Hey ya'll!

Pet project of mine -- I'm hoping to create a narrative campaign and also provide some fun scenarios to get out of the deathmatch repetition.

I do have a plot-line loosely in place, and do realize that some battles will be more asymmetrical than others. However, I am more than happy to receive comments and suggestions.

So, without further ado, here's the first mission of the campaign!

Mission 1: Picket

Alliance Brief

Pilots, crew, you’ve been assembled here for a reason. When you joined the Alliance, you swore to oppose the Empire’s tyranny wherever it may be. Today, that’s going to take you to the far reaches of the galaxy.

The Samari System is out on the fringes of known space, only known for a mining colony and some industry. It has maintained neutrality throughout the war, but that looks to change with recent breakthroughs on our part. Two months ago, a secret council pledged support to the Alliance and they’ve re-tasked factories and material for the cause.

Unfortunately, all did not go to plan. The Imps must have had spies planted in the system. Whatever the case may be, we just yesterday received a distress call from our garrison, there. They have yet to respond to our messages back. We have to assume the worst.

Your job, gentleman, will be to take the few fighters we have available and make contact with the local garrison, if possible. If they are lost, you are to scout the enemy’s forces and get a report back here. We need you to buy time for the Samari System while we prepare the necessary forces.

Good luck. Markov out.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Imperial Brief

Upsilon Squadron, around me.

As you know, we hit the Rebs hard and fast with this one. The boys in Intercepts showed their chops, and now all that’s left to do is mop up. However, that’s not for us.

Fleet intelligence is expecting a Rebel counterattack and they need eyes and ears out there. We’re going to provide that for them. Upsilon will be running pickets across the system – it’ll spread us thin, but it’ll also give the force time to react to anything the scum have in plan.

I know that you’ve all been trained as killers at the Academy. Today, though, I need you working as teams, and, if the Rebels do show up, to get your asses back here. We do not have the pilots or material to spare until reinforcements get out here. Today, the Emperor needs you alive, more than he needs a Reb dead.

You all know what to do. To your fighters.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Alliance Force

-You may use up to 72 points

-You may only use X-Wings, Y-WIngs, and A-Wings

-You may only use generic, non-unique pilots and/or upgrades

-You may not use Elite Pilot Talent (EPT) upgrades

Imperial Force

-You may use up to 52 points

-You may only use TIE Fighters

-You may only use generic, non-unique pilots and/or upgrades

-You may not use Elite Pilot Talent (EPT) upgrades

Set-Up

-2'x3' playing area

-Imperial and Alliance player alternate placing 6 asteroids anywhere on the playing area

-Alliance player deploys his forces in the corner of his choice, within Range-2 (R-2) of the two nearest board edges

-The Alliance player's ships must be within R-1 of each other

-Imperial player rolls an Attack Die after the Alliance player's deployment to determine which board edge the Imperial forces come in on

-On a Focus result, the Imperial player may deploy on either board edge adjacent to the corner the Alliance player has chosen

-On a Hit result, the Imperial player may deploy on either board edge opposite to the the corner the Alliance player has chosen

-On a Blank result, the Alliance player chooses which board edge the Imperial player deploys on

-On a Critical result, the Imperial player chooses which board edge to deploy on

Special Rules

-To simulate the disorientation of coming out of Hyperspace and its taxation on the computing systems of a fighter, on the first turn of the game, Imperial fighters shoot before Rebel fighters, regardless of Pilot Skill (PS)

End Conditions

-The game ends at the conclusion of Turn 4, the elimination of all of a player's ships, or a successful Retreat by the Imperial player

-The Imperial player may declare Retreat during the Planning Phase if either of the two following conditions are met:

-At least one of the Imperial player's ships has been destroyed

-At least two of the Imperial player's ships have suffered Critical Damage

if either condition is met and the Imperial player declares Retreat in the Planning Phase, then the game concludes immediately after the End Phase of that turn

Alliance Victory Points

-Earn 1 VP per Alliance ship that survived the game

-Earn an additional 2 VP if no Alliance ships were destroyed

-Earn 1 VP if at least 18 points worth of Imperial ships were destroyed (damage done does not count, only destroyed ships and their upgrades)

Imperial Victory Points

-Earn 1 VP per Imperial ship that survived the game

-Earn an additional 2 VP if at least 3 Imperial ships survived the game

-Earn 2 VP if an Alliance ship was destroyed

Victory goes to whichever player has the most Victory Points. As well, all VPs earned go toward that player's cumulative total for the campaign.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mission 2: Beachhead

Alliance Brief

Men, good work on breaking through the Imperial defenses and getting us some valuable info.

