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| The Chaos Dwarfs Rocket Boat. |
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The Nemesis of the Chaos Dwarves are those pesky elves and their fast crafts, based at the Fortress of Dawn. Their hit and run tactics always getting a toll. If only they could be caught!
So the engineers sat to think: why are the elf ships so fast? because they have numerous hull! Of course!
So they build a double-hulled ship, with 2 engines. But test where disappointing. The ship could run as fast as a death roller going at full clip, but no more. Bigger (and heavier) engines gave a little more speed, but the ship handling became erratic, and could not sail on heavy seas (one test ship was sunk in a small storm). Not good to overtake an elf ship!
So the engineers sat to think again: what is the fasted machine we have ever build? Rockets! Of Course!!!!
Chaos Dwarves engineers are not dumb, they know that rocket propulsion is only for a limited time, so they kept the engines and strapped a rocket at the aft of each of the hulls. Now the test where promising: when the rockets where ignited, the catamaran was the fasted ship to behold, skimming the waves in a trail of fire and smoke. This time they will get those elves before they retreat in their fortresses!
The engineers tried to put several rockets, or bigger ones, so they could have more thrust, but the ship became aft heavy, and upon igniting the rockets the thing took off and then plummeted into the ocean, disintegrating in the depths, and the still ignited rockets raised from the depth to fly uncontrolled. (Thus the unfounded rumors of a CD ballistic submarine, as reported by a Skaven spy).
They tried to ignite the rockets in sequence, to get a longer joyride, but because of the stance of the ship, it kept taking off and landing, and loosing speed, so sadly they striped the prototypes of all but one rocket per hull.
There where also some minor problems. The first one being that the rockets thrust could not be controlled, once started, they had to skims waves at fast speed until the rockets stopped: no slowing, much less stopping! They tried to use the engines to somehow control the ship, but the strain always destroyed them. So the engines must be disengaged when the rockets are ignited.
The second one being that because of the high speed the craft was difficult to steer, and a graceful turn sometimes ended in an uncontrolled spin with much water splashing around, and nice smoke rings, only to depart in a new direction!
The third one being that sometimes, the 2 rockets did not ignite at the same time, so the ship made a forced turn before the other rocket started. And sometimes they just misfired....or exploded.....
No matter, those minor problems will surely be eliminated with some more research, they now had the fastest ship around, and where determined to use it!
That is when the got to sit and think again: we can overtake the Elven ships...know what?
Iron Rollers and Battering rams where out of the question, the ship was not controllable enough to target a ship, and the high speed meant a catastrophic collision, both for the target and the rocket craft. You need to live to have slaves.
Mortars where too unwieldy to use from a speeding ship. Cannon where betters, but still difficult to aim because of the speed. What was needed was something that could be fired from a speeding craft, without needing more than a general aim, and that could slow the Elven ships, so the rest of the fleet could catch up and smash them to smithereens.
So, what is the best weapon we have? Rockets, again....Of course. |
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Born was the multi tube incendiary rocket launcher, the FireStorm, mounted on a pivot at the front of the ship. The thing launches a big salvo of small water skimming incendiary rockets, in the general direction of the target. The rockets skim the water much like stones do, so they may hit any part of the target ship. Their incendiary charge is small, and may not do much damage to a ship structure, but when they hit a sail they will start enough fires to burn it. Due to the difficult and slow loading process, the rocket ship does not carry more than one salvo of rockets, so they have a couple of broadside firing of guns, for "defense", and to pursue any ship that tries to escape.
So with their new ships, the chaos dwarves will be ready to pound on those elves! |
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The Rules |
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Type: Independent. |
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Move
Steam: 9 inchs . May turn on spot, 1/2 move per 90 degree; turn. May reverse up to 3 inchs;. |
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Rocket propulsion: roll a dice when igniting the rockets: a 1 is a misfire: roll again. |
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1: Catastrophe: the ship explodes, replace it with a debris marker. |
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2: Massive Explosion: the ship takes 1d6 damage, reroll any miss. The rocket propulsor may not be used again. |
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3: Bad Construction: the rocket propulsors tear themselves from the ship, moving away in a random direction before exploding. Roll a scatter dice for each rocket, roll 3D6 for range, the first ship on the flight path gets hit 2D3 times, random high/low. If the rocket flies without obstruction it explodes: use the poisoned wind template, any ship under the template takes 2 hits. The rocket propulsion may not be used again. |
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4: Only one rocket fires: the ships spins wildly in place for 2 turns. The ship may do nothing, and cannot be boarded or rammed. At the end of the second turn use the scatter dice to get the new ship bearing. The rocket propulsion may not be used again. |
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5: Delayed fire of one rocket: the ship makes a 2 inch; turn to the left or right at the start of movement, use the turning template. Roll for left or right. |
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6: Misfire: try again next turn. |
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If no misfire, move all of 18 inchs first turn, then 18-2D6 inchs the second turn. Cannot use steam propulsion until third turn. Uses the turn template, but must roll 3+ on a dice to do so. If the roll is failed the ship loses 2 inchs of movement and is turned to face a random direction (use a scatter dice). When moving under rocket propulsion, the ship cannot be boarded, or rammed, and enemy will have to roll 4+ to target the rocket ship with weapons. The Rocket ship will have to roll 4+ to use its cannon batteries. Also, if the rocket ship collides with any other ship, both takes 2D3 hits in random low locations, the rocket ship losses 6 inchs of movement, and depart in a new random direction (scatter dice) if able. If it runs aground the ship is destroyed. |
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Weapons: |
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2 broadsides cannon batteries; may be used to repel boarders. |
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1 FireStorm rocket launcher firing at a 90-degree frontal arc. |
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Fires once per game: uses normal fire template, 10 dices to hit for the first ship under the template, any miss goes flying to next ship, and so for up to 9 inchs. For any hit roll random for high or low. Any location not a Sail or Mast location saves with 2+. Any Sail or Mast location has a normal save. Locations that fail save get a Blaze marker, no critical hits.
Roll a dice when igniting the rockets: a 1 is a misfire: roll again. |
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1: Catastrophe: the Launcher explodes, roll twice for each location on the rocket ship, and place a Blaze marker on the launcher location. |
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2: Massive Explosion: Roll 6 dice to hit the rocket ship, and place a Blaze marker on the launcher location. |
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3: Minor Explosion: only some of the rockets clear the launcher, roll 3 dice to hit only. Roll 3 dice to hit the rocket ship. |
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4: Jam and Explosion: only half of the rockets clear the launcher, roll 5 dice to hit only. Place a Blaze marker on the launcher location. |
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5: Jam: only half of the rockets clear the launcher, roll 5 dice to hit only. |
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6: Misfire: try again next turn. |
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Crew: 3 |
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Locations: |
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4: Rocket Launcher. Save 5 or 6, if rockets have not been launched first hit is critical. |
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5: Gun Deck. (2 boxes). Save 4, 5 or 6, each hit destroys a battery. |
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6: Rocket Propulsors Save 5 or 6, if rockets have not been used first hit is critical. |
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2: Hull, (2 boxes): Save 4, 5 or 6, each hit reduces speed by 2" |
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3: Engines (3 boxes) Save 4, 5 or 6, each hit reduces speed by 3 ", does not affect rocket propulsion.
Below waterline: 3 hits, save 4, 5 or 6 |
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Locations: |
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4 5 6
2 3 |
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Availability: one per 1000 pts of fleet, not because of the difficulties to build them, but because the need to find a crew with the right stuff! |
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Cost 150???
Battle Honors?????? |
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