Each type of unit in this game represents a squadron (or more) worth of vessels. Warships come in groups of 1-2, frigates in groups of 3-4, corvettes in wings of around 6-8, and bombers and interceptors in wings of around 12-24. Each group is assumed to be approximately equal with all others in a standup fight (weaknesses notwithstanding). Units all have the same number of points to spend on several different features. There are 5 classes of ships that relate to each other in a rock-paper-scissors relationship.

Interceptors (I): Weak vs. F & W
Bombers (B): Weak vs. C & I
Corvettes (C): Weak vs. F & I
Frigates (F): Weak vs. W &B
Warships (W): Weak vs. B & C

Features:

Reaction Mass (RM): This is the amount of fuel a given unit has to use for acceleration. It is expended. 1 point buys 6 points of RM. If the remass rules are used ships have no maximum speeds.
Or:
Top Speed (TS): This is an alternative to Reaction Mass. Ships cannot have a combined X and Y axis velocity greater than this number but have an unlimited amount of remass (the top speed is a safe number assumed to allow a ship plenty of opportunity to maneuver) every 3 points of TS costs 1 point.
Acceleration (AC): This is the number of hexes a ship can accelerate or decelerate in a single turn. Each point of acceleration costs 1 point.

Damage Threshold (DT): This is a squadron’s ability to absorb hits. If the damage roll exceeds the damage threshold the squadron takes one hit. If the damage roll is double the DT the unit takes 2 hits. If triple then 3 hits etc. A squadron can typically absorb 4 hits before it is destroyed or routed. After a squadron sustains 2 hits it becomes bloodied and takes a penalty to its characteristics and becomes less resistant to additional damage. A unit’s damage threshold is equal to 4 + a bonus equal to the number of points spent on this characteristic. A unit’s effective damage threshold is 2 points lower against attacks from units it is weak against. Players may reduce the number of hits a unit may take by 1 or 2 for 1 or 2 additional points respectively. In both cases a ship is bloodied after 1 hit. Bloodied units suffer a -1 to AC and DT.

Energy Weapons (E): These are short-ranged weapons that can be fired indefinitely. The damage roll of an energy attack loses 2 points of Power per unit of range over and above one unit (the 4 adjacent squares and the square occupied by the squadron). Each additional unit of power costs one point.
Ordnance (O): Ships have a limited amount of ammunition. Each point added to attack power costs 1 point.
Range (R): Ordinance range is 1 square1 by default. Each point spent adds +2 squares to the weapon’s range (1 point would produce a range of 3, 2 points, a range of 5, etc.) Optionally, a weapon’s range may be reduced to 0. This provides a +3 bonus to the weapon’s power and allows it to be used in close quarters in place of energy weapons.
Ordnance-Turns (OT): Each ordnance turn allows one attack with ordnance. 2 ordnance turns cost 1 point.



Unit Creation:

Players have 10 points to build a squadron, and may have up to 6 different kinds of squadron in play in a single engagement (they should have no more than 8-12 types in their fleet). Civilian warships, carriers, and transports should typically be built with 4-5 points. They should be included in encounters at the referee’s discretion. A typical battle should have around 4-12 squadrons per player. Squadrons should be labeled with one letter followed by a number (1 for one player, 2 for another player, 3 for a third player, 4 for NPC wings etc. e.g. A1 or E3)


Combat:

All players move simultaneously in the move phase. They declare horizontal and vertical acceleration or deceleration separately. They must prioritize the classes of ships they want each unit to target or specify a particular priority target. Any units who pass through each others’ squares during the move may make a free attack against each other using energy weapons or close-quarters ordnance before the attack phase begins. These free attacks do not affect the attacks made in the attack phase (unless a squadron is damaged or bloodied as a result). The effects of free attacks in the move phase are resolved simultaneously at the end of the phase but before the attack phase begins. There is no limit to the number of free attacks that can be made.

