[FT] SML missiles

Greetings:

I hope this question hasn't been asked already, but I've looked through the
FAQ and didn't see anything on it. My question is "Do SML systems require a
fire control?". This is not stated in the rules, at least as far as I can
find. I assumed they did. However my worthy opponet just pointed out that it
isn't stated that the SML system has to have a fire control? Any thoughts on
this?

> At 08:21 20/10/98 -0600, you wrote:

Pardon me if this is wrong (been a while since I looked at the Fleet book) but
I believe that Firecon is required. Now the stipulation is that you only need
one firecon for all the missile systems. So 2 or 3 systems all share the same
firecon.

> Michael Johnson

> At 08:21 20/10/98 -0600, you wrote:

The "official" ruling is that the ship needs to have an operating firecon
available during the SML launch phase of the turn (just one irrespective of
how many salvoes are fired), but that firecon can then ALSO be used during the
main fire phase of the same turn to fire other weapons. This is simply a rule
mechanism to avoid having to remember or record which firecons have been "used
up" from phase to phase. A ship that has lost all Firecon capability cannot
fire SLMs (or any other weapons).

Jon (GZG)
> Michael Johnson

> Michael Johnson wrote:

> Jon Tuffley wrote:

> The "official" ruling is that the ship needs to have an operating

And our group uses a house rule that if you dedicate one firecon per salvo for
terminal guidance, then you can designate which ship is targeted rather than
relying on the "targets closest ship" rule. That way, small missile buckets
which dump SMRs are a little less effective than big strike cruisers with
plenty of firecons available. Also helps avoid the "swarm of scouts" defense.