Expansion Four: Aerospace

by Francis Greenaway
Expansion Four: Aerospace
Table of Contents:

Disclaimer ... 2

Choice of Rules ... 3

Soucres ... 3

Aerospace Fighters ... 4

Standard Aerospace Fighter Armour Diagram ... 4
Armour ... 4
Internal Structure ... 5
Example 3025 TR-10 Transit ... 7
Example 3025 CHP-W5 Chippewa ... 7
Example 3025 SYD-21 Seydlitz ... 8

Combat and Damage Resolution ... 9

Internal Structure ... 10
Damage Effects ... 11
Destroying an Aerospace Fighter ... 12

Dropships ... 13
Filling out the Armour Diagram ... 13
Example Upgraded 3057 Union Class ... 13
Dropship Combat ... 14

Jumpships ... 16
Filling out the Armour Diagram ... 16
Jumpship Combat ... 16

Appendix A: Worked armour values ... 18

Disclaimer:
BattleTech, Battlespace, Aerotech, Renegade Legion, Interceptor and Leviathon, are Registered Trademarks and Copyrights of FASA
Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Used without permission. Any use of FASA Corporation’s copyrighted material or trademarks in this file
should not be viewed as a challenge to those copyrights or trademarks. Cover art by Jeff Laubenstein, the Renegade Legion Logo by Doug
Shuler, scanned and combined without permission. The Renegade Tech title graphic by Marco Pederzoli, used with permission.

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Aerospace:

Aerospace fighter combat has never been handled wonderfully in the BattleTech universe. We currently have no less than
three sperate sets of rules for the use of fighters in the game (Aerotech, Battlespace and the Air support rules found in the
BattleTech Rules of Warfare), each of them are different, and each of them does things differently to that found in the standard
BattleTech rules.

So for a designer trying to get some sort of continuity where there is none, what is one to do?

These rules are for small scale fighter skirmishes as found in the original Aerotech rules, as such they are unsuitable for
creating mammoth battles like those portrayed in Battlespace. Instead these rules will attempt to let players recreate battles
with a few fighters, a couple of dropships, and for those desperate moments, the odd jumpship.

Note that these rules can also apply to conventional fighters as well, if desired.

Choice of Rules:

Before you go any further though, you have a couple of decisions to make regarding what rules you want to use. Aerospace
itself will only replace the rules regarding damage to fighters, but for a fuller game the following needs to be taken into
consideration. The following list is what I use, where there is a choice, then it’s down to personal preference.

Space Movement: Aerotech or Battlespace

(for those with only one set of rules, Safe Thrust = Thrust, Max Thrust = Overthrust)
Heat Buildup: Aerotech
Pilots and damage to: Aerotech
Fuel: Aerotech: 1 thrust = 1 fuel point
1 overthrust = 2 fuel points
Battlespace: 1 thrust = 1/5 fuel points
1 max thrust = 1 fuel point
Atmospheric Entry: Aerotech or Battlespace
Atmospheric movement and combat: Battlespace
Air to ground combat: Battlespace

As can be seen, what I consider the best set of rules to use is a combination of the two.

Sources:

By FASA:
BattleTech Master Rules
Aerotech (as found in the boxed game, the BattleTech Manual and the BattleTech Compendium).
BattleTech The Rules of Warfare: Used for the Air support section dropped from the Master Rules.
Battlespace

Jumpships and Dropships sourcebook

The 2750, 3025, 3055 and 3057 Technical Readouts

Leviathan the mass fleet combat game of the Renegade Legion series

By others:
Intercepter, 2nd Edition, the fighter combat game of the Renegade Legion series, although created for Nightshift Games
before the license went back to FASA.
This can be found at Kanniks Renegade Legion web site [http://www.madcoyote.com/renleg/int/int.htm]

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Aerospace Fighters:

Aerospace fighters share a lot in common with both BattleMechs and vehicles. They have multiple locations and can survive
the destruction of a location, like ‘Mechs, but their armour diagrams are filled out much like the optional rules for vehicles.

Standard Aerospace Fighter Armour Diagram:

P: Pilot Aft
1 2 34 5 6
F: FCS Radar
Ls: Life support
Cockpit
Destroyed Dest. Destroyed
Av: Avionics Ls P F
Av

1 2 3

1 2 34 5 6

1 2 34 5 6 Fuselage 1 2 345 6
Left Right
Wing Wing

1 2 34 5 6
Nose

Depending on which set of rules you are using will decide how you go about filling out the armour diagram, however the order
to filling out the sheet should go wing internal structure, wing armour, aft armour, internal structure, nose armour and then the
fuselage and cockpit.

