Aerospace Fighters in Mechwarrior: Destiny

How aerospace is meant to interact with Mechs in Mech Scale Combat is not really defined in the Destiny rule-book. You could treat them exactly like a Battlemech, but that doesn’t make a lot of sense given the sheer speed that Aerospace moves at. Instead I recommend using a simple system loosely based on the Aerospace rules from Total Warfare.

Thrust Points

Aerospace Fighters have a number of Thrust Points they can spend on manoeuvres each turn. These are equal to the Movement rating the rules currently give them. Thrust Points can be spent on the following:

• Increase Velocity by 1 point.
• Decrease Velocity by 1 point.
• Increase Altitude by 1 point.
• Decrease Altitude by 1 point.
• Make an Attack Run on a ground target.
• Attempt to gain Advantage on another Aerospace target.
• Make an Attack on an Aerospace target you have Advantage on.
• Evade.
• An Ace Manoeuvre.

Velocity

Velocity is a measure of the Fighter’s current speed. Each point of Velocity equates to a movement rating of 5 in Mech Scale Combat. Aerospace Fighters fighting in gravity must always have a Velocity of at least 1, otherwise they will plummet to the ground – losing 1 point of Altitude per turn until they crash. There is no upper limit to the Velocity an Aerospace Fighter can have. A difference in Velocity will affect how easy it is to gain Advantage on an enemy Aerospace Fighter, and high speeds will make it difficult to drop bombs on target.

Altitude

Altitude is a measure of the Fighter’s current height whilst in gravity. An Altitude of 0 is ground level, and an Aerospace Fighter that hits this level has either crashed or landed. An Altitude of higher than 10 is in space. At Altitude level 1 an Aerospace Fighter must make a successful Piloting Skill check for every Thrust point it spends at that level, otherwise they crash. Altitude will affect an attempt to gain Advantage on an Aerospace target, and on attempts to bomb or strafe a target.

Attack Runs

This is a regular Gunnery attack against any ground level target, using any range band of your choice. No modifiers apply for Movement difference, but the Defender adds your Velocity to their defence roll if the attack only includes Bombs and adds your Altitude to their defence roll for all other attacks. At Velocity 2 or more, only one weapon group may be fired. The target may spend a Plot Point to return fire as usual, attacking at the same range band you chose and with the same weapon group limitations based on your speed. You may add your Altitude to your defence roll. A mech with an appropriate anti-aircraft tag can spend a Plot Point to attack Aerospace Fighters that attack friendly targets, and may return fire on attacks against themselves without expending a Plot Point to do so.

An Aerospace Fighter that makes an Attack Run loses any Advantage they may currently have over an enemy Fighter.

Advantage

An Aerospace Fighter may only attack another Aerospace target if they have Advantage on them, indicating that they are in position to take a shot.

To attempt to gain Advantage on a target, you must make an opposed Piloting Skill check. Alongside the usual modifiers, both sides add their Altitude to their roll. If you are successful, you have gained Advantage on your target and may choose the range band you wish to be at.

You may only have Advantage against one target at a time.

Aerospace Attacks

Aerospace attacks work as normal, except that you must first have gained Advantage on your target in order to make the attack. Bombs may not be used against other Aerospace Fighters.

Evade

If an enemy Fighter has advantage on you, you may attempt to remove it by Evading. This is an opposed Piloting Skill check. Alongside the usual modifiers (but not Altitude this time) both players add their current Velocity to their roll. If you are successful you may remove the Advantage.

Ace Manoeuvres

Players may have all sorts of other ideas for manoeuvres they might want to perform. Each manoeuvre will cost one thrust point, and you should rule them on a case by case basis in the spirit of the Mechwarrior: Destiny game and the guidelines above.