Variant Initiative/Turn Sequence Rules

Before play, all units must be assigned into platoons. Infantry carried by vehicles are considered part of that platoon until they dismount, at which point they form a separate element. The Centurion turn is now divided as follows:

Initiative Phase
Action Phase
End Phase

For initiative, each side rolls 1d10. The Centurion's Leadership Rating plays a role, and before any initiative rolls, the Centurion may allocate his rating points, granting a +1 modifier to the initiative roll. Centurions with negative ratings must expend all their Rating Points as -1 Initiative modifiers. Lastly, apply any modifiers for special equipment or extraneous situations. The side with the higher mofified roll has the initiative for the turn; the winner may decide if they will activate a unit first, or if their opponent must.

During the Action Phase, each side takes turn 'activating' a unit (platoon). An activated platoon then performs all it's actions for the turn--all vehicles/tanks/etc in a unit are moved simultaneously, though their individual actions are completely flexible (two could move, while the third stays still). While activated, the unit performs its movement, paints and fires at targets (at any point), and may recieve incoming fire. All attacks are resolved immediatly--all damage also takes effect immediatly. Once all elements of a movement has performed their actions, a counter/chit/marker should be used to mark the unit as having taken their activation for the turn.

Platoons on alternating sides are alternatly activated, in turn as chosen by their commanders (players) until all units have been activated, ending the action phase and moving to the End Phase. If one side has a greater number of units than the other, the 'extra' units should be activated in pairs (or tripples, if so badly outnumbered) as evenly distributed as possible during the middle of the action phase.

During another's action, a platoon/unit may declare opportinity fire if they meet the following conditions:

The unit was stationary (velocity 0) at the end of last round, and they have not fired yet this turn

A unit may, during their own action phase, drop to 0 velocity, and make themselves available for opportunity fire for the remainder of the turn

A GravTank at velocity 0 at the beginning of a turn, and behind cover (a hill, building, etc) may perform a special maneuver called a Pop-Up Attack, if a spotter or observing unit is available. This permits the units to 'pop-up' from behind cover, fire at their target (at a +1 penalty to their attack rolls) and then drop down once again.

Though each turn is roughly a minute of action, it should not be viewed as descrete packets of time, but rather as the continual ebb and flow of a battle. Attention must be constantly focused, and tactical decisions constantly revised. Should one allow the opponent to make it to the pass, and perchance box them in, or is it wiser to deny them access by moving troops to the entrance? Do you remove your wounded tanks, or leave them in, hoping to rescue them? The decision, is yours.

Variant Terrain Occupation Rule

The hexes presented on the map represent 200 metres of land. It is therefore unrealistic to force units to enter a terrain or level contained within if the terrain in question does not occupy the entire hex. Therefore, a player may declare where in the hex their tank's location really is upon entering.

However, a vehicle must enter the hex's terrain type IF: the terrain occupies the whole hex, the hex contains a barricade or rubble, the hexside between the adjacent hexes being moved from and to is covered by a specific terrain type all along its length or a terrain feature crosses the length of a hex, and the moving unit wishes to exit the hex on the other side of the feature.

For purposes of LOS, the unit's position and elevation level are determined by what was declared upon entering the hex.

Variant Movement Rules

Ground vehicles are not created equally. Each differing movement system offers advantages, and disadvantages. Grav vehicles, wheeled, tracked--they all perform differently. Each movement type has their own terrain costs (noted on the Terrain Table as well as some special construction rules:

Wheeled vehicles: Wheeled Vehicles range from 4 to 8 wheels, and combat vehicles are always made for off road combat. Add +2 Movement Points to wheeled vehicles (above their resulting base). They are, however, the most limited in the terrain they can travel. If a wheeled vehicle spends a full turn travelling along a prepared road, they gain 150% (gravel road) to 200% (paved road) their regular movement.

Tracked vehicles: Tracked vehicles usually have 2 tracks, but sometimes 4, and are optimised for off road combat. They only gain a bonus of 150% movement when on a well prepared road--this, however, seriously increases the wear on the tracks.

Hover vehicles: The step just before Grav movement, hover vehicles behave essentially like grav vehicles, though they have far less power behind them. Hover vehicles must install lifting engines, which cost 1/2 the weight of a grav drive. They gain 200% movement on ANY road (so long as they spend their full turn travelling on it)

Grav vehicles: Lastly we have Grav vehicles, which we all know well. Like hover vehicles, they gain 200% on any road.

Travelling through terrain for all movement types has also changed. Listed on the terrain table is the extra cost of negotiating the terrain. For conventional vehicles, the listed cost is in MPs. And NA means the terrain is not traversable by that movement system. Of course, the base cost to enter a hex, is one MP/VP.

Grav vehicles, by the nature of their movement mechanics, opperate differently. A Grav vehicle's VPs are it's 'maneuver envelope', which allows it to travel over distance. When it must negotiate terrain, either woods, or rough ground, it weaves a bit left and right, slowing down here and there, and expending thrust to pop up, twist left, and the like. Thus, the value listed on the terrain table is the extra VPs expended to traverse the terrain, but these VPs are burned off. Subtract these VPs from the final velocity of the tank at the end of the turn (effectively, 'slowing' down the tank). Of course, thrust can be used to keep the velocity the same.

