Thursday, February 27, 2014

Mission 4 - A Goodbye Kiss

(based on the original campaign by Jim Chadwick, originally posted in http://boardgamegeek.com/thread/945073/the-erasmus-campaign-feedbackrequested)

Rebels (125 points)
- 3 Green Squadron A-Wings with Assault Missiles and Push the Limit (71 points)

- 1 Red Squadron X-Wing (23 points)
- 1 Rookie X-Wing (21 points)

Imperials (100 points)
- Mauler Mithel, with Squad Leader and Stealth Device (22 points)

- 1 Black Squadron TIE Fighter with Elusiveness (16 points)
- 1 Obsidian Squadron TIE Fighter (13 points)
- 1 Storm Squadron Advanced TIE with Concussion Missiles (27 points)
- 1 Saber Squadron TIE Interceptor with Veteran Instincts (22 points)




Episode IV

A GOODBYE KISS
(epic background music)

It is a period of civil war.
After the destruction of the Death Star in the battle of Yavin,
the Rebel Alliance has tried to establish a new secret base  in the Erasmus System.
Some days ago, they managed to destroy most of the Echo Net satellites
that connected the system to the Core Worlds.  

The Rebel Alliance has prepared a parting attack against the space station 
that houses the Imperial garrison of the Erasmus system.
Nevertheless, Imperial scouts have detected the Rebel attack force and prepared 
a piecemeal squadron to defend the approach to the base.

Shortly after the attack, in the bridge of the Devastator Star Destroyer,
Darth Vader receives the report of the battle from Commander Louis Majorl.
 

 
Commander Majorl: Your Excellency, urgent report from the Erasmus System. The Rebels attacking the Erasmus system have been defeated and suffered grievous losses in their last attack.

The battle was fought in an asteroid field that protects the Erasmus space station

Darth Vader: (with an annoyed expression) I see, report, Commander!
 
The main Rebel force advanced using their left flank, while the Imperials decided to throw all their defense to the Rebel's weakest flank
Commander Majorl: The Rebels outnumbered our troops, so we used one TIE Fighter as a decoy against their stronger flank, while the rest of our spaceships charged full speed against their weaker flank.
 
 
Mauler Mithel positions himself behind the TIE Advanced to help guide the missiles as Squad Leader.
A risky maneuver, as all Rebel A-Wings were armed with Assault Missiles that may cause a lot of damage to ship groups.

Thanks to their better piloting skills, the Imperial defenders caught the weakest Rebel flank in a compromised position

 
 
Meanwhile, two of the Rebel best ships start pursuing an elusive TIE Fighter
 
Commander Majorl: Part of their stronger flank tried to come to the rescue of their weaker flank but their advance was disturbed by some asteroids.
 
The Rebel reinforcements suffered trying to reach their surrounded colleagues
(the Y-Wing in the photo is an A-Wing proxy)


 
Commander Majorl: The TIE Advanced blew away the shields of the first A-Wing with an accurate missile shot. Then, the Saber TIE Interceptor finished him off...The day started looking bright for our defenders!

The Imperials managed to take advantage of their numerical superiority in one of the flanks

The decoy Black Squadron TIE Fighter keeps fleeing from the main Rebel flank


Commander Majorl: The Saber TIE Interceptor continued with his amazing streak by destroying the A-Wing that had come to try to help the weaker Rebel wing. I would like to propose this pilot, Trel Skutu, to be given the honors of an ace pilot! He should also be commended for the Silver Valor medal.
 
 
The Saber TIE Interceptor used his superior Pilot Skill to his big advantage... 2nd kill for him!

 
Commander Majorl: The Rebels tried to bring their stronger flank into combat, even though their situation already looked hopeless. But Trel Skutu was on fire, and both his maneuvering and precision shooting were outstanding.

After finishing the A-Wings, the defenders moved to flank an X-Wing that remained isolated.

The Red Pilot target locks the Interceptor, but a timely Barrel Roll action allows the TIE Interceptor to both roll around the asteroid and avoid the Red Pilot's line of fire while targeting him at short range
A perfect roll for the Interceptor: 4 Damage in one roll!

Red Pilot had lost his shields in a previous exchange of fire;
the final Interceptor blast puts him out of action

Commander Majorl: The Rebels lost three of their best ships and we suffered only minor damage to one of our TIE Fighters... A brilliant victory for the Empire!
 
(cheers of celebration can be heard in the bridge, and some champagne bottles are opened)

Darth Vader: (with a dour semblance) I see... Your men may take the rest of the day off... I'll be in my quarters, considering our strategy for the next days...



