HOUSE RULE FOR TORPEDOES
REPEAT: THIS IS A HOUSE RULE AND NOT IN THE RULE BOOK
After seeing the discussion on skinny battleships, I decided to crack the problem. These have not been playtested. For those not familiar with the thread mentioned, it is about how slower larger battleships are harder to hit than smaller more agile escorts.
Here is the rule:
Torpedo Hit Procedure:
1. When a torpedo marker comes in contact with a ship/station/escort, determine the
target aspect of the ship/escort [closing, abeam, moving away]. The aspect is determined
from the relationship of the torpedo marker at the start of the ordnance phase
to the target.
Note: If the salvo marker straddles a facing line, so that the target can be considered as one of two facings. Roll a die, even is target player's choice of what aspect the torp hits; odds the torp player's gets to choose.
2. Defensive turret fire is taken now, as per the rulebook, reducing the strength of the salvo.
3. A die is rolled to see if each remaining strength point of torpedo hits. The number
needed to hit is dependant on the target
type. See chart below:
Escorts 6+ to hit
Capital ships 5+ to hit
Defences 4+ to hit
Per the rulebook(p. 130) for Eldar torpedos having advanced guidance systems, Eldar torps which miss get a reroll. Per the rulebook(p. 26) for torpedos hitting hulks, ther is no need to see if they hit, they do automatically.
3. The die roll is modified by several factors:
Target Aspect:
Closing: -1 to die roll
Abeam: +1 to die roll
Target Movement:
Target is stationary: +1 to die roll
Torpedo Type:
Boarding torp that did not turn in this ordnance phase: +1 to die roll
4. Any torpedoes that missed continue to travel straight ahead. For any torpedoes that hit, they roll to penetrate the target's armor.
Note, unlike the Rulebook, the Eldar torpedoes do not get to reroll to penetrate.
5. Any torpedoes that penetrate the cause one point of damage as per the rules, and may cause criticals per the rules.
EXAMPLE:
Despoiler Class BB fires 9 point spread at a Dictator Class CVL. The range is under 30 cm. The Dictator fires its turrets reducing the 9 SP salvo to a 7 SP salvo. The base number to hit is 5+ for Capital ships. The Dictator is Abeam of the Despoiler. The die rolls are modified by +1. The Chaos player roll 7D6 (1d6 per SP). Any roll of 4+ is a hit. The fates are with Chaos, 6 hit. Now, you roll to penetrate. Dictator's side armor is 5+. Chaos roll 6D6 with 5+ causing damage.
Design Notes/Rules Rationale
The rules were intended to mimic the offensive and defensive tactics used during WW I and
WW II by surface ships and submarines. Submariners always strived to get the
torpedoes to strike a ship from abeam with the torpedos since, the target presented the
largest target aspect. (Thus the +1 base modifier). A common defensive tactic was to
"comb the spread", turn toward or away from the torpedos and reduce the target
size. (Thus the +1 for closing aspect) The reason behind no modifier for the target moving
away, is that I thought the smaller target aspect would be offset by the large energy
signature of the engines.
The target stationary modifier is self explanatory. It is assumed that the ships are jinking a little to try and shake the torpedoes. The +1 for boarding torps that did not turn assumes, that the occupants of the boarding torp could make some last second course adjustments to increase their chances to hit.
The use of the penetration roll, results in some torpedoes striking the target but failing to either explode or penetrate.
Some tactics with these house rules
With these rules, escorts are harder to hit or impossible to hit if they are facing the torpedoe salvo (closing target). Thus you can now use your escorts to place themselves between torpedoes and the capital ships. Those that are facing the salvos, can fire their turrets and reduce the strength of the salvo, without risk of getting hit by the torpedo. If you know you are going to get hit next turn with a salvo of torpedoes, but you do not know if you can make your BFI roll, you could reduce your damage potential by turing into the salvo.