Alternatly, since thrust and VPs are quite interchangable in many ways, instead of the value on the table burning VPs, it is instead the thrust cost needed to traverse the terrain. There is no velocity adjustment. (Semantics, perhaps, but to me, it makes more sense }:)

There are no changes to the maximum velocity rules.

Variant Terrain Table for Centurion

Expands and adds more! Some terrain/condition types affect different weapons or units in differing ways, so be sure to check it all out.

Variant Lateral Shift

A Grav tank may perform one other mode of movement -- a lateral shift. Instead of performing a turn, a unit may shift laterally one hex by spending one thrust point. The unit must also pay the VPs for entering the new hex. Lateral shifting follows all other rules pertaining to turns. (Including the Facing Change Table)

Variant "Emergency Turns"

In Centurion, there are times when you just HAVE to make that turn now. Grav tanks who find themselves in that situation may do so, at a risk. By dumping power into the turning vanes, the unit can decrease it's turning radius quite dramatically, but at the chance of temporarily, or worse, permanently burning out the vane. (This rule as written requires the use of the Variant Damage Rules and Record Sheet)

For every thrust point spent pumping into the turning vane, one hex of required "turning movement" is negated. So, using the example on p 14 of the Centurion Rules: a Horatius is travelling at a current velocity of 10. That means it must travel straight forward for at least two hexes before it can change it's facing by one hexside. If it wanted to turn in just one hex, it would have to spend one thrust point. Similarly, if the Horatius had a current velocity of 20, then it would have to travel straight for four hexes before it could turn one hexface. Deciding to turn in just one hex, the Horatius must spend three thrust points to negate the hexes of required straight travel (that it won't be taking).

There is a price to pay for this haste, however. Every time thrust is dumped into the vane this way, a saving roll must be made to prevent the vane from shorting or burning out. Several saving rolls must be made: the first checks to see if the vane has been burned out. If the vane survives this check, a second roll is made to see if the vane takes any damage at all. Lastly, the third roll is to prevent the vane from shorting out for a turn.

All the rolls are based on the vane's current target number's due to damage, and as listed in the Variant Damage Rules. For each roll, apply a -1 penalty to the target number for each point of thrust forced into the vane. The first and third rolls are the standard saving rolls for the vane; simply roll versus the listed target number, and apply failures as normal. The second roll is essentially the same as the first, with an added -1 penalty to the target number. If this roll fails, the vane suffers one point of damage. Cross out one damage box on the record sheet.

It sounds horrifically complicated, but in practice, it really isn't.

Example: A Liberator is travelling at a speed of 14. Having just completed a turn, it travels into the next hex and decides to turn again, in the hex it just entered. The required straight line movement for a speed of 14 is 3; therefore, it will cost the Liberator two thrust points to execute the maneuver. The Liberator turns, and proceeds to the next hex. The player must now roll to see if this power turn has any adverse effects on the left turning vane. Combat has just begun, so the Liberator has suffered no damage. The target numbers for an undamaged vane are 9 and 9. The modified save number versus destruction is 9 minus 2 (for the thrust used) for a target number of 7. The player rolls a 5, and avoids instant burnout. Next, the player must roll to avoid vane damage. 9 - 2 (for thrust) - 1 (vane damage) equals a target number of 6. The die is rolled, and a 9 comes up. The player must mark a single box off the Left Vane on the record sheet. Lastly, the player rolls versus Vane Shortage. 9 - 2 is the target number, and the roll is a 1. No problem. The Liberator continues on its merry way.

Variant Ramming in Centurion

Desperate? We thought so...

For a Vehicle or Grav tank to ram another unit in Centurion, a declaration must be made during the Movement Phase, before the unit has moved. The unit must finish its movement in the same hex as the intended target, and at a velocity over 0. After the Combat Phase, the ramming attempt is resolved.

Both units involved (the rammer and the rammee) must make a roll: 1d10 + Piloting Skill (and Familiarity Bonus) + Modifiers (damage, etc). As well, the unit with the higher thrust gains a bonus of the unit's thrust difference. The unit that rolls the higher total may then declare whether the ramming attempt is a success or a miss. Any ties go to the defender (the rammee). If the defender is immobile (grounded, building, etc) than the ram automatically succeeds unless the attacker rolls a 1 on the d10.

Ex: A Liberator decides to whack itself into a Trajan. Each pilot has a skill of 5, though the Trajan's driver has a +2 familiarity bonus. The Trajan rolls a 6, adding in 5 and 2 for a total of 13. The Liberator rolls but a four, adding in 5 and 2 (for the thrust difference) for a total of 11. The Trajan player declares the ram a failed attempt.

If the ram is successful, damage is applied to both units. The defender takes 12 times the Attacker's Velocity in damage. The Attacker takes 8 times his velocity in damage. Apply damage in the same manner as Grounding Damage, save the damage is taken on the appropriate location (roll for location on the defender, the attacker automatically takes it on their front).

