Redshift Photon Deenergizer

The Redshift Photon Deenergizer is a defensive measure against lasers. It works by reducing the energy of the incoming photon beams. Even as the photons are redshifted, the heat output isn't augmented, since already infrarred photons will become even lower energy.

Game Rules
 In game terms, the Photon Deenergizer occupies one critical slot in each location, excluding the head in 'Mechs, and weighs 10% of the unit's total weight (.5 rounds down). All damage from and by non-capital Laser weapons is reduced by half (rounded down) to a minimum of one point. This includes lasers fired by the unit in a turn the Redshift is active.

If mounted in a unit without a Fusion or Fission engine, the Photon Deenergizer additionally requires a Power Amplifier that weights 10% of its own weight. In any case, if the engine is destroyed or disabled, the component is disabled as well, as it cannot operate without an energy source.

When mounted on a ground unit, the Photon Deenergizer can only operate without error for a total of six turns of play. After that, there is a chance that the system will fail. On turn 7+, the controlling player must roll 2D6. If the roll is less than (2 + # of turns past 6) the system fails. For example, on turn 10, the Photon Deenergizer will fail on a roll of 6 ( 2 + (10-6=4)) or less. The Photon Deenergizer can be activated or deactivated in the End Phase of any turn. If a Photon Deenergizer runs for three turns and is then deactivated, note that the system only has three turns of error-free operation left -- deactivating the system doesn't restart the BSPFD's error-free state at 0. If the system fails, it shuts down, generates 5 heat points in the mounting unit, 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).

If an active Photon Deenergizer suffers a critical hit, the system immediately fails, and inflicts five points of heat on the mounting unit. Inactive Photon Deenergizer critical slots (turned off or shut down by damage) that are damaged are destroyed normally, with no heat addition. The Redshift cannot turn on without all of its original parts.