Variant Damage Rules in Interceptor and Centurion

Affecting the way damage is recorded, and in some cases, the way internal components are damaged or destroyed, these alternate rules essentially follow the standard Centurion model of damage notation, save the "shape" of the tank and the "shape" of the internals. Furthermore, this system has been adapted to Interceptor as well, unifying the two systems in terms of damage demarkation. (The Interceptor rules are great as they stand, but this way is faster, can be a bit more interesting, and in times of the two games meeting, the unification helps make more sense)

The change in the vehicle's record now takes more into account the actual internal layout of a tank/interceptor. As well, more related information is now shown on each sheet. One sheet is now required per tank, however, rather than one per platoon, so this is a bit of a drawback. Nevertheless I think it's worth this extra photocopying expenditure...

Alternate Damage Allocation

Before play, fill out the appropriate record sheet, much as one did before:

Vehicle Name-The name of the tank. (ie, Screaming Betty)
Class-The tank's class (ie, Liberator)
Weapon Record-List the vehicle's weapon, it's location, maximum range, any to-hit modifiers it has, (ex: TES system, poor manufacture, etc) and the damage it does.
Crew Record-Write in the crew's names and their relevant skill levels.
Infantry-Note the infantry squad's name (The Happy Bouncers) and their type (Bounce, Foot, Mortar, etc). List their heavy weapon type (TVLG, Mortars, etc and fill in the appropriate boxes), their MPs and any notes.
Armour Allocation-Remains unchanged.
Shield Factors-A single diagram now shows all shield factors.
Missile Records-Unchanged in Centurion, save new section for HMs
Digging/Smoke-Same as before.
ECM-Note if the fighter has an ECM pod and how many ECM missiles it carries.
Maximum Thrust-Fill in the vehicles maximum, 3/4, 1/2 and 1/4 thrust values.
Power Plant-Fill in the vehicles full, 3/4, 1/2 and 1/4 power plant values.

Recording Damage is done exactly as it is on the standard Centurion record sheet. Apply damage to the appropriate armour facings, using the templates, rolling for column, and so on. Armour is widowed, and damage continues internally just as under the Centurion rules, with no changes.

However, internal components are not destroyed in the same way. Instead of expiring on the first hit, a die is rolled versus a target number, based on the accumulated damage, to see if the component survives or is wasted. Destroyed pieces of equipment hamper the vehicle just as described in the Centurion or Interceptor rules; the only change is the method of determining if and when they are rendered out of commission. If a component has two locations, it is the total damage done on both locations that is used when referencing the item's Save Target Number. Note that both locations do not need to be hit for the item to be rendered inoperative, all that is required is a failed roll.

There are certain cases when a vehicle does not have a particular element, yet it is still listed on the record sheet. (The Infantry Bay is the most common occurrence, but it can also be one of the Weapon Locations. Laser Capacitors also count as ammo (they can explode) so not having any missiles, gauss or MDC weapons does not exclude one from having an ammo bay. Unless your vehicle isn't carrying _any_ weapons, you have an ammo bay. -grin-) When this situation arises, the following rule applies to damage incurred on the record sheet: The location absorbs damage and acts normally for the first hit it takes, but for the first hit _only_. Immediately following the first weapon strike, _all_ boxes for that component are marked off as destroyed. Essentially, the component no longer exists there.

Ex: A Trajan tank takes a hit on it's Stern facing from a Liberator. The 5/6 laser and the 150mm strike the tank. The 150 rolls the number 5 column, which already reaches 2 boxes into the tank, while the laser hits the number 6 column, which still has 4 points of armour on it. The laser, having been fired first, manages to bore a hole into the (truthfully non-existent) infantry compartment. The one point of damage is assessed, and then the _entire_ infantry compartment is scratched out. Next, the 150's hit is assessed. With the infantry compartment gone, the APDS shell sails into the Power Plant, crumpling it. HOWEVER, if the weapon hits had been reversed, the 150mm would have done but 3 points of damage to the engine (the infantry compartment working to its fullest extend during its first hit), and the 5/6 laser would have done nothing save taken off more armour and ballistic protection. (Unless the Alternate Laser Damage rules are being used from the Technical Update, in which case a whole point of damage would have been inflicted upon the Power Plant).

It may sound a bit complicated, but in practice, it isn't.

Damage Locations and Damage Assessment

The tables represent the target number required to be rolled to avoid a section being destroyed. The top row represents the amount of damage done to the component (in # of boxes done) while the second row is the target number itself. Many modules have a second save to prevent the item from shorting out for one turn. If this roll fails, the item is unusable the following turn, but is functional the turn after that (provided it isn't destroyed or shorted out again).


Record Sheets: Centurion Record Sheet 
                Interceptor Record Sheet

  Centurion Damage -==- Killing a Tank     
Interceptor Damage -==- Killing a Fighter  




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