Based on your reports, it would seem that there are still pro-Alliance activities in the Samari System. That’s the good news. The bad news is that we also believe the Imperials have established some sort of staging area in one of the asteroid rings of the system.

Both of these issues will be addressed later. Right now, I need your focus on the task at hand. To guarantee our ability to carry out further missions, we’ve had our engineers begin work on a resupply base on one of the moons of the gas giant in the system. As we speak, they are rigging up a shield generator.

However, until those shields are up, you are the only defense those men, and that base, have. The Empire wasn’t expecting us so soon, but you can be sure they’ll be throwing everything they have at this.

Good luck. Markov out.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Imperial Brief

Upsilon Squadron, disregard all previous orders and form on me.

The scum have begun work on a base. If we catch them now, they’ll be that much easier to drive off this system. Bombers have been re-tasked from punishing the Samarians for their disobedience and will rendezvous shortly.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Alliance Force

-You may use up to 84 points
-You may only use X-Wings, A-Wings, and/or Y-Wings
-You may only use generic, non-unique pilots and/or upgrades
-You may not use EPT upgrades

Imperial Force
-You may use up to 78 points
-You may only use TIE Fighters
-You may only use generic, non-unique pilots and/or upgrades

Set-Up
-Standard 3’x3’ play area
-No asteroids
-Alliance player deploys his forces in the corner of his choice, within Range-2 (R-2) of the two nearest board edges
-Imperial player places two TIE Bombers (or tokens) in the corner diagonal to the Alliance player
-Imperial player then deploys his forces on the adjacent table edges

Special Rules
-The TIE Bombers are the first to move and the last to shoot, regardless of Pilot Skill or effects
-The TIE Bombers move Forward-4 toward the Alliance player’s deployment area
-The TIE Bombers will always use the Focus Action and use their Focus Token for defense dice
-The TIE Bombers will always shoot the enemy ship nearest to them in their firing arc, even if in base-to-base contact
-If a TIE Bomber would fly off the play area, leave it in the Alliance player’s deployment area
-At the conclusion of the End Phase, remove any TIE Bombers within the Alliance player’s deployment area from the game
-This does not count against the Imperial player

End Conditions
-The game ends at the conclusion of Turn 8, the elimination of all of a player’s ships, the destruction of all the TIE Bombers, the removal of all TIE Bombers after having entered the Alliance player’s deployment area, or any mix there-of so that there are no TIE Bombers in the playing area

Alliance Victory Points
-Earn 1 VP for every 3 Damage Cards (face-up or down) inflicted on the TIE Bombers
-Earn 2 VP for having at least two ships alive at the end of the game
-Earn 1 VP for every 2 TIE Fighters destroyed

Imperial Victory Points
-Earn 3 VP for each TIE Bomber that successfully leaves the playing area by entering the Alliance player’s deployment area
-Earn 2 VP for destroying over 40 points of Alliance ships and upgrades

Victory goes to whichever player has the most Victory Points. As well, all VPs earned go toward that player's cumulative total for the campaign.

Reserved for future updates.

EDIT: As you can see, VPs slightly favor the Imperials, though this is balanced by a 20-point handicap.

I like the idea of this. Kudos for putting this together. One minor point regarding the play area... you specify a 2'x3' play area but do not specify orientation. Are the player edges along the 2' length or the 3' length?

I like the idea of this. Kudos for putting this together. One minor point regarding the play area... you specify a 2'x3' play area but do not specify orientation. Are the player edges along the 2' length or the 3' length?

Under set-up, it specifies that the Alliance player chooses a corner as his "player edge," with the Imperial player then rolling to see where his player edge will be in relation to the Alliance player.

So, the Alliance gets to choose a Range-2 by Range-2 box to deploy into, and the Imperial player has a semi-randomized deployment on one of the board edges.

