Missiles in Book 2 Combat

[Old_Dr_Skull]

It's been a long age since I had done any book 2 combat ship combat. So, I did a quick battle between a safari ship and a yatch to test things out. Each had a missile rack as its only armament.

While I enjoyed the vector movement for the ships (using the method from the Mayday board game), tracking the missiles was just too much. It got fiddly with just 1 launcher per side, I can't imagine when there are 30 missiles flying every which way.

I think what I'm going to do is say that missiles launched from less than 6 hexes (or inches or whatever scale I end up using) impact on the ordinance launch phase of the following turn, and those launched from 6 to 15 inches to impact the turn following that. I don't know whether to require a "to hit" roll or not.

 

[Omnivore]

I'd think it safe to skip any 'to-hit' roll, since especially in space warfare, as long as a missile has a higher G-rating than the target and the initial launch trajectory is favorable in delta-V terms, it will either hit the target or run out of delta-V. This, of course, assumes it hasn't been spoofed by ECM or turned into pieces of what used to be a missile by a laser or other point defense weapon. This still requires you to track each missile (or group of missile) somewhat to keep track of expected turn of impact if nothing else.

Alternatively, you could borrow a page from High Guard and assume all missiles launched at the beginning of a turn will impact at the end of the turn - though it could well be argued that since High Guard has a 'to-hit' roll for missiles that all missile warheads in High Guard are of the stand off variety. If you go this route just give them a base 6+ chance to hit (-1 at short range), however make sure any ECM or point defense fire occurs prior to the 'to-hit' roll.

I'm biased towards abstraction and simplicity myself, so YMMV.

 

[Whipsnade]

While I enjoyed the vector movement for the ships (using the method from the Mayday board game), tracking the missiles was just too much. It got fiddly with just 1 launcher per side, I can't imagine when there are 30 missiles flying every which way.

One way to limit the number of missile counters on the map is to limit the number of missiles a ship can control at any given time. One per launcher or turret may work for you. (Of course, not all missiles need to be controlled.)

Another way is to combine missile counters. When we used HG2 with Mayday missile counters were marked with the rating of battery that launched them.

I think what I'm going to do is say that missiles launched from less than 6 hexes (or inches or whatever scale I end up using) impact on the ordinance launch phase of the following turn, and those launched from 6 to 15 inches to impact the turn following that.

That would work, it's what HG2 does after all. However, it does remove the nifty part of using missiles in a vector movement system; i.e. wrong footing an opponent so that his missiles' vectors cannot intercept your own.

I don't know whether to require a "to hit" roll or not.

I would because by removing the maneuvering element you're making missile hits basically automatic.

 

[Otto Harkaman]

I am getting a weird epiphany as I mess around with Mayday using an onscreen board to represent play that launching missiles from a moving ship is like hurling glide bombs from a plane.