This is just for ease though.

Armour:

Firstly, you have to work out how much armour your fighter has, and this depends on your ruleset.

Aerotech: If you are using Aerotech, then you can use the values from fighters you have designed or from the various
Technical Readouts that were designed using that system. Note that Engine is called Aft in these rules.

These armour values may be translated into rows as if the fighter was a ‘Mech, thus divide the value in the location by four,
and then add one.

An expanded armour table appears in Appendix A.

The cockpit is treated like head armour, and use the following table for the expanded armour values.

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Cockpit Armour Armour Rows

10-12 5
13-14 6
15-16 7

Battlespace: If using fighters designed via Battlespace, then you’ll have to convert the Battlespace armour values to Aerobattle
values, and from there you can then convert into Renegade Tech armour rows, as if the fighter was a ‘Mech.

To get cockpit values, use the following formula:

4 + ( (Battlespace armour value * 40) / 10 ) rounding up

This will give the amount of armour rows directly for Renegade Tech.

BattleTech ROW: If you using the air support rules from the Rules of Warfare, then you can use the values from the
following table. The tonnages and engine ratings will be used later for placing the internal components of the fighter.

Cockpit Nose Wings Fuselage Aft Tonnage Engine

Light Figter 5 4 3 4 3 30 240

Medium Fighter 6 10 8 10 8 50 200
Heavy Fighter 7 15 12 15 12 75 225

Internal Structure:

The internal structure of any fighter craft is worked out in the same way, regardless of what system designed the craft. Only
wings and the body of the fighter have internal structure locations.

Wings: Each wing has a certain amount of internal structure which is based on the tonnage of the fighter.
Divide the tonnage of the fighter by 20 (round up), and then add 2 to get the wing structure.

Fighter Tonnage Wing Structure Rows

0-20 3
21-40 4
41-60 5
61-80 6
81-100 7

Place these internal structure rows next to the thick black destroyed row on the armour diagram, and place the armour on top
of this.

Body: The body of the aircraft has a larger internal structure area than the wings. This is worked out by dividing the tonnage
of the aircraft by ten (round up) and then adding three.

Before placing the internal structure on the diagram, place the Aft armour on the diagram, then place the internal structure next
to that, and finally place the nose armour on top.

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Expansion Four: Aerospace
Fighter Tonnage Structure Rows

0-10 4
10-20 5
21-30 6
31-40 7
41-50 8
51-60 9
61-70 10
71-80 11
81-90 12
91-100 13

Once all the armour and internal structure has been placed on the armour diagram, it’s time to place the internal components
on the diagram.

Every fighter has certain components that must be placed, and once they have been positioned, weapons and other equipment
may be put down.

Unless noted, any item may be placed anywhere in the internal structure part of the armour diagram in the main body section.
Components that may be placed in the wings will be noted so.

These components include:

Engine: Every fighter has an engine, and this takes up a large chunk of the fuselage.
An engine takes up an amount of boxes equalling its rating / 15 (round down). All these boxes must be joined together, and at
least 2 must be placed on the border of the structure joining the Aft armour.
Fire Control System Radar (FCS Radar): This system controls the gunnery of the craft, and takes up two boxes worth of
internal structure. They need not be together. Note that the cockpit contains one FCS Radar box.
Avionics: This also takes up two boxes, and like the FCS Radar, need not be mounted together. Indeed, for the better survival
of the craft it is probably wise not to mount them both together! Note that the cockpit already contains one Avionics box.
Fuel: Fuel takes up 2 boxes per ton of fuel carried. Each box may be sperate, and fuel may be mounted in the wings.
Landing Gear: This takes up 2 boxes that must be together.
Life Support: This only takes up one box. One Life Support box also comes with the cockpit.
Control: This represents the various control systems in the wings that keep the craft flying. Each wing must have two sets of
2 boxes dedicated to control Each set of two boxes must be joined together.
Heat Sinks: Each fighter must place excess heat sinks on the armour diagram. The engine contains (rating / 20) heat sinks
that don’t need to be placed (just like a BattleMech), but the rest take up one box each. They need not be joined and may be
mounted in the wings.
Weapons: Weapons take up two boxes per critical slot. A weapons boxes must all be located together and be joined.
The craft design should already state where the weapons are to be mounted.
Ammo: Ammo takes up 2 boxes per critical slot, but need only be joined in groups of two boxes. Ammo may be placed in any
location, including the wings.
Other Equipment: This takes up 2 boxes per critical slot, and generally must be joined together.

