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MORE THAN VALOR™

Copyright © 2000 byIron Crown Enterprises.All rights reserved.No reproductionswithout the expresswritten consent ofIron Crown Enterprises.Produced and distributedby Iron CrownEnterprises, Inc.,P.O. Box 1605,Charlottesville, VA 22902.Phone: (804) 295-4280.Fax: (804) 977-9687.Web page:www.ironcrown.com

CreditsAuthor: Leland Erickson

Developed By:Donald G. Dennis, Steve Wilcoxon

Project Head:Steve Wilcoxon

Original System Design:Kevin Barrett

Cover Graphics:Jessica Ney-Grimm

Interior Illustrations:Matthew J. Plog, Dan Smith,Stephen Graham Walsh, D. Dennis, J. Ney-Grimm

Ship Display Illustrations:Dan Cruger, D. Dennis,Terry Amthor, K. Barrett

Miniatures Sculptor:Bob Naismith, Robert Murch

Managing Art Direction:Jessica Ney-Grimm

Art Direction:Jason O. Hawkins

Series Editor:Donald Dennis

Pagemaking:Sherry Robinson,Coleman Charlton, D. Dennis,

Cover Design:J. Ney-Grimm, D. Dennis

Cover Graphics:J. Ney-GrimmICE Staff:

CEO: Bruce Neidlinger; President: Pete Fenlon;Managing Editor: Coleman Charlton;Sales, Customer Service and Operations:

Steve Hardy, Keike Kubasch,THE Howard Huggins;

Editing, Production, and Development:D. Dennis, J. Hawkins, J. Ney-Grimm,Brian Olson, Sherry Robinson.

Dedication: In Memory of Harvey J. Newton, M.D.Friend and Mentor. There is anew star shining in the heavens...

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Table of Contents

SPECIAL THANKS TO:Besby Frank

Holmes. P-38 pilot,Fighter Ace, andAmerican Hero.Thanks for all that youand your fellow veter-ans endured on ourbehalf. The stories youshared with me socheerfully one sum-mer were inspiringbeyond words.

The TuskeegeeAirmen. AmericanHeroes All. Thank youfor all thatyou en-dured for our nation. Ifor one, am eternallyin your debt.

Sheldon Greaves,Ph.D. My good friendand regular gamingopponent. I taughthim everything heknows—about SilentDeath. God, did I evermake a mistake!

Donald Dennis.Silent Death SeriesEditor, who turned meloose on an unsus-pecting world to writethis book. Bwahahaha!

Stephen Wilcoxon.Project Head, MoreThan Valor, whocheerfully nagged memercilessly and often,helping me to stay ontrack. RememberSteve, including theNight Brood was youridea (and a good oneat that)!

More Than Valor. ............................................ 3In The Beginning .............................................. 3Knights of the Sky ............................................ 6Inter-War Follies ............................................... 7The First Great Age of the Fighter Ace ............ 8The First Great Air Campaign ........................ 10Eastern Storm ................................................. 12Samurai of the Skies ....................................... 13Warriors Over the Pacific ................................ 15The Jet Age ...................................................... 18The Age of the Starfighter .............................. 18

Fighter Pilot Charactersin Silent Death. ..................................... 20

Rules For Creating and Using Fighter Aces ... 21General Limitations and Assumptions ........... 23Determining Starting Pilot Skill Levels ........ 24Crew Attributes List ........................................ 25Skills and Quirks, Limitations and Cost ........ 27

Skills ............................................................. 28Pilot Character Quirks ................................ 32How to Assign Skills and Quirks ................ 35

Optional Rules. ............................................. 36Alternative Initiative Determination .............. 36Steel Hull Structural Weakness ..................... 36Escort Crew Safety Quirks .............................. 36Alternate Point Costs forPilot and Gunner Skills ................................. 36

Fighter Ace Profiles. ................................... 37House Colos ................................................. 37House Red Star ............................................ 38House Tokugawa .......................................... 40ASP ............................................................... 41Q’raj Void Protectorate: ............................... 41Data Sphere ................................................. 42Kashmere Commonwealth.......................... 43Sigurd Archdiocese ...................................... 44Unkulunkulu Archipelago ........................... 45Luches Utopia .............................................. 46Hibernian Freehold ..................................... 46Yoka-Shan Warworld ................................... 47The Draconians ............................................ 48The Night Brood .......................................... 48Primates/House Devon ................................ 49

House Pilot Quirks, Tactical Doctrines,and Force Composition Lists. .......... 50House Skills/Quirks Summary Table .......... 51House Colos ................................................. 51House Red Star ............................................ 53House Tokugawa .......................................... 55Yoka-shan Warworld .................................... 56Kashmere Commonwealth.......................... 57Hibernian Freehold ..................................... 58ASP Technocracy ......................................... 58Data Sphere ................................................. 59Sigurd Archdiocese ...................................... 60Luches Utopia .............................................. 61The Prometheans......................................... 62Unkulunkulu Archipelago ........................... 63

Karelian Republic ........................................ 64Q’raj Void Protectorate ................................ 65Espan ............................................................ 66Sunrunners .................................................. 66Night Brood ................................................. 67

Experience System. .................................... 68

New Ships & Refits. ................................... 69Experimental Starcraft ................................... 69

Augustus Naval 317 dire RSXSeraph Experimental ................................ 69

Imperial Transtar 1220 series C EXPNight Hawk Experimental ........................ 70

Krote-Khol Systems SFX20-d3Drakar Experimental ................................ 71

Imperial Transtar 1320EXP series FTeal Hawk Experimental ........................... 72

Starcraft Refits ................................................ 73Grivas Armaments EX-198-B

Black Widow II .......................................... 73Vanguard XFiii.III Salamander III .............. 74Colos Ducal Aerospatial CDA-109E-1

Shark II ...................................................... 74Transprovincial S 1436c Sorenson IV ......... 75Bellicose Design Conglomerate T5d

Talon III ..................................................... 76Delta Combine PKM-221.2

Death Wind III .......................................... 77House Tokugawa Starfighters ......................... 77

Kawanishi-Mifune KAM-27 Hayabusa ........ 77Wing-Kurosawa A6M5 Samurai Type 1. ....... 78Wing-Kurosawa A6M5-A1 Samurai Type 2. .. 78

Order of Fire Sheet ......................................... 79

Scenarios. ....................................................... 80Scenario 1: “One Man Wrecking Crew” ........ 80Scenario 2: “Claw and Switchblade” ............. 82Scenario 3: “Grimmnar’s Saga” ..................... 84

Optional Rules Checklist. ......................... 85Campaign Options ........................................... 85Defensive Options ........................................... 85Electronic Warfare Options ............................ 85Attack Options ................................................. 86Movement Options .......................................... 86Minefield Options ............................................ 86Crew Options ................................................... 87Play Options .................................................... 87Escape Options ................................................ 87Miscellaneous Options .................................... 88Torp Options .................................................... 88Terrain Options ............................................... 88

Bibliography. .................................................. 90

Errata, Changes, and Updates. ............... 91Ship Errata, Changes, and Updates ................ 92Other Errata, Changes, and Updates .............. 94

The Ship Sheets. .................................. 96-108

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More Than Valor“Looking around doesn’t cost any-

thing and is a healthy habit for pilotsto develop.”

— Capt. Joseph J. Foss.WWII U.S.M.C. fighter ace.

Medal of Honor winner.Executive Officer, VMF-121.

In The BeginningFighter ace. These words conjure up

images of courageous individuals engagingin heroic single combat against deadly en-emies (and often outrageous behavior onceback at their base!). Images spring to mindof swirling dogfights in fast and deadly fly-ing war machines, of fearless individualspushing themselves, their machines, andsometimes their luck to the absolute lim-its of performance – and beyond. Whilethese romantic views of the popular imagi-nation have their roots in historical fact,the reality is rather different.

The term “ace” started before the FirstWorld War; it was coined to describe popu-lar heroes, particularly in sports or profes-sional endeavors. Once the First World Warbegan, aircraft quickly evolved from crudevehicles fit only for scouting into dedicatedcombat machines. The popular press of theday began to refer to a pilot that had shotdown five or more enemy aircraft as an“ace.” The name stuck in the popular imagi-nation, and became formalized by severalof the combatant air services to acknowl-edge the combat prowess of their pilots.

As the First World War progressed, nu-merous pilots achieved ace status, while anelite few ran up incredible scores. Namessuch as Barker, Mannock, Guynemer,Richtofen, Voss, and Rickenbacker becamehousehold words as the popular press re-ported on their exploits in battle. The veryidea of becoming a fighter ace became thedream of many combat pilots and many ayoung boy imagining himself taking to the

“There is many aboy here today wholooks on war as allglory, but boys, it isall hell.”—William Tecumseh

Sherman

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skies to do battle. This situation evolvedrapidly within a span of four brutal yearsfrom very crude beginnings to sophisti-cated aerial operations ranging from recon-naissance, air superiority, tactical groundattack, and long range bombing missionspointing the way towards the huge strate-gic bombing campaigns that would followin future wars.

The earliest “dogfights” involved impro-vised weaponry. The earliest aircraft werecrude, low powered affairs of wood, wire,and fabric suitable only for scouting. Soon,some now forgotten individual hit on thebright idea of taking a potshot at an oppos-ing flyer with his pistol, and the wholeaerial arms race was born. Since the pilotsof the early aircraft needed at least one handto control their temperamental machines,it usually was an observer who did theshooting. From pistols to carbines to theinevitable machine gun, aerial warfare rap-idly evolved into a deadly affair. Once aneffective method was devised to allow anaircraft to fire a machine gun forwardthrough its propeller, the age of the fighterace had begun.

Each of the combatant nations began toexperiment with fighter tactics as they de-veloped their technology of aerial warfare.

The image of the lone knight of the skyhad a strong popular appeal. But the some-times nearly hysterical romanticizing ofwarfare so fixed in the public’s mind at thewar’s beginning, was ground down inexo-rably by the hideous slaughter of thetrenches, mud, and barbed wire of the West-ern Front. The leadership of the principalcombatants was therefore eager to use anytool at their disposal to shore up publicmorale. And what better image than the

dashing “knights of the sky?” The realitywas somewhat different, as an RFC veteranwriting under the pseudonym W. W.Windstaff in his rare (only 25 copies pri-vately printed!) memoir so aptly describedas follows;

“I went through the cloud andfound myself with just one Hun. Hehad a skull and bones painted on hiscanvas side and I automaticallypressed the Lewis button and a stac-cato burst caught him in the belly ofhis machine. I was just under him—in his blind spot—and he fell, all blacksmoke, flames redder than any paintjob. I could see the flier’s protuberantbloodshot eyes as he screamed. No-body carried parachutes in those days,and his right wing just touched mine—a kiss—as he fell away in a big grayworld.

“I scooted for our lines, sticky withfear, I vomited brandy-and-milk andbile all over my instrument panel. Yes,it was very romantic flying, people saidlater, like a knight errant in the cleanblue sky of personal combat, in whip-cord breeches and a British tunic withlong Bond Street cut tails. So roman-tic...oh shit and piss. I remembered anold Sunday School lesson: “Man is fullof misery and all earthly beauty is cor-rupt because of the untiring abjura-tion of the Devil...”

Oddly enough, the British Royal FlyingCorps (RFC) was initially reluctant to pub-licly disclose the exploits of its individualfighter pilots for a variety of reasons, somuch so that the full story of their most

“Raven Five, stay ifformation! You’restarting to edgeforward again!”MacGregor radioed forthe umptenth time tothe umpteenth younghotheaded CrowOwner pilot. An expe-rienced Chief of theDog Soldier akicita,MacGregor fullyunderstood the impor-tance of strict disci-pline and cooperationbetween all pilotswithin a fighter unit.The trouble was,MacGregor’s fellowRed Star braves fromthe other akicitas suchas this eager gaggle ofCrow Owners justdidn’t get the concept.

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successful fighter pilots did not becomewidely known until after the war. That said,news did leak out to the British press, andnames such as Albert Ball, Lanoe Hawker,and Billy Bishop became known to the Brit-ish and Commonwealth public.

The French air service, however, wasquick to capitalize on the power of the pressand the effect on morale of the image ofthe dashing lone aerial hunter, whileFrance was losing staggering numbers ofmen in the ground war for little or no gain.Eager to grab onto any scrap of good news,the French people generally came to idol-ize their aerial heroes such a GeorgesGuynemer and René Paul Fonck.

The personable Georges Guynemer wasa frail youth bedeviled by poor health, andhe had been rejected by the French Armyfor this reason. Undaunted, Guynemermanaged to wrangle his way into theFrench air service as a mechanic. Despiteconstant hazing from his fellow mechan-ics who referred to him as “Mademoiselle”and assigned him to clean the dirtiest air-craft engines, Guynemer finally managedto work his way into pilot training.Guynemer proved to be a natural, and be-gan to excel as a fighter pilot.

Eager to get their names in the papers,many French fighter pilots became reck-less in their actions, and suffered accord-ingly. Even the more veteran French fighterpilots were not immune from this quest forpublic exposure, as their enthusiasm forpublic acclaim overrode their discretion.

The great French ace Georges Guynemerapparently fell victim to this frantic questfor glory, as on September 11, 1917,Guynemer grew impatient waiting for thearrival of a general staff officer who wasrunning late, so Guynemer and two otherpilots took off on a patrol over Germanlines. The staff officer arrived on scene onlyfifteen minutes after Guynemer’s patrolflight had departed. Guynemer, a veteranfighter ace with 45 confirmed kills to hiscredit, subsequently became separatedfrom his fellow pilots during an attack ona German two-seater reconnaissance air-craft and was never seen again. Unwillingto let go of their hero, many French peopleadopted the folklore that Guynemer “...hadflown so high that he could never land!”

But it was the German Military air ser-vice that led the way in popularizing airaces, as their propaganda machine eagerlygobbled up every kill scored by its pilots tohelp keep up morale of the German public.As the war dragged on and German publicmorale began to sink, the German propa-ganda machine began to attribute aerialvictories to the infamous Manfred vonRichtofen and his younger brother Lothar,even when the kill had been scored by an-other pilot, all in a vain effort to shore upmorale on the German home front. It isimportant to note that Manfred vonRichtofen’s combat record (80 confirmedkills) was well documented, as was that ofhis younger brother Lothar (45 confirmedkills). Nevertheless, if the German press ofthe day was to be believed, the Richtofenbrothers were devastating the entire Alliedair effort without any help from the hun-dreds of other German pilots and aerialgunners.

Some air services, such as the BritishRoyal Flying Corps, were initially reluctantto acknowledge such individual achieve-ments, as conservative commanders—more concerned with personal perceptionsof maintaining military discipline over en-couraging individual “grandstanding”—re-fused to allow any official recording of in-dividual pilots and their aerial victories.Despite resistance from RFC militaryofficialdom, the British popular press ea-gerly reported the exploits of these success-ful fighter aces to a public eager for newheroes in an otherwise grim war of stale-mate and slaughter in the trenches of theWestern Front. In a very short period oftime the publicity generated by the exploitsof such heroic individuals as Albert Ball hadcaptured the imaginations of a war wearypopulation, desperate for a boost to theirsagging morale.

Despite official opposition, Albert Ball,in particular, became a darling of the Brit-ish public thanks to continual leaks abouthis aerial exploits to the British Press. Ballwas a deeply religious and humble man, softspoken and uncomfortable with all of themedia attention he received. Ball was alsoa bit of an eccentric character, as he flewwithout a helmet or goggles so he couldfeel the wind in his face. Ball was also anenthusiastic violinist, who had rented a

Being young andinexperienced, theCrow Owners reallycouldn’t understandwhy the “Old Fart DogSoldiers” didn’t seethe value of simplycharging head on atthe opposition. Afterall, wasn’t one of ThePeople supposed tohold bravery as avirtue of the highestsort?

‘Yes,’ thoughtMacGregor, ‘andwisdom is the highestvirtue of them all! Ifonly I could get thesehotheaded cubs tograsp this modestconcept...’

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small cottage by his aerodrome so he couldpractice without disturbing his fellow pi-lots. At the peak of his career, Ball was onlyin his early 20s, having achieved 44 con-firmed kills in combat. This number of con-firmed victories had to be gleaned from of-ficial combat reports, as the RFC otherwisedid not keep formal count on the individualcombat victories of its pilots, regardingsuch practices as detrimental to morale anddiscipline!

Ball’s death in combat on May 7, 1917,was a terrible blow to British morale, as hehad come to be adored as a national herowith whom people strongly identified.While the German press claimed that Ballwas killed in a dogfight by Lothar vonRichtofen, the brother of Manfred, the factwas that Lothar was in a hospital recover-ing from wounds at the time of Ball’s death.

Knights of the SkyStarting his military career as a cavalry-

man, Manfred von Richtofen quickly be-came disenchanted with the stalemate thatdeveloped on the Western Front. Richtofenarranged a transfer to the German flyingservice as an observer, but decided that hewould much rather fly an airplane than bea passenger. After flight training, Richtofenquickly found that being a pilot in the twoseater observer aircraft to which he was as-signed was no joy either, as he was a glori-fied chauffeur whose only mission profilewas to fly where his orders directed in asstraight and level a manner as possible.Fortunately for Richtofen’s sense of adven-ture, the German air service had begun todeploy the first purpose-built fighter air-craft in history, the Fokker E1 Eindekker.

The initial success of the “FokkerScourge” initiated an Allied response in theform of better fighter aircraft such as theNieuport 11 “Bebe” and De Havilland DH2.The Germans responded with the excellentAlbatross series of fighters, just in time forRichtofen’s transfer to the fighter serviceas he had crashed his first assigned fighteraircraft, a Fokker E II “Eindekker”.

Flying aircraft that eventually became allred as a trademark, Richtofen proved to bea first class aerial hunter, typically stalkinghis opponents and diving on them from outof the sun. In this manner Richtofensteadily ran up a score that eventually to-

taled 80 confirmed kills. Richtofen however,while a natural hunter, was a poor teamplayer, as he followed the conventional wis-dom of the day that fighter pilots wereknights of the sky fighting as individuals.This was to prove fatal.

Manfred von Richtofen, at the end of thewar, the infamous “Red Baron’s” 80 con-firmed kills made him the top-scoring aceof all aces on any side. But even the best ofthe best is only human. Von Richtofenwould fall, and to supposedly “lesser” op-ponents.

On April 21, 1918, von Richtofen and hissquadron became embroiled in a dogfightwith a Canadian fighter squadron flying thefamous Sopwith Camel fighter aircraft.Diving after a Camel flown by an inexperi-enced pilot. Richtofen pursued the franti-cally maneuvering Camel pilot, and in sodoing violated two of his own rules of sur-vival. By chasing his green opponent “downon the deck,” von Richtofen brought him-self in range of the Australian 53rd Infan-try Battalion, the troops of which openedfire on Richtofen’s all red Fokker triplanewith every available rifle and machine gun.

MacGregor and hissquadron mates wereon their way to inter-cept a Colosian convoypassing through anominally neutralzone of space, a formerImperial commercialshipping lane nowclaimed by both HouseColos and Red Star.Understandably, thedisagreements overjust who owned thisshipping lane hadturned violent veryquickly as both sidessought to assert theircontrol while inter-dicting the otherHouse’s shipping.MacGregor was lead-ing his mixed attackgroup of Seraph III’sand Mustangs to anasteroid field near ajump point along thedisputed shippingroute. The Red Starsshould arrive in timeto go to groundamongst the asteroidsa few minutes beforethe Colosians arrived.

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Besides flying too low and drawing theheavy fire of the Aussie “diggers”, vonRichtofen also disregarded what had be-come established as a cardinal rule offighter pilot survival. Simply put, vonRichtofen failed to look behind him. Hadhe done so, von Richtofen would have seenthe Sopwith Camel flown by Capt. RoyBrown diving on his tail. By not “checkinghis six,” von Richtofen guaranteed that hewas caught between the proverbial rock andthe hard place of Capt. Brown’s Camel andseveral hundred cantankerous Australianinfantrymen who were merrily bangingaway at his brilliant red aircraft.

Although there was some controversy asto who actually fired the fatal bullet thatended von Richtofen’s career, the fact re-mains that he acted carelessly and paid withhis life. It was a lesson that thousands ofothers would also fail to take to heart.

Inter-War FolliesThe period between the First and Sec-

ond World Wars had been anything butpeaceful, but due to the economic depre-dations of the First Great Depression, ac-tual development of more modern aircraftwas limited. Tactical and strategic theoriz-ing however, was not at all absent (althoughultraconservative brass often refused to lis-ten to upstart theoreticians such as BillyMitchell).

While many lessons so painfully learnedby the combatant nations of the First WorldWar were forgotten, several new and im-portant innovations emerged. Among themost important of these lessons was theadoption by several nations of the two-fighter element as the tactical buildingblock for fighter formations. Previously,combatant air services had settled on thethree ship tactical element as the idealbuilding block for fighter combat forma-tions. Why exactly this formation was souniversally adopted has been lost to the fogof history. However, experience showed thatthis three ship formation was awkward atbest, and a formula for unnecessary casu-alties at worst. The second lesson was therecognition of the importance of the de-struction of a nation’s means of sustainingconflict by strategic bombing.

That said, a combination of war weari-ness, conservative thinking, and economic

restraints imposed by the Great Depressionprevented the victorious Allied nationsfrom immediately implementing these con-cepts.

The defeated German nation-state how-ever, would eventually adopt several ofthese and many other significant tacticalinnovations. Needlessly humiliated in de-feat by the punitive Treaty of Versailles, theproud German people were hit doubly hardby the economic collapse brought on by theGreat Depression.

Caught between a humiliating treatywith its “war guilt” language and massivereparations requirements on the one hand,and the crushing unemployment on theother, the German people were ripe for sav-age extremism. A sociopathic political ge-nius in the person of Adolph Hitler wouldsupply that “solution” with horrific conse-quences.

Appealing to ancient racist and nation-alistic sentiments, Hitler and his Nazi Partywere able to manipulate their way intopower. Following a series of staged provo-cations and ruthless acts of repression di-rected at the German Jewish community,and political assassinations, Hitler seizedabsolute power. The abrogation of the hatedTreaty of Versailles quickly followed, withGermany rearming at an unprecedentedpace. While a vengeful Nazi Germanyprimed itself for war, the unprepared Al-lied nations looked on with fear and loath-ing. Developed under nearly ideal budget-ary and theoretical conditions, the fledg-ling German Luftwaffe quickly evolved intothe most powerful air force in Terran his-tory up to that time.

Thanks to their unrestrained adoptionof state-of-the-art equipment and the thenradical combat tactics of two ship fighterelements, the Germans perfected the com-bined arms battle tactics that would be-come known as Blitzkrieg (“LightningWar”). As a result, the Luftwaffe would runroughshod over virtually all opposition forthe first two years of the war.

While other nations attempted to ap-pease the insatiable ambitions of Hitler andthe Nazis, the fledgling Luftwaffe gainedvaluable combat experience in Spain thanksto the deployment of the “volunteer” Con-dor Legion in support of the fascist forcesof Francisco Franco. The savage civil warthen raging in Spain pitted the ideologi-

Upon arrivalMacGregor dispersedhis unit carefullyaround two fairly largeasteroids close enoughto the jump point tostrike quickly but farenough away that- ifnone of his younghotheads leaped to theattack before themoment was right-should prevent thenormally alertColosians from detect-ing the Red Starambush. MacGregorissued a quick recap ofthe mission profile forthe benefit of theCrow Owner braveswho made up most ofhis group,

“Claymore to RavenFlight, all units holdto your assignedpositions until di-rected to attack. Iwant this to gosmooth and by thenumbers people. Noheroics. TheseColosians play for real.Acknowledge!”

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cally opposed forces of Fascism and Com-munism in the form of Spanish Republi-can (i.e., socialist government loyalists, al-lied communist, anarchist militias, andSoviet forces) and Spanish Nationalist (i.e.,fascist and related right-wing rebels) andtheir allied “volunteer” forces from NaziGermany and Fascist Italy. All of these na-tions supplied considerable material andtechnical aid to the combatants. Thesethree notorious dictatorships supported theSpanish factions as much to gain combatexperience and test out new weapons sys-tems and methodology as anything else,with ideology being the convenient excusefor their actions.

Germany’s technical and material aid,combined with the hopeless infighting be-tween the various factions that made up theRepublican side, proved decisive, withFrancisco Franco emerging victorious torule Spain as an absolute dictator for de-cades thereafter. But the butcher’s bill hadbeen terrible for the Spanish people, somuch so that Franco kept Spain neutral inthe conflict that was to shortly engulf theworld. The three major powers that hadcontributed support to the civil war factionsquietly withdrew their forces and took stockof what they thought they had learned. Asevents later proved, it was the Germans whogleaned the correct lessons from Spain re-garding airpower.

The FirstGreat Age of the

Fighter AceThe Second World War witnessed the use

of airpower on a previously unprecedentedscale, and fighter aces again became popu-lar heroes of the warring nation states. Thedramatically superior technology of mili-tary aircraft as compared to their FirstWorld War predecessors made airpower adominant tactical and strategic factor asnever before. This dramatically intensifiedlevel of air combat resulted in sometimesastoundingly high personal kill scores, inthe case of several Axis pilots registeringover 100 confirmed kills. The Second WorldWar also produced an elite few who ex-ceeded even these incredible kill records,with Germany’s Erich Hartmann ending

the war with an astounding total of 354confirmed kills!

That said, this phenomenal success cameat a price, as many of these elite aces didnot survive the war. When Nazi Germanytriggered the Second World War in Europein 1939 with the invasion of Poland, thenow reconstituted Luftwaffe stunned theworld with its unprecedented success. De-spite stubborn, often heroic resistance fromthe outnumbered and outgunned Polish AirForce, the Luftwaffe’s elite fighter pilotsquickly drove the Polish Air Force from theskies within a matter of two weeks. Withina few weeks, German ground forces werebesieging the Polish capital of Warsaw.

The invasion of Poland prompted GreatBritain and France to declare war on Ger-many within a matter of days as those twodemocracies honored their defensive com-mitments to Poland. Neither nation, how-ever, was truly prepared for all-out war, ei-ther materially or psychologically havingspent so many years pursuing the disas-trous policy of peace at any price. Neithernation appreciated the implications of thenew radical German departure from con-ventional strategic and tactical wisdom,especially in the realm of airpower. Theconsequences of this folly would becomeall too apparent within less than a year.

Having consolidated their conquests inPoland, and successfully bluffing the timidleadership of the Western Allies into re-maining on the defensive, the Germansunder Hitler’s strategic leadership un-leashed “Fall Gelb” (“Case Yellow”) early inMay of 1940. Having been misled into be-lieving that the main force of the Germaninvasion would essentially repeat the inva-sion route of 1914, the Western Allies dis-patched their best forces to Neutral Bel-gium when the Germans invaded that tinynation. Despite some fifty divisions of theGerman Wehrmacht – including a signifi-cant number of armored divisions – beingunaccounted for by Allied military intelli-gence, the Western Allies led by FrenchGeneral Maurice Gamelain remained un-concerned. Allied aerial reconnaissance ef-forts had been severely interdicted by theLuftwaffe, so when those fifty unaccounteddivisions suddenly smashed into the thinscreen of French reservist divisions alongthe Ardennes Forest, the Allies were takencompletely by surprise.

The Red Star pilotsduly acknowledgedMacGregor’s transmis-sion, MacGregorrecognizing the cleartones of impatience inthe voices of several ofthe younger CrowOwner hotheads.MacGregor’s gunner“Chief Dan” MacLure,who had occupied thegunner’s seat ofMacGregor’s SeraphIII “Dinnaken “ formany years, alsocaught the overt lackof enthusiasm fromthe younger genera-tion, and voiced hisassessment over theintercom system,

“Look’s like tha’young bucks dinnaken wha’ fightin’sreally about. Do yethink they’ll clue inwhen tha’ Colosianshand a’ few o’ themtheir scalps?”

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Knocked off balance by this turn ofevents, the French Army never recovered.Despite stubborn, even heroic resistance byindividual French units, the campaign wasas good as won once the German forceswere firmly across the Meuse River. Trappedin Northern France and pushed inexorablyback by the elite Panzerwaffe, the BEF(British Expeditionary Force) and the eliteFrench First Army were steadily driven tothe French coast.

All through the crucial six weeks of theFrench campaign, the French Armee del’Air and British RAF (Royal Air Force)fought back as best they could. Equippedwith obsolescent aircraft, outnumbered,and outgunned, courageous French andBritish bomber pilots hurled themselves atthe advancing German armored columns,only to be decimated by heavy flak and theever-present Luftwaffe fighter units. Flyingthe latest Messerschmitt BF-109 fighters,aircraft a full generation ahead of their Al-lied opponents in design, the Luftwaffe’sfighter pilots took a deadly toll of the Al-lied air forces. Adding to the inevitable Al-lied defeat in the skies over France in 1940was the advanced tactical doctrine adoptedby the Luftwaffe fighter pilots as a directresult of the lessons learned previously inSpain. As Luftwaffe ace Heinz Lange ex-plained,

“In the development of our fighteroperations, the most significant stepwas our transition from the closedKette formation of three planes to thefour-plane ‘finger-fours’ Schwarm.This innovation was developed duringthe Spanish Civil War with consider-able help from Werner Molders. I at-tribute to this tactic the high numberof kills attained by German fighter pi-lots.”

Heinz Lange, it should be noted, wascommander of the famous JG 51, and sur-vived the war with 70 confirmed kills to hiscredit. These overwhelming advantagescontributed—quite understandably—to aheady sense of superiority on the part ofthe Luftwaffe fighter pilots. What the cockyGerman pilots could not have foreseen wasthat they would soon meet their nemesisfor the first time over the beaches ofDunkirk and, ultimately, the British Isles.

Pinned like so many hundreds of thou-sands of rats in a trap at the coastal city ofDunkirk, the French First Army and theBEF had their backs to the sea. Disasterloomed on the horizon for the Western Al-lies with a massacre in the offing, when Fateintervened in their favor.

Committing the first of a string of fatalstrategic blunders, Hitler agreed to the in-sistent demands of his appointed head ofthe Luftwaffe, the corpulent Reichmar-schall Hermann Goering (himself a famousfighter ace from World War One), that theLuftwaffe could single-handedly break theresistance of the Allied troops trapped atDunkirk and force their surrender. Hitleracted on Goering’s assurances and orderedhis victorious Panzer forces to halt outsidethe Dunkirk perimeter.

As the Luftwaffe began to pound the be-sieged Allied forces at Dunkirk, the newBritish Prime Minister, Winston Churchill,and the more courageous members of theotherwise dithering French leadership re-solved to save as many of the Allied soldierstrapped at Dunkirk as possible.

RAF Fighter Command fought stub-bornly to keep the Luftwaffe at bay whilethe British and French Navies—assisted bythousands of tiny civilian operated ves-sels—labored under fire from the Luftwaffeto save as many Allied soldiers as possible.

MacGregor smiledgrimly to himself athis gunner’s assess-ment, certain that atleast one younghothead would blowthis ambush as not.

“Dinnaken, Daniel,dinnaken!”

A moment later theColosian convoy cameinto normal spacefrom the jump point.The convoy was in atight defensive forma-tion, and clearly animportant shipmentwas involved, as theColosians had broughta hefty fighter grouptagging along to makelife interesting for anyattacker. But the lastship out of the jumppoint was what madeMacGregor’s blood runcold; the escortsincluded aMegafortress classcorvette. This wasgoing to be deadlyserious indeed, as noWarhound skipperwould meekly step outof the way of a convoyunder his charge.

10

And it was over the Dunkirk beaches thatthe Luftwaffe fighter pilots encountered anew fighter aircraft that would make itseternal mark in the annals of fighter war-fare; the Spitfire. Developed just before thewar began, the Spitfire had been withheldfrom combat during the French Campaignas a matter of tactical design doctrine; theRAF having concluded that the swift andwell-armed Spitfire was to be used solelyas a bomber interceptor.

The BEF in France relied instead on theolder Hurricane fighter. While the Hurri-cane was a solid performer and reasonablywell armed, and although more maneuver-able than the BF-109E-4, the Luftwaffe’sfighter pilots faster Messerschmitt was ageneration ahead in conception and designexecution. Combined with a superior tac-tical doctrine and greater combat experi-ence, the Luftwaffe pilots drove the RAFHurricane units inexorably back with theretreating BEF. Once committed to evacu-ation of the BEF and allied French forces,the RAF threw their new Spitfire squadronsinto battle over the Dunkirk beaches. TheSpitfire was a rude surprise, as the Germanshad enjoyed the upper hand in fighter com-bat until this time.

Fast, well armed, and highly maneuver-able, the Spitfire was a deadly opponent ableto match -and in some areas of performanceexceed—the deadly Messerschmitt BF-109E-4. Luftwaffe pilots began to fall asnever before and Goering’s assurances tohis Fuhrer fell flat as the evacuation pro-ceeded. Despite serious casualties amongstRAF fighter units and the sinking of sev-eral Allied warships, the Allied naval andcivilian fleet ultimately evacuated over250,000 British, French, and Belgian troopsfrom the beaches of Dunkirk.

At last, Hitler realized the folly ofGoering’s strategy and released his Panzer-waffe. The remaining Allied forces inDunkirk surrendered. While intensive, theoperations over the Dunkirk beaches wereonly a prelude for what was to follow. Theaerial campaign that was to become knownas The Battle of Britain contained manylessons on the importance of fighter war-fare tactics and strategy. These lessons re-main applicable to this day. It was duringthis campaign that many Allied and Ger-man aces made their mark upon history.

The First GreatAir Campaign

Hans “Pritzl” Bar is an illustrative ex-ample of the impressive combat pilots hail-ing from the German Luftwaffe. Bar beganhis career as a fighter pilot in 1939, scor-ing his first victory over a French Hawk 75fighter over the Maginot Line. Bar went onto participate in the Battle of Britain in1940, where his competitive style of com-bat came fully to the fore. Bar was an ag-gressive pilot who tended to close with hisSpitfire and Hurricane equipped oppo-nents. This was not a prudent thing to do,as the Spitfire and Hurricane were moremaneuverable than the Messerschmitt BF-109E-3 flown by Bar and his fellow Luft-waffe fighter pilots.

On several occasions, Bar learned thehard lesson that becoming embroiled in aturning engagement with a Spitfire was nota bright idea, barely managing to limphome across the English Channel to crashland his badly shot up aircraft at hissquadron’s French airfield. On one memo-rable occasion Bar was limping back to baseover the English Channel in a badly shotup plane when he was bounced by a Sptifireand shot down.

The head of the German Luftwaffe,Reichmarschall Hermann Goering, wit-nessed Bar’s crash landing and asked to seethe young fighter pilot when he was res-cued. When subsequently asked by Goeringwhat he had been thinking about whileswimming in the channel awaiting rescue,Bar replied with his characteristic bravado,“Your speech Herr Reichmarschall, thatEngland is no longer an island!” Goering’sreaction is unrecorded.

Bar was later transferred to the EasternFront in time for Operation Barbarossa in1941. Flying the upgraded BF-109F-2, Barand his fellow Luftwaffe fighter pilots wereequipped with an aircraft superior to thoseused by their Russian opponents.

Despite his often reckless bravado, Barwas a crack shot who quickly learned tobounce his opponents from above, firingonly when at very close range to be certainof hitting his target. Bar subsequentlydowned 96 Russian aircraft in this manner.

After recovering from injuries sustainedwhen he was shot down by Russian fight-

Despite this unwel-come twist to thetactical problem nowconfronting the RedStar ambush,MacGreGor’s worstfears were realized bythe unwelcome radiotraffic that cameblaring over an opentactical channel,

“Yaaaaaaaaha!Attack my brothers!Lakotas, it’s a goodday to die!”

11

ers, Bar was transferred to Sicily where hefought against the Western Allies. Flyingthe upgraded BF-109F-4, Bar remained inconstant action until 1943 when he suc-cumbed to malaria and intestinal illness.

Upon his recovery, Bar was back in ac-tion in 1944, this time flying the superbFocke-Wulf FW-190 fighter aircraft againstAllied bomber formations in defense of theGerman homeland. Bar became one of theLuftwaffe’s specialists at destroying theAmerican heavy bombers, personally ac-counting for 21 B-17 Flying Fortress andB-24 Liberator heavy bombers.

Bar favored the hair-raising method ofmaking a deliberate head-on attack againstthe heavily armed American bombers, clos-ing at combined speeds in excess of 600mph. Knowing when to fire and when topull up to avoid a head-on collision withthe target bombers demanded a level ofconcentration that had to be carefully cul-tivated in a fighter pilot.

Many German fighter units went so faras to paint full sized frontal view silhou-ettes of American heavy bombers on theirhangers. This was designed to help theirpilots learn to better estimate when tobreak off from a frontal attack.

As the war progressed to its inevitableend, Bar was placed in command of theLuftwaffe’s “Squadron of Experts,” an eliteunit composed of some of the highest scor-ing fighter aces of the entire war. Equippedwith the first operational fighter jet, theMesserschmitt Me-262 “Swallow”, Bar andhis “Experten” possessed so significant anadvantage in performance over Allied fight-ers that they could engage and break offcombat at will. Despite this technologicaladvantage, Nazi Germany was doomed todefeat, Bar and his fellow Experten’s effortsproving to be too little, too late to affectthe outcome of the war. Bar survived thewar with a final confirmed kill total of 220victories. Bar was later tragically killed ina light plane crash in 1957.

The British RAF, Commonwealth, andAllied volunteer pilots labored under aninefficient tactical system hailing from theFirst World War. Deployed in inefficientthree plane tactical elements, the RAF pi-lots did evolve a somewhat more open typeof formation in which the rearmost ele-ment of three aircraft acted as “weavers.”This rear element would literally weave

back and forth above and behind the restof their squadron acting as lookouts. Thiswas a substantial improvement over theoriginal rigid formation of each three planeelement following directly behind the first.

A further revised tactical formation wasin fact the creation of the South Africanborn RAF Squadron Leader Adolf Gysbert“Sailor” Malan (South Africa being a mem-ber of the British Commonwealth). Malanwas one of those rare fighter aces who wasgenuinely a leader first and foremost. Malanin fact placed the safety and efficiency ofhis squadron ahead of his ego, yet still man-aged to achieve a final score of 27 confirmedkills, with 7 shared kills and 3 probables.His Ten Rules of Air Fighting were distrib-uted throughout RAF Fighter Command,and still ring true even today:1) Wait until you see the whites of his eyes.

Fire short bursts of one or two seconds,and only when your sights are definitely“ON.”

2) Whilst shooting, think of nothing else,brace the whole of your body, have bothhands on the stick, concentrate on yourring sight.

3) Always keep a sharp lookout. “Keepyour finger out!”

4) Height gives You the initiative.5) Always turn and face the attack.6) Make your decisions promptly. It is bet-

ter to act quickly even though your tac-tics are not the best.

7) Never fly straight and level for morethan thirty seconds in the combat area.

8) When diving to attack the enemy, al-ways leave a proportion of your forma-tion above to act as top guard.

9) ‘Initiative,’ ‘Aggression,’ ‘Air Discipline,’and ‘Teamwork’ are all words that‘Mean’ something in air fighting.

10) Go in quickly—Punch hard—Get out!

Before MacGregorcould think to speak,the whole of the CrowOwners formationbroke cover andcharged directly at theColosian convoy atmaximum thrust. Twodozen Mustang SPACsstreaked toward a headon collision with thelead fighter escorts ofthe convoy.MacGregor couldn’teven be sure that theyoung hotheads hadactually spotted theMegafortress whoseevil arrowheadsillouette was glidingtowards the front ofthe convoy in re-sponse. The wholesituation did not lookgood...MacGregorcould think of onlyone possible solutionthat would requiresome Colosian coop-eration...

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These basic principles of fighter pilot sur-vival including aggressiveness, marksman-ship, heightened situational awareness, andteamwork, were to be learned, forgotten,and relearned time and again in the longhistory of fighter warfare. “Sailor” Malan’sprinciples are as valid today as they werein his time. The fighter pilot who neglectsthese principles does so at his peril.

Eastern StormAs the Battle of Britain ended in an Al-

lied victory, Hitler and the Nazis preparedto launch Operation Barbarossa, the inva-sion of Soviet Russia. This mad venturewould see the greatest land engagementsof the age, with millions of fighting menand women locked in a horrendous strug-gle between the two bloodiest dictatorshipsof the twentieth century. Some 20 million(conservative estimate) Soviet citizens losttheir lives in this struggle. This total doesnot include the millions of victims slain bythe paranoid state security services of theSoviet Union, and the murderous, scien-tific genocide euphemistically dubbed the“Final Solution” implemented by the Na-zis.

While initially flushed with victory asboth German ground forces and theLuftwaffe swept all opposition before them,the Nazis ignored the warnings of Noman-han two years before, namely that for ev-ery Russian soldier killed or aircraft shotdown, there were a hundred more to takehis place. Had Hitler and his Nazi toadiespaid attention to a border clash in Manchu-ria in 1939 between Japan and the SovietUnion, they might have rethought theirdreams of conquest.

Beginning in 1933, fascistic factionswithin the officer corps of the ImperialJapanese Army engineered a series of provo-cations that lead to a war with NationalistChina. Still in the throes of a grinding civilwar, the Chinese were able to more or lessunite behind Chiang Kai-shek and hisKuomintang dictatorship. Despite thisshaky political unity, China was still largelya backward nation of illiterate peasantfarmers. The Japanese invasion wouldprove catastrophic, costing the lives of mil-lions of Chinese.

Sweeping in support of their groundforces, the highly professional Japanesedecimated the often heroic but ill-trainedand poorly equipped Chinese Air Force.While numerous Japanese Army Air Force(JAAF) and Japanese Naval Air Force (JNAF)pilots gained valuable combat experiencein these early clashes, a much greater nem-esis was yet to come. Soviet Russia.

