Overview

Brilliant Lances is a wargame of detailed starship combat set in the Traveller RPG universe, published by GDW in 1994. Players command individual starships armed with lasers, particle accelerators, meson guns, and detonation laser missiles, fighting tactical space battles. The game includes extensive ship ratings and complete starship design rules compatible with Traveller: The New Era roleplaying game.

Components

• Hex-based space map
• Ship counters
• Ship record sheets
• Weapon and defense system tables
• Dice
• Technical booklet (starship design rules)
• Rules booklet
• Scenario booklet

Setup

1. Select a scenario or design ships using the construction rules.
2. Place the hex map between players.
3. Each player fills out ship record sheets for their vessels.
4. Place ship counters on starting positions as defined by the scenario.
5. Determine initiative.

Turn Structure

Each turn represents a short period of space combat:

1. Initiative Phase: Determine which player acts first.
2. Movement Phase: Players move their ships simultaneously using vector-based movement on the hex grid.
3. Weapons Fire Phase: Ships fire weapons at targets within range and arc.
4. Damage Resolution Phase: Apply damage to targeted ships.
5. Repair/Administration Phase: Attempt damage control and update ship records.

Actions

Movement:

• Ships use vector-based movement on the hex map.
• Each ship has a thrust rating determining how much it can change velocity per turn.
• Ships maintain their velocity between turns (Newtonian movement).

Fire Weapons:

• Each weapon system has a range, fire arc, and damage rating.
• Available weapons include lasers, particle accelerators, meson guns, and missiles.
• Roll dice and compare against the weapon’s hit probability, modified by range, electronic warfare, and other factors.

Deploy Defenses:

• Ships have defensive systems including screens, armor, and point defense.
• Electronic warfare can degrade enemy targeting.
• Sandcasters provide protection against beam weapons.

Damage Control:

• Damaged systems may be repaired during the repair phase.
• Critical hits can disable specific systems (engines, weapons, sensors, etc.).

Scoring / Victory Conditions

Victory conditions depend on the scenario being played. Common objectives include destroying or disabling all enemy ships, protecting a convoy, or achieving specific tactical goals.

Special Rules & Edge Cases

• Traveller Compatibility: Ship designs and stats are compatible with Traveller: The New Era RPG, allowing battles generated by RPG campaigns to be played out tactically.
• Ship Design System: The technical booklet includes complete rules for designing custom starships, making the game extensible beyond the included scenarios.
• Vector Movement: Ships maintain momentum, requiring players to plan ahead. Stopping or changing direction takes multiple turns.
• Weapon Variety: Each weapon type has distinct characteristics — lasers are precise but short-range, particle accelerators are powerful but affected by atmosphere, meson guns ignore armor but are inaccurate.
• Electronic Warfare: EW systems can jam enemy sensors, degrade targeting, and provide passive defense.
• Detailed Damage: Damage is tracked at the system level — individual weapons, drives, and subsystems can be knocked out.

Player Reference

Weapon Type	Characteristic
Laser	Precise, short-range beam weapon
Particle Accelerator	Powerful, affected by atmosphere
Meson Gun	Ignores armor, lower accuracy
Detonation Laser Missile	Long-range guided munition

Movement: Vector-based (Newtonian), thrust rating per turn Defense: Armor, screens, sandcasters, electronic warfare Setting: Traveller RPG universe