Walker Combat

Technology

These rules will be a long-term work-in-progress. Cinero will revise based on playtesting.

Basic Rules

1. Shields and most weapons systems pull from a walker's capacitors. The reactor(s) refill the capacitors.
2. A medium walker can maintain three layers of shields.
   1. A direct hit by a havoc missile shatters one layer (two with a raise), instead of doing damage.
3. Spinning up a package of missiles requires one round for every two missiles.
   1. Each additional slinger can spin up two more missiles.
   2. Multi-Action can't be used to expedite spinning up. Rather, the storage and launch mechanisms dictate this speed.
   3. 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).
   4. A slinger can use Multi-Action to customize two missiles, with the usual penalty.
4. A missile is launched in one round and then attacks in the next round.
   1. 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.
   2. Each missile can be a separate attack using Multi-Action, with the usual penalty.
   3. 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. However, any havoc effects are resolved after any damage.
5. 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).
6. A CIWS engages against a salvo just before it would hit.
   1. A CIWS must have line of sight.
   2. A CIWS fires autonomously, because hypersonic missiles are too fast for a humanoid to react.
      1. An operator can monitor and edit the inputs, targeting parameters, and performance of a CIWS. The operator uses their Battle or Shooting skill. The operator can use Multi-Action to fire up to three times, with the usual penalty.
      2. Without an operator, the CIWS uses its own Shooting skill and fires twice using Multi-Action, with the usual penalty.
7. An ECM missile impede a CIWS attack against its salvo. Each ECM missile imposes a -1 penalty on Battle or Shooting.
8. Bad weather can interfere with any aspect of battle.

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. A popular model is an all-electric quad-rotor drone with arctic sky camouflage.
• 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.

Warheads

These warheads are common:

E : Electronic Countermeasures (ECM): electronic jamming and other interference. This disrupts a target's sensors, especially CWIS. An E missile is seldom launched alone, but rather as part of a salvo.
F : Frag: a forward-directed explosion with jagged fragments. This is the standard shipkiller warhead.
H : Havoc: an electromagnetic discharge that weakens a shield.
P : Piercer: on impact, a shaped explosive fires a flash-heated armor-penetrating needle. This does less damage than F but ignores some armor.
S : Shotgun: blasts a small or medium area with hundreds of tiny metal spheres. They can't penetrate heavy armor but can be lethal to softer targets. This is the standard anti-missile warhead.

These warheads are less common:

B : Burst: a momentary flash of very bright light. This illuminates a large area and disrupts most sensors.
I : Inferno: a fuel air explosive fills a large area with intense radiant heat. This can't penetrate heavy armor but can be lethal to softer targets.
N : Net: spreads a metal net over a medium area. This can be useful for capturing personnel or fauna.

Killing Line

Missiles in a salvo are usually programmed to autonomously order themselves ahead or behind. This ensures that Havoc missiles hit any shields first, followed by Frag and Piercer. Finally, ECM protects the salvo until the end, then impacts to prevent being salvaged and studied.

Rear	Middle	Front
ECM	Frag, Piercer	Havoc

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: "Bell Ringer:" H H H F F E
• Salvo 2: "Shank:" H F F P P E

Once the hostile walker launches missiles, a new package may include S anti-missiles.

CIWS

A walker defends against incoming missiles using its Close-In Weapon System (CIWS, "see wiz"). 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.