Name:  Blue Shield PFD
Type (Category):  Equipment (Other)
Reference:  Tactical Operations: Advanced Units & Equipment (p. 108)

Description:
The density of magnetic shielding required to protect units from PPCs was generally considered too high to be practical for battlefield units, but that did not stop NAIS researchers from trying. The resulting technology—the Blue Shield particle field damper—promised a useful degradation of PPC damage for the weight investment, but remains experimental and thoroughly detested by the techs and astechs who must maintain the system.

Game Rules:
When active, the Blue Shield reduces damage from all non-capital PPCs (including infantry particle cannons) by half (rounded down, to a minimum of 1 point).

The Blue Shield may be activated and deactivated during the End Phase of any turn. If a unit is equipped with a Null-Signature System or Stealth Armor, the stealth benefits of those systems are negated while the Blue Shield is active (due to system conflicts). Additionally, a unit with Blue Shield active cannot be hidden. If a unit mounts both the Blue Shield and Laser Reflective Armor, whenever the Blue Shield is active, halve PPC damage first for the Blue Shield and round down, then halve again for the Reflective Armor and round down again. For example, a Heavy PPC’s Damage Value of 15 against such a target would be reduced to 7.5, rounded down to 7 (for the Blue Shield), then reduced to 3.5, rounded down to 3 (for the Reflective Armor), with a final Damage Value of 3 assigned to the target.

For non-fighter units, constant use of the system creates an increasing risk of system failure due to the dust and debris being drawn to the field generators; these turns do not need to be consecutive, but instead accumulate across an entire scenario. For the first 6 turns the shield is active, it is error-free. After the sixth turn of use, however, the controlling player must roll 2D6 at the beginning of the turn to see if the Blue Shield fails. The base chance for failure is 2, plus 1 for each turn after the sixth; if the roll is less than the value, the system fails. If the system fails, it shuts down and will not provide its protection for the rest of the scenario (though it may be automatically “cleaned” between scenarios with no additional expenditure of time or effort).

Finally, anytime a Blue Shield is active and one of its slots receives a critical hit, the hit results in a 5-point ammunition explosion in that location (with all the attendant effects, including warrior damage from feedback) and the system will no longer function for the remainder of the scenario. Subsequent critical hits to Blue Shield slots soak up critical hits and make repairs more difficult, but cause no further explosions and have no additional game play effect. If CASE is present in a location where a Blue Shield explodes, the CASE system will contain the internal damage in the same fashion as an ammo explosion. An inactive Blue Shield (turned off or shut down by damage) will not explode if it suffers a critical hit.

BattleMechsIndustrialMechsCombat Vehicles

Prototype Date:	3053
Production Date:	—
Extinction Date:	—
Recovery Date:	—

BattleMech Specific Construction Rules

WEAPONS AND EQUIPMENT COMBAT AND CONSTRUCTION TABLE * See rules for this equipment

RULES LEVEL PROGRESSION TABLE
MegaMek Output → Critical Slot:  Blue Shield Particle Field Damper
Record Sheet Output → Critical Slot:  Blue Shield PFD

Prototype Date:	3053
Production Date:	—
Extinction Date:	—
Recovery Date:	—

IndustrialMech Specific Construction Rules

WEAPONS AND EQUIPMENT COMBAT AND CONSTRUCTION TABLE * See rules for this equipment

RULES LEVEL PROGRESSION TABLE
MegaMek Output → Critical Slot:  Blue Shield Particle Field Damper
Record Sheet Output → Critical Slot:  Blue Shield PFD

Prototype Date:	3053
Production Date:	—
Extinction Date:	—
Recovery Date:	—

Combat Vehicle Specific Construction Rules

WEAPONS AND EQUIPMENT COMBAT AND CONSTRUCTION TABLE * See rules for this equipment

RULES LEVEL PROGRESSION TABLE
MegaMek Output → Critical Slot:  Blue Shield Particle Field Damper
Record Sheet Output → Critical Slot:  Blue Shield PFD