Optional Fighter Movement for FULL THRUST (Very Long Post)

Optional Fighter Movement for FULL THRUST (Long Post)

For comments, opinions, improvements and suggestions

The rules listed below are our groups attempt to increase the flexibility of
Fighter groups especially in their role of protecting other ships from Fighter
attack. We have 'borrowed' the concept of a 'Reserve move' (popular in other
miniature wargames rules) and adapted it to Full Thrust fighters by
introducing the concept of Fighter Reaction. Fighter reaction represents
holding back some of your fighter strength to then react to the moves of your
opponents fighters which are targeting your ships.
Reaction Fighters are given a 12" radius anti-fighter patrol area. How
this is achieved is explained below.

In our version of Full Thrust we combine the Standard Full Thrust fighter
movement system with the optional system in More Thrust. In addition we have
adapted JTs ideas on increasing fighter movement from 12" to 24".

There are now TWO fighter movement phases: Normal Fighter Move Phase and the
Reaction Fighter Move Phase. They fit into the sequence of play as follows:

1)      Write Movement Orders / place Fighter Reaction Markers
2)      Move Asteroids and other fixed -move bodies
3) Standard Fighter Move Phase 4) Move all Ships in accordance with written
orders. 5) Reaction Fighter Move Phase 6) Combat Phase

Explanation of Phases 1) After all orders are written any fighter group on the
table may have a Reaction Counter placed against it. These fighter groups may
only move in the Reaction Fighter Move Phase.

3) Any fighter group not marked with a Reaction counter may move up to 24" in
any direction. It may finish its move facing any direction. It may be placed
to touch an enemy fighter group. If it does then follow the standard FT dog
fighting rules in this case.

4) Move all ships as per Full Thrust. Also any fighter group marked with a
Reaction counter and within 6" of its 'Home Carrier' may move with that
carrier maintaining its relative position to that ship. (Any such fighter in a
'dogfight' with an opponent must either stay in place or be subject to a 'free
shot' from the enemy group.)

5) Fighters marked with a Reaction marker may now move up to 12" in any
direction. It may finish its movement facing in any direction. (Any such
fighter starting the phase in a 'dogfight' with an opponent must either stay
in place or be subject to a 'free shot' from the enemy group.)

6) Combat Phase: Before any ships fire Fighters on Reaction orders may fire at
other fighters. (Note a fighter on Reaction may NOT engage enemy ships only
enemy fighters.) If the target is a fighter group on Reaction orders then
firing and damage is simultaneous. If the target is a
non-reacting fighter then the Reacting fighter shoots first, losses
being taken by the target before it can in turn shoot back. Ships may now fire
(using whatever firing order system you wish). Any Fighter group not marked
with a reaction marker may shoot at a ship using the rules as stated in Full
Thrust.

Example of Play: At the beginning of a turn and NAC Fleet Carrier with all 6
fighter group deployed is planning to attack an FSE Light Carrier which has
all 4 of its fighter groups deployed. Range between the 2 ships is about 24".
All fighter groups are beginning the turn within 6" of their 'Home' carriers.

ORDER PHASE In this Phase the NAC player marks 2 of his fighter groups with
Reaction Markers. The FSE Player expecting a Fighter Attack marks all 4 of his
fighter groups with Reaction Markers.

STANDARD FIGHTER MOVE PHASE The NAC Player tries to predict where the FSE CVE
will end its move and
places his 4 non-Reaction Fighter groups around that predicted point.
These fighters can move up to 24".

SHIP MOVE PHASE: The NAC CV and the FSE CVE move as plotted in their orders.
The Reaction marked Fighter groups of both sides are within 6" of their 'Home'
carriers and so can be automatically moved keeping formation with the carrier.
(They are assumed to be part of a constant patrol some fighters landing and
taking off all the time.) None were involved in a dogfight.

REACTION FIGHTER MOVE PHASE: The 4 FSE Fighter Groups can now move as they are
all marked with Reaction markers. The FSE can move them up to 12" and places
them in range and within arc to fire at the NAC Fighters. The NAC player could
now move his Reaction Fighters up to 12", in this case not far enough to be
able to fire on any FSE fighter groups. They could not fire on any FSE ships
as Reaction marked fighters cannot engage ships.

COMBAT PHASE: In this case the FSE Fighters will get to fire first as they are
Reaction marked. If any NAC fighters were in arc to shoot at any FSE fighters
they would fire after they had taken any damage from the FSE fighters. Combat
is resolved and casualties amongst the fighters removed. After the FSE CVE has
fired or at the end of the Combat phase the NAC fighters get to attack the
CVE.