The Japanese forces that pushed intoManchuria were led by some of Japan’smost rabid nationalist generals. Many werein fact members of the fascist Black DragonSociety, and were eager to expand Japan’sterritory as far as possible. This aggressive-ness inevitably led Japan into direct con-flict with the Far Eastern forces of the RedArmy and Red Air Force (VVS).

In 1939, the poorly defined and oftenshifting border between Outer Mongoliaand Manchuria was the stage for unprec-edented air operations in the Far East.Known either as the Nomanhan or KhalkinGol Incident, the affair began on May 10,1939, when nomadic Mongolian tribesmencrossed the Khalka River to pasture theirflocks of sheep, only to be driven back byManchurian border guards. In retaliation,Mongolian horse cavalry launched twoseparate raids across the Khalka River. En-raged by these audacious raids, the Japa-nese commanders of the Kwnagtung Armystationed in Manchuria rushed infantry andair units to the Nomanhan Plains.

This was to have dire consequences, asthe Soviet Union was compelled to enterthe fray, having a treaty of mutual assis-tance with Mongolia. The Soviet 1st Armyduly arrived at Tamsak-Bulak, roughly 60miles southwest of the Nomonhan Plains.This Soviet deployment included two fullfighter air regiments equipped with the lat-est Soviet fighter aircraft.

On the evening of May 20, 1939, the firstclash between Japanese and VVS fightersoccurred when three Nakajima Ki-27“Nates” bounced a VVS reconnaissance bi-plane and two escorting Polikarpov I-16fighters over the Khalka River. The “Nates”shot down the recon biplane after a shortfight, while the two I-16s subsequently es-caped. This was the start of a propheticaerial and land campaign that the rest ofthe world chose to ignore.

“Claymore to allHowlers, let the foolscharge in!”

“Howler Flight,follow me!”

Eight Seraph TPACsbroke from hidingamongst the asteroidsand screamed at anoblique angle throughthe asteroid field andaway from the convoy.A sudden coursechange a few secondslater and the Seraphswere running parallelto the convoy.MacGregor was gam-bling on Colosianarrogance to save thesituation, as he couldhear the desperatetraffic from the nowembattled CrowOwners who were onlyjust realizing the errorof their impetuousways...

13

The fighting escalated in a typical “tit-for-tat” fashion, with increasing numbersof aircraft being sent to the conflict by bothsides. The JAAF alone committed five fullfighter regiments equipped with the Ki-27“Nate” to the conflict. Extremely maneu-verable, the “Nate” was an outstandingdogfighter. As both sides persisted in awk-ward three plane tactical elements and dog-fighting techniques, the better trained JAAFpilots tended to come out ahead of theirSoviet opponents in terms of aerial kills.That said, over-claiming was the norm forboth sides, although superior Soviet num-bers both on the ground and in the airwould tell. Nevertheless, the JAAF pilotswould run up an impressive series of indi-vidual scores, and gain priceless combatexperience that would serve them well forthe first two years of the Pacific War to fol-low.

As the ground combat raged below, onJune 27 104 JAAF fighters and bombersattacked Soviet bases in Mongolian terri-tory. As Japanese bombs fell on VVS air-fields, Soviet pilots scrambled to interceptthe raiders. With ground troops of bothsides watching fascinated below, some 150aircraft swirled about in a vicious dogfight.

The following month would see evenheavier fighting. July witnessed the finaladmission by Soviet Russian leadership thatthe era of the biplane fighter was truly over,as losses among units equipped withPolikarpov I-15 and I-153 biplane fighterswere severe. Responding to these mount-ing losses, the Soviets began at last to sig-nificantly change their tactics. Launchinghit-and-run raids across the border, flightsof VVS I-16 monoplanes began deliberatelyavoiding dogfights with the more nimbleJapanese fighters. Newer model I-16s withupgraded weapons including automaticcannons and pilot armor protection werealso introduced.

By the following month the JAAF beganto feel the strain of this ferocious opera-tion. Pilot fatigue was resulting in fewerclaims and increasing casualties amongstthe JAAF airmen. Improved VVS tactics thattook advantage of the I-16’s strengths andexploited the “Nate’s” inherent weaknesseswere clearly beginning to show results.

Once Soviet ground forces under thecommand of the brilliant Soviet MarshalZhukov became involved, the conflictquickly came to a resolution. Zhukov’scombined arms approach, while crude byGerman standards, was more than suffi-cient to utterly annihilate an entire Japa-nese ground army under an avalanche oftanks, artillery, and infantry with tacticalair support on a scale that staggered theimaginations of the Japanese leadership. BySeptember, the Soviet Union and Japan hadreached a settlement.

Stalin, shocked by the speed and feroc-ity of the German invasion of Poland, wasonly too happy to conclude an armisticewith Japan. For their part, the Japanesewere only too happy to extricate themselvesfrom a war of attrition that they simplycould not win. The staggering numbers oftanks, artillery, aircraft, and infantry thatthe Soviets could bring to bear againstthem caused the Japanese leadership con-siderable anxiety. Clearly this was not theinept and timid army of the Tsar that theirforebears had humiliated in the Russo-Japanese War some 34 years before. Theintroduction of the tank and the combataircraft had changed warfare forever.

Samurai ofthe Skies

Experience gained in China and atNomanhan would serve the pilots of theJAAF and their naval counterparts in goodstead. Gaining valuable insight into thestrengths and weaknesses of their aircraft,JAAF pilots came to realize that speed wasessential if an opponent refused to dogfight(the “Nate” had been noticeably slower thanthe opposing I-16 series fighters). JAAF pi-lots also realized that the light armamentof the “Nate” (two rifle caliber machineguns), lack of pilot armor, lack of self-seal-ing fuel tanks, and virtually useless radioequipment mandated an improved fighterdesign. Unfortunately for the JAAF, theiraircraft designers didn’t listen.

The Japanese Naval Air Force (JNAF) didin fact seem to learn a bit more from thelessons of Nomanhan and China. Tradingin their aging Mitsubishi A5M “Claude”monoplanes, the JNAF pilots received a

“Raven Four! Lookout! He’s on your six!For God’s sake, roll!Roll!”

“Somebody help me!I can’t shake him!”

“Thruster four’s out,my reactor isredlin...”(static)

“Holy shit! It’s agoddamMega...”(static)

MacGregor knewthat they had only onechance at this, andthat if it didn’t workthen they’d all be deadvery soon...

MacGregor relaxedslightly as he realizedthat his formationsdash through theasteroid field had paidoff; the Colosians wereso preoccupied withthe Crow Owner groupthat they had failed todetect the eight Ser-aphs now loopingaround their exposedflank.

14

fighter aircraft that was to achieve legend-ary status in its heyday, the Mitsubishi A6MZero. Fast for its day, well armed with ma-chine guns and a pair of automatic cannon,and superbly maneuverable, the Zero ar-rived just in time for the Pacific War. TheZero was so effective, that for the first fewyears of the Pacific campaign it would striketerror into the hearts of many green Alliedpilots who were forced to give battle inunderpowered Brewster Buffaloes and simi-lar obsolete aircraft.

Air operations during this global conflictwere generally quite intense, and in thePacific Theater of Operations (PTO) in par-ticular, air power proved to be the decisiveelement. With the Japanese surprise attackby carrier based air power on Pearl Har-bor, the age of naval air power fully dawnedupon a stunned world. The Japanese attackhad gutted the battleship strength of theUnited States Navy, sinking or severelydamaging every battleship moored at PearlHarbor. Fortunately for the Allied cause inthe Pacific, the four American fleet carri-ers were out on maneuvers at the time ofthe Japanese attack.

As the Pacific campaign developed, airpower evolved into the decisive arm. Theability to project decisive force without thesurface fleets ever seeing one another wasan asset no commander could resist. TheBattle of Midway Island was the first navalaction in human history in which the sur-face forces never came within sight of oneanother.

The destruction of the four largest Japa-nese carriers and the loss of hundreds ofveteran aircrews was a blow from which theJapanese Imperial Navy never recovered.With their entire carrier strike group de-stroyed during Midway, the Japanese inva-sion fleet was forced to withdraw in the faceof de facto American air supremacy. Worsefor Japan, the mad scramble that followedto make good the devastating JNAF lossesat Midway was to be compounded theirproblems. By withdrawing experienced pi-lots from the remaining front-line JNAFunits to serve as instructors, the perfor-mance of the remaining front-line unitssuffered accordingly.

Worse still, the JNAF lowered the rigidqualification requirements for the newwave of trainee pilots, and shortened the

length of the training period, all in an ef-fort to return units to their previousstrength. The actual result of all of thesedesperate measures was that the JNAFchurned out a wave of pilots unpreparedfor combat flying. They would suffer lossesaccordingly.

After engaging in their share of success-ful operations in the China-Burma-Indiatheater (CBI), the JAAF for its part becameembroiled in the green hell of New Guinea.Entire units, ill-equipped for the disease in-fested tropical environment, were reputedto have simply disappeared without a trace.

On New Guinea, the Japanese groundforces—losing thousands of casualties totropical disease and widespread malnutri-tion—managed to hack their way as far asthe outskirts of Port Morseby. But thanksto stubbornly courageous Australian resis-tance and an unforgiving environment, theJapanese got no further.

Initially JAAF fighter pilots had to makedue with the feebly armed Ki-43 “Oscar,”however by late 1942 the new Ki-61 “Tony”began to arrive for its combat trials. A radi-cal departure from mainstream JAAF

“Claymore toHowler Alpha SectionLeader.”

“Rainman here,Leader!”

“Rainman, yoursection has the heavyguns; concentrateyour attack on theconvoy freighters. Tryto draw off thatdamned Megafort andhold his attention for afew minutes!”

“Rainman copies!”“Claymore to Beta

Section, you’re withme! We’re going tosave the Crow Owner’sfrom their folly!”

15

fighter designs of this era, the “Tony”sported a liquid cooled inline engine (un-like the air-cooled radials of the JNAF andJAAF contemporaries), armor protectionfor the pilot, and self-sealing fuel tanks.

Considerably faster than the pathetic“Oscar,” the “Tony” was also respectablyarmed. Only in the category of aerobaticmaneuverability did the “Oscar” retain anysort of clear advantage. In the face of in-creasingly faster, more heavily armed Al-lied fighters such as the potent twin-engineP-38 Lightning and dramatically improv-ing Allied tactics focusing on hit-and-runfiring passes, “Oscar” was becoming in-creasingly vulnerable.

The JAAF had hoped that the “Tony”would restore air supremacy in their favor.But as with any new type of combat design,“Tony” suffered its share of teething prob-lems, especially engine cooling problemsand performance failures due to the tropi-cal environment and poor fuel quality.While the sleek lines of the “Tony” and itsimproved performance did come as a rudesurprise to the American pilots fighting inNew Guinea, the recurrent engine prob-lems kept the “Tony” from being as effec-tive as the JAAF had hoped. A typical ex-ample of this was the misadventures of 38kill JAAF ace 1st Lt. Mitsuyoshi Tauri, whowas forced down three different times in amatter of several weeks by engine failures.

As the allied American and Australianforces continued to grind the JapaneseArmy back, the JAAF continued to funnelits resources into the battle. Once the Al-lies succeeded in isolating Rabaul, the Japa-nese forces on New Guinea were doomed.Cut off from supplies and subjected to aconcerted bombing campaign by AmericanB-25 Mitchell and B-24 Liberator bombers,both the Japanese ground forces and theJAAF units were systematically worn down.Entire units ceased to exist due to diseaseand starvation by the end of 1943. Like theirJNAF counterparts smashed at Midway, the

JAAF fighter units never recovered fromtheir disastrous losses in New Guinea. Inthe face of increasing numbers of superiorAllied fighter aircraft whose pilots had per-fected hit-and-run tactics to a fine art, theremainder of the war would be nothing buta steady, grinding, hopeless slaughter forthe Japanese people.

Warriors Overthe Pacific

The PTO inevitably produced its crop offighter aces. Among the most notable wereRichard I. Bong, the leading American aceof the war, Japanese Army Air Force aceIsamu Kashiide, USMC ace Gregory“Pappy” Boyington, and Kaneyoshi Muto ofthe Japanese Naval Air Force. These par-ticular individuals are illustrative examplesof the aces from the PTO. Each was unde-niably an exceptional individual whose ac-complishments and—in some cases—per-sonalities are worth reviewing.

Richard Ira Bong was a small, mild man-nered character, a native of north-westernWisconsin. Bong joined the USAAC in 1942and completed his flight training qualify-ing on the twin engine Lockheed P-38Lightning fighter. Bong subsequentlytransferred to the 8th Fighter Squadronfighting the Japanese in New Guinea. Evenafter being transferred to a combat unit,Bong retained his modest demeanor—onthe ground.

Bong’s squadron mates repeatedly re-marked on the Jekkyl and Hyde like trans-formation that Bong would undergo oncehe was airborne. The normally unassum-ing Bong would apparently chatter cease-lessly and with intense enthusiasm aboutthe combat under way, describing in theharshest language possible how he was de-stroying his Japanese opponents!

While Bong was a top-notch fighter pi-lot, he also possessed an unparalleled de-gree of personal luck. Bong’s squadronmates were continually amazed that when-ever Bong flew, enemy opposition wouldoften be encountered, yet when he did notfly, no enemy opposition could seem to befound! Despite his incredible luck and wilddemeanor when flying, Bong was no fool.Bong was a careful planner, using a con-

The rest ofMacGregor’s flightradioed theiracknowledgement ofhis instructions. TheSerpahs were soon in aperfect flankingposition, the Colosiansstill preoccupied withthe desperately fight-ing Crow Ownerformation. The CrowOwner braves mayhave been inexperi-enced, but they cer-tainly did not lack forcourage or individualpiloting skills. Andtheir new MustangSPACs were extremelynimble fighters mak-ing them difficult tohit. Still, the oddswere stacked againstthem, the Colosiansmore numerous andbetter at team tactics.Then MacGregor sawthe exact opening hewas hoping for...

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sistently logical approach to the scientificart of flying while intent on killing some-thing.

Bong served three tours of combat duty.He completed his successful fighter careerwith 40 confirmed kills to his credit, mak-ing him the highest scoring Americanfighter ace of the war. Bong was tragicallykilled in 1945 when his P-80 jet fightercrashed during a test flight. He had mar-ried his childhood sweetheart only ninemonths before his death.

On the other side of the Pacific conflict,Captain Isamu Kashiide earned the title“King of the B-29 Killers” for his excep-tional success against the brutish B-29Superfortress heavy bombers over Japan.A veteran of a “Nate” equipped squadronduring the Nomanhan Incident, Kashiide’sunit was re-equipped with the twin-engineKi-45 “Nick” (known in JAAF service as“Toryu”, or “Dragon Slayer”). Originallydesigned as a long range escort fighter, the“Nick” proved too slow and unman-euverable to be a real success in its intendedrole. But rearmed with a 37mm forwardfiring automatic cannon and obliquemounted 20mm cannons, the “Nick” founda new role as a bomber destroyer againstthe massed formations of USAAF B-29sraiding Japan beginning in late 1943.

Kashiide developed his own style of at-tack in his endless encounters with themassive B-29s, and was uncompromisingin drilling his subordinates in these tactics.Kashiide described his tactics as follows:

“Manoevre from within 1000meters. The B-29s have 13 machineguns—in a head-on attack you will befaced with 10 of them. I will always flyin front and I will always be the firstto attack. I am showered with tracersevery time. Tracers coming towardsyou in a criss-cross pattern are veryfrightening. I feel that my vision is shotaway in the screen of bullets. It is nota good feeling to have. In such cases,close your eyes and count to three.When you open your eyes, the enemywill be within 200 metres of you. Ad-just your sight to within 150 to 200metres of the target. At 100 metres,lower your plane. At 80 metres, fire,then dive your plane quickly—gostraight down.”

Kashiide is believed to have singlehandedly downed seven of the huge B-29s,along with two prior kills during theNomanhan Incident. The majority of JAAFpilots agreed that it was almost impossiblefor any single pilot to bring down a B-29unassisted. Kashiide survived the war, andmany years afterward met and shook thehand of Raymond Halloran, a B-29 naviga-tor who bailed out of one of the B-29sKashiide shot down. The two old men mar-veled at how they had survived the conflictwhen so many of their comrades did not.

USMC legend Major Gregory “Pappy”Boyington is often best remembered for hisskills at drinking, brawling, and other ex-tracurricular antics. While an unabashedtwo-fisted drinker and brawler and a con-stant source of irritation for his spit andpolish minded superiors, “Pappy” Boying-ton was also an extremely effective leaderand tactical innovator who knew how toinspire and lead other pilots in combat.

It was his leadership qualities that in-spired his “Black Sheep Squadron” pilotsto become prodigies of aerial combat. Hiscasual manner with military protocol nodoubt only served to further endear him tothose he led. As a fighter warfare tactician,Boyington is the creator of the “fightersweep.” By leading his unit equipped withthe superb Vought F4U Corsair fighter overJapanese airfields on Rabaul with the de-liberate intention of picking a fight,Boyington took advantage of the Corsair’ssuperior performance over most Japanesefighters then in service.

The purpose of the fighter sweeps was towear down the Japanese defenders by at-trition, as Boyington and his superiorsknew that the Japanese could not sustaintheir losses. Clearly also a natural studentof psychological warfare, Boyington wouldnot hesitate to taunt the Japanese pilots

“Claymore to allHowlers, hit em!Yaaaaaaaaaaaha!”

The eight Seraphstore into the rear ofthe convoy like wolvesamongst a herd ofcattle. Alpha Sectionimmediately concen-trated their fire atalmost point blankrange on the sternvents of a lumberingColosian freighter atthe very end of theconvoy. The freighter’sengine immediatelyblew out from theoverwhelming concen-tration of fire asMacGregor led hissection streakingthrough the verycenter of the dumb-founded Colosianconvoy. The Colosianfighters had all beendrawn off by the wildlydogfighting CrowOwners, and wereunprepared for thechaos raging amongstthe freighters in theircare. Frantic warningsand pleas for help fromthe freighters came

17

over an open radio channel to draw themup to give battle. Boyington was also a firstclass fighter pilot in his own right, finish-ing the war with six confirmed kills withthe famous American Volunteer Group(a.k.a. “Flying Tigers”), and 22 confirmedkills and four probables while flying the F4UCorsair.

Sadly, Boyington was shot down in theSt. George Channel near Rabaul and cap-tured by the Japanese. He spent the remain-der of the war in a POW camp, brutalizedby his captors as were so many thousandsof other Allied POWs in Japanese captivity.

JNAF ace Kaneyoshi Muto is noteworthyfor his apparent talent for learning the com-bat tactics of his opponents, and using thatknowledge to best advantage. Muto startedhis fighting career in China, downing aChinese I-16 fighter over the Nanking areain 1939. Muto went on to fight in the Phil-ippines and the Dutch East Indies in early1942. Later Muto was transferred to Rabaulwith the “Genzan” Fighter Squadron of the252nd Kokutai. He fought over New Guineaand the Solomons until March of 1943,when Muto was transferred to the YokosukaKokutai in Japan as an instructor. ButMuto’s hiatus from combat as an instruc-tor was over by 1944, as a desperate JNAFtransferred the Yokosuka Kokutai to theMariannas.

Ferocious engagements ensued betweenlarge groups of aging JNAF Zeros and USNGrumman F6F Hellcats. Once the domi-nant fighter of the Pacific War, by 1944 theZero was obsolescent and hardly able tomatch the newer and deadly F6F Hellcat.Despite being handicapped by an inferiormachine, Muto was so familiar with thetactics of his enemies that he was consis-tently able to anticipate their moves. Forthis reason, Muto was on more than oneoccasion the only survivor of his eight planetactical flight and return alive.

Muto was later transferred to Iwo Jima,where he was one of a handful of survivorsout of 80 fighter pilots engaged in the threeday air battle over the island. Later trans-ferred back to mainland Japan, Muto wasequipped with the new Kawanishi N1K2-J“George,” a deadly fighter design that couldbeat the Hellcat in speed and maneuver-ability and match the Corsair.

While he was able to anticipate hisopponent’s tactics, Muto was not able toovercome the one element of fighter war-fare that no pilot can truly anticipate; luck.During an engagement over BungoStraight, Muto became embroiled in a headon attack run against a USN Corsair. Bothaircraft were hit by the other’s fire, and bothplanes went down. While the US Navy pilotwas rescued by an American submarine,Muto was never seen again. He had 28 con-firmed kills.

While The Second World War witnessedthe operational debut of the first jet fighteraircraft—the German Messerschmitt Me-262—they came too late to prevent the in-evitable defeat of Nazi Germany. Beset fromboth East and West by the Western Alliesand The Soviet Union, Nazi Germany wasforced to finally surrender once Berlin fellto the vengeful Red Army commanded bynone other than Nomanhan victor MarshallZhukov.

Within weeks, the first recorded use inhuman warfare of holocaust weapons oc-curred when crude atomic devices weredetonated over the Japanese cities ofHiroshima and Nagasaki. Finally admittingthat further resistance was useless, Japanquickly surrendered after the second de-vice exploded over Nagasaki. Despite thebest intentions of many and the deaths ofan estimated 70 million people, the worldwould not be a peaceful place after the Sec-ond World War.

too late as the flight ofSeraph IIIs ripped intothe aft quarter of thelumberingMegafortress.MacGregor and hissupporting Dog Sol-dier pilots launched allof their torpedos atpoint blank range astheir gunners salvoeddozens of missiles atthe same target pointdesignated byMacGregor.

Despite punishingblows from both theMegafort’s gunnersand point defenses, therugged Seraphs weath-ered the return fire asthey poured in con-centrated fire of theirown on the Megafort’svulnerable stern.MacGregor and hissection pulled awayfrom their attack runjust in time as thebulk of their torpedoand missile barragestreaked past theMegafort’s pointdefenses and slammedinto the engine ventson the rear of the ship.

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The Jet AgeThe Korean War was officially designated

a “police action,” but for its participants itwas every bit as deadly as a declared war.The Korean War witnessed the first engage-ments between jet fighter aircraft, althoughthe nature of the fighting was not muchdifferent than in the Second World War, asweapons technology had fundamentallyremained unchanged since the end of theprevious conflict.

Nevertheless, the air war over Korea wasimportant to the outcome of the conflict,and it was the UN’s ability to fight the NorthKorean/Chinese/Soviet air units to a stand-still that ensured the eventual success ofUN forces on the ground in stabilizing theborder between the two Koreas.

As Humanity moved into the 21st Cen-tury (old calendar), so also at last did quar-relsome Humanity begin to move seriouslyout into space, starting with the old Ter-ran solar system. Sadly, for all of Human-ity’s technological accomplishments, theall-too-human endeavor of war followedMankind into space.

The Age of theStarfighter

As Humanity began to finally spread outbeyond the solar system of Terra, so to didtheir quarrels. Ever quick to resort to vio-lence whether necessary or not, Humanitytook their wars with them. The worlds andthe technology may have changed, but thefundamental nature of warfare had not.

However, the environment of space in-evitably changed several key elements ofwarfare. First of all, there was no horizonto hide behind, ensuring that direct fireweapons would be generally able to engagetheir targets once they were brought withineffective range. Second, speed and unpre-dictability were the best defense againstenemy action. As always, the advantagerested with the aggressor. Finally, as weap-ons technology improved, so too did elec-tronic warfare defenses.

The development of electronic shieldingand stardrives technology ensured that theoverall technological balance was roughlyequivalent to that found during the Sec-ond World War! This state of affairs ensuredthat not only did starfighters become thedominant combat asset of space warfare forseveral millennia, but that individualfighter pilots and gunners would once againhave many opportunities to run up someastounding personal victory totals.

The Ptolemean War was an excellent ex-ample of this sort of classic space fighteroperations, as hundreds of fighters wereengaged in the campaigns comprising thisbrutal inter-House conflict that ended withthe fall of House Ptolemeus. SeveralColosian and Ptolemean aces, with impres-sive kill tallies, emerged from this conflictwith scores rivaling the near legendaryleading aces of the Second World War era.

It was not until the Arab-Israeli Wars andthe Vietnam War that the age of the mis-sile armed fighter came to the forefront.With the development of transistor tech-nology and the air-to-air missile system,fighter aircraft could engage one anotherat previously unheard of ranges. As thetechnology advanced at a rapid pace, it be-came an almost accepted fact that fighterpilots would not even see their opponentswith their own eyes.

But all of this high-tech wizardry camewith a price, as pilots began to lose theirskills at the fine old art of dogfighting otherfighters. The dramatic increase in the tech-nical nature of aerial warfare resulted infewer individual kills and close range dog-fights taking place between fighter aircraft.But technology is ever fluid in its nature,no matter how much it advances (or re-cedes).

One torpedo clearlypenetrated deeply, asthe Megafortess sud-denly transformeditself into a miniaturesun as the escort’sreactor destabilized.The results were whatMacGregor had hopedagainst hope for;although still outnum-bering the Red Starformation, theColosians panicked atthe sudden messy lossof their most powerfulescort. The convoydisintegrated intochaos as the freightersbegan to scatter in anattempt to escape.

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The Imperial Civil War and the comingof the Night Brood have only served to in-crease the status of starfighter craft in mili-tary affairs, as the Night Brood are soplainly stimulated to attack whenever theysense excessive amounts of conflict involv-ing Terrans. While the Empire threw itsmassive fleet resources into the defense ofTerran Space against the Night brood in-vaders, as all Terran Space learned to itseverlasting sorrow, the technological dis-parity between Brood and Terran was suchthat the capital ships and their escorts weresystematically smashed by the hordes ofBrood fighters and Worm Pods with fright-ening ease.

Because of the Night Brood’s clear tech-nological superiority, it is currently in thebest interests of Post-Hatchling WarHouses and independent worlds to keep anyarmed conflicts as low intensity as possiblein proportion to the proximity of NightBrood clutch worlds.

Although many heavy fleet hyperdrivecarriers survived the Night Brood invasion,the fact remains that these strategic assetsare too valuable to risk against the NightBrood hordes at this time. Until there is aclear “sea change” in weapons technologyclosing the gap between the forces of TheTwelve and the Brood, this will remain thestate of affairs for the foreseeable future.

Because of these modern realities of war-fare—especially space warfare—and therelative effectiveness of space fighters instopping the Brood from exterminating hu-manity, the space fighter will continue toremain the de facto principle combat assetof Terran Space well into the foreseeablefuture. Given the modern Post-grub Warpolitical landscape, there can be no doubtthat violent conflicts will continue. Andgiven the realities of technology and thepresence of the Night Brood in TerranSpace, there can also be no doubt that thespace fighter will dominate warfare as neverbefore. It can thus be argued that the GreatAge of the Fighter Ace has arrived.

More hard fightingfollowed as the RedStars destroyed theColosian fighterescorts and severalfreighters. The bulk ofthe convoy managedto escape, however. Onthe flight back homeMacGregor noted howquiet the survivingCrow Owner braveswere, and how wellthey kept to formationdiscipline all the wayback...

20

Fighter Pilot CharactersIn Silent Death

It is important to keep in mind that thesenew attributes defined either as skills orquirks are meant to be used with some re-straint. Not every fighter ace will have morethan one or two of these attributes, and adefinite minority will ever have more thanthree to five. Aces such as these would rep-resent an elite few who are the stuff of leg-ends. Regular pilots (i.e., skill levels 1-6)would not necessarily have any at all. Whenthese rules are in use, all rookie or greenpilots and gunners start out with one ormore negative quirks reflective of theirHouse’s training standards and their ownlack of combat experience.

It is important to realize that quirks arenot necessarily positive. These representtactical doctrines, training standards, and

“in war nothing is impossible, pro-vided you use audacity!”

— Gen. George S. PattonThe following material is designed to al-

low players of Silent Death: The Next Mil-lennium to develop pilots with more indi-vidual “character” and use them in theirgames. The attributes that follow are basedupon what has proven to be relevant to realworld fighter combat, with an added dashof mischief drawn from both actual mili-tary history and a sense of fun. These statsare designed to enable players to more eas-ily translate SD:TNM into their favoriterole-playing setting as well as allow for amuch expanded development of individualpilots and gunners in games of SD:TNM.

“The smallestoperational unit in thesquadron was theflight or section(shotai ), which con-sisted of between threeand four aircraft—four flights wereusually found in thesquadron. Initially,the flight consisted ofthree aircraft. How-ever, Lt. ZenjiroMiyano was the first toeffectively copy andrefine the four-fighterflight formation fromthe Americans in1943. Positions oneand three were flownby seasoned veterans,while positions twoand four were occu-pied by neophytes.This combinationassured a higher rate

21

even societal and cultural influences affect-ing the development of the pilots and gun-ners of a particular House, and affect theirperformance in combat. Historical prece-dents for these quirks—both positive andnegative—abound. What follows this over-view includes definitions of pilot and gun-ner skills, a full listing with definitions ofthe different skills and quirks, and a break-down of typical quirks and skills commonto the fighter forces of the Twelve and thePromethean forces encountered in Terranspace.

Sample biographies of notable fighteraces from the Twelve and their Prometheanallies are also included, as are squadroncomposition guidelines for all of theHouses. These squadron guidelines includelistings of mandatory attributes (if any) forall pilots and gunners reflecting their re-spective House’s unique approach to train-ing and combat doctrine. An explanationof these eccentricities for each House is alsoincluded in these squadron guidelines.

It is important for players to keep inmind that these guidelines are for creatingtypical squadrons for each House. Squad-rons composed of entirely elite pilots arein fact extremely rare. While historical pre-cedents for such units do exist, playersmust be aware that the formation of suchunits was always detrimental to the perfor-mance of the majority of other units.

This was due to the simple fact that theelite unit’s pilots were inevitably recruitedfrom the rest of the mainstream units. Thistalent drain inevitably resulted in a signifi-cant loss in combat effectiveness sufferedby the mainstream units forced to give uptheir best and brightest pilots. The end re-sult was a serious increase in the affectedunits’ casualty rates as well.

Also included in this book are ship dis-plays of the custom starcraft used by someof the aces profiled, enabling players to in-tegrate them in their Silent Death scenariosand campaigns. Players need to rememberhere that several of these ships are meantto be rare or even one of a kind craft. Play-ers should therefore also refrain from field-ing hordes of certain of these craft unlessby prior agreement between players! Let’sface it, there was only one Red Baron...

Rules For Creatingand Using

Fighter AcesBecause fighter aces themselves are rare

individuals, and because the rules that fol-low will potentially add an additional layerof complexity to games of SD:TNM, play-ers will understandably want to limit theirnumbers. How players will initially gener-ate their fighter aces will be incumbentupon the type of game being played, andwhether or not a referee will be involved. Areferee is not necessary when using fighteraces in SD:TNM, but it can ensure an ele-ment of the “fog of war” when fighter acesimprove their attributes unbeknownst totheir opponents.

If the aces are to be used for a singlegame or scenario, then those aces will re-main as fixed characters. The total num-ber of fighter aces involved in such sce-narios should be agreed upon before thegame begins. These fighter aces are thenpurchased as a part of the larger forces con-structed by the players for that specific sce-nario, the BPV cost of the aces attributesbeing calculated and added to the agreedupon TPV for that scenario. Players mayagree whether or not to allow these aces toimprove their skills for use in future sce-narios as they see fit.

Example: Mitzi and her gaming groupdecide that they want to have a fighterace lead each of their forces in a pickup game. Since this will be a one-offscenario, Mitzi is free to use as muchof her BPV budget as she likes to buildher ace pilot, Joanie “Ripper” Jones.Mitzi must now make several deci-sions that will guide the creation ofher ace pilot.

Mitzi must first decide what Househer force will represent, as this willdictate her ace’s maximum numberof skills and quirks, as well as whatskills and quirks are available to her,and which may be mandatory. Mitzidecides to make her force a part ofHouse Colos, as she is an aggressiveplayer and likes the Colosian’s ruth-less reputation. Mitzi refers to theSkills and Quirks, Limitations and

of survival for the newpilot, plus allowinghim to learn criticalcombat skills from hismentor. By 1944, thethree-fighter flighthad been mostlydiscarded. Throughhard experience, ithad been found thatthe ‘odd man out’ in athree-fighter flightusually becameseparated in combatand was shot down.”

—Henry Sakaida.Imperial Japanese

Navy Aces 1937-45.Osprey Publishing

Ltd. 1998

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Cost list on pg. 24 and notes thatHouse Colos pilots may have a maxi-mum of six (6) skills and/or quirks.

Mitzi now decides that she wantsher ace pilot to fly by herself, so shechooses a Shark II for her crack fly-ers mount of choice. This costs Mitzi39 BPV from her budget. Mitzi thendecides that her pilot will be a Leg-endary Ace, so she splurges and se-lects a Piloting Skill of 12, and a Gun-nery Skill of 12. The total thus far forMitzi is 79 BPV.

Mitzi now turns to the House ColosForce Composition List. Mitzi decidesthat she wants her Legendary Ace tobe as accurate a shot as possible withcannon fire to take maximum advan-tage of the Shark II’s deadly cannonarmament, so she opts for Marksman3. This costs an additional 60 BPV(10 for Skill Level 1 + 20 for Skill Level2 + 30 for Skill Level 3 = 60. Mitzi’sLegendary Ace now costs 139 BPV.

Mitzi also decides that she wantsher Legendary Ace to have a high de-gree of survivability in combat to pro-tect her growing investment, so sheopts for Dodger 2 (the highest SkillLevel allowed for Colos pilots). Thisadds 45 BPV (15 for Skill Level 1 + 30for Skill Level 2 = 45). Mitzi’s Leg-endary Ace now costs 184 BPV.

Finally, Mitzi decides that she wantsa positive quirk to keep her invest-ment alive as long as possible, andsince her Legendary Colos Ace is notrequired to take any negative quirks,Mitzi opts for Always Checks Her Sixfor an additional 75 BPV. This nowtakes Mitzi’s Legendary Ace to a finalcount of 259 BPV. As Mitzi and herfriends are building their fleets with600 TPV per player, this is not too out-rageous an amount for so potent acombat asset. It will however limit herchoices for filling out the rest of herforce, as she has spent just over a thirdof her TPV budget on this one pilotand her ship.

Had Mitzi and her gaming groupbeen playing with a lower TPV bud-get, her purchasing a Legendary Aceof “Ripper” Jones’ stature would havebeen out of the question.

If aces are to be used in a larger cam-paign, then the players need to agree be-forehand whether or not their aces will beable to improve their attributes using theexperience system described below. If play-ers agree to having aces improve their skillsusing the experience system, then playersshould use the Alternate Point Cost columnfor Pilot and Gunnery skills and will needto keep track of experience points accruedfrom successful missions. Between sce-narios, players may spend accrued experi-ence points to improve their ace’s at-tributes. Once the scenario is over, playersmay agree to discard their aces’ stats orcarry them over into other campaigns asthey see fit.

Example: Wolfgang and his gaminggroup decide that they will play an ex-tended campaign game with a refereecontrolling the action. Wolf and hiscohorts decide that they will start outwith a wing pair of Green and/or Ex-perienced pilots by rolling a D4+2 fordetermining their starting Pilotingand Gunnery Skill Levels. Wolf andhis friends will split into two teams tocampaign against one another. Thereferee decides that Wolf and his teamwill represent the Luches Utopia,while the opposing team will playHouse Tokugawa.

Wolf and his fellow Luches riff-raffwill play Luches Guards pilots so thatthey will have access to reasonableSkills and Quirks (as well as a decentselection of fighter craft!). Wolf andhis team members will all start outwith the mandatory Luches quirks ofHyena and Lone Wolf and receive arebate of 25 BPV total (Hyena -15 BPVand Lone Wolf -10 BPV). This will becounted against the cost of the actualPiloting and Gunnery skills costs ofthe pilots and the cost of their ships.

Wolfgang starts off the process byrolling two D4s for his Piloting andGunnery Skills and adding +2 to thedie rolls as directed by the referee.Wolf gets lucky and rolls a 4 for hisPiloting and a 3 for his Gunnery Skill.This result gives Wolf’s pilot, LuchesGuards Warrant Officer Brendan“Buster” Keaton a Piloting Skill of 6and a Gunnery Skill of 5. These skill

“I liked it at once. Itcould be compared toa frisky, fiery horse—in experienced handsit was to run like anarrow, but if you lostcontrol you finishedup beneath itshooves.”

— AleksandrPokryshkin.

WWII VVS fighterace commenting on

the MiG-3 fighter.

23

levels cost Wolf 11-25 = -14 BPV. SoWolf will be able to subtract 14 BPVfrom the cost of his Skills selection,as well as his ship selection depend-ing on what the referee makes avail-able to Wolf and his fellow Luchesplayers.

Wolf decides to take maximum ad-vantage of his BPV discount and en-hance his pilot’s survival chances, asVeteran Luches pilots may have amaximum of one (1) skill as outlinedin the Luches Guards Fighter Squad-ron composition list. Wolf buysDodger 1 for 15 BPV. Applying hisdiscount, Wolf’s new Luches Guardspilot costs 1 BPV. Wolf may now moveon to select a (hopefully) serviceablefighter for his pilot to fly and fightwith for the glory of the Luches Revo-lution against the Tokugawan coun-ter-revolutionary exploiters!

A third system for players to use fighteraces in SD:TNM is to limit the actual num-ber of fighter pilots in play, and generatethe stats for all of the pilots starting out asGreen characters (Pilot or Gunner skills 3-4), and allow them to improve their at-tributes using the experience system de-scribed below. The players then can use theaces either as part of a continuous cam-paign or whenever they run a particularforce in unconnected scenarios. Either way,this system will bring games of SD:TNM asclose to a role-playing game in format andflavor as is currently possible.

Players who use this format will discoverjust how difficult it can be for a fighter pi-lot or gunner to survive combat, let aloneadvance to veteran or even ace status. Play-ers using this format will no doubt alsoenjoy seeing their successful pilots andgunners develop unique personalities asthey accrue new skills and quirks. None-theless, players who use this method forincorporating aces into SD:TNM will nodoubt delight in the sheer challenge of try-ing to keep their pilots alive and build themup to ace status.

ACE PointsPlayers may decide that they want to re-

quire a certain breakdown of points spenton aces vs. points spent on starcraft or nor-mal crew. It is acceptable to place restric-tions on how points are spent.

GeneralLimitations andAssumptions

These rules have a few limitations thatare applied to all Pilot/Gunnery skill lev-els, quirks, and special skills:1) A Missile Lock-on Roll of 10 will always

miss.2) A d4 is the smallest die used for perform-

ing tight.3) All additions and subtractions to dam-

age due to special skills or quirks aremade after all other modifiers.For purposes of these rules, Prome-

theans are handled as Terran crew mem-bers. This may change when a PrometheanHouse or Conflict book is produced.

Example: Leland andSteve have decidedthat they want topplay a game withabout 300 points ofships and they wantthrow some real heavyhitting aces in themix. to get this effectthey give another poolof 300 points to beused on anything butships.

After spending 300points on aces andcrew Steve is morethan happy with theresults. On the otherhand Leland wouldlike another 25 points,to complete hisTokugawan flyingcircus, so with Steve’spermission he pullsthat 25 points fromthe 300 the wasoriginally slotted forships.

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DeterminingStarting PilotSkill Levels

There are two possible ways for playersto generate character stats for new pilotsin a campaign setting. The first method isto simply roll a single D4 for Piloting andGunnery skills. This gives a range of pos-sible skill levels from 1 to 4 (Rookie to Nov-ice). If the campaign does not call forRookie level pilots (i.e., the Top Brass hassome common sense), then players cantreat all rolls less than 3 as 3. This ensuresthat the vast majority of new pilots will startout at a common level of ability.

The second method is to allow players a“budget” of 7 points (5 points if using theAlternate Point Cost column below) to di-vide up between Piloting and Gunneryskills. It is advisable when using thismethod to impose minimum and maxi-mum allowable skill levels when players aregiven this option to keep skill levels con-sistent with the overall tactical doctrine ofthe House that they represent. An exampleof this would be to limit piloting or gun-nery skills to a maximum of 5 and a mini-mum of 2. It is important when consider-ing crew skill levels to remember what therelative numerical values represent interms of combat effectiveness. The follow-ing table provides a summary of the skilllevels as defined in Silent Death:

Piloting/GunnerySkill Level

1,2 Rookie/Trainee. Not ready for combatunless desperation is a factor. Histori-cal example: WWII Japanese aircrewsduring Marianas “Turkey Shoot,” whodied in droves due to their total lack ofcombat experience and minimal train-ing.

3,4 Green. Ready for first time in combat,ideally paired with a more experiencedpilot to watch over the “newbie.” Pos-sibly able to match or beat more skill-ful individual pilots if employing su-perior tactical doctrine, better ships,etc. Historical example: WWII U.S.Navy pilots during Operation Torch.

The USN pilot’s Vichy French oppo-nents were more experienced pilots(some were even aces), but continuedto utilize antiquated individual dog-fighting tactics while the USN pilotsflew and fought in dedicated wing pairelements. The U.S. Navy pilots sufferedsignificantly lower casualties as a re-sult, inflicting significant casualties ontheir Vichy French opponents.

5,6 Experienced. The majority of pilots inmost Houses. May not necessarily havescored any kills, but has survivedenough combats to know how to takecare of themselves. Some of these pi-lots may even be in command positionsdue to leadership skills or other cir-cumstances. Historical examples:WWII era USAAC 8th Air Force fighterpilots circa 1943-44, the Tuskeegee Air-men, Capt. Roy Brown, etc.

7,8 Veteran. Pilots who have scored a fewkills, approaching low level ace status.Pilots who have seen enough combatto really know what they’re doing in adogfight. Often unit leaders. Histori-cal examples: “Deacon” Priest, PaulBrehm, etc.