(scene changes to Vader's quarters; he is considering his right hand with an eager facial expression)
 
Darth Vader: 
 
To be, or not to be - that is the question
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer 
the cravings of the Dark Force
Or to accept the victories against a sea of rebels
And by celebrating end them. To choke, to party
No more -- and by to party to say we end 
The heartache, and the intense dark lure
That flesh is heir to. 'Tis a consummation
Devoutly to be wished. To enter, to slumber - 
To slumber -- perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub,
For in that slumber of darkness what dreams may come
When we have transcended this mortal coil,
Must give us pause. There's the respect
That makes calamity of so long life.
For who would bear the whips and scorns of time,
When he himself might the Force Darkness embrace,
For conscience does make weaklings of us all,
And thus the native hue of resolution
Is sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought...
A drunken trooper out of his post! 
Oh, Galaxy far far away, in my orisons
Be all my sins remembered.

(curtain falls while the Trooper grabs his throat as if choking, Vader looking intently in the background)

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Mission 3 - Big Game Hunting

(based on the original campaign by Jim Chadwick, originally posted in http://boardgamegeek.com/thread/945073/the-erasmus-campaign-feedbackrequested)

Rebels (100 points)
- 3 Red Squadron X-Wings, one of them with the R2 Astromech (70 points)

- Wedge Antilles, with an R5 Astromech (30 points)

Imperials (100 points)
- Mauler Mithel, with Squad Leader and Stealth Device (22 points)

- 1 Obsidian Squadron TIE Fighter (13 points)
- 1 Academy TIE Fighter (12 points)
- 1 Storm Squadron Advanced TIE with Concussion Missiles and Shield Upgrade (31 points)
- 1 Saber Squadron TIE Interceptor with Veteran Instincts (22 points)



Episode III

BIG GAME HUNTING
(background music: Bob Marley's Bad Boys)

It is a period of civil war.
After the destruction of the Death Star in the battle of Yavin,
the Rebel Alliance has tried to establish a new secret base  in the Erasmus System.
Some days ago, they managed to destroy most of the Echo Net satellites
that connected the system to the Core Worlds.  

In the last days, there have been many attacks on Imperial convoys
and the Moff of the Erasmus system has issued an order to increase Imperial patrols.
Meanwhile, the Rebels are preparing an attack on the garrison station 
and many of their pilots are approaching the established rendezvous point.

A group of reporters is accompanying an Imperial patrol that has installed a speed trap 
near the hyperspace entrance of the Erasmus System.

Reporter: Good morning, Coruscant! Today we'll accompany some of our brave soldiers in their efforts to police a dangerous Outer Rim sector. Rumors abound that some criminal elements of the self-called Rebellion Alliance have been causing trouble in the system. We have been allowed to accompany Sergeant Brutus Joy and his platoon. Sergeant Joy, are you proud of your job defending the Galactic Civilization from pirates, smugglers and other undesirables?

Sergeant Brutus Joy: Well, many of these systems are not happy with the advantages brought to them by civilization... They prefer their old and savage ways, if you know what I mean... (a high pitched whizzing noise can be heard through the datacom)... What the hell was that? Those ships must be going at least 100 Parsecs above the speed limit! They are endangering other pilots with their reckless maneuvers!... Message to all Troopers! Stop those ships immediately!


Wedge Antilles approaches the Rebel rendezvous point at high speed with an X-Wing escort

Trooper Kenny Jax: Unidentified vessel, your speed is 105 Parsecs above the limit in the Erasmus approach corridor. Please stop your ship and be ready for inspection.


The Rebel pilots pass by the Erasmus' approach corridor speed trap


Captain Antilles: Erh... Could we leave this in a warning, Sir? I overslept and I'm getting late to work, you know?

Trooper Kenny Jax: (mumbling to himself) Man, I'm too old for this crap... Thankfully I only have 2 more months to retire... Stop your ship immediately before I shoot you down!
An Obsidian Squadron pilot tries to block the path of Captain Antilles and his X-Wing friends



 Captain Antilles: OK, time to get serious... Take this, you evil Imperial scum...


The TIE fighter had no chance against Antilles

Trooper Kyle Sularen: Oh my, they killed Kenny!... You'll pay for that, dirty scoundrels!
Antilles flees escorted by his Wing companions, but the Empire traffic agents are closing in




Trooper Cartman Zherooh: I'll block his escape!
 
A TIE Inteceptor places himself just in front of Antilles and prevents him from moving away

 
Trooper Kyle Sularen: Good move, Cartman! Sergeant, I have a good lock on the felon...

Sergeant Stan Nilar
: Trooper Sularen, permission to engage the fugitive with any force you deem necessary!



While an Advanced TIE gets a good lock on Antilles
Mauler Mithel orders him to focus fire while getting rid of Antilles' shields

Trooper Kyle Sularen: Oook, let's start with a warning shot... (swoosh sound)... Oh, #&!k... I think I pressed the wrong button and launched my missiles!


