Rules Closeup #1 – The Maneuver Template
Note: All card images and playing pieces are prototypes/mock-ups and the final product may appear different.
In our first look at the Interceptor™ basic rules, possibly the most important game component is the maneuver template. At first glance it might look like a wall of numbers, but it allows game play to move quickly by letting you decide where you want to be and shows the resources needed to get there.
Thrust is a combination of fighter speed and maneuverability. The starting position is indicated on the maneuver template. By orienting the template to the fighter on the board, you can pick the target destination and orientation. As you can see in the image above, the cost for moving slowly is low. As the fighter goes faster or performs maneuvers, the cost increases.
Each fighter has a Thrust and Agility rating. Thrust is the ability to accelerate, decelerate, and maneuver. Agility is the capability to use Thrust without taking damage from the stress and is combined with the pilot’s Toughness rating to determine the Safe Operating Thrust — how much strain the pilot can take before passing out. Luckily (or not), most fighters can outperform the ability of pilots to withstand the forces operating against them. Velocity is a measure of the fighter’s speed.
Now, back to the maneuver template. Our pilot, Conrad “Dutch” Schultz, wants to move to the hex labeled “7S4” at facing “E”. The number on that hex facing is [10] — the maneuver’s base Thrust cost. The final Thrust cost is determined by adding the difference between his fighter’s current Velocity and the first number of the hex “7S4” he is moving too. His Velocity is [6], so there is a difference of [1]. The final Thrust cost for the maneuver becomes [11] (base 10 + difference 1). Dutch is piloting an AF-91 Bolt, one of the Commonwealth’s fastest and maneuverable fighters, with a Thrust rating of 12. The maneuver is easily within the fighter’s capabilities: but is it within Dutch’s?
Dutch’s Toughness is [4]. Combined with the Bolt’s Agility of [5], he has a Safe Operating Thrust of [9]. The maneuver’s Thrust cost of [11] is a little over his Safe Operating Thrust, but Dutch feels confident and risks Dancing With the Black, riding the line of consciousness to line up the perfect shot. Alternatively, he could choose an easier, less-risky destination, but it would not give him a chance at that perfect shot. We will find out if Dutch survives his “dance” in a future rules closeup.
You too can risk everything for that perfect shot in Interceptor™, the game of starfighter battles!
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