9,10Aces. Pilots who have scored morethan a few kills, usually ten or more totheir credit. These are a rare breed, andare invariably unit leaders. They arerightly to be feared by lesser pilots. His-torical examples: Edward Ricken-backer, Lilya Litvak, Besby FrankHolmes, Gregory “Pappy” Boyington,Roger Sauvage, Steve Ritchie, Joe Foss,Franco Bordoni-Bisleri, Marcel Albert,James Swett, etc.

11,12 Legendary Aces. The kick ass andtake names elite of fighter pilots. Theseare the absolute best pilots who havemany kills to their credit or who dem-onstrate exceptional levels of personalcourage and talent. Often unit leaders.These are individuals whose deeds areoften the stuff of legends. Historical ex-ample: William Barker, Richard I.Bong, Georges Guynemer, Manfredvon Richtofen, Rene Paul Fonck,Ilmarii Juutilainen, Adolph Galland,Saburo Sakai, Tembiko Kobayashi, IvanKozhedub, Erich Hartmann, “Mickey”Mannock, etc.

“Tactics are only avery small part ofwarfare.”

— Xenophon,Memorabilia.

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Once the players agree before fleet con-struction takes place on how attributes willbe used in their games of SD:TNM, eachside may purchase a number of actualfighter aces. It is strongly recommendedthat players recognize that fighter aces arean elite few, and that their numbers in agiven campaign would be understandablylimited. While historical precedents do ex-ist for units comprised of elite, high scor-ing aces, these units were inevitably theexception, not the rule. It is of note thatwhen such units were formed, they wereso organized at the expense of other units,as these elite squadrons inevitably drainedoff the best pilots from other front lineunits, which suffered accordingly.

No less important is the fact that lessexperienced pilots and gunners will also beassigned attributes specific to their House,and that these will not necessarily be posi-tive. Players will naturally recognize thelimitations and advantages that these newattributes will impose on their games ofSD:TNM, and will want to adjust their tac-tical planning accordingly. While negativeattributes will seem to be more trouble thanthey are worth, players should bear in mindthat the advantage to players saddled withnegative attributes would be the savings onBPV costs. As these less than shining ex-amples of combat personnel are generallythe results of less intensive training, fewerresources are expended on them. Thereforethe savings are passed on to the playerswhen they build their fleets.

CrewAttributes List

Every fighter pilot and gunner is aunique blend of both raw talent and train-ing. Every major House, every minorHouse, and every independent colony worldtrains their pilots and gunners to a set ofstandards predetermined by resources,military traditions, political considerations,available resources, and even cultural val-ues. Combat experience -or a lack thereof-will also apply to a given fighter command’straining standards and tactical doctrine.

These complex issues will also influenceexactly when a given fighter command willcommit its pilots and gunners to combatfor the first time. Most Houses do not com-mit rookie pilots and gunners (Pilot orGunner 1-2) to combat unless warrantedby a lack of resources, poor tactical doc-trine, or sheer desperation. Rookies are inpractice little better than cannon fodderagainst any opponents except other rook-ies, and most Houses are understandablyreluctant to send them into a combat zone.

Fully trained, but green pilots and gun-ners (Pilot or Gunner 3-4) are the typicalquality of personnel committed to combatfor the first time by most Houses. This isfor the simple, practical reason that suchpersonnel have actually completed enoughtraining to handle their ships and weaponswith reasonable proficiency. Green person-nel who survive five or more combat mis-sions will generally learn from their expe-riences and improve accordingly.

26

Once a pilot or gunner has reached thestatus of an experienced individual (Pilotor Gunner 5-6), they will be able to startfunctioning on combat operations as an es-tablished member of their combat team.Particularly talented experienced pilotsmay even rise to command positions insome Houses, either due to a shortage ofVeteran status personnel or in recognitionof actual merit. Otherwise they may findthemselves assigned as a wingman to amore or less experienced pilot to improvethe survival odds of either pilot.

A smaller number of pilots and gunnerswho excel in combat will rise to Veteranstatus (Pilot or Gunner 7-8). These are themost in demand pilots and gunners withthe exception of aces, as they are quite ca-pable of handling just about any assign-ment they undertake. Units made up pre-dominantly of veterans in particular areformidable organizations capable of inflict-ing decisive damage on their enemies.These units understandably constitute anelite, and are used by the Twelve accord-ingly.

The best of the best amongst pilots andgunners are those who achieve Ace (Pilotor Gunner 9-10) or Legendary Ace (Pilotor Gunner 11-12) status. These exceptionalindividuals are highly prized for their com-bat skills, but often seen as a mixed bless-ing by some commanders due to annoyingeccentricities some ace pilots and gunnersseem to develop. Nevertheless, the compe-tition amongst most fighter regiment com-manders is particularly intense to procurethe lethal talents of these exceptional indi-viduals. In most of the Houses, ace pilotsrise to command positions, while ace sta-tus gunners are highly sought after to crewTPAC and MPAC class starcraft flown byveteran or ace pilots.

In the tables below, “Experience Cost” isthe cost using the experience system de-scribed later, “Alternate Point Cost” is thecost using the optional point cost rules ex-plained later, and “Normal Point Cost” isthe cost as described in the SD:TNMrulebook, expanded in Warhounds andNight Brood: First Contact, and extendedto include skills 11 and 12.

Expanded Pilot andGunnery Skill Costs:

Experience Alternate NormalSkill Cost Point Cost Point Cost

1 1 1/2 12 2 1 23 3 2 34 4 3 4

5 10 5 56 12 6 67 21 8 78 24 10 8

9 36 13 910 40 15 1011 88 25 1412 96 40 20

Night Brood ExpandedPilot and Gunnery Skill Costs:

Experience Alternate NormalSkill Cost Point Cost Point Cost

1 1 1/2 12 2 1 23 3 2 34 4 3 4

5 10 5 56 12 6 67 21 8 78 32 11 9

9 54 15 1210 80 20 1511 110 30 2012 144 50 30

Experience and Point Costsfor Captain’s Die:

Experience PointDie Cost Cost

d4 — 5d6 22 10

d10 76 40d12 184 80

“Under this monu-ment lies Aeschylusthe Athenian

Euphorion’s son,who died in thewheatlands of Gela

The grove of Mara-thon, with its glories,can speak of his valorin battle

The long-hairedPersian remembersand can speak of ittoo.”

— Aeschylus, Vita.

27

Skills and Quirks,Limitationsand Cost

Some of these quirks, positive and nega-tive, are specific to certain House forces asthey tend to reflect the unique set of cir-cumstances producing pilots for eachHouse. Others are generic. Negative quirksmay only be removed from an individualpilot by the expenditure of the specifiedexperience points cost listed for each quirk.Positive quirks may only be acquired by theexpenditure of experience points in thesame manner. All pilots are initially lim-ited to the maximum number of quirks andskills listed for their specific House, or amaximum of five (5) if a generic force. Morequirks and skills can be purchased via ex-perience (see Experience System). Themaximum number of Skills and Quirks al-lowable for pilots of the Twelve, thePrometheans, the Night Brood, and severalof the most powerful minor Houses are asfollows:

THE TWELVE

ASP Technocracy.............................. 4Kashmere Commonwealth .............. 4Sigurd Archdiocese .......................... 4Q’raj Void Protectorate .................... 5House Colos ..................................... 6House Red Star ................................ 5Hibernian Freehold ......................... 4House Tokugawa .............................. 4Unkulunkulu Archipelago ............... 4Luches Utopia (Conscript Units) ..... 2Luches Utopia (Guards Units) ......... 4Yoka-Shan Warworld ....................... 6Data Sphere ...................................... 6

PROMETHEANS

Draconians ....................................... 6Primates ........................................... 5

MINOR HOUSES &INDEPENDENT FORCES

Sunrunners ...................................... 5Espan ................................................ 4Karelian Republic ............................ 6

NIGHT BROOD:Quintile Brood Ships ....................... 1Quaternary Brood Ships .................. 2Tertiary Brood Ships ........................ 3Secondary Brood Ships .................... 5Primary Brood Ships ....................... 7

The House specific skills and quirks willbe found listed with each of the force com-position lists. All Houses will have specificattributes based upon their respective train-ing and tactical doctrines. As will be in-stantly apparent, the human material thatsome Houses shove into a fighter cockpitor gunner’s station is less than spectacu-lar. Other Houses will of course stand outas being more particular, and their man-datory starting attributes will reflect thisaccordingly.

28

SkillsAll skills are presented in the following

format:NAME [COST]

A general description.A description of the effects of each skill level

available.These are self-explanatory except for the

cost. The actual cost (in BPV or experience)is the cost listed multiplied by the level de-sired, but each and every level up to thatmust be paid for even when bought usingBPV. So, if you want a crew member to have

Good Shot 3, it will cost 60 – 10 for level 1+ 20 for level 2 + 30 for level 3 – regardlesson if you want to buy it using BPV to startwith or if you want to wait and use experi-ence later.

All additions and subtractions to dam-age from skills are added after all othermodifiers – a skill that gives +2 damage willalways add 2 to the damage regardless ofweapon. For example, Hangs Fire 2 willresult in the following damages: a QuadRepeating Blaster will do (High+6)x2+2, anEMP Beam will do (High/2)+2, and a quadminigun that manages to roll doubles willdo (Low+3)x2+2.

29

Hitting the Target

GOOD SHOT [10]This skill is designed to simulate a pilot

or gunner who is an instinctively good orphenomenally lucky shot. This individualis not so much well trained or a practicedmarksman. Pilots or Gunners who possessthis skill may always reroll one or moreattack dice per turn based upon their GoodShot rating. The player must decide howmany dice they wish to reroll (up to theskill rating) and reroll them all at once.Good Shot 1. May reroll one attack die.Good Shot 2. May reroll two attack

dice.Good Shot 3. May reroll all three

attack dice.

MARKSMAN [10]This skill is designed to simulate a pilot

or gunner who has been extensively trainedin gunnery and habitually trains with theirweapons on a consistent basis. This skill isalso a simulation of pilots or gunners whorely on hard training and constant prac-tice rather than blind instinct or luck.Marksman 1. Adds +1 to all cannon

fire to hit rolls.Marksman 2. Adds +2 to all cannon

fire to hit rolls.Marksman 3. Adds +3 to all cannon

fire to hit rolls.

QUICK REFLEXES [10]This skill is meant to simulate a pilot or

gunner who has a talent for deflectionshooting, as well as a knack for anticipat-ing where a potential target will move nextand leading their targets accordingly. Pi-lots or gunners with Quick Reflexes easedrive restrictions with cannon fire againstall targets unless there is a specific prohi-bition against this (i.e., ASP Graviton Can-non). This skill is only used to offset anySpeed Restriction penalties when usingEasing Speed Restrictions.Quick Reflexes 1. Shooter eases drive

restrictions with any weapon by+1.Quick Reflexes 2. Shooter eases drive

restrictions with any weapon by +2.Quick Reflexes 3. Shooter eases drive

restrictions with any weapon by +3.

QUICK DRAW [10]This skill simulates a pilot or gunner who

is naturally quick on the trigger withoutcompromising accuracy in their shooting.This skill enables the pilot or gunner to “getthe drop” on many of their opponents dur-ing combat, firing a crucial split secondbefore their opponent does. A pilot or gun-ner with a Quick Draw skill adds their skilllevel to their gunnery skill for purposes ofdetermining firing order. If multiple pilotsor gunners have the same modified skill asothers (with or without this skill), firing issimultaneous as normal.Quick Draw 1. Shooter adds +1 for

determining fire ranking in a gun-nery duel.

Quick Draw 2. Shooter adds +2 fordetermining fire ranking in a gun-nery duel.

Quick Draw 3. Shooter adds +3 fordetermining fire ranking in a gun-nery duel.

Doing Damage

ASSASSIN [30]This is a unique skill that simulates a

pilot or gunner that fights in a very per-sonal manner. The shooter may delay fir-ing for two firing ranks (eg. fire whenshooters with a gunnery skill two lowerfire), then modify any successful criticalhits by +/- a number of points equal to theirskill level or less, but only if such a changewould result in a pilot/crew killed/dazedresult. The shooter must be within one hexrange to use this skill. This skill is restrictedto pilots or gunners of Veteran status orhigher. Assassin does not work against crewon escort vessels (Warhounds).Assassin 1. Shooter adds +/- 1 for

determining pilot/crew dazed orkilled crit results.

Assassin 2. Shooter adds +/- 2 fordetermining pilot/crew dazed orkilled crit results.

Assassin 3. Shooter adds +/- 3 fordetermining pilot/crew dazed orkilled crit results.

“Do not fear themultitude of theirmen, nor run awayfrom them. Each manshould bear his shieldstraight at the fore-most ranks and makehis heart a thing fullof hate, and hold backthe flying spirits ofdeath as dear as heholds the flash of thesun.”

— Tyrtaios

30

HANGS FIRE [10]This skill simulates the talent some pi-

lots and gunners have for keeping their tar-gets firmly in their crosshairs no matterhow hard their opponents try to evade. Thisskill represents pilots or gunners who havea talent for “pouring on the fire.” The pilotor gunner possessing this skill adds hisHangs Fire skill level bonus to all damagerolls with cannon systems only.Hangs Fire 1. Shooter adds +1 to all

cannon fire damage rolls.Hangs Fire 2. Shooter adds +2 to all

cannon fire damage rolls.Hangs Fire 3. Shooter adds +3 to all

cannon fire damage rolls.

SHARPSHOOTER [35]This is a unique skill that simulates a

gunner or pilot who deliberately aims forvulnerable areas of a target ship with can-non fire. This skill works against escortvessels within the restrictions detailed be-low. This is a unique talent that requiresconsiderable training and raw talent. Veryfew pilots or gunners are ever this good.

This skill works at a 1 hex range only. If5 (6 for Warhounds and Outposts) boxes ofdamage are done to the target, an extracritical is done.Sharpshooter 1. Pilot or gunner adds

+1 to damage with all cannon fire.Sharpshooter 2. Pilot or gunner adds

+2 to damage with all cannon fire.Sharpshooter 3. Pilot or gunner adds

+3 to damage with all cannon fire.

Avoiding Damage

DODGER [15]This skill simulates a pilot that has a

knack for dodging torpedoes and other ob-jects. This pilot adds their Dodger skill levelto all dodge rolls.Dodger 1. Pilot adds +1 to all dodge

rolls against torpedoes.Dodger 2. Pilot adds +2 to all dodge

rolls against torpedoes.Dodger 3. Pilot adds +3 to all dodge

rolls against torpedoes.

JITTERBUG [25]This skill simulates a pilot is always in-

stinctively jinking his ship in combat. Apilot with this skill is therefore understand-ably harder to hit, as his less predictabledefensive moves are more difficult to track.This skill can never increase a ship’s De-fensive Value above 18. Also, this skill cannever cause a missile lock-on roll of 1 tomiss.Jitterbug 1. Cannon fire against pilot’s

ship at -1. Missile locks againstpilot’s ship are made as normal.

Jitterbug 2. Cannon fire against pilot’sship at -2. Missile locks againstpilot’s ship are made at a -1 penalty.

Jitterbug 3. Cannon fire against pilot’sship at -3. Missile locks againstpilot’s ship are made at a -2 penalty.

Surviving Damage

TOUGH GUY [20]This individual is just plain tough! Near

misses that would stun a normal persondon’t seem to phaze this pilot or gunner inthe slightest, while damage that would killan ordinary person only stuns this humancockroach! This person may return from acombat mission in a scorched flight suit,their shipboard station shot to pieces, butthey return alive.Tough Guy 1. Pilot or gunner treats

first “pilot/ gunner killed” crit resultas a dazed result instead. Any subse-quent “pilot/gunner killed” critreceived in the same turn is treatedas normal (“They got Fritz!”).

Tough Guy 2. Pilot or gunner treatsfirst and second “pilot/ gunnerkilled” crit result as a dazed resultinstead. Any subsequent “pilot/gunner killed” crit received in thesame turn is treated as normal (“No!They really got Fritz!”).

Tough Guy 3. Pilot or gunner treatsfirst, second, and third “pilot/ gun-ner killed” crit result as a dazedresult instead. Any subsequent“pilot/gunner killed” crit received inthe same turn is treated as normal(“I’m serious! They finally gotFritz!”).

“I do not believethat any man fears tobe dead, but only thestroke of death.”

— Francis Bacon

31

ROLLS WITH THE PUNCHES [20]This pilot has an instinctive ability to roll

his/her ship against incoming fire to en-sure maximum possible deflection.Rolls With the Punches 1. -1 to all

damage rolls against this pilot’s ship.Rolls With the Punches 2. -2 to all

damage rolls against this pilot’s ship.Rolls With the Punches 3. -3 to all

damage rolls against this pilot’s ship.

Piloting

AGGRESSIVE PILOT [20]This attribute is self-explanatory; this is

a naturally aggressive individual. This at-tribute simulates a pilot with exceptionalcourage under fire and an eagerness forbattle few other pilots can match. This skillmay not be combined with Never a UselessMove.

Additionally, this skill will reduce theeffects of Flies by the Book by increasingthe opponent skill level “needed” by thesame amount (e.g. a pilot has AggressivePilot 3 and Flies by the Book so his oppo-nent will only automatically win initiativeif he has a pilot with skill level 8+).Aggressive Pilot 1. +1 to initiative rolls.Aggressive Pilot 2. +2 to initiative rolls.Aggressive Pilot 3. +3 to initiative rolls.

NEVER A USELESS MOVE [30]This attribute simulates a pilot who is a

natural pilot with an exceptional tacticalinstinct. If this pilot has the highest pilot-ing skill on his side -and therefore deter-mines the initiative roll bonus- then thecontrolling player may always reroll his/herinitiative whenever an unfavorable resultis rolled. This ability may be used once perturn. This skill may not be combined withAggressive Pilot.Never a Useless Move 1. Rerolls initia-

tive whenever unfavorable resultoccurs.

Never a Useless Move 2. Rerolls initia-tive whenever unfavorable resultoccurs and adds +1 to his reroll.

Never a Useless Move 3. Rerolls initia-tive whenever unfavorable resultoccurs and adds +2 to his reroll.

CON ARTIST [30]This attribute simulates a pilot who is

gifted at spoofing his opponents, mislead-ing them as to his intentions with oftenfatal results. This attribute enables a pilotto force his opponent to reroll his initia-tive whenever the con artist’s piloting skillis being used to determine initiative. Thisability may be used once per turn.Con Artist 1. Forces opponent to reroll

initiative on demand.Con Artist 2. Forces opponent to reroll

initiative on demand at -1 to hisopponent’s die roll.

Con Artist 3. Forces opponent to rerollinitiative on demand at -2 to hisopponent’s die roll.

32

Pilot Character QuirksThese quirks are designed for pilots and

not gunners, gun crews, or captains.Some pilots just fly on the proverbial

wing and a prayer. Others are so textbookin their flying habits that they would bebetter suited for making how-to instruc-tional trivids for the civilian sector than fly-ing combat missions. And some pilots justdon’t know how to be a team player. Allthrough history, fighter pilots have dem-onstrated that they are an intensely inde-pendent breed who like to do things theirown way.

This loner mentality was eventuallyproven to be a bad idea during the FirstWorld War, and the concept of fighting as acoherent team was born. In the fullness oftime, the concept of fighter pilots operat-ing in dedicated wing pairs was proven tobe the most efficient approach of all, as adedicated pair of trained fighter pilots couldact in concert to defeat their enemies andcover each other’s tails should either pilotget into trouble. The most successful acesfrom history were more often than notdedicated team players and leaders whorecognized this fact of fighter combat sur-vival and exploited the doctrine to its full-est. Then there were those who just didn’tcatch on, but still proved to be quite a hand-ful for even the most skilled and coordi-nated team of opponents.

The following list is comprised of pilotcharacter quirks that reflect the sometimesodd, usually deadly habits and/or doctrinesof fighter pilots during the Post Imperialera. Some of these quirks are positive, whileothers are clearly negative in nature. Posi-tive quirks will naturally cost additionalBPV when generating ace pilots for one offscenarios or limited campaigns. Negativequirks will refund a percentage of BPV costwhen calculating TPV for one off scenarios.

ALWAYS SUPPORTS HIS WINGMANThis pilot NEVER will willingly leave his

wingman unsupported, even if it meanspassing up a chance to add to his own per-sonal victory total. This pilot ALWAYS stayswithin 1 to 3 hexes of his wingman, andwill break off any attack to support hiswingman unless he himself is already un-der attack from another ship. This pilot willalways use his first available movement

opportunity to come to the aid of hiswingman unless he is already engaged ineither a cannon duel or is already underattack from an opposing ship that the pilotcannot outrun (“Blue 3, I’ve got troublesof my own!”).

While this quirk and the Pit Bull quirkmay seem mutually exclusive, a pilot mayhave both of these quirks. If a pilot doespossess both of these quirks, any possibleconflict of interest between them is re-solved in the following manner:

The controlling player first openly de-clares which quirk he wants to have appliedto the situation. The controlling player thenrolls a D12 against the Pilot’s piloting skill.If the controlling player rolls the pilotingskill or less, then the desired quirk applies.A failed roll means that the unwanted quirkapplies in full. This simulates the pilot’senthusiasm for the kill warring with histraining telling him to think first of hiswingman’s safety. Historically speaking,this is not an uncommon event in the an-nals of fighter combat...BPV Cost 35. Experience Point Cost 35

LONE WOLFNo matter what happens, no matter how

many times this pilot lands on report (orin the brig), he just doesn’t get the con-cept of being a part of a team. This pilot isnot only NOT obligated to support ANY ofhis fellow pilots in trouble, but he WON’Tdo so if he is already engaged in attackingan opposing ship. To the Lone Wolf, thehunt is all that matters...BPV Rebate 10. Exp. Pt. Removal Cost 75.

DISCRETION IS THEBETTER PART OF VALOR

This pilot is brave enough, but his bot-tom line is still to get through this thingALIVE. If the battle is going against thispilot’s side, and his leader’s ship is de-stroyed, this pilot will immediately aban-don the fight at the first movement oppor-tunity and flee back towards his table edgeif the scenario allows it. If retreat is notpossible, then this pilot will automaticallysurrender if his side is outnumbered by twoto one or better and his leader’s ship hasbeen destroyed. This quirk is mutually ex-clusive of Fanatic.BPV Rebate 10. Exp. Pt. Removal Cost 50.

“The wingman’sduty was to protectthe tail of the leader.When one of the girls,Nechayeva, wasprotecting the squad-ron commander, whowas about to land,three Me 109s at-tacked them. She hadno fuel or ammunitionleft, but she coveredhis aircraft with hersand everyone theresaw her killed.”

— YekaterinaPolunina.

586.IAP.Regimental Archivist.

33

FANATICSelf explanatory. This pilot will fight until

either dead or victorious no matter whatthe odds. This pilot truly believes that it isbetter to die on one’s feet than to live onone’s knees! Therefore, this pilot is neverintimidated by the number or nature of theenemy (he will never surrender), and willautomatically attack a nearby hostile shipirregardless of the mission requirementsor how powerful that specific opponent mayin fact be.

Fanatic confers immunity to the effectsof Counting Coups’ negative effects. Pos-session of the Fanatic quirk also allows thepilot to freely use the ramming rules de-scribed on page 71 in SD:TNM. All otherpilots may only resort to ramming if theyhave no functioning weapons remaining ontheir ship (if the ramming rules are beingused).

This particular quirk is unusual becauseit costs additional BPV when purchasing

pilots for a one-off scenario, but costs ex-perience points to remove otherwise. Thisis due to the fact that fanatical courage is adefinite two-edged sword; the pilot may beinsanely brave, but he is also needlesslyreckless and therefore, more likely to getkilled.

This is a common characteristic of manypilots from the Sigurd Archdiocese and notunheard of among the more devout mem-bers of the Church of Odin serving in theSunrunners.

This quirk is mutually exclusive of Dis-cretion is the Better Part of Valor.BPV Cost 15. Exp. Pt. Removal Cost 75.

FLIES BY THE BOOKThis pilot is so doctrinaire that he is ab-

solutely predictable to anyone with reason-able experience and a bit of imagination. Ifhis opponent has at least one pilot with apiloting skill of 5 or higher in play, thenthis pilot will ALWAYS lose the initiative,as he is too predictable for his own good.BPV Rebate 10. Exp. Pt. Removal Cost 75.BPV Rebate 20 per pilot if ALL pilots in a

single side have this quirk. Exp. Pt. Re-moval Cost remains the same.

COUNTS COUPThis pilot likes to show just how brave

and mighty he is by humiliating his en-emies rather than killing them (they areso inferior as to be beneath contempt!).Whenever this pilot is within one hex rangeof an opposing operational fighter (i.e. stillhas crew, weapons, and engines) and is ina position of clear advantage (i.e. his oppo-nent cannot fire back), this player may rollto hit as normal, and at the moment thatthe dice are actually rolled the player openlycalls out “I count coup upon you!” to hisopponent. The die roll is then disregarded,no damage is done to the target ship, andthe player who counted coup keeps an on-going record of each act of counting coup.

The player whose pilot suffered this hu-miliation must also note down

on the ship’s system display how manytimes during the game that coup

is counted upon the victim. For eachsuccessful coup, the player who

inflicts this gains an experience point.During the course of the combat, the playerupon whom coup is counted suffers a cu-

“In war the chiefincalculable is thehuman will.”

— B.H. Liddell Hart

34

Should the “Pit Bull” lose this separateinitiative roll, then the normal initiativesequence is followed.BPV Rebate 10. Exp. Pt. Removal Cost 25.

NATURAL PILOTNo matter what sort of craft you stick

this pilot into, he’ll figure it out in recordtime and handle the ship like he’s flown itall his life! This pilot never has to undergothe sometimes intensive familiarizationtraining required for other pilots. All thispilot ever needs to know is “Where’s theignition switch and the stick?!” This pilotreceives -1 on his tight turn cost, receives+1 when firing any cannon weapon system,and receives +1 on his initiative rolls.BPV Cost 100. Experience Point Cost 100.

ALWAYS CHECKS HIS SIXThis pilot has developed a deeply in-

grained habit of always checking his backprior to pressing an attack. Before the can-non fire phase and after all movement iscomplete this pilot may choose to use anyunused movement points from the currentturn to break off and turn on his attacker.However, use of this ability will adverselyaffect all firing from the pilot’s ship.

The player controlling this pilot mustkeep written track each turn of how muchmovement the pilot has used, as whatevermovement points remain will be all he hasfor use of this attribute!. If all movement isused up, the pilot is assumed to have for-gotten his normally good habits and got-ten too intent upon his prey to check hissix (this can be fatal...).

A pilot must also be a potential targetfor an attack from outside of his front arcin order to use this quirk. Furthermore, forevery three movement points used, all firefrom his ship suffers a -1 penalty (round-ing normally) until the next movementphase, including missile/spore mole lock at-tempts at the beginning of the next turn.

While this may seem like a good habitfor a pilot to be in, the fact of the matter isthat human beings have a powerful ten-dency towards tunnel vision when undercombat stress. Even the most thoroughtraining has a great deal of trouble over-coming this natural tendency, so this par-ticular attribute is understandably rare.BPV Cost 75. Experience Point Cost 75.

mulative -1 to all initiative rolls where thatparticular pilot’s skill is used for initiativepurposes. Additionally, if the pilot uponwhom coup is counted suffers enough couppoints equaling his piloting skill, the pilotloses his nerve as a result and flees thebattle at the first available movement op-portunity. (Note: In a campaign settingplayers may wish to take into account howfast pilots will regain their nerve after suchan experience, if at all).BPV Cost 75. Experience Point Cost 75.

HYENAThis pilot always attacks the first enemy

ship to suffer damage, ignoring all otheropposing fighter craft. Should this pilot bea part of a larger unit, he will nonethelessattack the first, nearest damaged opponent,even if it means that he will cut off or in-terfere with another pilot or pilots of hisunit.BPV Rebate 15. Exp. Pt. Removal Cost 35.

PIT BULLThis pilot just doesn’t know when to let

go of his opponents. The player controllingthis pilot must declare his intention to havethe pilot “stay on” a specific opponents shipbefore all initiative is rolled if the Pit Bullpiloted ship meets the following criteria:1) The “Pit Bull” pilot must start the turn

on the rear firing arc of the designatedvessel within 3 hexes.

2) The “Pit Bull” pilot must have fired onthe target vessel on the previous turn.If the “Pit Bull” pilot meets the neces-

sary criteria, then the “Pit Bull” player andthe player controlling his intended targetreroll their initiative based on the involvedpilot’s skill levels independently of the nor-mal initiative roll.

If the “Pit Bull” wins the initiative, the“Pit Bull” must move immediately after thetarget vessel. If the player controlling the“Pit Bull” has no other possible ships tomove and the target ship has not moved,the Pit Bull will not be moved until afterthe target has moved. The “Pit Bull” pilotmust use all his available movement to fol-low the intended target vessel and meet thePit Bull criteria above if possible. This movedoes count as a “normal” move for initia-tive order (whether the controlling playerwants it to or not).

“In Vietnam therecord is absolutelyclear...: the officercorps simply did notdie in sufficient num-bers or in the presenceof their men oftenenough to provide thekind of ‘martyrs’ thatall primary sociologi-cal units, especiallythose under stress,require if cohesion isto be maintained.”

— Gabrieland Savage,

Crisis in Command:Mismanagement in

the Army.

35

record keeping, as well as maintain somedegree of consistency and relative predict-ability amongst the vast majority of pilotsand gunners. Players who exercise restraintin this manner will discover that theirgames of SD:TNM will be more enjoyableas a result.

This book includes tactical guidelines forall of the major Houses in the SD:TNMuniverse. These lists outline both typicalpilot and gunner stats, as well as outliningthe proportion of experienced, veteran, andace status pilots and gunners that wouldbe encountered within formations of a par-ticular House’s order of battle. As will beseen from the lists that follow, some Houseshave higher percentages of aces to otherpilots or gunners. This is a direct reflec-tion of the resources, experience, circum-stances, tactical doctrines, and other char-acteristics peculiar to each of the Houses.These factors should be kept in mind whenexamining the fleet lists that follow.

THE GODS FAVOR FOOLSOnly available to pilots with Piloting skill

of 4 or less. This pilot seems to have unbe-lievable luck in avoiding damage from tor-pedoes and he receives +2 to all dodge rolls.Once the pilot’s Skill Level reaches 5 ormore, the pilot loses this attribute as he orshe realizes just how close they’ve beencutting things and how blind, stupid luckythey’ve really been all along!BPV Cost 5. Exp. Pt. Removal Cost: Auto-

matic upon advancement to PilotingSkill 5 or greater.

How to AssignSkills and Quirks

Players wishing to make use of these at-tributes in the games of SD:TNM may as-sign them in several ways. The first andsimplest is for players to agree before handto use the forces of a specific House, andassign pilot attributes based solely uponthose guidelines. If using generic forces,the players will need to all agree before-hand to a very limited number of skills and/or quirks that pilots or gunners will startout with, and to pay the additional BPV costfor each attribute. Quirks will cost an ad-ditional BPV if positive, and provide a BPVrebate if negative. New skills outside ofthose listed for a specific House may onlybe given to pilots with a minimum com-bined skill level of 18 or higher for pilots,or 9 for gunners. This is to reflect the factthat the overwhelming majority of pilotsand gunners will show improvement basedas much on their House’s training meth-ods and tactical doctrine as anything else,and the vast majority of pilots or gunners,even highly successful ones, will not “thinkout of the box” as a matter of course.

Quirks are assigned per the force listguidelines, as they represent the results ofa multitude of factors having to do withissues of personality, environmental fac-tors, and even socio-economic factors rel-evant to a pilot’s upbringing. Again, quirksoutside of the House’s force list may onlybe given to pilots with a minimum Pilotskill level of 9.

It is highly recommended that the as-signment of quirks and skills be done withboth common sense and restraint so as notto overburden the game with excessive

36

Optional RulesSteel Hull Structural

WeaknessWhile steel hulled ships are cheaper,

lighter, and easier to build than crystaniumalloy constructed designs, they are dramati-cally less durable. To reflect this seriouslack of durability, any fighter designed witha Damage Reduction value of zero (0), anygunboat designed with a Damage Reduc-tion of zero (0) anywhere except on the rear,or any warhound designed with a DamageReduction of zero (0) on any track will nowroll a different die for critical hits accord-ing to the table below:

Ship Type Die Treat 1 As

Fighter, Escort 1d12 7Gunboat, Outpost 1d8 5

Escort CrewSafety Quirks

These two quirks add more choices whendesigning escorts and outposts.• Shielded Crew Quarters: All crew hits are

moved one box to the right on the dam-age track and are defender’s choice (eg.not filled in). Cost: 10%

• Exposed Crew Quarters: All crew hits aremoved one box to the left on the dam-age track and are attacker’s choice (eg.filled in). Rebate: 10%

AlternatePoint Costs for

Pilot and Gunner SkillsPilot and Gunner skills cost a different

amount of points to buy depending on whatskill level you want (as opposed to a linearcost for skill levels 1-10). For the costs, seethe “Alternate Point Cost” columns of thePilot and Gunnery Skill cost tables above.There is no alternate cost for the Captain’sDie as it already follows a non-linear scale.

The alternate costs are highly recom-mended for use in campaigns, leagues, orother situations where pilots can improve.

AlternativeInitiative Determination

While the current method of determin-ing initiative works well, this method addsmore consistency and removes some math(albeit only addition). Instead of rolling1D10 and adding your best Pilot Skill, rolla die as indicated in the table below. Do notadd anything to this roll (except, possibly,certain skill affect). In the case of ties, play-ers roll 1D10 and compare rolls without anymodifiers until an order is determined.

When using this system, it is recom-mended that any bonuses or penalties tothe initiative roll be made a change in dietype instead (as opposed to a +/- to the roll).This change is made on a one-for-one ba-sis. If there is still a bonus left when 1D12is reached or a penalty left when a 1D4 isreached, add or subtract it from the roll.For example: a pilot with a skill of 5 has a+2 bonus from skills so he would roll a1D10 for initiative instead of rolling 1D6+2,but a pilot with a skill of 9 and a +2 bonuswould roll 1D12+1.

This system does have two side effects.First, a lower Pilot Skill now has a slightlybetter chance of beating a higher one. Sec-ondly, it removes some of the differencesin Pilot Skill level (e.g. a 1 is now as goodas a 4).

Best InitiativePilot Skill Die

1-4 1d45-6 1d67-8 1d89-10 1d1011-12 1d12

“C’est magnifique,mais ce n’est pas laguerre.”

— Marshal Bosquet,on the charge of

the Light Brigade.

37

Fighter Ace Profilesplayers enough information to not only usethem in individual battles, but also to lendan aura of “realism’ to the aces themselves.

House ColosSquadron Leader:

Janos “Scarface” Skorzeny(131 confirmed kills)

Ship: Hellbender ExperimentalOther Ships Pilot is Qualified In:

Thunderbird, Hellbender,Shark, Shark II

Pilot Stats: Pilot 12, Gunner 12Skills: Assassin 3, Sharpshooter 3,

Jitterbug 3, Never a Useless Move 3.Quirks: Lone Wolf.

Always Checks His Six.Squadron Leader Skorzeny is one of

House Colos’ leading fighter aces as of AL14, and has earned himself a reputation asa skilled and murderously efficient fighter

“The battle of St. Jacob, mad andunnecessary though it was, might serveas an example to deter the boldest en-emy from meddling with men who pre-ferred annihilation to retreat. Possessedby the single idea that their phalanxcould bear down any obstacle, the con-federates deliberately crossed the Birsin face of an army fifteen times theirstrength...It was no light matter to en-gage with an enemy who would not re-tire before any superiority in numbers,who was always ready for the fight, whowould neither give nor take quarter.”

— Oman 2.264

Each of the following profiles providesthe relevant information to use these crackpilots in your Silent Death games. Theseprofiles represent a sampling of the elitefew found in all of the Houses of the NextMillennium universe as of AL 12. Each acehas his or her piloting skill, gunnery skill,attributes, and a brief biography to give

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pilot few enemy pilots would willingly facein battle. That said, Skorzeny’s career hassuffered from his loner mentality as hispenchant to race off seeking personal gloryat the expense of his fellow pilots has costhim several promotions. Only his impres-sive score of kills and his unflappable bra-vado have kept him in a leadership posi-tion within House Colos. This is also de-spite the high casualty rate suffered by hissubordinates, due in no small part toSkorzeny’s stated attitude of “My people cando anything!” While this supreme confi-dence does produce results of often con-siderable worth to House Colos, findingreplacement pilots to fly in Skorzeny’ssquadron remains a sometimes difficulttask for the Colosian personnel officers!

Squadron Leader: Cesare “Prince” Bhorghessi(92 confirmed kills)

Ship: Night HawkOther Ships Pilot Is Qualified In:

Thunderbird, Hellbender,Shark, Shark II

Pilot Stats: Pilot 12, Gunner 9Skills: Aggressive Pilot 3,

Sharpshooter 3, Quick Reflexes 2.Quirks: Hyena. Fanatic.

If there is one thing that can be said forSquadron Leader Bhorghessi, it is that hehas a high opinion of himself and his ac-complishments. A member of a powerfulColosian family linked by direct bloodlineto Duke Colos himself, Bhorghessi is loud,arrogant, and boastful of his many accom-plishments as a fighter pilot. A notoriousbraggart, Bhorghessi has made himselfmany enemies in his short career, the onlything which appears to save him from le-thal retribution at the hands of his politi-cal and personal opponents is his blood tieto Duke Colos, his personal prowess on thedueling court, and his undeniable successas a fighter pilot. That said, it is apparentthat House Colos is not always pleased withso unsubtle a member of its ruling class,and Bhorghessi finds himself continuallybeing assigned to combat duty when oth-ers of lesser standing are rewarded withsafer duty for far less. Nevertheless,Bhorghessi seems to thrive on violent con-flict, and takes to his assignments with the

same shameless bravado that so endearshim to his fellow Colosians. As one ofBhorghessi’s critics once said, “Bhorghessiis very pleased to be Bhorghessi!”

House Red StarSquadron Leader: Group Chief

Scott “Claymore” MacGregor(Dog Soldiers akicita)(44 confirmed kills)

Ship: Seraph IIIOther Ships Pilot is Qualified In:

Salamander, Salamander II,Salamander III

Pilot Stats: Pilot 10, Gunner 9Skills: Marksman 3.Quirks: Always Supports His Wingman.

Counts Coup. Always Checks His Six.Gunner A: “Chief Dan” George MacLure

(Dog Soldiers akicita)(39 confirmed kills)

Gunner A Stats: Gunner 9Gunner A Skills: Marksman 3.Gunner A Quirks: none.

Chief MacGregor is a highly popular RedStar fighter pilot who is noted for both hisprowess in battle, his many coups countedagainst House Colos, and his really twistedsense of humor! MacGregor, being a mem-ber of the Dog Soldiers akicita (warrior so-ciety) is a strict team player who insists onclose cooperation between the braves whofly with him. MacGregor has made a fewenemies amongst his fellow Red Star bravesbecause he is often at odds (as Dog Soldiersoften are) with young hotheads from otherakicitas who are too eager to rush intobattle and don’t understand why they mustfollow a rational plan of attack. As this is acommon quirk of all Red Star warriors whoare not members of the professional DogSoldiers akicita, MacGregor almost alwaysfinds that these confrontations are inevi-table as he is forced to personally intervenewhen some group of young braves areclashing with his fellow Dog Soldiers.

MacGregor seems to take this in stride,accepting that this is part part and parcelto the Path of the Dog Soldier. It is becauseof his genuine concern for the lives of hisfellow Red Star braves that MacGregor’spersonal kill tally is not higher than it is,

“I also say it is goodto fall, battles are lostin the same spirit inwhich they are won.”

— Walt Whitman

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as MacGregor has been known to actuallyallow an inexperienced brave to finish offan opponent MacGregor could have takenon his own. This allows the younger pilotto gain invaluable combat experience aswell as a credit for a kill, and (hopefully) achance to learn something enabling theyoung pilot to learn how to stay alive inbattle on his own! A notable majority ofyoung hotheads that MacGregor hasclashed with over the years have later comeforward to apologize for their rudeness andthank MacGregor for teaching them whatit means to truly be a Red Star brave.

Squadron Leader: Squadron ChiefRichard “Porkins” Dufault(Crow Owners akicita)(61 confirmed kills)

Ship: Seraph ExperimentalOther Ships Pilot is Qualified In:

Thunderbird, Thunderbird II,Blizzard

Pilot Stats: Pilot 9, Gunner 11Skills: Never a Useless Move 3,

Hangs Fire 3, Sharpshooter 2.Quirks: Counts Coup.

Always Checks His Six.“Porkins” Dufault is one of the more suc-

cessful Red Star fighter pilots found withinthe more traditional Red Star akicitas. Atypical Crow Owner, Dufault is a hell-for-leather brawler who loves nothing betterthan to jump into his customized Seraphand streak into the fray shouting his tradi-tional war-cry over open comm channelsto intimidate his enemies. A natural pilot,Dufault has demonstrated time and againhis prowess in the most challenging ofcombat situations, having counted coupmany times. If Dufault has any flaws as apilot, it is his tendency—common to mostRed Star fighter pilots- is to fight as a fear-less individual rather than as a part of alarger organized team. This tendency costDufault dearly on his first mission, when awingmate and childhood friend was killedin a swirling dogfight with a better trainedColosian unit.

Dufault vowed to never be responsiblefor the life of a fellow Red Star brave. Tothis end, Dufault began tinkering with a

derelict Seraph parked at his squadron’sbase of operation. Using spar parts and or-dinance that had been declared unfit forservice due to wear and tear or defect,Dufault managed to render the derelict fly-able. In keeping with his vow to never en-danger another fellow brave, Dufault re-moved the gunner’s station on the Seraphand replaced it with a jury-rigged verticallaunching system for ten Mk. 20 torpedos!

