Rules of play

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© 2015 GMT Games, LLC

different races may pass through each other freely without damage. 

Ships of the same race may never begin the scenario stacked in the 

same hex. 

PLAY NOTE: Since ships move one at a time, ships of the same 

race that start their move in the same hex and end their move in 

the same hex will damage each other each Impulse they move. Be 

careful managing large fleets.

7.5 Floating Map 

(7.5.1) The Map board is “floating”. If a ship is about to move off

the map, all of the ships and planets can be shifted over the same 

amount and centered on the map so that there is room to move. If 

there is not enough room to shift things over, the Extension map may 

be used to accommodate movement. Also, if both players agree, the 

map may be shifted at any time to better accommodate the ships.

Here a Talon ship is approaching the left edge of the board and 

wishes to turn to its left side. To accommodate the shift in battle, the 

map “floats”—every counter on the board is moved 3 hexes inward.

(7.5.2) Mandatory Retreat: If both maps are already in play and 

there is no room to shift things over, a ship that is 6 or more hexes 

away from the nearest other ship is removed from play to accom-

modate the shift. She is considered to have retreated. 

(7.5.3) Terrain and the Floating Map: Terrain is likewise shifted 

when the map floats and if a Terrain counter is ever six hexes from

another ship it is removed from play to accommodate the shift. Com-

bat has drifted so far that the terrain element is no longer relevant.

8. FIRING

8.1 Charge Bar

(8.1.1) Purpose: Each Weapon Group has a Charge Bar on the ship 

counter. Some Charge Bars are divided to fit the counter; this is

treated as one Charge Bar (example: the Wave Motion Gun on the 

Terran BB). The Weapon Group may only be fired if the bar is 

fully charged. Once the Weapon fires, the charge bar is completely

erased—even if only one Weapon in the Group fires. No Weapon in

the Weapon Group (even if it did not fire) may fire again until the

Charge Bar is again fully charged.

(8.1.2) Recharging: Yellow boxes on a Charge Bar may be Actively 

Charged by spending AP or Passively Charged during the Power 

Phase. Red boxes are only charged during the Power Phase.

(8.1.3) Ships normally begin a scenario with their Charge Bars (9.2) 

fully charged.

8.2 Target Selection 

(8.2.1) In General: Any and all firing by one ship must be completed

before another ship may fire. If more than one ship or Missile is in a

hex, the firing player must choose the target he is firing at. Weapons 

within a group may select different targets. 

(8.2.2) Restrictions:

•  Weapons may only fire at targets within their Firing Arc (5.3.1).

•  You may not intentionally fire on your own ships.

•  No fire may occur between ships or Missiles in the same hex.

(8.2.3) Blocking Fire: Planets may block fire (17.2.2). Ships do not

block fire in any way (Ships are actually quite small compared to

the size of the hexes). 

8.3 Firing Procedure:

Follow this procedure for each firing:

1. Select a fully Charged Weapon Group on the firing ship.

2. Confirm that an eligible target is in range of the Weapons in that 

Group.

3. Erase the Weapon Group Charge Bar.

4. Select a Weapon (one at a time) within the Weapon Group and 

the target.

5. Fire is resolved by rolling a die and consulting the appropriate 

weapon chart on the Player Aid Card. Whether a shot hits and how 

much damage is dealt depends upon the result at a given range.

  EXAMPLE: The Phaser deals a variable amount of damage based 

on the range and the number rolled. The Disruptor, on the other 

hand, always deals 2 damage if it hits. 

  You may repeat steps 4 and 5 for the remaining Weapons in that 

Group, if able. 

6. Determine which Shield Arc is hit—the Shield Arc hit is the target 

ship’s Firing Arc in which the firing ship resides. Note that Firing

Arcs and Shield Arcs are the same; there is no need to draw lines 

of sight to determine which Shield Arc is hit (Lines of sight are 

drawn only for blocking terrain like Planets).

 

EXAMPLE: The Patton is firing on Vision with her Forward Firing 

Arc. Fire will affect Vision’s left Shield Arc since Patton is in Vision’s 

left Firing Arc (shaded hexes). 

8.4 Damage and Criticals

(8.4.1) Damage: One point of Damage destroys one Shield or Hull 

box. Damage is normally applied to the appropriate Shield facing 

first. When all of the Shield boxes are destroyed on a given Shield

Arc, that shield arc is considered “down” and additional damage

taken on that Arc is marked off on the Hull boxes.

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© 2015 GMT Games, LLC

(8.4.2) Power Modifiers: If a modifier is present in the leftmost

Hull Box, then that modifier is applied to the Power during the

Power Phase. 

EXAMPLE: Terran CA Napoleon 

has 3 Hull Boxes destroyed so that 

the leftmost box is a “–1”. During 

the Power Phase, the player 

chooses a Speed of 3 giving it a 

Power Curve of 3-3-2. Because of 

the damage, the Terran player 

actually writes 2-3-1 on his ship.

