FPX2.JT.3.0: ISC Canister Plasma Torpedoes

Concept: ISC engineers applied Plasma-D/K technology to larger plasma torpedoes, creating a canister system that would hold an entire F-torp or the first two turns of arming for L and larger torps.  Only F, L, G and S torps were eligible for the canister system.  Launchers larger than S-torps proved completely incompatible with the canister system.  The ISC embraced the canister system and discontinued all use of larger types of plasma.

Number of Canisters: Each F or larger plasma launcher has two canisters associated with it. The canisters exclusively serve the launcher they are attached to.  Neither canisters nor torpedoes in a launcher or canister may be transferred to a different launcher.  Plasma Casters (FP.JT.2.0) form a partial exception to this rule.

Contents: A canister may contain either a F-plasma or a proto-plasma that has finished its second turn of arming.  A canister may not contain any other kind of plasma or weapon charge.  A future product may define a third or more choice. 

Holding Cost: Canisters hold their contents for 0 energy cost.  

Plasma Arming: The Canister system does not change how plasmas are armed.  The actual plasma torps arm identically to the way they always have.  Canisters cannot be be used to arm a plasma torpedo in and of themselves.  Canisters serve only as storage units.

Plasma Transfer Procedure: A plasma may be transferred to or from a canister at the end of a given turn.  Only one transfer operation may occur, either from the launcher to a canister or from a canister to a launcher, not both.  A canister must be empty to accept a plasma transfer.  Transferring the contents of a canister to a launcher arming or holding a plasma will force the launcher to eject its contents.  The ejection must be announced and either the identity of the plasma, if arming is completed, or the amount of power if arming is not complete.

Retained Identity: All plasmas transferred to a canister to a launcher maintain their basic arming state when transferred back. A F-torp transferred to a canister will always return to the launcher as a F-torp.  A F-torp armed in a larger launcher may not be converted to a second-turn proto-plasma.  Nor can a held second-turn proto-plasma transfer back as a F-torp.

F-Plasmas must be completely armed and ready to fire before they can be transferred to a canister.  Fast-loaded F-torps in larger launchers are just as eligible for transfer to a canister as a normally-armed F-torp in a F-launcher.  A F-torp in a larger launcher cannot be upgraded to larger types of plasma or to any firing option not otherwise open to a X2 F-plasma. 

Plasmas larger than F must have completed a minimum of two turn of arming before the proto-plasma may be transferred to a canister.   Plasmas in their third turn or arming may also be transferred to a canister but the third turn of arming must be ejected and the amount of energy used in the third turn must be announced.  The actual nature of the ejected third turn need not be announced.  All non-F plasmas transferred to a canister become identical second-turn proto-plasmas.  They do not retain any characteristics of their third turn of arming. When they are returned to the launcher they may be rearmed in any way legal for the launcher. EXAMPLE: A plasma-S is armed as an enveloping non-sabot torp but the turn ends before a firing opportunity occurs.  The ship transfers the torp to an empty canister, announcing an 8-point plasma ejection.  When returned to the launcher two turns later, it could be armed any way possible: sabot, no sabot, standard, shotgun or enveloping again. It would not be limited to rearming as a non-sabot enveloping torpedo.

Weapon Status:  Ships do not always start a scenario with their canisters prepared.    WS-0 is unchanged.  No canisters start loaded.  At WS-I a ship may have one canister loaded or be holding a plasma torpedo in its second turn of arming.  At WS-II the ship may either have either two canisters loaded or one canister and a held plasma.  At WS-III, both canisters may be loaded and the ship may be holding another plasma in the launcher.

Balance:  
1) Reduction - Decrease the number of canisters associated with a launcher from two to one.
2) Improvement -Substitution transfer.  The contents of a canister and the launcher may switched even if both have plasma torps or proto-plasmas
    in them.
3) Reduction - Transferring a plasma to or from a canister costs 1 point of power.  If using the "Substitution" improvement, the cost is one point of power per plasma moved.  If plasmas are simultaneously moved from and to the launcher the cost would be 2 points of power.
4) Improvement - Canisters may hold first-turn-arming proto-plasmas.
5) Improvement - Potential refit: Allow a L or larger canister-plasma launcher to fast load an empty launcher to the second-turn arming status in one turn for 5 total power.