High Guard 2026 errata
- Thread starter Sigtrygg
- Start date
shirgall
Cosmic Mongoose
I have some issues with the deck plan changes for the lab ship, esp with respect to the Calendula as depicted in Death Station.
Of course I'm biased because of my 3d-printing guide for the Calendula and because Death Station is so fun to play.
- I like a single path around the ring, but I also emphasized in my designs that the fuel tanks were half-height and under the deck, as the Travellers are going to be exploring the empty tanks down there
- Getting rid of the secondary bridge changes a lot of the exploration and taking control gameplay.
- Getting rid of the secondary lab space doesn't separate those two event areas in Death Station
- There's no longer a space for the "elevator" that is implied for the spoke and docking ring, and I always wanted cargo space there but now the air/raft bay is there making the cargo offload issue even worse
- Getting rid of the second air/raft bay that was adjoining the secondary lab also constricts certain gameplay elements of that adventure (certain things are found there).
Of course I'm biased because of my 3d-printing guide for the Calendula and because Death Station is so fun to play.
Terry Mixon
Emperor Mongoose
As the previous increment was days, I'd imagine it is still days, but that does need to be stated.
I think we might need a clarification on the ION trait affect on Computers - Reducing their Bandwidth (unless /Fib) by the damage.
Firstly its not clear that this reduction is temporary - like the power reduction - it does seem reasonable that this should only last as long as the power reduction - but this is not mentioned.
But there is a bigger problem when you look at the math:
The first ION weapon is the ION cannon Barbette - an ION barbette does 7D with a multiplier of 3 (Barbette weapon), with a zero effect on the attack roll the average damage is 24x3=72 -> effectively completely disrupting all but the most advanced CORE computers.
This is even worse for a ION cannon in a Bay with a 10, 20, or 100 multiplier - where any computer hit will be disrupted.
Perhaps the reduction in computer BW should be applied before the damage multiplier - this would disrupt alot of smaller computers, but not render the more powerful computers useless.
The is also the question of what happens when you reduce a computer to 0 bandwidth - can they still run 0 bandwidth programs (AKA Manouver). If they cant it seems every pirate would mount an ION barbette to easily disable most merchants (who dont tend to run large or /Fib computers).
Thanks
Chris
Firstly its not clear that this reduction is temporary - like the power reduction - it does seem reasonable that this should only last as long as the power reduction - but this is not mentioned.
But there is a bigger problem when you look at the math:
The first ION weapon is the ION cannon Barbette - an ION barbette does 7D with a multiplier of 3 (Barbette weapon), with a zero effect on the attack roll the average damage is 24x3=72 -> effectively completely disrupting all but the most advanced CORE computers.
This is even worse for a ION cannon in a Bay with a 10, 20, or 100 multiplier - where any computer hit will be disrupted.
Perhaps the reduction in computer BW should be applied before the damage multiplier - this would disrupt alot of smaller computers, but not render the more powerful computers useless.
The is also the question of what happens when you reduce a computer to 0 bandwidth - can they still run 0 bandwidth programs (AKA Manouver). If they cant it seems every pirate would mount an ION barbette to easily disable most merchants (who dont tend to run large or /Fib computers).
Thanks
Chris
The ION missile and ION torpedo are a bit odd too - the ION Missile lacks the Smart trait, and ION Torpedo lacks the ION trait. Although the previous 2022 update had the same text (although the earlier high guard had ION and Smart for the ECM Torpedo).
How the missiles and torpedos interact with the new ION trait's affect to BW is unclear too - as the damage is listed as special, and the text in the description specifies how much they reduce the power by (one could assume this impacts the computer BW the same way but it is not damage).
Plus the average reduction for a single hit by a missile is 35 and 140 for a torpedo - which seems high before multiplying for salvos with multiple missiles/torps.
All this to say all military vessels will require /Fib except in the most extreme cases - which doesn't seem to be a design decision, just a design Tax.
How the missiles and torpedos interact with the new ION trait's affect to BW is unclear too - as the damage is listed as special, and the text in the description specifies how much they reduce the power by (one could assume this impacts the computer BW the same way but it is not damage).
Plus the average reduction for a single hit by a missile is 35 and 140 for a torpedo - which seems high before multiplying for salvos with multiple missiles/torps.
All this to say all military vessels will require /Fib except in the most extreme cases - which doesn't seem to be a design decision, just a design Tax.
And while I'm on this ION kick.