 

(8.4.3) Critical Hull Box: The moment a   is marked off. The 

ship’s owner must roll two 6-sided dice on the Critical Damage Table.

8.5 Critical Damage Table

The Critical Damage Table is located on the Player Aid card. Roll 

two dice and apply the result immediately. 

•  Bases take no critical damage if Maneuvering Thruster Damage

(6) or Helm Down (4) are rolled. 

•  It is possible that, because of other battle damage or the game

situation, a roll on the above table will actually have little or no 

impact. This represents non-critical damage and a re-roll should

not be performed. 

  EXAMPLE: A ship rolled an 11 on the critical damage table and 

now has a Power Loss marker. The ship takes another critical 

damage and again rolls an 11. Since it still has the Power Loss 

marker, nothing happens.

8.6 Ship Destruction

(8.6.1) How: When the last Hull Box is destroyed, the ship is im-

mediately destroyed. Remove the counter from play.

(8.6.2) Explosion Damage: 

•  Each ship in the same hex with the destroyed ship takes damage

equal to the ship’s Explosion Rating plus one. The Explosion 

Rating of a ship can be found on the Player Aid Card. Roll one 

die for each Shield Arc. The highest result is the side that takes 

damage. In the event of a tie, reroll among the tied Shield Arcs. 

•  Each ship in all adjacent hexes takes damage on the facing Shield

Arc equal to the destroyed ship’s Explosion Rating. 

(8.6.3) Sequence of Explosions: If multiple ships are exploding at 

the same time (due to fire from a Weapon like the Fusion Cannon)

the order in which the explosions are resolved is determined by the 

ships’ owner. If both sides of the battle have ships that are exploding, 

the current player resolves his ships first.

(8.6.4.) Fighters and Explosions: Fighters never cause explosion 

damage. If Fighters are in the proximity of an explosion, the damage 

is only applied to one Fighter in the Squadron. 

The tuned nature of a Fighter Squadron’s NFTL drives means that a 

Fighter Squadron operates within a single subspace pocket. The net 

effect of this subspace field causes exterior explosions to be focused 

within the field toward the nearest NFTL generator. Like electricity 

running along the quickest path to ground, explosions impact only 

one FTR in the squadron. This principle has been studied by multiple 

empires for possible use in a defensive role, but none have yet been 

successful in implementing it on a capital ship.

(8.6.5) Missiles and Explosions: Explosion damage is applied to 

ONLY ONE Missile per hex.

Missiles, like Fighters, may use a shared NFTL bubble when trav-

eling close together in space. As with Fighters above, the force of 

the explosion is exerted on only one Missile.

8.7 Repair of Critical Damage

Some Critical Damage can be repaired if the Critical Damage marker 

has the Repairable Damage icon = 

. Only Critical Damage 

that has this icon is repairable. To attempt repair, roll a 6-sided die.

If the result is a 6, the Critical Damage has been repaired and the 

counter is removed. 

Repairs may be attempted at the end of every Turn (thus every Im-

pulse) following the Impulse in which the ship took Critical Damage. 

Critical Damage may not be repaired during the Impulse in which 

it is placed on the ship.

9. THE POWER PHASE

9.1 In General

The Power Phase occurs between Rounds—after Impulse F ends 

but before the next Impulse A begins. The player with the Initiative 

takes all of his Power Phase actions first. Remember to adjust the

Initiative before the Power Phase if the Change Initiative marker is 

in place from Impulse “F”.

9.2 Charge Weapons

(9.2.1) Passively Charge Yellow Boxes: If no Red Box needs to 

be marked off on a particular Charge Bar, the player may instead 

mark off a number of Yellow Boxes on that Charge Bar equal to the 

number of Weapons in that group. 

EXAMPLE: A Talon BC has a Weapon Group of 2 Disruptors. The 

Charge Bar is 1 red and 4 Yellow Boxes. If the Red Box is already 

marked off, he may instead mark off 2 Yellow Boxes on that bar 

since there are 2 Weapons in that Weapon Group. 

(9.2.2) Charge Red Boxes: Every ship may mark off one Red Box 

on every Charge Bar it has. This is the only time during the game 

that a Red Box may be marked off.

9.3 Adjust Power Curve 

Every ship may then have her Power Curve adjusted. Remember 

that most ships may only change their Speed by one. 

If a ship has a modifier in the left-most Hull Box, apply the modifier

to the ship’s Power (see Power Curve).

If a Turn Radius marker is already on the board, it is not moved 

closer or farther away if the ship’s Turn Radius changes.

The “Power Loss” Critical Damage does not modify your Power,

however it does prevent adjusting your Power Curve and Charging 

weapons.

9.4 End Turn Activities

After all ships have completed the Power Phase, it is usually a 

good idea to quickly scan the ships and see what numbers appear 

for movement and AP. 

Advance the Round marker one space to the right. If it is Round 

10, advance the back to 1. It is now Round 11.

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