Because Dufault relies on often defectiveor worn out parts to keep his improbablemachine flying, his combat performancewith this bizarre warcraft is not always en-tirely predictable. The systems Dufault hasscratch built do not often work as expected,although a few times his rather quirky ver-tical launch torpedo system has misfiredproducing spectacular examples of overkillwhen all ten rounds unload themselves onsome hapless Colosian light attritionfighter!

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House TokugawaSquadron Leader:

Flight Lieutenant Tessa “Hellion”Grezbo (36 confirmed kills)

Ship: Samurai IIOther Ships Pilot is Qualified In:

Thunderbird, Kosmos,Hayabusa, Samurai

Pilot Stats: Pilot 10, Gunner 9Skills: Aggressive Pilot 2, Marksman 2,

Dodger 1.Quirks: Always Supports Her Wingman.

Always Checks Her Six.“Tessie” Grezbo is regarded by many as a

rapidly rising star within the Tokugawanfighter service. A natural pilot with a virtualsixth sense for danger, Grezbo has achieveda meteoric score of confirmed kills in undera year of combat duty. Grezbo received thehighest scores of her graduating class fromthe prestigious Kumagaya Fighter School.Upon graduation Grezbo was immediatelyassigned to the Hiryu Carrier Group as areplacement pilot on the personal recom-mendation of the head of the KumagayaFighter School. The Commander of Kuma-gaya expressed every confidence that Grezbowould take to so rigorous an assignment aswell as any more experienced pilot. This isunusual, as the standard Tokugawan proce-dure is to assign only combat veterans tothe Carrier Group fighter units.

According to Group Commander Sung,C.O. of the Hiryu Carrier Group, Grezbotook to the assignment as if born to it. Scor-ing her first confirmed kill on her very firstcombat mission, Grezbo reportedly per-formed exactly like one of the “old hands”during the engagement with veteran

Luches Guards pilots, scoring her first vic-tory over a Luches Shark class fighter thatwas attacking her assigned wingman. Allinitial reservations on the part of the vet-eran Hiryu pilots being assigned a “green”replacement pilot have since been com-pletely laid to rest.

Grezbo is so clearly an exceptional pilotthat the Luches government has reportedlyput a price on her head! Grezbo is appar-ently neither impressed nor concerned bythis turn of events.

Squadron Leader:Colonel Jerry “Eagle” Tien(52 confirmed kills)

Ship: SamuraiOther Ships Pilot is Qualified In:

Thunderbird, KosmosPilot Stats: Pilot 10, Gunner 12Skills: Tough Guy 3, Marksman 3,

Never a Useless Move 3.Quirks: Always Supports His Wingman.

“Eagle” Tien is one of a handful ofTokugawan pilots who have survived com-bat long enough to have achieved ace sta-tus. Tien is a veteran of the terrible car-nage of the Grub War, being one of a hand-ful of Tokugawa veterans who survived thatgenocidal conflict. Tien is the current com-mander of the Akagi Carrier Group and hasbeen heavily engaged against forces of thefascist Luches Utopia. As a veteran Tokuga-wan pilot, Tien faces the grave responsibil-ity of imparting as much of his invaluablecombat knowledge to the huge number ofnew and inexperienced Tokugawan fighterpilots that make up some 80% of HouseTokugawa’s combat pilot cadre. As HouseTokugawa and the Luches Utopia are cur-

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rently in conflict over several disputedformer Tokugawan systems, Tien and hisunit will no doubt be seeing considerablecombat for the foreseeable future.

ASPSquadron Leader:

Col. Scott “Switchblade” Sigler(50 confirmed kills). 151st ASPFighter Regiment “Carnodemons”

Ship: BinaryOther Ships Pilot is Qualified In:

Night Hawk, Shark, SentryPilot Stats: Pilot 10, Gunner 10Skills: Good Shot 3, Dodger 3,

Aggressive Pilot 3.Quirks: Always Checks His Six.Gunner A: Flt. Sgt. Mookie “Flatliner”

D’artan (23 confirmed kills)Gunner A Stats: Gunner 9Gunner A Skills: Quick Reflexes 1,

Assassin 3.Gunner B: Flt. Sgt. Chris “Brain”

Slovinsky (30 confirmed kills)Gunner B Stats: Gunner 9Gunner B Skills: Hangs Fire 2,

Sharpshooter 2.Colonel Sigler is the commanding officer

of the ASP 151st Fighter Regiment. Sigleris described as an “old school” officer whoprefers to lead from the front at every op-portunity. This endears him to his subor-dinates and serves as a constant irritant tohis superiors, who greatly fear losing sovaluable an experienced officer to combat.Sigler however, maintains that he can’tbring himself to “break up the team,” re-ferring to both himself and his two gun-ners, Mookie “Flatliner” D’artan and Chris“Brain” Slovinsky, both of whom have flownwith Sigler since his first assignment to flythe ASP’s deadly Binary class MPAC.

Sigler is typical of many ASP pilots inthat he has several combat enhancementimplants. Sigler has both the Artificiancetargeting implant and the Biolink, althoughthe current Binary design does not includethe Biolink hookup and systems. Sigler isa multitalented individual typical of manyASP pilots, being the head of the PilotUnion Local 312 and reputedly the mostdangerous canasta player on the carrier inwhich he and his unit are currently based.

Whether holding a hand of cards or thecontrols of his personal fighter “SystemCrash”, Sigler is not to be taken lightly byany of his opponents (at least those thatplay cards with him don’t risk losing theirlives!).

Q’raj Void Protectorate:Squadron Leader:

Capt. Refik “Hellfire” Cosic(49 confirmed kills)

Ship: SheduOther Ships Pilot is Qualified In:

Jambiya, Talon, Talon QVPPilot Stats: Pilot 9, Gunner 11Skills: Hangs Fire 2, Jitterbug 3,

Dodger 3.Quirks: Always Supports His Wingman.

Always Checks His Six.One of the characteristics of Q’raj soci-

ety that sets it apart from most otherHouses is the extent to which religion andreligious beliefs influence Q’raj society it-self. That said, what sets the Q’raj apartfrom other theocratic societies such as theSigurd Archdiocese is that religious toler-ance is strongly ingrained into Q’rajis froma young age. This is a natural extension ofthe Q’raj traditions of close cooperation be-tween communities to ensure collectivesurvival on the often harsh worlds thatmake up the Void Protectorate. Refik Cosicis in many ways a fairly typical example ofthis society, being a deeply religious per-son with strongly held beliefs. A devoutMuslim, Cosic observes very traditionalreligious requirements of his faith.

Not merely a devout believer, Cosic isalso an accomplished scholar, or Imam whogladly and cheerfully debates theology withhis fellow Q’rajis of all faiths (it is an oldQ’raji saying that “...where there are twoQ’raji, there are three opinions!”). What-ever religious disagreements may exist,Q’rajis of all faiths fight side by side, oftenwithin the same squadron to defend theirterritory and its people from any would-beaggressors. Cosic himself has seen exten-sive combat on the Q’raj-Colosian border,running up a considerable score of victo-ries over the “infidel Serpent-lovingColosians” as Cosic refers to his adversar-ies. Cosic’s plainly marked personal Sheduclass fighter “Hellfire” is a sight that the

“Those men on theline were my family,my home. They werecloser to me than Ican say, closer thanany friends had beenor would ever be. Theyhad never let medown; and I couldn’tdo it to them. I had tobe with them ratherthan let them die andlet me live with theknowledge that Imight have savedthem. Men, I knownow, do not fight forflag, country, theMarine Corps, or gloryor any other abstrac-tion. They fight foreach other.”

— WilliamManchester,

USMC, WWII.

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Colosians are never happy to see, as theyknow that “Hellfire” is where Cosic intendsto send every last one of them!

Squadron Leader:Col. Sheldon “Professor” Grivas(102 confirmed kills), JudasMaccabeus Carrier Fighter Group

Ship: SheduOther Ships Pilot is Qualified In:

Talon, Talon II, Talon QVP, Sentry,Sentry QVP, Mujahadeen, Shedu II

Pilot Stats: Pilot 10, Gunner 9Skills: Marksman 3,

Aggressive Pilot 2, Dodger 2.Quirks: Always Supports His Wingman.

Always Checks His Six.Col. Grivas is a respected and highly

decorated combat officer of the Q’raj VoidProtectorate’s elite fighter units operatingfrom the new Saladin class command es-cort carriers. Prior to the activation of hisreserve unit in time for the Grub War,Grivas had been a professor of Classics andAntiquities at the prestigious New IsraelInstitute for Ancient Studies on KochaviYisrael. Applying his vast academic knowl-edge to the problems of fighter combat,Grivas rose rapidly through the ranks, sur-viving the terrible Grub War with numer-ous personal kills to his credit, as well asreceiving the Star of Muhammad withSwords for courage under fire. During abloody Grub ambush, Grivas had taken overcommand when the squadron leader waskilled by a rampaging Muskellunge, ralliedhis fellow Q’raj pilots and led them on asuccessful counter attack that defeated theGrubs and drove them off. Grivas person-

ally destroyed the Muskellunge in the en-suing battle.

Grivas is a thoughtful tactician who likesto plan his strategy in advance, and briefsall of his pilots in full so that each oneknows not only what the plan is, but whatto do in case the plan starts to unravel dueto the inevitable lack of cooperation fromthe opposition. Because he draws upon arespectable base of academic knowledge(Grivas still engages in considerable aca-demic discourse and research wheneverpossible), he has picked up the pilot handleof “Professor.” The pilots under his com-mand have actually picked up on this, re-ferring to themselves informally as “in-terns” when referring to experienced pilots,and “student aides” when referring to newpilots assigned to the unit. The enemies ofthe Q’raj (particularly the Colosians andDraconians) have for their part learned toview an upcoming “lecture tour” of Grivasand his portages as being as unpleasant andpotentially fatal as a forgotten final exam!

Data SphereSquadron Leader:

I8U “Spam” Model 240Ship: Teal Hawk ExperimentalOther Ships Pilot is Qualified In:

Any (known to favor the Dolphin).Pilot Stats: Pilot 10, Gunner 12Skills: Assassin 3, Hangs Fire 3,

Sharpshooter 3.Quirks: Flies by the Book, Natural Pilot.

A successful AI ace that has achievednotoriety outside of the Data Sphere,“Spam” is in fact an android rather than a

“Let him fight toe totoe and shield againstshield hard driven,crest against crest andhelmet on helmet,chest against chest;

Let him close hardand fight it out withhis opposite foeman,holding tight to thehilt of his sword, or tohis long spear.”

— Tyrtaios II.31-34

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program existing solely as a stream of elec-tronic data. Considering that the DataSphere eliminated android pilots as ineffi-cient in favor of pure data programs, Spam’scontinuing career is to say the least un-usual. This may be due to Spam havingdeveloped a reputation for verbally goad-ing his organic opponents during combat,as Spam has apparently also discovered thatthis sort of taunting will often unnerve hisorganic opponents causing them to becomedistracted. Against an opponent as skilledas Spam, this sort of distraction is usuallyfatal. The Data Sphere Epsilons may findthis peculiar behavior interesting enoughto keep Spam operational as a long termresearch program of sorts.

Spam is currently encountered on theborder between the Data Sphere and HouseTokugawa. Spam’s distinctly painted andheavily modified Teal Hawk fighter -reconfigured to function as a singleseater—has become a sight the generallygreen Tokugawan pilots rightly fear. Knownto Tokugawan pilots as “The Red Menace,”Spam has many times slaughtered morenumerous Tokugawan formations withfrightening ease. Spam reportedly leavesfew survivors; with the cold logic of an AI,Spam has repeatedly destroyed the ejectedlife pods of his defeated opponents.

KashmereCommonwealth

Squadron Leader:Lt. Col. Erik “Lucky” Dewey,1134th Interceptor Wing(86 confirmed kills)

Ship: Black WidowOther Ships Pilot is Qualified In:

Marut, Hellbender, VarunaPilot Stats: Pilot 11, Gunner 10Skills: Never a Useless Move 3,

Tough Guy 3, Jitterbug 3.Quirks: Always Supports His Wingman.

Always Checks His Six.Gunner A: Sgt. Pritika “Pretty” Khan

(42 confirmed kills)Gunner A Stats: Gunner 9Gunner A Skills: Sharpshooter 2,

Assassin 1.Gunner B: Cpl. Akbar “Bengal” Singh

(41 confirmed kills)Gunner B Stats: Gunner 9Gunner B Skills: Hangs Fire 3.

Lt. Col. Erik “Lucky” Dewey, two timewinner of the Maha Vir Chakra Award forbravery under fire, is one of the Common-wealth’s ablest combat officers. Dewey hasseen numerous combat engagementsagainst combat forces of every description,and has developed battling pirate groupsinto a highly successful specialty. Early onin his career, Dewey clued in to a facet ofpirate group psychology often overlookedby most regular combat forces; there is nohonor among thieves. Dewey’s two gun-

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ners, Sgt. Missy “Chakra” Khan and Cpl.Akbar “Sabre” Singh are also aces in theirown rights, and have served with Dewey ashis permanently assigned gunners at hispersonal request due to their deadly skillswith the crushing firepower of Dewey’sBlack Widow fighter, “Shir Khan.”

As the commander of the 1134th Inter-ceptor Wing, Dewey has many times suc-ceeded in playing on the shaky loyalties ofindividual pirates, and exploiting them tothe utmost before combat is even joined.While Dewey has acquired an impressivepersonal tally of confirmed “kills” (86), hehas many times caused the total defeat ofopposing pirate groups by triggering in-fighting within their ranks. Dewey makesa point of studying every scrap of intelli-gence data prior to engaging in any com-bat missions against his chosen prey, firstsowing chaos in his opponent’s ranksthrough bribes, threats, and other manipu-lations of the petty ambitions of individualpirates. Dewey’s careful, thoughtful ap-proach to combat has yielded success onmany fronts for Dewey and the 1134th, notthe least of which being that it keeps casu-alties down amongst the personnel of the1134th, while maximizing the casualtiesamongst their pirate foes.

Sigurd ArchdioceseSquadron Leader: Squadron Leader

John Warnik “Spaz” Curtis III(50 confirmed kills)

Ship: Storm IIOther Ships Pilot is Qualified In:

Hound, Hammer, StormPilot Stats: Pilot 12, Gunner 9Skills: Con Artist 3, Dodger 3.Quirks: Fanatic. Always Checks His Six.Gunner A: Viking Albrecht “Brat” Konrad

(24 confirmed kills)Gunner A Stats: Gunner 12Gunner A Skills: Marksman 3.Gunner B: Viking Christa “Singer”

Haakonsen (22 confirmed kills)Gunner B Stats: Gunner 10Gunner B Skills: Quick Reflexes 3.

There is a saying amongst Sigurd pilotsthat “...anyone who can survive their com-bat duty in a Storm class heavy fighter, longenough to earn a transfer to a unit equipped

with Lance Electras is clearly favored byOdin Himself!” Squadron Leader Curtis hasapparently made it his mission in life toprove that even when stuck in a mediocrecraft such as the Storm, what really makesthe difference in pilot survival is the pilotsthemselves. The combat record of the8063rd Independent Heavy Fighter Squad-ron that Curtis commands is an impres-sive one indeed, especially when one real-izes that the unit is equipped entirely withthe much maligned Storm and Storm II!

Curtis is undeniably a devout Church ofOdin follower who nonetheless instills anintense sense of teamwork and camarade-rie within his squadron. The heavy empha-sis on mutually supportive team tactics hasensured that the 8063rd Squadron is thebane of whomever the Archdiocese pitsthem against. Curtis’ impressive personalvictory tally as well as the impressive per-formance of his squadron has earned himthe gratitude and praise of the Archdiocese.Guttmann himself recently decoratedCurtis in a widely broadcast ceremony inhonor of Curtis’ 50th confirmed kill.

Squadron Leader:Senior Viking Terry “Otch” Ochitwa(42 confirmed kills)

Ship: Night HawkOther Ships Pilot is Qualified In:

Dart, Dagger, HoundPilot Stats: Pilot 12, Gunner 9Skills: Tough Guy 3, Jitterbug 3,

Hangs Fire 2.Quirks: Fanatic. Pit Bull.

Known affectionately to his fellow Sig-urd pilots as “The Great Otch,” TerryOchitwa is a quintessential Viking warriorto the pit of his soul. Loud, brash, impetu-ous, and sometimes abrasive, “Otch” is uni-versally well liked by his squadron matesdue to his extremely good heart and hisunwavering courage under fire. It is a mat-ter of faith amongst those who fly with “TheGreat Otch” that if they should find them-selves isolated and in serious trouble in adogfight, that more likely than not it willbe Ochitwa’s distinctly painted silver NightHawk that will come thundering to theirrescue! It is said by many Sigurd pilot’s whohave flown with Ochitwa that he rarely hasto buy his own drinks, as there’s usuallyseveral pilots who owe him their lives from

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UnkulunkuluArchipelago

Squadron Leader:Craig “Angler” Marek(21 confirmed kills)

Ship: Talon ExperimentalOther Ships Pilot is Qualified In:

Thunderbird, Pit ViperPilot Stats: Pilot 12, Gunner 10Skills: Sharpshooter 2, Marksman 1.Quirks: none.

“Angler” Marek picked up his handlebased upon his civilian occupation as theowner of a tourist service fishing boat spe-cializing in sailfin and swordfishing. Marekhas apparently proven to be as adept at“hooking and cooking” the various piratecraft attempting to prey on civilian ship-ping in Unkulu space as he does in dealingwith a full sized swordfish battling on theend of his line. Marek has also proven to bean excellent instructor, coaching his lessexperienced squadron mates in combatwith the ease that he talks a paying touristthrough landing their first Marlin!

Although Marek has yet to land anythingbigger than an enemy SPAC in a dogfight,it is generally agreed that it is only a mat-ter of time as the local pirate gangs havebegun to introduce increasingly heavierwarcraft. This unwelcome turn of events isbelieved by many to be a result of inter-vention by the Luches Utopia providingclandestine assistance to pirate groups intheir employ. It is speculated that Luches

the last dogfight who are lined up to buy“The Great Otch” all the rye he can drink!

Ochitwa has experienced a rather re-markable combat career, as he has demon-strated an uncanny capacity for extricat-ing himself from near-fatal situations thatwould normally kill most other pilots. Inone brutal dogfight early in his career,Ochitwa’s squadron was virtually wiped outby a Colosian unit three times as large withonly Ochitwa escaping in his lightly dam-aged Dart. Ochitwa fled only at the end ofthe fight having expended all of his ammu-nition and having destroyed five enemyfighters during the swirling melee. TheColosian pilots had been so distracted byOchitwa’s wild flying that they had spent adisproportionate amount of effort duringthe battle trying to destroy Ochitwa’s up-start Dart. The Colosian commander sub-sequently committed what was a fatal er-ror, as he sent in his reserve fighter squad-ron just to try and smash “The Great Otch!”

Ochitwa immediately led a punitivestrike mission against House Colos withinan hour of his return to Sigurd territory,having sworn to avenge his lost squadronmates or die in the attempt. The Colosianswere subsequently caught unprepared andannihilated, their reserve unit caught re-fueling and rearming in their carrier’s land-ing bay along with the rest of the fightercontingent, having spent themselves in afutile effort to swat a certain, lone Dart pi-lot. “The Great Otch” thus had the lastlaugh over his Colosian opponents, hisfallen comrades avenged.

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down the streets of the Luches capital citycarrying a bottle of liquor and accostinganyone along the way not quick enough toescape his grasp, drunkenly demandingthat the hapless individual drink a toast tohis prowess as a fighter pilot. Bhorghessipromptly stabs or shoots anyone foolishenough to refuse. Because of his status asa Guards Fighter Pilot and numerous il-licit connections within the Luches SecretPolice, the Luches authorities do not as arule intervene.

Despite his borderline psychotic behav-ior off duty, the fact remains that Bhorg-hessi is a deadly fighter pilot, quite capableof besting most opponents in one-to-oneencounters. Like all Luches pilots, however,Bhorghessi is a very poor “team player,”being know to repeatedly cut in on a fellowpilot and steal his kill. Only Bhorghessi’smurderous reputation and numerous cor-rupt connections within the Luches gov-ernment keeps most of his fellow GuardsFighter Pilots from taking issue with thisbehavior openly.

Hibernian FreeholdSquadron Leader:

Craig “Blindspot” O’Brien(58 confirmed kills)

Ship: Night Hawk ExperimentalOther Ships Pilot is Qualified In:

Thunderbird, Talon III, Night Hawk,Night Hawk II

Pilot Stats: Pilot 12, Gunner 9Skills: Hangs Fire 2, Marksman 3.Quirks: Always Checks His Six.

“Blindspot” O’Brien picked up his handleduring flight training when he failed tonotice an inbound Shryak Shuttle and nar-rowly avoided a mid-air collision! Disasterwas averted by the timely intervention ofO’Brien’s flight instructor. Upon landing,a now rather legendary dressing down fol-lowed as O’Brien’s shaken instructor gavefull, colorful vent to her Hibernian fury.Checking his blindspot has been O’Brien’sindelible trademark ever since, and this hasclearly served him well in his combat ca-reer, as O’Brien has yet to have his fighteractually hit by cannon fire from an enemyfighter! He has been hit more than once bydefensive fire from enemy ship gunners, as

takes advantage of this situation by run-ning contraband while the Unkulu defend-ers are preoccupied with “pirate” gunboatsand heavy fighters.

Luches UtopiaSquadron Leader: Guards Lt.

Alberto “Whacker” Borghessi(38 confirmed kills)

Ship: Shark IIOther Ships Pilot is Qualified In:

Thunderbird,Pilot Stats: Pilot 10, Gunner 9Skills: Assassin 3, Marksman 2,

Con Artist 3.Quirks: Hyena. Lone Wolf.

“Whacker” Bhorghessi is truly a loud-mouthed boaster who revels in recountinghis numerous combat victories to any whowill listen. The brother of the notoriousColosian fighter ace Cesare Bhorghessi,Alberto was reputedly banished to theLuches Utopia by his family as he provedto be too incorrigible even by Colosian stan-dards! Bhorghessi is a confirmed drunkenbrawler who abuses his station in Luchessociety at every turn to the fullest advan-tage. Bhorghessi has been known to walk

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O’Brien has a penchant for pressing his at-tacks on enemy gunboats at frighteninglyclose range!

O’Brien is a fast-thinking pilot who isperpetually scanning for trouble when in acombat zone. O’Brien is popular with hisfellow pilots, as he is both highly skilledand a solid team player who looks out forhis squadron mates. Hibernian pilots whohave flown with O’Brien consistently com-ment that “...when ‘Blindspot’ Himself isalong, ye won’t be rudely surprised!”

Yoka-Shan WarworldSquadron Leader: Lt. Colonel

Quase’ “Lioness” Fulani(65 confirmed kills)

Ship: NemesisOther Ships Pilot is Qualified In:

Thunderbird,Pilot Stats: Pilot 12, Gunner 12Skills: Aggressive Pilot 3,

Never a Useless Move 3, Marksman 2.Quirks: Always Supports Her Wingman.Gunner A: Sgt. Piet “Rookat” Maastricht

(30 confirmed kills)Gunner A Stats: Gunner 12Gunner A Skills: Assassin 2Gunner B: Flt. Sgt. Cassius “Stabber”

Buthelezzi (22 confirmed kills)Gunner B Stats: Gunner 10Gunner B Skills: Marksman 2.Gunner C: Cpl. Alexandra “Amazon”

Pukue (19 confirmed kills)Gunner C Stats: Gunner 8Gunner C Skills: Sharpshooter 2.Gunner D: Cpl. Hamilton “Bonebreaker”

Matiwane (22 confirmed kills)Gunner D Stats: Gunner 9Gunner D Skills: Hangs Fire 2.Gunner E: Cpl. Nandi “Stinger” Casalis

(25 confirmed kills)Gunner E Stats: Gunner 9Gunner E Skills: Sharpshooter 1.

The current combat commander of therenowned 221st Fighter Regiment “TheKing’s Messengers,” Lt. Col. Fulani hasclearly earned her pilot’s handle of “Lion-ess.” This renowned Warworlder officer hasserved the interests of her House and itspeople in keeping with the finest of mili-tary traditions. Decorated for bravery many

times over during her career, Fulani hasset something of a record with the War-world as she has been the only pilot to re-ceive her House’s highest award for valorin person. Those others so awarded haveto date received their second such com-mendation posthumously.

Now in the final decade of her career,Fulani gives no indication of slowing down.Possessed of enormous reserves of self-con-fidence, courage, and a deep sense of per-sonal dignity, Fulani steadily rose throughthe ranks of the Yoka-Shan military. Herappointment to the prestigious 221stFighter Regiment came as no surprise tothose familiar with her performance record.In the fullness of time, Fulani rose to com-bat command of the 221st.

Fulani’s first assignment upon promo-tion to combat commander of the 221st wasthe well publicized series of punitive strikesagainst Colosian forces responsible for thedeath of shipping heiress Rachel Homme.Fulani’s Homme Industries supplied Nem-esis gunboat bore the name Rachel at herinstruction, and has remained her personalstarcraft ever since. It has become a nameto strike terror in the hearts of the enemiesof the Warworlders and their clients.

48

The DraconiansSquadron Leader: Master of Hundreds,

Naarraal “Bloodglutton” Nazorrk(82 confirmed kills)

Ship: Death WindOther Ships Pilot is Qualified In:

ThunderbirdPilot Stats: Pilot 11, Gunner 11Skills: Never a Useless Move 3,

Aggressive Pilot 3, Good Shot 3.Quirks: Fanatic. Lone Wolf.

Always Checks His Six.Gunner A: Senior Weaponeer,

R’rrtkkk “Stabber” Hrrk’akk(32 confirmed kills)

Gunner A Stats: Gunner 10Gunner A Skills: Good Shot 2.

Best know to friend and foe alike by hisgrisly pilot’s handle of “Bloodglutton,”Master of Hundreds Nazorrk is the highestknown scoring Draconian fighter ace op-erating in Terran space. Utterly ruthless anda fanatical fighter, Nazorrk is notorious fornever taking prisoners, and never sparingnon-combatants. To Nazorrk, anyone in hiscrosshairs is fair game be they combat per-sonnel or civilian alike. That said, Nazorrkis not only a fanatical fighter, but he is alsoa shrewd hunter who never seems to makea mistake in combat.

Aside from his pathological bloodthirsti-ness, Nazorrk’s most serious flaw as afighter pilot is his penchant to act on hisown without regard for his squadron mates.To Nazorrk, the kill is all that matters. whilethis attitude has gotten many fighter pi-lots quickly killed since time immemorial,Nazorrk has been blessed in his career by a

like minded gunner, Hrrk’akk, who hascovered Nazorrk’s back ever since he firstsat in the cockpit of his Colos suppliedDeath Wind “Bloody Claws.” Both haveracked up impressive kill scores ever since.For the foreseeable future, this bloodthirstypair appears destined to end the lives ofmany more of the Draconian’s enemies.

The Night BroodSquadron Leader: “Mr. Muckle”

(Total Confirmed Kills Unknown)Ship: Muck WormPilot Stats: Pilot 12,

Gunner 11 (Wpn A) 10 (Wpn B)Skills: Never a Useless Move 3,

Aggressive Pilot 3, Good Shot 3(Weapon B), Assassin 3 (Weapon A).

Quirks: Fanatic. Lone Wolf.Always Checks His Six.

Not much is known about the NightBrood as a species, as all attempts by Ter-ran xenobiologists to study the Brood in-evitably end in the death of the surveyteams. Fanatical and utterly without mercy,the Night Brood or Grubs, as they are morecommonly called, appear to be a telepathichive mind. For this reason, as near as canbe determined the accomplishments of in-dividual Grubs may not even be acknowl-edged as their Terran counterparts. Whilehumanity may never know the answer tothis mystery, one thing is certain in fightercombat; Terran pilots do on occasion rec-ognize particularly successful -and there-fore deadly—individual Grub fighters.

A prime example of this outside recog-nition is a Muck Worm class fighter dubbedby Terran fighter pilots on the Frontier “Mr.

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Muckle.” This particular Muck Worm is in-stantly recognizable according to eye wit-ness reports by its distinct red tinted cara-pace and phenomenal piloting skill. Re-ports from the Frontier assert that “Mr.Muckle” has wrought havoc wherever it isencountered, repeatedly besting several topnotch aces from Frontier units.

While any sort of an official victory totalis unattainable, military intelligence re-ports from the Frontier estimate that “Mr.Muckle” may have personally accounted foras many as a staggering 400 Terran and al-lied pilots! These reports go on to explainthe sometimes devastating effect that “Mr.Muckle” has on Terran pilot morale whenhe is even rumored to be in a particulartheatre of operations. The various Frontiercommands are understandably eager to putan end to this deadly Grub “ace.”

Primates/House DevonSquadron Leader: Team Leader,

Yaayuc(*click*) “Salty” Orooffoo(102 confirmed kills)

Ship: Death WindOther Ships Pilot is Qualified In:

ThunderbirdPilot Stats: Pilot 10, Gunner 8Skills: Good Shot 1, Assassin 1,

Jitterbug 3, Con Artist 2.Quirks: Always Supports His Wingman.

Always Checks His Six.Gunner A: Weaponeer 1st Class,

Rahkrahk “Flipper” OoorahkGunner A Stats: Gunner 9Gunner A Skills: Marksman 2.Gunner A Quirks: none.

Team Leader Orooffoo is a typical ex-ample of the Olokokulanai pilots who servethe Galandar Confederation. These pecu-liar seal-like mammals seem to have beenspecifically evolved to pilot star fighters inbattle. Perhaps it is due to their being natu-rally acclimated to operating in a three di-mensional environment from the momentthat they are born, but the fact remains thatOlokokulanai pilots are formidable.

Team Leader Orooffoo is currently theleading Primate fighter ace operating inTerran space thus far. Orooffoo has seenconsiderable combat against both theDraconians and their allies, and it is known

that the Colosians have a standing cash re-ward for any pilot who can kill Orooffoo incombat! Human pilots who have actuallymet Orooffoo describe him as being verypersonable, an engaging conversationalist,and a first rate dogfighter who takes greatcare of his fellow squadron members. Likemany Primate pilots in Terran space,Orooffoo flies a Terran designed fighter.Orooffoo is apparently very happy with thehandling characteristics of his personal,customized Death Wind , the “Red Her-ring,” and flies it to the absolute limits ofits capabilities. Orooffoo is also apparentlyquite a prankster, and has been known totake great pleasure in humiliating his Dra-conian opponents as in destroying them!

Squadron Leader: Battle Leader,Ootoo “Howler” Mookooshoo

Ship: Death Wind IIIOther Ships Pilot is Qualified In:

Thunderbird, Pit ViperPilot Stats: Pilot 9, Gunner 11Skills: Aggressive Pilot 3, Good Shot 3.Quirks: Always Supports His Wingman.Gunner A: Weaponeer 2nd Class,

Refikki “Tanglefoot” HurrookGunner A Stats: Gunner 11Gunner A Skills: Assassin 1.

Battle Leader Mookooshoo is a decoratedPrimate fighter ace who has run up a re-spectable score since his arrival in Terranspace. Mookooshoo is an aggressive pilotand skilled marksman who has beaten someof the best pilots the Draconians and Ter-ran Foes of the Galandar Confederacy canthrow at him. Like many Primate pilots,Mookooshoo flies a Terran built starcraft,a Kashmere supplied Death Wind III.Mookooshoo and his veteran gunner areapparently very fond of their sleek, lethalmount with its potent ion weapons load.

Mookooshoo has time and again been inthe thick of the fight, as he never appearsto hesitate to rise to the challenge. Terranpilots who have flown with Mookooshoohave consistently remarked upon his pro-fessionalism, uncanny sense of timing, andhis sense of loyalty to his wing mates, bethey Primate or Terran. Mookooshoo alsoapparently appreciates Terran humor, asthe name of his Death Wind fighter “Mon-key Shines” clearly indicates.

“To advance is toconquer.”

— Frederick theGreat.

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House Pilot Quirks,Tactical Doctrines, andForce Composition Lists

ety which influences the development ofits members in full, and the effect that thiscan have upon how each House wages warcan be considerable. That said, few Housesfail to recognize successful fighter doc-trines and tactics, although exactly whatconstitutes “successful” tactics and doc-trine is subject to interpretation. The fol-lowing House force composition lists de-scribe the current combat doctrine in useby each House as of AL 14, mandatory skillsand quirks for each House’s pilots and gun-ners, as well as providing a summary of theevolution and relevant factors behind eachHouse’s fighter combat doctrine.

“A ‘minor’ House? The Karelian Re-public may be a minor House, but ifHouses were dogs I would call Colos aBull Mastiff. The Karelians I would calla Pit Bull; not exactly the biggest ofdogs, but I would damn well treat themwith all due caution nonetheless!”— Zenobia Artemis Maureesha Farrell,

Baroness von Lettow-Vorbeck,former Imperial senator,

Hibernian Freehold AL 9.97.

Each of the Twelve and their Prometheanallies approach fighter pilot training andtactical doctrine from sometimes very dif-ferent perspectives. Each House is a soci-

by Lt. Col. Kevin Barrett

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House Skills/Quirks Summary Table

Skill / Quirk Cost

Aggressive Pilot 20 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 V 3 3 2 3 3 3 3 3Assassin 30 3 3 3 3 3 – 1 3 3 V – 3 – – 3 3 – –Con Artist 30 3 1 – 3 2 – 3 3 3 V 3 3 1 3 3 3 3 –

Dodger 15 1 2 3 3 2 3 2 3 2 V – 3 3 3 3 3 2 2Good Shot 10 1 3 – 3 1 3 1 3 3 V 3 3 – 2 3 3 2 3Hangs Fire 10 3 3 3* 2 3 2 2 2 3 – 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3

Jitterbug 25 – – – – – – – – – – 3 2 3 – – – – 3Marksman 10 1 3 3* – 3 – 3 – 3 V 2 – 3 1 3 3 3 –Never a Useless Move 30 3 3 – – 3 – 3 – 3 V 3 – 2 3 3 3 3 –

Quick Draw 10 2 3 – 2 2 2 2 2 3 V 3 3 1 2 3 3 3 3Quick Reflexes 10 1 3 3* 2 2 2 2 2 3 V 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 3Rolls with the Punches 20 – – 3* – – – – – – – – – 3 – 3 – – 3

Sharpshooter 35 3 3 3* 1 3 3 3 1 3 V 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3Tough Guy 20 1 3 – 3 3 3 2 3 3 V 3 3 3 3 3 2 3 3Always Checks his Six 75 – X X* X X X X – X V – X – – X – X –

Always Supportshis Wingman 35 – – X* – X X – – X – – X X – – – – –

Counts Coup 75 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – X – –

Discretion is theBetter Part of Valor -10/-50 – – – X – – – X – V – X – – – X – –

Fanatic 15/-75 – – – – – – – – X V X – – – X – – X

Flies by the Book -10*/-75 X – X* – – – X – – – – – X – – – X –Hyena -15/-35 X X – – – – – X – – – – – – – X – XLone Wolf -10/-75 X X X X X X X X – V X X – X – X – –

Natural Pilot 100 X X X* X X X X X X V X X X X X X X –Pit Bull -10/-25 – X – – X – – – X V X – X X X X – XThe Gods Favor Fools 5/* – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Key: X — The quirk is allowed for the indicated house.a number — The maximum allowed level in the skill for the indicated house.V — Variable, refer to the specific rules for the indicated house.* — Special, refer to the specific rules for the indicated house.

House ColosHouse Colos is a military powerhouse

among the Twelve. House Colos is one ofthe three Houses to retain their economicand military power after the collapse of theEmpire. Although the Colosians had fledthe initial Night Brood invasion, they re-turned with a vengeance with their newfound Draconian allies, sweeping the NightBrood from their star systems. House Colosquickly recaptured their lost core worldsfrom the Night Brood, and have been en-gaged in actively expanding their territoryever since.

House Colos has been a heavily milita-rized society reminiscent of the ancientTerran city-state of Sparta since its found-ing. Colosian children have always beenencouraged from a young age to be aggres-sive, disciplined, fearless, and loyal to theirfamily and their House. Displays of affec-tion, sympathy, and timidity are universallyscorned by Colosians. Aggressive, coura-geous, and even devious behavior are re-warded, while acts of compassion and dis-plays of affection are scorned, even pun-ished. All Colosian children learn thesehard lessons from a young age. This socialengineering has resulted in a ferocious so-

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ciety of individuals willing to lay down theirlives if necessary to advance the interestsof their House, and to seek victory by anymeans fair or foul.

Colosian fighter pilots are unmistakable,lethal products of their societal environ-ment. Their individual courage and un-shakable loyalty to their House and its rul-ers ensures that they will consistently fightwith extreme courage often bordering onthe fanatical. The fact that Colosian pilotsare instilled with contempt for their en-emies means they routinely destroy ejectedlife pods as a matter of course. This habitin particular makes them dreadful oppo-nents.

The great weakness of the Colosianfighter forces is that their excessive empha-sis on personal courage and rewarding in-dividual achievement comes at the expenseof effective teamwork. With every Colosianpilot a fearless warrior hell bent on deathor glory, the concept of fighter pilots work-ing together as a well coordinated teamsuffers accordingly. Time and again, highlytrained and experienced Colosian fighterunits have been badly mauled by sometimesinferior opposing forces employing supe-rior tactical doctrines.

Due to their emphasis on individualheroism and running up personal killscores, all Colosian fighter pilots in a cam-paign or scenario can be considered to havethe LONE WOLF quirk. Many greenColosian pilots may also have the HYENAquirk due to the inherent competition be-

tween pilots seeking rewards for their prow-ess in battle. A Colosian pilot may onlybreak these bad habits with experience inlieu of acquiring a new attribute or quirk.

Because House Colos places so high avalue on the success of individual pilots(and rewards them accordingly), and be-cause the Colosians place a considerableamount of time and effort in perfecting theskills of its pilots, typical Colosian fightersquadrons will contain the following mix-ture of pilots and gunners:Overall Leader (1):

Ace pilot (Plt 9-12, Gnr 9-12).1-4 skills. No quirks.

Lesser Aces (1-4):Ace pilot (Plt 9-10, Gnr 9-10).1-3 skills. Lone Wolf.

Rank & File (0-19):Veteran pilot (Plt 5-8, Gnr 5-8).0-1 skills. Lone Wolf.

Replacement Pilots (0-22):Green pilot (Plt 3-4, Gnr 3-4).No skills. Lone Wolf. Hyena.

House Colos Preferred Skills:Marksman 1-3, Good Shot 1-3,Quick Reflexes 1-3, Quick Draw 1-3,Assassin 1-3, Hangs Fire 1-3,Sharpshooter 1-3, Dodger 1-2,Tough Guy 1-3, Aggressive Pilot 1-3,Never a Useless Move 1-3, Con Artist 1.

House Colos Preferred Quirks:Lone Wolf, Hyena, Pit Bull,Always Checks His Six, Natural Pilot.

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House Red StarThe military forces of House Red Star are

unique amongst the forces of the Twelve,as they are organized according to tradi-tional tribal warrior societies known asakicitas, rather than as reserve and regularforces. Each akicita trains, organizes,equips, and fights according to its own stan-dards. This situation is further complicatedby the intense individualism of Red Starbraves, who are ever eager to prove theirprowess in battle. This situation is com-pounded by the inherent democratic na-ture of Red Star society with regards todecision making. The fact that inter-tribalfeuding and even outright warfare is notonly accepted but expected and even en-couraged makes Red Star domestic affairscomplicated to say the least. The simple factof Red Star society is that if The People can-not agree, and the matter is serious enough,then the two sides of the argument willfight until one or the other capitulates andconcedes the argument.

Given the contentious side of Red Starsociety, it is more than a little amazing thatHouse Red Star presents a united frontwhenever relations with another House areinvolved. When confronted with an outsideaggressor, the Red Stars will instantly dropwhatever internal conflicts they may beembroiled in, and promptly present aunited front to the external threat. Thiscapacity for cooperation in the face of ex-ternal aggression, to literally stop fightingin mid-swing and redirect their efforts to-wards the outside threat, simply amazesoutside observers. The glue that holds

House Red Star together and makes thisphenomenal ability to “shift gears” soquickly stems directly from the foundingstruggles of the Red Stars themselves.

The epic struggle of the Red Stars toterraform Mars, before the Brood arrived,and other worlds demanded a tremendouslevel of close cooperation between themyriad Red Star tribes. Only by close co-operation were the Red Stars able to tameMars and other hostile worlds. This prin-ciple of cooperation in the face of externalenvironmental threats to their survival isthe key to understanding what holds thesometimes acrimonious Red Star societytogether. This dichotomous tradition ofcooperation between members of the groupin the face of external threats on the onehand, and individual feuding on the other,carries over into the conduct of Red Starfighter forces in a unique way.

If fighting on their own, all members ofa Red Star akicita force will work in closecooperation irregardless of their tactical or-ganization. That said, if two or moreakicitas are present, then all Red Star pi-lots are automatically saddled with theLONE WOLF quirk, but only wheneverplayers wish to have a ship or ships fromone akicita support a ship or ships from adifferent (i.e., rival) akicita. This reflects thecurious nature of Red Star society and itsinfluence on how Red Star pilots fight. Theonly akicita not subject to this problem aremembers of the Dog Soldiers akicita, whoact as traditional military police within RedStar society. Dog Soldiers always have theALWAYS SUPPORTS HIS WINGMAN quirk,and support their fellow Red Stars withoutregard to akicita membership.

