I just had a much cooler idea for the Fusor version than an accuracy bonus (which always kinda bored me): It has an anti-missile mode, so it’s also a defensive weapon! Thus:
Area Defense Mode (total cost: 5 pts)
(Device: Obstacle, base cost 1 pt, affects three additional skills/circumstances, 3 pts, imposes +3 Ob, 3 pts.)
(Categorical Limitation: only against projectile weapons, only against Indirect weapons, -2 pts)
When incoming artillery rounds or missiles are detected, the SPAG-F’s fusor automatically switches to a high rate of fire, low-power, wide-dispersion mode to blind or shoot down the incoming projectiles. This “wall of fire” is only effective against physical projectiles, not energy weapons, like lasers or fusors, and only if the projectiles are fired by a high-altitude or space-based platform, or by a ground-based platform with a relatively long, high-arcing trajectory: High-velocity anti-tank shells, for example, are too fast and too low to the ground to intercept in this manner.
This trait imposes a +3 Ob penalty to to attacks against the SPAG-F’s unit by enemy forces using projectile weapons with the Indirect trait only (of the standard weapons listed in the rulebook, this means Mortars, SCrEM launchers, Howitzers, and Missiles). This applies to both Direct Fire and Suppressive Fire unit actions, and to individual actions to take shot opportunities during either Direct Fire or Suppressive Fire.
I was actually working on a man-portable version of that =) one millimeter railgun firing needles up at incoming mortar and missile rounds. You’ve made a calliope from Hammer’s Slammers =)
Michael, I was totally thinking of the “calliope,” absolutely. And it would be nice to burn up a point-defense version to mount on vehicles – Faith Conquers actually mentions this, though we don’t see it in operation because the fighting’s so one-sided – or on tripods for dismounted infantry.
The funny thing visually is that the SPAG-Missile would look a lot more like a modern self-propelled howitzer and the SPAG-Fusor would look a lot more like a modern rocket-launcher system. The SPAG-M’s ELAM (electromagnetic launch assisted missile) presumably has a long launch rail that may even be enclosed, so it looks like a gun tube. By contrast, to sweep a whole sector of sky quickly, the SPAG-F’s energy weapon would have to be some kind of squat, broad aperture – like the “phaser banks” in Star Trek: The Next Generation (feh!) or the ball turret on the experimental Airborne Laser platform.
A cluster of armored grav vehicles hover in a forest clearing just a few inches off the ground, the back ramps down as Anvil troops pour out, and then the running soldiers are silhouetted against a suddenly fusor-blue sky as the anti-missile defenses open up with that sickening, familiar thunderclap that signals incoming rounds detected. “Move move move! Get dispersed and under cover so the transports can lift off, now!”
Ah, see, I saw the ELAM as having a bank of launch rails with rockets on each one, like an MLRS or a SMERCH so it could shower the enemy with volleys of guided rockets with payloads of individual, homing, anti-armour submunitions.
If you want the Fusor to look a little more cool, consider basing it more completely on the calliope. Have, say, six individual long barrels arranged like a gattling gun. Claim that their armour penetration capabilities comes from their massive rate of fire that lets them chew through battleships. Then, in Area Defence Mode, the barrels unlock from their fixed, concentric position, and begin engaging targets individually. Like a flakpanzer where each gun is flexible.
And it would be nice to burn up a point-defense version to mount on vehicles – Faith Conquers actually mentions this, though we don’t see it in operation because the fighting’s so one-sided – or on tripods for dismounted infantry.
You do see a Chot point-defense system in action against the “red top” attack in Faith Conquers (unsuccessfully).
Oh – I must’ve mistaken the flashes for premature detonations by the incoming missiles rather than outgoing anti-missile shots. Are the CHOT troops just not very good, or is Trevor Faith just that much better than everybody else? (I know “the line companies are dirt,” I’m asking about their mech and Iron).
