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FULL THRUST

OPERATION GUILLOTINE

- a sneak attack on a space installation.

Life can get a bit routine as a Space Commander; deploy your fleet, smash into your opponent's fleet, run home and cry etc… I'm sure you know the drill. So to try and liven things up a little I came up with this scenario.

The setting in our case is a deep space installation, where it has been discovered by the aggressor's agents, that a large ship, ideally a big carrier or dreadnaught, is being built using stolen technology. The aggressors mission is to get in, neutralize the defences and seize the ship along with evidence that it is based on their designs. This of course involves boarding the ship and the installation. Destroying the ship is the next best option …
More Thrust (available for free download from GZG) has rules for installations, docked ships and calculations for the number of boarding marine teams available. The same system should be used to work out the defence troops. (Basically divide your remaining hull boxes by 4 at the time of any action involving them - in other words damage to your ship/station will reduce their numbers).

The designs for our installation are available here and are about 1500 points worth (including the fighters).
The problem for the defenders is that they have no idea the enemy are coming and can only react as the opponent moves into the game area. Also half of their fleet will be powered down and docked. A reverse threshold check is needed per turn (see More Thrust Docked rules) to activate the systems and get the ships online.

SETUP
Half the defenders points should be spent on the installation and half on the ships - a chunk of which should be on the target ship (well, it's got to be worth all the fuss hasn't it!) Of the ships available half again (so a ¼ of the total points) will be docked and powered down. This includes the target ship. The other ships will be spread out patrolling the locality.

The aggressor must arrive from a single area and as together as possible.


Remember an aggressor will often have more points than the defender in a more realistic setting - but this is up to you. (We balanced it at 3400 against about 2950 as the mission is actually quite tricky.)

Victory conditions.
A Minor attacker's victory is achieved by destroying the ship and the installation.
A Major victory is seizing the ship and at least 50% of the installation
A Minor defender's victory is achieved by keeping the target ship or 50% of the installation out of enemy hands.
A Major defender's victory is repelling the attackers and keeping or escaping with the ship.
The defender may not achieve a Major victory by destroying his own ship or space station but could force a draw (both sides having minor victories).
An NSL Strike fleet begins a boarding assault against an FSE Installation.