Does that clarify things?

I like the idea of this. Kudos for putting this together. One minor point regarding the play area... you specify a 2'x3' play area but do not specify orientation. Are the player edges along the 2' length or the 3' length?

Under set-up, it specifies that the Alliance player chooses a corner as his "player edge," with the Imperial player then rolling to see where his player edge will be in relation to the Alliance player. ...

Does that clarify things?

I'm worried that the point imbalance is very high. Imperials have a maximum of 4 TIE Fighters while the rebels can easily field 3 X-Wings with upgrades. That means, if the TIEs go into combat, they are going to be destroyed 9 times out of 10.

Indeed, the scenario is easy to game. If I were imperials, I would take my four ties, put stealth devices on them, and simply run away. If I never let combat happen, which is totally possible as the TIE Fighters move faster than an X-Wing, then after four turns of running around the edge of the board, I win.

Rebels will get 5 points (1 for each X-Wing and 2 for no ships lost) while the Imperials get 6 points (1 for each ship plus 2 for 3+ TIEs alive).

Further, the nonstandard map size means most players will find it difficult to even play this scenario.

I'm not saying the scenario is fatally flawed, but it needs polish. Best of luck.

Actually this scenario is good for beginning players as it takes out a lot of the hard decisions on ship builds. It also takes out the unique nuances of elite pilots. I will try this out with my son, who knows the rules, but is not yet involved in the more complex features of the game.pretty good storyline with a lot of room to add on to.

Further, the nonstandard map size means most players will find it difficult to even play this scenario.

Huh. It wasn't just me that had that thought.

I'm worried that the point imbalance is very high. Imperials have a maximum of 4 TIE Fighters while the rebels can easily field 3 X-Wings with upgrades. That means, if the TIEs go into combat, they are going to be destroyed 9 times out of 10.

Yes. However, the TIEs will have an advantage the first turn -- a potentially huge one depending on deployment -- to wittle down one of the Alliance ships.

Indeed, the scenario is easy to game. If I were imperials, I would take my four ties, put stealth devices on them, and simply run away. If I never let combat happen, which is totally possible as the TIE Fighters move faster than an X-Wing, then after four turns of running around the edge of the board, I win.

Unfortunately, the scenario you described is impossible. You could only have a Stealth Device on all your ships if you only run three TIEs, which would then be quite tight in getting them all out. Not to mention, you'd be at even more severe disadvantage if the Alliance ran four ships.

The match is not intended to be a long one, but rather a primer into the campaign -- which will be escalating. It's my sincere hope that no players "game" the missions, though even if they do, I'm doing my best to balance the situation.

That being said, I'd love some play-testing on this.

The below is actually an over-sight on my part. I come from a table-top background (Infinity), and am thus very used to just having a tape-measure at hand. The 2'x3' area was chosen because it would then have an actual effect depending on where the Imperial player deployed. However, if it presents an undue amount of difficulty, what would you recommend as an alternative?

Further, the nonstandard map size means most players will find it difficult to even play this scenario.

Some weird formatting issues going on. :/

Sable: I'm worried that the point imbalance is very high. Imperials have a maximum of 4 TIE Fighters while the rebels can easily field 3 X-Wings with upgrades. That means, if the TIEs go into combat, they are going to be destroyed 9 times out of 10.

Yes. However the TIEs will have an advantage the first turn. And, depending on deployment, it may mean they're coming in on the Rebels' tails.

Further, the nonstandard map size means most players will find it difficult to even play this scenario.

Huh. It wasn't just me that had that thought.

Adapt, Improvise. Think non-linear. Think outside the box.

The below is actually an over-sight on my part. I come from a table-top background (Infinity), and am thus very used to just having a tape-measure at hand. The 2'x3' area was chosen because it would then have an actual effect depending on where the Imperial player deployed. However, if it presents an undue amount of difficulty, what would you recommend as an alternative?

Further, the nonstandard map size means most players will find it difficult to even play this scenario.

Original post has been updated with Mission 2: Beachhead.

Mission 2: Beachhead

Alliance Brief

Men, good work on breaking through the Imperial defenses and getting us some valuable info.

