INTRODUCTION

BattleChrome - Fire and Steel is a two player game of futuristic armored vehicle combat. Each player controls a small combat force and does battle with the opposing player's forces.

Future issues of Competitive Edge will feature additional maps, units, scenarios, and rules to make your own multiplayer or arena battles.

BASIC CONCEPTS

A hex represents about 100 meters, and a turn represents about ten seconds of real time.

Each playing piece is called a counter or unit. Each unit represents one BattleFrame, vehicle, or infantry squad. Costs are provided for comparison only.

The number of hits required to destroy a unit is represented by small white and black dots at the bottom of the counter. White dots show the unit's maximum Damage. Black dots show the Damage the unit has taken. Units begin whole.

SETTING UP THE GAME

Choose a scenario and then divide up the forces as specified. The game is played on the Tactical Battles Map provided. Cut out the playing pieces. Remove the map from the magazine and place it between the players. Place the units on the map in the locations specified in the scenario description. A six-sided die is needed for play.

SEQUENCE OF PLAY

Each turn is composed of the following steps. Each step must be carried out in the order presented.

Initiative Phase Roll to Determine Initiative

Movement Phase Conduct Movement & Opportunity Fire

Combat Phase Resolve Opportunity Fire Conduct & Resolve Melee Fire Conduct & Resolve Death Web Fire Conduct & Resolve Laser Fire Conduct & Resolve Missile Fire

Bookkeeping Transformable Units may Change Modes Airfoil Units Move Again

INITIATIVE PHASE

Both players roll a die. The player who rolls higher has Initiative that turn. The scenario may specify one player as the Attacker. The Attacker always adds one to his Initiative roll, and always has Initiative on the first turn.

The player with Initiative will decide which player moves first. Combat is broken down into five distinct steps, but both player's fire is resolved simultaneously each step.

MOVEMENT PHASE

Players move their units during this phase. The player with Initiative chooses which player will move all of his units first. When all units for that player have moved, the other player moves his forces.

Speed
A unit's Speed is the number of Speed points that unit may spend each turn. To enter a hex, the unit must spend one or more Speed points. Speed points may not be saved.

Every unit has a Move Type letter printed next to its Speed. "B" stands for BattleFrame. "I"' stands for Foot Soldier (Infantry). "W" stands for Wheeled. "T" stands for Tracked. "H" stands for Hover Flight. "A' stands for Airfoil Flight. A unit's Move Type determines how Terrain affects it movement. If a unit has more than one Move Type, the owner states which is used at the start of each Movement phase.

Clear/Down One Level/Town/City
All Units pay one Speed to enter.

Heavy Forest
BattleFrames pay two Speed to enter. Infantry pay one to enter. Other units may not enter.

Light Forest
BattleFrames and Infantry pay one to enter. Other units pay two Speed to enter. 

Up One Level
All units pay one extra Speed to enter. Wheeled pay two extra Speed to enter.

Trail/Road/Highway
Any unit entering a hex with a Trail, Road, or Highway from another hex with a Trail, Road, or Highway, may enter that hex for one Speed, regardless of any other terrain in that hex. A unit may not "cut corners" ? they must follow the course of the Trail, Road, or Highway. Wheeled vehicles may add one to their Speed for a turn if they spend their entire Speed for that turn on Trails, Roads, and Highways.

Streams
Costs two extra Speed to cross for all Wheeled and one extra Speed to cross for all Tracked units' BattleFrames and Infantry cross at no additional cost.

Special Unit Movement
Infantry units may always move one hex regardless of terrain.

A unit with a Move Type of Foot Soldier, may ride on a Truck unit that is not already carrying another unit.

Units that have Airfoil or Hover Flight pay one Speed to enter any type of hex.

An Airfoil unit must end its Movement at least half of its Speed in hexes away from the hex it began Movement in.

KATA MOVEMENT

BattleFrames may execute Kata Movement. Non­BattleFrame units may not execute Kata Movement. Kata Movement represents a BattleFrame running through a group of units doing multiple Melee hits.

A BattleFrame may attack hostile forces in the hex that it is in, during the BattleFrame's Movement. It may apply its Melee value against hostile forces for every Speed point it expends for that purpose in that hex. For each Hit scored, place a Hit marker (unused counter) on the enemy unit.

Kata Hits are resolved during the Resolve Opportunity fire step of the Combat Phase.

OPPORTUNITY FIRE

During the Movement Phase, units may conduct Opportunity fire. Opportunity fire is conducted in the same manner as regular fire with the following exceptions:

BattleFrame units may always conduct Opprotunity Fire. Other units may conduct Opportunity Fire only if they have not moved this turn.

BattleFrames carry out Opportunity Fire as they move. Other units carry out Opportunity Fire as the Target moves.

Non BattleFrame units roll two Hit dice, instead of one for each shot, and use the higher result.

