Talk:Fleet Action

Borrows somewhat from Fate and my own ideas. More roleplay than wargame.

Quick Guide

Operation

When using Advantage roll twice, use higher. When rolling at Disadvantage roll twice, use lower.

Groups locked in Melee can not be affected by Attack or Support actions. At the end of the Round, the tokens will do flat firepower damage to each other. Groups that enter the Broken state are automatically Overrun. Melees continue until one side has broken or broken contact.

Fleet

Stress Gauge usually starts at 0. Every turn two fleets are locked in battle adds +1 Stress. If Stress goes over its limit, the Fleet is no longer capable of fighting.

Cohesion refreshes every turn up to its rating, + free Cohesion. Free Cohesion generated by Characters carries over from Round to Round until used.

Fleet Train refreshes every turn up to its rating.

Example Fleet

Screen
Wall of Battle
[First Wing]	[Second Wing]	[Third Wing]
Stress Gauge: 8, Cohesion: 5, Fleet Train: 5

Characters

Characters are separate from Fleet actions. Characters have one action in a round. Flag and Line officers require a flagship (see Groups).

Set Piece Battle

Battles go in four phases. Headquarters rolls all Fleet Actions unless a Line Officer is controlling an Element.

1. Initiative: Screens roll. (Sum EW, TN 6)

   Loser of roll must go first in Planning and Execution phase. Actions applied second in Results phase.

   Winner of roll goes after in Planning and Execution phase. Actions applied first in Results phase.

2. Planning: Headquarters prepare.
   1. Transfer Groups between Elements for one Cohesion.
   2. Describe a Tactic, on successful roll provides bonuses to actions or special results such as adding Stress directly to enemy Fleet.
   3. Fleet Train can Support for one Cohesion.
   4. Characters in Headquarters can:

   • Add a flat bonus to the Tactics roll.
   • Roll to add Cohesion or clear away Stress.
   • Roll to identify Advantage or overcome Disadvantage.
   • Roll to reform additional Groups & rally Broken groups.

3. Execution: The Fleet Elements perform their actions. Each action costs one Cohesion:
   • Attack (Sum Firepower, TN 6)
   • Defend (Sum Firepower, TN 6)
   • Charge (Sum Mobility, TN 6)
   • Barrage (Sum Firepower values of Groups with Barrage trait, TN 5)
4. Results: GM describes overall results.
   1. Group statuses are updated.
   2. Any ongoing Melees are resolved.
   3. Stress is added.

Full Design doc

Command

At the Operational level there are three different roles for Characters: Flag Officer, Staff Officer, and Line Officer. By default a character with a large number of ships is assumed to be the Flag Officer while those commanding smaller units are assumed to be Line Officers. Characters without a specific field command are usually assumed to be Staff. However, Characters can pick whichever roles they feel are most appropriate to the narrative.

Only one Character can act as the Flag Officer in a given Fleet, and every Fleet must have one. They are ultimately responsible for the Force's success or failure and issue Fleet-wide orders. (e.g. Jellicoe or Speer)

A Staff Officer is active throughout an operation advising the Flag Officer, organizing the Fleet, and ensuring orders are carried out effectively. (Admiral Fischer in LoGH or [])

The Line Officer controls a single Element and can play a major role in its performance, attack other Characters, and can even choose to disobey the orders of Headquarters. (e.g. Beatty or Hipper)

The Flag Officer and their Staff form the Headquarters which directs the overall battle but is not involved with more localized actions. Line Officers may comment on a situation for the benefit of Headquarters but cannot directly act.

Characters with their own independent Fleets may elect to unify their command, forming a Combined Fleet which acts as one large Fleet with a single Flag Officer.

Each round Characters have one action.

Fleets

A Fleet is represented on the table by a Token. Fleets are made up of Elements, and Elements are made up of Groups. Both are also represented by Tokens on the table.

Fleets have a Stress Gauge, a Cohesion pool, and a Fleet Train.

The Stress Gauge represents a mix of morale, fatigue, and equipment. A Fleet going over the limit is no longer controllable and is it at the mercy of a still formed enemy.

Cohesion represents the potential for coordinated action. The Cohesion pool

The Fleet Train is responsible for supplying the fleet and reducing system defenses. . It is also determines the Fleet's efficiency in sieges.

Elements

Elements are the major tactical divisions of a Fleet: a Screen, the Wings of a Wall of Battle, and a Fleet Train. There can be only one Screen and Fleet Train. The Wall of Battle is divided into three Wings. An Element without any active Groups counts as Collapsed, requiring a point of Cohesion to reform.

