by thesmith4 on Sat 20 Oct 2012 07:58
Quick Start Campaign, Scenario One: Contact at a Red Dwarf
Side A goal: Explore this new-found system, discovering as much scientific or intelligence data possible.
Side A forces:
2 x Washington Class Space Cruiser DD-[3]-SSSAAAH(I)MgQ(I)RRYQLD(I)(I)(I)-[5] (Lincoln, Wilson)
1 x Armstrong Class Space Explorer CT-[2]-SSAAH(I)MgRYQY(I)(I)-[6] (Peary)
Notes:
-Each ship contains one hold, which contains extra life support commodities, repair parts, and other items. It represents the deep space exploration nature of the human forces, allowing them to operate far from its base at Earth. This system is destroyed as a normal system on the ship, and has no effect on the tactical battle in this scenario.
-The second "Y" (between the "Q" and "(I)") on the Armstrong Class ship represents additional instruments that it can use to survey. As long as that system is undestroyed, when the ship passes within one hex of one of the "Objective" counters, the side A player can remove that counter from the board and place it next to him, face up. Only the Armstrong Class ship can perform this function, though once the counters are removed, they are simply placed in the Side A player's area, representing the ability of the Side A Ships to communicate the data on the objectives to each other. The Armstrong Class ship does not actually have to withdraw for the Side A player to get the benefits of finding the Objectives.
Side B goal: Defend the system, preventing the intruders from learning about your kind and your system.
Side B forces:
2 x '!Xibrat! Protection Vessel DD-[3]-S(6xA)(I)Q(I)R(I)RYQFD(I)(I)-[5] (!Kunga', 'Uvrot!)
Special Rules: Make 4 small pieces of cardboard, about the same size as a ship counter. These represent "objectives" of scientific and intelligence interest in the system. On one side, label them with a point value, as follows, one counter with "1", two counters with "2", and one counter with "4". When the map board is ready, but before placing ships, place these counters on the map, face down. Side B places first, and picks one of the face down objective counters at random, putting it anywhere on the map, but in such a way that it is more than 5 hexes from any side of the map, and more than 5 hexes from any other objective counter. Side A then places a randomly picked counter with the same limitations as the first placement. Side B then places the third counter in a similar fashion, followed by Side A placing the final objective counter.
Side B then sets up his ships. They must be within at least 5 hexes of one of the objective counters, though they may be split up, as long as each is within 5 hexes of any of the objectives.
Side A then sets up his ships. They must be in the last row of hexes on either of the narrower sides of the map board, with all ships within five hexes of each other.
Play the game normally. Side A ships may withdraw from the same side of the map they entered from, and Side B can withdraw from the opposite side. Once a ship withdraws, it cannot re-enter the board. It is obvious to Side B that the smaller Side A ship is a specialty scouting ship, based on visual sensors and other detection methods, even with the ship's shields up.
At the end of the scenario, assess victory points as follows:
Side A gets the value of the Objective counters it has removed. Additionally, it gets one point for each ship that withdraws with at least one "Q" system remaining undestroyed. (It is not necessary to withdraw any ships--the scientific and intelligence data can be carried by message drones that any of the ships may release at any time.)
Side B gets double the value of the objective counters remaining on the map.
The player with the larger amount of victory points is the winner. Keep track of both players' ship conditions and victory points for use in the next scenario--surviving ships will be participating!
(Thanks, Alexei, but since I'm using the quick start rules, there are no small craft. In the fiction, I'll probably just call the auxiliaries the larger ships carry "ship's boats".)
Hope you like this! I'll be developing at least two more scenarios, one a battle as the Earth forces fall back from the larger '!Xibrat! fleet, and the second a battle to defend the colonies at Alpha Centauri.
Last edited by
thesmith4 on Sat 20 Oct 2012 12:16, edited 5 times in total.
In closing, all I have to say is: Shield, Shield, Shield, Armor, Armor, Armor, Hold, I-drive, Missile Launcher...
--Howard