Corner Position. Anything other than Square Position is Corner Position. Such Ships are within a diagonal quadrant of each other and there are two Ship Sides facing each other.
Enemy Reaction. Enemy Reaction is the third step in a Player’s turn Sequence. Ship Sides that have been Target Locked can return Sentry Fire or Rotate, subject to Power limitations. If more than one opponent has been Target Locked, the moving Player determines the order in which those opponents conduct Enemy Reaction.
Fire. Fire is the fourth step in a Player’s turn Sequence. The Player must use at least 1 Weapon against each Target Locked opponent Side, unless Sentry Fire has rendered that impossible (in which case the moving Player chooses to relinquish one or more Target Locks, but only enough to make firing possible). The Player announces the number of Weapons fired per firing Side, reduces Power accordingly if more than 1 Weapon is used on any Ship Side(s), and rolls 1d6 for each Weapon against each Target Locked opponent Side’s Shield. Each roll equal to or greater than a Target Locked opponent Ship Side scores a hit, reducing that targeted Side’s Power by 1 (with a minimum outcome of zero). Hits against a Shielded Side cannot destroy a Ship. Fire of any weapon against an unshielded Side destroys an opponent Ship.
Hull. Lifeboats do not have Shields. But their exterior surface (Hull) is composed of dense material that is resistant to destructive tight-beam energy cannon fire.
Lifeboat. In the Advanced Rules, a Lifeboat is a vessel that remains after a Player’s Ship is destroyed. Lifeboats have limited offensive and defensive abilities. But by the time a Lifeboat is in play, other vessels are usually quite damaged, and it is not unusual for a Player to win the game with a Lifeboat.
Lock Targets. Lock Targets is the second step in a Player’s Turn Sequence. The Player declares which of his or her Ship Side(s) will fire upon which opponent Ship Side(s). Locking Targets triggers a defending Player’s limited ability react before being fired upon.
Maneuver. Maneuver is the first step in a Player’s Turn Sequence. A Player can choose not to Maneuver. Otherwise, the Ship either Rotates, Positions, or both (doing both uses Power). Players Maneuver for offensive and defensive purposes.
Position. Change a Ship’s location relative to other Ships.
Power. Each Ship Side has Power. Power determines the Ship Side’s Shield Strength and can limit the number of Weapons that a Side may fire. A Ship Side’s Power will be a number value between zero and six.
Power Clip. Power Clips are color-coded plastic clips, 4 per Ship, used to track the Power on each Ship Side. When Power is used through Player action, lost because of enemy fire, or restored with Repair, the Power Clip is moved to the appropriate number (or removed if Power is reduced to zero). If Power Clips are lost, paper clips can suffice.
Priority. Priority is a term designating the Player that moves first. Play proceeds clockwise from the Priority Player.
Repairs. Interstellar repair jobs require some luck. Any time a Player rolls more than 1d6 at one time (this only occurs during Fire when multiple Weapons are fired from a Ship Side against an opponent Ship Side), a roll of doubles permits the Player to restore 1 Power on the Ship Side of the Player’s choice. Triples permits restoration of 2 Power, etc.
Rotate. Change a Ship’s orientation by turning it 90°, 180°, or 270°.
Sentry Fire. Sentry Fire is a single preemptive return shot permitted by a Target Locked Ship Side or Lifeboat. Lifeboats give Sentry Fire if they have the ability. For Ships In Square Position, the sensor drain required for an effective Sentry Fire uses 1 Power from the target Locked Side giving Sentry Fire. In Corner Position, with 2 Sides Target Locked, the overlapping sensor arrays permit 1 Shot at no Power, and a second Shot using 1 Power from one of the two Target Locked Ship Sides, selected by the Target Locked Player.
Shields. Each Ship Side has a Shield value. This is the Side’s primary defense against direct enemy fire. (The other defense is to avoid receiving fire.) A Shield’s strength is equal to the Ship Side’s Power.
Ship. Your primary interstellar vessel.
Ship Side (Side). A Ship Side is a Ship’s Bow, Port, Stern, or Starboard.
Square Position. Ships that are directly in line with each other (left, right, front, or back) are in Square Position. In Square Position, only one Ship Side faces the other Ship Side and vice versa. It does not matter if another Ship is between the two Ships, so long as they are directly in line with each other.
Turn Sequence. The order of steps of each Player’s turn.
Weapons. Each Ship Side is equipped with four destructive tight-beam energy cannons. These weapons are efficiently constructed, such that one Weapon per Side can be fired without draining Power. Each Weapon beyond the first fired per Side per turn uses 1 Power on the Side firing the Weapons. Each Weapon fired adds 1d6 to the firing Player’s roll against its target’s Shield.
Copyright (c) 2019 John Conway
East of Orion Games 