Scenario: the Phoenix Ship Yards

I put this scenario together awhile back, but was waiting to post it until I'd
had a chance to playtest it. At the rate I'm going, we'll all be dead of old
age first, so....

A couple months back someone mentioned the Star Trek episode in which Riker
has to get this junky old ship operational in time for a “wargame” with the
Enterprise. Yeah, I know, pretty lame episode, but it gave me an interesting
idea....

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SCENARIO: ASSAULT ON THE PHOENIX SHIP YARDS

BACKGROUND:

The war had not been going well for the Blues. Their last battle with the Reds
had seen half the 3rd Fleet destroyed. The other half of 3rd Fleet had
escaped, badly damaged, only because the CV “Valiant” and her fighters had
sacrificed themselves to allow the other ships to reach the warp point. While
the surviving 3rd Fleet ships limped off to the Phoenix Ship Yards for
repairs, Blue’s remaining ships scrambled to reorganize themselves. Until the
remnants of 3rd Fleet could be repaired, they were going to be stretched very
thin....

Meanwhile, Red had succeeded in capturing the Blue Destroyer “Atlantic” in the
last battle. The Atlantic’s crew had attempted to purge their computers prior
to capture, but were unable to finish the job before the Red boarding parties
seized control. Most of Blue’s strategic and tactical plans had been erased,
but Red analysts were able to recover one interesting bit of information: the
classified location of the Phoenix Ship Yards....

OPPOSING FORCES:

The Attacking Red force consists of 2 capitals, 6 cruisers, and 7 escorts,
with 5 fighter groups. The Defending Blue forces include the space yard’s own
defenses -- 1 space station, 2 non-FTL cruisers, 2 non-FTL escorts and 4
fighter groups -- and the remnants of Blue’s 3rd Fleet -- 2 capitals, 4
cruisers and 9 escorts, with 2 partial fighter groups. Repair crews have
finished repairing the hull damage on the 3rd Fleet ships, but not all the
ships’ systems have yet been brought back on line.

[I’ve used mostly “stock” ship designs here, just to make the post
shorter. Obviously, you can all substitute your own designs. The Blues have
roughly a 50% advantage in both points and mass, but the bulk of their forces
are not fully operational.]

ATTACKING (RED) FORCES:

Red Fleet: (Total: 392 mass, 2859 points)

1 x Light Carrier (70 mass, 511 points)
      [2 x Attack Squadrons (with 1 “Ace”), 2 x Normal Squadrons]
1 x Battledreadnaught (60 mass, 449 points)
      [1 x Torpedo Squadron]
1 x Heavy Cruiser (32 mass, 238 points) 1 x Strike (Torpedo) Cruiser (28 mass,
198 points) 2 x Light Cruisers (22 mass, 190 points) 2 x Minesweepers (30
mass, 227 points)
      [Mineweeper, 2 x B-Bats (2-arc), 1 Screens, 1 x PDAF, Superior
Sensors] 2 x Destroyers (14 mass, 92 points) 2 x Torpedo Destroyers (14 mass,
86 points) 3 x Needle Destroyers (14 mass, 91 points)
      [6 Thrust, FTL, 3 x Needle Beams, 1 x PDAF]

Special Notes: None

DEFENDING (BLUE) FORCES:

System Defenses: Fully Operational (266 mass, 1397)

Phoenix Space Station (170 mass, 693 points) 3 x Normal Fighter Squadrons (1
average, 3 turkeys)
       4 x A-batteries (P/F) (F/S) (S/Aft) (Aft/P)
       4 x B-batteries (P/F/S) (F/S/Aft) (S/Aft/P) (Aft/P/F)
4 x Pulse Torpedo Tubes (P) (F) (S) (Aft)
       4 x ADAF
       4 x PDAF
       Level-3 Screens
Superior Sensors
       5 Firecons
5 Damage Control Parties

2 x System Defense Cruisers (32 mass, 252 points) 2 x System Patrol Boats (16
mass, 100 points)
     [8 THR, no FTL, 2 x B-batteries (3-arc), Pulse Torpedo, PDAF]
50 Mines (6” range, hit on a 3 or better and do 1d6 damage like a pulse
torpedo)

3rd Fleet Ships: Partially Operational (334 mass, 2460 points)

