Attenuator Field Projectors

[HAL-9001]

Some of my creations will be making use of Attenuator Field Projectors (a sort of energy shield), so I'd better get some stats worked out (so that I can get those stat cards done, like people want).

Attenuator Field Projector (based on the Gun statline):
WS x 3 CP; Range (WS x 3) + 3"; Damage WSd6*

* Damage is not dealt but rather deducted from attacks coming from outside the Projector's range. Discrete objects (including projectiles from a Launcher or CC weapons) can pass through the Attenuator Field freely.

I should note that, in the case of a combined attack from outside of an Attenuator Field, the Field's damage is only deducted once from the whole volley (not from each gun). Furthermore, the Attenuator Field Projector counts against the Weapon Size Limit.

EDIT: I'm brainstorming a few ways to take the power down a little bit. They are:
6. Change in tactics (make sure that armies include explosives or CC weapons to deal with enemy shields). I figure that this is a given, no matter what.
7. Raise cost. I'm not sure how, since a shield is only as valuable as the units it protects -- a Size 2 AFP protecting a 4 CP unarmed minifig isn't doing much good, but a Size 2 AFP protecting twenty rifle-packing commandos is very valuable indeed.
8. Overload (if an AFP takes three times as much damage as it has attenuated [I.e. a Size 1 AFP blocks 4 damage from a 12 damage attack], then it falls for 1d4 turns). I and Rev. Sylvanus like this idea the best for its simplicity and thematic fit. For a Size 1 AFP against two Size 1 Guns, this has about a 1/3 probability of happening, which feels about right (in accordance with my viewing of sci-fi TV shows). I'm going to run a few skirmishes to test this idea.
9. Make AFPs more like guns -- they have to be pointed in the right direction (only blocking a 90-degree cone in front of them), and are used as a Counter with UR WS+2. Fair but complicated.
10. Related to the above, when BW2010 is finished, I might be able to use the Blast Gun template, so a shield could be narrowed and intensified or broadened and weakened. Fair but more complicated and, for the moment, impossible. Stubby has also informed me that BW2010 will include Shield rules, though I'm not sure that his Shields serve the purpose I have in mind (and it seems that there are still kinks to be worked out).

So! Thoughts? Any situations that I left ambiguous?

[Rev. Sylvanus]

From a design standpoint, is this more like a personal overshield (i.e. starcraft protoss?) or like a Dungan spacial shield generator?

So the way this works is that I have a hovertank with a size 2 shield generator at its core. All attacks (except launched grenades?) made from further away than 9" have a reduced damage of 2d6? Am I reading that correctly?

[HAL-9001]

This is intended to be a shield to support an army (like the Dungans). There are already rules for personal shields.

You read the situation correctly. The reason that the grenade (or CC weapons) is not affected is that it passes through the shield before detonation -- if it goes off outside the shield, then the explosive damage to targets inside the shield is reduced by 2d6 as normal.

Does that clear it up?

[Rev. Sylvanus]

Ok, that's more clear.

And WS applies to the size of the generator? This sort of a device sounds quite devastating (or annoying) vs. a very shooty modern/scifi army. Essentially (depending on the size of the shield) forcing CC situations or that the enemy waste a combine-fire one turn to destroy the generator.

I wonder about cost, though. A squad of troopers (of even 10-20) carrying around a size-2 shield essentially says "I'm immune to rifle fire" for just 6CP (unless guys are combine-fired 1-by-1). The cost seems a little low from that perspective.

[RunsWithLegos]

so it is like a bubble, with a velocity reduction field?

[trebnos1]

Nifty idea... I'll have to give these stats a shot.

[HAL-9001]

RunsWithLegos, that's about the idea.

Rev. Sylvanus, weapon size does refer to the generator size, and you raise some good points. Some ways to deal with them:

6. Change in tactics (make sure that armies include explosives or CC weapons to deal with enemy shields). I figure that this is a given, no matter what.
7. Raise cost. I'm not sure how since a shield is only as valuable as the units it protects -- a Size 2 shield around a 4 CP minifig isn't much good, but a Size 2 shield protecting twenty rifle-packing commandos is very valuable indeed.
8. Burn-out condition (if a shield takes three times as much damage as it has blocked [i.e. a Size 1 shield blocks 4 damage from a 12 damage attack], then it falls for 1d4 turns). I like the simplicity and thematic fit of this idea. For a Size 1 shield against two Size 1 Guns, this has about a 1/3 probability of happening, which feels about right (in accordance with my viewing of sci-fi TV shows).
9. Make shields more like guns -- they have to be pointed in the right direction (only blocking a 90-degree cone in front of them), and are used as a Counter with UR WS+2. Fair but complicated.
10. Related to the above, when BW2010 is finished, I might be able to use the Blast Gun template, so a shield could be narrowed and intensified or broadened and weakened. Fair but more complicated and, for the moment, impossible.

Thoughts?

[trebnos1]

9 sounds like a rather Halo-esque idea, with the shield walls and such. Quite frankly I like it all. It's hard to say if something's going to work in-game until it's been played, so I'd say run through a scenario and see how it works.

[stubby]

2010 has shield rules on the way as well, but they're handled under the new Field Hazards system that you haven't seen yet. They're a little fiddly, but right now they give a tradeoff between using up inches off your Weapon Size limit and adding Armor beyond your physical Size limit.

[*CRAZYHORSE*]

I can't wait! so much new exiting stuff.

[trebnos1]

Printing out Brikwars rules is the best use I've ever made of the school printers.

[HAL-9001]

2010 has shield rules on the way as well, but they're handled under the new Field Hazards system that you haven't seen yet. They're a little fiddly, but right now they give a tradeoff between using up inches off your Weapon Size limit and adding Armor beyond your physical Size limit.

That's cool, but I'm pretty sure that's not what I'm going for here -- my goal is to protect a large area, rather than one Creation.

I'll call it a "shield projector" to make it clear that this is an area-of-effect device.

[Rev. Sylvanus]

From what you've mentioned, I think I agree that option 8. burnout is both fitting and simple. I'd say tack that on, run some play-testing battles, and then let us know how it goes.

[Greenkey15]

What if it couldn't protect against air attacks? The shield couldn't cover your head, just make a wall around you that is (WS * 2) inches tall. If you can gain the high-ground, strafe with an aircraft, or something along those lines, the shield would have another counter.

[HAL-9001]

What if it couldn't protect against air attacks? The shield couldn't cover your head, just make a wall around you that is (WS * 2) inches tall. If you can gain the high-ground, strafe with an aircraft, or something along those lines, the shield would have another counter.

I don't know any pop sci-fi where that's the case. Overloading and walking through shields are well-established sci-fi tropes. I'm also worried about nerfing shields too much -- I want them to be useful, and as it is, burn-out is curtailing that pretty severely (although I suppose a shield is still quite useful against single or paired enemies, and even if it does burn out, it blocked some of the damage -- maybe I should just call it Overload, since Burn-Out implies something permanent).

I don't have many bricks with me at the moment, but I've got one each of the Rebel and Snowtrooper Battle Packs on hand; I'll shield the Imperials and have the Rebels rush them a few times using the Overload rules. We'll see how this turns out! Their CP are nearly equal (slightly biased in the Empire's favor), so if I got it right, the wins should be about even.