Proton Bombs

By LukeZZ, in Game Mechanics

Proton Bombs chutes have "Range [Close]" and "Blast 7".

So if a TIE Bomber whants to activate the Blast effect... he will hit himself too!

Proton Bombs chutes have "Range [Close]" and "Blast 7".

So if a TIE Bomber whants to activate the Blast effect... he will hit himself too!

I'd suggest you re-read the Blast quality on page 113, specifically the first paragraph. The damage from Blast is only done to targets that are engaged with the primary target.

And as the TIE Bomber doesn't have any game text in its stat block to suggest that the Blast quality is treated differently, then the Proton Bomb's Blast quality is subject to the above limitation.

Does this mean that a proton bomb isn't that useful in starship-scale combat? Yep, but it's a real killer if somebody were to drop one of these into a character-scale fight, or launch it at a bunker containing a bunch of Rebel forces.

But there is no "Engaged" range in planetary scale, only "Close".

Or does it mean that the Blast effect of a planetary scale weapon hits only starships that are within a substet of the "Close (planetary scale)" range?

Maybe only in somthing like the "Short (personal scale)" subset of the "Close (planetary scale)" range?

Edited by LukeZZ

But there is no "Engaged" range in planetary scale, only "Close".

Exactly. If there's no engaged range, then the blast quality can't activate.

The blast quality of proton bombs, torpedoes, concussion missiles, ect, is for use when attacking targets operating on the person scale. This can include vehicles in some situations.

But there is no "Engaged" range in planetary scale, only "Close".

Exactly. If there's no engaged range, then the blast quality can't activate.

The blast quality of proton bombs, torpedoes, concussion missiles, ect, is for use when attacking targets operating on the person scale. This can include vehicles in some situations.

Blast can be activated (for three Advantages) on a miss to cause some damage to the primary target. This is the only real use of Blast on the planetary scale.

Seems like a shame, since both TIE Bombers and Y-wings were supposed to be capital ship-killers with their ordinance, not just air-to-surface killers.

Seems like a shame, since both TIE Bombers and Y-wings were supposed to be capital ship-killers with their ordinance, not just air-to-surface killers.

Recheck the ordinance on the TIE Bomber. Like the Y-Wing, it includes a missile launcher, with the TIE bomber having the option of concussion missiles or proton torpedoes, and is the second weapon listed.

And while neither ship will be taking out massive capital ships like Imperial-class Star Destroyers or MC80 cruisers on their own (especially with the new Massive quality that the AoR Beta Updates added), they can still do some nasty damage to the lower end of capital ships, such as gunships and the smaller cruisers thanks in large part to Breach.

And as HappyDaze noted, the Blast quality is useful to dealing at least some damage to the primary target in vehicle-scale combat. Whether the Breach quality applies to the Blast as well is up to the individual GM (I wouldn't permit it, but I also don't recall if there's been any sort of official word or not on the matter).

I have allowed Breach (and Pierce, if applicable) to apply to the Blast Damage as otherwise its very weak.

I have allowed Breach (and Pierce, if applicable) to apply to the Blast Damage as otherwise its very weak.

Me too, for the same reason.

I have allowed Breach (and Pierce, if applicable) to apply to the Blast Damage as otherwise its very weak.

Me too, for the same reason.

I would as well, but it hasn't come up yet. (My players have yet to miss with proton torpedoes.)