BBS Attacks

When a character attempts to harm or destroy an enemy, he takes an Attack Action and makes an **Attack Test**. How hard it is to hit the Target of this Attack Test varies greatly depending on the circumstances surrounding the Attack. This page will lay out the mechanical effects of the conditions that can be found on the battlefield.

# Preview

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# Making an Attack

The following steps apply any time an Attack is made, though Attacks will often not involve any Reactions, and thus will be much simpler to resolve.

### 1. Attacker declares the Attack

When a character spends Focus to make an Attack, he declares which enemy he is Attacking. This enemy is referred to as the Target, and must be possible to reach with the means at the Attacker's disposal.

### 2. Enemies declare any Reactions

The Target may make a Defense Reaction to attempt to avoid the Attack, and/or the Target or his allies may attempt an Ambush Reaction to interrupt the Attack and possibly kill the Attacker before he can harm the Target.

Keep in mind that an Ambush requires the enemy to be on Watch, otherwise an Ambush can only trigger based on a Maneuver, not an Attack. An Ambush Reaction must be declared immediately after the Action that triggers it is declared. You cannot wait to see if anything else is going on before deciding to retroactively take an Ambush against a previously declared Action.

### 3. Ambushes become the new Attack, and are resolved first

If any Ambush Reactions are declared, they take over the spotlight and are treated as an Attack, starting a new Attack process and going back to Step 1 and proceeding from there. This continues until there are no additional Ambushes declared.

### 4. All Attacks are resolved in reverse order of declaration

Once all Reactions are declared, they are set in stone and cannot be altered based on the outcome of any Tests rolled. The last Reaction declared is resolved first.

Any character killed or incapacitated before he can take his Ambush Reaction loses the ability to make his Attack, naturally.

# Attack Types

The type of weapon used combined with the proximity to the Target determines which Attribute and Skill is used in the Attack Test.

 **Cannons** | Targeting (Marksmanship)
 **Torpedoes** | Targeting (Launchers)
 **Depth Charges** | Targeting (Launchers)
 **Missiles** | Electronics (Radar)

## Direct Attacks

A Direct Attack is an Attack against a Target within a weapon's Direct Range.

Direct Attacks can benefit from targeting specific parts of an enemy through the **Precise Priority**.

### Ramming Attack

A Ramming Attack is a melee Direct Attack against a Target within the same Zone, using Mobility (Ramming) for the **Attack Test**.

### Depth Charges

Depth Charges have a Direct Range in terms of Depth rather than a number of Zones away. Only Depth 1 is considered Direct Range for Depth Charges.

This is separate from the Deployment Distance which is how many Zones away the Depth Charges can be launched.

### Missiles

Missiles do not have a Direct Range, and instead utilize the Range of installed Radar modules as their Direct Range.

## Indirect Attacks

An Indirect Attack is one against a Target beyond Direct Range but within Indirect Range, if the weapon has one. Melee and Torpedoes do not have an Indirect Range.

On top of using different Skills (and sometimes different Attributes) from Direct Attacks, Indirect Attacks also do not have the option to use the **Precise Priority** to designate specific sections of a target.

### Cannons

Cannons making Indirect Attacks do so by firing at a high arc.

This results in the shells approaching the target from above, which causes the Hit Location roll to change to a 2d20 with the higher result being taken.

### Depth Charges

Any Depth beyond 1 is considered Indirect Range, and is made using Electronics (Sonar) regardless of Deployment Distance.

### Missiles

Enemies beyond the Radar's Range are always within Indirect Range (see below), but can only be Attacked if an ally is within Radar Range of that target. The Attack Test uses the ally's Electronics (Radar) instead of any Attribute/Skill of the Attacker's.