Now for an Oops: Thinking about the point-defense idea that Mike brought up, and wondering how to differentiate it from an area defense weapon like this one, I realize I’d failed to buy the enhancement that would let the SPAG-F protect its whole unit, not just itself – as costed above, it IS a point-defense weapon.
On the other hand, costing out an Ob to enemy shot opportunities during Suppressive Fire as separate from shot opportunities during Direct Fire was silly of me, too, so I get a point back there. And there’s no Enhancement to just affect your unit – it goes straight to “everyone on your side,” so a single SPAG-F can cover every friendly unit on the battlefield, even in multiple-unit firefights! So what if it costs more than the average Hammer cruiser?
So, revising:
Fire in the Sky (total cost: 9 pts)
(Device: Obstacle, base cost 1 pt, affects two additional skills/circumstances, 2 pts, imposes +3 Ob, 3 pts.)
(Enhancement, affects everyone on your side, 6 pts)
(Categorical Limitations x3: only against projectile weapons, only against Indirect weapons, counts as firing for purposes of Ammo Check rules, -3 pts)
When incoming artillery rounds or missiles are detected, the SPAG-F’s fusor automatically switches to a high rate of fire, low-power, wide-dispersion mode to blind or shoot down the incoming projectiles. This “wall of fire” is only effective against physical projectiles, not energy weapons, like lasers or fusors, and only if the projectiles are fired by a high-altitude or space-based platform, or by a ground-based platform with a relatively long, high-arcing trajectory: High-velocity anti-tank shells (from the “Cannon” weapon on p. 517), for example, are too fast and too low to the ground to intercept in this manner – the SPAG-F would just end up shooting the terrain and any friendly troops in front of it.
This area defense fire imposes a +3 Ob penalty to to attacks against any unit on the SPAG-F’s side of a Firefight by enemy forces using projectile weapons with the Indirect trait only (of the standard weapons listed in the rulebook, this means Mortars, SCrEM launchers, Howitzers, and Missiles). This applies to both Direct Fire and Suppressive Fire unit actions, and to individual actions to take shot opportunities during either Direct Fire or Suppressive Fire.
Area defense fire drains the SPAG-F’s power in the same way as any other kind of firing: It requires an Ammo Check at the end of the volley, at +1 Ob for each enemy Direct Fire unit action, Suppressive Fire unit action, or individual shot opportunity countered.
This brings the total cost of the SPAG-F to a whopping 21 points, one more than a fully armed Hammer Cruiser (p. 557)!
But first, a clarification about the ELAM trait, which also justifies me doubling the existing Cat Lim from -1 DoF to -2:
In a typical fire mission, the ten-meter-long electromagnetic launch tube shoots dozens of small missiles in under a minute (the consecutive sonic booms create a distinctive and deafening crack-crack-crack sound). Once clear of the launcher, each missile’s built-in rocket motor engages to guide it precisely to the target area, automatically adjusting its flight speed so that every missile launched by a single SPAG-M at a given target, from the first to the last, arrives at the same “time on target.” Finally, each missile’s rocket motor detaches and falls away; the warheads glide in to the target, making final adjustments with small fins before all detonating simultaneously. The effect of these numerous smaller explosions is less powerful at any single point than a single larger missile (-2 to the Die of Fate), but across the entire target area the result is crushing overpressure from the overlapping shock waves.
SWARM rounds
(Wave, 5 pts)
A SPAG-M can fire different types of munitions (in rules terms, each must be costed out as a separate item of hard technology), but the standard load is a Semiautonomous Warhead Anti-Revetment Munition. Each SWARM round has a miniaturized radar that allows it to glide between gaps in trees, into windows, or even through firing slits in bunkers to detonate inside, negating most cover.
SWARM grants the SPAG-M the Wave trait: No matter what its rating, cover counts as level 1 against a SWARM attack.
In a burst of sanity, I realize that SWARM and Area Defense should be separate bits of technology from the base SPAG-Missile and SPAG-Fusor vehicles, respectively, so they can be added to other vehicles (say, spaceships) and to keep the cost of the Self-Propelled Artillery (Grav) vehicles themselves somewhat saner.
