While reading the thread on possible mechanics for an Interdictor Cruiser I started wondering about hyperspace since that's obviously what the Interdictor is meant to provide control over. The standard game assumes hyperspace jumps have been completed and opposing forces are moving into immanent conflict. But there are other ways hyperspace comes into play:

1. "Long jumps:" Surprise reinforcements/Counter attacks

Ships jump into a position the enemy fleet has been lured into.

2. "Short jumps:" Repositioning forces already in play

Ships jump to another position within the immediate area.

3. Fleeing the battle

Ships have to get to a certain point and jump to escape.

With these scenarios, is there a way to replicate them (and thus make an Interdictor more viable)? Obviously for #3 you can keep the ship from escaping, making the Interdictor a must-destroy objective for the enemy while the rest of your fleet protects it. That's fun.

Maybe having some portion of your list (all hyperspace capable) off the board and deployed later?

Spend an engineering action and saved engineering token to make a hyperspace jump away?

Cheap ships that can carry squadrons jump into an area, deploy fighters, and then jump back to the fleet?

In the X-wing campaign mechanic that I developed I had the idea that ships with a hyperdrive that did a green manuver could "plot a hyperspace jump" as their action, then when it got to their pilot skill combat phase (to simulate their reaction speed) they could jump out of the skirmish instead of shooting - and therefore live to fight another day (the campaign was hero permadeath initially).

If you were looking at a campaign system for Armada then the ability to retreat forces in the face of a defeat - or even in the rebels case just once a mission had been accomplished (like stealing or sabotaging something), would be vital to make it feel like Star Wars, so yes, having a hyerspace mechanic to retreat would be great - not so sure about the short jump idea though, as I think the play area will be small enough as it is - unless you were playing on the size of a warehouse floor with massive fleets - then maybe.

I think that it would be awesome to incorporate hyperspace jumping in some way.

However, I am fairly confident that FFG is not going to introduce anything of that nature, and so it will have to be homebrew.

I think that it would be awesome to incorporate hyperspace jumping in some way.

However, I am fairly confident that FFG is not going to introduce anything of that nature, and so it will have to be homebrew.

It certainly wouldnt be of any use in a 3x6 official tournament so I fear you are right

I think that it would be awesome to incorporate hyperspace jumping in some way.

However, I am fairly confident that FFG is not going to introduce anything of that nature, and so it will have to be homebrew.

It certainly wouldnt be of any use in a 3x6 official tournament so I fear you are right

HEY!!

Turn that smile upside down, mister!

We are talking about a profound tragedy here!

It shouldn't be difficult to homebrew. Plus it'll make campaigns so much cooler if your forces can retreat to fight another day. Most battles aren't complete all or nothing battles anyway. Once a force loses a third of its strength it usually pulls out.

Making a jump: Exhaust a navigate token and spend a navigate command.

This forces you to prioritize it and plan ahead, preventing you from just escaping. If you end up out of position when it is time to jump, simply don't spend -- or at least don't exhaust -- the token and use your navigate command to get into a better position.

If a ship is not meant to be escaping in a scenario like stealing something and is forced to retreat, it counts has half it's normal points. So an enemy gets credit for forcing it from the field but not everything. Likewise the fleeing ship's fleet reduces it's final damage point count by the ship that fled so running isn't a gimmie strategy.

It shouldn't be difficult to homebrew. Plus it'll make campaigns so much cooler if your forces can retreat to fight another day. Most battles aren't complete all or nothing battles anyway. Once a force loses a third of its strength it usually pulls out.

Making a jump: Exhaust a navigate token and spend a navigate command.

This forces you to prioritize it and plan ahead, preventing you from just escaping. If you end up out of position when it is time to jump, simply don't spend -- or at least don't exhaust -- the token and use your navigate command to get into a better position.

If a ship is not meant to be escaping in a scenario like stealing something and is forced to retreat, it counts has half it's normal points. So an enemy gets credit for forcing it from the field but not everything. Likewise the fleeing ship's fleet reduces it's final damage point count by the ship that fled so running isn't a gimmie strategy.

Have to see what the objectives in the game are like - because if its something like holding strategic points then if ships withdraw then the opponent will be far more likley to win in those conditions - so a points penalty might be a bit too far, have to wait and see perhaps

I think fleeing into Hyperspace is a good idea. Battle fleet Gothic had a similar rule about being able to withdraw ships if they passed an order and were a certain distance from the enemy. This was mostly for Campaigns but from my understanding was used in tournaments as well so crippled ships didn't give full points if they successfully retreated.

It would be neat if you could split your list or even make a bid with a partial list. If you play without calling in reinforcements then you get a few bonus points. Or maybe for every turn you go without calling in reinforcements you get some points. A mathematical formula will need to be come up with to make it balanced. This creates an incentive to use smaller fleets but still allows for the full use of points. Call in reinforcements if you need them later.

As for where reinforcements would arrive, that would be something to figure out. Maybe within range 1 of a friendly capital ship that spends a navigation token -- the token represents "signalling" the fleet. Ships arriving must be able to draw a straight line from their rear base to the side of the board its fleet began the game from.

I think that if inbound reserves were deployed then they should come on from the players table edge, but if a player (owner or opponent) has an interdictor cruiser - then that player can "redeploy" them within range 3 from the original placement

EDIT: I thought I was on the X-Wing forum. Nevermind.

2. "Short jumps:" Repositioning forces already in play

Ships jump to another position within the immediate area.

I smell a "Picard Manoeuvre" in the works...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Battle_(Star_Trek:_The_Next_Generation)