Rules of play

3

© 2015 GMT Games, LLC

2.7 Fleet Log Sheets

A pad of log sheets are included, however, these are not required to 

play the game. This game is best played writing information directly 

on the ship counters. 

2.8 Dry Erase

A dry erase marker is included in the game box to mark things on the 

large, laminated ship counters. Do not use a non-dry erase marker

on the counters. For erasing use a cotton swab.

2.9 Informational Markers 

1

1

Turn

Radius

(7.2.2)

Side Slip

(7.3.2)

Shield

Reinf.

(6.2)

Missile

(13.0)

Damaged

Missile

(13.6)

Round

(3.1)

Talon

Initiative

(4.1)

Terran

Initiative

(4.1)

Change

Initiative

(4.2)

Defend

Initiative

(4.2)

Critical Damage markers: These occur in a Critical Hit (8.5).

Shields

Down

Helm

Down

Power –1

Turn +1

Power

Loss

 

Scenario Markers: Used in special scenarios only:

Talon

Front Line

Terran

Front Line

Objective

Marker

Jury Rig

Up

Jury Rig

Down

1

2.10  Weapon Types

 Fusion Cannon 

 Wave Motion Gun

 Missiles 

 Anti-Matter Torpedo

 Phaser 

 Disruptor

3. SEQUENCE OF PLAY

3.1 Rounds, Impulses, and Turns

Talon is played in a series of Rounds. A Round is composed of six 

Impulses (A through F) plus the Power Phase. An Impulse is com-

posed of two Turns—the Initiative Player’s Turn and the Second 

Player’s Turn. All this is tracked on the Impulse Display (4.0) with 

the Initiative and Round markers (4.1).

3.2 Sequence of Play Outline

Impulse A

Initiative Player Turn

•  Remove any of his Shield Reinforcement markers that expire this

Impulse.

•  Use any/all AP for each of his ships that receive AP this Impulse,

in any order.

•  Move all of his ships that must move this Impulse, in any order.

•  May fire any/all ships that have a fully charged Weapon Group.

•  May attempt to Repair any ships with Critical Damage (See

Damage and Criticals).

Second Player Turn

The Second Player Turn is identical to the Initiative Player Turn 

except replace the term Initiative Player with Second Player. 

At the end of each Impuse check to see if the Initiative has changed.

Impulse B-F

Impulses B through F are conducted in the same manner as Impulse 

A except different ships may have AP or movement.

Power Phase

Initiative Player’s Power Phase

•  Charge one Red Box per Weapon Group or Passively Charge

Yellow Boxes (see Power Phase [6.0]) on all ships.

•  Every Ship’s Power Curve may be adjusted up or down by 1 step.

Second Player’s Power Phase

Identical to the Initiative Player’s Power Phase except now the Sec-

ond Player can charge boxes and adjust Power Curves on his ships.

Reinforcement Phase

Some scenarios allow reinforcements to arrive in mid-battle.

•  Initiative  Player—Deploy  reinforcements  as  per  scenario

description

•  Second Player—Deploy reinforcements as per scenario description

Retreat Phase

It may be necessary or wise to retreat ships during battle.

•  Initiative Player—Eligible ships may jump to FTL

•  Second Player—Eligible ships may jump to FTL

Start a new Round with Impulse A and advance the Round marker. 

---

4

© 2015 GMT Games, LLC

4. THE IMPULSE DISPLAY 

AND INITIATIVE

4.1 THE IMPULSE DISPLAY

The Impulse Display tracks the current Impulse and informs players 

when AP is available or when ships must move.

 

The Initiative marker is placed in the appro-

priate box for the current Impulse and Turn. 

Indicate which side has the Initiative with this 

marker. When moving this marker from the 

Initiative Player box to the Second Player box within an Impulse do 

not flip the marker. The side with the Initiative stays face up until

Initiative is changed.

Nothing in the game happens simultaneously. During each Impulse, 

the player with the Initiative takes his Turn first, followed by the

player without the Initiative. 

Important! Each Impulse box on the chart may have one or more 

numbers. When a number on the Impulse box matches the ship’s 

Power (the first number in a ship’s Power Curve [5.4.1]), that ship 

receives AP. When a number on the Impulse box matches the ship’s 

Speed (the second number in the Power Curve), that ship must 

move during that Impulse.

EXAMPLE: The Patton has a Power Curve of 2-4-1. On Impulse 

C and F a “2” appears, matching Patton’s Power value. On those 

Impulses the Patton receives AP. On Impulse A, C, D and F a “4” 

appears, the “4” matches the Patton’s Speed value. On those Im-

pulses the Patton must move. 

In most battles, there may be Impulses where the ships will have no 

AP available and will be unable to move. Ships may still fire, use 

Batteries or use Afterburners in those Impulses, but most of the 

time they can be quickly skipped.

After Impulse F, the Power Phase occurs for the Initiative and then 

the Second Player, after which the Round ends and the Round marker 

is advanced to the next box. In some scenarios, events will occur 

on a specific Round.

4.2 Initiative Control

 

During an Impulse, a player may spend AP 

on Initiative Control in an attempt to either 

Change Initiative or Defend Initiative (keep 

it the same). Both the player with the Initia-

tive and the Second Player may attempt to Change it or Defend it. 

Procedure: 

•  Each ship that spends AP on the Initiative should be marked with

either a Change Initiative or Defend Initiative marker.

•  At the end of an Impulse, if there are more Change Initiative

markers on ships than Defend Initiative markers, the player who 

placed the Change Initiative markers may change the Initiative 

Player by flipping the Initiative marker. The new Initiative Player 

will take his actions first in the upcoming Impulse and beyond, 

until the Initiative changes again. 

•  Players may force their opponent to have the Initiative.

•  If the number of Defend Initiative markers on ships is greater than

or equal to the number of Change Initiative markers, the Initiative 

remains the same.

•  Remove all Change/Defend Initiative markers before beginning

the next Impulse.

DESIGN NOTE: The ships in this game are traveling at tremen-

dous speeds and are actually very small compared to the distances 

covered. Because of this, all of the ships on a side have interlinked 

sensors, targeting computers, electronic counter measures, etc. 

Spending AP to change or defend the Initiative represents a side in-

vesting ship resources into these systems to gain a tactical advantage. 

EXAMPLE: It is Impulse C and the Talon player has the Initiative. 

During his Impulse he had his BB spend 1 AP to Defend the Initiative. 

However, both the Terran BC and SC get AP in their Turn so they 

are both able to place Change Initiative markers on their ships. At 

the end of this Impulse, there are more Change Initiative markers 

than Defend Initiative markers so the Terran is allowed to select 

the new Initiative Player. The Terran player chooses himself, flips 

the Initiative marker over and will take his Turn first in Impulse D.

5. SHIPS

5.1 Ship Properties

Power Curve: Each ship has a Power Curve, listed on the Player Aid 

Card, which shows, in order, the Power, Speed, and the Turn Radius 

at all possible Speeds. As a ship increases Speed, the ship’s Turn 

Radius will increase and the Power will decrease. This information 

is written in the white box and circle on the ship counter.

Power: This is the energy that a ship generates that is not being 

used for movement, life support, shields, etc. This number is the 

amount of Available Power (AP) that may be spent by this ship in 

the course of a Round. Each ship may only spend, at most, one AP 

per Impulse. Since most ships will have less than 6 Power and there 

are 6 Impulses in a Round, ships will not be able to spend an AP in 

every Impulse. All AP spending options are detailed in the Spending 

Available Power section.

---