'higher tech' feel, The Holofield requires 5% of the ship's total MASS but with a MINIMUM requirement of 2 MASS, and costs 8 points per MASS.

ICON:    

[Oerjan-paraphrased] See the advisory note at the beginning of the Screens and Shields section about 'Protect against anything' defensive systems.
[Charles] The Holofield could also be treated as a Level-1 Stealth System.

ORIGINAL VERSIONS OF THE HOLOFIELD

[Tom Beliech/Corye Seale] (Corye's web page)

MASS is 7.5% of ship's total MASS, 3x MASS in points.

Allows saves for hits on 6+ for each hit on the ship from 0-12 mu; 5+ save on hits from 12-24 mu; 4+ save on hits from 24+ mu.

Fighters, Plasma Bolts, and Salvo Missiles ignore Holofields. Ships with Holofields may have no armour, and no stronger that a weak hull. Weapons such as K-guns, Lasers, and Pulse Torpedoes need only to be saved once for the shot.

Comments/Analysis:

[Oerjan] Adds horrendous number of saving throws against beam-using foes. How are beam re-rolls treated - do you save against each DP (or is it die?) inflicted by the re-rolls as well, or is it sufficient to save the DP/die that caused the re- roll? Breaks even if you can stay outside range 24 all the time; if not you're better off buying more offensive weapons.

[Aaron Teske] (Spacefleet conversion page)

Holofields make all rolls to hit an equipped ship subtract 1 from the number rolled, but do not affect the damage caused by the attack. For example, if a standard Pulse Torpedo is fired on a ship 15mu away, the torpedo usually hits on a 4+. If the target has holofields, the torpedo needs a 5+ to hit. Against Salvo Missiles, one less missile will target the Holofield-equipped ship from each salvo.

Holofields effectively count as level 1 screens against beam weapons. Only one Holofield may be installed on a ship. A Holofield takes up 4 MASS, or 7% of the ship's total MASS, whichever is greater, and costs 3 points per MASS of the field.

Comments/Analysis:

[Oerjan] Better than the other Holofield variant.

JAMMER (MINBARI)

This system is found in the Genre: Babylon 5 section.

MISSILE JAMMING SYSTEM

MASS: 10% per ships mass (minimum 5 mass)
COST: 4 pts per mass

Effect: Roll a D6: On a 1, all missiles of whatever type targetting that vessel are KO.

Multiple systems are possible - with 3 such systems, on a roll of 1 to 3, all missiles (SMs, MTs etc) targetting that ship are KO.

So for only 60% of the ship's mass, and an enormous expense, you can make your ship immune to missiles. Of course, you wouldn't have much mass available for things like thrust, FTL, screens,  weapons etc.

STEALTH MECHANICS

There are a number of different possible Stealth technologies, from specially designed and/or coated hulls to sophisticated electronic masking systems to 'exotic' technologies on the far side of the Clarke-3 event horizon. However, regardless of their disparate technologies, in Full Thrust, they are all handled using the same basic mechanics.

The 'standard' mechanic for 'stealth' is that any ship that targets a 'stealthed' ship has the range bands of its weapons reduced, in other words, the effective range to the 'stealthed' ship is increased. The magnitude of the increase in range/reduction in range bands depends upon the level of stealth on the target. This reduction applies to all weapons, including missile 'lock-on' and fighter attack ranges, but does not apply to Placed Marker Ordnance ranges, or any area effect weapons, such as Plasma Bolts, Nova Cannon or Wave Guns.

In addition to this primary effect, should sensor rules be in use (either those in Full Thrust 2 and More Thrust, or others), then should a stealthed ship be scanned, the sensor will register that the stealthed ship is smaller than it actually is. If using the extended sensor rules on pages 5–6 of More Thrust, first, subtract the stealth level from the sensor die roll, and second, on a sensor die score of 3+, the MASS disclosed should be the ship's actual MASS multiplied by the HULL SIGNATURE factor from the table below.

The actual effects of levels of Stealth are summarised on the table below:

If a ship is equipped with Enhanced or Superior Sensors (See More Thrust, page 6), it can use these sensors to mitigate the effects of Stealth. A Sensor system used this way cannot have been used for any other purpose that turn, and can assist in targeting only one Stealth-equipped ship. An Enhanced Sensor system will reduce the effective Stealth of the target ship by 1 level, while a Superior Sensor system will reduce Stealth by 2 levels. This only apples to weapons fire from the ship using the Sensor systems.

