In Firestorm Armada Boarding Assaults are performed by specialist Assault Pods, or Assaulters, Drop Ships brought close to their

target by a model or specialist Carrier. Drop Ships are big enough to carry a platoon to the target, while Assaulter Wings can carry several squads a long distance from their Carrier.

Regardless of what assault tactic is used, Boarding Assaults are resolved in the same way, whether it is a model or an Assaulter Wing making the assault. Models have a CP value and an AP value, while an Assaulter Flight only has an AP value.

BOARDING ASSAULT

A models Assault Point (AP) value is indicated on its Stat Card and is a measure of the number of specialist marines on the model and the number of D6 Attack Dice the model can use in any Boarding Assault. Important Note: Only models with an Assault Point value, even if its 0, can be the target of a Boarding Assault. The Stat Card for an Assaulter Wing lists the Assault Point value for 1 Wing in any Flight. The number of AP for a Flight is calculated by multiplying the current number of Wings in a Flight by the relevant value for 1 Wing. EXAMPLE: An Aquan Assaulter Flight contains 3 Wings and each Wing has 1 AP. A Boarding Assault from the Assaulter Flight would have 3 AP.

ASSAULT POINTS

During the Boarding Segment of its Squadron Activation any model or Flight with a current AP value greater than 0 may be eligible to initiate ONE Boarding Assault.

A Boarding Assault can only be made by a model against an enemy model within 4. A Boarding Assault can only be made by a Flight if it is in contact with the Flight Stand of the target model. A model or Flight MUST allocate ALL of its current AP value when initiating a Boarding Assault. A model or Flight CANNOT recover any of its AP value after attempting a Boarding Assault, its AP value is permanently reduced to zero if it initiates a Boarding Assault. A model or Flight CANNOT initiate a Boarding Assault against a Flight.

CREW POINTS

Line of Sight to the target model is not required to initiate a Boarding Assault. Measurement for a Boarding Assault for a model is to or from its Flight Peg and for an Assaulter Flight is from the closest point of the Flight. Each Boarding Assault has ONE target model but may have multiple models attempting a Boarding Assault. If more than one Boarding Assault is initiated in the current Squadron Activation, the active player resolves them in any order required and the total amount of AP allocated to a Boarding Assault is the Boarding Assault Strength. A Boarding Assault CANNOT be attempted in the following circumstances:

A models Crew Point (CP) value is a measure of the number of crew on the model. If the total amount of crew lost by a model equals or exceeds its CP value, the model may be vulnerable in any Boarding Assault.

Any good officer has to care about the lives of his men. Boarding Assaults are pretty dangerous things and a lot of men are going to die. You can only commit once to a Boarding Assault. So make sure you pick just the right moment when your enemy is at its weakest.

The model, or flight, attempting the Boarding Assault has fired ANY Primary or Torpedo weapon systems at the target model during the current Squadron Activation. The model, or flight, attempting the Boarding Assault was involved in any Collision during the current Squadron Activation.

BOARDING PROCEDURE

Once ALL models/Flights in the active Squadron have declared the target of their Boarding Assaults, and the total Boarding Assault Strength facing each target model has been calculated, ALL Anti-Boarding Point Defence actions must be declared. Each Boarding Assault may have ONE Anti-Boarding Point Defence action declared against it. Any model targeted by the Boarding Assault, and any model within 4 of the target model, may declare an Anti-Boarding Point Defence action, using any available Firing Options. Each eligible model can only perform an Anti-Boarding Point Defence action ONCE during a single Activation. Important Note: A Parent model and its attached Escort Squadron may use Combined Fire for any Anti-Boarding Point Defence action.

RESOLVING BOARDING ASSAULTS

The target model MUST allocate its ENTIRE current Assault Point value and its ENTIRE current Crew Point value to defend against the Boarding Assault, the total is the amount of Attack Dice rolled against the Boarding Assault. Important Note: A Carrier model CAN add the AP from any Assaulter Wings to help defend itself during a Boarding Assault, but only if they are onboard. If they do add their AP the Assaulter Flight CANNOT Launch during the current Turn. For models attempting a Boarding Assault the current Boarding Assault Strength is the remaining total, and for a Flight, the Boarding Assault Strength is the current number of Assault Points in the Flight. The current Boarding Assault Strength is the number

ANTI-BOARDING POINT DEFENCE TO HIT

Attack Dice rolled against the target model. All Boarding Assault Attack Dice will require a 4, 5 or 6 to hit.

Once all Anti-Boarding Point Defence actions have been declared, roll a number of D6 equal to the number of Attack Dice in each Anti-Boarding Point Defence action. An Anti-Boarding Point Defence action will require a 5 or 6 to hit a Boarding Assault from a model and a 5 or 6 to hit a Boarding Assault from a Flight.

Each hit by the target model will reduce the Boarding Assault Strength by 1. Each hit by the Boarding Assault will reduce the CP and AP of the target model. The loss is spread evenly between CP and AP; if either the AP or CP is higher than the other, reduce the higher rating first. Lost CP and AP are indicated by the appropriate Damage markers. EXAMPLE: A Sorylian Carrier loses 2 CP to a Critical Hit. It is then boarded by a Dindrenzi Battleship. The Battleship has a current AP of 4 and rolls 4D6, getting 2, 4, 6 and 6 (and an extra roll of 2 and 5) for 6 hits. The Carrier has 5 AP and 2 CP remaining, so it loses 4 from its AP and 2 from its CP.

ANTI-BOARDING POINT DEFENCE DAMAGE

Against a model the Boarding Assault Strength is reduced by 1 Assault Point (AP) per Hit from an Anti-Boarding Point Defence action. Any lost Assault Points are removed IMMEDIATELY, and are no longer involved in the Boarding Assault. Against a Flight, the total number of Hits from any Anti-Boarding Point Defence action is applied across the entire Flight. Each natural roll of a 6 will result in ONE Wing in the Flight being Destroyed. If the total number of other hits against a Flight equals, or exceeds, the remaining number of Wings in the Flight, the Flight has been Driven Off, no Boarding Assault is then resolved. EXAMPLE: Three Sorylian Scythe Class Frigates with an AP value of 2, initiate a Boarding Assault against two Relthoza Swarm Class Cruisers. The Squadron of two Swarm Class Cruisers, which are within 4 of one another with a Point Defence value of 3, and can perform Linked Fire with their Point Defence systems against the Boarding Assault, rolling 4D6 against the incoming Boarding Assault Strength of 6. Scoring 3 Hits reduces the Boarding Assault Strength to 3.

WINNING A BOARDING ASSAULT

If the Boarding Assault Strength is reduced to 0, the Boarding Assault has Failed, even if the target models AP and CP are also reduced to 0. There is no further action and the Boarding Assault ends. If the Boarding Assault Strength is NOT reduced to 0 and the AP and CP of the target model are both reduced to 0, the target model is Destroyed.

SABOTAGE

If the Boarding Assault has Failed but the target model is a Capital Class model and the total number of hits from a Boarding Assault is GREATER than the total number of hits scored by the target model, the target model CAN be Sabotaged. A Sabotaged model suffers a Critical Hit and a roll must be made on the Critical Hit Table by the sabotaging player.