HG Escort Rule

[BillDowns]

Since Don says there will not be a rule for escorts in HG, I thought I would propose one.

In the Combat Step, prior to allocating fire, starships, non-starships, or smallcraft may be stated as being in the Escort Role to a designated "Protected" ship. As part of the Escort role, any batteries of the Escort may be stated as providing defensive fire for the Protected ship. Some batteries of the Escort may be retained for other purposes.

Escort batteries may be allocated for defensive fire as if they were part of the Protected ship's batteries. The computer rating of the Escort, however, is used for DM and not that of the Protected ship.

If a Protected ship is in the Line of Battle, then any Escorts assigned to it must also be in the Line of Battle. Likewise, if a Protected ship is in the Reserve, any Escorts assigned to it must also be in the Reserve.

Example: Alpha and Beta are designed Escorts with a battery of 5 triple beam lasers plus additional weaponry and a Model/7 computer. They are designated as Escorts to cruiser Gamma (equipped with a Model/9 Computer) each offering the Factor 6 battery. DUring the combat, Gamma is fired upon by three separate missile attacks from ships equipped with Model/8 computers. She uses Alpha's factor 6 battery as defensive fire against the first attack, Beta's factor 6 battery against the 2nd, and her own defenses against the 3rd. The first two attacks have a computer DM of -1 but the 3rd has a computer DM of +1.

 

[Matt123]

Very similar to a rule I've used in the past. Its adds an extra level of detail to game play. IIRC we decided to allocate all the weapons on an escort to the Escort Role, to save on the admin in game. It also discouraged large "Escorts" from being used as "Escorts" in this context.

We were also using Fighter rules & close attacks, which Escorts could also intercept.

I cant say it changed the outcome of the game, but it added more depth & was a lot of fun for virtually no extra work (aside from "having" to design a new class of Escort ships!).

 

[aramis]

WHile HG should have an escorts rule, adding one, like adding a fighter squadrons as a battery rule, fundamentally changes the game.

It thoroughly changes the nature of required ship designs.

 

[Spinward Scout]

How about when a ship is protecting a unarmed (or even armed) convoy? Then it would be one Escort ship protecting several ships. How could that be handled?

 

[Matt123]

How about when a ship is protecting a unarmed (or even armed) convoy? Then it would be one Escort ship protecting several ships. How could that be handled?

In HG, those ships would be in the reserve and untouchable by the opposition until the line of battle broke. (at which point an "escort" might be useful as the reserve becomes the new line of battle...)

The Escorting this refers to is mostly about escorting combat ships in the line of battle, shielding them against nuisance attacks while the big boys duke it out.

Classic CT examples are the Close Escort and the Fleet Escort. One at 3/400 tons, the other at 5000 ton. Under existing HG rules they cannot perform their task of escorting capital ships in the line of battle, because they cannot intercept attacks directed at anyone else, even if it is assumed they are sitting right beside their charge (the core concept behind this type of Escort rule).

@Aramis
It doesn't fundamentally change the game, it does add a new dimension that fits with the Traveller vision of how Fleets should work. The only new work required is designing dedicated Escorts, as a HG player I don't consider this a downside.