DSII - Air Defence Levels.

John M. Atkinson <john.m.atkinson@erols.com> wrote:
>The problem is, of course, that size class/signature has absolutely no
>effect on the DSII battlefield.  It's all ECM and pilot quality.
    Ahh, but if you use aerospace interceptors, then it's all back to
normal! See my site for more.

>I have been considering porting over the Air Defense Levels from SGII
to
>DSII.	Of course, the lower two levels (d4 & d6) are irrelevant, as
they
>represent air defense assets which are on the table at the DSII scale.
>
>But I was considering forcing the off-board AD to first acquire, based
>on Signature and Pilot quality, and then to hit, based on ECM and Pilot
>Quality.  Comments?  And points costs for this thing?
    A little too abstract, I feel. Particularly if players have
aerospace
assets that can reach out and touch air defence bases with a missile of
their own. Why not base it on a system like TADS, use Limited
Availability
and then put the TADS off board? All points costs and system sizes are
logically extrapolated from DSII GMS and ADS/ZAD. This is from my site:

Theatre Area Defence System (TADS)
This system, Theatre Area Defence System (TADS), is similar to the zone
area
defence system. TADS can fire a Theatre Anti-aerospace Missile (TAM) at
every aerospace element entering the table, or even off-table aerospace
elements!
	This system simulates the US THAAD missile defence system and
various long range Russian air defence systems. These missile systems
have
great range, far greater than a typical DSII table. In the future, these
missile ranges are bound to increase. So instead of specifying a range,
the
TAM missile range is assumed to be the size of the theatre. The theatre
is
assumed to include the entire DSII table area, your off-table area, and
part
of your opponent's off-table area.
	TADS are available in a range of sizes from size 1 to size 7.
Capacity costs 5 × TADS size. The damage done to an aerospace target is
equal to the TADS size. ALL chits are valid just like ADS.
	Like an ADS, one missile can be fired at each and every
aerospace
vehicle that enters the table normally. One missile can be fired at each
and
every VTOL in HIGH mode on table. VTOLs in LOW mode and terrain
following or
slow flying aerospace vehicles are immune to attack by TADS, unless the
element is in line of sight of TADS.
	The TADS missile can reach any where on- and off-table. The TADS
can
be situated off-table, but if it is, on-table targets get to roll their
defence dice twice, and they choose their best rolls. This is because
the
target element has more time to react.
	Naturally, aerospace vehicles and VTOLS can carry TADS up to
size 3.
Think of TADS as being equivalent to Phoenix, Sparrow or Sidewinder US
air
to Air missile systems.

TADS Guidance
Size Damage Range Capacity Dumb Basic Enhanced Superior Brilliant
TADS/1: 1 Theatre 5 200 400 600 800 1000
TADS/2: 2 Theatre 10 300 600 900 1200 1500
TADS/3: 3 Theatre 15 400 800 1200 1600 2000
TADS/4: 4 Theatre 20 500 1000 1500 2000 2500
TADS/5: 5 Theatre 25 600 1200 1800 2400 3000
TADS/6: 6 Theatre 30 700 1400 2100 2800 3500
TADS/7: 7 Theatre 35 800 1600 2400 3200 4000

Limited Availability
Want an expensive points cost system, element or unit, but you only have
limited points? Just buy the system, element or unit with a limited
availability! Limited Availability gives you the system, element or unit
at
a discounted points cost, but with limited availability.
	For example, say you need a TADS/7 with Brilliant Guidance.
Normally, this would cost 4,000 points (see table above). But, you only
have
around 1,000 points spare. To get the points cost discounted by 75%,
limit
the availability of the system to 25%. This means that the Brilliant
TADS/7
is only available for use 25% of the time.
	To use this on the table top, an availability of 25% converts to
the
numbers 1 through 5 on a D20. Before each use of the TADS/7, roll an
availability D20 and try to get the result in that range. If you fail,
the
TADS/7 is currently unavailable for that use. If you succeed, the TADS/7
is
available for use and can be used normally.
	For example, using the above settings, a unit of three aerospace
elements enter the table. If you had full use of the TADS/7, a TAAM
missile
would be fired at each of three aerospace elements. Because you only
have
25% availability, roll the availability D20 for each missile attack. Try
to
get 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 on the D20. Failure means that that aerospace
element
is unscathed (for now!). Success allows the missile attack on that
aerospace
element. In either case, repeat the availability attempt on the next
aerospace element.
	Yes, you can have two or more systems, elements or units with
limited availability. Just roll the availability die for each use of the
systems, elements or units.
	You aren't limited to just 25% availability either, the whole
range
from 5% to 95% is available! If you really want to be nitpicky, you can
use
1D100 to determine availability (1% to 99%). Just be sure to let your
opponent know that you are doing this! And do try to be consistent, it
makes
life easier!
	Limited Availability can extend to the use of off-table
artillery
units as well. Just roll the availability die for the unit, etcetera.

The above is also at:
	http://members.xoom.com/AndrewMartin/DSII/EW.HTM

Andrew Martin
Shared email: Al.Bri@xtra.co.nz ICQ: 26227169
Blind See-Saw, DSII, DSII FAQ, GZG-L email FAQ, FUDGE, UY, MSH & WBG:
    http://members.xoom.com/AndrewMartin/