When I first looked at Hyperlane Raid I thought something was off. And after reading lots of the other great threads in this forum I found most people seem to agree that it's too hard on the Rebels or at least not as easy as Show of Force is for the imperials. We can debate the reason why it's this way (was the thought that Rebels would control more bases and thus have more non-assault income?), but in the meantime I'm looking to immediately patch it for my 4 player campaign.

Below is how I ended up playing it. I'd love some opinions on whether this seems fair relative to the rest of the campaign.

Setup: no changes

Special rule: no changes

End of Game: The first player's team gains 30 resource points for each victory token he gained. The first player's team gains 10 resource points for each ship with an objective token that is not within 2 range ruler lengths of the first player's edge. The second player's team gains 10 resource points for each ship with an objective token that is within 2 range ruler lengths of the first player's edge.

My thoughts behind this:

• Keep the potential resource outcome inline with Show of Force (you could potentially get 120 resources as the Rebel player if you kill all 4 objective ships)
• Encourage the Imperial player to try to get to the "end zone" (not to really combat turtling - no one in my group is going to play that way - but more to give real incentive to follow the theme of the mission)
• Make sure that even a middling performance by the Rebels produced some of the resources they were looking for out of the mission (for example if you destroy nothing but keep the imperials away you still walk away with 40 points, which seems about as difficult as destroying one of the stations)

I've only got a sample size of one so far. In that game the Rebel player killed one objective VSD, kept one VSD from crossing the finish line, and let one ISD and one Gozanti through. If I had played the mission as written, for all their effort and substantial losses the Rebels would have walked away with 20 resources and given the Imperials 40. Yes, they performed poorly, but that felt like a slap in the face for a struggling player/team that was trying to put campaign points on hold to close a resource gap.

With my edits the Rebels still have a big repair bill but at least they bring home 40 resources and only give the Imperial 20.

Thoughts?

The Rebel team could net 160 points b doing this since the winning team still gets 40 resources at the end. Not that it would be unbalanced getting another 16 points, but something to be aware of.

I like that the Rebels get points if the Empire doesn't try to get across the finish line.

I really think FFG missed the oppurtunity to introduce unarmed freighters. Not like the GR-75, but rather a neutral ship that gives 40 resources and 0 MOV when destroyed. That would make it easier on the Rebels to kill 2 freighters that need to move across the board instead of trying to kill 2 ISDs.

Dras theorized the same unarmed freighter thought, and then hid his post in I think it was Organized Play.

Anyway, I have simply come to the comfortable realization that every time this objective gets played it will be a little different. It is quick on it's way to becoming the most accepted house-rule subject in the game and would even have the most ardent Rules As Written supporting contemplating exceptions if he was of the Rebel persuasion for a campaign. Maybe we don't need consensus on how this one should be played. Maybe we can just accept that the objective isn't super great and then do whatever feels right?

If you kill 2 ISDs. Sure you only get 40pts, but your opponent is wrecked.

2 minutes ago, Ginkapo said:

If you kill 2 ISDs. Sure you only get 40pts, but your opponent is wrecked.

Right, but you still need to kill 2 ISDs on a smaller map and placed side by side means they cover the width of the board as they travel towards you.

Would it be too easy if it was reversed so that the Rebs had the tokens and the imps were trying to stop them from making it across the line? I'd also make the objective tokens worth 0 MOV.

My biggest dislike of it is just that it doesn't even feel like the kind of attack that rebels would conduct.

"Prepare the fleet, we're going to raid Imperial supply lines!"

"Oh great, that'll show 'em! What's the plan? A vulnerable target? A feined flight? A hit and run attack?"

"Nonono. You know how their guns are all pointed forward?"

"Yeah...."

"Right, well we're going to position ourselves between those guns their destination."

"...and?..."

"That's it. That's the plan. Park in front, shoot it out. They'll never see it coming."

"We're all gonna die..."

12 minutes ago, Sekac said:

...

"We're all gonna die..."

That made me laugh!

2 hours ago, Undeadguy said:

The Rebel team could net 160 points b doing this since the winning team still gets 40 resources at the end. Not that it would be unbalanced getting another 16 points, but something to be aware of.

I actually intentionally left that text out about the winner getting 40 resource points. The way the Imperials get resources is by getting across the board. This actually keeps the total resources the same as Show of Force (most Rebels can get is 40, which they can get for a match win; most Empire can get is 120, for both stations and a match win). It does mean that winning from a "most points destroyed" perspective has no value for the scenario itself. Which... I'm fine with I think

30 minutes ago, Sekac said:

My biggest dislike of it is just that it doesn't even feel like the kind of attack that rebels would conduct.

Yeah, I agree. I feel like they'd have something sneakier. Like a mine field they get to place in the middle of the hyperlanes to turn the odds in their favor. Or the ability to hyperspace jump in behind the ships in the hyperlanes mid battle. Some combinations of effects from other objectives would be fine here for reinforcing the theme.

Actually, it should be four bulk freighters, with maybe one ship for escort from the imperial navy on the board for the imperial side.

Then the rest of the imperials hyper in on turn 2.

On 3/2/2017 at 3:34 PM, BrobaFett said:

Dras theorized the same unarmed freighter thought, and then hid his post in I think it was Organized Play.

mff. something simpler that's closer to what the card says plz. less to change, the easier to accept.

9 minutes ago, Blail Blerg said:

mff. something simpler that's closer to what the card says plz. less to change, the easier to accept.

Honestly, I tried.

Didn't make a meaningful difference (in the ways I believed differences needed to be made).

So I went for "Awesome" isntead.

...

Kind of the opposite of what I do in the Rules Sub-Forum.