The solar systems of the free void are far richer than our own solar system; each one is full of mysterious moons, dangerous debris from past battles and glittering comets.

These Void elements are represented on the voidscape like terrain on a battlefield. They must be considered when traversing the stars and can be used by a clever commander in a battle. There are three types of Void Elements detailed below.

Generating Void Elements

When you need a random void element, roll 1D6:

Gravity Well
One Debris Field
Two Debris Fields
One Gas Cloud
Two Gas Clouds
Drifting Body

You can draw void elements straight onto a paper voidscape, but simple, beautiful void element pieces make for a better-looking game. Placement, how many go down, and how far they can be from each other or the edge are set by each scenario.

Gravity Wells (moons, planetoids, anomalies and superstructures)

A gravity well is a circle 4–5" across. It blocks line of sight for everything (targeting, guns and so on), except for ships in orbit around it (see below).

Entering Orbit

The moment any part of a ship's base touches the gravity well during its move, the ship stops moving.
Place the ship anywhere fully inside the circle. The exact position doesn't matter; it just shows the ship is in orbit.
The ship keeps its velocity, but its vector's direction no longer matters.
The ship then manoeuvres, takes its action and checks orbit (see Orbit Manoeuvres and Staying in Orbit).

Orbit Manoeuvres

A ship that starts its activation in orbit doesn't move. Because direction doesn't matter in orbit, the manoeuvres only change velocity:

Drift: velocity stays the same.
Accelerate: +1 velocity per burn token.
Flip and Burn: −1 velocity per burn token.

G-force applies as normal. What a ship can choose depends on its velocity:

Below 3: it must Accelerate to at least velocity 3 if it can.
Exactly 3: it may Drift or Accelerate.
Above 3: it may Drift, Accelerate or Flip and Burn, but it can't reduce its velocity below 3.

Staying in Orbit

After the ship's action, check its velocity:

Below 3: the ship crashes and is destroyed. Remove it from the voidscape. It doesn't explode, leave a wreck or cause a blast.
Exactly 3: it stays in orbit.
Above 3: it slingshots out. Place it anywhere in base contact with the gravity well, with the ship’s front line and its vector facing directly away from the centre of the well. Increase its velocity by 1 without adding a burn token.

Diagram: staying in orbit and slingshotting out

Note: a ship that can't reach velocity 3 (for example because an engine leak forces it to Drift) will crash.

While in Orbit

The gravity well counts as the ship's base, so all measurements are made to and from the edge of the well.
Ships in orbit are never in contact with each other.
Ships in orbit can't target or fire guns at other ships in orbit.
Ships in orbit can fire guns in any direction. Measure from the edge of the well. The ships they target count as in cover (see Cover).
Ships not in orbit can target and fire at ships in orbit as normal, measuring to the edge of the well.
Ships in orbit can use the chaff action, if so they always count as in cover that turn and the ships they target count as having at least 2 sources of cover (see Cover).
Torpedoes fired by a ship in orbit go straight onto the gravity well (see Torpedoes and Void Elements).
A ship in orbit loses all fold tokens, can't gain fold tokens and can't take the Fold action. It still makes an Emergency Fold if required.

Exploding in Orbit

If a ship explodes while in orbit, its wreck falls into the well. No drifting body is left. Every other ship in orbit rolls 1D6 instead of using the normal distance bands. Each result greater than that ship's Mass gives it 1 fracture, and then it tests criticality. Ships outside the well are not affected.

Area Void Elements

An area void element is a marked area about 4–6" long and 2–4" wide. Ships move over it freely. A ship counts as in an area void element if any part of its base is over it. A ship in an area void element can't gain fold tokens.

Debris Fields (asteroids, mines, graveyards of destroyed ships)

Ships: after a ship moves, if any part of its base passes through or into a debris field, roll 1D6 per point of its velocity. Each result equal to or less than its Mass is 1 fracture, then test criticality if fractures were taken. Roll once for each debris field the ship moved through. Small ships find debris fields easy to move through, large ships less so.
Torpedoes: each time a salvo moves through or into a debris field, roll 1D6 per torpedo token after its move, or before it impacts a ship. Each 1–2 destroys a token. A salvo with no tokens left is destroyed.

Gas Clouds (dust, ice, a micro-nebula)

If line of sight passes through a gas cloud, including when the shooter or the target is inside it, the target counts as in cover and can't be targeted with the Target action.
Whenever the centre of a ship's base is in, or enters, a gas cloud, remove any target tokens on it.

Drifting Bodies (drifting hulks, space stations, comets)

A drifting body is a ship base with no ship. It may have a vector with a velocity of up to 4 when placed (at the beginning of the game). You can place a comet or destroyed-ship miniature on the base. Drifting bodies block line of sight. How a drifting body's direction and velocity are set when it is placed is covered by each scenario. When ships explode they also become drifting bodies and they keep whatever vector and velocity they had previously.

Moving Drifting Bodies

In the Voidscape phase, move each drifting body along its vector like a ship, in the order they were placed.
If its base crosses any ship, that ship rolls for damage as if it had moved through a debris field. Use whichever velocity is higher, the ship's or the drifting body's.
If it would end on a ship or another drifting body, keep moving it along its vector until it's clear. Its vector doesn't change. The drifting body in the way isn't affected.
Drifting bodies ignore area void elements and drift straight through them.
A drifting body whose base centre goes off the voidscape is removed from the game.
Any salvo a drifting body moves over is destroyed (see Torpedoes and Void Elements).

Ships Ending on a Drifting Body

A ship that ends its move over a drifting body follows the Contact rules (see Movement), but doesn't make a close quarters assault. Once the ship is placed, it rolls for damage as if it had moved through a debris field. Use whichever velocity is higher, the ship's after the Contact movement or the drifting body's. PDTs can't be used; it would have no effect.

Drifting Bodies and Gravity Wells

When a drifting body touches a gravity well:

Velocity 1–2: it falls in and is removed from the game.
Velocity 3 or more: it stops at the edge of the well. Its vector turns to point the opposite way, and its velocity increases by 1.

Either way, every ship in orbit rolls for damage as if it had moved through a debris field. Use whichever velocity is higher, the ship's or the drifting body's final velocity.

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