## Attack Test Results

The result of an Attack Test depend upon the type of Attack being made. But all Attack Tests share the following results:

* **Victory**: The Attack hits, and can be improved in the following ways:
	+ ✠ (1 VP, repeatable) **Vicious**: apply a +2 Difficulty penalty against Champions on their Resilience Test to resist Damage, or increase Damage by 1 against Combatants
	+ ✠ (1 VP, repeatable) **Accurate**: add 1 additional Hit Location Dice, choosing to select the highest or the lowest
* **Success**: The Attack hits and inflicts normal Damage.
* **Dilemma**: Choose one:
	1. **Glancing Hit**: Reduce Damage by 3
	2. **Near Miss**: Require the Target to make a Courage Test [ADD HYPERLINK]
* **Failure**: The Attack misses entirely
* **Disaster**: The Attack misses entirely, and something goes terribly wrong. Options include:
	+ **Weapon Slip**: The weapon used to make the Attack jams, is damaged, or dropped
	+ **Friendly Fire**: The Attack hits an intervening ally instead of the enemy
	+ **Unsafe Technique**: Any eligible enemies are granted an immediate opportunity for an Ambush as if the failed Attack were a Maneuver

# Attack Priorities and Drawbacks

When an Attack is made, the specific Attack Action taken has the option to add Priorities and possibly a Drawback to grant an additional Priority too.

Only **one Priority or Drawback** can be taken **from each row**. So if an Attack has the Barrage Priority, it cannot also have the Reserved Priority or the Frantic Drawback, for example.

 **Evasive**: +2 Difficulty to enemy Ambushes
 **Barrage**: Expend Breath or Ammo for extra hits

## Attack Priorities

Each Attack Priority has a benefit that is automatically applied to the Attack Test, and most also have a additional options on which Victory Points can be spent, on top of the regular choices.

### Accurate Priority

Attack becomes Aimed, gaining a +2 Advance Effectiveness bonus on the Attack Test.

* **Victory**: ✠ (1 VP, repeatable): **Target Weakness**: Increase Penetration by +1.

### Evasive Priority

Gain **Evasive** against any enemy Ambushes made in response to this Attack.

* **Victory**: ✠✠ (2 VPs): **Scramble**: Take 1 free Reposition Action after the Attack, to change Stance.

### Barrage Priority

Spend extra Ammo (up to weapon’s Rate) on the Attack, and gain a number of bonus dice on the Attack Test equal to the amount of extra Ammo spent.

Suffer an Effectiveness penalty equal to any unmitigated Recoil [ADD HYPERLINK], subtracting that many Advances on the Attack Test.

* **Victory**: ✠ (1 VP, repeatable): Land additional hits at starting Attack Lethality.

### Precise Priority

Specify a range of Hit Locations and reduce the Hit Location Dice size to a d8. In other words, choose X and determine Hit Location by adding X to a d8 roll (from 0 + d8 to 12 + d8).

* **Victory**:
	+ ✠ (1 VP) **Centered**: Reduce Hit Location Die size further, to a range of X + d3 (from 0 + d3 to 19 + d3).
	+ ✠✠ (2 VPs): **Bullseye**: Select Hit Location.

## Attack Drawbacks

### Wild Drawback

The Attack is Wild, and suffers a -2 Advances Effectiveness penalty on the Attack Test.

Victory Points cannot be spent on additional Hit Location Dice.

### Lingering Drawback

The Attacker stands still in the open while making the Attack, making her **Vulnerable** which grants a -2 Difficulty bonus to enemies making an Ambush Attack.

The Lingering Drawback cannot be used while Walking/Jogging.

# Attack Circumstances

There are five main factors to consider when determining the Difficulty of an Attack:

* **Attacker Perspective**: The relative position of the Attacker to make a clear Attack
* **Target Size**: The size of the Target
* **Target Bearing**: The mobility of the Target
* **Target Visibility**: Conditions that might obscure the Target
* **Target Distance**: The amount of space between the Attacker and the Target
* **Target Stance**: The fighting posture of the Target

The first four factors are summarized in the table below, but Position is handled differently.

