Ley 140 de 1994

there are two types of fires in Alpha Strike: those set intentionally, and those started by accident. the creation of both fire types is resolved using a 2D6 roll any time terrain is hit by weapons fire (accidental hits to terrain, under these rules, occur any time a unit standing behind partial cover is missed by a margin of 1 or 2 points—in which case the structure or terrain between the attacker and unit may be set ablaze—or when damage is delivered to the terrain by use of area-effect weapons, missed indirect fire attacks, attacks against units inside buildings, or the detonation of minefields). If the right equipment or munitions are used, fires may be started in virtually any terrain.

the Fire tables (see right) show the base target numbers for starting fires in all common types of terrain. the number to the left of the slash is the target number for starting an intentional fire, while the number to the right is the target number for starting one accidentally. the target number is modified as per the conditions outlined in the Fire Starting target modifiers. (If no modifier is shown for a given condition, presume that the modifier for that condition is 0.) Any base target number or modifier given as “NA” indicates a terrain or condition that cannot be set on fire normally. Attacks using Inferno munitions (see Alternate Munitions, pp. 76- 82) automatically start fires in all terrain and conditions except for vacuum, underwater, or rapids water.

Once a fire starts, place a 2-inch diameter marker on the point where the attack took place that started the fire.

Fires may not spread unless there is a wind direction to spread them with. Consult the rules for wind to determine the direction and strength of the prevailing wind (see Wind, pp. 94-95.) Fire Damage and Effects

Under these rules, fires will affect units as well as terrain and buildings. these effects are outlined below.

Fire Damage to Units: Heat-tracking units that enter or move through a burning area build up 1 point of Heat during the End Phase of that turn. this Heat is applied to any heat caused by Overheat attacks and damage to the unit. If a unit that does not track heat enters or passes through a fire area, it will suffer 1 point of damage instead. Large, Very Large, and Super Large units in

fire tables

Fire Starting Base Target (Intentional/Unintentional)

Water Clear Paved Rough Jungle

NA 11/11 NA 12/12 7/10

Woods Building Industrial Magma

6/9 9/10 4/6 4/6

Condition Target Modifier

Terrain Deep Snow +3* Geyser +3 Ice +4* mud +5* Planted Fields –2 Swamp +5* tundra +0* Underwater NA Atmospheric Pressure Vacuum NA trace +5** thin +3 thick –2 Very thick –4 Temperature Cold +1 Hot –2 Wind Wind Force 2 +1 Wind Force 3 +2 Wind Force 4 +4

tornado (Any) NA**

Rain

Light to Heavy +1

torrential Downpour +2

Snowfall and Hail

Light to Heavy Snow +1

Sleet +1

Blizzard +2

Special Ability/Effect

Indirect Fire (IF) +1

Heat (Ht) –2

Inferno munitions Auto†

Fire Spreading

From Downwind +1

Across Water/Paved terrain +3 (per 2” distance)

*Fire in these conditions burn out by themselves after 1D6 turns unless set by Inferno munitions.

**Inferno munitions auto-set fires in these conditions. (Inferno fires in tornado automatically burn out after 1 turn.)

†Infernos may even ignite water surfaces (other than rapids), liquid pools, and paved terrain

introduction introductory alpha strike standard alpha strike abstract aerospace system advanced options alpha strike campaign rules era setting: the clan invasion

the battletech universe smoke and the other representing light smoke—are highly

recommended to help track spreading and drifting smoke. Light and Heavy Smoke: Heavy smoke is created by fires set using Inferno munitions, or by fires burning from ultra- heavy woods/jungle terrain, heavy buildings, or hardened buildings. All other fires create light smoke. Light smoke rises 2 inches above the underlying terrain and affects line of sight in the same manner as light woods (imposing a +1 to-hit modifier). Heavy smoke rises 4 inches above the underlying terrain and affects line of sight as heavy woods (imposing a +2 to-hit modifier).

Drifting Smoke: As noted above, smoke may drift across the battlefield in the direction of the prevailing wind, creating a 2-inch wide path of smoke that will stretch across 2 inches of terrain times the wind force level (see Wind, p. 94)—to a maximum of 6”. When smoke reaches this maximum distance, it automatically dissipates.