Attacks are rolled on a 1d6 and modified by a weapon’s Power. If a roll beats a unit’s damage threshold that unit takes a hit. The effects of all attacks in the attack phase are resolved simultaneously, and any effects or penalties that occur as a result apply only after all attacks are resolved (at the beginning of the next turn).

Sample units:

F/I 90 Stingray (24):
Class: Interceptor
Movement: [TS 9][AC 3]
Defense: [DT 4+0][H 4]
Combat: [E +0][O +1x4 R3]

Type 16 Frigate ‘Sylvia Lynes Class’ (8):
Class: Frigate
Movement: [TS 6][AC 2]
Defense: [DT 4+2][H 4]
Combat: [E +0][O +1x4 R3]

B-35c Pike (24):
Class: Bomber
Movement: [TS 6][AC 3]
Defense: [DT 4+1][H 3]
Combat: [E +0][O +3x2 R3]

Type 9 Cruiser ‘John Marshal Harrison Class’ (4):
Class: Warship
Movement: [TS 6][AC 1]
Defense: [DT 4+1][H 4]
Combat: [E +0][O +3x4 R5]

Type 21 ‘Fredrick Irving Class’ (12):
Class: Corvette
Movement: [TS 6][AC 2]
Defense: [DT 4+1][H 4]
Combat: [E +2][O +1x2 R3]

Courier (N/A):
Class: Civilian (5pts)
Movement: [TS 9][AC 3]
Defense: [DT 4+1][H 2]
Combat: [E +0][O +0x0]

Introduction:

This system is designed to portray the kind of densely packed space warfare commonly seen in gothic style science fiction series, such as Warhammer 40,000. Capital ships are enormous vessels that bristle with point defense batteries and gigantic weapon systems. Escort squadrons are comprised of dozens of smaller but less deadly vessels, which are frequently little more than a weapon system mounted to an oversized engine block.

Escort squadrons:

Fighter squadrons gain no damage bonus against escort squadrons or capital ships.
Interceptors gain a damage bonus against escort squadrons.
Bombers gain a damage bonus against capital ships.

Capital ships:

Frigates gain a damage bonus against escort squadrons.
Cruisers gain a damage bonus against capital ships.
Warships gain a significant damage bonus against capital ships.

 
Movement:

Escort squadrons are assumed to have a limited amount of fuel, but are capable of prodigious changes in velocity. At the start of the movement phase, each player notes down their vector orders for each escort squadron independently. Each escort squadron is limited to a cumulative vector equal to or less than their vector characteristic. Once both players have noted their orders, these are revealed and the next phase is resolved simultaneously!

Capital ships are assumed to have an unlimited amount of fuel, but are limited in their ability to accelerate and decelerate. At the start of the movement phase each escort squadron and capital ship is moved according to their current vector, which is simply a culmination of vectors in the X and Y axis. The Z axis is ignored the purposes of clarity.

At the end of the movement phase, each player notes down their acceleration or deceleration orders for each capital ship independently. Each capital ship is limited to a cumulative vector change equal to or less than their acceleration characteristic.

Combat:

At the start of the combat phase each player notes down their combat orders, revealing and resolving them simultaneously. Escort squadrons and capital ships operate differently in combat and thus have different sets of orders for players to choose from.

Escort squadron may choose to either engage in or disengage from an existing dogfight, attempt to screen a friendly capital ship or to attempt an attack run on an enemy capital ship.

Capital ships usually have more than one weapon system and may choose to engage any targets that are both within range and the facing of their weapon systems. Capital ships are limited to engaging one target per weapon system. Weapon systems that can operate in point defense mode only do so if they are not used to actively engage a target.


