I created a Multi-Player Co-op Campaign System for my local play group, who was looking for a slight break from the competitive scene for a bit after running 3 back to back leagues at the FLGS on top of the Store Champ season.
Full rules can be seen here : https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B3CTtFRV9ec2MnJpOXZweGJXZ0U
The Basic premise was to create a system where 1 Player would act as the Game Master (GM), and the remaining players would work on the opposing team to complete the missions the GM set. Much in the same vein as the Imperial Assault game does. The Players would start off as Pilot Skill (PS) 0 pilots with no Elite Pilot Talent Slots or Pilot Abilities, but would gain Upgrade Points (UP) throughout mission victories and other ways so they could add them on later and improve their PS as they saw fit.
So with this system established, I created the first Campaign Series that I would be running them through! In this Series the Players take on the role of the newly formed Rebel Phoenix Squadron. And the GM takes on the role of the Imperial 366th Nighthawks, who are hell bent on seeing the Rebellion crushed once and for all in their sector of space.
The Rise From The Ashes! Campaign set-up documentation and first Mission can be found here : https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B3CTtFRV9ec2Q0FtYjNUVlprY28 h
So with that all established, we were off to the races... or in this case, off to the Yards!
RftA - Mission # 1 - Attack at the Yards!
In the end we had 7 Players who decided to join up with Phoenix Squadron and give the Nighthawks hell, as 2 other players who were in the store heard about the Co-Op part and wanted to join in too! Which luckily for me, I had brought enough extra PS 0 Rebel Small-Based ship cards and tokens so it wasn't an issue. Phoenix Squadron decided to deploy 2 X-Wings, 2 B-Wings, 1 A-wing, 1 Y-wing, and an E-Wing for this first foray into space.
So as per the mission briefing the Imperials (that being me) placed the cargo containers and the Imperial Escort Ships on the board. The containers were space evenly along my board edge within range 1 of it, and then Lt. Dreas and two Nighthawk TIE Fighters made a small wedge in front of the left container, and the remaining 3 TIEs in front of the right hand container.
*I have since tweaked the deployment of Mission # 1 after playing it through, and it is reflected in the posted campaign docs.
After that Phoenix Squadron deployed all 7 fighters in a "ring formation" around the Buoy, with all the fighters pointing toward the Imps.... sorry no pic, my phone camera hates me!
So after dials are set the Rebels and Imps close in, and this is the action at the end of the 2nd Activation phase!
The Imps get to fire first here... take that Han Solo ! And although it takes every last ship to do so, the Nighthawks manage to take down the stressed out B-Wing! In return the force is strong with the Imperials... and they take 0 damage in return! Between no shots from the right hand X-Wing and A-Wing, and some really good evade dice.
Round three would not be so kind to the Imps though. Thanks to Lt. Dreas' ability to allow all friendly ships at range one of him to take actions before moving, 3 of my TIEs get to perform actions, but the rest are blocked by the rebels...sorry no pics here again! When the dust is settled I am down to only Lt Dreas and 2 TIEs at the end of the round. And have plinked away a few shields and a hull from the Y-Wing!
By the end of turn 6 all that is left is this solo Nighthawk TIE Pilot... who as per the mission brief is now fleeing the field!
The Rebels call in the Pride of Lethal YT-1300, and she is able to pick up 1 of the containers on round 7. And the second turn 8. But then the Imperial reinforcements manage to strip her shields in turn 9 before she can nab the last container and grab a full Victory for the Rebels. In the end the Players are able to capture a Rebel Minor Victory in their first foray out!
And so each player will grab a UP for the minor victory, and 5 others are able to grab an extra UP for Kill shots on TIEs. But do to positioning, none of the Rebels are able to use the "Meatshield " Ability from the mission brief and take shots away from the Pride, and so no UP are awarded for that.
In the end 5 of the 7 Rebel Players have decided to use 1 UP to upgrade their Pilots to PS 1, with 2 choosing to stay at PS 0. And the Squadron lost a B-Wing, and a munition or two during the mission. Which they are tracking on the inventory sheet.
But luckily in the 2 containers acquired they were able to gain 9 hull repair kits (which heal 1 damage to a ships hull value each), as well as some Tibana Gas Canisters which they will trade for 10 points worth of Upgrade cards to add to their inventory before the next mission!
All in all it was a really great game, and I look forward to seeing how Mission 2 goes this Thursday night!
Here are some of Phoenix Squadrons brightest!!
