Vehicle Combat
Vehicle Combat
Rebel snowspeeders close in on the Empire's AT-AT walkers, firing volleys of laser fire at the armored behemoths… Princess Leia slams the accelerator on her speeder bike while an Imperial biker scout closes in from behind and opens fire…
Vehicle combat works like regular combat and is fought in five-second rounds.
Making a Vehicle Attack
To attack a vehicle: 1. Determine the difficulty number to hit the target (based on range). 2. The attacker rolls an attack skill (normally vehicle blasters or Dexterity). 3. If the roll is equal to or higher than the difficulty number, the attack hits. Roll damage (see Vehicle Damage).
Example: Rhen shoots at an Imperial speeder bike 150 meters away—medium range for her airspeeder's laser cannons (Moderate, DN 12). Rhen's vehicle blasters is 3D and the cannons' fire control is 3D. If she doesn't move the speeder, she rolls 6D to hit. If she rolls 12+, she hits the bike.
Reaction Skills: Vehicle Dodge
The target can roll a reaction skill—this is a vehicle dodge. • Roll the pilot's repulsorlift operation (or other vehicle skill) • Add the vehicle's maneuverability code • The result becomes the new difficulty number to hit that vehicle for attacks of that type that round (as appropriate, per your table's handling of reactions).
Example: The speeder bike pilot dodges. His repulsorlift operation is 3D+2 and the bike's maneuverability is 3D. He rolls a 21. Rhen's new difficulty number to hit the speeder bike is 21.
Full Reaction
A pilot can make a full reaction (full vehicle dodge). This can be the only action the pilot takes in the entire round. • Roll vehicle dodge (pilot skill + maneuverability) • Add the dodge roll to the difficulties of all attacks made against the vehicle that round.
Example: Rhen fires again at medium range (Moderate, DN 12). The bike pilot declares a full vehicle dodge and rolls 25. Because it's a full dodge, Rhen's new difficulty is 37 (12 + 25). However, the bike pilot can't do anything else that round—not even move.
Complex Maneuvers
Attack Pattern Delta
A frontal squadron run by airspeeders against an Imperial walker. Speeders approach single file, head-on, presenting a smaller profile to the gunners. At optimal range, each speeder strafes, then veers off in different directions. The squad regroups and repeats.
Game Notes: Each pilot must make an extra Easy repulsorlift operation roll to take up Attack Pattern Delta formation. This pattern offers no extra protection for the lead speeder, but each following speeder gains: • +1D bonus when attackers straight ahead attempt to shoot at those following speeders.
Bantha Decoy
Based on Luke Skywalker's old T-16 trick on Tatooine: one craft draws attention, exposing a weak point to the wingman.
In vehicle terms: two airspeeders approach a walker from behind. The lead speeder shoots out front and banks (right/left/up). The walker tracks the lead speeder with its guns, giving the trailing speeder a clearer shot at the walker's less-armored head/neck assembly.
Game Notes: To perform Bantha Decoy, use the following rules: • If the lead speeder succeeds in its attack run, the walker commander makes an opposed tactics or Perception roll against the lead speeder pilot's tactics or Perception. • This is a free roll for both sides (does not count as an action).
Outcomes: • If the walker commander wins, the tactic fails. • If the walker commander loses, the commander is fooled and the walker follows the lead speeder's path, exposing a blind side.
Effects if fooled: • Trailing speeder gains +1D+2 to hit the walker. • Walker gunners suffer +5 to the difficulty to hit the trailing speeder as it flees.
Vehicle Combat Modifiers
All modifiers from Combat and Injuries apply to vehicle combat. In addition:
Scale
Apply scale modifiers when vehicles of different scales fight.
Cover
Most vehicles provide cover to pilots/passengers, listed as None, 1/4, 1/2, 3/4, or Full. Apply cover/protection modifiers as described in Combat and Injuries.
Vehicle Weapons
Vehicle weapon descriptions list: • Required skill • Fire control • Damage • Fire rate • Blast radius (if any)
Ranges (Four-Range Listing)
If a weapon lists four ranges, the first is point-blank (Very Easy). Anything closer than that is too close to target accurately and becomes Very Difficult.
Example: Blaster cannon range: 10–50/100/200/500 • 10–50 meters: point-blank (Very Easy) • <10 meters: less than point-blank (Very Difficult)
Crew
A weapon's crew is the number of gunners required. • Crew: 1 → one person can fire it. • Crew: 2 → two people operate it, but only one rolls vehicle blasters to hit. • No crew listing → the pilot can fire it.
Fire Arc
Fire arcs indicate where the weapon can shoot: • Front, back, left, right, turret • Turret weapons can fire in any direction.
Ramming
One vehicle can attempt to ram another by passing very close during its move.
Rules: • Add +10 to the movement difficulty for the ramming vehicle. • Ramming counts as a separate action, so the pilot takes an additional −1D multiple-action penalty.
Resolution: • If the pilot's operation roll is higher than the modified difficulty, the ram hits. • If the roll is lower than the original movement difficulty, it's a failure → see Movement Failures. • If the roll is ≥ original difficulty but < modified difficulty, the vehicle completes its move but misses the ram.
Defense: • The target may make a vehicle dodge to avoid the ram.
Damage: • Both vehicles take damage. • Attacker takes damage as a sideswipe (−3D to normal collision damage). • Target takes damage as a T-bone (normal collision damage).
Example: Rhen is 150 meters behind a speeder bike (Move 175). The bike wins initiative, cruises successfully, and pulls ahead 175 meters—now 325 meters ahead.
Rhen takes two actions (−1D to both): catch up and ram. Terrain is Moderate (DN 12). Her airspeeder Move is 200, so she must go high speed to catch up. The ram adds +10, making DN 22. • Roll < 12: movement failure. • Roll 12–21: successful move, ram misses. • Roll 22+: successful ram.
Rhen rolls 24 and rams the bike. At high speed, collision damage is 6D. • Rhen's speeder takes sideswipe damage: 6D − 3D = 3D. • The speeder bike takes normal high-speed collision damage: 6D.
Source: REUP:113