Tactics: In the above example the NAC fighters were shot up by the defenders
reacting fighter groups, the NAC player could have kept none of his fighters
on reaction and used 2 of them in the Standard Fighter Move phase to move
adjacent to and dogfight some of the Reaction marked FSE Fighter groups. (note
in Dogfights all combat is simultaneous). The FSE fighters would either have
to dogfight the NAC fighters and stay in place, or be subject to a free shot
against them if they moved away in the Reaction Fighter Movement Phase.

Apologies for the length of this post but if you have got this far your
feedback would be welcome, I've play tested these twice now, am I missing
anything fundamental etc.

Thanks for your time.

> Optional Fighter Movement for FULL THRUST (Long Post)
[SNIP]

> Apologies for the length of this post but if you have got this far your

Roger - on first quick read-through I like this a lot! How did it work
out in play, and what overall effects did it have on the game? It might be
interesting to play a scenario with these rules and then again with the
"regular" fighter rules to check the difference.

Keep up the good work!

Thanks,

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> From: Ground Zero Games <jon@gzero.dungeon.com>

Thank you Jon for the comments. We will be playing again this Monday night and
we will try out a scenario using both systems.

It was'nt too difficult to introduce my fellow players to this system, we've
all played Full Thrust for some time and we had used both the original and the
More Thrust Fighter sequence of play so we were used to fighters moving both
before and after ships. The new mechanics were picked up pretty quickly,
however it took us longer to the learn and employ the tactics that these new
options gave us. The player controlling a carrier and its Fighter Groups had
to really think carefully about how he used his assets. It soon became clear
that if you kept a strong Reaction Fighter presence around your carrier then
it was much more difficult for an attacking Fighter Force to press home its
attack. The Reaction move of 12" meant that it was possible for the Fighters
to 'defend' not just the carrier but any ships which stayed close to the
carrier (Realisically 6" or so). In our games an attacking force of 4 Fighter
Groups took nearly 50% casualties before it could press home its attack.(this
was not on the CV itself but some Cruisers that kept within the reaction range
of some friendly fighters.) If you are using More Thrust options and the
Reaction Fighters are 'Interceptors' then the defensive capability is awesome.

An additional tactic that evolved was the ability to defend distant groups. In
one of the games we played, a carrier was tasked to defend a small convoy that
was on the other side of the table from the carrier itself. On the first turn
after launch two fighter groups were moved towards the convoy in the Standard
Fighter Move Phase, a full 24". By the time the turn was completed the convoy
moving at speed 6 was within 12" of the fighters. At the begining of the next
turn the fighters were put on Reaction. The opposing player now knew that if
he moved his fighters in the Standard Fighter Move Phase to attack the convoy
he would have to place his fighters right inside the reaction range (12") of
the defending fighters. The convoys move of 6" would take it right into that
radius.

'Convincing' an opponent that his Fighter groups would be better engaged in
Reaction was also a tactic which came about. By boldly moving fighters to a
position where they would be able to strike next turn usually forced hard
decisions on the defender as to the status of his fighters. A Fighter Group on
Reaction is no danger to a ship.

Overall the mechanics for fighters remained reasonably simple yet the way in
which you decided to use your fighters becomes much more challenging.

Will continue to work on these rules.

Regards.....

----------
> From: Roger c Gerrish <roger.gerrish@lineone.net>
These are actually clarifications:

Fighter Movement: When both sides have fighters we use the standard "you move
one, then I move one" approach. This is the case in both the Standard Fighter
Movement Phase and the Reaction Fighter Movement Phase

Fighter Combat: Combat in the Movement Phases. the only combat taking place
here can be the 'free' shots resulting from a group moving out of a dogfight.

In the Combat phase the we use the following sequence:

a) All dogfights resolved

b) Fighter v Fighter Combat: Fighters within range and in arc fire at each
other. This combat is simultaneous. (Reaction fighters are less likely to be
shot at as the canny player will have positioned them out of the firing arcs
of the fighters moved in the Standard Fighter Move Phase.

c) Ships fire: Fighters engaging ships fire after their target has fired.

d) Any remaining Fighters fire at ships

Note a fighter may not fire more than ONCE in any one turn. (dogfighting
counts as firing)

Notes on More Thrust Fighter Options: We use Fighter endurance, Fighter
quality, Heavy Fighters, Interceptors,
Attack fighters and Long-Range Fighters.

If you playtest these rules it is interesting developing tactics that allow
you to best escort or defend against attacking fighters.

Regards........