I’ll write up the final versions once I get Luke’s clarification on upgrading ammo capacity, which I’ve been confused about for a while.
And here’s a possible way of doing a point-defense system to replicate what Chris Moeller describes in Faith Conquers:
Point Defense Anti-Projectile (total cost: 4 pts)
Device: Obstacle, base cost 1 pt, affects three additional skills/circumstances, 3 pts, imposes +2 Ob, 2 pts. Subtotal: 6 pts.
Categorical Limitations: only against projectile weapons, -1 pt; requires Ammo Check, -1 pt. Subtotal: -2 pts.
Note that this doesn’t have an External Trait Limitation of any kind, because such a system could be mounted on a vehicle, mounted on body armor, or even hand-carried like a weapon.
I’m not sure I agree with the PDAP build. What you’ve described is a personal defense system, but what you’ve built is an area defense system AND a personal defense system. It would be entirely possible for a single guy in Anvil to provide protection for an armoured platoon. This doesn’t make sense. A personal active defense system should only affect shot opportunities against THAT guy, not provide blanket protection for all supressive and direct fire for his unit. If you want your captain with anvil mounted ADS to protect his troops, he needs to stand up and take the fire… it probably wouldn’t have the range otherwise.
I’d argue that any point defense system is going to be bloody big, and should be Heavy and probably require a Tripod or a grav base, but that any troops, even those without armour, should be able to set it up and watch as it knocks down shells for the entire unit, but the hostiles DO manage to get a shot opportunity, the PDAP shouldn’t have an effect on the shot. They managed to sneak a shot through the wall of fire… that was simulated by the increased obstical for the direct fire action.
Very good point that affecting unit actions amounts to area defense. It’s obvious now that you say it, but my brain hadn’t clicked to that – gamer oldthink, I guess. I’ve revised the wiki version accordingly to make it only impact individual attacks rather than unit attacks – which actually doesn’t change the cost much, because there are two different Close Combat actions to buy defense against.
And I like your division between a unit-scale area defense system affecting unit actions while a point defense system affects shot opportunities. That makes a lot of sense. So now we have something else to write up!
Active Defense Against Projectiles - Unit (ADAPU
total cost: 8 pts
Low Index or higher
Applies a +3 Ob penalty against any Direct Fire or Suppressive Fire unit actions, or any individual shot opportunities, using large-bore projectile weapons against its unit. Does not work in Close Combat. Too large for one person to carry: It must be mounted on either a tripod or a vehicle. Has a dedicated power supply.
Device: Obstacle, base cost 1 pt, affects three additional skills/circumstances, 3 pts, imposes +3 Ob, 3 pts. (+7 pts)
Requires Ammo Check (categorical limitation, -1 point)
Ammo Supply: Power Pack (+6 pts)
Either Heavy (-3 pts) or Mounted (-3 pts)
Categorical Limitation: only against projectile weapons (-1 pt)
Statting this up makes me realize that the Point Defense version probably needs to pay for its ammo supply too, which would up its cost by at least one point, for “single shot” (the area defense version simply forces an ammo check on the parent Battery, so it doesn’t need to pay for ammo supply separately). On the other hand, “only mounted on Anvil or Iron or a vehicle” comes close to a -3 point external trait limitation… EDITED TO ADD: I revised it.
And ADAPU is now on the wiki, revised to be an add-on to an existing heavy energy weapon (like a mini-ADAPA) rather than a stand-alone system.
I’m still not 100% confident I’m pricing out the extra cost for an Obstacle against multiple Firefight actions, so I’d very much appreciate comments and corrections on that aspect of these systems in particular.
I revised the Wiki version of ADAPU and the ADAPP to include the 6-point Enhancement “affects everyone on the opposing side” which they really needed to be fair, and changed ADAPA from a 6-pt “affects every enemy” to an 8-pt “affects everyone” Enhancement, then scaled down the Obstacle to a more reasonable +2.