Fortunately for Red Star, all Red Starakicitas use the same table of organization:Overall Leader (1):

Ace pilot (Plt 9-12, Gnr 9-12).1-3 skills. *Special*.

Lesser Aces (1-4):Ace pilot (Plt 9-10, Gnr 9-10).1-2 skills. *Special*.

Rank & File (0-19):Veteran pilot (Plt 5-8, Gnr 5-8).0-1 skills. *Special*.

Replacement Pilots (0-22):Green pilot (Plt 3-4, Gnr 3-4).No skills. *Special*.

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Note: Because each Red Star akicita doesthings its own way, the effect of certainquirks is dependent upon the force com-position of a Red Star unit. If more thanone akicita is present in a fighter force, thenthe Lone Wolf quirk is in effect only whenplayers wish to determine if members ofrival akicitas will support one another. Thispeculiar problem never applies to membersof the Dog Soldiers akicita, who may freelysupport any fellow Red Star ship withouthesitation. This does not mean that non-Dog Soldiers will support a Dog Soldiership in times of need; in these cases, theLone Wolf quirk applies in full. The spe-cific skills and quirks possessed by pilotsand gunners for each akicita are as follows:

DOG SOLDIERS

Red Star Dog Soldiers AkicitaPreferred Skills: Marksman 1-3,Good Shot 1-2, Quick Reflexes 1-2,Quick Draw 1-3, Assassin 1-3,Sharpshooter 1-3, Dodger 1-3,Tough Guy 1-2, Aggressive Pilot 1-3,Never a Useless Move 1-3,Con Artist 1-2.

Red Star Dog Soldiers AkicitaPreferred Quirks: Natural Pilot,Always Checks His Six, Pit Bull.

CROW OWNERS

Red Star Crow Owners AkicitaPreferred Skills: Good Shot 1-3,Quick Reflexes 1-3, Quick Draw 1-2,Assassin 1-3, Sharpshooter 1,Dodger 1-2, Tough Guy 1,Aggressive Pilot 1-3, Con Artist 1,Never a Useless Move 1-3.

Red Star Crow Owners AkicitaPreferred Quirks: Lone Wolf,Discretion is the Better Part of Valor,Natural Pilot.

BLACK WOLVES AKICITA

Red Star Black Wolves AkicitaPreferred Skills: Good Shot 1,Quick Reflexes 1-3, Quick Draw 1-3,Assassin 1-3, Sharpshooter 1-3,Dodger 1-2, Tough Guy 1,Aggressive Pilot 1-3, Con Artist 1,Never a Useless Move 1-3.

Red Star Black Wolves AkicitaPreferred Quirks: Lone Wolf, Pit Bull,Natural Pilot, Always Checks His Six

BRAVEHEARTS

Red Star Bravehearts AkicitaPreferred Skills: Good Shot 1-3,Quick Reflexes 1-3, Quick Draw 1-3,Assassin 1-3, Sharpshooter 1,Dodger 1, Tough Guy 1-3,Aggressive Pilot 1-3, Con Artist 1-2,Never a Useless Move 1-2.

Red Star Bravehearts AkicitaPreferred Quirks: Lone Wolf,Natural Pilot, Always Checks His Six,Pit Bull, Fanatic.

KIT FOX AKICITA

Red Star Kit Fox AkicitaPreferred Skills: Good Shot 1-3,Quick Reflexes 1-3, Quick Draw 1-3,Assassin 1-3, Sharpshooter 1-3,Dodger 1-3, Tough Guy 1-3,Aggressive Pilot 1-3, Con Artist 1,Never a Useless Move 1-3.

Red Star Kit Fox AkicitaPreferred Quirks: Lone Wolf,Discretion is the Better Part of Valor,Natural Pilot, Always Checks His Six.

BUFFALO AKICITA

Red Star Buffalo AkicitaPreferred Skills: Good Shot 1-3,Quick Reflexes 1-3, Quick Draw 1-3,Assassin 1-3, Sharpshooter 1-3,Dodger 1-3, Tough Guy 1-3,Aggressive Pilot 1-3, Con Artist 1,Never a Useless Move 1-3.

Red Star Buffalo AkicitaPreferred Quirks: Lone Wolf, Pit Bull,Natural Pilot, Always Checks His Six .

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House TokugawaHouse Tokugawa is unique amongst the

Twelve, as the Tokugawans had enjoyednearly two full millennia of peaceful exist-ence without the need for a standing mili-tary force larger than a customs service.This blissful state of affairs was shatteredby the coming of the Night Brood in Imp505. The Hatchling invasion presented theTokugawa people with the brutal choice be-tween being exterminated and seeing all oftheir carefully tended paradise worlds hous-ing countless rare species destroyed, or tak-ing up arms for the first time in anyTokugawan’s memory and relearning thefine art of mass killing. The Tokugawans,appalled and enraged by the genocidal con-duct of the Night Brood, chose to stand andfight.

Drawing upon their tremendous mon-etary wealth, capacity for organization, andself-discipline, the Tokugawans performeda miracle or logistics and training. Withinless than two years, House Tokugawa cre-ated a huge fighter force from scratch. TheTokugawans had hired mercenary instruc-tors from Yoka-Shan, House Red Star, andelsewhere to train the thousands of raw re-cruits who volunteered to fight in defenseof their worlds. Despite this massive effort,the Tokugawans suffered horrendous lossesas their green pilots were repeatedly outfought and cut to pieces by the technologi-cally superior Night Brood. Only throughthe often heroic sacrifice of countless mil-lions of individual Tokugawans were theNight Brood finally stopped.

The successful last stand made againstthe Night Brood taught the Tokugawans aninvaluable lesson. Realizing that they hadmade many mistakes out of sheer igno-rance that cost countless thousands ofavoidable casualties, the Tokugawans re-solved to learn from their mistakes. TheTokugawan government not only retainedits cadre of foreign military advisors to traintheir inexperienced forces, but actually ex-panded on the number of professional mer-cenary instructors. Those mercenary in-structors whose units had been defeatedduring the Grub War were dismissed, whilethose whose pupils had survived were of-fered sometimes considerable sums ofmoney to remain in virtual permanent ser-vice.

Given the considerable success ofTokugawan pilots trained by Warworlderinstructors during the Grub War, HouseTokugawa has since increased its alreadysizeable cadre of Warworlder instructors.The relationships between these hardenedWarworlder veterans and their eager youngTokugawan pupils are almost universallypositive. The Tokugawan traditions of re-spect for ones elders and respect for thosewho hold the role of teacher are deep-seatedand plainly evident. So high is the regardfor the Warworlder art of war, that HouseTokugawa has adopted Warworlder fighterdoctrine in its entirety.

The down side to this seemingly blissfulstate of affairs is that the Tokugawan pilotshave an unfortunate tendency to learn theirlessons too well. Due to their total lack ofexperience with violent conflict, Toku-gawan pilots have had to rely entirely onthe only sources of reference available; theirinstructors and their training manuals. Forthis reason Tokugawan pilots tend to bevery predictable in their conduct under fire.This weakness is exploited time and againby those who recognize this fact.

Because of the above listed factors in-volved with the training of Tokugawan pi-lots and their often doctrinaire approachto combat, Tokugawan pilots will have boththe ALWAYS SUPPORTS HIS WINGMANand FLIES BY THE BOOK quirks. ATokugawan pilot may only remove thenegative quirk through experience in lieuof acquiring a new attribute.

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Overall Leader (1):Ace pilot (Plt 9-11, Gnr 9-11).2-3 skills.Always Supports His Wingman.

Lesser Aces (0-1):Ace pilot (Plt 9-10, Gnr 9-10).1-2 skills.Always Supports His Wingman.

Rank & File (0-7):Veteran pilot (Plt 5-8, Gnr 5-8).0-1 skills. Flies by the Book.Always Supports His Wingman.

Replacement Pilots (16-22):Green pilot (Plt 3-4, Gnr 3-4).No skills. Flies by the Book.

House TokugawaPreferred Skills: Marksman 1-3,Quick Reflexes 1-3, Quick Draw 1,Hangs Fire 1-3, Sharpshooter 1-3,Dodger 1-3, Jitterbug 1-3,Tough Guy 1-3, Aggressive Pilot 1-2,Rolls With The Punches 1-3,Never a Useless Move 1-2, Con Artist 1.

House TokugawaPreferred Quirks: Pit Bull,Always Supports His Wingman,Flies by the Book, Natural Pilot.

whose strict code of honor demands care-ful evaluation of all prospective employersseeking the services of these ferocious pro-fessionals. The Warworlder’s code of honoris strictly ethical and uncompromisingwhen it comes to accepting employment(unscrupulous parties need not inquire).

Warworlder tactical doctrine placesheavy emphasis on close cooperation be-tween all elements of a combat command.Warworlder pilots are highly trained,strictly disciplined, and instilled from ayoung age with a deeply held sense of per-sonal honor. Each Warworlder pilot holdshimself solely responsible for his actions,and routinely takes great pains to ensurethat they do nothing to dishonor them-selves, their family, or their regiment. Tothe Warworlders, the eyes of their ances-tors stretching back through the millen-nia are ever upon them.

Warworlder combat teams are close-knitunits who stick together no matter the cost.Even in defeat Warworlders never willinglyleave wounded or dead comrades behind.Warworlder pilots consistently do their ut-most to ensure that they emerge victori-ous in every fight to avoid such terrible situ-ations. Considering that Warworlder train-ing is meticulously thorough in its empha-sis on cooperative team tactics, theWarworlders seldom have to come to termswith such matters. All Warworlder pilotsother than replacements will have the AL-WAYS SUPPORTS HIS WINGMAN quirk.Upon advancement to EXPERIENCED sta-tus, all replacement pilots will pick up theALWAYS SUPPORTS HIS WINGMAN quirkbefore any other skill is acquired.Overall Leader (1):

Ace pilot (Plt 9-12, Gnr 9-12).2-3 skills. Always Checks His Six.Always Supports His Wingman.

Lesser Aces (1-4):Ace pilot (Plt 9-11, Gnr 9-11).1-2 skills.Always Supports His Wingman.

Rank & File (12-19):Veteran pilot (Plt 5-8, Gnr 5-8).0-1 skills.Always Supports His Wingman.

Yoka-shan WarworldThe professional mercenaries of the

Yoka-Shan Warworld are without a doubtthe most efficient and dangerous fighterpilots in Terran space. Tough, aggressive,highly trained and possessing superb es-prit d’corps, Warworlder pilots are highlysought after by those in need of the ser-vices of the best guns for hire money canbuy. But money alone is not always enoughto engage the services of the Warworlders,

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Replacement Pilots (0-10):Green pilot (Plt 3-4, Gnr 3-4).No skills. No quirks.

Yoka-ShanPreferred Skills: Marksman 1-3,Good Shot 1-3, Quick Reflexes 1-3,Quick Draw 1-3, Assassin 1-3,Hangs Fire 1-3, Sharpshooter 1-3,Dodger 1-3, Tough Guy 1-3,Rolls With The Punches 1-3,Aggressive Pilot 1-3, Con Artist 1-3,Never a Useless Move 1-3.

Yoka-ShanPreferred Quirks:Pit Bull, Fanatic,Always Checks His Six, Natural Pilot.

While the Commonwealth recognizesthe importance of efficient security forces,the fact remains that the Commonwealthis a business empire above all else, and prof-itability is its undisputed priority. For thisreason, the Commonwealth regards secu-rity forces and their upkeep costs to be anecessary evil, and therefore all expendi-tures for their security forces must staywithin their allocated budget. This con-tinual conflict between the business inter-ests of the Commonwealth and the require-ments of maintaining adequate securityforces directly effects fighting efficiency.

While Kashmeri fighter pilots and gun-ners are reasonably well trained andequipped, they are also far from the ruth-less efficiency of the battle hardened veter-ans of House Colos or Yoka-Shan. Despitetheir limitations Kashmeri fighter forcesare very adept at dealing with their prin-ciple antagonists (pirates). That said, manyKashmeri fighter units have been roughlyhandled by better trained and equippedforces from other Houses.Overall Leader (1):

Ace pilot (Plt 9-10, Gnr 9-10).1-3 skills. No quirks.

Lesser Aces (0-2):Ace pilot (Plt 9-10, Gnr 9-10).1-2 skills. No quirks.

Rank & File (0-15):Veteran pilot (Plt 5-8, Gnr 5-8).0-1 skills. No quirks.

Replacement Pilots (7-23):Green pilot (Plt 3-4, Gnr 3-4).No skills. Lone Wolf, Flies by the Book.

Kashmere CommonwealthPreferred Skills: Marksman 1-3,Good Shot 1, Quick Reflexes 1-2,Quick Draw 1-2, Assassin 1,Hangs Fire 1-2, Sharpshooter 1-3,Dodger 1-2, Tough Guy 1-2,Aggressive Pilot 1-3, Con Artist 1-3,Never a Useless Move 1-3.

Kashmere Commonwealth PreferredQuirks: Lone Wolf, Flies by the Book,Always Checks His Six, Natural Pilot.

KashmereCommonwealth

The Kashmere Commonwealth is thedominant commercial entity in TerranSpace. The Commonwealth’s extensivetrade networks stretch across vast distancesof space, linking the hundreds of settledworlds in commerce. While the tremen-dous success of the Commonwealth’s tradeempire has brought its members huge prof-its, it has also brought serious problemsfrom those who covet the Kashmeri’swealth. Pirates are a constant concern tothe Kashmere Commonwealth, and as aresult the Commonwealth maintains anefficient fighter arm to ensure the securityof Commonwealth shipping.

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Hibernian FreeholdBecause the Hibernian Freehold had sus-

tained a serious economic depression trig-gered by the aftermath of the Grub War,Hibernian fighter units are forced to makedue with whatever ships and equipmentcomes to hand. While many governmentswould allow their military forces to atro-phy in an economic depression in the in-terest of domestic tranquility, the Hiber-nian people place a high value on their per-sonal freedoms. Hibernian society thuswillingly tolerates the cost of maintainingthe best forces they can under the circum-stances as long as procurement requestsremain reasonable.

In the interests of maximizing the effec-tiveness of their limited forces, the Hiber-nian military places great emphasis on in-dividual pilot training standards and strictteam tactics. This is to ensure the highestpossible survivability rate for their pilotsand ships, as the Hibernians are less ableto afford the costs of replacing combatlosses than rival Houses. Close cooperationwith the Yoka-Shan Warworld in exchangesof information regarding the latest fightertactics and training methods helps keep theHibernian fighter forces honed to a keenedge.Overall Leader (1):

Ace pilot (Plt 9-12, Gnr 9-12). 3 skills.Always Supports His Wingman.

Lesser Aces (1-4):Ace pilot (Plt 9-10, Gnr 9-10). 2 skills.Always Supports His Wingman.

Rank & File (14-19):Veteran pilot (Plt 5-8, Gnr 5-8).0-1 skills.Always Supports His Wingman.

Replacement Pilots (0-8):Green pilot (Plt 3-4, Gnr 3-4).No skills. Lone Wolf.

Hibernian FreeholdPreferred Skills: Marksman 1-3,Good Shot 1, Quick Reflexes 1-2,Quick Draw 1-2, Assassin 1-3,Hangs Fire 1-3, Sharpshooter 1-3,Dodger 1-2, Tough Guy 1-3,Aggressive Pilot 1-3, Con Artist 1-2,Never a Useless Move 1-3.

Hibernian FreeholdPreferred Quirks: Lone Wolf, Pit Bull,Always Checks His Six, Natural Pilot,Always Supports His Wingman.

ASP TechnocracyASP fighter forces were born out of the

desperation of the Grub War. Faced withimmanent annihilation by the derangedhordes of Night Brood, the ASP technocratswere forced to pull together a scratchfighter force and commit thousands of un-tried pilots against the ravening hordes ofNight Brood. Thanks to the deployment ofoften untried cutting edge technology andsheer guts, the ASP fighter pilots succeededin smashing the Grub invasion. But victorycame at a heavy price, as the inexperiencedASP pilots suffered terrible casualties bat-tling the fanatic and technologically ad-vanced Brood fighters.

Since the end of the Grub War and thecollapse of the Empire, the ASP has repeat-edly engaged in acts of aggressive expan-sion against its neighbors, particularly theQ’raj Void Protectorate, House Tokugawa,and the Luches Utopia. These wars of ag-

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gression against their neighbors are at firstglance very odd considering the smallpopulation base of the ASP. However, theASPers themselves have always seen them-selves as racially superior to all otherTerrans due to their deliberate, routine useof technological implants and genetic en-gineering by all ASP citizens from birth. Itis for this reason that the ASP continues toassail its neighbors, as the ASPers haveclearly come to believe that they are des-tined to rule all of the “inferior” races sur-rounding them.

Despite their social Darwinist philoso-phy and technological superiority, the ASPhas suffered some serious military rever-sals at the hands of their fellow Terrans.This is a direct result of the ASPers’ com-plete lack of military experience outside ofthe Grub War. ASP formations may be tech-nologically superior to comparable Terranunits, but they are staffed with a large per-centage of inexperienced pilots. Time andagain, the ASPers have been brutally re-minded that all of their amazing techno-logical implants are no substitute for su-perior tactical doctrines and combat expe-rience.Overall Leader (1):

Ace pilot (Plt 9-10, Gnr 9-10). 3 skills.Always Supports His Wingman.

Lesser Aces (1-2):Ace pilot (Plt 9-10, Gnr 9-10). 2 skills.Always Supports His Wingman.

Rank & File (0-21):Veteran pilot (Plt 5-8, Gnr 5-8).0-1 skills. No quirks.

Replacement Pilots (12-22):Green pilot (Plt 3-4, Gnr 3-4).No skills. Lone Wolf. Hyena.

ASP Preferred Skills: Marksman 1,Good Shot 1, Quick Reflexes 1,Quick Draw 1-2, Assassin 1-3,Hangs Fire 1-3, Sharpshooter 1-3,Dodger 1, Tough Guy 1,Aggressive Pilot 1-3, Con Artist 1-3,Never a Useless Move 1-3.

ASP Preferred Quirks: Lone Wolf, Hy-ena, Flies by the Book, Natural Pilot

Data SphereThe AIs of the Data Sphere have proven

themselves to be deadly fighters possess-ing all of the cold, ruthless efficiency onewould expect from machines. Having dis-pensed with android pilots in favor of moreefficient electronic pilot programs, the DataSphere has continued to successfully de-fend its interests against outside aggres-sion. Ever vigilant in defending their sur-vival, the Data Sphere AIs analyze everyscrap of data recovered from all fightercombats, winning or otherwise.

Careful analysis of all recovered tacticaldata is immediately shared throughout therelevant branches of the Data Sphere, andindividual pilot programs are thus able toanalyze and store an enormous body of tac-tical information for instant recall. With allof these advantages, it is surprising that theData Sphere has not been more successfulthan it has in conquering new territories.

The problem with the Data Sphere is thatthe AIs are a bit naive when it comes tohuman behavior, and don’t always respondwell to human unpredictability. By alwaysrelying on empirical data without the ben-efit of a visceral understanding of humannature and behavior, Data Sphere pilot AIsare often easily misled by their human op-ponents. What makes matters worse is thatshrewd Terran pilots recognize the some-times predictable behavior patterns of DataSphere pilot programs, and counter themaccordingly. Only through inhuman re-flexes, advanced technology, and superioranalytical capabilities do Data Sphere pi-lots possess a clear edge.

For these reasons, all Data Sphere pilotssuffer from the FLIES BY THE BOOKquirk. Data Sphere pilots may never removethis quirk through any means.

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Sigurd ArchdioceseThe pilots of the Sigurd Archdiocese are

terrifying opponents to face in a dogfightdue to their religious fanaticism. Many apilot can recount the bloodthirsty resis-tance of Sigurd pilots, many of whom freelylay down their lives for their beliefs ratherthan surrender or retreat. Individual Sig-urd pilots are not always as well trained asthose in other Houses, but this is hardly adeterrent, as inexperienced Sigurd pilotsare notorious for taking risks where moreexperienced pilots would think twice.

Sigurd tactical doctrine is rather poor,as any sort of finesse or restraint is usuallystifled by religious fanaticism. That said,sheer luck and an unending flow of fanati-cal replacement pilots ensures that anyconflict with the archdiocese will be abloody affair at best. Some pilots do man-age to survive on talent and luck alone, andthese pilots are often extremely dangerousfoes. In these individuals is a combinationof rare talent, leadership skills, and reli-gious fervor that makes facing a Sigurd acea dreadful situation for even the most ex-perienced pilots.Overall Leader (1):

Ace pilot (Plt 9-12, Gnr 9-12).3 skills. Fanatic.

Lesser Aces (1-4):Ace pilot (Plt 9-10, Gnr 9-10).2 skills. Fanatic.

Rank & File (0-19):Veteran pilot (Plt 5-8, Gnr 5-8).0-1 skills. Fanatic. Pit Bull.

Overall Leader (1):Ace pilot (Plt 9-12, Gnr 9-12).3 skills. Flies by the Book.

Lesser Aces (0-2):Ace pilot (Plt 9-10, Gnr 9-10).2 skills. Flies by the Book.

Rank & File (0-23):Veteran pilot (Plt 5-8, Gnr 5-8).0-1 skills. Flies by the Book.

Replacement Pilots (0-23):Green pilot (Plt 3-4, Gnr 3-4).No skills. Flies by the Book.

Data SpherePreferred Skills: Marksman 1-3,Quick Reflexes 1-3, Assassin 1-3,Hangs Fire 1-3, Sharpshooter 1-3,Dodger 1-3, Aggressive Pilot 1-3,Rolls With The Punches 1-3.

Data Sphere Preferred Quirks:Lone Wolf, Flies by the Book,Always Checks His Six, Natural Pilot,Always Supports His Wingman.

DATA SPHERE SPECIAL RULESBecause of their peculiar nature (being

AIs), Data Sphere pilots gain skills in aslightly different manner. Their lack ofunderstanding of emotional responses inorganic life forms in particular has provento be something of a double edged sword.Data Sphere pilots find organic pilot behav-ior mercurial and somewhat unpredictableto say the least, while the cold, hard edgedanalytical approach of Data Sphere pilotscan be terrifying in its ruthlessness to non-AIs.

Data Sphere pilots also learn somewhatdifferently for these reasons as well. To re-flect these differences, the following skillsand quirks are acquired (or removed!) byData Sphere pilots at half cost:Data Sphere Preferred Skills: Marksman

1-3, Quick Reflexes 1-3, Hangs Fire 1-3,Sharpshooter 1-3, Rolls With ThePunches 1-3.

Data Sphere Preferred Quirks: LoneWolf, Always Checks His Six, AlwaysSupports His Wingman.

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make room for more mass driver ammo.Used en-masse, Luches Regulars inevitablysuffer appalling casualties.

Should a Luches Regular unit manageto survive and forge itself into a passablefighting force, the Luches superiors mayreward their success by elevating them toGuards status. This is a major improvementin the lot of the unit so honored, as Guardspilots are assumed to have proven their loy-alty to Simon Luches and his capos. GuardsFighter units therefore receive dramaticallyimproved material benefits ranging frombetter fighter craft to adequate food, mon-etary rewards (Luches regulars are neverpaid), and the removal of the hated explo-sive collars.

Tactical doctrine for Luches fighter unitsis a loose proposition at best, as only Guardsunits spend any serious time training.Regular units are generally sacrificed ascannon fodder designed to bleed off anenemy’s efforts prior to the Luches Guardsunits finishing off the survivors. That said,Luches conscript forces often fight with afanaticism born out of desperation. Guardsunits on the other hand are also to be takenseriously, as they number many psycho-pathic killers in their ranks. Like theirColosian and Draconian allies, the Luchespilots are notorious for shooting ejected lifepods.

LUCHES GUARDS FIGHTER SQUADRON

Overall Leader (1):Ace pilot (Plt 9-12, Gnr 9-12).3 skills. No quirks.

Lesser Aces (1-4):Ace pilot (Plt 9-10, Gnr 9-10).2 skills. Lone Wolf. Hyena.

Rank & File (0-19):Veteran pilot (Plt 5-8, Gnr 5-8).0-1 skills. Lone Wolf. Hyena.

Replacement Pilots (0-22):Green pilot (Plt 3-4, Gnr 3-4).No skills. Lone Wolf. Hyena.

Senior Commissar (1):Veteran pilot (Plt 7-8, Gnr 7-8).0-1 skills. Lone Wolf. Hyena.

Commissars (1-2):Veteran pilot (Plt 7-8, Gnr 7-8).0-1 skills. Lone Wolf. Hyena.

Replacement Pilots (0-22):Green pilot (Plt 3-4, Gnr 3-4).No skills. Fanatic. Pit Bull.

Sigurd ArchdiocesePreferred Skills: Marksman 1-2,Good Shot 1-3, Quick Reflexes 1-3,Quick Draw 1-3, Hangs Fire 1-3,Sharpshooter 1-3, Jitterbug 1-3,Tough Guy 1-3, Aggressive Pilot 1-3,Never a Useless Move 1-3, Con Artist 1-3.

Sigurd ArchdiocesePreferred Quirks: Fanatic, Lone Wolf,Pit Bull, Natural Pilot.

Luches UtopiaThe fighter forces of the fascist Luches

Utopia fall into the two broad categories ofRegular (i.e. conscript) and Guards. Thisdistinction is of considerable significancein terms of combat effectiveness, as LuchesRegulars are in fact press-ganged con-scripts while Guards are a privileged elite.Luches Regulars are forcibly conscriptedinto the military. All draftees are carefullyand ruthlessly screened to determine apti-tude, and are assigned accordingly. AllLuches conscripts regardless of branch ofservice are fitted with an explosive collarcontrolled by the hated political officers toensure absolute obedience.

Luches Regular fighter pilots receive abare minimum of rather ambivalent train-ing. This stems from the apparent attitudeof the Luches ruling elite of regarding thebulk of Luches citizens as mere cattle toexploit as needed. Luches regulars receivethe least effective equipment, often obso-lescent mass driver equipped fighter craftwith all radiation shielding removed to

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LUCHES REGULAR (CONSCRIPT)FIGHTER SQUADRON

Overall Leader (1):Ace pilot (Plt 9-10, Gnr 9-10).3 skills. No quirks.

Rank & File (0-5):Veteran pilot (Plt 5-8, Gnr 5-8).0-1 skills. Lone Wolf. Hyena.

Rank & File (0-23):Green pilot (Plt 3-4, Gnr 3-4).No skills. Lone Wolf. Hyena.

Replacement Pilots (0-22):Rookie pilot (Plt 1-2, Gnr 1-2).No skills. Lone Wolf. Hyena.

Senior Commissar (1):Veteran pilot (Plt 7-8, Gnr 7-8).0-1 skills. Lone Wolf. Hyena.

Commissars (1-2):Veteran pilot (Plt 7-8, Gnr 7-8).0-1 skills. Lone Wolf. Hyena.

Luches UtopiaPreferred Skills: Good Shot 1-3,Quick Reflexes 1-2, Quick Draw 1-2,Assassin 1-3, Hangs Fire 1-2,Sharpshooter 1, Dodger 1-3,Tough Guy 1-3, Aggressive Pilot 1-3,Con Artist 1-3.

Luches Utopia Preferred Quirks:Lone Wolf, Hyena, Natural Pilot,Discretion is the Better Part of Valor.

The PrometheansDRACONIANS

The Draconians are ruthless sentients,utterly lacking in Terran sentimentality.This carries over into their conduct asfighter pilots, as Draconian pilots are ut-terly ruthless and implacable foes. Dracon-

ians are excellent pilots and shrewd tacti-cians who approach fighter combat with areptilian efficiency many humans find un-nerving. Time and again Draconian fighterforces have matched or beaten the best pi-lots in Terran space.

The weakness in Draconian fighter doc-trine also stems from their rather reptiliannature. Cold, calculating, and ever lookingfor an opening to advance their position,the individual Draconian instinctively placeself-interest above all else. Even the mostexperienced Draconian ace pilots have beenknown to either cut and run when thingsgot too hot, or cut off a fellow pilot to makea kill and gain the credit. For this reason,any advantages the Draconian pilots haveindividually are often subverted by theirinability to overcome their habitual pur-suit of self interest.Overall Leader (1):

Ace pilot (Plt 10-12, Gnr 10-12).3 skills. No quirks.

Lesser Aces (1-4):Ace pilot (Plt 9-10, Gnr 9-10).2 skills. Lone Wolf.

Rank & File (0-19):Veteran pilot (Plt 5-8, Gnr 5-8).0-1 skills. Lone Wolf. Fanatic.

Replacement Pilots (0-22):Green pilot (Plt 3-4, Gnr 3-4).No skills. Lone Wolf. Hyena. Fanatic.Discretion is the Better Part of Valor.

DraconianPreferred Skills: Marksman 1-3,Good Shot 1-3, Quick Reflexes 1-3,Quick Draw 1-3, Assassin 1-3,Hangs Fire 1-3, Sharpshooter 1-3,Dodger 1-3, Tough Guy 1-2,Aggressive Pilot 1-3,Never a Useless Move 1-3, Con Artist 1-3.

Draconian Preferred Quirks:Lone Wolf, Hyena, Natural Pilot,Discretion is the Better Part of Valor,Pit Bull, Fanatic, Counts Coup.

PRIMATESThe fighter pilots of the Galandar Con-

federation are roughly on par with the bestpilots in Terran space. Tough, courageous,and well able to cooperate closely, Primatepilots number many successful fighter acesin their ranks. Primate fighter doctrine is

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easily recognizable to Terrans, as it is basedupon the two ship element of a dedicatedleader and wingman. Larger scale Primateoperations are also recognizable to Terransas a solid form of combined arms tactics.

While Primate society is divided alongstrict caste lines that Terrans have troublefollowing, the fact remains is that coopera-tion between members of different castesappears to be close and consistent. Terranpilots have observed that wing pairs andunit organization appear to follow societalcaste lines, although exactly how this isdone is not entirely clear. What is certainis that Primate fighter units are highlycompetent opponents and should never beunderestimated.Overall Leader (1):

Ace pilot (Plt 11-12, Gnr 11-12).2-3 skills. 0-2 quirks.

Lesser Aces (1-4):Ace pilot (Plt 9-10, Gnr 9-10).2 skills. 0-1 quirks.

Rank & File (0-19):Veteran pilot (Plt 5-8, Gnr 5-8).0-1 skills. Flies by the Book.

Replacement Pilots (0-22):Green pilot (Plt 3-4, Gnr 3-4).No skills. Flies by the Book.

Primate Preferred Skills: Marksman 1-3,Good Shot 1-2, Quick Reflexes 1-2,Quick Draw 1-3, Hangs Fire 1-3,Sharpshooter 1-3, Dodger 1-2,Tough Guy 1-3, Aggressive Pilot 1-3,Never a Useless Move 1-3,Con Artist 1-3.

Primate Preferred Quirks:Flies by the Book, Natural Pilot,Always Checks His Six.

UnkulunkuluArchipelago

The fighter forces of the UnkulunkuluArchipelago are just about the sorriest ex-cuse for a military establishment as can befound in Terran space. Slovenly, undisci-plined, and often unmotivated, the irregu-lar fighter units of the Unkulus are in manycases a motley collection of fighter craft andpart time pilots with little interest in train-ing or tactics. That the Unkulus manage tomaintain their security at all is universallyregarded as something of a miracle.

The fact of the matter is that there are ahandful of Unkulu fighter units and pilotswho are motivated to defend their homesand families enough to maintain their in-dividual units in something resemblingfighting trim. Unfortunately, these aboveaverage units remain a definite minorityOverall Leader (1):

Ace pilot (Plt 9-12, Gnr 9-12).3 skills. No quirks.

Lesser Aces (0-1):Ace pilot (Plt 9-10, Gnr 9-10).2 skills. Lone Wolf.

Rank & File (0-11):Veteran pilot (Plt 5-8, Gnr 5-8).0-1 skills. Lone Wolf.

Replacement Pilots (12-23):Green pilot (Plt 3-4, Gnr 3-4).No skills. Lone Wolf.

Unkulunkulu Preferred Skills:Marksman 1, Good Shot 1-2,Quick Reflexes 1-3, Quick Draw 1-2,Hangs Fire 1-3, Sharpshooter 1-3,Dodger 1-3, Tough Guy 1-3,Aggressive Pilot 1-3, Con Artist 1-3,Never a Useless Move 1-3.

Unkulunkulu Preferred Quirks:Lone Wolf, Pit Bull, Natural Pilot.

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Karelian RepublicAlthough exhausted by a savage war of

annihilation with the Galban Autocracy, theKarelian Republic’s fighter force emergedwith a good deal of practical combat expe-rience. That said, the losses from the warhad profoundly changed the character ofthe Karelian front line fighter units. Thebrutal realities of their war with theGalbans forced the Karelians to commit lesswell trained pilots and gunners to battlethan they were used to.

This state of affairs was not welcomedby the professional Karelian officer corps,who regarded the status of fighter pilot asbeing the exclusive realm of the absolutebest of the best. While this attitude amongstthe surviving “old guard” causes some fric-tion between their ranks and the less for-mally trained wartime veterans, both fac-tions agree that if their minor House is tosurvive in a very hostile universe, theKarelian Republic must rebuild and expandits fighter forces.

As of AL 14, the post war Karelian fighterforces are struggling to restore the pre warstandards of meticulously obsessive train-ing. At the same time, the Karelian gov-ernment has launched a massive buildingprogram designed to rapidly expand theirexisting fighter and escort forces. This pro-gram is being financed wholly by the ex-ploitation of the incalculable mineral re-sources of the vast asteroid field known asThe Myriads.

It is important to note that The Myriadsis why the horrid Karelian-Galban War wasfought in the first place, as Rattani ambi-tions in The Myriads prompted the Rattaniruling class to dupe their Galban neighborsinto launching the disastrous invasion ofKarelian territory. As of AL 14, the virtualextinction of the Galban people that re-sulted from the Karelian’s OperationPandora has removed the Galbans from thegeo-political arena of the Northern Fron-tier, while the Rattani appear to have beenso shocked by the ruthlessness of Opera-tion Pandora that they have reduced theirefforts in the Myriads by a considerablemargin.

The following squadron compositionlists illustrate the significant contrasts be-tween the pre war Karelian forces, the ef-fects of wartime losses, and the current postwar rebuilding efforts.

PRE-GALBAN WAR(AL 11.9 to AL 12.8)

KARELIAN FIGHTER SQUADRON

Overall Leader (1):Ace pilot (Plt 10-12, Gnr 10-12).3-4 skills. Always Checks His Six.Always Supports His Wingman.

Lesser Aces (1-6):Ace pilot (Plt 9-10, Gnr 9-10).2-3 skills. 0-1 quirk.Always Supports His Wingman.

Rank & File (15-22):Veteran pilot (Plt 5-8, Gnr 5-8).0-2 skills.Always Supports His Wingman.

Replacement Pilots (0-7):Green pilot (Plt 3-4, Gnr 3-4).No skills. No Quirks.

GALBAN WAR(AL 12.8 TO AL 13.4)

KARELIAN FIGHTER SQUADRON

Overall Leader (1):Ace pilot (Plt 10-12, Gnr 10-12).3-4 skills. Always Checks His Six.Always Supports His Wingman.

Lesser Aces (1-4):Ace pilot (Plt 9-10, Gnr 9-10).2 skills. 0-1 quirk.Always Supports His Wingman.

Rank & File (0-12):Veteran pilot (Plt 5-8, Gnr 5-8).0-1 skills.Always Supports His Wingman.

Replacement Pilots (7-22):Green pilot (Plt 3-4, Gnr 3-4).No skills. Lone Wolf.

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POST-GALBAN WAR(AL 13.4 TO AL 14)

KARELIAN FIGHTER SQUADRON

Overall Leader (1):Ace pilot (Plt 10-12, Gnr 10-12).3-4 skills. Always Checks His Six.Always Supports His Wingman.

Lesser Aces (1-3):Ace pilot (Plt 9-10, Gnr 9-10).2-3 skills. 0-1 quirk.Always Supports His Wingman.

Rank & File (13-22):Veteran pilot (Plt 5-8, Gnr 5-8).0-2 skills.Always Supports His Wingman.

Replacement Pilots (0-9):Green pilot (Plt 3-4, Gnr 3-4).No skills. Half of all Replacement Pilotsare Lone Wolf, half have no quirks.

Karelian RepublicSpecific Skills: Good Shot 1-3,Quick Reflexes 1-2, Quick Draw 1-2,Hangs Fire 1-2, Sharpshooter 1-3,Dodger 1-3, Tough Guy 1-3,Aggressive Pilot 1-3.

Karelian RepublicSpecific Quirks: Lone Wolf,Natural Pilot, Always Checks His Six,Always Supports His Wingman.

Q’raj Void ProtectorateThe fighter forces of the Q’raj Void Pro-

tectorate are some of the finest in Terranspace. Highly trained, well disciplined, anddriven by their shared border with hostilepowers eager to seize Q’raj worlds at theslightest sign of weakness, the Q’rajis re-main ever vigilant. It is the ongoing lowintensity conflicts with House Colos overdisputed border systems that keeps theQ’raji fighter units in fighting trim, as theColosians are notorious for striking withcheetah speed whenever their ruthless lead-ers perceive an opportunity.

Q’raj fighter pilots are continually train-ing when not on leave or actually fighting,as the Q’raj are by nature of their harshenvironments an industrious people littlegiven to idleness. Q’raj fighter units relyon strict adherence to highly effective teamtactics. The Q’raj in fact regard the use ofdedicated combined arms tactics as thehallmark of a truly sound, professional

fighting force.. For this reason, the Q’rajtend to regard their Colosian and ASP op-ponents as both unprofessional and un-subtle. Considering that neither House hasbeen successful in subjugating the Q’rajstrongly suggests that the Q’rajis them-selves are on the right track.

Note: Up to a third of any Q’raj fighterforce’s Replacement and Rank & File pi-lots may be rated as Fanatics if the con-trolling player so chooses.Overall Leader (1):

Ace pilot (Plt 11-12, Gnr 11-12).3-4 skills. Natural Pilot.Always Supports His Wingman.

Lesser Aces (1-4):Ace pilot (Plt 9-10, Gnr 9-10).2-3 skills.Always Supports His Wingman.

Rank & File (15-19):Veteran pilot (Plt 5-8, Gnr 5-8).0-1 skills. 50% have Pit Bull.Always Supports His Wingman.

Replacement Pilots (3-7):Green pilot (Plt 3-4, Gnr 3-4).No skills. Lone Wolf. Pit Bull.

Q’raj Preferred Skills: Marksman 1-3,Good Shot 1-3, Quick Reflexes 1-3,Quick Draw 1-3, Assassin 1-3,Hangs Fire 1-3, Sharpshooter 1-3,Dodger 1-2, Tough Guy 1-3,Aggressive Pilot 1-3,Never a Useless Move 1-3, Con Artist 1-3.

Q’raj Preferred Quirks:Always Supports His Wingman,Pit Bull, Fanatic, Natural Pilot,Always Checks His Six.

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EspanAlthough economically exhausted by a

savage civil war, the Espan fighter forceemerged with a good deal of practical com-bat experience under its belt. The post civilwar Espan fighter force is made up of anamalgam of hardened veterans (both rebeland amnestied government forces), as wellas a rising crop of new pilots eager to learnfrom their veteran leadership. Thanks tocareful post war analysis of combat experi-ence from both sides of the Espan Civil War,the current Espan fighter force crews havecultivated the very best tactical doctrinepossible. This ensures that Espan fighterpilots can put up a fierce fight, even againstbetter equipped opponents such as theKashmere Commonwealth.

It is the lack of serviceable fighter craftthat causes the Espan forces no end oftrouble. The simple lack of enough fight-ers of every description to go around meansthat Espan senior commanders must planboth combat and training missions withconsiderable care. Espan squadron com-manders are all too aware of the potentiallydire consequences of planning the wrongsort of mission at the wrong time.Overall Leader (1):

Ace pilot (Plt 10-12, Gnr 10-12).3 skills. Always Checks His Six.

Lesser Aces (1-4):Ace pilot (Plt 9-10, Gnr 9-10).2 skills. 0-1 quirk.

Rank & File (0-19):Veteran pilot (Plt 5-8, Gnr 5-8).0-1 skills. No quirks.

Replacement Pilots (0-22):Green pilot (Plt 3-4, Gnr 3-4).No skills. Lone Wolf.

Espan Preferred Skills: Good Shot 1-3,Quick Reflexes 1-2, Quick Draw 1-2,Assassin 1-3, Hangs Fire 1-2,Sharpshooter 1, Dodger 1-3,Tough Guy 1-3, Aggressive Pilot 1-3,Con Artist 1-3.

Espan Preferred Quirks: Lone Wolf,Discretion is the Better Part of Valor,Natural Pilot, Always Checks His Six.

SunrunnersThe Sunrunners are without a doubt one

of the deadliest professional mercenarycontingents operating in Terran space.Consisting of the vengeance bent survivorsof the destruction of Baarat-Tur, theSunrunners also include numerous dedi-cated members of the Church of Odin. TheSunrunners fighting habits tend to reflecttheir religious fervor and unique require-ments for survival, as the Sunrunners haveno established base of operations. TheSunrunners are in fact a nomadic refugeepopulation moving from one contract tothe next along the Frontier.

The Sunrunners tactics reflect their con-tinual quest for resources, as they invari-ably include salvage rights to all capturedenemy equipment as part of any contractthat they undertake. Like the professionalmercenaries of the Yoka-Shan, the Sun-runners are scrupulous about honoringtheir contracts, and not at all afraid to turndown a contract if the prospective clientdoesn’t measure up to the Sunrunners’code of ethics. As a matter of course, theSunrunners do not charge their clients forkilling any of the Night Brood should theybe encountered.Overall Leader (1):

Ace pilot (Plt 11-12, Gnr 11-12).3 skills. 0-2 quirks.