With Battlespace, if you don’t know exactly what weapons the craft has, assume that each mount takes a single critical slot,
and types of LRM, SRM, AC and mixed require 1 ton of ammo per mount.

Sometimes, with all the equipment that a craft must carry, you’ll sometimes end up with no room to place it all in the main
body. If this happens, then you may lower the requirements of the largest weapon (or several if needed) to make all the
components fit. As long as each weapon has at least one box devoted to it, then it should still be considered legal.

If you’re still having trouble, then the engine may be reduced, but only as a last resort.

Nearly all the designs from the various technical readouts will fit into the new layout with no tweaking required, and the ones
that do can fit with only a slight tweak of the weapons.

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Shown below are some example fighters. All were taken from the 3025 Technical Readout.

Example 3025 TR-10 Transit:

P: Pilot Aft
F: FCS Radar 1 2 34 5 6
Ls: Life Support Cockpit
Av: Avionics Destroyed Dest. Destroyed
Fu Fu Fu Fu Ls P F Fu Fu Fu Fu

Con.

Con.
Con.

Con.
H: Heat Sink Fu ML Av ML Fu

Land: Landing Gear Engine

ML: Medium Laser F H
Av ML
Land F
Ls ML Av
AC/20: Autocannon Type 20

Ammo
Ammo
Ammo: Autocannon ammunition AC/20 1 2 3
Con. Control
Fu: Fuel

1 2 34 5 6

1 2 34 5 6 Fuselage 1 2 345 6
Left Right
Wing Wing

1 2 34 5 6
Nose

Example 3025 CHP-W5 Chippewa:

P: Pilot Aft
F: FCS Radar 1 2 34 5 6
Ls: Life Support Cockpit
Av: Avionics Destroyed Dest. Destroyed
Fu Fu Fu Fu Ls P F Fu Fu Fu Fu
Con.

Con.
Con.

Con.

H: Heat Sink H H H H Av H H H H
Large H Large SL SL Large H Large
Land: Landing Gear Laser Laser
Engine
Laser Laser

SL: Small Laser F Land

Fu Fu
F
Av Av
ML: Medium Laser H Ls
Ammo

Ammo
Ammo
Ammo

ML ML
LRM 15: Long Range Missiles 1 2 3
LRM 15 LRM 15
Ammo: LRM ammunition
Con. Control
Fu: Fuel

1 2 34 5 6

1 2 34 5 6 Fuselage 1 2 345 6
Left Right
Wing Wing

1 2 34 5 6
Nose

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Example 3025 SYD-21 Seydlitz:

P: Pilot Aft
F: FCS Radar 1 2 34 5 6
Ls: Life Support Cockpit
Av: Avionics Destroyed Engine Dest. Destroyed
Fu Fu Fu Ls P F Fu Fu Fu

Con.
Con.

Con.

Con.
H: Heat Sink F Av Av F Av
Land Large Ls
Land: Landing Gear Laser

Con. Control
Fu: Fuel
1 2 3

1 2 34 5 6

1 2 34 5 6 Fuselage 1 2 345 6
Left Right
Wing Wing

1 2 34 5 6
Nose

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Combat and Damage Resolution:

Due to the various rules around, there are several ways of determining the type of damage inflicted on the aerospace fighter..

Aerotech: Generally this is the easiest approach, as the various technical readouts list all the various weapons that the
fighters carry, so all the basic templates from Renegade Tech can be used ‘as is’.

However, if the Fire Factor system is being used, then use the following template to determine the damage from this:

Battlespace: If you can get hold of a technical readout to determine what the actual weapons are on the craft, then that is the
best approach. If you can’t but you can work out what the weapons are, then more power to you.

However, sometimes you can’t figure out what the ship is supposed to carry, and in that case, the following system can be
used.

Scale up the various fire factors, and then divide into 5 point attacks as normal. Each five point attack will have its own
template as determined by the following, and may not actually end up as five points of damage.

