Speed
Every ship has a speed when the game starts. This speed is the
number of hexes the ship will move on the space map during its
turn. Players should write down each of their ships' speeds so they
remember them during the turn. Also, a ship's speed this turn will
affect its speed next turn.
Acceleration and Deceleration
Each ship has an Acceleration/Deceleration Factor (ADF). This is a
number that tells the player how many hexes the ship can add to or
subtract from its speed in one turn. Ships accelerate or decelerate
just before they move. A ship cannot accelerate and decelerate on
the same turn.
EXAMPLE: A ship that moved five hexes last turn has a speed of 5 at
the beginning of this turn. If its ADF is 2, it can add one or two hexes
to its previous speed. or subtract one or two hexes from its previous
speed. This turn, the ship can move 3. 4, 5, 6 or 7 hexes. The player
decides he wants the ship to move 6 hexes this turn. He moves the
ship 6 hexes, then writes down "6" as the ship's speed so he will
remember it next turn.
STOPPING. A ship can stop movi ng (decelerate to a speed of O) only
if its speed during the previous turn was equal to or less than its
ADF. A ship that had a speed of O during the last turn can remain at
O, or accelerate to any speed up to its ADF. A ship does not move at
all on the turn it stops.
TOP SPEED. Ships do not have a top speed. They can accelerate to any
speed, but players may find that ships traveling very fast willbe
forced to leave the map.
Turning
Each ship has a Maneuver Rating (MR). This number tells the player
how many times the ship can turn during its move.
The bow (front) of a ship always must point at one of the six sides of
the hex the ship is in. When a ship moves, it must move into the hex
it is facing.
A ship can turn after it enters a hex. A ship turns by rotating
so that itsbow faces the first hexside to its right or left. During its
move, a ship can make a number of turns equal to its MR. A ship
can turn only one hexside in any hex, however. If the number of
hexes a ship moves is less than its MR, it still can turn only once
per hex.
EXAMPLE: The frigate in the illustration has a speed of 7 and an MR
of 3. The player controlIing the ship decides she wants it to perform
a wide turn. She moves the ship forward three hexes and turns it one
hex side to the left. She then moves it two more hexes and turns to
the left again. So far, the ship has moved five hexes and turned
twice. She moves the ship one hex forward. turns it left again, and
finishes the move by moving the ship one more hex forward. The
ship has now moved seven hexes and turned three times.
If a ship has a speed of zero through the entire turn, it can rotate
during its movement phase so it faces any hexside.
Stacking Counters
Any number of ships can be in one hex at the same time. Ships can
shoot at other ships in the same hex without penalty.
Planets
A hex that contains a planet counter is blocked. No ship can move
into or through that hex. The planet also blocks shots if the shortest
path from the attacker to the target must be traced through the
planet's hex.
Orbiting Planets
Any ship that starts its move in a hex next to a planet can orbit that
planet. The player simply announces during his movement phase
that the ship is orbiting the planet.
A ship that is orbiting a planet has a speed of zero. However, the ship
automatically moves one hex around the planet each turn. The direction of
the orbit (clockwise or counterclockwise) is up to the
player who controls the ship. Once it is established, the direction
cannot be changed unless the ship leaves orbit and returns to start a
new orbit in the opposite direction. The ship in the illustration is
orbiting clockwise. The numbers show how many turns it will take
the ship to move from its starting hex to the various hexes around
the planet. It will return to its starting hex in six turns.
Because a ship in orbit has a speed of zero. it can rotate to face any
hexside during its movement. The ship can rotate this way even if it
leaves orbit during the turn. If the ship leaves orbit, it still has its
full MR to use during its move.
Moving Off The Map
Ships that ieave the map are considered lost and are taken out of the
game. If a ship travels off the map because it cannot turn before
reaching the edge, then it cannot return to the map on a later turn.