Lesser Aces (1-4):Ace pilot (Plt 9-10, Gnr 9-10).1-2 skills. 0-1 quirks.

Rank & File (10-19):Veteran pilot (Plt 5-8, Gnr 5-8).0-1 skills. Fanatic. Always Supports His Wingman.

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Replacement Pilots (4-22):Green pilot (Plt 3-4, Gnr 3-4).No skills. Lone Wolf. Fanatic.

Sunrunners Preferred Skills:Good Shot 1-3, Quick Reflexes 1-3,Quick Draw 1-3, Assassin 1-3,Hangs Fire 1-3, Sharpshooter 1-3,Dodger 1-3, Tough Guy 1-3,Aggressive Pilot 1-3, Con Artist 1-3,Jitterbug 1-2.

Sunrunners Preferred Quirks:Lone Wolf, Fanatic, Natural Pilot,Always Checks His Six,Always Supports His Wingman.

Night BroodLittle is really known about the Night

Brood except what can be directly observed.There is no doubt that they are the mostruthless and capable alien species encoun-tered thus far.

Night Brood swarm organization is de-scribed in the Swarm Template illustrationslocated in Night Brood: First Contact.

All Night Brood start with the Fanaticand Hyena quirks. This simulates their of-ten insane attacking habits against theirTerran opponents, as survivors of engage-ments with the Night Brood often describehow they would seem to “…climb over eachother” to get at their Terran opponents.Brood ships classified as Tertiary or less inthe swarm organization may never removethese quirks. Secondary Brood ships mayremove the Hyena quirk. Primary Brood

ships may remove either or both quirks.All Brood ships eligible to remove quirksmust pay twice the normal experience costto do so.Overall Leader (1):

Ace pilot (Plt 11-12, Gnr 11-12).3-5 skills. 0-2 quirks.

Lesser Aces (1-4):Ace pilot (Plt 9-10, Gnr 9-10).1-3 skills. 0-1 quirk. Fanatic.

Rank & File (10-19):Veteran pilot (Plt 5-8, Gnr 5-8).0-1 skills. Fanatic. Hyena.

Replacement Pilots (1-10):Green pilot (Plt 3-4, Gnr 3-4).No skills. Fanatic. Hyena.

Night Brood Preferred Skills:Good Shot 1-3, Quick Reflexes 1-3,Quick Draw 1-3, Hangs Fire 1-3,Sharpshooter 1-3, Dodger 1-2,Jitterbug 1-3, Tough Guy 1-3,Rolls with the Punches 1-3,Aggressive Pilot 1-3

Night Brood Preferred Quirks:Fanatic, Hyena, Pit Bull.

Night Brood Special Rules:Due to their unique nature (beingalien symbiotes), Night Brood gainexperience slightly differently. Each ofthe “skills” gains experience separatelyeven though there is only one realcrew-member in any Brood ship.

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Experience Systemnario), players may check to see if any oftheir pilots and/or gunners have gainedexperience from their encounter with hos-tile forces. For the sake of ease of play andbookkeeping, the use of a simple system ofexperience points gained for specific actionsis employed. When a pilot or gunner hasgained enough experience points, the con-trolling player may spend these points topurchase a new skill or quirk, increase acurrent skill to the next highest level al-lowable for the pilot or gunner’s House, orremove a negative quirk.

LimitationsA pilot or gunner may only acquire at-

tributes (skills and quirks) initially fromthose listed for the pilot’s specific House.Only after the pilot or gunner has acquiredthe maximum allowable number of at-tributes for members of his House, raisedthose chosen House skills to the maximumlevel allowable for their House, and re-moved any negative quirks (if possible) canthe player spend experience points on anyattributes not listed for their House. Thisis due to the fact that, by their very nature,military environments are not conduciveto encouraging the vast majority of pilotsand gunners to think outside of theirHouse’s conventional wisdom, and only ex-perienced pilots who have acquired somedegree of command rank will demonstratethe willingness and imagination to attemptto break with tradition (and risk the cen-sure of their more hidebound superiors!).

“The majority of the pilots wereenlisted men and not officers, unlikemany of their Allied counterparts. Con-trary to popular belief, while manynon-aviation officers did not associatewith their enlisted subordinates, officerpilots went to great lengths to form abond. Said one Zero pilot:

“‘These green lieutenants didn’tknow how to fight and would get shotdown right away. So he was assignedto a veteran enlisted man to protecthim. If he was unpopular, the wingmanmight become “separated” duringcombat and the officer would surelydie. Do you understand?’”

— Henry Sakaida.IMPERIAL JAPANESE NAVY ACES

1937-45. Osprey Publ. Ltd. 1998

Pilots and gunners improve their skillsin part through constant training, butmostly through direct combat experience.For the most part fighter pilots and gun-ners don’t actually begin to truly learn fromtheir combat experiences in a substantialmanner until after they have survived theirfirst five combat missions. This is no doubtdue to the simple fact that being involvedin deadly combat for the first time is terri-fying enough, and that simply surviving tofight another day is daunting enough for agreen fighter pilot or gunner.

For purposes of SD:TNM, fighter pilotsand gunners will receive the benefit of thedoubt where learning from experience isconcerned. After each combat mission (sce-

Experience Point ValuesWhat How Much?

Combat mission in which the player’s side accomplishes all of its mission objectives ....................8Combat mission in which the player’s side accomplishes at least one of it’s mission objectives .....4Combat mission in which the player’s side fails to accomplish any mission objectives ...................2

Damaging an enemy craft with cannon or missile fire .......................................................................2Destroying an enemy craft with cannon or missile fire ...................................................... 5 for SPAC

Note: This does not include shared kills, which........................................................ 10 for TPACare awarded as damaging an enemy craft. .......................................................... 25 for MPAC

50 for Escort

Dodging a torpedo attack and sustaining no damage .........................................................................4Winning initiative .................................................................................................................................1Using the Captain’s Die successfully ....................................................................................................4

“Hard poundingthis, gentlemen; let’ssee who will poundlongest.”

— Duke ofWellington

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New Ships & Refits“When I mentioned that I had flown

a P-400, some know-it-all from the au-dience asked me if a P-400 wasn’t‘...just a P-40 with a Zero on its tail?’”

“I responded ‘No, because when youflew a P-400, you always had at leastthree Zeros on your tail! And then youwould always have to perform an im-mediate ‘J.C. Maneuver!’”

“When the know-it-all then asked‘What’s a ‘J.C. Maneuver?’, I replied‘Jesus Christ, somebody help me!’”

— Besby Frank Holmes.WWII USAAF fighter ace.

Pacific Theatre of Operations.The dramatic increase in dependence on

space fighter forces in the post-Imperial erahas led to numerous refits of both fightersand escort class vessels to carry them. Eachof the ships that follow reflects the eternalevolution of military starcraft design aseach House strives to optimize its militaryforces. All of these ships are direct reflec-tions of the needs and combat experiencesof over a dozen major military forces.

EXPERIMENTALSTARCRAFT

Augustus Naval317 dire RSXSeraph ExperimentalDrive 16; Defensive Value 12;

Damage Reduction 4.Point Defense 1-7(5); Decoys (5);

Damage Control 1-6.Maneuvering Thrust: 0.078 km/s/sMass: 800 tonsCrew: 1Translight capability: NoneArmor: Crysteel w/beltAtmospheric Capability: FullArmaments:

6 x Mk. 10 Pulse Lasers (F)2 x Missile Launchers (Ammo: 30) (F)4 x Mk. 10 Torpedos10 x Mk. 20 Torpedos1 x Mk. 50 Torpedo

Design Quirks: Wiring Defect.Well Shielded Drive

BPV: 149

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Comments: Red Star braves fight almostdaily with Colosian forces probing for anyweakness along their shared border. Uniqueamong the warcraft used by the Red Starunits is the unusual single seat refit of aSeraph flown by the highly decorated RedStar brave Richard “Porkins” Dufault.Dufault’s unique and eccentric warcraft isthe result of his tinkering with a writtenoff Seraph and discarded parts. The resultis a monstrous single seat warcraft thatmakes Dufault (potentially) a one manwrecking machine—when everythingworks right.

Because Dufault relies on discarded partssalvaged from the scrap heap, some of theship’s weapons systems, particularly thevertical torpedo launch system housing Mk.20 torpedos, are known to malfunctionduring the heat of battle. Nonetheless, thesight of an 800 ton warcraft bellowing downon a smaller craft is an intimidating sightto say the least.

Special rules: Because Dufault’s Seraphrelies on parts salvaged from the squadronscrap heap, Dufault’s Mk. 20 vertical launchtorpedo system performs in a rather un-predictable fashion. Any time the control-ling player wishes to launch one or moretorpedos from this system, a D8 is rolledfor each target. Starting with the ship’sFRONT and counting clockwise, the con-trolling player will roll the D8 and consultthe following table:

Imperial Transtar1220 series C EXPNight Hawk ExperimentalDrive 17; Defensive Value 13;

Damage Reduction 2.Point Defense 1-6(2); Decoys (2);

Damage Control 1-3.Crew: 1Maneuvering Thrust: 0.168 km/s/sMass: 300 tonsTranslight capability: NoneArmor: Crysteel w/beltAtmospheric Capability: FullArmaments:

6 x Mk. 10 Splatterguns (F)Design Quirks: Shielded Weapons,

Well Shielded DriveSpecial Rules: 1st Crit Moved to

12th Box on Damage Track.BPV: 64

Comments: The Hibernian Freehold ispopulated by a notoriously cantankerouspopulation of freedom loving individualists.Although it seems to outside observers thatthe Hibernians are but one step away fromanarchy, the fact is that no Hibernian loveshis or her personal freedom so foolishly asto neglect the needs of collective security.In the face of a hostile universe, the Hiber-nians manage to maintain a highly effec-tive fighter force through both conscrip-tion and volunteers.

The Hibernian ace “Blindspot” O’Brienis one of those exceptional Hibernians whohas elected to remain in the fighter serviceas a career. A deadly opponent, “Blindspot”has recently received permission from hissuperiors to heavily modify his personalNight Hawk II. This is no small concession,as the cash-strapped Hibernians need ev-ery servicable warcraft to protect their fron-tiers.

O’Brien’s Night Hawk Experimental hasbeen stripped of a huge amount of armor,radically altering the vessel’s power toweight ratio. The Ship is faster as a result.The point defense system has been up-graded to a better system, but at a sacrificein number of shots. The deadly sextupleSplattergun battery and the engines havebeen heavily shielded without degradingthe new, higher performance. Overall, thisis a deadly tool for this talented ace.

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Krote-Khol SystemsSFX20-d3Drakar ExperimentalDrive 8; Defensive Value 12;

Damage Reduction 4/3/2.Point Defense 1-6(6); Decoys (4);

Damage Control 1-8.Maneuvering Thrust: 0.078 km/s/sMass: 1000 tonsCrew: 5Translight capability: NoneArmor: Crysteel w/beltAtmospheric Capability: FullArmaments:

2 x Mk. 10 Pulse Lasers (F) (Pilot)(Gunner A)

1 x Mk. 15 Ion Ram (360˚)1 x Missile Launcher (Ammo: 20)

(FQL, F)1 x Missile Launcher (Ammo: 20)

(F, FQR)(Gunner B)

2 x Mk. 10 Pulse Lasers (FQL, F)1 x Missile Launcher (Ammo: 20)

(FQL, F)1 x Missile Launcher (Ammo: 10)

(FQL, RQL)(Gunner C)

2 x Mk. 10 Pulse Lasers (F, FQR)1 x Missile Launcher (Ammo: 20)

(F, FQR)1 x Missile Launcher (Ammo: 10)

(FQR, RQR)(Gunner D)

2 x Mk. 10 Pulse Lasers (R)1 x Missile Launcher (Ammo: 20)

(RQL, R)1 x Missile Launcher (Ammo: 20)

(R, RQR)12 x Mk. 10 Torpedos4 x Mk. 30 Torpedos3 x Mk. 40 Torpedo

BPV: 165

Comments: House Colos is always lookingfor ways to gobble up someone else’s terri-tory. To this end, the Colosians are alwaysre-examining existing weapons systems fornew ways to improve upon them. The lum-bering Drakar class gunboat has proven tobe no exception to this rule.

Dismayed by the comparative ease withwhich Night Brood fighters carved upDrakars during the Grub War, the Colosianssought a radical solution to the problem.The Drakar’s massive heavy plazgun sys-tem was unceremoniously ripped out andreplaced with a much more useful Ion Ram,better able to track faster warcraft and stilldeliver punishing blows. The Drakar’srailrepeator was ripped out as well to bereplaced by a much faster tracking twinpulse laser battery and a much larger tor-pedo load. But the most radical change ofall was in the installation of a veritablehedgehog array of missile launcher sys-tems.

Carrying no less than 160 missiles dis-tributed amongst nine separate launcherscontrolled by the gunners, this ship isfrightening indeed. The destructive poten-tial of this nightmare ordinance load is notto be denied, as any ship closing to missilelock on range is certain to receive a lethalreception. That said, there is a serious prob-lem with the Drakar Beta’s weapons load...

By utilizing the centrally located cavityoriginally housing the heavy plazgun andits power train for the new missile launch-ers, the designers were forced to sacrificenormal safety design features. This makesthe Drakar Beta vulnerable to hits on anyof the missile systems as the jam-packedmagazines are highly vulnerable to a mas-sive chain reaction explosion. Nevertheless,Colosian gunboat units and convoy com-manders have welcomed the new ship as avaluable fire support asset against Grub andother nimble fighter craft.

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Data Sphere as “Spam” is no exception tothis process. Spam has most recently beenoperating a heavily modified Trans Star TealHawk, specially altered to serve as a singleperson warcraft.

Spam’s Teal Hawk Experimental isknown to carry a radically refitted weap-ons package of deadly content, as well as aradically enhanced structural integrity, ar-mored cockpit, and improved point defense.Flying this killing machine with all of thecold detachment that only an AI is capableof, Spam has been marauding along theborder with House Tokugawa since AL 13.Tokugawan pilots have learned to fearSpam’s distinctly painted Red Teal Hawksporting vividly painted universal bio-haz-ard warning insignia on its wings and fu-selage, referring to this deadly AI ace as“The Red Menace.”

Imperial Transtar1320EXP series FTeal Hawk ExperimentalDrive 18; Defensive Value 14;

Damage Reduction 4.Point Defense 1-6(2); Decoys (3);

Damage Control 1-2.Maneuvering Thrust: 0.078 km/s/sMass: 400 tonsCrew: 1Translight capability: NoneArmor: Crysteel w/beltAtmospheric Capability: FullArmaments:

6 x Mk. 10 Pulse Lasers (F)1 x Mk. 15 Ion Ram (F)4 x Mk. 10 Torpedos

Design Quirks: Superior ReinforcedStructural Integrity. Armored Cockpit.

BPV: 73

Comments: The Epsilons of the DataSphere are eternally pondering a stagger-ing variety of concepts. Foremost in the AIminds of the Epsilons as of AL 14 are mat-ters of survival in a hostile universe. To thisend, exceptional individual programs arepermitted to pursue promising lines ofthought and experimentation. The infa-mous android ace known outside of the

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STARCRAFTREFITS

Grivas ArmamentsEX-198-BBlack Widow IIDrive 13; Defensive Value 17;

Damage Reduction 0.Point Defense 1-6(4); Decoys (5);

Damage Control 1-6.Maneuvering Thrust: 0.127 km/s/sMass: 1000 tonsCrew: 3Translight capability: NoneArmor: NoneAtmospheric Capability: FullArmaments:

2 x Mk. 20 Meld Lasers (F) (Pilot)5 x Mk. 10 Pulse Lasers (F) (Pilot)(Gunner A)

6 x Mk. 10 Splatterguns(360-degrees)

(Gunner B)5 x Mk. 10 Pulse Lasers

(360-degrees)1 x Missile Launcher (Ammo: 20)

(360-degrees)10 x Mk. 10 Torpedos

BPV: 162

Comments: Like Homme Industries,Grivas Armaments has emerged from theGrub War as a rapidly rising star in themilitary warcraft field. Grivas Armaments’radical and deadly Black Widow heavyfighter was a direct result of lessons learnedfrom the Grub War. Designed as a quickstop gap design using entirely off the shelftechnology, the Black Widow has, since itscombat debut in the savage Karelian War,emerged as a brutally powerful fighter de-sign. That said, the design is far from per-fect.

Besides the obvious weakness of beingbuilt from a flimsy, unarmored steel hull,the Black Widow’s complete lack of even a

rudimentary point defense system makesthe ship a veritable magnet for opponentsdeploying missile systems. The limitedrange of the ship’s Mk. 10 Splatterguns isalso a problem when confronted by oppo-nents with heavier weapons systems. Withthis in mind, the Grivas design team set towork on improving the ship’s most obvi-ous weaknesses.

The pilot’s Splatterguns have beeen re-moved and replaced with a twin Meld La-ser system to give the ship an extendedreach. Quint Pulse Lasers enable the pilotto engage agile attrition fighters. The dor-sal sextuple Splattergun turret is retained,however the ventral turret is replaced by a360 degree quintuple Pulse Laser turret andmissile system. The additional space leftover from these weapons refit enabled theGrivas designers to install a solid point de-fense system. Although more expensivethan the original design, the Black WidowII has been well received by several Houses,particularly the Tokugawans who are des-perate to give their green pilots every pos-sible advantage in their two front low in-tensity war with the ASP and the LuchesUtopia (to say nothing of the Grub infestedworlds still in Tokugawa space).

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VanguardXFiii.IIISalamander IIIDrive 16; Defensive Value 12;

Damage Reduction 3.Point Defense 1-7(2); Decoys (2);

Damage Control 1-6.Maneuvering Thrust: 0.159 km/s/sMass: 400 tonsCrew: 2Translight capability: NoneArmor: Crystanium alloy w/beltAtmospheric Capability: FullArmaments:

4 x Mk. 10 Pulse Lasers (F) (Pilot)1 x Mk. 20 Meld Laser (F) (Pilot)2 x Mk. 10 Splatterguns

(RQL, R, RQR) (Gunner)1 x Mk. 40 Torpedo4 x Mk. 10 Torpedos

BPV: 64

Comments: Ever driven to fulfill theirpledge to liberate Mars from the NightBrood, the warriors of House Red Star arecontinually studying new ways to improvetheir existing fighter craft, as well as de-veloping new designs. The Salamander is afairly common ship in Terran space, andthe akicitas of House Red Star count manySalamanders in their inventories. Althougha solid enough ship, the Red Stars are firmbelievers that in matters of war there’s al-ways room for improvement.

Recognizing the need to improve theSalamander’s chances of actually hittingthe exceptionally agile Night Brood fight-ers that are the bane of most Terran pilots,the Red Stars took a careful look at theSalamander’s weapons fit. By making care-ful use of the existing space within theSalamander’s weapons bays, the Red Starshave succeeded in dramatically improvingthe ship’s combat abilities. The 360 degreepulse laser system was pulled out and thesizeable bay filled by a quad fixed mountpulse laser battery controlled by the pilot.The Red Stars then gave the SalamanderIII a longer reach by the judicious installa-tion of a meld laser also controlled by thepilot. The addition of a Mk. 40 torpedo re-placing the lighter Mk. 20 munition hasonly added to the new ship’s hitting power.

Incredibly, this new refit was a bit less

expensive than the original, and was there-fore met with considerable enthusiasm bythe cash strapped Hibernian Freehold whenthey were made aware of the refit during atechnical exchange with House Red Star’sBravehearts akicita. The Salamander III isnow entering service in both Houses ingrowing numbers.

Colos Ducal Aerospatial(formerly Dionysia)CDA-109E-1Shark IIDrive 15; Defensive Value 15;

Damage Reduction 2.Point Defense 1-3(1); Decoys (1);

Damage Control 1-2.Maneuvering Thrust: 0.153 km/s/sMass: 300 tonsCrew: 1Translight capability: NoneArmor: Crystanium alloy w/beltAtmospheric Capability: FullArmaments:

1 x Mk. 10 Impulse gun (F)1 x Mk. 15 Ion Ram (F)

BPV: 39

Comments: The Shark was originally de-signed by a conglomerate of small colonialgovernments to be a simple “off the shelf”

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technology SPAC. The idea was to fill outtheir respective defense forces quickly andas cheaply as possible without resorting toexpensive foreign supplied craft. The plannearly worked, except that House Colosgobbled up these small independent worldsbefore they could get production of theShark in full swing. Impressed with thesuperb combat performance of the newfighter, the Colosians made a point to cap-ture intact the production facilities for thisvessel.

Once in control, House Colos began fullscale series production of the Shark, andalso began exporting the ship to other al-lied Houses. Despite this success, theColosians were not entirely satisfied withthe Shark being made out of a flimsy steelhull. As a result, the Colosian Central De-sign Authority implemented a redesign ofthe Shark involving a crysteel hull struc-ture and a point defense system. The addedmass of the crysteel armor has degradedthe original ship’s performance, howeverthe Shark II is as fast as most SPACs in itweight class, and its bite remains as deadlyas ever.

TransprovincialS 1436cSorenson IVDrive 12; Defensive Value 12;

Damage Reduction 3.Point Defense 1-4(2); Decoys (3);

Damage Control 1-6.Maneuvering Thrust: 0.135 km/s/sMass: 600 tonsCrew: 2Translight capability: NoneArmor: Crysteel w/beltAtmospheric Capability: FullArmaments:

4 x Mk. 10 Autocannons (Ammo: 4)(F) (Pilot)

4 x Mk. 10 Miniguns (Ammo: 6)(360-degrees) (Gunner)

4 x Mk. 10 Torpedoes2 x Mk. 40 Torpedoes

BPV: 68

Coments: Too slow to catch serious block-ade runners, and too poorly armed to copewith the small, nimble attrition fighters fa-vored by most pirate gangs, the Sorenson

series of customs boats remains a tributeto bureaucratic stupidity and lack of imagi-nation. Thanks to the notoriously corruptImperial bureaucracy, thousands of thesemediocre craft were produced and foistedon just about every Imperial customsagency in Terran Space. Since the collapseof the Empire, the Sorenson III and its ex-ecrable forebearer the Sorenson II havebeen turning up in many House frontlineforces, usually out of sheer desperation. Ina frantic effort to get the most out of theirconsiderable fleet of Sorenson IIs and IIIs,the fascist Luches Utopia has undertaken aradical refit program designed to squeezethe highest combat performance possiblewith the limited weapons technology avail-able locally.

By replacing the gunner’s cumbersometwin Blatguns with the faster traversingquad miniguns, the Sorenson IV has a bet-ter chance with fending off attacking lightand medium fighters. A quad autocannonbattery, dramatically extending the reachof the Sorenson IV against larger targets,replaces the pilot’s twin blatguns. An im-proved torpedo load also makes this newvariant a significantly more efficientwarcraft.

The down side to this refit is its now to-tal reliance on depletable munitions weap-ons systems, ensuring that the design hasvery poor staying power. But a desperateLuches high command needs every flyablewarcraft it can get, so the Sorenson IV is awelcome addition to anti-shipping unitsattacking Tokugawan shipping where its ex-tended reach and improved torpedo loadprove most useful. The ASP have even re-portedly adopted this refit on an experimen-tal basis to stiffen their more convention-ally armed Sorenson III equipped units.

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Bellicose DesignConglomerate T5dTalon IIIDrive 15; Defensive Value 14;

Damage Reduction 3.Point Defense 1-5(2); Decoys (1);

Damage Control 1-3.Maneuvering Thrust: 0.153 km/s/sMass: 270 tonsCrew: 1Translight capability: NoneArmor: Crystanium alloy w/beltAtmospheric Capability: NoneArmaments:

2 x Mk. 10 Disruptorguns (F)1 x Missile Launcher (Ammo: 10) (F)1 x Mk. 10 Torpedo

BPV: 33

Comments: The Hibernian Freehold washard hit economically by the collapse of theEmpire. The result of this severe economicdepression has had a direct effect on howwell the Hibernians are able to equip theirfighter forces. Nonetheless, every effort ismade by the freedom loving Hibernians to

maintain the best defense possible. To thisend, the Hibernians are continually study-ing ways to improve their existing fleet ofspace fighters as cheaply as possible.

The mediocre Talon is no exception inthis, as the Hibernians have many of theserather unpopular SPACs in their force in-ventory. In an effort to improve the fire-power of this particular ship, the Hiberni-ans replaced the twin pulse laser systemwith a ten shot missile launcher. This in-expensive refit has been met with consid-erable appreciation by Hibernian units op-erating the Talon, as the loss of the pulselasers is more than compensated by theability to deliver a full missile salvo. Sev-eral other Houses have begun to take acloser look at this simple yet effective refit.

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HOUSETOKUGAWA

STARFIGHTERS

Delta Combine PKM-221.2Death Wind IIIDrive 14; Defensive Value 13;

Damage Reduction 4.Point Defense 1-4(2); Decoys (2);

Damage Control 1-5.Maneuvering Thrust: 0.140 km/s/sMass: 400 tonsCrew: 2Translight capability: NoneArmor: Crystanium w/beltAtmospheric Capability: FullArmaments:

1 x Mk. 10 Impulse Gun (F) (Pilot)1 x Mk. 10 Impulse Gun

(RQL, R, RQR) (Gunner)1 x Mk. 15 Ion Ram (F) (Pilot)4 x Mk. 20 Torpedos

BPV: 60

Comments: Although Kashmere is prima-rily interested in its profit margin, theKashmeris nonetheless recognize the needfor security. The budget minded Common-wealth is always eager to improve their se-curity when it doesn’t cost them too much.When one of their branch security fightercommands set forth a proposal to refit theirexisting fleet of Death Wind class fightersat a minimal cost that would improve bothfighting ability and logistical support, thesuits in the front office took notice.

With impulsegun systems being the fa-vored weapons, it was a simple matter toreplace the Death Wind’s minigun and reargunner’s splatterguns with impulseguns.The cost was more than offset by the con-siderable logistical savings that have re-sulted. The increased accuracy and poten-tial damage of the impulseguns has alsobeen well received pilots, who had alwaysbeen very vocal about their dissatisfactionwith the minigun system. A growing num-

ber of these deadly refits are spread-ing amongst Kashmeri Death

Wind units.

Kawanishi-MifuneKAM-27HayabusaDrive 16; Defensive Value 15;

Damage Reduction 1.Point Defense –; Decoys (1);

Damage Control 1-2.Maneuvering Thrust: 0.159 km/s/sMass: 200 tonsCrew: 1Translight capability: NoneArmor: Crystanium w/ beltArmaments:

5 x Mk. 10 Pulse Lasers (F)4 x Mk. 10 Torpedoes1 x Mk. 40 Torpedo

BPV: 31

Comments: Kawanishi-Mifune is one of thethree largest ship building companies lo-cated in Tokugawa space. Originally dedi-cated to producing civilian pleasure andutility craft, Kawanishi-Mifune began pro-ducing fighter craft after the Grub War.Their extensive experience with buildinghigh performance racing craft producedfighter craft with impressive speed, maneu-verability, and weapon loads.

The KAM-27 Hayabusa (Peregrine Fal-con) is an excellent all around attritionfighter capable of holding its own againstsimilar types of craft. Well armed for itssize, the Hayabusa is popular with the pi-lots who fly this nimble little ship. The

Hayabusa’s great weakness however, is itsvery lightly armored construction. Thislight weight structure is the price paid forthe Hayabusa’s high performance. Allthings being equal, you still have to actu-ally hit a Hayabusa to have any chance ofstopping it.

Wing-KurosawaA6M5Samurai Type 1Drive 15; Defensive Value 15;

Damage Reduction 1.Point Defense 1-7(5); Decoys (1);

Damage Control 1-4.Maneuvering Thrust: 0.150 km/s/sMass: 400 tonsCrew: 1Translight capability: NoneArmor: Crystanium w/ beltArmaments:

6 x Mk. 10 Pulse Lasers (F)1 x Protobolt Projector (Ammo: 6) (F)

BPV: 68

Comments: After the Terran-HatchlingWar, the Tokugawa Defense Command tooka long hard look at the performance of ex-isting Imperial fighter designs and howthese ships fared against the technologi-cally superior Grub craft. The Tokugawansdid not like what they saw, and immedi-ately issued specifications for an entirelynew series of indigenous fighter designs toall of the ship building companies under aTokugawan contract. One of House Toku-gawa’s “Big Three” ship builders, Wing-Kurosawa produced the winning design forthe 400 ton single seat fighter competition.

The A6M5 Samurai is a true warrior’smachine: fast, maneuverable, carrying agood cannon battery and a lethal load ofprotobolts. Although the A6M5’s damagecontrol systems are superior to those foundon the Hayabusa, the A6M5’s systems arestill hardly state-of-the-art. The Samurai’spoint defenses are excellent, however, com-pensating for the lack of any torpedo load.Built of lightweight construction to con-

serve strategic materials and emphasizemaneuverability, the A6M5 is nonethelessa deadly opponent when flown by any com-petent pilot.

Wing-KurosawaA6M5-A1Samurai Type 2Drive 15; Defensive Value 15;

Damage Reduction 1.Point Defense 1-7(5); Decoys (1);

Damage Control 1-4.Maneuvering Thrust: 0.150 km/s/sMass: 400 tonsCrew: 1Translight capability: NoneArmor: Crystanium w/ beltArmaments:

6 x Mk. 10 Pulse Lasers (F)1 x Mk. 20 Meld Laser (F)6 x Mk. 30 Torpedos

BPV: 75Comments: Although the A6M5 is a po-

tent design, many pilots complained abouta lack of torpedo armament and long rangeweaponry. By replacing the bulky protoboltlauncher with a cleverly designed rotarylauncher rack system, the design bureauat Wing-Kurosawa created a powerfulstablemate for the Samurai Type 1. The re-maining space left over was neatly filledwith a meld laser projector. The resultingrefit has been eagerly accepted by Toku-gawan pilots, often operating in mixed for-mations of both types.

Best of all, none of the Samurai’s excel-lent point defenses were compromised bythis refit, which only further enhanced thenewer version’s combat effectiveness. Bothtypes are held in high regard by Tokugawanpilots as a powerful combat team capableof tackling many different threats. Under-standably, House Tokugawa’s enemies donot share this enthusiasm.

78

ORDER OF FIRE

GUNNER SHIP GNRSkill ID Attack Dice/Lock-on Damage ARCs Skills/Quirks

12,11,10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 (FQL)(F)(FQR)(RQL)(R)(RQR)

12,11,10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 (FQL)(F)(FQR)(RQL)(R)(RQR)

12,11,10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 (FQL)(F)(FQR)(RQL)(R)(RQR)

12,11,10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 (FQL)(F)(FQR)(RQL)(R)(RQR)

12,11,10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 (FQL)(F)(FQR)(RQL)(R)(RQR)

12,11,10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 (FQL)(F)(FQR)(RQL)(R)(RQR)

12,11,10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 (FQL)(F)(FQR)(RQL)(R)(RQR)

12,11,10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 (FQL)(F)(FQR)(RQL)(R)(RQR)

12,11,10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 (FQL)(F)(FQR)(RQL)(R)(RQR)

12,11,10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 (FQL)(F)(FQR)(RQL)(R)(RQR)

12,11,10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 (FQL)(F)(FQR)(RQL)(R)(RQR)

12,11,10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 (FQL)(F)(FQR)(RQL)(R)(RQR)

12,11,10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 (FQL)(F)(FQR)(RQL)(R)(RQR)

12,11,10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 (FQL)(F)(FQR)(RQL)(R)(RQR)

12,11,10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 (FQL)(F)(FQR)(RQL)(R)(RQR)

12,11,10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 (FQL)(F)(FQR)(RQL)(R)(RQR)

12,11,10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 (FQL)(F)(FQR)(RQL)(R)(RQR)

12,11,10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 (FQL)(F)(FQR)(RQL)(R)(RQR)

12,11,10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 (FQL)(F)(FQR)(RQL)(R)(RQR)

12,11,10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 (FQL)(F)(FQR)(RQL)(R)(RQR)

12,11,10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 (FQL)(F)(FQR)(RQL)(R)(RQR)

12,11,10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 (FQL)(F)(FQR)(RQL)(R)(RQR)

12,11,10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 (FQL)(F)(FQR)(RQL)(R)(RQR)

12,11,10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 (FQL)(F)(FQR)(RQL)(R)(RQR)

12,11,10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 (FQL)(F)(FQR)(RQL)(R)(RQR)

12,11,10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 (FQL)(F)(FQR)(RQL)(R)(RQR)

12,11,10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 (FQL)(F)(FQR)(RQL)(R)(RQR)

12,11,10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 (FQL)(F)(FQR)(RQL)(R)(RQR)

12,11,10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 (FQL)(F)(FQR)(RQL)(R)(RQR)

12,11,10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 (FQL)(F)(FQR)(RQL)(R)(RQR)

12,11,10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 (FQL)(F)(FQR)(RQL)(R)(RQR)

12,11,10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 (FQL)(F)(FQR)(RQL)(R)(RQR)

12,11,10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 (FQL)(F)(FQR)(RQL)(R)(RQR)

List Gun Crews first, then Gunners, then Pilots. Mark off unused arcs. Escorts designate Bow(B) or Stern(S)to the left of the given arcs. If weapon is destroyed, mark off Attack Dice for that weapon. If a crewman iskilled, make a note next to that Gunner ID. Update this form between turns.

ID

80

ScenariosSCENARIO 1:

“One ManWrecking Crew”

Date: AL 13:9Location: 250,000km inside of the Red Star

controlled system of Neuvaux Quebequa.Situation: An anti-shipping strike against

commercial craft by Luches mercenar-ies in ASP employ, was intercepted byRed Star ace Sqn. Chief Richard “Por-kins” Dufault and his two wing-mates.The Luches mercenary flight was led byno less infamous a personage as GuardsLt. Alberto “Whacker” Borghessi.

Forces

Red Star Crow Owner’s Akicita221st Independent Fighter Squadron:

Start within 5 hexes of edge 3

Seraph Experimental A:Crow Owners Ace

Chief Richard “Porkins” Dufault(61 Confirmed Kills)Plt 9 Gnr 11Skills: Hangs Fire 3,

Never a Useless Move 3,Sharpshooter 2

Quirks: Counts Coup,Always Checks His Six

Salamander III A:Crow Owners Society Pilot:

Plt 8 Gnr 8Skills (Pilot): Hangs Fire 1Quirks (Pilot): None

Gunner: Gnr 9Skills (Gunner): Sharpshooter 1Quirks (Gunner): None

Salamander III B:Crow Owners Society Pilot:

Plt 8 Gnr 7Skills (Pilot): Dodger 1Quirks (Pilot): None

Gunner: Gnr 8Skills (Gunner): Good Shot 1Quirks (Gunner): None

Luches Utopia:103rd Guards Fighter Regiment

“Revolutionary Fervor,”2nd Squadron, A Flight, 1st Element,

and4th Squadron, A Flight, 3rd Element.

Start within 5 hexes of edge 1

Shark II A Pilot (Plt 7, Gnr 6) Shark II B Pilot (Plt 8, Gnr 7) Shark II C Pilot (Plt 6, Gnr 7)

Sorenson IV APilot (Plt 5, Gnr 6)Gunner (Gnr 5)

Sorenson IV BPilot (Plt 4, Gnr 5)Gunner (Gnr 6)

81

terests on Neauveaux Quebequa, and there-fore took up the burden of defending thesystem.

Posting one of their best fighter units tothe system, the Crow Owners also managedto post some of their best pilots includingthe (in)famous fighter ace Richard“Porkins” Dufault. In one memorable en-counter during this conflict, “Prokins”Dufault and his two wingmates intercepteda Luches flight led by no less a personageas Alberto “Whacker” Borghessi.

In the wild “furball” that followed,Borghessi and Dufault traded several shotsin a nerve-wracking duel. Clearly intimi-dated by Dufault’s heavier Seraph Experi-mental, Borghessi “blinked” first and fledthe battlefield with his surviving wingmate,abandoning the two Sorenson IV attackships they were escorting. Dufault and hiswingmates subsequently made short workof the two Luches attack craft.

Special Rules1) Easing Speed Restriction in effect.2) Luches player must exit at least one of

his Sorenson IVs off of edge 3 with ALLof its torpedo load intact and Drive re-duced to no lower than 12 to win. TheRed Star player wins by preventing this.

3) Variable Speed Torpedoes.4) Point Defense5) Damage Control6) Decoys

Historical OutcomeWhen the Luches Utopia sided with the

Draconians in their effort to oust the RedStars from Neuveaux Quebequa in AL 13.9,House Red Star naturally rallied to defendthis isolated system from invasion. TheDrac-Luches forces began their campaignwith strikes against vital commercial ship-ping in the Red Star system. The Red StarCrow Owners akicita had considerable in-

K=Shark P=Porkins

KKK

S=Sorenson IV Sm=Salamander III

SS

SmP

Sm

SCENARIO 1: ONE MAN WRECKING CREW

Standard Map Geohex Cloth StarmapHell Benders are following Hellbender A

82

Samurai II APilot: Plt 8 Gnr 8

Skills (Pilot): Hangs Fire 1Quirks (Pilot): None

Samurai II BPilot: Plt 8 Gnr 7

Skills (Pilot): Dodger 1Quirks (Pilot): None

ASP Technocracy: 151st FighterRegiment “Carnodemons”, 1st

Composite Squadron, A Flight, 1stElement, B Flight, 3rd Element, C

Flight, 2nd Element.

Start within 5 hexes of edge 1

Binary A:Col. Scott “Switchblade” Sigler

(50 confirmed kills)Plt 10, Gnr 10Skills: Good Shot 3, Dodger 3,

Aggressive Pilot 3Quirks: Always Checks His Six.

Gunner AFlt. Sgt. Mookie “Flatliner” D’artan(23 confirmed kills)Gnr 9Skills: Quick Reflexes 1, Assassin 3.Quirks: none.

Gunner BFlt. Sgt. Chris “Brain” Slovinsky(30 confirmed kills)Gunner B: Gnr 9Skills: Hangs Fire 2,

Sharpshooter 2.Quirks: none.

Binary B:Pilot: Plt 7, Gnr 6Gunner A: Gnr 6Gunner B: Gnr 5

Pulsar A:Pilot: Plt 6, Gnr 3Gunner A: Gnr 4

Quark A Pilot: Plt 4, Gnr 4

Quark B Pilot: Plt 3, Gnr 4

Quark C Pilot: Plt 2, Gnr 3

Quark D Pilot: Plt 3, Gnr 2

Quark E Pilot: Plt 2, Gnr 4

Quark F Pilot: Plt 1, Gnr 3

Special Rules 1) Easing Speed Restriction in effect. 2) Variable Speed Torpedoes. 3) Point Defense 4) Damage Control 5) Decoys

SCENARIO 2:“Claw and

Switchblade”Date: AL 14.02Location: 250,000km inside of the ASP

controlled system of Kanmuri.Situation: During the recent Tokugawan

attack on Kanmuri dubbed OPERATIONKANSU, Tokugawan carrier forces stagednumerous fighter strikes against ASPshipping as a diversion to the main op-eration. Taken aback by the scale andintensity of these sudden raids, ASPfighter units scrambled to intercept andthese savage attacks.

During one such encounter, two ofthe Twelve’s most well known fighteraces clashed in a gruelling dogfight inthe Kanmuri system.

Forces House Tokugawa Combined Fleet,

8th Carrier Battle Group“Kyofu” (“Mighty Wind”),

13th Fighter Squadron, Yi Sun SinCarrier Fighter Detachment

Start within 5 hexes of edge 3

Samurai A:Col. Jerry “Eagle” Tien

(52 Confirmed Kills)Plt 10 Gnr 12Skills: Never a Useless

Move 3, Marksman 3, Tough Guy 3

Quirks:Always Supports His Wingman

Samurai B:Pilot: Plt 8 Gnr 8

Skills (Pilot): Hangs Fire 1Quirks (Pilot): None

Samurai C:Pilot: Plt 8 Gnr 7

Skills (Pilot): Dodger 1Quirks (Pilot): None

Samurai D:Pilot: Plt 8 Gnr 8

Skills (Pilot): Hangs Fire 1Quirks (Pilot): None

Samurai EPilot: Plt 8 Gnr 7

Skills (Pilot): Dodger 1Quirks (Pilot): None

83

Q=Quark S=Samurai

Q

QQ

QQQ

B

B

P

SSSS

SS

B=Binary P=Pulsar

Victory Conditions:This is an all or nothing battle for the

ASP. The Tokugawans are on a search anddestroy mission. If the Tokugawan play-ers lose four or more ships, then they mustretreat off of their starting edge. The ASPplayer must fight until destroyed, or theTokugawan player is defeated.

Historical Outcome:The ASP response was an uncoordinated

fiasco despite the courageous efforts of Col.Sigler. The Quark pilots were in fact rawrecruits from a fighter training academyrushed to Kanmuri only two days prior totheir encounter with Col. Tien’s flight.Lacking any combat experience and unpre-pared for so skilled a group of opponentsas the elite Tokugawan carrier pilots, theQuark formation was horribly slaughteredin short order.

Sigler and his wingman repeatedly triedto intervene in the ensuing dogfight, butthe superior performance of the TokugawanSamurai fighter craft and the panicky be-havior of the green Quark pilots made this

nearly impossible. The skilled Samurai pi-lots in fact easily evaded the slow movingparasite torpedoes, suffering only two lossesto their formation. Both pilots ejected suc-cessfully and were later rescued by friendlyforces.

The defeat was made all the more bitterfor the ASP, as Sigler and his two gunnerswere captured by the victorious Toku-gawans. Sigler’s Binary was fatally crippledwhen Tien and his wingmate raked theslower craft with concentrated pulse laserfire, destabilizing it’s reactor. Sigler andhis gunners barely escaped with their lives.They were later returned to the ASP in aprisoner exchange arranged by the Kash-mere Commonwealth.