Based on your reports, it would seem that there are still pro-Alliance activities in the Samari System. That’s the good news. The bad news is that we also believe the Imperials have established some sort of staging area in one of the asteroid rings of the system.

Both of these issues will be addressed later. Right now, I need your focus on the task at hand. To guarantee our ability to carry out further missions, we’ve had our engineers begin work on a resupply base on one of the moons of the gas giant in the system. As we speak, they are rigging up a shield generator.

However, until those shields are up, you are the only defense those men, and that base, have. The Empire wasn’t expecting us so soon, but you can be sure they’ll be throwing everything they have at this.

Good luck. Markov out.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Imperial Brief

Upsilon Squadron, disregard all previous orders and form on me.

The scum have begun work on a base. If we catch them now, they’ll be that much easier to drive off this system. Bombers have been re-tasked from punishing the Samarians for their disobedience and will rendezvous shortly.

We are to fly escort and ensure that they hit the Rebel base. Flight pattern Gamma. Stick close to the bombers and make sure they get through.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Alliance Force

-You may use up to 84 points

-You may only use X-Wings, A-Wings, and/or Y-Wings

-You may only use generic, non-unique pilots and/or upgrades

-You may not use EPT upgrades

Imperial Force

-You may use up to 78 points

-You may only use TIE Fighters

-You may only use generic, non-unique pilots and/or upgrades

Set-Up

-Standard 3’x3’ play area

-No asteroids

-Alliance player deploys his forces in the corner of his choice, within Range-2 (R-2) of the two nearest board edges

-Imperial player places two TIE Bombers (or tokens) in the corner diagonal to the Alliance player

-Imperial player then deploys his forces on the adjacent table edges

Special Rules

-The TIE Bombers move before all other ships

-The TIE Bombers move Forward-4 toward the Alliance player’s deployment area

-The TIE Bombers will always use the Focus Action and use their Focus Token for defense dice

-The TIE Bombers will always shoot the enemy ship nearest to them in their firing arc, even if in base-to-base contact

-If a TIE Bomber would fly off the play area, leave it in the Alliance player’s deployment area

-At the conclusion of the End Phase, remove any TIE Bombers within the Alliance player’s deployment area from the game

-This does not count against the Imperial player

End Conditions

-The game ends at the conclusion of Turn 8, the elimination of all of a player’s ships, the destruction of all the TIE Bombers, the removal of all TIE Bombers after having entered the Alliance player’s deployment area, or any mix there-of so that there are no TIE Bombers in the playing area

Alliance Victory Points

-Earn 1 VP for every 3 Damage Cards (face-up or down) inflicted on the TIE Bombers

-Earn 2 VP for having at least two ships alive at the end of the game

-Earn 1 VP for every 2 TIE Fighters destroyed

Imperial Victory Points

-Earn 3 VP for each TIE Bomber that successfully leaves the playing area by entering the Alliance player’s deployment area

-Earn 2 VP for destroying over 40 points of Alliance ships and upgrades

Victory goes to whichever player has the most Victory Points. As well, all VPs earned go toward that player's cumulative total for the campaign.

No comment?

The Imperial point cost is really out of whack once you factor in the added cost of the Scimitar (? you failed to specify) Squadron bombers. 110 points for Imperial, but only 84 points for the Rebels? I note that the bombers have limited movement but wonder if that is enough to affect the ship cost (and count!) imbalance.

But I guess that's what play testing should prove or disprove.

The Imperial point cost is really out of whack once you factor in the added cost of the Scimitar (? you failed to specify) Squadron bombers. 110 points for Imperial, but only 84 points for the Rebels? I note that the bombers have limited movement but wonder if that is enough to affect the ship cost (and count!) imbalance.

But I guess that's what play testing should prove or disprove.

The Imperials are at a point advantage, yes, but I've mitigated that by giving the Alliance easy targets (12 hull with no shields, moving in a set manner) and also easier VPs. But you're absolutely right, the scenarios do need to be tested. Do you have any interest in playing Picket or Beachhead and sharing your impression?

Also, good catch on the PS of the TIE Bombers. I have them moving first, regardless, and I'll update to have them shooting last. So, effectively PS 0, but even worse.