AC: Use a AC/5 template

LRM: Use a 5 point LRM attack
SRM: Treat as if 2 SRM’s hit the ship
Laser: Treat as a Medium laser
Pulse: Treat as a Medium Pulse laser
Point: Treat as three machine gun attacks
PPC: Treat as a PPC attack
Mixed: Treat as a AC/5 template

Combat then proceeds as normal. Choose the weapons you are going to fire, and the order in which they will be fired in, and
if you hit, roll 2D6 on the following hit location table.

Front Aft Left/Right Side Above/Below

2 Cockpit Aft Cockpit Cockpit/Aft

3 Nose Fuselage Side wing Fuselage
4 Fuselage Fuselage Aft Aft
5 Right wing Right wing Fuselage Right wing
6 Nose Aft Side wing Aft
7 Nose Fuselage Fuselage Fuselage
8 Nose Aft Side wing Nose
9 Left wing Left wing Nose Left wing
10 Fuselage Fuselage Aft Nose
11 Nose Fuselage Side wing Fuselage
12 Cockpit Aft Aft Cockpit/Aft

Cockpit/Aft: If attacking from below, the location hit is Aft, else it is the Cockpit

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Expansion Four: Aerospace
Once you know the location, you can then roll a centre point and apply the damage template as normal.

Internal Structure:

Once the armour on a various location is destroyed, the internal structure underneath is attacked as normal.

Wings and the Cockpit are easy to work out as the internal structure is directly underneath the armour and thus the damage
template can just flow into the internal structure to damage things as normal.

The Nose and Aft sections on the fighter are also determined in the same way.

The fuselage is directly connected to the internal structure under the nose, and thus when an attack penetrates the fuselage
armour, use the same centre point and apply the remaining damage to that part of the internal structure under the nose armour,
even if the nose armour hasn’t been breached yet.

Aft Aft
1 2 34 5 6 1 2 34 5 6

Engine Engine
F Av Av F F Av Av F
Land Large Ls 1 2 34 5 6 Land Ls 1 2 34 5 6
Laser

Fuselage Fuselage
1 2 34 5 6 1 2 34 5 6
Nose Nose
The above diagram shows an SYD-21 Seydlitz before combat (only the Nose, Aft, internal structure block and Fuselage are
shown for clarity). As can be seen, the Seydlitz isn’t intended for stand up combat, so when it gets hit in the fuselage by a
medium laser (the second diagram), it is in trouble. The laser penetrates the armour of the fighter, and thus the penetrating
damage will damage the internal armour along the same centre point, which in this case means that the damage will destroy
the fighters only weapon.

Internal locations are destroyed when a single point penetrates into the thick black destroyed area on the armour diagram, or
(in the case of the internal block sandwiched between the nose and aft armour locations) when an unbroken line of damage can
be traced straight through it. This damage doesn’t need to breach either armour locations.

Aft
1 2 34 5 6

F Av Av F
Land Ls 1 2 34 5 6
Fuselage
1 2 34 5 6
Nose
Continuing the example above, the Seydlitz gets into further trouble, and in a display of some very lucky die rolling, the
unfortunate craft gets hit in the same fuselage location by an AC/5 and then a medium laser. This damage is enough to case
an unbroken line through the internal structure, and thus the craft is destroyed.

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Damage Effects:

When a craft gets damaged, various systems will start to fail, bringing on the ultimate demise of the craft.

Wing Effects:

Control: When a control box gets hit, the craft starts to lose its manoeuvrability. When this happens, roll on the following
table. Note that you have to roll whenever a control box is hit, thus if one of the control boxes on a wing takes 1 point of
damage, then that is one roll. If it gets damaged later, then that requires another roll.

1: Random movement
2: No turns to that side
3: No turns to that side
4: Random movement
5: Control lock - no turns at all
6: No turns to that side (permanent)

With the exception of (6), all results will clear with a successful Piloting roll.

All effects take effect at the beginning of the next turn, with rolls to clear them happening in the end phase of that turn
onwards.

In an atmosphere, a Control effect will cause the craft to lose 2 levels of altitude unless a Piloting roll is made.

Random Movement: Roll on the following table for Each point of current velocity that the craft has.

2: Hard left
3: Soft left
4: Hard left
5: Soft left
6: Straight
7: Straight
8: Straight
9: Soft right
10: Hard right
11: Soft right
12: Hard right

Hard: Forward one hex, 120 degree (2 hexsides) turn

Soft: Forward one hex, 60 degree (1 hexside) turn
Straight: Forward one hex

A random movement effect at Very Low or NOE altitude will cause the craft to crash automatically.

