RE: New Rules Spoiler: Ion Cannon...

I do like these ion canons...... I will have to give them a try.

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From:  FTGZG-L[SMTP:FTGZG-L@bolton.ac.uk]
Sent:  19 February 1997 16:50
To:  FTGZG-L
Subject:  New Rules Spoiler:  Ion Cannon...

To: FTGZG-L@bolton.ac.uk
Subject: New Rules Spoiler:  Ion Cannon...

I have come up with the following to try and emulate the Ion Cannons
from
Star Wars.  This is based on TESB and on the X-wing/TIE fighter games.

Ion Cannon
The ion cannon is a beam weapon which causes ionization and subsequent
electrical damage to a target ships systems without doing structural   
damage.
 An ion cannon attack is resolved similarly to am A-battery.  At range	

0-6"
three dice are rolled, at 6-12" two dice are rolled, and at 12-18" one	

die is
rolled.  Each die scores hits as doesa normal beam weapon.  The damage	

from
all firing ion cannons is totalled and if the score equals the target's
MASS/10 (round up), then a 6+ threshold check must be taken.  For each	

full
multiple of the targets MASS/10 scored, the threshold check score is
increased by one.  (e.g.  A blast from three ion cannons at close range
scores 7 hits.	If the target is a MASS 24 light cruiser, then the
target
must take a 5+ threshold check.  If the target were a MASS 34 Heavy   
Cruiser,
then only a 6+ check would be required, and a MASS 80 Superdreadnought	

would
not be affected)  Ion cannons are easily blocked by screens and as long 
 
as
any level of screens is active, the screen generators are the only
system
that must make threshold checks due to ion cannon attacks.

Ion Cannons are Mass 3, Cost 10, and may fire into one arc only.

I playtested this one today and it seemed to be pretty good.  The ion	
cannons
offer a method to go after an opponents screens, but are pretty short	
ranged
and at longer ranges unlikely to score enough hits to damage a large
opponent.

If playing in a Star Wars type universe, one could have some fighter   
types
armed with a fighter ion cannon (attack as normal, but treat hits as ion
hits)

As for the monster Ion Cannon on Hoth, that depends on how you do your	

Star
Destroyers.  I'd probably use some sort of morale effect in addition to 
 
one
monster Ion Cannon attack.  The Ion cannon attack should stand a   
resonable
chance to completely take down the screens on the Star Destroyer,   
prompting
her captain to take evasive action and ignore the fleeing rebels.....

Later

Brian