IMPORTANT House Rule - Bolt-On Equipment

The intention of this house rule is to add some additional means of customization without having to manually adjust unit cards for increased firepower or durability. For heavier equipment, there are additional movement and evasion penalties to simulate the additional load. Think of these as an expansion of official special abilities that you can tack on depending on what is required for a mission.

HOUSE RULE #1

Units may have ONE externally mounted piece of equipment that enables additional abilities or tactical actions. The equipment may only be activated once per Turn and (depending on the equipment) may have limited number of uses. All Bolt-on Equipment can be jettisoned during movement phase to remove any modifiers.

For "MOST" Bolt-on Equipment, whenever the equipped unit takes damage, roll 1d6. On a result of 5 or 6, the bolt-on equipment is destroyed and cannot be used for the rest of the mission. See list below for details.

 

BOLT-ON EQUIPMENT LIST

Anti-Personnel Light Machine Gun

• number of uses = 8
• use = fires a small caliber, anti-personnel machine gun that is lethal to infantry units; firing this skips equipped unit's normal firing phase.
• range = up to 10" (5 hexes)
• damage = 1* (deals no damage to conventional armor)
• whenever the equipped unit takes damage, roll 1d6. On a result of 5 or 6, the bolt-on equipment is destroyed and cannot be used for the rest of the mission.
• see House Rule - Anti-Infantry Damage for more details: https://www.theskjaldborg.com/index.php?threads/house-rule-anti-infantry-damage.12435/

Cargo Container

• number of uses = N/A
• adds "Cargo" ability to equipped unit (see standard rules); capacity is equal to 10% of the unit's tonnage.
• reduces equipped unit's MV by 2" (1 hex) & TMM by 1 while Cargo Container is equipped.
  
• whenever the equipped unit takes damage, roll 1d6. On a result of 5 or 6, the bolt-on equipment is destroyed and cannot be used for the rest of the mission.

Drone Launcher

• number of uses = 2
• use = spawn one flying drone with 1 hp adjacent to the controlling unit. unit exists until it is destroyed.
• drone has MV of 12" (6 hexes), TMM of 2, and must stay with 42" (21 hexes) of controlling unit.
• drone can spot for indirect fire; same rules apply for indirect fire as if the controlling unit were the spotter.
• whenever the equipped unit takes damage, roll 1d6. On a result of 5 or 6, the bolt-on equipment is destroyed and cannot be used for the rest of the mission; any existing drones controlled by unit are immediately lost.

Jump Pack

• number of uses = 3
• use = allows unit to jump equal to its normal walking speed for this Turn (not including any speed reductions).
• reduces equipped unit's MV by 2" (1 hex) & TMM by 1 while Jump Pack is equipped.
  
• whenever the equipped unit takes damage, roll 1d6. On a result of 5 or 6, the bolt-on equipment is destroyed and cannot be used for the rest of the mission.
  
• whenever equipped unit takes damage from the rear, the Jump Pack is automatically destroyed.

Mine Dispenser

• number of uses = 5
• see official rules
• whenever the equipped unit takes damage, roll 1d6. On a result of 5 or 6, the bolt-on equipment is destroyed and cannot be used for the rest of the mission.

Mine Sweeper

• number of uses = N/A
• see official rules
• whenever the equipped unit takes damage, roll 1d6. On a result of 5 or 6, the bolt-on equipment is destroyed and cannot be used for the rest of the mission.

Mortar Launcher (Standard)

• number of uses = 3
  
• use = fire a mortar salvo at target location; use artillery fire rules (but with no travel time; resolve immediately). firing this skips equipped unit's normal firing phase.
• range = 20" (10 hexes) to 80" (40 hexes)
• AOE = 2" radius (1 hex from center)
• direct hit damage = 1 / AOE damage = 0*
• whenever the equipped unit takes damage, roll 1d6. On a result of 5 or 6, the bolt-on equipment is destroyed and cannot be used for the rest of the mission.

Mortar Launcher (Heavy)

• number of uses = 3
• reduces equipped unit's MV by 2" (1 hex) and TMM by 1 while shield is equipped.
  
• use = fire a mortar salvo at target location; use artillery fire rules (but with no travel time; resolve immediately). firing this skips equipped unit's normal firing phase.
• range = 20" (10 hexes) to 80" (40 hexes)
• AOE = 2" radius (1 hex from center)
• direct hit damage = 2 / AOE damage = 1
• whenever the equipped unit takes damage, roll 1d6. On a result of 5 or 6, the bolt-on equipment is destroyed and cannot be used for the rest of the mission.

Remote Sensor Dispenser

• number of uses = N/A
• equipped unit gains "Remote Sensor Dispenser (RSD1)"; see "Special Abilities" in official rules for details
• whenever the equipped unit takes damage, roll 1d6. On a result of 5 or 6, the bolt-on equipment is destroyed and cannot be used for the rest of the mission.

Shield (Light)

• number of uses = see below
• use = when taking damage, equipped unit may attempt to block the attack; roll a pilot skill check with a +4 modifier.
• if piloting skill check is successful, reduce incoming damage by 2.
• after 2 successful blocks, shield is considered "destroyed" and negative effects of shield are removed.

Shield (Medium)

• number of uses = see below
• reduces equipped unit's MV by 2" (1 hex) and TMM by 1 while shield is equipped.
• use = when taking damage, equipped unit may choose attempt to block the attack; roll a pilot skill check with a +3 modifier.
• if piloting skill check is successful, reduce incoming damage by 2.
• after 3 successful blocks, shield is considered "destroyed" and negative effects of shield are removed.

Shield (Heavy)

• number of uses = see below
• reduces equipped unit's MV by 2" (1 hex), TMM by 1, and unit cannot use jumpjets while shield is equipped.
• use = when taking damage, equipped unit may choose attempt to block the attack; roll a pilot skill check with a +2 modifier.
• if piloting skill check is successful, reduce incoming damage by 2.
• after 4 successful blocks, shield is considered "destroyed" and negative effects of shield are removed.

Searchlight

• number of uses = N/A
• equipped unit gains "Searchlight (SRCH)"; see "Special Abilities" in official rules for details.
• whenever the equipped unit takes damage, roll 1d6. On a result of 5 or 6, the bolt-on equipment is destroyed and cannot be used for the rest of the mission.

Grenade Launcher (Anti-Infantry)

• number of uses = 4
• use = fires anti-personnel grenades that are lethal to infantry units; firing this skips equipped unit's normal firing phase.
• range = up to 20" (10 hexes)
• damage = 2* (deals no damage to conventional armor)
• whenever the equipped unit takes damage, roll 1d6. On a result of 5 or 6, the bolt-on equipment is destroyed and cannot be used for the rest of the mission.
• see House Rule - Anti-Infantry Damage for more details: https://www.theskjaldborg.com/index.php?threads/house-rule-anti-infantry-damage.12435/

Grenade Launcher (Smoke)

• number of uses = 6
• use = create a line of 3 hexes of heavy smoke up to 20" (10 hexes) away. firing this skips equipped unit's normal firing phase.
• smoke dissipates after 3 Turns.
• whenever the equipped unit takes damage, roll 1d6. On a result of 5 or 6, the bolt-on equipment is destroyed and cannot be used for the rest of the mission.