Wing Destroyed: If a wing is destroyed, then each turn the pilot must make a Piloting roll, and if unsuccessful, must roll as
if the craft had suffered a Control result.

Regardless, in an atmosphere, the craft will lose one level of altitude per turn.

A destroyed wing gives a +5 to all landing rolls.

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Expansion Four: Aerospace
Internal Structure Block:

Engine: Whenever the engine is hit, roll 1D6 and add the damage that was inflicted to the engine this turn (not the total
amount).

1: Craft loses 1/4 current thrust

2: Craft loses 1/4 current thrust
3: Craft loses 1/4 current thrust
4: Craft loses 1/4 current thrust
5: Engine shielding hit - +5 heat per turn
6: Craft loses 1/3 current thrust
7: Craft loses 1/3 current thrust
8: Craft loses 1/3 current thrust
9: Engine shielding hit - +10 heat per turn
10: Craft loses 1/2 current thrust
11: Craft loses 1/2 current thrust
12+ Engine explodes, craft destroyed

Any thrust loss will require a recalculation of the overthrust of the craft.

Fuel: Each box destroyed loses the craft 2D6 worth of fuel points. The last fuel box destroyed loses all remaining fuel.
FCS Radar: Each hit to this system gives the craft a +2 to hit modifier. When the last box is destroyed, the craft may no
longer fire or target its weapons.
Avionics: Each hit gives a +1 to all piloting roll. After three hits, all rolls are at +5.
Life Support: When hit, the life support is destroyed. This gives 30 minutes of oxygen left for the pilot, and all heat avoid
rolls are made with a -2 modifier.
Landing Gear: The crafts landing struts are destroyed, meaning all landing rolls are at +5.
Heat Sinks: Each heat sink destroyed decreases the crafts ability to dissipate heat by 1 or 2 points.
Weapons: A hit to the weapon destroys it.
Ammo: The ammunition has been hit and explodes, as per the Renegade Tech rules.

Internal Structure Destroyed: If the internal structure is destroyed, then the craft is considered destroyed and out of play.

Cockpit:

Pilot: If the pilot is hit, they are killed, and the craft is considered destroyed.

Cockpit destroyed: This result will kill the pilot and render the craft destroyed.

Destroying an Aerospace Fighter:

A fighter is considered destroyed when:

The Pilot is killed

The Cockpit is destroyed
The Internal Structure Block is destroyed
The Engine explodes

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Dropships:

Dropships are treated as large aerospace fighters.

The main difference is that they have 2 armour blocks per location instead of the normal one, and they only have one internal
structure diagram.

Filling out the Armour Diagram:

If using Aerotech or the Jumpships and Dropships sourcebook, then all armour values may be gotten from that.
Once gotten, divide the values by two and then apply this new value to each armour block as if the dropship was a ‘Mech.

If using Battlespace, you’ll have to scale the armour values up.

This is done by adding up all the dropship armour values (remembering that they have four sides), multiplying this value by
ten, and then splitting this new value into the following locations:

Nose: 20%
Left side/wing: 20%
Right side/wing: 20%
Fuselage: 25%
Aft: 15%

Then divide each location by 2, and apply this halved value to each armour block as if the dropship was a ‘Mech.

Example Upgraded Version, 3057 Union Class Dropship:

Nose Left Side Right Side Fuselage Aft

12345612 3456 12345612 3456 12345612 3456 123 45612 345 6 123 45612 345 6
1-3 4-6 1-3 4-6 1-3 4-6 1-3 4-6 1-3 4-6

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Dropship Combat:

Dropships in combat are handled pretty much like any other vessel with just a couple of twists to make things interesting.

Firstly you have to hit the target as normal, and then you have to roll for a location.

Aerodyne dropships use the same hit location table as aerospace fighters (although all cockpit hits become nose hits), while
Spheriod dropships use the following table:

Nose Aft Left/Right side

2 Nose Aft Nose

3 Nose Fuselage Side
4 Fuselage Fuselage Aft
5 Right side Right side Fuselage
6 Nose Aft Side
7 Nose Fuselage Fuselage
8 Nose Aft Side
9 Left side Left side Nose
10 Fuselage Fuselage Aft
11 Nose Fuselage Side
12 Nose Aft Aft

Once the location has been found, the armour is damaged. You’ll notice that dropships have extra wide armour blocks. To
gain a centre number for these, you can do one of two things.