Dissipating Smoke: In addition to dissipating beyond a distance of 6 inches from its source fire, smoke may dissipate during the End Phase of any turn after the one in which it appeared. For all smoke not directly located over a burning fire, roll 2D6, adding +1 to the result for wind force 2, +2 for wind force 3, +5 for wind force 4, and +10 for any form of tornado. If the result is 10 or more, the trail of smoke will be reduced from heavy to light smoke. If the smoke is already light, the smoke trail will dissipate.

Shifting Winds: If the winds change strength and/or direction during the game, all smoke must move in accordance with each change in wind direction and strength. If smoke markers are used, the players must move these in accordance with the wind strength or direction changes, following the basic rules for drifting smoke above—except, in this case, the smoke will not “stretch” from the source fire so much as move wholesale in the new direction. Smoke rising directly above a fire source will not be affected by shifting winds.

contact with fire will suffer 1 point of damage for every 2 linear inches of the unit’s length that is in contact with the fire.

DropShip units, and units that possess the Fire Resistant (FR) special may ignore all fire effects. mobile structures, meanwhile, may be set ablaze if they enter a burning area on a 2D6 roll with a base target number of 12 (applying all appropriate modifiers as shown in the Fire tables).

Fire Damage to Buildings and Terrain: Fire reduces the Construction Factor or terrain Factor of any buildings or terrain features it comes into contact with by 2 points per turn (see

Terrain Conversion, p. 104). If a building’s Construction Factor or

a terrain item’s terrain Factor is reduced to zero, the fire burns out. If an area set ablaze does not contain any buildings or terrain features with a CF or tF, the fire burns itself out after one turn. Spreading Fires

In the End Phase of any turn after a fire starts in a given area, it may spread to any other flammable area within a 120-degree arc downwind of itself. Resolve this potential spread as a fire starting check for an intentional fire, but with an additional +1 modifier.

Fires attempting to spread into otherwise inflammable terrain may jump over such terrain to ignite flammable terrain or structures up to 2 inches away (times the current wind force level). However, fire attempting to jump over such hindrances must apply another +3 modifier to the roll to start a fire in the destination area.

Extinguishing Fires

Under these rules, units may deliberately attempt to stop a fire through one of the following methods:

Area-Effect Attack: 4 points of damage from any area effect weapon (other than one using Inferno munitions) will extinguish a 2-inch fire radius.

Infantry Firefighting: Infantry units (including battle armor) in base-to-base contact with a fire template may engage in firefighting operations instead of attacking in that turn. In the End Phase of a turn spent fighting the fire, the unit rolls 2D6, applying a +1 modifier to the roll result for each additional infantry unit fighting the same fire. If the modified roll equals or exceeds 10, the fire is extinguished.

Killing the Fuel Source: A final option in firefighting is to hasten the destruction of the terrain or buildings currently ablaze. With this method, the unit trying to extinguish the blaze targets the terrain or structure that is currently burning and attempts to hasten its reduction to a tF or CF of 0.

SMOKE

If the wind is completely calm, smoke will only rise in the area containing the fire. Otherwise, during the End Phase of each turn after a fire starts, smoke will spread and drift in a 2” wide path, following the wind currents away from the fire. Smoke will continue to persist for 2 turns after a fire burns out, unless it is dissipated by other conditions. As long as a fire burns, it continues to create smoke that spreads downwind in this fashion. Smoke markers—each one 2 inches in diameter, with one side representing heavy

Because minefields are most often set off by the passage of units, minefields make their “attacks” during the movement Phase, and resolve them against all targets within the field’s radius as soon as a unit triggers them. to determine the damage and likelihood of detonation, minefields receive a density rating between 1 and 5. Unless otherwise noted, the chance for a detonation is equal to the target number shown in the minefield Density table rolled on 2D6, while the damage inflicted by a detonating minefield is equal to its current density rating. Each time a minefield explodes, its density rating drops by 1 point. Once a minefield’s density rating falls to 0, it is removed from play.

Aside from the command-detonated minefield type, minefields may only explode when a unit enters the field’s area of effect. Units exiting a minefield area may do so without fear of detonation. It is possible for most minefields to be triggered multiple times in a single turn, if multiple units pass through the same mined area.