From: JAMES BUTLER <JAMESBUTLER@w...>
Date: Mon, 12 Aug 1996 04:08:25 -0400
Subject: Full Thrust Anime: Mecha
Mecha come in 6 to a squadron in a Mecha Bay (functionally the same as fighter bays and may accept and reload fighters or mecha equally well in combat) at mass 6 and cost 36. Mecha automatically have five turns of endurance (which cannot be upgraded). They move at a speed of 8" per turn. Mecha roll as interceptors when dogfighting fighters other than interceptors. When dogfighting interceptors or other mecha, both sides roll ordinarily as their advantages cancel each other out. When not dogfighting, but merely firing on enemy mecha or fighters within 6" and within the forward arc, they kill one enemy mecha or fighter on a roll of 5, two kills on a 6. Mecha may attack ships as do ordinary fighters. Mecha are not as swift as fighters. *DAF roll at +1 when engaging mecha. Mecha may land on the outer hull of friendly craft. This is accomplished as a carrier landing. While on the surface of a friendly ship, they are automatically moved with the ship and may intercept and dogfight any attacking enemy mecha or fighters on a roll of 4-6. On a roll of 3, they dogfight the enemy mecha or fighter group after the attackers have made their attack on the ship. The dogfight proceeds normally even though the attackers have already attacked. On any turn that the landed mecha do not move to intercept, they may roll their attack against incoming fighters, mecha or ASM salvos as if they had a 360 degree arc (all they have to do is turn around.) Mecha are designed for close combat, which is their deadliest attack: the Close Assault. In the Close Assault, mecha attempt to land on the outer hull of an enemy vessel and attack its weapon installations, scanner gear, fighter bays, etc. on the surface and attempt to gain entry into the ship and attack it from within. Close Assault may be initiated if the mecha squadron is within 6" of an enemy target. While attempting a Close Assault, mecha suffer 2x casualties from PDAF fire (this is in addition to the +1 roll PDAF make against mecha already). Once down on top of/inside the enemy ship, the attacking mecha are immune to ALL PDAF and ADAF fire from ANY source. The only way to repulse them is to dogfight them on/in the ship with friendly mecha or attack them with the ship's own powered armor marine teams. Combat is as a dogfight. The defending ship may divide its 4-man powered armor teams as it wishes among the attacking mecha groups. Each 4-man powered armor team rolls a single die and eliminates one mecha on a roll of 5 or 6. Mecha eliminate marine powered armor teams on a roll of 3 or 4 and two such teams on a roll of 5 or 6. If friendly mecha dogfight enemy mecha on/inside a ship, every mecha kill by either side inflicts one damage point on the ship. So long as an attacking group is being "dog-fought" by either friendly mecha or marine powered armor teams, it may not roll to attack the ship. When attacking the ship itself, one damage point per attacking mecha is inflicted on the ship automatically. In addition, EACH attacking mecha may attack an individual ship system, eliminating it on a roll of 6. Aces conducting Close Assault on a ship eliminate a system on a roll of 5 or 6. Attacking a ship's systems in Close Assault expends one turn of endurance. Dogfighting enemy powered armor marines likewise expends a turn's endurance. James