Shaltari Shields

Ship Special Rule
All Shaltari combat vessels are equipped with highly advanced all-encompassing energy fields that can be raised in anticipation of enemy fire or lowered in favour of stealth.

At the start of any friendly Shaltari battlegroup's activation, ships in that battlegroup can choose to raise their shields. Once raised, the shields must remain raised until the battlegroup next activates where the Shaltari player can choose to deactivate the shields (or keep them raised). Once the shields have been raised the ship may use its Passive Countermeasures until the controlling player chooses to deactivate the shields.

Due to the vast power output of the shields, the ship must now use the larger signature value in its profile (the lower signature value is used whe the shileds are down - note that most Shaltari ships have two signature values as a result of this rule). Additionally, the ship's basic Point Defence value is reduced to 0 while the shields are up, although modifiers (such as those made by escorting fighters) still apply. The ship may not choose the Silent Running special order while shields are up.