Low orbit: where is the sun?

[fracas]

exterminatus games requires use of the low orbit setting for the game

for eldar, how do you determine the sun edge, or whether there is even one (night side )



asking for a friend, and because i have no idea

[Sigoroth]

I would imagine opposite the planet edge. Purchased ground based defences are not assigned to any one particular side of the planet (night side/day side) so I don't see why the attacker should have to make the same sort of decision.

[fracas]

I guess you could always roll a dice to determine sun edge the normal way and if it is from the planet's edge then you are fighting night side

[Sigoroth]

Why? If the Eldar want to attack with the sun in their rear why shouldn't they? Shall we force the defender to decide where they're going to place their ground based defences so the attacker could possibly avoid them? No? Then why randomise the sunward edge to the detriment of Eldar? Just assume they attack with the sun at their back.

[fracas]

With the long edge as planet side for eldar it would be best for eldar to have the sun at either short table edge, given the gravity pull within 45 cm.
And less advantageous with the sun on the long edge.

[Sigoroth]

I know which would be more advantageous for the Eldar, but hitting the planet at dusk/dawn isn't all that likely. Day/Night are the most likely dichotomies and of the two Eldar would certainly prefer day. Simpler to just call the edge opposite the planet as sunward.

[RCgothic]

Truth is this wasn't anticipated by the rules, so roll for it, either with a D6 or scatter dice.

[Koshi]

Hmm, why not divide the planet in four triangles and the sun site would be the same as on the normal table?

[fracas]

That is a damn fine answer

[horizon]

?
But you have one edge as ground. So how to determine then?

[Sigoroth]

Since we don't make the defender decide which side of the planet his defences are then I don't see why we bother randomising sunward either. You can either assume that the sun is in the back of the Eldar (ie, it's day time) or you can take it from exactly where the ships entered low orbit to determine sunward. So if the player entered from the sunny side of the planet it's sun to the rear, if he entered from the nightside then there would be no sunward edge (ie, planet edge is sunward). If he entered at the edge then it's one of the short table edges.

[lastspartacus]

Which begs the question, does a planet block solar power to the sails?

[AndrewChristlieb]

I would say if theyre attacking from the dark side that they would move at the slowest speed in that case not just stop altogather. They must have some sort of battery to hold the charge for a time.

[Sigoroth]

Agreed. Flying into the sun is either the same as flying without any sun or it's worse, depending upon whether the sails simply capture solar power or whether they harness the solar wind to allow flight. If the latter then being in low orbit (regardless of sunward edge) would be the equivalent of no sun at all. Since flying into the sun is slower than flying away from it then one would have to assume that Eldar ships ride the solar wind (otherwise they'd gain more from flying into the sun than away).

[AndrewChristlieb]

Lol I always assumed they were solar powered, never thought they might use solar winds for some reason. In that case I would guess they would have some kinda grav lift system for planetary operations (I doubt they would be able to "sail" within an atmosphere). At any rate I would still say dark side, low speed.