Scenario 1
A Deal is a Deal
(This is a new, teeny scenario to get folks familiar with the SWTO setting. So far, it’s been well received by a couple of clubs here in Ohio).
No more than two months before the massive fleet action off the forest moon of Endor, Imperial intelligence operatives came within inches of discovering the Rebel plans to assault the Empire’s second Death Star – and thus changing the course of history.
Emperor Palpantine, of course, had already leaked “vital information” to the Alliance’s Bothan spies in order to bait a massive trap for the rebellion. For obvious security reasons, dozens of mid-level officers were unaware of these development; and so continued to chase down nebulous leads of a massive military build up coordinated by the rebels’ new Mon Calamari allies.
One such lead was a sudden hike in the exchange of black market munitions and technical parts in the Parrada system. Parrada IX was a moderately successful industrial hub with mining operations based in a nearby asteroid cluster. The volume of inter-system traffic passing through its sector offered smugglers an ideal way to hide their comings and goings, and crime was rampant. Perhaps the biggest underworld player was Havux Nol.
Nol, who maintained a small fleet of battered freighters, was a well-known black marketeer with rumored connections to the Alliance. It wasn’t hard for Imperial spies to note he was doing a staggering amount of business during the time the rebels were allegedly planning a major offensive. The regional governor, eager to garner the Emperor’s praise, quickly authorized Nol’s apprehension by a detachment of Imperial Army troopers.
On 11.48.921, a full platoon of soldiers – supported by a pair of Chariot LAVs – advanced on Nol’s compound in Parrada IX’s equatorial forest region. While they were aware the crime boss could field a veritable army of assorted scum, they had no reason to anticipate the bloodbath that was to come.
Nol, it seems, was all too aware the Imps were after his blood. Threatening to hand over his documentation and shipping manifests to the authorities if he wasn’t rescued, he demanded his rebel contacts strike at the two Carrack cruisers orbiting the planet so he could escape in his private yacht. A deal, after all, was a deal. He had done a good bit to aid the Alliance. Since they had yet to pay him, the least they could do was save his skin.
The Imperial detachment seeking to take Nol into custody was ravaged by heavy weapons fire as it approached from the west. An anti-infantry battery, cleverly camouflaged and perched on a nearby hill, had scored a lucky hit on one of the LAVs, and slaughtered its crew as they sought to bail out. Blasters from the wooded ridge dead ahead inflicted four more casualties before the field commander, Capt. Pieder, could restore order. Issuing orders for his subordinate, Lt. Grumm, to storm the ridge and take out the battery, Pieder left with two squads of line infantry in an attempt to find an alternate approach route. Grumm assumed command of the engineer squad and sole remaining LAV. Neither officer was aware of the battle that was simultaneously being fought amongst the stars.
Rules:
· 10-Turn time limit.
· Each grunt is worth 1 VP.
· Each leader (Grumm or the Criminal sub boss) is worth 3 VPs.
· The battery is worth 6 VPs.
· The Chariot is worth 5 VPs.
· For those who don’t have the character creation rules, Tactics is a heroic skill that allows the Imperial officer (at the beginning of each Turn after activation rolls have been made) to increase the activation level of every soldier in a single friendly team by one band on the table, or decrease the activation levels of a single opposing team within LOS. This represents his battlefield intuition. Tough is covered in the core SWTO rules and Shock Troop means he has a +1 bonus to Close Assault rolls. In addition, enemy troops conducting Opportunity Fire against him while he moves suffer a –1 to hit penalty due to his ability to duck, weave and find cover.
· Neither the Chariot nor the Anti-Infantry Battery are affected by the presence or absence of a leader as they are attachments.
· Imperial teams suffer separation anxiety if Grumm is out of range. The criminal teams suffer if Keega (their leader) is out of range.
Battleground: 2’ x 4’. The northern most 12” of the field should be wooded terrain, with a dirt road approximately 4 inches wide dividing the forest down the middle and continuing to the southern edge of the board. The Anti-infantry battery should sit perched on a minor hill, no more than 6” from the northern table edge. The criminal infantry may deploy anywhere inside the forested terrain. The Imperial troopers may be placed anywhere within 5” of the southern edge, in an open field. The Imperial player may play d6 pieces of terrain/cover on the “open field” south of the forest, the first being a burning LAV. After that, he may place copses of trees no more than 4 inches wide and 2 inches thick. Other terrain features could include a small wooden farmhouse (abandoned), boulders or a fence.
Imperial Faction
Platoon Leader: Lt. Grumm (Major Hero) – rolled using character creation rules. / Affiliation: EmpireQuality / Motive / Move / Armor / Weapons: Heavy Blaster Pistol
Trained / Standard / 10 / N/A / Skills/ Notes: Shock Troop, Tactics and Tough
Squad Designation / Quality / Motive / Weapons and Armour
(NCO) Sgt. Fachs/Team A / Veteran / Standard / Lgt Armor (MV 8) and Blaster Rifle
Cpl. Nawat/Team A / Trained / Standard / Lgt. Armor (MV 8) and T-21
Trooper Krix/Team A / Green / Standard / Lgt. Armor (MV 8) and Blaster Rifle
Trooper Sassal/Team B / Trained / Reluctant / Lgt. Armor (MV 8), Carbine and 2 TDs
Trooper Wallach/Team B / Trained / Standard / Lgt. Armor (MV 8), Carbine and 2 TDs
Trooper Kint/Team B / Green / Standard / Lgt. Armor (MV 8), Carbine and 2 TDs
Trooper Pokash/Team B / Trained / Standard / Lgt. Armor (MV 8), Carbine and 2 TDs
Vehicles/Support Attachment: Chariot LAV / Affiliation: Empire
Quality / Motive / Size / Armor / Move: 40 clear, 40 rough, 16 woods, 40 road, 40 water (skimmer)
Trained
/ Standard / Medium / Light 2D / Armament: Light Blaster Cannon 3DVS.
Platoon Leader: Sub Boss (Keega) / Affiliation: CriminalQuality / Motive / Move / Armor / Weapons: Light Repeater
Veteran / Reluctant / 6 / Hvy / Skills/ Notes: Standard Leader, +1 activation bonus to teams in range.
Squad Designation / Quality / Motive / Weapons and Armour
Criminal 1/Team A / Veteran / Standard / Blaster Rifle
Criminal 2/Team A / Green / Standard / Carbine and Light Armor (MV 8)
Criminal 3/Team A / Trained / Standard / Heavy Blaster Pistol
Criminal 4/Team A / Trained / Standard / Heavy Blaster Pistol
Criminal 5/Team B / Trained / Reluctant / Blaster Rifle
Criminal 6/Team B / Trained / Reluctant / Heavy Blaster Pistol
Criminal 7/Team B / Green / Reluctant / Blaster Rifle
Criminal 8/Team B / Standard / Reluctant / Blaster Rifle
Criminal 9/Team B / Veteran / Standard / Blaster Rifle
Vehicles/Support Attachment: Anti-Infantry Battery / Affiliation: Criminal
Quality / Motive / Size / Armor / Move: None