Historical Footnote: Upon his returnto the ASP Col. Sigler was asked bythe media what he thought of his cap-tivity, to which is only public com-ment was “By Darwin, I HATE con-gee!” Readers will note that congeeis a Tokugawan rice gruel that Siglerand his fellow POWs were served sev-eral times daily by their captors.

SCENARIO 2: CLAW AND SWITCHBLADE

84

D=Grimmnar's Dagger Ha=Hell Bender A H=Hell Bender

Standard Map Geohex Cloth StarmapHell Benders are following Hellbender A

H

D

HH

HHH

H

HHa

SCENARIO 3:“Grimmnar’s Saga”Date: AL 9:100Location: 50,000km inside of the Sigurd

side of the border with the House Colos.Situation: A Colosian incursion in AL 13.9

was single-handedly challenged by theSigurd ace Jeff “Grimmnar” Spangler.

ForcesSigurd

Start within 5 hexes of edge 3

Dagger A Viking AceJeff “Grimmnar” Spangler(69 Confirmed Kills)Plt 10 Gnr 11Skills: Aggressive Pilot 3,

Good Shot 3, Tough Guy2 Quirks: Fanatic

House Colos:111th Colos Fighter Regiment,House Minor Albrecht-Haussen

1st Squadron“Liebstandart von Albrecht-Haussen”

Start as indicated in diagram below

Hellbender A Pilot (Plt 7, Gnr 6)Hellbender B Pilot (Plt 5, Gnr 5)Hellbender C Pilot (Plt 3, Gnr 4)Hellbender D Pilot (Plt 6, Gnr 6)Hellbender E Pilot (Plt 5, Gnr 3)Hellbender F Pilot (Plt 4, Gnr 5)Hellbender G Pilot (Plt 5, Gnr 7)Hellbender H Pilot (Plt 4, Gnr 5)Hellbender I Pilot (Plt 4, Gnr 4)

Special Rules1) Easing Speed Restriction in effect.2) Colos formation is surprised on the first

turn if Sigurd player wins initiative. Ifthe Colos player loses initiative on thefirst turn, he must move all of his shipsstraight ahead while keeping the start-ing formation as shown in the setup dia-gram below. If the Colos player wins ini-tiative he may move as normal.

Historical OutcomeA true Sigurdite, Spangler’s attack

caught the overconfident Colosian forma-tion off guard. Ambushing the arrogantColos flight as it flew past a local nebula inparade ground perfect order, Spanglerblasted two Hellbenders to pieces before theColosians realized what had hit them.

A swirling dogfight erupted betweenSpangler and the larger Colos flight. In amanner reminiscent of the ancient Norsesagas, Spangler fought a protracted battleagainst the determined Colosian squadron.

Spangler destroyed two more Hellbend-ers before being overwhelmed by a blizzardof Mk. 30 torpedoes. Exhausted and em-barrassed by Spangler’s lone Dagger, theColosian formation aborted their intrusionand returned to their own territory.

Spangler’s final battle left his confirmedvictory tally at 69 Colosian and Draconiancraft destroyed. Spangler’s heroic standagainst overwhelming odds has since re-sulted in Guttmann’s official praise of hisheroic deed, and the Sigurd bards havemade popular the newly composed “Grim-mnar’s Saga” praising his courageous ac-tion against the Colosian unbelievers.

SCENARIO 2: CLAW AND SWITCHBLADE

85

Optional Rules ChecklistFor an online version of this checklist

including “defaults” and sanity checking,see http://www.citilink.com/~wilcoxon/rpg/sd/options.html.

Campaign Options Ammo as Cargo: Allows carrying of am-

munition for escorts in cargo bays.W(arhounds, page 21)

Experience: Crewmembers may be ableto raise a skill or gain an ability.

Simplistic System (Silent Death Rule-book, page 66)

More Complete System (More ThanValor, page 36)

Replenishment Points: Allows expend-ing RPs to permanently repair fighters.as Repair Points (Warhounds, page23)

Replenishment Points as Cargo: Allowscarrying of RPs in cargo bays. (War-hounds, page 23)

Salvage: Allows victor to attempt sal-vage on ships that did not explode.(Warhounds, page 23)

Shield Spots: Squadrons and individu-als can gain “experience” spots. (Yoka-Shan Warworld, page 21)

Unreplenished Fighters: Fighters mustbe replenished after each mission.(Warhounds, page 24)

Defensive Options Damage Control: A ship may repair hits

if it has not fired or been damaged thisturn. (Silent Death Rulebook, page 77)

Decoys: Ships can launch one decoyeach turn instead of attempting to jam.(Silent Death Rulebook, page 74)

Point Defense Systems vs. Torps: Aship with point-defense weapons canfire them at torps in its hex. S(ilentDeath Rulebook, page 74)

Point Defense vs. Missiles: Ships canuse PD against incoming missiles in-stead of torps. (Silent Death Rulebook,page 74)

PD Battery Rollback: Escort PD-B aretemporarily reduced by large numbersof targets. (Warhounds, page 24)

PD Battery Screening: When an escortis screened, its PD-B operates at halfefficiency. (Warhounds, page 24)

Tractor Shielding: Tractor Beams haveno effect and should be replaced withother weapons. (Hostile Takeover, p. 15)

Electronic WarfareOptions

ECM Range Increments: Adds rangemodifiers to ECM attempts. (War-hounds, page 21)

Enlarging Scan Area: Each successfulscan increases the area being affected.(Universal Night Watch, page 20)

86

Attack Options Automatic Hits: If both Base Attack

Dice come up as their highest value, theattack hits. (Silent Death Rulebook,page 76)

Automatic Misses: If both Base AttackDice come up as 1s, the attack misses.(Silent Death Rulebook, page 76)

Deflection: Use modifiers To Hit basedon how the target and attacker are mov-ing. (Silent Death Rulebook, page 76)

Easing Target Speed Restrictions: Aweapon may fire on faster targets thanits Speed Restriction. (Silent DeathRulebook, page 77)

Firing Multiple Missile: A crewmembercan fire up to 4 missile launchers bysuffering a -2 penalty. (Silent DeathMailing List, Don Dennis)

Firing Multiple Weapon Systems: Acrewmember can fire up to 4 cannonsby suffering a -2 penalty. (Silent DeathRulebook, page 77)

Range Increments: Use the more com-prehensive Alternate Range EffectsTable. (Silent Death Rulebook, page 76)

DAMAGE BONUS/ PENALTIES

Attacker Chooses Crew Hit: The at-tacker chooses which crew is hit onfilled in crew hits. (Operation Dry Dock,page 2)

Bonus Type I: Apply excess rolled abovethe DV to the damage on a 1-for-1 ba-sis. (Universal Night Watch, page 20)

Bonus Type II: Apply excess rolledabove the DV to the damage on a vari-able scale. (Universal Night Watch, page20)

Gunnery Duels: A ship may attempt toget a shot off before its attacker can.(Silent Death Rulebook, page 75)

Penalties: Apply any To Hit penalties todamage as well. (Universal NightWatch, page 20)

Movement Options Drift: At the start of each movement

phase, starcraft drift a random distance.(Silent Death Rulebook, page 69)

Drive 0 Turns: A ship with Drive 0 canturn 1 hexside. (Silent Death Rulebook,page 69)

Escort Half Moves: Escorts split move-ment, moving half before and half af-ter fighters. (Warhounds, page 22)

Escort Plotted Movement: Players plotescort movement on paper but moveafter fighters. (Warhounds, page 22)

Minimal Tight Turns: f a ship attemptsa tight turn, but fails, turn the ship onehexside. (Sunrunners, page 74)

Ramming: When ramming, the attackis based on the classes of the ships in-volved. (Silent Death Rulebook, page71)

Ramming Escorts: The same generalprocedure applies to escorts (with a fewadditions). (Warhounds, page 23)

Set Cost Turns: Instead of rolling for atight turn’s cost, it has a fixed cost. (Si-lent Death Rulebook, page 69)

Sideslips: Ships or torps can move intothe front right or left hex for 2 points.(Silent Death Rulebook, page 70)

Slingshotting: A starcraft can ride thegravity wells of large spacegoing ob-jects. (Silent Death Rulebook, page 70)

Turning Restrictions: Ships withenough movement must enter a newhex before turning. (Silent DeathRulebook, page 69)

Minefield Options Minefields: Mines can be placed during

scenario setup. (Space Junk, page 10) Mine Laying: Mines can be laid by ships

equipped to do so. (Space Junk, page10)

Mine Sweeping: Mines may be clearedby ships with a mine sweeper. (SpaceJunk, page 11)

87

Crew Options Alternate Control Gunnery Positions:

Allow changing gunner positions at thestart of the turn. (Sunrunners, page 74)

Damage Control Gunnery: A playermay voluntarily sacrifice Damage Con-trol to recrew weapons. (Warhounds,page 21)

Ottawa Redshirt Crew Allocation: Usea fixed pool of crew values for the crewin your fleet. (ORCA) (Rules of WarfareII, page 11)

Pilot as Copilot: The Pilot and Copilotcan choose which weapons to fire if oneis dead. (Universal Night Watch, page20)

PILOT LUCK

Earned: Pilots can gather Luck pointsby destroying foes. (Silent DeathRulebook, page 66)

Purchased: Pilots can purchase Luckpoints as a normal skill. (Silent DeathRulebook, page 67)

Quirks and Special Skills: Crew mem-bers may have special abilities and limi-tations. (More Than Valor)

Play Options Alternate Initiative System: Roll a die

based on your Pilot skill instead of 1D10to determine initiative. (More ThanValor, page 36)

Concealed Weapons: The players musttell the hull type of ships each is flying(and that’s it). (Kashmere Common-wealth, page 25)

Multi-player Games: There are morethan two sides in the game. (SilentDeath Rulebook, page 68)

Secrecy: Starcraft displays are kept hid-den from opponents. (Silent DeathRulebook, page 78)

Steel Hull Structural Weakness: Allships which start with DR 0 roll1D(X*2) for the crit instead of 2DX.(More Than Valor, page 36)

Three-D: The game is played entirelyin 3-D. (Silent Death Rulebook, page81)

Time Limits: Players have 30 secondsto move each ship. (Silent DeathRulebook, page 68)

Escape Options Emergency Launch: When a tender is

destroyed, docked fighters may be ableto escape. (Warhounds, page 21)

Life Pods: When the craft is destroyed,the life pod may deploy. (Silent DeathRulebook, page 68)

Lifeboats: Similar to Life Pods, but haslower survival. (Warhounds, page 22)

88

Miscellaneous Options Destroyed Starcraft Debris: When a

ship is destroyed, replace it with amarker. (Silent Death Rulebook, page69)

Escort Explosion and Debris: Similarto above, plus ships near an explodingescort may be damaged. (Warhounds,page 22)

Escort Satellites: An escorts drive is re-placed with additional crew and weap-ons. (Warhounds, page 22)

Poor Mechanical Reliability: A shiptakes a critical when it first takes dam-age. (Silent Death Rulebook, page 78)

Torp OptionsTORP SPEED/MANEUVERABILITY

Variable Speed Torps: Bigger torpsmove slower than smaller ones. (SilentDeath Rulebook, page 72)

Maneuverable Torps: Torps pay 0 pointsto make any turn. (Silent DeathRulebook, page 72)

Buying Torp Speed: No one may gainthe above advantages without payingpoints for them.

Variations (Fighter Tactics Manual, page54)

Parasite Torps as Speed 10: ParasiteTorps have a speed 10 instead of speed8. (Silent Death Mailing List, Don Den-nis)

Side Slip Limitations: Parasite Torpsmay sideslip, but others may not. (Si-lent Death Mailing List, Don Dennis)

Sequential Resolution of Torp Attacks:The damage from each torp is resolvedseparately. (Silent Death Rulebook,page 72)

NEW TORP TYPES

New Types: Standard torps can be ex-changed for new torps of the same Mk.load. (Silent Death Rulebook, page 72)

Missile Torpedoes: These torps can firemissiles at the target after launch. (Si-lent Death Rulebook, page 73)

Stinger Torpedoes: Stingers ignore DR,do High/2 damage, and may do extracriticals. (Sunrunners, page 22)

Venter Torpedoes: Venters detonate inempty space and release flak clouds. 1/2 cost. (Sunrunners, page 22)

Wormhole Blocker Torps: Causes awormhole to temporarily collapse.(Space Junk, page 20)

Terrain OptionsASTEROIDS

Asteroids: Asteroids are scatteredacross the playing surface drifting 1 hexper turn. (Silent Death Rulebook, page79)

Asteroid Demolition: To destroy an as-teroid (DV 5), you must do 30 hits in asingle shot. (Warhounds, page 21)

Asteroid Dodging: Pilots will have achance of dodging asteroids. (SpaceJunk, page 13)

Destroyed Asteroid: Debris acts as flakfor 2 turns.

Large Asteroids: 1D12 asteroids will oc-cupy multiple hexes. (Space Junk, page14)

Micro-Asteroid Fields: 2D6 radius mi-cro-fields are treated as flak. (SpaceJunk, page 16)

Narrow Asteroid Belts: 1D4+1 bandsof 1D4+1 width with all asteroids drift-ing along belts. (Space Junk, page 14)

Radioactive Asteroids: 1D6 asteroidswill interfere with electronic systems.(Space Junk, page 15)

Rogue Asteroids: 2D10 asteroids willdrift in random directions. (Space Junk,page 15)

Variable Speed Asteroids: 1/3 of aster-oids will move faster than normal.(Space Junk, page 14)

DUST CLOUD

Type I: Impairs maneuverability andtracking systems. (Space Junk, page 27)

Type II: Restricts ranges and impairsdefenses. (Space Junk, page 27)

Type III: Impairs maneuverability,tracking systems, and missile systems.(Space Junk, page 27)

“These Kareliansare not humans;they’re devils! Weoutnumbered themtwenty to one andthey attacked us! It isimpossible to beatsuch opponents withmere numbers...”

— Squadron LeaderJ.W. Meese,

Galban FighterForces, on why his

entire squadronwas decimated

by a flight offour Karelian

Thunderbirds.Meese was later

executed forcowardice under

fire along withall of the survivors

of his squadron.

89

GRAVITIC EFFECTS

Black Hole: 1D12 radius hole drawsships towards its center. (Silent DeathRulebook, page 80)

Bipolar (Disgorging) Holes: A blackhole that reverses polarity 1/3 of thetime. (Space Junk, page 18)

Gravity Waves: Gravitational anomalybuffets ships. (Space Junk, page 18)

Gravity Wells: Group of weak blackholes clustered together. (Space Junk,page 18)

Scylla and Charibdis Holes: A pair ofblack holes orbiting a mid-point. (SpaceJunk, page 16)

White Holes: 1D12 radius hole pushesships away from its center. (Space Junk,page 17)

NEBULA

Blue Nebula (Type I): Impairs defen-sive screens and energy weapons.(Space Junk, page 21)

Pink Nebula (Type II): Heavily impairstracking systems. (Space Junk, page 21)

Green Nebula (Type III): Impairs ma-neuverability and highly restrictsweapon usage. (Space Junk, page 22)

PLANETOID EFFECTS

Planet/Atmosphere: Various restric-tions on maneuverability and weapons.(Space Junk, page 30)

Planetary Rings: Reduced debris andasteroid effects. (Space Junk, page 29)

Inside Moon/Asteroid: Highly restrictsmaneuverability. (Space Junk, page 29)

STAR EFFECTS

Pulsar: Impairs tracking systems anddamages ships. (Space Junk, page 25)

Solar Flare: Random Heavy Plazgun at-tack each turn. (Space Junk, page 26)

Sunspots: Impairs tracking systems,screens, and communications. (SpaceJunk, page 26)

NOVA/SUPERNOVA

Wave – Dramatic: Wave races acrossboard at speed 25. (Space Junk, page25)

Wave – Realistic: Destroys everythingon board. (Space Junk, page 25)

Aftereffects: As Heat Zone, Asteroids,Radiation Zone, and Dust Cloud III.(Space Junk, page 26)

STELLAR AREAS

Heat Zone: Damages damaged ships.(Space Junk, page 28)

Radiation Zone: Damages anything inthe zone. (Space Junk, page 28)

Wormholes: Ships that enter a worm-hole are transported to correspondingwormhole. (Silent Death Rulebook,page 79)

Interfering Wormholes: Torps and mis-siles can be confused by the dramaticshift of transition. (Space Junk, page19)

Shifting Wormholes: There is a non-1-to-1 ratio between wormholes. (SpaceJunk, page 20)

Unstable Wormholes: 1D6 wormholesare unstable and may collapse at anytime. (Space Junk, page 19)

Comet’s Tail: Impairs tracking systemsand acts as debris. (Space Junk, page23)

Incoming Stellar Mass: Destroys every-thing in its path, then acts as Comet’sTail. (Space Junk, page 24)

90

BibliographyPark, Edward. Fighters. The World’s Great Aces

and Their Planes. (Charlottesville, VA:Thomasson-Grant), 1990.

Patton, W. Wayne. Aces. (Carrollton, Texas:Squadron/Signal Publications), 1998.

Price, Dr. Alfred. Spitfire Mark I/II Aces 1939-41. (London, U.K.: Osprey Publishing Lim-ited), 1996.

von Richthofen, Manfred F. The Red AirFighter. (New York: Arno Press), 1972.

Rickenbacker, Eddie V. Fighting the FlyingCircus. (Garden City, NY: Doubleday), 1965.

Sakai, Saburo, with Martin Caidin and FredSaito. Samurai! (Garden City, NY: NelsonDoubleday), 1978.

Sakaida, Henry. Imperial Japanese Army Aces1937-45. (London, U.K.: Osprey PublishingLimited), 1997.

Sakaida, Henry. Imperial Japanese Navy Aces1937-45. (London, U.K.: Osprey PublishingLimited), 1998.

Shaw, Robert L. Fighter Combat—Tactics andManeuvering. (Annapolis, MD: Naval Insti-tute Press), 1985.

Sims, Edward H. Fighter Tactics and Strategy,1914-1970. (Fallbrook, CA: Aero Publishers),1980.

Spick, Mike. Fighter Pilot Tactics. (New York:Stein and Day), 1983.

Stanaway, John. P-38 Lightning Aces of theETO/MTO. (London, U.K.: Osprey Publish-ing Limited), 1998.

Stenman, Kari, and Kalevi Keskinen. FinnishAces of World War 2. (Oxford, U.K.: OspreyPublishing Limited), 1998.

Styling, Mark. Corsair Aces of World War 2.(London, U.K.: Osprey Publishing Limited),1995.

Sweetman, Bill. Aurora: The Pentagon’s SecretHypersonic Spyplane. (Osceola, WI: MBIPublishing Company), 1993.

Thompson, Warren. P-61 Black Widow Unitsof World War 2. (Oxford, U.K.: Osprey Pub-lishing Limited), 1998.

Tillman, Barrett. Wildcat Aces of World War 2.(London: Osprey Publishing Limited), 1995.

Weal, John. Focke-Wulf Fw 190 Aces of theRussian Front. (London, U.K.: Osprey Pub-lishing Limited), 1995.

Whitehouse, Arch. Heroes of the Sunlit Sky.(New York: Curtis Books), 1967.

Yeager, Charles. Yeager. An Autobiography.(New York: Bantam Books), 1985.

Bishop, William A. Winged Warfare. (GardenCity, NY: Doubleday), 1967.

Boyington, Gregory. Baa Baa Black Sheep.(Fresno, CA: Wilson Press), 1958.

Braybrook, Roy. Battle for the Falklands (3):Air Forces. (London: Osprey PublishingLimited), 1982.

Franks, Norman and Hal Giblin and NigelMcCrery. Under the Guns of the Red Baron.The Complete Record of von Richtofen’s Vic-tories and Victims Fully Illustrated. (NewYork: Barnes and Noble), 1998.

Galland, Adolph. The First and the Last. (NewYork: Bantam Books), 1978.

Gandt, Robert. Bogeys and Bandits: The Mak-ing of a Fighter Pilot. (New York: PenguinBooks), 1997.

Gretzyngier, Robert and Wojtek Matusiak. Pol-ish Aces of World War 2. (London, OspreyPublishing Limited), 1998.

Gunston, Bill and Lindsay Peacock. FighterMissions: Modern Air Combat – The Viewfrom the Cockpit. (New York: Crown Pub-lishers, Inc.).

Johnson, Robert S., with Martin Caidin. Thun-derbolt! (New York: Ballentine Books), 1959.

Juutilainen, Ilmari. Double Fighter Knight.Heikki Nijunen and Paul Gillcrist, trans.(Tampere, Finland: Uusi Kivipaino Oy),1996.

Ketley, Barry. French Aces of World War 2. (Ox-ford, U.K.: Osprey Publishing Limited),1999.

Longstreet Stephen. The Canvas Falcons. (NewYork: Ballentine Books), 1972.

Luukkanen, Eino. Fighters Over Finland. (Lon-don: Macdonald), 1963.

Morgan, Hugh. Soviet Aces of World War 2.(London, U.K.: Osprey Publishing Limited),1997.

Muolo, Michael J. and Hand, Richard A. SpaceHandbook: A War Fighter’s Guide to Space,V.1 (Defense Dept., Air Force, Air UniversityPress,1993) 182 p.; ill.

Michael J. Muolo, Richard Hand, et al eds.Space Handbook: An Analyst’s Guide, V.2(Defense Dept., Air Force, Air University,1993) 392 p.; ill.

Noggle, Anne. A Dance With Death. SovietAirwomen in World War II. (College Station,TX: Texas A&M University Press), 1994.

Nordeen, Lon. Fighters Over Israel. illustratedby Ken Kotik. (Orion Books), 1990.

91

Source(Stock #) Source Description Type of Errata

7201 Silent Death: The Next Millennium Rulebook ................ Ships7210 Renegades: The Espan Rebellion ..................................... Ships, Other7211 Sunrunners ...................................................................... Ships, Other7212 Warhounds (1st printing) ................................................ Ships, Other7213 Night Brood: First Contact .............................................. Ships7214 Universal Night Watch ..................................................... Ships, Other7215 Operation: Dry Dock ........................................................ Ships, Other7216 Sigurd Archdiocese .......................................................... Ships, Other7217 Kashmere Commonwealth .............................................. Ships, Other7218 Rules of Warfare ............................................................... Ships7219 Space Junk........................................................................ Ships, Other7220 Fighter Tactics Manual .................................................... Ships7221 Hostile Takeover ............................................................... Ships, Other7222 ASP Technocracy .............................................................. Ships, Other7223 Yoka-Shan Warworld ........................................................ Ships, Other7225 Rules of Warfare II ........................................................... Ships, Other

Errata, Changes,and Updates

For an online version of this errata, seehttp://www.citilink.com/~wilcoxon/rpg/sd/errata.html.

This errata is compiled from the follow-ing products from Iron Crown Enterprises(www.ironcrown.com):

92

Ship Errata, Changes, and UpdatesSource Ship Errata

7201 Epping .................... Front DR hits: boxes 3, 11, 19, and 27Side DR hits: boxes 3, 13, and 25Rear DR hits: boxes 8 and 30

7210 Crescent ................. Drive = 16Pulse Laser B To Hit: 2D8+ADBDR 4 in box 11 should be DR 1 & remove DR 1 in box 22

Scorpion ................. Drive = 11Right Side Critical Hits 2, 3, & 6 affect Gunner B, not Gunner APilot Salvage Claws Damage: Medium+1‡

Eagle ....................... Plazgun A is actually Impulsegun A, 2D8+ADB HighRight Side Critical Hit affects Gunner C, not Gunner B

Conestoga ............... Railrepeator Damage: High

7211 Crescent ................. Critical hits: boxes 8 and 20First Critical Hit 9 should be 7

Epping .................... Rear DR hits: boxes 8 and 30

Scorpion ................. Pilot Salvage Claws Damage: Medium+1‡

7212 Aosho ...................... Rear Left Critical Hit 5 affects Gunner C, not Gunner D

Constellation .......... Missile Launcher A & Disruptorgun A arcs: (BRQL) (BFQL) (F)Missile Launcher B & Disruptorgun B arcs: (F) (BRQR) (BFQR)Triple Laztube E arcs: (BRQL) (BFQL) (F) (BFQR) (BRQR)

Fletcher .................. Dual Ion Cannon E Long Range: 30Keel Cannon F arcs: (KF)

Megafortress ........... Blatgun A damage: High+6Heavy Plazgun B arcs: (BRQL) (BFQL) (F) (BFQR) (BRQR)Heavy Plazgun C arcs: (BRQL) (BFQL) (F) (BFQR) (BRQR)Triple Blast Cannon F arcs: (BFQL) (F) (BFQR)Triple Blast Cannon F Speed Restriction: 7Rear (both) Critical Hit 6: Reduce Defensive Value by 2.

Narwhal .................. Additional Rear (both) Drive hits: boxes 25 and 62Quint Pulse Laser A arcs: (BRQL) (BFQL) (F)Quint Pulse Laser C To Hit: 2D8+ADB+4

Stingray .................. Missile Launcher A and Splattergun A arcs: (BFQL) (F) (BFQR)Front (both) Critical Hit 6: -3 Defensive ValueFront (both) Critical Hit 8: affects Twin Splattergun A

7213 Dragonfly ................ Drone Mover 4

7214 Betafortress NW ..... Right Critical Hit 6 affects Gunner B, not Gunner D

7215 Epping Prime ......... Missing 10 x Mk 10 Torps

Glaive II .................. Ion Ram To Hit: 2D8+ADB

Kosmos ................... Minigun Specs: ranges are wrong

Lance Electra II ...... Mass: 420 tonsCritical 9: remove “Pilot’s Projector loses 2 Protobolts”

Night Hawk II ........ Damage Control: 1-4

Salamander ............ Pulse Laser To Hit: 2D8+ADB

Salamander II ......... Triple Pulse Lasers To Hit: 2D8+ADB+2

Sentry II ................. Disintegrator To Hit: 2D8+ADBCritical Hit 9 affects Disintegrator not Blatgun

Seraph .................... Damage Track box 56 should be a DR 1 hit, not a Drive 1 hit

Seraph II ................. Damage Track box 56 should be a DR 1 hit, not a Drive 1 hit

93

Source Ship Errata

Shryak Shuttle II ... Critical Hit 8 affects Impulsegun, not Pulse Laser

Star Raven .............. All Pulse Laser ranges: 3/9/10

Star Raven Alpha.... All Pulse Laser ranges: 3/9/10

Megafortress ........... Triple Blast Cannon Speed Restriction: 7

7216 Storm II .................. Additional weapon (w) hit: box 32

Glaive III ................. Remove weapon (w) hit: box 19

Longboat ................ Splattergun D & E To Hit: 2D6+1ECM: 1-4 [4]Front (both) Critical Hit 12 should be “until after next turn”

7217 Usha ........................ May only hold 1 Ushas class Battle Pod Per Cargo Bay, not 2

Battle Pod VY6 ....... Pulse Laser 6B Damage: Low+3

7218 Snarling Badger ..... Keel Cannon Ammo: 6Keel Cannon Damage: Allx3Every other crew hit should be filled in.Front Right Critical Hits 7 & 10 affect Gunner B, not Gunner AFront Right Critical Hit 5 affects Keel Cannon,

not Repeating Blaster GFront Right Critical Hit 6 affects Repeating Blaster G,

not Sext BlatgunsECM: 1-5 [5]

7219 Dauntless ................ Torp room arcs: (360°)

Octopus .................. All Pulse Laser ranges: 3/9/10

TBD Platform ......... Crew box should have entries for Captain and Pilot

Wakazashi ............... Torp room arcs: (360°)TOC: +2

Whisper .................. Bridge box should include Captain entry

7220 Bat .......................... Critical Hit 2: Bat may not move nor firePilot’s Splatterguns. Reduce DV to 5.

7221 Kali ......................... Remove Crew F and HGunner D arcs: (SFQL)(SRQL)(R)Gunner E arcs: (R)(SRQR)(SFQR)

Scorpion ................. Pilot Salvage Claws Damage: Medium+1‡

Scorpion Beta ......... Pilot Salvage Claws Damage: Medium+1‡Plazgun C is actually Twin Plexar Guns C, 2D10+ADB High+2

7222 Nova ........................ All weapons have an additional +1 To Hit fromArtificiance Intelligence

Nebula II ................. Every other crew hit should be filled in.Rear (both) Damage Track box 15: DR3 (not Drive 5)Front (both) Damage Tracks: last ‘w’ should be ‘W’

Quark ...................... Meld Laser Speed Restriction: missing £

7223 Jii ............................ Plasma Missile Specs: High+/ should be High+2/

Kraal ....................... Heavy Plazgun A Damage: missing ¥Pilot Triple Pulse Laser To Hit and Damage: +2 (not +3)

Kraal ECM .............. Remove Gunner APlasma Missile Launchers C & D are normal Missile Launchers.Pilot Triple Pulse Laser To Hit and Damage: +2 (not +3)

Death Wind YS ....... Plasma Missile Specs: High=2/ should be High+2/

7225 Orca Alpha .............. Pilot Disintegrator Speed Restriction: 11

94

Other Errata, Changes, and UpdatesSource Where Errata

7210 p. 76, Weapon Table ............ £ in Speed Restrictions should be ≤Heavy Plazgun damage: Allx2 ¥Salvage Claws To Hit: 2D6+ADBSalvage Claws Damage: Medium ‡

7211 Page ,Ventors, ...................... Replace “after drive 0 turns, but before ships”Game Play, 2nd para with “after drift, but before non-escorts”.

7212 Integrated Escort ................ Hyper Cannon Target Speed Restriction 11Weapon Table Twin Hyper Cannon Target Speed Restriction 10

Triple Hyper Cannon Target Speed Restriction 9Quad Hyper Cannon Target Speed Restriction 8Plazprojector Medium Range 1-5, not Long Range

Turn Sequence .................... Move Drift and Ventors below Move Warhounds.

p. 15, Game Mechanics, ...... Delete the word enemy.line 4

p. 25, 7000-ton .................... Damage Reduction 1 slots: 15Frigate Template

p. 33, Escort Expanded ....... Quad Minigun Slots: 2Magazine Cost Table Protobolt Ammo Added: 1

p. 36, Special Equipment ... 300-ton RP points: 15Cost Table

7214 Consolidated Master ........... Tachyon Cannon Damage: AllWeapon Table Tachyon Ram Damage: High

7215 p. 6, Betafortress ................. Translight Capability: NoneAlpha and Beta

p. 58, Shryak Shuttle II ...... Translight Capability: None

p. 64, Spirit Rider II ............ Armaments: 2 x Mk 10 Torps should be 1 x Mk 20 Torp

p. 67, Star Raven Alpha ...... Armaments: 2 x Mk 50 Torps should be 2 x Mk 30 Torps

p. 76, Thunder Bird II ......... Armaments: remove 1 x Mk 20 Torp

7216 Consolidated Master ........... Tachyon Cannon Damage: AllWeapon Table Tachyon Ram Damage: High

95

Source Where Errata

7217 p. 28, Damage Reduction ... Use costs from similar sized ships in previous booksTemplate

Consolidated Master ........... Tachyon Cannon Damage: AllWeapon Table Tachyon Ram Damage: High

7219 p. 7, Outpost ECM ............... 1-7[6] and 1-8[5]: 50 slots, not 40Summary Requires crewmembers equal to the

number of tries (as Escort ECM)

p. 17, White Hole ................ Radius 12, 1/4 radius: 3, not 4

p. 27, Dust Cloud Type II .... Spore Moles are reduced to a 4 hex rangeHammerhead Missiles are -2/hex beyond 6 hexes

p. 27, Dust Cloud Type III ... PD 10 hit also affects Spore Moles

7221 p. 17, Kali ............................ Armaments: 8 x Splatterguns should be6 x Splatterguns

p. 20, Eagle Alpha ............... Should be Eagle Beta

p. 21, column 1, line 1 ........ Eagle II should be Eagle Beta

p. 23, Scorpion Alpha ......... Should be Scorpion Beta

7222 Consolidated Master ........... Tachyon Cannon Damage: AllWeapon Table Tachyon Ram Damage: High

p. 39, C-torps ....................... Pilot skill = 5

p. 40 Parasite torps ............. Pilot Skill = 8, Drive 10

7223 Consolidated Master ........... Plaz Shell Cannon damage: ¥ should be yCannon Table Tachyon Cannon Damage: All

Tachyon Ram Damage: High

p. 37, Plasma Defense System PDS Systems work against Parasite Torpsas if they were normal Torps

7225 p. 7, Time Limits, ................ “the sixth game turn” should be “the eighth game turn”2nd paragraph

p. 10, Setup Diagram .......... Move asteroids one hex down

House Smash Chart ............ “Roll 1D4” should be “Roll 1D6”

House Lists, ......................... Add Fletcher to the Escorts listASP Technocracy

House Lists, Data Sphere, .. “3 – Bay” should be “3 – Bat”Mercenary

House Forces Worksheet .... House Forces only is lines 5-9House Forces or “Pre-Brood Imperium” is lines 10-14

Optional Rules, ................... Move asteroids down one hex.Setup Diagram

p. 14, Orca II ....................... Should be Orca Alpha.

p. 17, Winning Battles ........ Delete first sentence up until the colon ‘:’.

p. 18, Setup Diagram .......... Move everything down one hex.Remove the far left row of the top block of gray hexes.

Printed in: More Than Valor© 2000 by Iron Crown Enterprises, Inc. Permission granted to photocopy for personal use.

1 2 3 4 5 7 12 13 14 15 19 209 10 11 18171686GAME TURN RECORD TRACK

CRITICAL HITS

2 — Pilot killed. Black Widow maynot move or fire pilot weapons.Reduce Defensive Value to 5.

3 — Engines sputter momentarily.Black Widow’s Drive value isreduced to 2 until after nextgame turn.

4 — Electronic Warfare knockedout. Black Widow may nolonger jam torps. ReduceDefensive Value by 3.

5 — Targeting damaged. Reduce arandom Gunner's chance To Hitby 4.

6 — Shields damaged. ReduceDefensive Value by 4. PointDefense system is destroyed.

7 — Gunner dazed. One randomgunner may not fire his weaponsuntil after the next game turn.

8 — Gunner A killed. Gunner A'sweapons may not fire.

9 — Power Feed malfunctions.Randomly Reduce Splattergun'sdamage rating to Low+5, orPulse Lasers Damage to Low.

10 — Gunner B killed. Gunner B'sweapons may not fire.

11 — Torp load explosion. Take1D12 more hits for eachremaining torp.

12 — Massive structural collapse.Black Widow buckles andexplodes.

SPLATTERGUN SPECSShort Range: 1–2 hexes (+1 To Hit).Medium Range: 3–6 hexes.Long Range: 7–10 hexes (–1 To Hit).

PULSE LASER SPECSShort Range: 1–3 hexes (+1 To Hit).Medium Range: 4–9 hexes.Long Range: 10 hexes (–1 To Hit).

BP

V: 16

2I.D

.B

LAC

K W

IDO

W I

I TPV CrewPILOTPlt: __________Gnr: _________Luck: ________GUNNER AGnr: _________GUNNER BGnr: _________

Pilot5 Pulse Lasers (F)To Hit: 2D8+ADB+4

Damage: Low+4Range: 3/9/10

Dam

age ReductionD

efen

sive

Val

ue

(RQR)

Drive:(FQ

R)13

17

(RQL)

(FQL)

(F)

(R)

0

Tight Turn Cost:

_______+3

Mk. 10Torps

Decoys:

P-D: 1-6 (4)Dmg Con: 1-6Tons: 1000

BP

V: 16

2I.D

.B

LAC

K W

IDO

W I

I TPV CrewPILOTPlt: __________Gnr: _________Luck: ________GUNNER AGnr: _________GUNNER BGnr: _________

Pilot5 Pulse Lasers (F)To Hit: 2D8+ADB+4

Damage: Low+4Range: 3/9/10

Dam

age ReductionD

efen

sive

Val

ue

(RQR)

Drive:

(FQR)

13

17

(RQL)

(FQL)

(F)

(R)

0

Tight Turn Cost:

_______+3

Mk. 10Torps

Decoys:

P-D: 1-6 (4)Dmg Con: 1-6Tons: 1000

Gunner B5 Pulse Lasers (360°)To Hit: 2D8+ADB+4

Damage: Low+4Range: 3/9/10

bbbbbbwbtbbb#bbbbtbbbbbbW!t=bbbbbbbtbb9bbbbbtbbbbw=7btbbbbbbbbtb5bbbbbbtbbW=b3bbtbbwbbbbbt1bbbbbbbbX

DAMAGE TRACK

bbbbbbwbtbbb#bbbbtbbbbbbW!t=bbbbbbbtbb9bbbbbtbbbbw=7btbbbbbbbbtb5bbbbbbtbbW=b3bbtbbwbbbbbt1bbbbbbbbX

DAMAGE TRACK

Gunner A6 Splatterguns (360°)

To Hit: 2D6+ADB+5Damage: Medium+10

Range: 2/6/10

Pilot2 Meld Lasers (F)

To Hit: 2D8+ADB+1Damage: Medium+1Range: 6/18/20

Target SR ≤12

Gunner BMissile Launcher (360°)

Lock-on <_____

Gunner B5 Pulse Lasers (360°)To Hit: 2D8+ADB+4

Damage: Low+4Range: 3/9/10

Gunner A6 Splatterguns (360°)

To Hit: 2D6+ADB+5Damage: Medium+10

Range: 2/6/10

Pilot2 Meld Lasers (F)

To Hit: 2D8+ADB+1Damage: Medium+1Range: 6/18/20

Target SR ≤12

Gunner BMissile Launcher (360°)

Lock-on <_____

Printed in More Than Valor© 2000 by Iron Crown Enterprises, Inc. Permission granted to photocopy for personal use.

1 2 3 4 5 7 12 13 14 15 19 209 10 11 18171686GAME TURN RECORD TRACK

CRITICAL HITS

2 — Pilot killed. Death Wind maynot move, nor may the pilot’sweapons fire. Defensive Valuedrops to 5.

3 — Engine sputters. Death Windhas Drive 4 next game turn.Reduce Defensive Value by 4due to other damage.

4 — Electronic Warfare knockedout. Death Wind may no longerjam torps. Reduce DefensiveValue by 3.

5 — Maneuver Thrusters damaged.All turns cost 1 extra point toperform.

6 — Shields damaged. ReduceDefensive Value by 2.

7 — Pilot Impulsegun short. reduceDamage to Medium.

8 — Ion Ram Targeting malfunc-tion. Modify Ion Ram To Hitattempts by –2.

9 — Hull buckles. Reduce DefensiveValue by 3.

10 — Gunner killed. GunnerImpulsegun cannot be used.

11 — Controls lock up. Death Windmay not move nor fire until afternext game turn.

12 — Reactor detonates. DeathWind is no more.

IMPULSEGUN SPECSShort Range: 1–3 hexes (+1 To Hit).Medium Range: 4–8 hexes.Long Range: 9–10 hexes (–1 To Hit).

ION RAM SPECSShort Range: 1–5 hexes (+1 To Hit).Medium Range: 6–13 hexes.Long Range: 14–15 hexes (–1 To Hit).Target Speed Restriction: Target’s

Drive value must be ≤15.

BP

V: 6

1

I.D

.D

EA

TH

WIN

D I

II TPV CrewPILOTPlt: __________Gnr: _________Luck: ________GUNNERGnr: _________

b'bt;=$bWb#bbb@bb]!wbt0b=[9wb8b7t6531bbX

Dam

age ReductionD

efen

sive

Val

ue

(RQR)

Drive:

(FQR)

14

14

(RQL)

(FQL)

(R)

4

Tight Turn Cost:

_______+3

(F)

DAMAGE TRACK

Decoys: P-D: 1-4 (2)Dmg Con: 1-5Tons: 400

Pilot1 Ion Ram (F)

To Hit: 2D8+ADBDamage: All

Range: 5/13/15Target SR ≤15

Pilot1 Impulsegun (F)To Hit: 2D8+ADB

Damage: HighRange: 3/8/10

Gunner1 Impulsegun(RQL) (R) (RQR)

To Hit: 2D8+ADBDamage: High

Range: 3/8/10

Mk. 20Torps

BP

V: 6

1

I.D

.D

EA

TH

WIN

D I

II TPV CrewPILOTPlt: __________Gnr: _________Luck: ________GUNNERGnr: _________

b'bt;=$bWb#bbb@bb]!wbt0b=[9wb8b7t6531bbX

Dam

age ReductionD

efen

sive

Val

ue

(RQR)

Drive:

(FQR)

14

14

(RQL)

(FQL)

(R)

4

Tight Turn Cost:

_______+3

(F)

DAMAGE TRACK

Decoys: P-D: 1-4 (2)Dmg Con: 1-5Tons: 400

Pilot1 Ion Ram (F)

To Hit: 2D8+ADBDamage: All

Range: 5/13/15Target SR ≤15

Pilot1 Impulsegun (F)To Hit: 2D8+ADB

Damage: HighRange: 3/8/10

Gunner1 Impulsegun(RQL) (R) (RQR)

To Hit: 2D8+ADBDamage: High

Range: 3/8/10

Mk. 20Torps

REARCRITICAL HITS

RIGHT SIDECRITICAL HITS

LEFT SIDECRITICAL HITS

FRONTCRITICAL HITS

Pilot2 Pulse Lasers (F)To Hit: 2D8+ADB+1

Damage: Low+1Range: 3/9/10

TPV

(RQR)

Tight Turn Cost:

_______+4

b+bbb]b=bb+bb[bb=bwb+bbbb+bwbbbbXbb+bbbb+tbbb+bbwb+bbX

REAR DAMAGE TRACK

4

(FQR)

Drive:

(FQL)

(R)

(F)Defensive Value

12

3 3

(RQL)

8

CrewPILOTPlt: __________Gnr: _________Luck: ________GUNNER AGnr: _________GUNNER BGnr: _________GUNNER CGnr: _________GUNNER DGnr: _________

RIGHT SIDEDAMAGE TRACK

LEFT SIDEDAMAGE TRACK

bbbbbbb;bbb=bbbbb]bwbbb+btbbb[b=bbbbbwbbb+bbbbbbXbbbbbbWbbbX

2 — Pilot dazed. Drakar may notmove nor fire Pilot's weaponuntil after next game turn.

