Rules of play

10

© 2015 GMT Games, LLC

10. BATTERIES AND 

AFTERBURNERS

10.1 Batteries

Some races, including the Terrans, have figured out a dynamic 

way to temporarily store massive amounts of energy.

(10.1.1) Purpose: A Battery lets a ship save AP for later use. A 

Battery gives a ship one AP in the Impulse it is used. A ship with a 

Battery will have a battery icon on the counter. No ship has more 

than one battery. When used, erase the Battery.

(10.1.2) When: Batteries can only be used to provide an AP in an 

Impulse that the ship does not normally receive an AP per the Im-

pulse Chart. This means that a ship will never have more than one 

AP to spend in any Impulse.

(10.1.3) Recharging a Battery: The same Battery can be charged 

and used any number of times throughout the game. Batteries are 

charged by spending an AP and marking off the battery icon.

(10.1.4) At Start Status: Batteries do not usually start charged at 

the beginning of a scenario.

10.2 Afterburners

Afterburners represent the Talon’s ability to force their 

NFTL engines to operate at higher output than normal. 

This causes them to burn out with extended use.

(10.2.1) Who: A ship equipped with an Afterburner will have one 

or more Afterburner icons somewhere on the counter. 

(10.2.2) Purpose: On any Impulse in which a ship is not scheduled 

to move, Afterburners may be used to allow the ship to move one 

hex. Normal movement rules and Turn Radius restriction apply. 

A ship may use an Afterburner to Side Slip, if previously marked 

with a Side Slip counter. When used, mark off one Afterburner box. 

Each Afterburner can only be used once in a scenario and cannot 

be recharged.

(18.2.3) Restrictions: Each ship can only use one Afterburner in an 

Impulse, so a ship may not move more than one hex per Impulse.

STOP

The above rules are all that are needed to play

the Tutorial and Scenario 1.

11. RETREATING FROM BATTLE

The Faster Than Light (FTL) drive was the second revolution in 

space travel. Using very similar principles to the NFTL, it allows 

ships to move many times faster than the Speed of light. Instead of 

creating subspace field distortions and pockets around the ship (like 

the NFTL), a FTL drive actually moves the ship into subspace. NFTL 

and FTL drives are so similar that they are essentially the same 

engine. A ship that wants to retreat from battle must stop using the 

engine as a NFTL and use it as a FTL. When battle begins NFTL 

drives are engaged and cannot be switched to FTL mode until after 

a “spooling up” period. Bigger ships take longer to spool their 

FTL drives.

(11.1.1) Purpose: Retreats can be used to deny your opponent a 

Great or Devastating Victory if playing with the Campaign/Lifetime

scoring rules or as required by a scenario.

(11.1.2) Procedure: Retreat is achieved when a ship is able to 

activate its FTL drive. To do that it must do all of the following:

•  spool up her FTL drive (11.1.3)

•  slow down to a Speed of 1

•  “punch it” (jumping to FTL). This occurs after the Power Phase

of a given Round. Other ships or terrain in front of the retreating 

ship do not matter, the ship leaves normal space. After a ship 

retreats, set it aside. 

(11.1.3) Spooled and Unspooled: At the start of a battle, each ship’s 

FTL is considered to be “unspooled”. The FTL becomes spooled

during the Power Phase of the Round number equal to that ship’s 

total Hull Boxes. 

EXAMPLE: A Terran CA is spooled up by the Power Phase of 

Round 6. 

(11.1.4) Restrictions on Retreats: 

•  A ship cannot retreat while in a hex with terrain such as a Nebula

or Asteroid.

•  Bases cannot retreat as they don’t have FTL.

•  Fighters do not have FTL drives and must dock with Carriers (16.1).

They then jump to FTL when the Carrier is eligible to jump.

12. FIGHTERS

12.1 Fighters

(12.1.1) In General: Fighter counters represent 3 fighters flying

together in a squadron. FTRs may not be present at a battle unless 

a Carrier or friendly Base is present at the start of the battle. FTRs 

may continue in the battle after their Carrier or Base is destroyed.

(12.1.2) Characteristics: Fighters have the following character-

istics:

•  Because of their small size, FTRs have a minimum Speed of 5.

Fighter NFTL engines must run “hot”.

 

•  FTRs do not have Shield Arcs. Damage is applied directly to the

hull of one of the Fighters on the counter.  

•  Fighters do not have a FTL drive to retreat from battle.

•  Collisions: Fighter Squadrons suffer and cause the same penalties 

for being in the same hex as other ships or other  Fighter 

ADVANCED RULES

---

11

© 2015 GMT Games, LLC

squadrons of their race. Fighters in the same squadron (i.e., the 

same counter) do not cause collision damage with each other.

•  Talon Fusion Cannons: Due to their size and agility, they are 

able to evade a Talon Fusion Cannon, taking no damage from it. 