1 x Superdreadnaught (80 mass, 580 points)
     [1 x Interceptor Squadron (4 fighters)]
     [1 x Normal Squadron (3 fighters)]
1 x Battleship (48 mass, 447 points) 1 x Heavy Cruiser (32 mass, 238 points) 1
x Medium Cruiser (28 mass, 234 points)
     [5 Thrust, 1 x A-bat, 2 x B-bats, LVL-2 screens, 1 x PDAF]
2 x Escort Cruisers (26 mass, 195 points) 2 x Destroyers (14 mass, 92 points)
2 x Torpedo Destroyers (14 mass, 86 points) 3 x Frigates (10 mass, 65 points)
2 x Scouts (4 mass, 28 points)

Special Notes:

Before the beginning of the game, all Blue 3rd Fleet ships (not the system
defense ships or the station) must make a threshold check -- systems are
“down” on a roll of 5-6. If either hanger bay on the SDN is down, then
the fighters are still there, but cannot launch until the bay is successfully
repaired.

All Blue 3rd Fleet Ships have twice the normal number of damage control
parties (ship yard repair crews). However, no repair rolls can be made before
turn 2.

Additionally, all Blue 3rd Fleet ships start the game with their engines
powered down: they may not move or use any weapons or systems until the
engines have been charged. Starting at the beginning of turn 1 (before orders
are written), for each ship roll 1d6 and note the score. Once a ship’s
cumulative total has reached 6, its engines are charged and it may operate
normally. Engines only need to be charged once.

SET-UP:

I wrote this scenario for my kitchen floor, which is 100” by 100”. We’ll call
the bottom left corner (0”, 0”) and the top right corner (100”, 100”). Heading
12 is towards the top (y=100”).

The warp point to enter or leave the system is at (50”, 0”). All Red ships
enter the table within 10” of the warp point; heading 11, 12 or 1; velocity 12
or less. (FT rules on entering the table under FTL do not apply.) Up to 5
ships may use the warp point the same turn. (Fighters may enter already
launched, but each individual fighter counts toward the 5-ship limit!)
Ships “warp in” during the movement phase, and that counts as the ship’s
movement for that turn.

Before set-up begins, Red must determine when his ships will enter the
table. Up to 5 ships may start on the table (having warped in on “turn 0”),
and may move normally on turn 1. All ships which do not start on the table
must have specified in their orders on what turn they will enter; again, up to
5 ships may enter per turn.

Blue sets up first. The space station is in the center of the playing area
(50”, 50”). The 4 non-FTL ships must start within 20” of the station on
any heading, velocity 12 or less. All 3rd Fleet ships must start within 40” of
the “top” (y=100”). All 3rd Fleet ships start out stationary; roll randomly to
determine ships’ headings. All mines must be deployed between y=20 and
y=60.

Blue may not start with any fighters launched. The station has 2 squadrons
ready to launch and 2 on standby. It may launch up to 2 squadrons starting on
turn 1; the other two may launch normally starting on turn 4, or attempt to
“scramble” starting on turn 2 (roll on the table in MT). Similarly, the Blue
SDN may launch its fighters starting on turn 4 (assuming the bays are
operational), or scramble them starting on turn 2.

Red sets up last, placing his starting ships within 10” of the warp point;
heading 11, 12 or 1; velocity 12 or less. The rest of his ships enter on the
turn specified in their orders.

WITHDRAWAL:

In order to escape by FTL, a ship must be within 10” of the warp point;
heading 5, 6, or 7; velocity 12 or less when it activates it’s FTL drive. FT
restrictions on leaving the table by FTL do not apply, unless more than 5
ships (including launched fighters) are trying to use the warp point at once;
in this case, each ship must roll a die as per p24 of FT.

Any ship that leaves the table other than through the warp point has withdrawn
from the battle and may not return, but has not escaped the system. At the end
of the game any ships that withdrew in this manner count as “survived” if
their side controls the system, or as “destroyed” if their opponent controls
the system.

VICTORY POINTS:

At the end of the game, whichever side has the most mass of
ships/stations
left on the map controls the system.

Each side gets: 1 point per mass of enemy ship destroyed 2 points per mass of
enemy ship captured

Red gets: 1 point per 2 mass of Red ship that survives 340 points for
destroying the station 500 points for capturing the station

Blue gets: 1 point per 1 mass of Blue ship that survives 340 points if the
station survived (mines don’t count towards victory points)

You only get victory points for capturing an enemy ship if you get it out
through the warp point, or if your side controls the table at the end of the
game.