A message is received by Vulture Squadron that an Imperial research facility on a neighbouring planet has made a breakthrough in the supporting technology to a cloaking device. The Vultures have been asked to rendezvous with an Imperial Freighter and Star Destroyer, and escort several containers from the planet to the waiting ships to take them to Corruscant for further investigation.
Up close and personal! |
The Vultures are outnumbered (3 Head-hunters, a Y-Wing and a Firespray) and fight valiantly to stop the containers falling into the hands of the pirates.
All but one of the pirate ships are destroyed, with just the loss of the TIE Advanced. Unfortunately, the Y-wing that escaped had grabbed one of the containers. The 2nd was delivered to the waiting cargo ship, where we waited to hear our fate...
News filtered through that the Scum & Villainy that had stolen the container made their way back through the asteroid field to their base of operations on its far side, they were in turn attacked by a group of rebel ships, intent on the destruction of the cloaking technology.
We believe they succeeded...
++END OF MESSAGE++
A near full house, all three factions flying, and 2 linked missions completed... not a bad night! We had hoped to get a third in, but time escaped us...
In the first game, myself and Simon took the position of the Imperials of Rebel squadron (with Simon controlling the TIE Advanced, and the TIE Bomber, whilst I had the TIE Interceptors) and Mike running the Scum & Villainy list.
This was a mission we had tailored the narrative on, but roughly based on the Den of Thieves mission that came with the Firespray. I also tinkered with the points, giving the Imperials just 90, and Scum and Villainy 100 - i.e. more a feeling of an ambush that the imperials weren't expecting. To even this up a little, the containers moved slightly faster without ships having to "escort" them, so the imperials could concentrate on attacking the "Pirates".
We also agreed to make it so any S&V ship could pick up the containers, and if the ships were then destroyed the containers would continue moving from that spot.
So, how did it play out...
Pretty well! The fact every couple of rounds it swung massively from side to side made it really exciting up to the end... It could have all been different right to the last dice throw. With the extra points for Mike and Scum & Villainy it seemed too "Easy" for them. Once they started concentrating on grabbing the containers, the imperials really started picking them off, and it seemed to "Easy" for the imps.
Even after they had grabbed both containers, the imperials managed to destroy both ships carrying them.. And then the Y-wing grabbed one container and made a dash for the escape point...
He was down to just a couple of hull points in the last round, and shooting at distance the imperials just couldn't finish him off and he escaped with one container - a partial victory for both sides based on the original victory conditions we agreed.
All in a good "end to end" game. with honours even at the end.
A single ship lost for the Vultures (The TIE Advanced - they really don't seem that advanced - maybe I should just move fully onto the TIE interceptors - or should I run a couple side by side???), and a different feel to the game with it not just being a "Kill all Ships" scenario.
5 points to the Vultures!
Onto the second game.
This one was basically a re-run of the first, but with added Asteroids, and the rebels trying to destroy the nominated ship carrying the container rather than steal it.
100 points vs 100 points, with Ben running the rebels, and Mike again Scum & Villainy.
Not quite as well balanced, with the rebels quite easily going after the Y-wing and destroying it.
We all quite liked the narrative, and may well run these two games as part of a campaign again, but how to even up this mission a bit?
Not have the rebels know immediately which ship is carrying the container?.. maybe they could have to scan the ship first...maybe more asteroids, with the Scum & Villainy player placing all of them how he wants (it is the entrance to their base after all)... maybe some booby traps/ gun emplacements on the asteroids ...proximity mines?
Answers on a postcard!
What would have been the final scenario, was the revelation (documented before the evening started!) that the stolen container (which was then destroyed) was actually a decoy!
The real one was being moved under greater protection, and we would of had a three way fight with the Imperials transporting it, the rebels trying to destroy it and Scum & Villainy (Maybe even multiple factions) trying to steal it!
Maybe next game!
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