[Charles] An alternative method of handling Stealth would be to treat Level-1 Stealth as if the stealthed ship were using a HoloField, and Level-2 Stealth as if it were a double strength Holofield (Level-2 Screen vs. beams, -2 to hit vs. pulse torpedoes and k-guns).

STEALTH HULL

A Stealth Hull is a specially designed hull that minimised the ships signature, and usually involved both a radical hull geometry and special absorbent hull coatings.

Oct, 2002 revision:

• Stealth Hull costs  +2 NPV per Hull or Armor box  per level of Stealth.  Examples: a 2 Armor, 10 Hull ship has +24 NPV for Stealth Level 1, and + 48 NPV for Stealth Level 2.
• Stealth ships require passive fire control, limiting maximum firing range to 24 MU regardless of weapons. Example: Outgoing P-torps still have 6" range bands, though only 4 of them with to-hits of 2+ (0-6 MU) to 5+ (18-24 MU).
• Stealth Level 1 is lost after 50% hull damage, rounded up to the nearest threshold (i.e. Threshold # 2, 2, 3, or 3 on a 3, 4, 5, or 6-row hull respectively.
• Stealth Level 2 is reduced to Level 1 after 35 % damage (Thresh 1, 1, 2, or 2), and lost completely after 67% damage (Thresh 2, 3, 4, or 4)
• Lost stealth abilities cannot be repaired on the time scale of the individual scenario.
  

The hull designs of Stealth and Aerodynamic Streamlining can be related. Streamlining usually has no practical value in Full Thrust, except in special scenarios. A Level-1 Stealth Hull may be upgraded to Partial Streamlining, while a Level-2 Stealth Hull may be upgraded to Full Streamlining. This has no increase in the MASS required, but the POINTS COST of combined Stealth and Streamlining is +1 point per hull or arnor box per level of streamlining.

ICON:      (level1)      (level-2)

The Stealth Hull symbol is shown adjacent to the hull damage boxes. Cross off  the stealth symbol after the appropriate threshold level is reached. 

For a combined Stealth and Streamlined Hull, replace the Stealth Hull icons with the following:.

Older Version:

A Stealth Hull is available with up to two levels of Stealth, but at a cost of reducing the internal capacity of the hull. A Level-1 Stealth Hull uses 10% of the ship's total MASS, while a Level-2 Stealth Hull uses 20% of the ship's total MASS. The POINTS COST of a Stealth Hull is 3 points per MASS used for Stealth.

STEALTH FTL JITTERBUG SYSTEM (AKA PHASING STEALTH)

The Stealth Jitterbug System is a Stealth Technologythat causes th utilizing a Quantum field to cause a ship to physically jump or 'jitter' from place to place within a local probability cloud (smaller than 1mu), thus making targeting more difficult.

A Stealth Jitterbug System generates 1 level of Stealth. To function it uses the ships FTL drive, thus it can only be fitted to a ship with a FTL drive, and it can only function while the FTL drive is operational. Also, the FTL drive cannot be engaged while the Stealth Jitterbug System is in use.

The Stealth Jitterbug System requires the same MASS as the ship's FTL drive (10% of the ship's total MASS). It has a points cost of 4 points per MASS.

ICON:      (Stealth System connected to FTL drive icon)

STEALTH NODE

This system is found in the Aliens: Sa'Vasku section.

STEALTH SHROUD GLAND

This system is found in the Aliens: Phalon section.

STEALTH SYSTEM (AKA STEALTH GENERATOR, SIGNATURE DAMPER)

The Stealth System is an active Electronic Countermeasures system such as a jamming, masking, or ghosting package that fools enemy targeting scans.

A Stealth System generates a Stealth Level equal to the level of the generator. Stealth Systems are treated like Screen Systems for the purposes of threshold checks; a Level 2 Stealth System has two generators, each of which is rolled for separately, should either fail, the Stealth System is reduced to Level 1 capability, should both fail, the Stealth System is knocked out.

The Stealth System requires 5% of the ship's total MASS for a level-1 Stealth System, and 10% of the ship's total MASS for a level-2 Stealth System, but with a MINIMUM requirement of 3 MASS per level. Additional levels can be purchased, at an extra requirement of 5% of the ship's total MASS each (minimum of 3 each), but have no additional effect apart from acting as backup systems. A Stealth System costs 9 points per MASS required.

Alternatively, for a 'lower-tech' version, the MASS requirement for each generator is 7% of the ship's total MASS (minimum of 4), and the points cost is 5 points per MASS.

ICONS:      (level- 1)      (level-2)

Last Update April 24, 2003, NRI