This month I promised myself to play at least one game. Naval and sci-fi games are preferred because they require less prep work and fewer models!
On my Battle Campaigns blog I wrote a small summary for a sci-fi space battle campaign featuring the forces of rebellious Mars against the oppressive Earth Government. Thus the time has come to launch that campaign.
In this first scenario, the squadron conisisting of MSS Phoibos (Cmdr. Ian C. Nisom commanding), MSS Sub Rosa and MSS Walkyr, without fighter support, arrive at a junction point in dead space where they expect much EarthGov civilian traffic. Their goal is to hurt EarthGov shipping as much as they can, without risking their own skins.
The theme of the entire campaign is asymmetrical warfare: the Martian Sphere squadron does not get replenishments and any damage made against them is permanent. EarthGov forces are dispersed but get a lot more reinforcements during the campaign.
I use pre-made Lego ships which I built from scrap parts of multiple sets, including Star Wars ones.
I set up a simple entry/exit point system: the MS squadron enters the table first, and then each turn a new ship arrives until I exhausted my current stock. I just set my existing models in a row and picked them up in a sequence for their order of entry. There are no EarthGov capital ships in this scenario.
The entry points are numbered one to six, starting from the bottom right corner and moving clockwise. I roll a d6 for each ship's entry point. A civilian vessel may exit the table safely by moving to the opposite entry point (so 3 to 6, 1 to 4, 2 to 5 etc.). An EarthGov Navy ship may exit via the opposite point or its point of entry. MS ships entered the table at point 6 so that's their extrication point as well.
Let's see how the scenario goes!
Turns 1-2. An EarthGov revenue cutter enters the table at point 4, and is greeted by a long range salvo from MSS Phoibos. The captain think they hit a meteor first, but then he gets visuals on the MS squadron. He alerts nearby EarthGov forces and moves to intercept.
A mining vessel also enters the table on point 5, and the captain of the revenue ship attempts to interpose the vessel between the civilans and attacking MS forces.
Turn 3., a large civilian personnel carrier arrives from point 3, sees the scuffle the other ships are in, and darts for its exit point. Sadly this brings it right into the middle of it.
Turn 4. The revenue cutter is blasted to pieces. Its targeting arrays are hot, so MSS Phoibos activates defensive shielding. MSS Sub Rosa shoots at the ore carrier and misses. MSS Walkyr manages to stay out of harm's way as she does not have defensive shielding, and takes pot shots at the space bus instead.
Another mining ship arrives from point 6.
Turn 5. MSS Sub Rosa grapples, boards and takes over the ore carrier.
The space bus continues its course and gets in the arc of MSS Phoibos' main guns. It takes damage. The captured EarthGov ore carrier takes a collision course with the recently arrived mining vessel, ready for another boarding action Horatio Nelson style.
An EarthGov Navy cruiser arrives at the table, and is greeted by a hailstorm of fire from Phoibos' port side battery.
Turn 6, the Martians board the second civilian ship and take it over.
The EarthGov cruiser takes a second hit, this time from MSS Sub Rosa, and decides to leg it via point 5. However, it gets a raking shot and never reaches the exit point.
The space bus takes another damage from Walkyr. It is ordered to power down engines. A Martian skeleton crew takes over, and the civilian passengers are allowed to leave with lifeboats.
Turn 7, another EarthGov cruiser arrives.
The two captured vessels reach safety.
Turn 8, another revenue cutter enters from point 1 and makes for MSS Walkyr. Walkyr manages to score a long range hit.
Being in the broadside arc of both Phoibos and Sub Rosa, the EarthGov cruiser leaves the way it came from.
Turn 9, Walkyr dispatches the revenue cutter with another well aimed salvo. Another ore carrier enters the table.
Turn 10, another revenue cutter enters from point 1 and scores damage on Walkyr. Phoibos' main battery is within firing arc and makes short work of the small ship. Walkyr disengages as another hit would destroy her.
Turn 11, Phoibos grapples and boards the ore carrier, taking it over, using its central position between the junction points to get hold of the faster vessel.
Turn 12-13, two more EarthGov revenue ships arrive and take Sub Rosa under fire. Sub Rosa activates its shield and the enemy plasma charges are absorbed. Both EarthGov ships slam their main battery fire into the two attackers.
Turn 14, the EarthGov cutter disengages and goes after the captured ore carrier, successfully destroying it. It is destroyed in turn by Sub Rosa.
Turn15, a large VIP personnel carrier with extra boarding parties arrives on point 4.
Turn 16. Phoibos moves to intercept. Both Martian ships use their remaining boarding parties to overwhelm the defenders.
Turn 17. Lastly, a privateer arrives in chase of the VIP carrier on point 1. The commander sees that he missed his chance and enters parley with the Martians. They agree to co-operate on their following missions.
Overall an astounding victory for the small Martian Sphere squadron. This could mostly be attributed to the unorganized resistance EarthGov revenue services/armed forces put up. As the campaign progresses, it will be more and more difficult to surprise EarthGov regulars.
Next on, a deep space mission called Curse of the Mind Flayer...
Supplementary rule: for the four captured civilian ships, I will roll a d6 each. This is the market value they get for bringing them to the scrap yard. Each time an MS ship takes damage, I roll another d6 for repairs: as long as the stock from the captured ships last, the damage could be repaired.
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