Playing the KH Board Game

Explanations of the KH boardgame

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Playing the KH Board Game

Postby Shadow Shack » Wed Jul 23, 2008 12:50 am

If you haven't familiarized yourself with the Star Frontiers Knight Hawks system yet, or it's been a whilke, here's the low down on using the hex map for resolving combat.

First off is the map scale, one hex equals 10,000km. The game is played in a sequence of game turns, one turn of play equates to ten minutes of elapsed time. Each turn is divided in half, the first half being "side A's turn" and the second is "side B's turn" (adding additional sides extends the turn sequence...but for the purpose of this game we will only be using the standard two sided resolution).

During side A's turn A is the moving side and B is the non moving side, then for the second half of the sequence side B becomes the moving side with side A being the non moving side.

1> Side A's turn

a) Movement: Side A announces which ship(s) are activating defenses. Orbiting ships and stations are moved afterwards, then side A moves their ship(s) making sure no ship moves a longer or shorter distance than the prior speed permits. The new/current speed will be recorded afterwards

b) Combat: Side A will declare which weapon systems will be used against which targets, and all attacks will be resolved. Side B will announce which defensive weapons will be used against ships within their range, and their attacks will be resolved. Even if a side B ship is destroyed, it will still be permitted its defensive fire sequence.

2> Side B's turn (repeat as above, switching A and B)

Map Positioning

The hex map inthis game has letters across the left border and numbers onthe top and bottom borders. TO report a hex position, use the letter/number coordinates. Letter coordinates are read across the map left to right with each letter representing each row. Numbers at the bottom represent the diagonal column that travels up and to the right of the number, numbers at the top represent the diagonal column going down and to the left from the number. Some columns will have the same number but the shorter ones that don't extend top to bottom will only be represented by the number at the top or bottom where it commences.

Using the sample diagram below, the white fighter is in hex F-6, the red fighter is in hex J-12, and the yellow fighter is in hex L-8

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Movement

Postby Shadow Shack » Wed Jul 23, 2008 12:55 am

Each ship has an Acceleration/Deceleration Factor (or ADF), this is a number that tells a player how many hexes a ship can add or subtract from its current speed. A ship can only accelerate or decelerate (or coast at the starting speed) during a turn, it can't accelerate at the beginning of a turn and decelerate at the end. For example, a ship that moved five hexes in the prior turn can add or subtract any amount up to the ADF to the ship's speed on its next turn, hence a vessel with ADF:3 can add or subtract 1, 2, or 3 to/from the speed. The new speed will be logged after the ship completes its movement phase.

Stopping: a ship can stop moving entirely if its current speed is equal to or less than its ADF. Depending on the initial speed, the vessel can stop in any hex along the travel path within the parameters of its ADF and MR (MR will be described soon). For example, a ship with ADF:3 has a current speed of two hexes/turn can stop (in its movement phase) in the hex it starts in, or either of the two hexes ahead of it. Once stopped the ship will remain in the hex it stops in until ADF is applied again during another movement phase of any future turn.

Top Speed: Starships do not have a top speed, however once a vessel gets moving 12,000,000kph (about 200 hexes/turn) it will enter the void (make a jump). On a ADF:5 fighter craft this can take 40 turns (just under 7 hours) at maximum acceleration. However most fighters are equipped with a jump governor to prevent inadvertant entry into the void and will not allow the fighter's drive to accelerate past jump speed. Also, without proper planning from an astrogator the ship would jump blindly...possibly becoming lost forever.

Turning: Each ship has a Maneuver Rating (MR), which tells a player how many times a ship can change direction during the movement phase of a turn. The bow (front) of the ship always faces a straight side of a hex in the direction it is travelling. When travelling the ship must enter the next hex it is facing. A ship can change direction once it enters a hex, making one 60º facing change (either to the first hex side to the left or right from the original direction of travel) in the next hex. A ship can only turn one hexside per hex, and if the ship travels fewer hexes than the MR allows then it can only still make one hexside change per hex, any additional MR points are lost. Ships that are travelling faster thantheir MR can make additional direction changes in subsequent hexes, again at one facing change per hex.

Stopped ships may maneuver to face any hexside within the parameters of its MR...so a stopped ship w/MR:3 can make up to three facing changes per turn as long as it remains stopped. This is the only exception to the one hexside change per hex rule.

In the diagram below, the fighter (ADF:5 MR:5) has an initial speed of 7. It accelerates at maximum (5) and moves four hexes forward to B and makes one face change to starboard (right). It moves three more and changes to starboard again at C. Then it moves two more and changes again at D, repeats the same maneuver again at E, and in its final movement at F it changes once more. The ship has now travelled twelve hexes and made five facing changes.

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Combat

Postby Shadow Shack » Wed Jul 23, 2008 6:58 am

A ship can fire its weapons either defensively (where permitted) during the opposing player's movement phase and offensively during its own combat phase. Weapons cannot be fired at any other time during the turn.

Before firing any weapons. the player that is attacking must count the range from the attacking ship to its target. To find the range, count the number of hexes in the shortest path between the attacking ship and the target sh ip. Count the hex the target ship is in, but not the hex the attacking ship is in. Weapons cannot be fired at targets beyond a certain range. and some weapons become less effective at long ranges; see Weapon Systems for more information.

Turret and battery weapons can be fired in any direction. Laser cannons (including pod lasers) and assault rockets can only be fired straight ahead of the firing ship. Laser cannons and assault rockets are called Forward Firing Weapons. Forward firing weapons can be fired at any target inside the three-hexwide area outlined in the diagram in yellow and green, turret/battery weapons may fire at any target within the red or darker yellow/green hexes (The field of fire extends to the limit of the weapon's range). FF Targets in the central row of hexes are easier to hit; and pilots will recieve a +10% to hit bonus against such targets.

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Weapon Systems

Postby Shadow Shack » Wed Jul 23, 2008 7:10 am

The following is a comprehensive listing of the various weapon systems you can expect to encounter throughout the game. Fighter craft will only be armed with the pod laser, ion, and assault rocket systems as the other systems are intended for larger vessels (and are listed as such so you know what to expect and what to avoid!)

Assault Rocket (range: 40,000km, DMG:2d10+4, Restrictions: forward firing / moving player only / limited supply )
Disruptor Cannon (range: 120,000km, DMG:3d10, Restrictions: forward firing / range diffusion )
Ion Cannon (range: 50,000km, DMG:systems disabling, Restrictions: forward firing / range diffusion )
Ion Gun Turret Pod Laser (range: 40,000km, DMG:systems disabling, Restrictions: range diffusion )
Laser Cannon (range: 100,000km, DMG:2d10, Restrictions: forward firing / range diffusion )
Laser Battery (range: 90,000km, DMG:1d10, Restrictions: range diffusion )
Pod Laser (range: 50,000km, DMG:1d10, Restrictions: forward firing / range diffusion )
Pod Laser Turret (range: 40,000km, DMG:1d10, Restrictions: range diffusion )
Rocket Battery (range: 30,000km, DMG:2d10, Restrictions: limited supply )
Torpedo (range: 40,000km, DMG:4d10, Restrictions: moving player only / limited supply )
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