Yesterday I detailed the rules I use to create a cooperative campaign for X-Wing: The Miniatures Game (1st Edition). Over the last couple of years, my young Padawans have taken on the role of pilots in the Rebel Alliance’s Brown Squadron, fighting against the Galactic Empire’s presence in the Outer-Rim backwater system of Treveen.
This scenario was shamelessly ripped off from the excellent Yarkshiregamer Blog and the scenario map below is his.
Mission 1 – Graduation Day
Pre-Mission Admin
A
s discussed in the campaign rules, each player starts with a Rebellion Grant of 22 Galactic Credits (GC), which is enough to buy a basic fighter with some upgrades (or a B-Wing heavy fighter with no upgrades whatsoever). The players therefore start the campaign deciding what ships and upgrades to buy:
Pilot ‘Boba Feck’ purchases a Z-95 Headhunter (12 GC) and gets 10 GC cashback. He buys a Pilot Skill (PS) upgrade to PS2 for 4 GC and a Shield Upgrade modification for a further 4 GC. He then banks the remaining 2 GC.
Pilot ‘Wraith 7’ purchases a T-65 X-Wing (21 GC) and gets 1 GC cashback. He grabs the Integrated Astromech modification (free) and spends his remaining 1 GC on an R4-D6 Astromech.
Pilot ‘Garf-i’Eld’ purchases a T-65 X-Wing (21 GC) and gets 1 GC cashback, which he spends on a standard R2 Astromech.
Pilot ‘Qui-Gon Rum’ purchases an A-Wing (17 GC) and gets 5 GC cashback, which he spends on Homing Missiles.
Mission Roster
Boba Feck (PS 2) – Z-95 Headhunter – 0 missions – 0 kills – Shield Upgrade Modification – 2 GC banked
Wraith 7 (PS 1) – T-65 X-Wing PS – 0 missions – 0 kills – Integrated Astromech Modification, R4-D6 Astromech – 0 GC banked
Garf-i’Eld (PS 1) – T-65 X-Wing – 0 missions – 0 kills – Shield Upgrade Modification, R2 Astromech – 0 GC banked
Qui-Gon Rum (PS 1) – A-Wing – 0 missions – 0 kills – Homing Missiles – 0 GC banked
Briefing
Congratulations on graduating as a new fighter pilot and welcome to Brown Squadron here in the Treveen System! As you know, the Treveen System is something of a backwater of the Empire and has minimal garrison forces. With a little push, the Rebellion could gain ground here.
So to today’s mission: normally you would walk out to your new ship. However, we are presently short of ships, but as it happens, the Empire has a depot for captured military equipment on Treveen 6 and it’s only lightly guarded. Our agents working in the depot have prepared ships in accordance with your preferences and all you have to do now is to steal them from under the Imperials’ noses.
Other Rebel forces will distract the occupying forces whilst you are dropped into the depot by assault shuttle. Get to your chosen ship, get it started and get out of there!
Good Luck and May the Force be with you.
Set Up
Set up as shown above, using a standard 3′ x 3′ space mat. Brown Squadron sets up within Range 1 of one board-edge, while the Imperial Garrison Squadron sets up within Range 1 of the opposite board-edge.
Empire ships are randomly allotted based on number and type of Rebel ships, using the method described in the Campaign Emperor’s section of the campaign rules. In our game this amounted to three Academy-level TIE Fighters (PS 1), a Scimitar Squadron TIE Bomber (PS 2) an Avenger Squadron TIE Interceptor (PS 3) and a TIE Fighter piloted by the Imperial ace known as ‘Backstabber’ (PS 6).
Special Rules
Starting your ship – During the Planning Phase, roll 1 attack die per level of pilot skill plus one (i.e. a PS 1 pilot rolls 2 dice and a PS 2 pilot rolls 3 dice). Hits are accumulated and carried over into subsequent turns and you need 5 accumulated hits of any type to start your ship. The ship may then move during the turn in which the engines started. If not done by turn 4, the ground-crew droids will get the ship started for you during that turn.
Targeting ships on the ground – An attacking ship must be within range 2 in order to engage ground-targets. Each rebel ship is in a bunker and gains 3 extra hull-points while on the ground. However, they have no shields while on the ground. Critical hits have no effect if they are hitting the bunkers’ three hull-points. Rebel ships on the ground do not use their Agility rating, but instead simply defend with 2 green defence dice, regardless of ship-type. Rebel ships can’t fire or use actions while on the ground.
Force Field – The Empire have set up a planetary force field so no ship can jump to hyperspace until the start of turn 6 when a bomb pre set by resistance fighters on the plant will blow the generator. Use the tracking tokens to keep track of the turn.
After-Action Report
Above: The Imperial ships close in fast, keen to attack the Rebels while they’re still on the ground. Boba Feck’s Z-95 is first out of the traps, closely followed by Garf-i’Eld’s X-Wing. Wraith 7 and Qui-Gon Rum finally manage to get their ships started just as the hangars collapse around them under a hail of Imperial fire!