If you have one, you can simply roll a 1D12 to gain the centre point, or else you can roll 1D6 to determine which block the
template will be placed in, and then you can roll another 1D6 to determine the exact centre number.

In either case, templates can be positioned to cover either block, but they cannot be placed to cover a block in a different
location.

Then it’s just a simple case of applying enough firepower to breach the armour.

When the armour is breached, any and all damage is transferred to the single internal structure diagram. The same centre point
is used to determine where the damage falls and what components are damaged.

The damage effects are as follows:

Bays: When a bay takes damage, the cargo is damaged, and is destroyed when the bay is destroyed.
Bay Doors: When a bay door is damaged, each box hit increases the time taken to load and unload cargo. When all boxes are
crossed off, that door is destroyed, the bay is depressurised and it may not be used until repaired, thus fighters may not be
launched.
Bridge: Each 2 boxes crossed off means that all piloting rolls the ship has to make are at +1. Also everytime the ship spends
2 or more thrust points, it must make a piloting roll. If successful, nothing adverse happens, else the ship is out of control and
next turn it may not spend any thrust points and all combat is at a +2. This only effects the one turn.
When the bridge is destroyed the ship gets a further +1 to all piloting rolls, and must roll whenever it attempts to spend a thrust
point.
If the CIC is also destroyed, then the ship may not longer expend thrust points.
Combat Information Centre (CIC): During a normal game this will have no effect except to function as an auxiliary bridge
to let the craft use thrust when the bridge is destroyed. However in mass battles this functions as a control centre for coordi-
nating the battle.
Computer: When the computer is damaged, add a +1 to all gunnery and piloting rolls for each two points of damage it has
sustained. A destroyed computer gives no additional ill effects, a ship has enough back up systems to still continue to operate,
although at a much reduced rate.
Crew Quarters: In battle this has no effect other than to act as a damage sink. In campaigns however, this will have serious
effects for the crew, resulting in decreased performance until repaired.
Docking Collar: When the collar is damaged, all times taken for a dropship to reattach back to a mother ship are doubled.
When destroyed, the dropship may no longer hook back unto a jumpship.

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Fusion Plant: When damaged, the ship may no longer supply all the power to feed all the weapons and ships drives. Thus for
every two points of damage inflicted after the first four, either one weapons bay or the transit drive may not be used. This may
be changed every turn as power is redirected towards deferent systems. When the fusion plant is destroyed, the ship may no
longer fire weapons, generate thrust or operate the life support systems.
Hull Collapse: When this happens, the crafts integrity gives way, the ship is holed and it may no longer fire weapons,
generate life support or operate the transit drive. When this is destroyed, so is the craft.
Landing Gear: When damaged, all rolls to land are made at +5. When destroyed, all landing rolls are made at +10.
Left/Right Thruster: For each two points of damage in these locations, it takes an additional thrust point to be able to turn in
that direction. When the thrusters are destroyed, turning in that direction is impossible.
Life Support: When damaged, all further piloting rolls are made at a +1. When destroyed, the crew must wear pressure suits
and all rolls (piloting and gunnery) are made at a further +1.
Navigation Systems: During combat, this is essentially a free hit, but in campaigns, this means that the ship will have trouble
getting where it wants to go.
Plant Destroyed: When this is damaged, it means that the ship no longer has power, cannot generate any thrust and the life
support is non functional.
Radar: Again, during combat this will have no effect, but when destroyed it means that the craft is effectively blind.
Reaction Mass: Every hit to this reduces the available fuel by 15 points. There is also a chance that the ship will explode -
roll 2D6, and subtract 1 for each hit inflicted on the fuel. On a 4-, the fuel explodes destroying the ship.
Ship Destroyed: The vessel is out of play.
Transfer: This is how stuff gets from a dropship to a jumpship, and vice versa. When damaged, all transfer times are
doubled, and when destroyed, any transfers cannot happen.
Transit Drive: Every two hits inflicted on the drives reduces the available thrust by 1. Recalculate Overthrust as appropriate.
Weapon Bays (marked WP): When damaged, half the weapons in that arc are destroyed and cannot function. When
destroyed, all weapons in that arc are destroyed.

The various weapon arcs are:

FL: Forward left (or left wing)

FR: Forward right (or right wing)
Nose
AL: Aft left
AR: Aft right
Aft

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Expansion Four: Aerospace
Jumpships:

Jumpships are treated much like dropships. They have double-spaced armour locations and a single internal structure loca-
tion. However they have more armour locations than dropships do to account for their much larger size!

