Walker Combat

Technology

Alert Levels

1. Battle Stations: Imminent threat(s). Crew focus exclusively on combat operations. Missiles are spun up (if not already). Capacitors are charged to 100%.
2. General Quarters: Possible threat(s). Crew must remain at their duty stations, but may perform other tasks. The crane is secured in its axial position. Missiles are spun up. If the outer shell is below full, then more ravens are launched. The wolfpack is launched. Capacitors are charged to 70%.
3. Condition 3 ("all quiet"): No threats. Crew can move freely and conduct normal activities. Some ravens may be out. Capacitors are kept at 30%.

Common Commands and Reports

• Contact: A search reveals a new sensor signal. It may be a "clear contact" (i.e., certain), or a "strong contact" or "weak contact." Contacts are classified or reclassified as:
  • Green: friendly
  • Gray: neutral or ambiguous
  • Red: threat
• No joy: A search reveals no new contact.
• Picture: A current summary of the battlespace. When it changes significantly, the report is "new picture."
• Run cold: Close all heat sinks. This substantively reduces the walker's heat signature. However, the walker can only store a finite amount of heat before it must be dumped.
• Run silent: All systems and crew activities are kept as quiet as possible. This substantively reduces the walker's acoustic signature.
• Weapons free: Crew can fire at will, within the rules of engagement.

Sensors

Sensors include:

• Electromagnetic (including detecting active transmissions like radio and radar, plus passive EM scatter from electronics and reactors)
• Gravimetric (the target must be large and moving)
• Optical
• Radar
• Sound
• Thermal

On some walkers, magic is also used for detection. This can include magitec systems with semi-autonomous functions.

Drones

A military walker is surrounded by two shells of drones: an outer flock of ravens and an inner pack of wolves. A medium walker typically deploys six drones in each shell. Drones are usually launched via missile tubes and recovered on the flight deck. For immediate launch, drones can pre-positioned on the exterior, but there is a risk of weather damaging them.

• Raven: A smaller, faster drone specialized in detection. A raven is typically not armed, but it can be smashed into a hostile raven.
• Wolf: A larger, slower drone specialized in close-in shooting. A wolf can shoot down a raven or wolf, or enemy personnel. A wolf usually isn't fast enough to shoot or intercept a hypersonic missile.

(Technically, a group of ravens is called an "unkindness." But "flock" is faster to say.)

Missiles

A standard walker missile has a generic airframe (e.g., fuselage, control systems). Warheads are modular, so the same airframe can deliver one of many different kinds of warhead.

A missile is usually launched electromagnetically. Then it burns a chemical propellant to reach its attack speed. Electromagnetic launch helps ensure that the walker isn't immediately detected. Once a missile ignites its engine, it's a strong heat source.

Since an incoming missile can be hypersonic, CIWS is usually automated. CIWS cannons or lasers are calibrated to fire through a walker's shields, during millisecond fluctuations.

Warheads

These are the common types of warheads.

• ECM: electronic countermeasures. This interferes with a target's sensors, especially CWIS systems. An ECM missile is seldom launched alone, but instead as part of a salvo.
• Fireball: uses a fuel air explosive to momentarily fill a large area with intense radiant heat. This can't penetrate heavy armor but it can be lethal to softer targets.
• Grapeshot: showers a small or medium area with small projectiles. This is the standard counter-missile warhead. This can't penetrate heavy armor but it can be lethal to softer targets.
• Havoc: weakens a shield with an electromagnetic discharge.
• HEF: high explosive fragmentation. This is the standard shipkiller warhead.
• Net: spreads a metal net over a medium area. This can be useful for capturing personnel or fauna.
• Piercer: uses a shaped explosive to fire a flash-heated armor-penetrating needle.
• Starburst: a momentary flash of very bright light. This illuminates a large area and disrupts most sensors.

Tactical Nukes

Nuclear warheads are anathema to the Mother's Children and the Childstealers. However, there are still rumors of their use.

Packages

Walkers often fire salvos of missiles. In preparation, a "package" of multiple missiles is "spun up" together (i.e., loaded into the launch tubes). Most captains and weaponkeepers have packages they prefer to spin up first. Good slingers try to learn and anticipate these preferred packages.

Here is a popular package for a medium walker with 12 tubes:

• Salvo 1
  • Havoc x3
  • Grapeshot x1
  • ECM x1
• Salvo 2
  • Havoc x1
  • HEF x2
  • Piercer x2
  • ECM x1

Basic Rules

1. Shields and most weapons systems pull from a walker's capacitors. The capacitors are refilled by the reactor(s).
2. A medium walker can maintain three layers of shields.

• • A direct hit by a havoc missile shatters one layer (two with a raise), instead of doing damage to the walker itself.

1. Spinning up a package of missiles requires one round for every two missiles.

• • Each additional slinger can spin up two more missiles.
  • Multi-Action can't be used to expedite spinning up. Rather, the storage and launch mechanisms dictate this speed.
  • While spinning up a missile, a slinger can customize its onboard data to the current battlespace. Customizing a missile is a Battle, Electronics, or Repair roll. On a success, the missile gives a +1 bonus to the Battle roll when the missile attacks (+2 with a raise).
  • A slinger can use Multi-Action to customize two missiles, with the usual penalty.

1. A missile is launched in one round and then attacks in the next round.

• • Attacking with a missile is a Battle roll. Colleague(s) using sensors or drones can Support this roll (up to +4). A raise can cause extra damage, as usual.
  • Each missile can be a separate attack using Multi-Action, with the usual penalty.
  • Alternatively, two or more missiles can be used in a single joint attack. In a successful joint attack, each missile still does its full damage or other effect. A raise can cause extra damage, as usual.

1. Instead of attacking, a missile can cruise above the battlespace. However, most attacks against a cruising missile get a +4 bonus (due to its strong heat signature).
2. Using CIWS or a counter-missile to destroy a hostile missile is a Shooting roll.

• • A CIWS must have line of sight.
  • A CIWS fires autonomously (because hypersonic missiles are too fast for a humanoid to react). Without an operator, the CIWS uses its own Shooting skill and fires twice using Multi-Action, with the usual penalty.
  • An operator can monitor and edit the inputs, targeting parameters, and performance of a CIWS. In this case, the operator uses their own Shooting skill. The operator can use Multi-Action to fire up to three times, with the usual penalty.
  • In either case, colleague(s) using sensors or drones can Support a Shooting roll (up to +4).

1. Using an ECM missile to impede CIWS or counter-missiles is a Battle or Electronics roll. On a success, the ECM imposes a -1 penalty on any roll against the missile or any missile in its salvo (-2 with a raise).
2. Bad weather can interfere with any aspect of battle.