After seeing BullDogUK's thread, I was inspired and picked up a ship off of ebay ($30). A quick repaint and just need to take care of the flight stand and finish the base. We're looking forward to play a scenario with it.

I seem to be missing the edit button above.

It looks nice. Of course this beggs the question of Altitude. With the current rules the minis could fly around the Runner, but how about over the top?

Would a homebrewed ruled be as simple as saying it costs an action to change a unit of elevation either up or down? There could be 3 layers to this simulated space. First the table's surface, which is a normal game, wth the minis being 1 peg high. Second mid-level which contains the Runner and the minis are 3 or 4 pegs tall. Then the Top layer which is however tall it needs to be to be above the Runner. I don't think additional Pegs would be practical. It would take a dowel. The base would also have to be heavier so it doesn't tip over. Maybe add washers to the underside of a regualer base.

There's weaknesses to every simulation. The weakness of the above brainstorm is not being able to dive at a 45 degree angle from highest to lowest in a single turn. The fake looking mechanics of having to level out and fly horizontally for a few inches at each level change is also a weakness.

For combat between the horizontal layers just for simplicity I'd say it can't happen. Now to rephrase that if the ship has a forward firing gun then pointing the nose of the ship in a climb or dive to aim … while its going forward… causes it to change levels. Thus the ship enters the target's horizontal plain, which spends an action.

Now the Ion cannon could be able to shoot in the plain above it. Just take the range stick and twirl it around. (I don't have the mini in front of me but I think the ion cannon is top-rear mounted not under)

Wow. This was all a rush of thoughts.

I hope I didn't hijack your thread.

I'll have to look at some posts about 3D fights. I can't be the first person to have thought of this.

I'm fairly new to the game. Only been playing 2 weeks. Only logged on to this discussion board for the first time last night.

I've played alot with 3D objects. I treat them as follows:

Smaller objects: Treat like another ship. Overlap and losing actions apply. No loss of vision.

Larger objects that you can't fly on top of: I use the asteroid rules. If you overlap, lose actions, can't attack, roll a die for damage. shooting through gives the defender an extra die. This is what I suggest for the Rebel Blockade Runner.

Huge objects that you can fly on top of: Normal movement unless you change elevations. If you successfully make the change, no issues. If you make it only half way, you pull back unitl you stay on the current level and lose actions (like you overlapped a ship). Some vertical surfaces may be declared that you would have to roll a damage dice and lose attack. For example, a 3D Star Destroyer or a 3D Suface of the Death Star. For the Death Star, I play that if you collide with the walls it is if you hit an asteroid. When you drop in you fully have to make the drop in or you lose your action and you pull back to the edge of the trench. For the 3D Star Destroyer, if you hit the the vertical super structure brdige, it's like hitting an asteroid. Going level to level you have to fully make the next level, or you pull back and lose actions. All of this represents the extra attention the pilots are doing to not collide as they skim on the surface in 3D.

I have tried all this out and it is alot of fun. It really makes you have to think about your movement and it is evenly difficult on both sides.