The Tigress, Kokirrak, Plankwell, AzH, and Atlantic don't have /Fib computers. The carriers don't either, but as they're not front line ships perhaps thats not an issue.
Being able to disable the computers of the top Imperial Dreadnaughts/Battleships with a single barbette weapon, seems to be a unintended consequence of this rule update.
The Tigress, Kokirrak, Plankwell, AzH, and Atlantic don't have /Fib computers. The carriers don't either, but as they're not front line ships perhaps thats not an issue.
Being able to disable the computers of the top Imperial Dreadnaughts/Battleships with a single barbette weapon, seems to be a unintended consequence of this rule update.
Moving on to screens.
The re-write of the Angle Screens task is helpful in clarifying how the damage is reduced by the screen (it was kind of unclear before) - but the re-wording removed the stipulation that a screen can be used only once per round. The new text states that a gunner can only angle a screen once per turn, but since the crew for a screen is 2 gunners, this implies that the screen can be used twice (once per gunner). So I think the line about each screen been used once per round should be restored.
The rule that a gunner could combine multiple screens to a single roll has been removed, and now a roll is explicitly needed for each screen, which will increase the number of rolls needed; and this also has one further affect to the Nuclear Damper rules.
For Nuclear Dampers, as before the text states that 5 Dampers are needed to remove the Radiation trait from destructive weapons, and that these 5 Nuclear Dampers when combined reduce the damage by 1DD. But the text on a single gunner grouping screens to make a single roll has been removed, and the new text explicitly states that a roll is made for each screen. So if I roll for each screen do all 5 rolls need to be successful to remove the Radiation trait (this reduces the chance that a defender would be able to do so), and if I am making multiple angle screen rolls which effect do I use to modify the 1DD. Also if I am rolling for each is there anything mathematically different to reducing the damage by 2D6 five times, vrs 1DD one time.
Chris
The re-write of the Angle Screens task is helpful in clarifying how the damage is reduced by the screen (it was kind of unclear before) - but the re-wording removed the stipulation that a screen can be used only once per round. The new text states that a gunner can only angle a screen once per turn, but since the crew for a screen is 2 gunners, this implies that the screen can be used twice (once per gunner). So I think the line about each screen been used once per round should be restored.
The rule that a gunner could combine multiple screens to a single roll has been removed, and now a roll is explicitly needed for each screen, which will increase the number of rolls needed; and this also has one further affect to the Nuclear Damper rules.
For Nuclear Dampers, as before the text states that 5 Dampers are needed to remove the Radiation trait from destructive weapons, and that these 5 Nuclear Dampers when combined reduce the damage by 1DD. But the text on a single gunner grouping screens to make a single roll has been removed, and the new text explicitly states that a roll is made for each screen. So if I roll for each screen do all 5 rolls need to be successful to remove the Radiation trait (this reduces the chance that a defender would be able to do so), and if I am making multiple angle screen rolls which effect do I use to modify the 1DD. Also if I am rolling for each is there anything mathematically different to reducing the damage by 2D6 five times, vrs 1DD one time.
Chris
Arkathan
Emperor Mongoose
Ion weapons are not standard charted space weapons, so the Tigris, et al, do not need to defend against them.
The nuclear dampers neutralize nukes, so that EMP source is covered.
Terry Mixon
Emperor Mongoose
Wasn’t there a published ship that used Ion weapons? If it’s one place in Charted Space, it can be elsewhere.
AndrewW
Emperor Mongoose
Yes, The Glorious Empire uses them.
Terry Mixon
Emperor Mongoose
Thanks. Sounds like they are possible in Charted Space, then, so the Imperium better be ready for them.
Condottiere
Emperor Mongoose
What we're afraid of is electromagnetic pulses.
I would think that was the original genesis for the fibre optic option in computers.
This can be caused by a nuclear explosion, which, one presumes, would be in close enough proximity to the hull, whether by a nuclear warhead, or, it's offshoot, bomb pumped laser torpedo.
Not quite sure what the difference is between that, and ironic weapon systems.
I would think that was the original genesis for the fibre optic option in computers.
This can be caused by a nuclear explosion, which, one presumes, would be in close enough proximity to the hull, whether by a nuclear warhead, or, it's offshoot, bomb pumped laser torpedo.
Not quite sure what the difference is between that, and ironic weapon systems.
Terry Mixon
Emperor Mongoose
Well, an ironic weapon system does damage based on the difference between the gunner's expectation and reality, so outcomes vary.
