Overview
Agents within an enemy navy are among the most valuable intelligence assets in the Firestorm Galaxy. Extracting them can be difficult, however, especially when they are posted to a frontline combat vessel. After receiving a request for extraction from one such agent, a fleet is dispatched with a special mission to retrieve the agent – from the ship he is posted to.
Determine Attacker/Defender
As soon as the commanders have determined that this is the scenario they will be playing, both should take an initiative test. The winner decides who will be the Attacker and who will be the Defender.
Terrain
This scenario has no special terrain requirements. Set up the Game Board using one of the methods described on page 35 of the Firestorm: Armada 2.0 rulebook.
Deployment
This scenario follows the normal rules for choosing your Deployment Zone and placing your forces. The shapes of the Deployment Zones are schown on the scenario map.
Scenario Rules
As soon as the Attacker has been determined, the Attacker must secretly nominate one ship from a Tier 2 squadron in the Defender’s Fleet. This ship is carrying the agent. The Attacker should write down the ship he nominated.
The Attacker may try to extract the agent by launching a Boarding Assault against the nominated ship. To do this, the Attacker has to declare the extraction as the target of the assault. Proceed as normal with the Boarding Assault until the point where damage would normally be resolved. If the ship has been captured, treat this as normal, the agent is still being carried by this ship. If the ship has not been captured, but any successes remain after the Anti-Boarding dice have been rolled, no damage is caused but the agent has been successfully extracted. If the agent is extracted, the Attacker has to nominate one of the ships from the squadron which performed the Boarding Assault to be now carrying the agent.
The Attacker may not attack the nominated ship using direct or indirect weapons or SRS and may not declare another target for a Boarding Assault than the extraction of the agent until he has launched a boarding assault with the target of extracting the agent.
After trying to extract the agent for the first time, the Attacker may attack the nominated ship as normal. After the Attacker attacks the nominated ship for the first time with direct or indirect weapons or SRS or declares any target other than the extraction of the agent for a Boarding Assault, he may no longer try to extract the agent.
In the End Phase of the turn in which the Attacker first tried to extract the agent by performing a Boarding Assault as desribed above, if the Attacker captured the ship carrying the agent or extracted the agent, the Attacker’s Battle Log is increased by 3. If the Attacker did not capture the ship or extract the agent, the Attacker’s Battle Log is decreased by 1.
If the Attacker tried to extract the agent by performing any number of Boarding Assaults as desribed above and the Attacker captured the ship or extract the agent, the Attacker’s Battle Log is increased by 3 at the end of the game or in the End Phase of the turn in which the ship carrying the agent shunts out, whichever happens first.
At the end of the game, if the Attacker did not try to extract the agent at any point by performing a Boarding Assault as desribed above, the Attacker’s Battle Log is increased by 1.
If the Attacker tried to extract the agent by performing any number of Boarding Assaults as desribed above and the Attacker did not capture the ship or extract the agent, the Defender’s Battle Log is increased by 3 at the end of the game or in the End Phase of the turn in which the ship carrying the agent shunts out, whichever happens first.
Victory Conditions
Compare Battle Logs at the end of the game to determine the Margin of Victory.
Game Length
During the End Phase of Turn 6, the Commander first in the order of Initiative should roll a D6. On a result of 1, 2 or 3 the game ends. On a roll of 4, 5 or 6 another Turn is played.
Roll again during the End Phase of Turn 7, but subtract 1 from the result. If an 8th Turn is played, roll again but subtract 2 from the result.
The game automatically ends during the End Phase of Turn 9.
NB: This is a first draft that has yet to be playtested. As such, the balance, especially of the Battle Log adjustments, is bound to be off. Also, the scenario clearly favours fleets with strong boarding (and boarding defense) options over fleets lacking such options.