STAR CHASE

3 MOVEMENT & BATTLES

3.1 MOVEMENT Movement is normally from one system to any linked system in a single action. Movement is normally continuous, so that ships which move from one system to another may make use another action to make another move from that system into another the same turn. Some star systems and some types of actions prevent continuous movement (see paragraph 3.2).
All move actions require BPs, and if you do not have sufficient BPs then the action will fail. Assault actions cost 2 BPs, and other move actions cost 1 BP (however many ships are ordered).
Note: You can't move direct from a planet or asteroid belt to another planet or asteroid belt, even if they have the same parent star: you must go via the star system in between.

3.2 GETTING STUCK Any ships in a system may become "stuck" in that system for the duration of the turn. This always occurs on a cruiser move to any system other than a dwarf star, any assault or bombardment action, when you place ships from your reserve, any move made by a colony ship, any move by cruisers attacking a colony ship, and any move into a system that was previously unowned.
Note: The rule about unowned systems being sticky is different from other games in this series, but it's because of the exploration rules (see 3.11). It's well worth the delay.
Be aware that it's the system that becomes "sticky" rather than the fleet that becomes "stuck" (other ships belonging to the same empire moving into the same system also becomes stuck). Getting stuck stops you moving OUT of a system. It doesn't stop other moves INTO the system, or other actions you might do while you're there.
Hints: Move cruisers before colony ships, because colony ships jam up the system they move to (any cruisers already there will be stuck). But be careful to move colony ships out from giant stars before moving any cruisers in (because the cruisers will make the system sticky and stop the colony ship moving). Note that you can use colony ships defensively as "blockers" to tie down an attacker in a system that's otherwise not sticky.

3.3 ATTACKS There are two different actions that may be used for moves or attacks with cruisers in Star Chase. These are MOVE (see 4.1) and ASSAULT (see 4.3). There is no distinction between a move and an attack in Star Chase. An attack is simply any attempt to move a fleet into an area that you don't own. If an attack fails, any attackers which survive return to the area they attacked from. If you order an assault against a system you already own then the action fails.
Note: If you try to MOVE to a system you own but someone captures it before you get there, then your move becomes an attack an that system, the same as if you already knew someone else owned it. If you want to move somewhere without attacking then use the SEND action (see 4.12).

3.4 BATTLES & DEFENCE MODES A battle may occur whenever a fleet belonging to one empire tries to move to a system owned by someone else. How the battle is resolved will depend on the action used by the attacker and the defence mode chosen by the the defender.
Each system has a defence mode, a retreat location and an ambush location. The defence mode is one of AMBUSH, DEFEND or RETREAT (current settings are shown in the "Defmode" column in your game report). These may be changed using the actions with the same names (see 4.2) but are remembered from turn to turn (and change only when you change them). At the start of the game the retreat mode is set for all systems, but no retreat location is set (but see next paragraph).