Federation Commander

Hi all,

Apologies if my questions have been answered elsewhere, but I can't find them, so here goes!

1) Where are the rules for the Plasma-D and Plasma-K weapons? The Romulan Border rulebook says "they are covered in a separate rule and will probably not appear in FC until a later time." I can't find them anywhere, possibly me being thick? Some of the ship cards have the launchers, so I assume the rules for them have been published?

2) Suicide shuttles - if you can get in to a position behind the suicide shuttle, i.e. out of it's FA/FX tracking arc, what happens to the shuttle? Is it removed, as it's no longer got the target in it's tracking arc? I played my nephew last night and managed to get behind a suicide shuttle he'd launched, so out of it's tracking arc, and the rules state that the seeking weapon must move in such a way to keep it's target in said arc. What happens if it cannot actually do so? Surely if it loses the target it's useless?

Cheers guys!
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1. My plasma D rules are in the romulan attack book, section 4J5

2. The shuttle moves to any hex. 4F3b lists 3 things that tell you where you must move if possible, but the 4th item in the list is what to do if non of them are possible, in which case it can move to any possible hex. Which I read as make any standard move (e.g turn 60 and move ahead). The only thing they can't do is HET, unless you were directly behind 1 hex away in which case it would have to HET (4F3e).

1) As storyelf points out, the Plasma-D rules were published in Romulan Attack. They are also included in one of the early Communiques. (I forget which).

Currently, there are no rules for Plasma-K. The primary reason is because they are only used on fighters, and currently there are no plasma fighters.

2) storyelf is also correct that, as delineated in (4F3b), in your circumstances, the suicide shuttle could move however the owner wishes.

However, he makes one minor mistake: a suicide shuttle may NEVER use an HET. A suicide shuttle is under the restrictions of BOTH a seeking weapon and a shuttle. Shuttles may not HET, therefore a suicide shuttle may not HET even though it is a seeking weapon.

As a result, even if the target ship is in the hex directly adjacent to, and directly behind, a suicide shuttle, the suicide shuttle may not HET to hit the target. It must maneuver normally and attempt to turn around using normal movement.

Finally, to address a point Rando mentions, while a seeking weapon must maneuver to attempt to keep the target in its FA arc, that is not a requirement for the seeking weapon to continue. (Else there would be no need for the last two cases in (4F3b).) A seeking weapon will stay on the board, trying to hit its target until it hits, is destroyed by damage, its endurance runs out, or the launching ship cuts tracking.

Thanks for the replies, much appreciated!

I'll have to check my Communique's and see if I can find the Plasma-D rules, I haven't got Romulan Attack.

As for the suicide shuttle rule, thanks for the clarification. I did know about the HET, that's partly why I asked really. Oh well, so much for using clever maneuvers to get away!

Again, thanks for the replies!

mjwest wrote: However, he makes one minor mistake: a suicide shuttle may NEVER use an HET. A suicide shuttle is under the restrictions of BOTH a seeking weapon and a shuttle. Shuttles may not HET, therefore a suicide shuttle may not HET even though it is a seeking weapon.

Ooops - well spotted.

Sorry about the double post, not sure how that happened! [MOD: It was fixed. ]

I searched through my Communiques last night and I found the Plasma-D rules in Communique #7.