3 — Launch!!! 1D4 Launchers do 1point of damage per remainingMissile. Each launcher damagesa random damage track.

4 — Shields damaged. ReduceDefensive Value by 1.

5 — Too tough! No extra damage.6 — Ion Short. Weapon out until

after next game turn.7 — Gunner A killed. Gunner A's

weapons may not be fired.8 — Cockpit Controls smashed.

Drakar may not move.

2 — Ouch! Take 5 more hits here.3 — Pulse Laser B damaged.

Weapon suffers a –2 To Hit.4 — Shields damaged. Reduce

Defensive Value by 1.5 — Launch!!! 1D4 Launchers do 1

point of damage per remainingMissile. Each launcher damagesa random damage track.

6 — System Short. All B Launchersout until after next game turn.

7 — Gunner B killed. Lose use ofGunner B’s weapons.

8 — Electronic Warfare gone.Drakar cannot jam torps.Reduce Defensive Value by 2.

2 — Ouch! Take 5 more hits here.3 — Pulse Laser C damaged.

Weapon suffers a –2 To Hit.4 — Shields damaged. Reduce

Defensive Value by 1.5 — Launch!!! 1D4 Launchers do 1

point of damage per remainingMissile. Each launcher damagesa random damage track.

6 — System Short. All C Launchersout until after next game turn.

7 — Gunner C killed. Lose use ofGunner C’s weapons.

8 — Electronic Warfare gone.Drakar cannot jam torps.Reduce Defensive Value by 2.

2 — Heavy Structural Damage.Take 15 hits on rear; 5 hits toLeft and Right Damage Tracks.

3 — Missiles Go Boom. RemainingMissiles detonate in groups of10 (High +10). Apply each groupto random Damage Track.

4 — Shields damaged. ReduceDefensive Value by 1.

5 — Gunner D’s Pulse Lasers hit.Reduce chance to hit by 2.

6 — Maneuver Thrusters hit. Allturns cost +1 movement point.

7 — Gunner D killed. Lose use ofGunner D’s weapons.

8 — Reactor Detonates. History.

Printed in More Than Valor © 2000 by Iron Crown Enterprises, Inc. Permission granted to photocopy for personal use.

Decoys: P-D: 1-6 (6)Dmg Con: 1-8Tons: 1000

Gunner A1 Ion Ram (360°)To Hit: 2D8+ADB

Damage: AllRange: 3/8/15Target SR ≤15

Gunner C2 Pulse Lasers

(F) (FQR)To Hit: 2D8+ADB+1

Damage: Low+1Range: 3/9/10

Gunner D2 Pulse Lasers (R)To Hit: 2D8+ADB+1

Damage: Low+1Range: 3/9/10

2

bbbbbbbb'bbb=bwbbbb;bbbbWbbbbbb]bbbwbbbbbbbbwb[bbbbbbbbbbbbtbbbbXbbbbbbX

FRONT DAMAGE TRACK

Gunner AMissile Launcher (F) (FQR)

Lock-on <____

Gunner B

2 Pulse Lasers(FQL) (F)

To Hit: 2D8+ADB+1Damage: Low+1Range: 3/9/10

Gunner BMissile

Launcher(FQL) (F)

Lock-on <____

BP

V: 16

5I.D

.D

RA

KA

R E

X

Gunner CMissile

Launcher(F) (FQR)

Lock-on <____

Gunner CMissile

Launcher(FQR) (RQR)

Lock-on <____

Gunner DMissile Launcher (R) (RQR)

Lock-on <____

Gunner BMissile

Launcher(FQL) (RQL)

Lock-on <____

Gunner DMissile Launcher (RQL) (R)

Lock-on <____

Gunner AMissile Launcher (FQL) (F)

Lock-on <____

Mk. 10Torps

Mk. 30Torps

Mk. 40Torps

bbbbbbb;bbb=bbbbb]bwbbb+btbbb[b=bbbbbwbbb+bbbbbbXbbbbbbWbbbX

Printed in More Than Valor© 2000 by Iron Crown Enterprises, Inc. Permission granted to photocopy for personal use.

1 2 3 4 5 7 12 13 14 15 19 209 10 11 18171686GAME TURN RECORD TRACK

2 — Pilot killed. Night Hawk mayperform no further actions.Defensive Value drops to 5.

3 — Engines sputter. Night Hawkmay only use 3 movement pointsnext turn. Reduce DefensiveValue by 6.

4 — Electronic Warfare knockedout. Night Hawk may no longerjam torps. Reduce DefensiveValue by 5.

5 — Maneuver Thrusters damaged.All turns, including tight turns,cost one extra movement pointto perform.

6 — Shields damaged. ReduceDefensive Value by 2.

7 — Drive hit. Reduce drive by halffor one turn.

8 — Splattergun Targetersdamaged. Splatterguns may notbe fired until after the next gameturn.

9 — Hull compromised. ReduceDefensive Value by 4.

10 — Severe structural damage.Reduce Defensive Value by 6.Modify Night Hawk’s further ToHit attempts by –4.

11 — Pilot dazed. Night Hawk maynot move or fire until after thenext game turn.

12 — Reactor hit. Night Hawkexplodes and is utterly de-stroyed.

SPLATTERGUN SPECSShort Range: 1–2 hexes (+1 To Hit).Medium Range: 3–6 hexes.Long Range: 7–10 hexes (–1 To Hit).

CRITICAL HITS Pilot6 Splatterguns (F)To Hit: 2D6+ADB+5

Damage: Medium+10Range: 2/6/10

BP

V: 6

4I.D

.N

IGH

T H

AW

K E

X TPV CrewPILOTPlt: __________Gnr: _________Luck: ________

Dam

age ReductionD

efen

sive

Val

ue

(RQR)

Drive:

(FQR)

17

13

(FQL)

(R)

2

Tight Turn Cost:

_______+3

(F)

(RQL)

DAMAGE TRACK

bb&bbb^bb]%b=b$b[#b@b=!b0w9b7b6b5b4b31X

Decoys: P-D: 1-6 (2)Dmg Con: 1-3Tons: 300

CREW INFORMATIONSquadron Leader :

Craig “Blindspot” O'Brien

Pilot Stats:• Pilot 12,• Gunner 9

Skills:• Hangs Fire 2,• Marksman 3.

Quirks:• Always Checks His Six.

Printed in More Than Valor© 2000 by Iron Crown Enterprises, Inc. Permission granted to photocopy for personal use.

1 2 3 4 5 7 12 13 14 15 19 209 10 11 18171686GAME TURN RECORD TRACK

2 — Crew killed. Salamander mayperform no further actions.Defensive Value drops to 5.

3 — Engines sputter. Salamandermay only use 3 movement pointsnext game turn. ReduceDefensive Value by 5 due toadditional damage.

4 — Electronic Warfare knockedout. Salamander may no longerjam torps. Reduce DefensiveValue by 3.

5 — Maneuver Thrusters damaged.All turns, including tight turns,cost one extra movement pointto perform.

6 — Shields damaged. ReduceDefensive Value by 2.

7 — Meld Lasers hit. It may not fireuntil after next game turn

8 — Torp Targeting Scannerdamaged. No torpedoes may befired until after the next gameturn.

9 — Hull buckles. Reduce DefensiveValue by 4 and lose one torp ofthe pilot’s choice.

10 — Gunner killed. Salamander mayno longer use the Splatterguns.

11 — Pilot dazed. Salamander maynot move or fire the Meld orPulse Lasers until after the nextgame turn.

12 — Reactor hit. Salamanderexplodes into oblivion.

MELD LASER SPECSShort Range: 1–6 hexes (+1 To Hit).Medium Range: 7–18 hexes.Long Range: 19–20 hexes (–1 To Hit).Target SR: ≤ 12

SPLATTERGUN SPECSShort Range: 1–2 hexes (+1 To Hit).Medium Range: 3–6 hexes.Long Range: 7–10 hexes (–1 To Hit).

PULSE LASER SPECSShort Range: 1–3 hexes (+1 To Hit).Medium Range: 4–9 hexes.Long Range: 10 hexes (–1 To Hit).

CRITICAL HITS

Gunner2 Splatterguns(RQL) (R) (RQR)

To Hit: 2D6+ADB+1Damage: Medium+2

Range: 2/6/10

Pilot1 Meld Laser (F)To Hit: 2D8+ADBDamage: MediumRange: 6/18/20

Target SR≤12

TPV CrewPILOTPlt: __________Gnr: _________Luck: ________GUNNERGnr: _________

DAMAGE TRACK

BP

V: 6

4 I.

D.

SA

LAM

AN

DE

R I

II

bb^bb%;w$b=#t]@Wbb!b[t0=bT9b8w7b6b5t4b321tbbX

Mk. 40Torp

Mk. 10Torps

Dam

age ReductionD

efen

sive

Val

ue

(RQR)

Drive:

(FQR)

16

12

(RQL)

(FQL)

(F)

(R)

3

Tight Turn Cost:

_______+3

Pilot4 Pulse Lasers (F)To Hit: 2D8+ADB+3

Damage: Low+3Range: 3/9/10

Decoys: P-D: 1-7 (2)Dmg Con: 1-6Tons: 400

Gunner2 Splatterguns(RQL) (R) (RQR)

To Hit: 2D6+ADB+1Damage: Medium+2

Range: 2/6/10

Pilot1 Meld Laser (F)To Hit: 2D8+ADBDamage: MediumRange: 6/18/20

Target SR≤12

TPV CrewPILOTPlt: __________Gnr: _________Luck: ________GUNNERGnr: _________

DAMAGE TRACK

BP

V: 6

4 I.

D.

SA

LAM

AN

DE

R I

II

bb^bb%;w$b=#t]@Wbb!b[t0=bT9b8w7b6b5t4b321tbbX

Mk. 40Torp

Mk. 10Torps

Dam

age ReductionD

efen

sive

Val

ue

(RQR)

Drive:

(FQR)

16

12

(RQL)

(FQL)

(F)

(R)

3

Tight Turn Cost:

_______+3

Pilot4 Pulse Lasers (F)To Hit: 2D8+ADB+3

Damage: Low+3Range: 3/9/10

Decoys: P-D: 1-7 (2)Dmg Con: 1-6Tons: 400

CRITICAL HITS

Printed in More Than Valor© 2000 by Iron Crown Enterprises, Inc. Permission granted to photocopy for personal use.

2 — Pilot dazed. Samurai may notmove or fire until after nextgame turn.

3 — Engines sputter momentarily.Samurai Drive value is reducedto 3 until after next game turn.

4 — Electronic Warfare knockedout. Samurai may no longer jamtorps. Reduce Defensive Valueby 3.

5 — Maneuver Thrusters damaged.All turns, including tight turns,cost 1 extra movement point toperform.

6 — Shields damaged. ReduceDefensive Value by 2.

7 — Protobolter hit. Lose half itsremaining ammo.

8 — Maneuver Thrusters destroyed.Samurai may no longer perormtight turns.

9 — Hull buckles. ProtoboltProjector loses 2 Protobolts.Reduce Defensive Value by 3.

10 — Targeting System knocked off-line. Samurai may not fire untilafter next game turn.

11 — Pulse Laser Targetersdamaged. All further PulseLaser To Hit and Damage suffera –4 modifier.

12 — Massive structural collapse.Samurai breaks up into chunksof useless scrap metal.

PROTOBOLT SPECSShort Range: 5–8 hexes (+1 To Hit).Medium Range: 9–12 hexes.Long Range: 13–16 hexes (–1 To Hit).Target Speed Restriction: Target’s

Drive value must be ≤14.

PULSE LASER SPECSShort Range: 1–3 hexes (+1 To Hit).Medium Range: 4–9 hexes.Long Range: 10 hexes (–1 To Hit).

TPV CrewPILOTPlt: __________Gnr: _________Luck: ________GUNNERGnr: _________

Dam

age ReductionD

efen

sive

Val

ue

Drive:

(FQR)

15

15

(FQL)

1

Tight Turn Cost:

_______+3

BP

V: 6

8I.D

.S

AM

UR

AI

DAMAGE TRACK

Decoys: P-D: 1-7 (5)Dmg Con: 1-4Tons: 400

(R)

(F)

(RQR)

(RQL)

Pilot1 Protobolt Projector (F)

To Hit: 2D6+ADBDamage: 10/8/6

Range: 5-8/12/16Target SR ≤14

Pilot4 Pulse Lasers (F)To Hit: 2D8+ADB+4

Damage: LowRange: 3/9/10

%bbb$bbbb@b=b[b0bwbb9=bbbb8bwbb7bb65b42X

TPV CrewPILOTPlt: __________Gnr: _________Luck: ________GUNNERGnr: _________

Dam

age ReductionD

efen

sive

Val

ue

Drive:

(FQR)

15

15

(FQL)

1

Tight Turn Cost:

_______+3

BP

V: 6

8I.D

.S

AM

UR

AI

DAMAGE TRACK

Decoys: P-D: 1-7 (5)Dmg Con: 1-4Tons: 400

(R)

(F)

(RQR)

(RQL)

Pilot1 Protobolt Projector (F)

To Hit: 2D6+ADBDamage: 10/8/6

Range: 5-8/12/16Target SR ≤14

Pilot4 Pulse Lasers (F)To Hit: 2D8+ADB+4

Damage: LowRange: 3/9/10

%bbb$bbbb@b=b[b0bwbb9=bbbb8bwbb7bb65b42X

CRITICAL HITS

Printed in More Than Valor© 2000 by Iron Crown Enterprises, Inc. Permission granted to photocopy for personal use.

2 — Pilot dazed. Samurai may notmove or fire until after nextgame turn.

3 — Engines sputter momentarily.Samurai Drive value is reducedto 3 until after next game turn.

4 — Electronic Warfare knockedout. Samurai may no longer jamtorps. Reduce Defensive Valueby 3.

5 — Maneuver Thrusters damaged.All turns, including tight turns,cost 1 extra movement point toperform.

6 — Shields damaged. ReduceDefensive Value by 2.

7 — Meld Laser Damaged. ChangeMedl Laser Damage to Low.

8 — Maneuver Thrusters destroyed.Samurai may no longer perormtight turns.

9 — Hull buckles. Mark off allremaining Torps. ReduceDefensive Value by 3.

10 — Targeting System knocked off-line. Samurai may not fire untilafter next game turn.

11 — Pulse Laser Targetersdamaged. All further PulseLaser To Hit and Damage suffera –4 modifier.

12 — Massive structural collapse.Samurai breaks up into chunksof useless scrap metal.

MELD LASER SPECSShort Range: 6 hexes (+1 To Hit).Medium Range: 7–18 hexes.Long Range: 19–20 hexes (–1 To Hit).Target Speed Restriction: Target’s

Drive value must be ≤12.

PULSE LASER SPECSShort Range: 1–3 hexes (+1 To Hit).Medium Range: 4–9 hexes.Long Range: 10 hexes (–1 To Hit).

TPV CrewPILOTPlt: __________Gnr: _________Luck: ________GUNNERGnr: _________

Dam

age ReductionD

efen

sive

Val

ue

Drive:

(FQR)

15

15

(FQL)

1

Tight Turn Cost:

_______+3

BP

V: 7

5I.D

.S

AM

UR

AI

II

DAMAGE TRACK

Decoys: P-D: 1-7 (5)Dmg Con: 1-4Tons: 400

(R)

(F)

(RQR)

(RQL)

PilotMeld Laser (F)

To Hit: 2D8+ADBDamage: MediumRange: 6/18/20

Target SR ≤12

Pilot6 Pulse Lasers (F)To Hit: 2D8+ADB+5

Damage: Low+5Range: 3/9/10

%btb$bbtb@b=b[t0bwbb9=tbbb8twbb7bt65b42X

Mk. 30Torps

TPV CrewPILOTPlt: __________Gnr: _________Luck: ________GUNNERGnr: _________

Dam

age ReductionD

efen

sive

Val

ue

Drive:

(FQR)

15

15

(FQL)

1

Tight Turn Cost:

_______+3

BP

V: 7

5I.D

.S

AM

UR

AI

II

DAMAGE TRACK

Decoys: P-D: 1-7 (5)Dmg Con: 1-4Tons: 400

(R)

(F)

(RQR)

(RQL)

PilotMeld Laser (F)

To Hit: 2D8+ADBDamage: MediumRange: 6/18/20

Target SR ≤12

Pilot6 Pulse Lasers (F)To Hit: 2D8+ADB+5

Damage: Low+5Range: 3/9/10

%btb$bbtb@b=b[t0bwbb9=tbbb8twbb7bt65b42X

Mk. 30Torps

2 — Pilot dazed. Seraph may notmove or fire the pilot’s weaponsuntil after the next game turn. .

3 — Missile Launcher jam. RandomMissile Launcher may not befired until after the next gameturn.

4 — Electronic Warfare knockedout. Seraph may no longer jamtorps. Reduce Defensive Valueby 3.

5 — Maneuver Thrusters damaged.All turns cost 1 extra movementpoint to perform.

6 — Shields damaged. ReduceDefensive Value by 1.

7 — Decoys blown away. Seraphloses all its decoys.

8 — Torp Targeting Scannerdamaged. No torpedoes may befired until after the next gameturn.

9 — Torp Discharger malfunction.Lose 1D4 remaining torps of thepilot’s choice. Reduce DefensiveValue by 2.

10 — Pilot dazed. Seraph may notmove or fire the pilot’s weaponsuntil after the next game turn. .

11 — Pulse Laser performanceimpeded. Reduce Damagerating to Low +1.

12 — Reactor hit. Sadly, the Seraphis no more.

PULSE LASER SPECSShort Range: 1–3 hexes (+1 To Hit).Medium Range: 4–9 hexes.Long Range: 10 hexes (–1 To Hit).

Printed in More Than Valor© 2000 by Iron Crown Enterprises, Inc. Permission granted to photocopy for personal use.

CRITICAL HITSTPV CrewPILOTPlt: __________Gnr: _________Luck: ________

DAMAGE TRACK

Mk. 50Torp

Dam

age ReductionD

efen

sive

Val

ue

(RQR)

Drive:

(FQR)

16

12

(RQL)

(FQL)

(F)

(R)

4Tight Turn Cost:

_______+3

Pilot6 Pulse Lasers (F)To Hit: 2D8+ADB+5

Damage: Low+5Range: 3/9/10

PilotMissile Launcher (F)

Lock-on <___

Decoys:

P-D: 1-7 (5)Dmg Con: 1-6Tons: 800

PilotMissile Launcher (F)

Lock-on <___

BP

V: 14

9

I.D

.S

ER

AP

H E

X

Mk. 20Torps

Mk. 10Torps

btb^bbbb%bTbb$twbb#=tbbb@bbbbb!t'bb0b;tbb9TWb]8bb7=bTbb[b6bbTbbtb5bbbbtbb4Twbbbb3b=btbbb2bbbTbbt1bbX

CREW INFORMATIONSquadron Chief :

Richard “Porkins” Dufault

Pilot Stats:• Pilot 9,• Gunner 11

Skills:• Never a Useless Move 3,• Hangs Fire 3,• Sharpshooter 2.

Quirks:• Counts Coup,• Always Checks His Six.

MK 20 Launch TableWhen Launching MK 20torpedoes, roll a D8 for eachtarget, then consult the tablebelow:

1 — Torpedo(s) fires F as normal2 — Torpedo(s) fires FQR3 — Torpedo(s) fires RQR4 — Torpedo(s) fires R5 — Torpedo(s) fires RQL6 — Torpedo(s) fires FQL7 — Misfire! No torpedos launch

this turn. Player must make asuccessful damage control rollto restore system to operationbefore a new launch attemptcan be made.

8 — Gangfire! All remainingtorpedos in the launchergangfire at the originallydesignated target. Talk aboutoverkill...

Printed in More Than Valor© 2000 by Iron Crown Enterprises, Inc. Permission granted to photocopy for personal use.

1 2 3 4 5 7 12 13 14 15 19 209 10 11 18171686GAME TURN RECORD TRACK

CRITICAL HITS

2 — Pilot killed. Shark may performno further actions. DefensiveValue drops to 5.

3 — Engines sputter. Shark mayonly use 3 movement points nextturn. Reduce Defensive Value by5.

4 — Electronic Warfare knockedout. Shark may no longer jamtorps. Reduce Defensive Valueby 4.

5 — Maneuver Thrusters damaged.All turns, including tight turns,cost one extra movement pointto perform.

6 — Shields damaged. ReduceDefensive Value by 2.

7 — Ion Ram damaged. ReduceDamage to High.

8 — Impulsegun Targeting dam-aged. Reduce chance To Hit by3.

9 — Hull compromised. ReduceDefensive Value by 3.

10 — Severe structural damage.Reduce Defensive Value by 5.Modify Shark’s further To Hitattempts by –4.

11 — Pilot dazed. Shark may notmove or fire until after the nextgame turn.

12 — Reactor hit. Shark is destroyed.

IMPULSEGUN SPECSShort Range: 1–3 hexes (+1 To Hit).Medium Range: 4–8 hexes.Long Range: 9–10 hexes (–1 To Hit).

ION RAM SPECSShort Range: 1–5 hexes (+1 To Hit).Medium Range: 6–13 hexes.Long Range: 14–15 hexes (–1 To Hit).Target Speed Restriction: Target’s

Drive value must be ≤15.

Pilot1 Impulsegun (F)To Hit: 2D8+ADB

Damage: HighRange: 3/8/10

BP

V: 3

9I.D

.S

HA

RK

II TPV Crew

PILOTPlt: __________Gnr: _________Luck: ________

Pilot1 Ion Ram (F)

To Hit: 2D8+ADBDamage: All

Range: 5/13/15Target SR ≤15

Dam

age ReductionD

efen

sive

Val

ue

(RQR)

Drive:

(FQR)

15

15

(FQL)

(R)

2

Tight Turn Cost:

_______+3

(F)

(RQL)

DAMAGE TRACK

bbb%]bb$bw=@[b0bb8bw6=b4bb2bbX

Decoys: P-D: 1-3 (1)Dmg Con: 1-2Tons: 300

Pilot1 Impulsegun (F)To Hit: 2D8+ADB

Damage: HighRange: 3/8/10

BP

V: 3

9I.D

.S

HA

RK

II TPV Crew

PILOTPlt: __________Gnr: _________Luck: ________

Pilot1 Ion Ram (F)

To Hit: 2D8+ADBDamage: All

Range: 5/13/15Target SR ≤15

Dam

age ReductionD

efen

sive

Val

ue

(RQR)

Drive:

(FQR)

15

15

(FQL)

(R)

2

Tight Turn Cost:

_______+3

(F)

(RQL)

DAMAGE TRACK

bbb%]bb$bw=@[b0bb8bw6=b4bb2bbX

Decoys: P-D: 1-3 (1)Dmg Con: 1-2Tons: 300

Printed in More Than Valor© 2000 by Iron Crown Enterprises, Inc. Permission granted to photocopy for personal use.

1 2 3 4 5 7 12 13 14 15 19 209 10 11 18171686GAME TURN RECORD TRACK

CRITICAL HITS

2 — Crew killed. Sorenson mayperform no further actions.Defensive Value drops to 5.

3 — Engines sputter. Sorensen mayonly use 2 movement points nextgame turn. Reduce DefensiveValue by 3 due to additionaldamage.

4 — Electronic Warfare knockedout. Sorensen may no longerjam torps. Reduce DefensiveValue by 2.

5 — Maneuver Thrusters damaged.All turns, cost one extramovement point to perform.

6 — Shields damaged. ReduceDefensive Value by 1.

7 — Weapon system damaged.Randomly reduce chance To Hitby 2 on Minigun or Autocannon.

8 — Torp Targeting Scannerdamaged. No torpedoes may befired until after the next gameturn.

9 — Hull breached. ReduceDefensive Value by 3 and losetwo torps of the pilot’s choice.

10 — Gunner killed. Gunner Minigunsmay no longer be fired.

11 — Pilot dazed. Sorensen may notmove or fire the Autocannonsuntil after the next game turn.The gunner may still fire whilethe pilot is dazed.

12 — Reactor hit. Sorensen burstsinto an array of dust and spacejunk.

AUTOCANNON SPECSShort Range: 1–3 hexes (+1 To Hit).Medium Range: 4–10 hexes.Long Range: 11–24 hexes (–1 To Hit).Target Speed Restriction: Target’s

Drive value must be ≤12.

MINIGUN SPECSShort Range: 1–2 hexes (+1 To Hit).Medium Range: 3–5 hexes.Long Range: 6–12 hexes (–1 To Hit).

BP

V: 6

8I.D

.S

OR

EN

SO

N I

VTPV Crew

PILOTPlt: __________Gnr: _________Luck: ________GUNNERGnr: _________

DAMAGE TRACK

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Mk. 10Torps

Pilot4 Autocannons (F)To Hit: 2D6+ADB+3Damage: Med+3†Range: 3/10/24

Target SR ≤12

Gunner4 Miniguns (360°)To Hit: 2D6+ADB+3Damage: Low+3†Range: 2/5/12

Decoys: P-D: 1-4 (2)Dmg Con: 1-6Tons: 600

Dam

age ReductionD

efen

sive

Val

ue

(RQR)

Drive:

(F)

(FQR)

12

12

(RQL)

(FQL)

(R)

3

Tight Turn Cost:

_______+3

Mk. 40Torps

BP

V: 6

8I.D

.S

OR

EN

SO

N I

V

TPV CrewPILOTPlt: __________Gnr: _________Luck: ________GUNNERGnr: _________

DAMAGE TRACK

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Mk. 10Torps

Pilot4 Autocannons (F)To Hit: 2D6+ADB+3Damage: Med+3†Range: 3/10/24

Target SR ≤12

Gunner4 Miniguns (360°)To Hit: 2D6+ADB+3Damage: Low+3†Range: 2/5/12

Decoys: P-D: 1-4 (2)Dmg Con: 1-6Tons: 600

Dam

age ReductionD

efen

sive

Val

ue

(RQR)

Drive:

(F)

(FQR)

12

12

(RQL)

(FQL)

(R)

3

Tight Turn Cost:

_______+3

Mk. 40Torps

Printed in More Than Valor© 2000 by Iron Crown Enterprises, Inc. Permission granted to photocopy for personal use.

1 2 3 4 5 7 12 13 14 15 19 209 10 11 18171686GAME TURN RECORD TRACK

2 — Pilot killed. Talon may performno further actions. DefensiveValue drops to 5.

3 — Hull breached. Reduce Talon’sDefensive Value by 6.

4 — Electronic Warfare knockedout. Talon may no longer jamtorps. Reduce Defensive Valueby 4.

5 — Maneuver Thrusters damaged.All turns cost 1 extra movementpoint to perform. ReduceDefensive Value by 2.

6 — Shields damaged. ReduceDefensive Value by 1.

7 — Stabilizers damaged. All turnscost 1 extra movement point.

8 — Evade Thrusters hit. ReduceDefensive Value by 2.

9 — Disruptorgun Targetersdamaged. All furtherDisruptorgun To Hit attemptssuffer a –2 modifier.

10 — Engines momentarily losepower. Reduce current Drivevalue to 4 until after next gameturn.

11 — Pilot dazed. Talon may notmove or discharge any weaponuntil after the next game turn.

12 — Reactor hit. Talon explodes intoa ball of molten slag.

DISRUPTORGUN SPECSShort Range: 1 hex (+1 To Hit).Medium Range: 2 hexes.Long Range: 3–6 hexes (–1 To Hit).§ If target’s Defensive Value has not

been reduced by a critical hit, add 1to its Defensive Value. Also,completely ignore target’s DamageReduction when resolving a hit.

CRITICAL HITSB

PV

: 3

3

I

.D.

TA

LON

III TPV

DAMAGE TRACK

Dam

age ReductionD

efen

sive

Val

ue

(RQR)

Drive:

(FQR)

15

14

(RQL)

(FQL)

(R)

CrewPILOTPlt: __________Gnr: _________Luck: ________

(F)

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Tight Turn Cost:

_______+3

Mk. 10Torp

3

Decoys: P-D: 1-5 (2)Dmg Con: 1-3Tons: 270

Pilot2 Disruptorguns (F)To Hit: 2D8+ADB+1

Damage: Medium+1 §Range: 1/2/6

PilotMissile Launcher (F)

Lock-on <___

BP

V: 3

3

I

.D.

TA

LON

III TPV

DAMAGE TRACK

Dam

age ReductionD

efen

sive

Val

ue

(RQR)

Drive:

(FQR)

15

14

(RQL)

(FQL)

(R)

CrewPILOTPlt: __________Gnr: _________Luck: ________

(F)

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Tight Turn Cost:

_______+3

Mk. 10Torp

3

Decoys: P-D: 1-5 (2)Dmg Con: 1-3Tons: 270

Pilot2 Disruptorguns (F)To Hit: 2D8+ADB+1

Damage: Medium+1 §Range: 1/2/6

PilotMissile Launcher (F)

Lock-on <___

Printed in More Than Valor© 2000 by Iron Crown Enterprises, Inc. Permission granted to photocopy for personal use.

1 2 3 4 5 7 12 13 14 15 19 209 10 11 18171686GAME TURN RECORD TRACK

CRITICAL HITS2 — Pilot dazed. Teal Hawk may not

move or fire until after the nextgame turn.

3 — Engines sputter. Teal Hawkmay only use 4 movement pointsnext game turn. ReduceDefensive Value by 6 due toadditional damage.

4 — Electronic Warfare knockedout. Teal Hawk may no longerjam torps. Reduce DefensiveValue by 5.

5 — Maneuver Thrusters damaged.All turns, including tight turns,cost one extra movement pointto perform.

6 — Shields damaged. ReduceDefensive Value by 2.

7 — Ion capacitors Short. ReduceIon Ram Damage to High.

8 — Pulse laser Targeters dam-aged. Lower Pulse lasers maynot be fired until after the nextgame turn.

9 — Hull compromised. ReduceDefensive Value by 4.

10 — Gunner killed. Teal Hawk maynot use the gunner’s ADB for theBlatgun weapon system.

11 — Pilot dazed. Teal Hawk may notmove or fire until after the nextgame turn.

12 — Reactor hit. Teal Hawkexplodes and is destroyed.

ION RAM SPECSShort Range: 1–5 hexes (+1 To Hit).Medium Range: 6–13 hexes.Long Range: 14–15 hexes (–1 To Hit).Target Speed Restriction: Target’s

Drive value must be ≤15.

PULSE LASER SPECSShort Range: 1–3 hexes (+1 To Hit).Medium Range: 4–9 hexes.Long Range: 10 hexes (–1 To Hit).

BP

V: 7

3 I.

D.

TE

AL H

AW

K E

X TPV CrewPILOTPlt: __________Gnr: _________Luck: ________

PilotIon Ram (F)

To Hit: 2D8+ADBDamage: All

Range: 5/13/15Target SR ≤15

Mk. 10Torp

DAMAGE TRACK

Decoys: P-D: 1-6 (2)Dmg Con: 1-2Tons: 300

Dam

age ReductionD

efen

sive

Val

ue

(RQR)

Drive:

(FQR)

18

14

(RQL)

(FQL)

(R)

(F)

4

Tight Turn Cost:

_______+3

Pilot6 Pulse Lasers (F)To Hit: 2D8+ADB+5

Damage: Low+5Range: 3/9/10

CREW INFORMATIONSquadron Leader:

I8U “Spam” Model 240

Pilot Stats:• Pilot 10,• Gunner 12

Skills:• Assassin 3,• Hangs Fire 3,• Sharpshooter 2.

Quirks:• Flies by the Book,• Natural Pilot.

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ORDER OF FIRE

GUNNER SHIP GNRSkill ID Attack Dice/Lock-on Damage ARCs Skills/Quirks

12,11,10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 (FQL)(F)(FQR)(RQL)(R)(RQR)

12,11,10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 (FQL)(F)(FQR)(RQL)(R)(RQR)

12,11,10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 (FQL)(F)(FQR)(RQL)(R)(RQR)

12,11,10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 (FQL)(F)(FQR)(RQL)(R)(RQR)

12,11,10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 (FQL)(F)(FQR)(RQL)(R)(RQR)

12,11,10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 (FQL)(F)(FQR)(RQL)(R)(RQR)

12,11,10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 (FQL)(F)(FQR)(RQL)(R)(RQR)

12,11,10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 (FQL)(F)(FQR)(RQL)(R)(RQR)

12,11,10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 (FQL)(F)(FQR)(RQL)(R)(RQR)

12,11,10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 (FQL)(F)(FQR)(RQL)(R)(RQR)

12,11,10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 (FQL)(F)(FQR)(RQL)(R)(RQR)

12,11,10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 (FQL)(F)(FQR)(RQL)(R)(RQR)

12,11,10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 (FQL)(F)(FQR)(RQL)(R)(RQR)

12,11,10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 (FQL)(F)(FQR)(RQL)(R)(RQR)

12,11,10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 (FQL)(F)(FQR)(RQL)(R)(RQR)

12,11,10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 (FQL)(F)(FQR)(RQL)(R)(RQR)

12,11,10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 (FQL)(F)(FQR)(RQL)(R)(RQR)

12,11,10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 (FQL)(F)(FQR)(RQL)(R)(RQR)

12,11,10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 (FQL)(F)(FQR)(RQL)(R)(RQR)

12,11,10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 (FQL)(F)(FQR)(RQL)(R)(RQR)

12,11,10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 (FQL)(F)(FQR)(RQL)(R)(RQR)

12,11,10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 (FQL)(F)(FQR)(RQL)(R)(RQR)

12,11,10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 (FQL)(F)(FQR)(RQL)(R)(RQR)

12,11,10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 (FQL)(F)(FQR)(RQL)(R)(RQR)

12,11,10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 (FQL)(F)(FQR)(RQL)(R)(RQR)

12,11,10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 (FQL)(F)(FQR)(RQL)(R)(RQR)

12,11,10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 (FQL)(F)(FQR)(RQL)(R)(RQR)

12,11,10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 (FQL)(F)(FQR)(RQL)(R)(RQR)

12,11,10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 (FQL)(F)(FQR)(RQL)(R)(RQR)

12,11,10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 (FQL)(F)(FQR)(RQL)(R)(RQR)

12,11,10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 (FQL)(F)(FQR)(RQL)(R)(RQR)

12,11,10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 (FQL)(F)(FQR)(RQL)(R)(RQR)

12,11,10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 (FQL)(F)(FQR)(RQL)(R)(RQR)

List Gun Crews first, then Gunners, then Pilots. Mark off unused arcs. Escorts designate Bow(B) or Stern(S)to the left of the given arcs. If weapon is destroyed, mark off Attack Dice for that weapon. If a crewman iskilled, make a note next to that Gunner ID. Update this form between turns.

ID

CONSOLIDATED MASTER CANNON TABLECONSOLIDATED MASTER CANNON TABLECONSOLIDATED MASTER CANNON TABLECONSOLIDATED MASTER CANNON TABLECONSOLIDATED MASTER CANNON TABLEBase To Hit Modifiers Target

Weapon Attack Short Mid Long SpeedType Dice (+1) (0) (-1) Restrictions Damage

Terran WeaponsMass Driver CannonsMinigun 2D6+ADB 1-2 3-5 6-12 None Low †Autocannon 2D6+ADB 1-3 4-10 11-24 Drive ≤10 Medium †Railrepeator 2D6+ADB 1-4 5-15 16-36 Drive ≤6 High †Laser CannonsPulse Laser 2D8+ADB 1-3 4-9 10 None LowMeld Laser 2D8+ADB 1-6 7-18 19-20 Drive ≤12 MediumTurbo Laser 2D8+ADB 1-9 10-25 26-30 Drive ≤8 HighBlast CannonsSplattergun 2D6+ADB 1-2 3-6 7-10 None MediumBlatgun 2D6+ADB 1-4 5-10 11-15 Drive ≤13 HighDisruptor CannonsDisruptorgun 2D8+ADB 1 2 3-6 None Medium §Disintegrator 2D8+ADB 1 2-3 4-12 Drive ≤11 High §Ion CannonsImpulsegun 2D8+ADB 1-3 4-8 9-10 None HighIon Ram 2D8+ADB 1-5 6-13 14-15 Drive ≤15 AllPlasma CannonsPlazgun 2D6+ADB 1-2 3-4 5-10 None All ¥Heavy Plazgun 2D6+ADB 1-4 5-8 9-15 Drive ≤11 All x 2 ¥Plasma Shell CannonsPlaz Shell Cannon 2D6+ADB 1-2 3-4 5-10 None All ¥Energy Bolt ProjectorsProtobolt 2D6+ADB 5-8 9-12 13-16 Drive ≤14 s.10/m.8/l.6EMP CannonsEMP Ray 2D8+ADB 1-2 3-4 5-8 None Medium/2¤EMP Beam 2D8+ADB 1-3 4-6 7-15 Drive ≤14 High/2¤Tachyon ConveyersTachyon Cannon 2D10+ADB 1-5 6-15 16-19 Drive≤14 HighTachyon Ram 2D10+ADB 1-3 4-11 12-17 Drive≤15 AllGauss Field GeneratorsMjölnir 2D8+6+ADB 1-3 4-7 8-10 Low+3 ∂Gungnir 2D8+6+ADB 1-5 6-10 11-16 Drive≤13 Med+2 ∂Plexar CannonsPlexar Gun 2D10+ADB 1-4 5-10 11-12 Drive ≤14 High ∞Entropy CannonsEntropic Accelerator 2D8+ADB 1-4 5-7 8-12 Drive ≤12 High ΩProton Arc CannonsKhanjar 2D8+ADB 1-3 4-8 9-10 None Low x 1D4

Sayf ad-Din 2D8+ADB 1-6 7-14 15-18 Drive≤14 Medium x 1D4

Hatchling WeaponsBeam CannonsX-Beam 2D8+ADB 1-3 4-14 15-16 None Low x 3Y-Beam 2D8+ADB 1-3 4-16 17-18 Drive ≤13 Medium x 2Z-Beam 2D8+ADB 1-3 4-20 21-22 Drive ≤10 High x 2Leech CannonsDrive Leech 2D6+ADB 1 2 3-4 None Low ‡

Notes†—Whenever two of the attack dice roll doubles, multiply base damage delivered by 2.§—If target’s Defensive Value has not been reduced by a critical hit, add 1 to its Defensive Value. Ignore target’s Damage Reduction when resolving a hit.¥—If the attack dice roll triples, the weapon mount overloads and is destroyed. The target is not affected.¤—If the attack dice roll doubles or triples, the target takes an additional critical. Also, completely ignore target’s Damage Reduction when resolving a hit.‡—Low damage is distributed only to the target’s Drive damage boxes, ignoring Damage Reduction value.∂—May hit all torps in one hex targeting one ship, if at short range.∞—If the To Hit roll for the Plexar Gun is triples, the firing ship’s Defensive Value is reduced by 2.Ω—Does 1D6 continuing damage per turn during Warhead Launch Phase, until a 1 is rolled. Damage Reduction applies.Ψ—If the Attack Dice roll triples, weapon may not fire next turn.—The 1D4 multiplier is not included on triples, or doubles that affect damage.

Starcraft Basic Point Value Crew VSPV SMPV VSSMPVBlack Widow II 162 3 182 180 212Death Wind III 61 2 71 75 91Drakar EX 165 7 183 229 274Hayabusa 31 1 39 38 51Nighthawk EX 64 1 64 64 64Samurai 68 1 68 68 68Samurai II 75 1 84 107 124Salamander III 64 2 72 78 91Seraph EX 149 1 179 201 248Shark II 39 1 39 39 39Sorenson IV 68 2 76 89 102Talon 33 1 35 35 38Teal Hawk 73 1 81 80 93

Alternative Torpedo Ship Costs

WARHEAD LAUNCHPHASE

• Entropic Accelerator damage• Missile/spore mole lock-on attempts• Launch missiles/spore moles• Launch torpedoes• Tractor Beam lock-on

MOVEMENT PHASE• Make drive 0 turns• Move scanner assisted DLT torps targeted

on stationary objects• Roll initiative if using escorts• Move escorts• Drift• Ventors move & detonate• Roll initiative if not using escorts• Starcraft movement:

• Mine Layers deploy mines duringmovement• Hatchlings deploy drones, attachgrappling tubes & tow claws, and en-gage jump pods during movement• Torpedoes targeted at moving objectsmove after target moves

• Activate drones laid this phase• Operate drone movers• Torpedoes fired at stationary objects move• Mine Crews may attempt mine field acti-

vation

TORPEDO RESULTSPHASE

• Activate plasma defense system• Point-defense or dodging attempts• Resolve torpedo attacks• Deploy decoy or attempt jamming

CANNON FIRE PHASE• Gun Crews fire in skill order• Gunners/Hatchlings and Pilots with

BioLink fire in skill order• Pilots fire in skill order

MISSILE/SPORE MOLERESULTS PHASE

• Point-defense/Plasma-defense againstmissiles/spore moles

• Resolve missiles/spore moles

END TURN PHASE• Asteroids drift• Resolve grap tube usage• Attempt damage control• Dispersal:

ink clouds (1 on a D6)flak (4 on a D4)

• Mines dropped last turn activate• Update Order of Fire

ELECTRONICWARFARE PHASE

• Designate targets and number of attemptsfor scanning

• Attempt scanning

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