This effect is simulated by:
- Employing multiple, identical 'Contact' markers on the board - one Contact (secretly) replaces the actual Unit's location and all additional Contacts represent illusionary 'Ghosts' designed to mislead and confuse the opposition; and
- All units targeting a Contact have their Skill degraded by one step, at all ranges i.e. inclusive of Close Combat.
Creation and Activation
Ghosts are generated using activation markers resulting from a Fate dice outcome. The creation of a Ghost requires the expenditure of one Activation, therefore a maximum of two Ghosts can be generated during any given Impulse i.e. a Fate Roll of 2 could be used to generate two Ghost Contacts. Effectively there is no limit to the number Ghosts that can be generated; however a good rule of thumb that's work for us is no more Ghosts than the opposition's total Unit count.To generate a Ghost, first place an activation marker, Ready side up, next to a Contact that has not yet been Activated this Turn i.e. models that do not have 'Done' markers next to them. Upon the Contact's activation, a new Ghost Contact is placed on the board, moved (see Moving Contacts below) and marked as Done, leaving the original Contact un-activated. Note this does mean that a single Ghost Contact can spawn many Ghosts...
Ghosts, once Activated, can also be Dissipated, Moved and Attack as detailed below.
Dissipation
There are a number of circumstances which will result in the dissipation of Ghosts and revelation of a Contact's true nature.Note: Once dissipated, the Attacker's skill is no longer degraded by one step.
Voluntary Dissipation
The Player controlling the Contact can voluntary dissipate a Ghost - this requires that a Ready activation marker is first placed next to the contact, then the contact is removed without any movement being performed.Involuntary Dissipation
Contacts employ the same Cover Save, Armour and Resolution rolls as their source unit.
Contacts Damaged or sent into Retreat are dissipated.
Ghost Contacts can be sent Reeling - maybe the attack overloaded the camouflage device's software? - and are subject to the usual rules to enable them to be reactivated with the exception of 'On Your Feet, Solider!'.
...via twists of Fate
| "Those bastards at Radio Shack told me this gear was water proof! For fark's sake!!" |
...via Contact initiated Attack
Ghosts cannot Damage targets, so their Attacks are effectively decoys and illusionary. As to whether such Attacks are simulated or Ghost Attacks are purely a game mechanism, it is largely irrelevant.If the Player nominates to Attack with a Ghost, resolve Cover, Targeting and Hits as per usual; however:
- If a Ghost Attack causes a Damage or Reeling result, then (1) that Ghost and (2) all remaining Contacts without Done* markers are dissipated and revealed; otherwise
- The Ghost remains in place and the Target is unable to determine whether the attack was a Ghost or the actual Unit.
*Reeling Contacts, whether they are Ghosts or not, are not dissipated under such circumstances.
With the above in mind, the sequencing of Contact Attacks can be particularly useful when trying to maintain a Contact's true nature - sometimes it can be useful to actually have an attack altogether miss an opponent! E.g., 2 Contacts (i.e. 1 Ghost + 1 Unit). If only one Contact makes an Attack and the Attack fails, the opponent cannot be sure whether the attack was made by a Ghost or the real unit.Movement
Contacts are moved and subjected to the same Movement restrictions and Traits as the real Unit.Crossing Contact's paths can be used to confuse enemies - simply (secretly) substitute one model for another, being careful not to exceed either model's movement allowances.