Special Maneuver: Collision!
Requires a LD role on 3D6 (+1D6 per size different than ramming class.) (e.g. 3D6
Escort/Escort, 3D6 Cruiser/Cruiser, 4D6 Escort/Cruiser, 5D6 Escort/Battleship.)
Movement: Full + 4D6 (+5D6 Slaughter/Dauntless)
Weapons: None
Turns: None
Roll additional movement. Move rammer until bases are touching, then perform the above
test. (A failed test means the ship moves to its full, rolled movement and the maneuver
simply failed--not even a normal ram was conducted.) Remember any additional movement not
used. Ramming and rammed ships take an automatic number of hits equal to the total move of
the rammer (full movement plus additional rolled value) divided by 10. Additionally,
follow normal ramming rules and add this damage to any result already obtained. Take the
difference in hits between the ships, (Rammer minus Rammed). If the number is zero or
less, then consider it equal to "1". Multiply this value times the amount of
damage caused. Move both ships this distance in centimeters from their current location on
the board--do not exceed the total move rolled for the rammer.
Now the fun begins! Any damage, which puts either ship at zero or below, requires a roll on the catastrophic damage table--EVEN IF IT IS AN ESCORT. Apply a positive modifier to the catastrophic roll equal to the total damage sustained by that ship. If an explosion result is rolled, then the rammer (still in direct contact, mind you) takes the hits. Period.
(E.g. Eight Lance hits will automatically hit.) If this damage puts the rammer at or below zero damage, conduct the same kind of test against it--with the same modifiers for the catastrophic damage table.
Notes: This rule was created to do little more than sacrifice one ship for another. It is not easy to convince the crew to do this, hence the difficulty in the LD check. It is also harder to convince a smaller ship to collide with a larger ship due to the fact that it may not actually destroy the target and is a bit pointless, so the crew is less likely to do it.
However, it is also harder for a larger ship to actually target a smaller ship for the maneuver. That is why the modifier works both ways. Smaller ships and larger ships are harder to hit for different reasons, but they are still harder to hit.
The rule seems a bit nasty and I'm not sure of the playability. I'd welcome any thoughts on it.