## Silhouette Difference

The size of the Target can affect the Difficulty of the Attack Test, based on the difference of size between the Attacker and the Target. Every combatant has a Silhouette, and the difference between them is applied to the Difficulty of the Attack Test. Subtract the Silhouette of the Target from the Silhouette of the Attacker and add that to the Difficulty.

For example, a Destroyer with a Silhouette of 4 attacking a Cruiser with a Silhouette of 6 enjoys a -2 Difficulty bonus for attacking a larger Target. Attacker Silhouette 4 - Target Silhouette 6 = -2 Difficulty bonus).

A Battleship with a Silhouette of 12 attacking a Coastal Fort with a Silhouette of 8 suffers a +4 Difficulty bonus for attacking a smaller Target. Attacker Silhouette 12 - Target Silhouette 8 = +4 Difficulty bonus).

## Target Bearing

The movements of the Target are referred to as the Target's Bearing, and they greatly affect the Difficulty of the Attack. There are three possible Bearings: Vulnerable, Active, or Evasive.

### Vulnerable

The Target is at risk, either as a result of standing still (in the case of **Distant Attacks**) or not able to move effectively to protect himself (in the case of **Close Attacks**). This can be caused as a result of focusing on an Action to such a degree that defensive considerations are abandoned, being gripped by fear or indecision, or being in a prone position or otherwise unable to move.

When a Target is Vulnerable, the Attacker gains a -2 Difficulty bonus to the Attack Test.

### Active

The standard Bearing of any fighter in battle is Active, meaning constant movement and shifting, peeking and repositioning. Targets that are moving quickly or avoiding staying still are considered Active.

When a Target is Active, there is no modifier to the Attack Test.

### Evasive

Evasive Targets are ones that are actively focusing on avoiding exposing themselves to danger as much as possible. They may be ducking behind cover aside from quick glances around it, dodging and weaving side to side, or running in a stopping and starting manner with plentiful crouching to avoid being out in the open too long.

When a Target is Evasive, the Attacker suffers a +2 Difficulty penalty to the Attack Test.

## Target Distance and Weapon Range

### Point-blank

Standing immediately next to a Target is considered point-blank distance, and if the Target is not moving or attempting to avoid the Attack, the Attacker gains an Effectiveness bonus of +2 Advances to the Attack Test.

If the Target takes any kind of Defense, or was **Evasive** on his last Action, he is moving or resisting, and Attacks against him simply count as Close (see below).

### Close

Standing within the same Zone as an enemy never infers a distance penalty no matter the weapon, meaning the Attack has a distance modifier of +0 Difficulty. Attacks against Close Targets **must** be **Close Attacks**.

### Distant

Any Attack against Targets further away than being in the same Zone is a Distant Attack and the distance applies a penalty to the Attack Test.

Change it so that every Weapon has a Close (no penalty), Short (+2), Medium, Long, Extreme

Ranged Weapons and Thrown Weapons have a Range stat which determines its ability to reach further away Targets. The Difficulty of a Distant Attack increases by +1 for every [Range] Zones of distance the Target is from the Attacker, **rounding up**.

In other words, if a weapon has a Range of 4, and the distance between the Attacker and the Target is 1, 2, 3, or 4, the distance penalty is +1. At a distance of 5 Zones the Difficulty penalty increases to +2.

Range is set by the weapon type, but can be modified by Scopes, Racial Abilities, and Talents. [ADD HYPERLINK] For Thrown Weapons, Range is determined by the character's Fitness.

### Exposed

A character who does not have any other Stance is Exposed, and is simply standing out in the open, without cover or concealment. The character might be standing, crouching, or kneeling, but he is considered Exposed all the same. Attacking an Exposed Target has no modifier.

The only reason for characters to willingly become Exposed is in preparation of taking a Maneuver Action (besides the slow Prowl Maneuver) to change his position on the battlefield.

#### Flanked

Any character with Cover who has had someone move behind the direction of their previous Attacks or attention is considered Flanked, and is treated as Exposed by the flanking character.