Spheroid dropships landing damage in SBF

[Mostro Joe]

In Interstellar Operations: Battleforce pag. 182, it is said that aerodyne dropships can land only in a "clear, paved or urban hex" and, if due to an emergency a different type of hex is chosen, it will sustain landing damage". It is clear and logical.

Then we read: "All other spheroid aerospace Squadrons may land upon virtually any terrain of uniform elevation—including clear, paved, woods, jungle, or even urban hexes. However, the act of landing in upon any terrain other than paved will cause terrain damage, and may result in damage to the landing Squadron as well"... MAY result? It means that when a spheroid dropship lands in some difficult terrain the damage could not be automatic? In the following paragraph this hint disappears.

And anyway, why an aerodyne dropship can land in a clear hex without sustaining damage, while the spheroid dropship has a safe landing only on a paved hex? Perhaps I am just wrong here, but I thought that spheroid dropships were better suited to land on open fields, while the aerodyne dropships were better prepared for specific paved hexes!

The following section read again: "Landing Damage - An aerospace Squadron landing in terrain other than a clear, paved, or urban hex will suffer damage". So perhaps it was an error to state that spheroid dropships sustain damage in every hexes except the paved ones?

Final thoughts: it is my feeling that the author wanted to give to the spheroid dropships some degree of flexibility, specifing that they can land virtually anywhere, even if risking to sustain damages in doing so. Where instead aerodyne dropships would sustain an automatic damage if not trying to land in a clear, paved or urban hex with a runaway. And that somewhere the text got messed up. Perhaps I'm wrong again.

[Zematus737]

The text you are looking for is found in the basic rules introduction of Battleforce, prior to those seen in the Advanced or Strategic forms.  They outline and say just as much very clearly about the runways required for Aerodyne's and the versatility of Spheroid dropships and where they can land.  Landing Damage is on page 182 for Spheroid, but it is pretty much their size, same as Battleforce regular.

[Mostro Joe]

The text you are looking for is found in the basic rules introduction of Battleforce, prior to those seen in the Advanced or Strategic forms.  They outline and say just as much very clearly about the runways required for Aerodyne's and the versatility of Spheroid dropships and where they can land.  Landing Damage is on page 182 for Spheroid, but it is pretty much their size, same as Battleforce regular.

Found: "For all other spheroids, clear, paved, woods, and building hexes are approved. Any Unit attempting to land in non-approved terrain damages each Element as described in Landing Damage, below".
Thanks! But this way is clear that in the SBF chapter there is an editing problem that should get an errata. If a dropship lands in an inappropiate landing area, as we see in the table at pag. 182, there is a +2 penalty. As the text is written a spheroid dropshid should have the penaly pratically anywhere, while the intention, as I supposed, is clearly the contrary.

[Zematus737]

A spheroid can drop or land almost anywhere, but if that terrain is not of the recommended type it will lead to damage.  It doesn't restrict it from landing, you just prepare the ship to take a hit for an unconventional landing.

[Mostro Joe]

That s clear. But in SBF they wrote that spheroid dropships could Land on paved hexes only. It Is clearly an error.

[Zematus737]

That s clear. But in SBF they wrote that spheroid dropships could Land on paved hexes only. It Is clearly an error.

On page 182 of Airship and Spheroid Landing: Airships require a landing area that is comprised of either clear,
paved terrain or a hex predesignated as having an active runway. All
other spheroid aerospace Squadrons may land upon virtually any
terrain of uniform elevation—including clear, paved, woods, jungle,
or even urban hexes. However, the act of landing in upon any terrain
other than paved will cause terrain damage, and may result in damage
to the landing Squadron as well.

Sometimes the rules require a second or third run over.  Unless you can point out where the restriction as paved only for Spheroid is, this is the only SBF rule for Spheroid landings I could see.

[Mostro Joe]

However, the act of landing in upon any terrain
other than paved will cause terrain damage, and may result in damage
to the landing Squadron as well.

This is the error.

[Zematus737]

What is the error?  The terrain features must be affected by such a large object.  This is reasonable.  The Unit or Formation making the landing must also be affected by the terrain feature.  How is there controversy in this rule?

[Mostro Joe]

Because how can be possibile that aerodynes do not take damage if they Land on clear hexes, while dropships do?

It Is also said that spheroids can Land in a wider range of terrains, a thing we see even in the standard Battleforce rules.

So that must be an error. It Is impossible that spheroids can safely Land on paved hexes only if the have a wider range of possibilities.

Or perhaps the spheroids can Land almost everywhere but they MAY take damage, as the text says. But in that case they forgot to insert the check needed to avoid damage. A damage That Is instead automatic for aerodynes.

[Zematus737]

You may be reading without noticing the 'otherwise'.  Aerodyne dropships and small craft require a runway while non-aerodyne Dropships do not.  They can both land on paved but on any other type of terrain spheroid craft will cause terrain damage and also take damage.  Here it is one more time:

On page 182 of Airship and Spheroid Landing: Airships require a landing area that is comprised of either clear,
paved terrain or a hex predesignated as having an active runway. All
other spheroid aerospace Squadrons may land upon virtually any
terrain of uniform elevation—including clear, paved, woods, jungle,
or even urban hexes. However, the act of landing in upon any terrain
other than paved will cause terrain damage, and may result in damage
to the landing Squadron as well.

[Mostro Joe]

All other spheroid aerospace Squadrons may land upon virtually any
terrain of uniform elevation—including clear, paved, woods, jungle,
or even urban hexes. However, the act of landing in upon any terrain
other than paved will cause terrain damage, and may result in damage
to the landing Squadron as well.

I know. And that's illogical for a lot of reasosn we have seen. I remain sure that's an error in the text.