Filling out the Armour Diagram:

If you are using Aerotech rules, then you can simply take the armour values from the various technical readouts, multiply by
0.75 and then apply this value (converted to Renegade Tech rows) to each half of the double-space armour blocks, much like
a dropship.

If you are using Battlespace, then you’ll have to convert the armour values. This is done by adding up the armour values of
all sides of the jumpship (remembering that there are six sides), and then multiplying this value by ten.

Then divide the armour amongst the following locations:

Command Section: Nose: 15%

Right side: 12.5%
Left side: 12.5%
Cargo Section: Right side: 15%
Left side: 15%
Engine Section: Right side: 10%
Left side: 10%
Aft: 10%

Then multiply the armour value in each location by 0.75, convert it to Renegade Tech rows, and apply the value to each half
of the double-spaced armour blocks.

Jumpship Combat:

Jumpships in combat behave much like dropships in combat. Well, technically they don’t, they’re not as agile (!), don’t pack
as much of a punch and can’t carry nearly as much armour, but rule wise they are very similar.

After a hit has been achieved, the location must be known, which is done by rolling on the following hit location table.

Nose Aft Sides

2 Command section: Nose Engine section: Aft Command section: Nose

3 Command section: Right Engine section: Right Engine section: Side
4 Command section: Right Dropship/Egine: Right Command section: Side
5 Command section: Right Engine section: Right Command section: Side
6 Dropship/Command: Right Engine section: Right Dropship/Cargo: Side
7 Command section: Nose Engine section: Aft Cargo section: Side
8 Dropship/Command: Left Engine section: Left Dropship/Cargo: Side
9 Command section: Left Engine section: Left Engine section: side
10 Command section: Left Dropship/Engine: Left Engine section: Side
11 Command section: Left Engine section: Left Command section: Side
12 Command section: Nose Engine section: Aft Engine Section: Aft

Once all the armour is breached, then the single internal structure block begins to take damage, and this is handled in the
same way as for dropships.

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Damage Effects:

For the most part, a jumpship has the same damageable components as a dropship, but it also some special ones which are
listed below:

Grav Deck: Grav decks cannot be used while the ship is in motion, so it is unlikely that these be critical to a ships operation,
but their destruction will mean that the crew will have no ability to be in a simulated gravity environment, and this can have
long term harmful effects. Any damage will prevent a grav decks use.
Jump Sail Array: This is the mechanism that coils and unfurls the delicate jump sail. For every point of damage inflicted, the
time taken to coil and unfurl the sail is increased by 50%, although the risk that the sail will be damaged in the process is
drastically increased also.
K-F Drive Destroyed: With this destroyed, the ship may no longer attempt to make jump.
K-F Drive System Components:
Drive Charging System
Helium Tank
Field Initiator
Drive Coil
Drive Controller
Lithium Fusion Battery
See Battlespace for the long term effects the damage to these systems will have on a campaign, suffice it to say that each will
have a significant effect on a ships ability to make a safe jump.
Station Keeping Drive: This is what enables a jumpship to maintain its station in space. Any damage will mean that the ship
cannot even attempt long distance thrust movement, but as long as one point of damage remains, the ship will still be able to
maintain its station.

© Francis Greenaway (‘Cheap and Tacky Backshed Productions’) 1999 Page: 17

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Appendix A:

This appendix lists standard Battletech armour points and their corresponding value in armour rows for the Renegade Tech
system.

Battletech Rentech
'Mech Armour 'Mech Armour
Value Value

1 1
2-5 2
6-9 3
10-13 4
14-17 5
18-21 6
22-25 7
26-29 8
30-33 9
34-37 10
38-41 11
42-45 12
46-49 13
50-53 14
54-57 15
58-61 16
62-65 17
66-69 18
70-73 19
74-77 20
78-81 21
82-85 22
86-89 23
90-93 24
94-97 25
98-101 26
102-105 27
106-109 28
110-113 29
114-117 30
118-121 31
122-125 32
126-129 33
130-133 34
134-137 35
138-141 36
142-145 37
146-149 38
150-153 39
154-157 40

Cockpit Armour

Armour Points RenTech Rows

10-12 5
13-14 6
15-16 7

Page: 18 © Francis Greenaway (‘Cheap and Tacky Backshed Productions’) 1999

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