Variant Self Destruct

Like you're going to let Renegade scum scavenge your tank for it's superior tech...

Crews wishing to self-destruct their vehicle must only roll a Piloting or Gunnery Check, with appropriate damage modifiers added in. If failed, there is no effect. If successful, the craft will explode in 1-3 minutes, destroying it and killing any crew inside unless they have climbed out during the intervening time.

Variant Salvo Fire

As in Interceptor, Salvo Fire is an option available to Grav Tank Crews. However, it is handled slightly differently, due to the nature of ground combat and grav tank construction.

To declare Salvo Fire, the following two requirements must be met: all the firing mounts must be of the same weapon type and damage capacity (ex 3 MDC10s), they must be direct-fire weapons (no missiles) and all the weapon mounts to be discharged must be in the same location, either hull (both Hull 1 and Hull 2 counts as the Hull) or the turret.

Under Salvo Fire, one attack roll is made for all the weapons involved. (This works better under the optional Shield Rules, where a separate roll is made for hits and for shield penetration.) If it is successful, all the firing mounts strike the target, with hit location and damage allocation proceeding normally. If the roll fails, all the weapons miss the target, period. In other words, it's an all-or-nothing shot.

Unlike Salvo Fire in Interceptor, weapons fired in Salvo on grav tanks count one-for-one for the purposes of allocating how many weapons can fire in a turn. There are no other bonuses or penalties.

Variant Shield Rule

The following rules split the to-hit sequence for direct-fire weapons into two autonomous phases: checking to see if the weapon hits, and then a separate roll to see if the weapon actually penetrates the target's shield rating. Separating the two actions may be more accurate in representing the weapon's chances of getting through the flicker shield. Using the statement in the Interceptor Technical Manual "Under combat conditions, a shield rated at 70 would intercept most incoming attacks 50 percent of the time" shield ratings and their associated percentages were extrapolated.

Under this rule, the to-hit sequence is slightly modified. First, the firer rolls to hit as normal, applying all relevant modifiers, EXCEPT for the shield factor. If this roll is successful, the weapon has connected, and must then check for shield penetration. Each shield rating has a percentage associated with it, listing the chance the shield will stop the round. Simply make a percentage roll against the listed value--if it succeeds, the shield stopped the impact; if it fails the weapons goes through the shield, and hits the hull beneath. Damage amount and allocation remains unchanged.

This system is used for direct fire weapons (MDCs, Lasers, etc) that are affected by shields only, including the Targeting Laser. There are no changes to the base rules for missiles, gauss cannons or any other weapon.

Shield     %  
Factor  Chance

Shield     %  
Factor  Chance

Shield     %  
Factor  Chance

Shield     %  
Factor  Chance

  10      20  
  20      28  
  30      34  
  40      40  
  50      44  

  60      48  
  70      52  
  80      57  
  90      61  
 100      65  

 110      68  
 120      71  
 130      75  
 140      79  
 150      82  

 160      84  
 170      87  
 180      89  
 190      92  
 200      94  

Also under these rules, a new set of modifiers based on target's speed is added. Simply add this in with all the other modifiers to determine whether the weapon strikes or no.

Target    
Speed     Mod

 0-1      +0
 2-3      -1
 4-6      -2
 7-10     -3
11-15     -4
16-20     -5
 21+      -6

Variant Damage Rules

These rules affect the way damage is taken and recorded. It is quite similar to the standard rules, but takes the concept one step further, as well as integrating them into a set that is also used with interceptor.

Variant Number of Weapons, Weapon Placement, etc

A Grav tank may carry a certain amount of weaponry based on it's size and class:

Light Grav
  Med Grav
Heavy Grav

3 weap/loc + AP or Vulcan    Vulcans can only be placed on
4 weap/loc + AP or Vulcan    a turret, of course.
5 weap/loc + AP or Vulcan

So a medium grav tank could carry four weapons and an AP laser on each of it's hull locations, and 4 weapons plus a Vulcan (or AP laser) in it's turret. (It would appear that Grav classifications are the same as for fighters: Light = 0-1500 rated engines, Med = 1501-2000, Hvy = 2001-2500)

What weapons, and how many, a crewmember can fire depends on their role:

Drivers are normally far to busy to fire any weapons. However, it is possible, but at a price. For each weapon a driver fires, the safe velocity of the terrain the tank occupies/travels through next turn is reduced by a third. Furthermore, all weapons fire by the driver is at a -2 penalty to hit and the driver must make an immediate piloting roll.

The gunner handles all direct-fire weaponry, and can handle any of the missile systems as well. No more than 8 (total) weapon systems can be fired by the gunner in a single turn.

The commander fires the targeting laser (very important) and can handle the missile systems (either at the primary or secondary target) and the AP lasers. They also set the rate of interceptions for the Vulcan system. If the gunner dies, then the commander may elect to take control of all the weapon systems, and can fire 8 systems total, including the painting laser.

Variant Firing Arcs

Weapons have firing arcs based on the type of weapon system and its placement:

Page design/contents © Kannik, 1997 
Last Updated:  09 26 97