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View Full Version : House rule for changing hovering/soaring


TychesCoin
02/23/2003, 19:49
How much do you all really use the soaring ability? I know there are some cases of its usefulness and I hear that hypersonic speed+ flight might provide some very strong uses, but does much really get done with it?

This idea stems out of a discussion on RCE/Hovering issue in another thread. What if instead of a two stage flight system (hovering/soaring) it was a two stage system of grounded/flying?

It would still take one movement point to change states.

With the flight marker at the bottom, the figure is considered grounded. Moves as a normal figure, terrain effects, breaking away as normal for a grounded figure. When figure moved adjacent to enemy figure, its in close combat as normal. Must break away as any other figure would. Can't make ranged attacks while adjacent to a grounded figure. Also in this state the figure cannot carry anyone.

With the flight marker at the top, the figure is in flying mode. For the most part identical to hovering except: a flying figure adjacent to a grounded one does not have to break away. They may attack or be attacked by adjacent figure with either close combat or ranged attacks. A figure in flying mode may carry other figures subject to the rules listed below.

To carry another figure: both figures must be grounded and adjacent to start the move. The taxi picks up the cargo figure, changes to fly mode (1 move point), moves up to its remaining movement. Then releases the cargo, the cargo figure is grounded at the end of the taxi. If at any point during the turn the taxi returns to grounded mode, the cargo is automatically released but the taxi does not have to return grounded status to release its cargo.

I'm not suggesting this as a rule change, just curious as to what problem could come up with it as a house rule. The big issues I see are reducing taxi range by 1 (2 if the taxi expects to be able to taxi again next round since they'll need to start at grounded elevation) by requiring an elevation change. And allowing a flier to choose whether they want to force a close combat situation by going into grounded mode. Also it forces taxiied fliers into grounded mode if they're gonna be a taxxied shooter.

What do ya'll think? What problems am I missing?

AshenFang
02/23/2003, 20:58
Well, it seems that it makes flyers that aren't used for taxi's, a bit more powerful. (Like Firelord.) In the way that they now don't have to break away. Unless I missed something that is..

Otherwise it looks pretty decent.

TychesCoin
02/23/2003, 21:06
It would make them more powerful as long as they were in flight mode. But in grounded mode (which they would have to be before being taxiied and would be immediately after being taxied which is when they usually shoot) they would be vulnerable to being tied up and having RCE cancelled by a grounded figure in base to base.

The whole idea is based on a comment someone made that a flier could never land under the current rule structure. Using this house rule, fliers can choose to be grounded characters if it suits them. And fliers that rarely taxi (and are probably taxied themselves) will pretty much always be in grounded mode since thats the only way they can be taxiied. Does probably make thor and other fliers with running shot a bit more powerful. Thanks for pointing that out. I'll have to consider it.