The Screen is the independent avant-garde of a Fleet that protects it from surprise attack, performs reconnaissance, and hunts their enemy counterparts often across a very dispersed frontage. The Screen is active in the Initiative and Execution phase of a set piece battle.

• The Screen can not use the Barrage action.

The Wings of the Wall of Battle.

The Fleet Train an element is special. It can not be targeted until a Wing of the Wall of Battle has Collapsed, if so every point of damage will take out one point of Fleet Train. It can only perform a the Support action in the Planning phase.

• Support: Disrupted Groups cost one point to restore. Broken Groups cost two points to restore.

No two fleets are alike, as they all have different purposes and levels of support.

Groups

Groups are the small units, up to 8 ships, that make up a Fleet.

A group has four stats: Mobility, Firepower, Defense, and EW. Mobility determines how many

Light Group: 2 Mobility, 1 Firepower, 1 Defense, 2 EW, [2 Missiles]
Cruiser Group: 1 Mobility, 1 Firepower, 1 Defense, 1 EW,
Heavy Group: 1 Mobility, 2 Firepower, 2 Defense, 0 EW, [Barrage]

Groups have four damage states: Ready, Disrupted, Broken, and Overrun. Ready is the default state. Disrupted groups can still function but are now vulnerable to becoming Broken. Broken groups no longer count to the Element, but can be moved. A group that is Overrun is completely out of play.

Operations

An operation begins long before the fleets are locked in battle.

Advantage & Disadvantage

Advantage & Disadvantage represent factors that strongly affect the conduct of a battle. A field of asteroids, for example, may offer cover against enemy fire or frustrate an assault. Careful analysis of an enemy formation might reveal a major gap in the formation. Characters can both identify, overcome, and neutralize Advantages & Disadvantages.

Characters can Identify an Advantage on a successful roll. The difficulty is affected by its scope and permanence. Scope in this case means who and what is affected; an Advantage that covers an entire Fleet is a much bigger deal than one which covers only a single element. Permanence is the length the effect lasts.

The simplest kind of advantage or disadvantage is a transient one turn single-sided effect that is only relevant to one Element.

Overcoming a Disadvantage or neutralizing an enemy Advantage works on similar terms.

Melee

Groups locked in Melee can not be affected by Attack or Support actions. At the end of the Round, the tokens will do flat firepower damage to each other. Groups that enter the Broken state are automatically Overrun. Melees continue until one side has broken or broken contact.

Battle

The

Planning

Groups are moved between Elements during the Planning phase. Moving Groups costs a single point of Cohesion. Additionally, Groups can only move in accordance with their Mobility. It costs 2 Mobility to Move from the Screen to any of the Wings. It costs 1 Mobility to move from one Wing to an adjacent Wing, and 2 Mobility to the furthest removed Wing. It costs 2 Mobility to move from any of the Wings to the Fleet Train, and 3 Mobility to move from the Screen to the Fleet Train.

A Tactic is . A convincing Tactic may require Groups be moved around.

Execution

Elements can perform multiple actions, however, they can not perform the same action twice.

Attack (Sum Firepower, TN 6)

The Element attacks. Each success does one damage.

Defend (Sum Firepower, TN 6)

The Element defends. Each success negates a sux of an enemy Attack or Charge. Any leftover sux are applied as damage to the attacking Element.

Charge (Sum Mobility, TN 6)

The Element attempts to close the distance between it and its opposite as quickly as possible. Each success locks a token on either side in a Melee.

Barrage (Add Firepower values of Groups with Barrage trait, TN 5)

Like an attack in most respects, however, a Barrage can target any Element.

Results

Each round, every fleet involved takes 1 Stress. Additionally,

(draft material)

Fleet types have different basic statistics that represent their authorized materiel as dictated by naval legislation and their general expected level of support, readiness, and training.

Capital Ship Ratio (assuming fleet size 200) 1/4 (Guard) = 40 1/8 (Normal) = 25

1. Initiative: In the Initiative phase the Screen attempts to gather data on the enemy’s maneuvers and prevent their counterparts from doing the same. Their respective success or failure determines who, if anyone, has initiative. Engagements that have become too chaotic or frenzied (such as a general melee) may not have this phase.
2. Planning: Headquarters analyze the situation and issue their orders. Both sides describe the overall formation they want their fleets to adopt to the GM. The GM approves the and assigns any bonuses.
3. Execution: The Fleet Elements choose and begin their Actions.
4. Results:

Set Piece

Whenever two fleet groups mutually agree and commit to pitched battle, bringing the full weight of their numbers to bear on each other. In a Set Piece engagement there are two major lines.

Test Characters

Use stats from Talk:Not Created Equal.

2 in all attributes, 2 in all stats.