A non?BattleFrame unit conducting Opportunity fire may not move or fire for the rest of the current turn.

Powerjumps
Powerjumps are a special type of Opportunity Fire, and may only be conducted by BattleFrames and units with the Hover Move Type. A Powerjump is a short vertical leap taken by a BattleFrame to fire a shot over an obstical. A Power jump costs the BattleFrame one Speed. If the BattleFrame has used all of its Speed previously in the turn, it may not conduct Power jumps. The unit may only fire Death Web and Missiles during a Powerjump. The Power jump allows a unit to ignore an adjacent hex of Terrain that is blocking its LOS with the Target or modifying the Target's Silhouette or Armor.

COMBAT PHASE

Units may fire their weapons during the Combat Phase. Non?BattleFrame units that conducted Opportunity Fire may not fire weapons during the Combat Phase. A unit that suffers Damage or is Destroyed in one step paticipates in subsequent steps in its reduced form.

LINE OF SIGHT (LOS)

In order for a unit to fire at another unit, it must be able to trace an LOS to that unit. An LOS can automatically be traced unless an object blocks the LOS. An intervening hex of Dense Forest, Town, or City blocks LOS. An intervening hex with a Level higher than both the hexes containing the firing unit and target blocks LOS. A Crestline blocks LOS. The only Terrain that affects the LOS to or from units with Airfoil Flight are City and Crestline.

TERRAIN EFFECTS ON COMBAT

Terrain has effects on combat. These are primarily defensive in nature and usually aid the target. Not every Terrain type appears on each map. Airfoil units may neither take advantage of nor suffer Terrain Modifiers.

Target in/behind Light Forest or Town
Increase Target's Silhouette by one if the Target is in a Light Forest or Town hex, and one for each hex of Light Forest or Town separating the firing unit and the Target. If the Target is Infantry, increase its Silhouette by two.

Target inibehind Dense Forest or City
Increase Target's Silhouette by two if the Target is in a Dense Forest or City hex, and two for each hex of Dense Forest or City separating the firing unit and the Target.

RANGE

Range has an effect on some weapon systems.

Melee
Melee attacks may only be conducted at a range of zero. Melee may only be made against a unit with Flight from another with Flight.

Death Web
A death web may never be fired at a range greater than four.

Missiles
Add one to each Missile To Hit roll for each full four hexes separating the firing unit and the target.

COMBAT PROCEDURE

Fire is broken down into steps. During a step, only the specified weapon type may be fired. To fire, specify which unit is firing and what its targetis.

Roll a die. If the die roll is less than the step's weapons To Hit number for that unit, a Hit is scored. Otherwise a Miss occurs. When a Miss occurs, the firing unit may no longer fire for the rest of the step.

If a Hit is scored, place a Hit counter (unused counter) on the Target. Subtract the To Hit roll from the unit's To Hit number in the phase's weapon and repeat until a Miss result occurs, or no pips of that weapon type are left.

After all of a step's fire is conducted, all units that have one or more Hit counters on them roll a die to save against each Hit counter. For every roll that is greater than the units Silhouette, the hit strikes the units Armor. For each roll equal to or less than the unit's Silhouette, discard the Hit counter.

After each Silhouette roll, subtract one from the Silhouette rating. A BattleFrame's Silhouette is reduced in this manner until it reches one half of its printed value. The Silhouette of other units reduces until it reaches zero. For example, if a BattleFrame with a Silhouette of five is in Dense Forest, its Silhouette becomes seven. The first two Hits will miss automatically. The third Hit will meet a Silhouette of five. The fourth Hit will meet a Silhouette of four. The fifth and subsequent Hits will meet a Silhouette of three, half of the unit's printed value of five.

For every Hit that strikes a unit's Armor, roll a die. For each roll that is greater than the unit's Armor, the unit suffers one Damage.

When a Damage pip is suffered, replace the 'I unit with a reduced step unit. If the unit has only one white dot, the unit has only one remaining step and is destroyed by the next Damage pip.

Special Weapon's Effects
Melee hits halve Silhouette.

Death Web hits ignore Armor, and affect BattIeFrames for only one turn.

Red numbers subtract two from Armor or deliver two Damage, firing player's choice.

BOOKKEEPING

Transform
During this phase, units that are capable of transforming may do so. Transforming units usually transform from Ground to Flight mode or back. in the case of Mechanized Infantry the transformation is from Mounted to Dismounted or vice versa. Transforming requires nothing more than flipping the unit over to its alternate side, and using the new ratings revealed.

Airfoil Movement
Vehicles with a Move Type of Airfoil move again. Each Airfoil must end its Movement at least half its Speed in hexes away from the hex it began in.

BattleChrome: Fire and Steel Futuristic Warfare

Background
Game Rules
Game Maps (extremely slow: 464K)
Game Counters (large: slow 164K)
Game Counters (jumbo: extremely slow 665K)
Missions (Scenarios)