This makes Fighters ideal to assault larger Talon capital ships.

•  FTRs do not generate AP on their own. They rely on Carrier ships

and Bases to provide them with power (12.2). 

•  When FTRs are destroyed, ships in the same hex and adjacent

hexes are not affected by explosion damage. 

(12.1.3) Targeting Fighters: When a FTR is targeted by a Weapon, 

a specific FTR in the squadron must be targeted.

12.2 Powering Fighters

(12.2.1) In General: One Carrier or Base (14.0) can deploy a maxi-

mum of 4 FTR squadrons each. Terran CVs and Bases are equipped 

with phased arrays that can transfer power to Fighters through the 

vacuum of space. 

If there are no friendly Carriers or Bases left in the battle, Fighter 

groups no longer receive AP. Their Charge Bar Yellow Boxes may 

still Passively Charge during the Power phase.

(12.2.2) Transmitting Power to FTRs: When a Carrier or friendly 

Base receives AP, it may spend it on any friendly fighter group

instead of itself. The AP may be spent to:

•  Actively Charge a Yellow Box on a FTR Weapon Group (one ship 

on the counter may charge one Yellow Box). 

•  Pull a FTR Squadron’s Turning Radius marker one hex closer

(Powering through a turn [6.1]).

•  Enable a side-slip for the FTR Squadron (6.1).

(12.2.3) Restrictions:

•  Only one AP may be spent on each Fighter squadron per Impulse.

•  The FTR squadron receiving AP must be within six hexes of the 

CV or Base and must not be in an Asteroid or Nebula. Planets, 

Nebulae and Asteroids may block a Fighter from receiving AP 

just like they block or interfere with fire (17.2.2).

13. MISSILES 

13.1 Which Ships Have Missiles

Some Talon ships are equipped with Missile launchers. 

These ships have an unlimited number of Missiles 

available.

13.2 Launching Missiles

Unlike other Weapons, when a Missile is fired, the effect is not

immediately resolved. Instead, a Missile counter is placed in an 

adjacent hex within the firing arc of the firing ship. The Missile must

face a hex side in the direction of the target ship. A Missile may only 

be fired when the target is in the Firing Arc of the Missile launcher

and the target is within range of the firing ship.

The target of each Missile should be announced (sensors can pick 

these things up) and the number of the Missile counter should be 

written on the target ship. The Missile may only ever hit that target 

and will pass through the hex of other units. If targeted against a 

Fighter squadron, the specific Fighter in the squadron is not chosen

until the Missile hits. Missiles may target ships or Fighters, but not 

other Missiles.

13.3 Target Tracking

Missiles are “smart”, have unlimited fuel and will keep tracking

toward their targets until they hit or are destroyed. Missiles track 

independently of their firing ship and are not removed if the firing

ship is destroyed.

If the target ship leaves the battle or is destroyed, the Missile contin-

ues to move forward and cannot turn. The Missile cannot detonate 

until a new target is selected (13.7).

13.4 Missile Movement

•  Missiles have a Speed of 6 (they move each Impulse).

•  Missiles have a Turn Radius of 0. They may turn one hex side

each time they move.

•  Missiles may not Side Slip.

•  The firing player may move a Missile as he sees fit as long as he

chooses a hex that is closer to the target (if possible). If two hexes 

are equidistant to the target, the owner may choose which hex to 

move it into.

•  Missiles may not cause the map to “float” (see Floating Map) and

are destroyed if they go flying aimlessly off the map.

13.5 Missile Detonation

When a Missile enters into the same hex as its target, it immediately 

hits it and does 2 damage to the Shield Arc it passed through (or the 

hull if the Shield Arc is down). This is resolved during Movement. 

It happens immediately when either the ship or the Missile moves 

into the other’s hex. Subsequent ship explosion damage should be 

resolved at this time.

If a Missile moves into the same hex as a non-targeted ship or a

friendly ship, nothing happens.

13.6 Shooting Down Missiles:

If a single source of damage ever deals 3 or more damage to a missile, 

it is destroyed. If a missile takes less than 3 points of damage flip

the missile to the damaged side. If a missile is on the damaged side 

and takes any amount of damage, it is destroyed. 

•  Missiles do not deal explosion damage when destroyed but may

receive explosion damage. 

•  If multiple Missiles in the same hex are receiving damage from

an explosion, damage is only applied to one Missile in the hex.

•  Damaged missiles still deal 2 damage when they hit their target.

•  Destroyed missiles do not count towards degree of victory.

EXAMPLE: Defiant is being targeted by Missile # 4. Fortunately, 

she has a chance to shoot it down with her charged right Phaser 

group. Her first Phaser only rolls a 2, dealing two damage to the 

Missile. This is not enough to destroy a Missile as it needs to take 3 

---