 
Dogfights:

At the start of the dogfight phase, first resolve any attempts to engage enemy escort squadrons. Engaging in a dogfight occurs automatically if both escort squadrons are under orders to engage in a dogfight with one another, or if an escort squadron is under orders to engage an enemy escort squadron that was already in a dogfight. If the target escort squadron was not under orders to engage in a dogfight, or were under orders to engage a different escort squadron, both players must roll 1d10 and add their escort squadrons vector and magnitude scores. The player with the larger total, or the aggressor in the event of a tie, may choose whether or not they wish to engage in a dogfight or not.

Next, both players roll 1d10 and add the combined vector and magnitude characteristics of each of their escort squadrons currently engaged in the dogfight. Calculate the difference between the rolls and subtract the full difference from the magnitude of the escort squadrons of the player who rolled the lowest and half of the difference from those of the player who rolled the highest, rounding up. If either player has multiple escort squadrons engaged in the dogfight, they may choose which squadrons to remove any points of magnitude.

At the end of the dogfight phase, resolve any attempts to disengage from enemy squadrons. Engaging from a dogfight occurs automatically if all of the escort squadrons involved are under orders to disengage. If not, both players must roll 1d10 and add their escort squadrons vector and magnitude scores. Add the scores of all escort squadrons involved, even the other squadrons controlled by the player whose escort squadron is attempting to disengage as these squadrons attempt to shield their allies. If the player attempting to disengage rolls equal to or greater than his opponent, he successfully disengages. He must move the disengaging escort squadron one square in any direction away from the dogfight. If both players have chosen to disengage, move all escort squadrons one square in opposite directions, with the player whose escort squadrons have the highest vector characteristics moving first.

 
Attack runs:

At the start of the attack run phase move any escort squadrons under orders to attempt an attack run into the square of their intended target capital ship. If the square contains any enemy escort squadrons under orders to screen the target capitals ship, both players must immediately resolve a dogfight as per the second paragraph of the dogfight rules, with the following exception; the attacking escort squadron may choose to break off their attack run and instead concentrate on the dogfight. If they choose not to do so their opponent may roll twice and pick the highest dice.

Once any screening dogfights have been completed, attack runs are resolved. Any point defense systems that have not been designated to attack particular targets swing into action, tracking the ships and any projectiles launched by the attacking escort squadron. The player controlling the capital ship rolls 1d10 and adds the magnitude of any point defense systems that have not been designated to attack a particular target. The player controlling the attacking escort squadrons must reduce the magnitude of his escort squadrons by this amount, though he may choose to split the damage between multiple squadrons.

If any escort squadrons survive the point defense barrage, roll 1d10 and add their combined magnitude characteristics. The target capital ship suffers that much damage. Tally it up.

Capital ships attacking:

Capital ship weapons are designated with one or more facings. If the target is outside of that facing, it cannot be attacked. If it is inside the facing and within a number of squares equal to the range of the weapon system, the attack is successful. The player controlling the capital ship rolls 1d10 and adds the magnitude of the weapon system involved. Most weapon systems have a split value, the first for attacks against escort squadrons and the second for attacks against other capital ships. Some weapons systems are even more specialized, granting specific bonuses of against ships with certain characteristics! In either case, the target suffers that much damage.

If the target is an escort squadron, immediately reduce the magnitude of the squadron by the full amount. If the escort squadron was involved in a dogfight, all other (including friendly) squadrons involved in the dogfight suffer an amount of damage equal to the magnitude of the weapons system, due to the indiscriminate nature of most capital ship weapon systems.

Capital ship damage:

At the end of the capital ship attack phase, each player must total the amount of damage that their capital ships have suffered during the current turn. If this amount is greater than their capital ships damage threshold, the capital ship suffers a hit. Once a capital ship suffers a number of hits equal to its magnitude, it is destroyed! To represent the efforts of damage control teams and the possibility of attacks having hit unimportant sections of the vessel, roll 1d10 for each hit suffered. On a roll of a 10, the hit is ignored. Certain types of capital ships increase the chance of a hit being ignored, either due to redundant systems and fail safe devices or elaborate repair systems.