No Rebel ships are damaged on the ground, though Qui-Gon’s A-Wing is raked by ‘Backstabber’ and the TIE Bomber as he climbs away.
The Imperial TIE pilots manage to pull up out of their attack and turn to pursue. However, the TIE Interceptor pushes his luck and only just manages to avoid smacking into the planet (i.e. flying off the edge of the board)!
Above: Despite being damaged, Qui-Gon bravely turns his A-Wing back into the fight, followed by Boba’s Z-95. They engage in a head-on duel with the TIEs. Garf’s X-Wing (here on the right) turns back to flank the pursuing TIEs and concentrates his fire on the TIE Bomber. However, Wraith’s X-Wing (on the left) is being badly shot up by the TIE on his tail.
The news comes through that Rebel resistance fighters have now blown the planetary shield generator – all Rebel pilots now start spooling up their hyperdrives, though it’s slow work…
Above: Qui-Gon’s A-Wing suffers badly in the head-on pass against the mass of TIE Fighters, though manages to give as good as he gets. As he dodges through the Imperial formation, he lines up on the TIE pursuing Wraith. However, he fails to notice the TIE Interceptor (at the top of the picture), which has finally managed to turn back toward the fight and is about to re-engage…
Boba Feck meanwhile makes the first kill; downing one of the TIEs. Garf’s X-Wing meanwhile (here on the left), continues to chip away at the TIE Bomber.
Wraith (here on the right), already in trouble, now finds himself head-to-head with ‘Backstabber’, who rakes his X-Wing with accurate fire. Wraith loses his R2 unit as the plucky droid sacrifices himself to keep the ship flying. The R2’s sacrifice soon pays off, as Wraith’s return volley finds its mark and blows Backstabber’s TIE apart! The other Rebel pilots can only look on in envy as Wraith collects the huge bounty that had been placed on Backstabber’s head…
Amazingly, Wraith quickly follows this up with further success, as he destroys a second TIE!
Above: The TIE Interceptor finally gets back into the fight and fires an accurate volley into Qui-Gon, as he flashes across in front of him. The A-Wing disintegrates, though Qui-Gon manages to eject safely and is eventually picked up by a rescue team. The TIE Interceptor quickly loops around, though not quick enough to stop Boba raking him. Boba also executes a hard turn, lining up for another shot before the hyperdrive kicks in.
The TIE Bomber is also suffering heavy damage, thanks to Garf’s incessant fire. However, the wily bomber pilot has one last trick up his sleeve and deposits a proton bomb right in the middle of the dogfight, before accelerating away and looping back at maximum power! Wraith, Garf and the TIE Interceptor all get a face-full of protons as the bomb detonates. This is too much for Wraith’s poor X-Wing, which finally gives up the fight, just as the hyperdrive is about to engage! Wraith thankfully manages to eject and is later smuggled back to Rebel lines by the local resistance. However, his bulging wallet goes down with the X-Wing!
Above: Garf is quick to exact revenge for Wraith and destroys the TIE Bomber as it attempts to turn back into the fight. Avoiding fire from the last surviving TIE Fighter, his hyperdrive finally engages and he jumps out, followed by Boba’s Z-95.
With the escape of half the stolen ships, the Rebellion has won its first victory in the Treveen system! It is only a small victory, but it has given heart to the Resistance and as the Jedi Masters would say, “From little Nerfling-podules do mighty Nerf-herds grow.” Wise, if incomprehensible words, indeed…
Post-Mission Admin
Pilot ‘Boba Feck’, having survived the mission intact and killing a TIE Fighter, has 10 GC to spend (8 GC bounty, plus 2 GC banked). He buys a pilot skill upgrade to PS3 for 6 GC and Cluster Missiles for 4 GC.
Pilot ‘Wraith 7’, despite having shot down two TIE Fighters (including the ace ‘Backstabber’) and having earned a pot of cash, was sadly shot down and therefore lost his loot. However, he ejected safely and earns a 2 GC bounty for contributing to Brown Squadron’s successful completion of the mission. He uses his Rebellion Grant to buy another T-65 X-Wing for 21 GC, receiving 1 GC cashback. He once again installs the free Integrated Astromech modification and spends his 3 GC on the R5-D8 Astromech.
Pilot ‘Garf-i’Eld’, having destroyed a TIE Bomber and survived intact, arrives back at base with 9 GC bounty. He uses 4 GC to increase his pilot skill to PS2 and 4 GC to install a Shield Upgrade modification. He banks the remaining 1 GC.
Pilot ‘Qui-Gon Rum’, having ejected safely, earns 2 GC for completing the mission. He uses his Grant to buy another A-Wing, receiving 5 GC cashback. He buys Proton Rockets for 3 GC and a Stealth Device modification for 3 GC. The remaining 1 GC is banked.