A lucky missile shot from the TIE Advanced blows to pieces Captain Antilles' ship

Sergeant Stan Nilar: Well done, Trooper! It may seem a harsh sentence for speeding, but it's the only way to teach people how to pilot with caution... spare the missile, spoil the speed limit breaker...


Reporter: And a good show of how our valiant Troopers are civilizing the frontier, one system at a time.
 
(meanwhile, in the Rebel rendezvous point)
Rebel Commander: I cannot believe it! Antilles is late again... What silly excuse will he invent today?... Anyway, no time to wait for him to start our mission... Pilots, to your ships! Let's get rid of Erasmus' Imperial garrison once and for all.






Saturday, February 15, 2014

Mission 2 - The Heist

(based on the original campaign by Jim Chadwick, originally posted in http://boardgamegeek.com/thread/945073/the-erasmus-campaign-feedbackrequested)

As we still don't have a Lambda shuttle, we played using the old version of the mission.

Rebels (100 points)
- 3 Red Squadron X-Wings, two of them with the R5 Astromech (71 points)

- "Dutch" Vander Y-Wing, with an R5 Astromech and an Ion Cannon Turret (29 points)

Imperials (90 points)
- 1 Storm Squadron Advanced TIE with Concussion Missiles (27 points)
- 1 Tempest Squadron Advanced TIE (21 points)
- 2 Black SquadronTIEs with Veteran Instincts (30 points)
- 1 Academy TIE (12 points)



Episode II

THE HEIST
(epic background music)

It is a period of civil war.
After the destruction of the Death Star in the battle of Yavin,
the Rebel Alliance has tried to establish a new secret base  in the Erasmus System.
Some days ago, they managed to destroy most of the Echo Net satellites
that connected the system to the Core Worlds.

Information has now reached their ears that some spare parts
and upgrade components have been sent to the Erasmus garrison.
A valiant group of Rebel pilots has been assembled to carry out
another daring strike against the Empire and capture the Shuttle
and thus gain access to the new technologies their intelligence
places on the minds of the scientists aboard the Shuttle.

Shortly after the attack, in the bridge of the Devastator Star Destroyer,
Darth Vader receives the report of the battle from Commander Louis Majorl.

Commander Majorl: Your Excellency, urgent report from the Erasmus System. Our spies were correct in their previous report and the decoy worked admirably...

While a Senatorial Shuttle with scientists and upgrade components approaches the main planet in the Erasmus System...
... a select group of experienced Rebel pilots goes out of hyperspace in tight formation


Darth Vader: Yes, Commander? How well did the new recruits fight? I hope this was an interesting exercise for them.

The Rebel fighters start their attack, the X-Wings escorting the famous "Dutch" Vance pilot... their goal: capture the scientists in the Shuttle alive

Commander Majorl: They executed a pincer maneuver. The advanced TIEs charged head on, protected as they were by their shields, while the TIEs flanked the Rebel formation in an attempt to gain positional advantage.

Expert Storm pilot guides the Tempest rookie in evasive maneuvers against the Rebel formation in an attempt to keep them occupied and away from the Shuttle

Meanwhile, the TIEs start flanking the Rebel fighters, the rookie Academy pilot taking the farthest position


Commander Majorl: The shields and maneuverability of the advanced TIEs proved strong against the focused fire of the Rebel attackers and they managed to disrupt their formation.

The rookie Tempest pilot flew a bit too eager into the Rebel formation creating chaos in their ranks but failing to cause much serious damage. The veteran Storm, in the meantime, dishes out some serious damage on the leading X-Wing

Commander Majorl: One of our veteran TIE pilots died due to a lucky shot from an X-Wing escort.
'nough said!

Commander Majorl: Heavily damaged, the Rebel ships barely escaped the pincer maneuver and started chasing the Shuttle.

The Rebel formation turns their attention to the escaping Shuttle

Commander Majorl: They nevertheless were too late to prevent it from reaching the planet's atmosphere. Most satisfactorily, during the dogfight our pilots managed to destroy one X-Wing and the Y-Wing of the notorious Rebel scum "Dutch" Vander... it is too soon to know for sure, but apparently he died when his Y-Wing exploded and was unable to escape the conflagration!

"Dutch" Vander could not escape the wrath of the combined sustained fire from the four TIEs

DarthVader (a bit somber): Ehm, brilliant news indeed. Now we know for sure the Rebels have a keen interest in the system, our double agent is feeding them very useful false information... And all of this without any risk, as the Shuttle with the components already arrived to Erasmus two days ago... Start preparing a strike force to attack their base in the System as soon as our informers find its location. I don't want to miss the chance!
  
Commander Majorl: Yes, Lord Vader! I will start immediately with the preparations! (he wanders away and starts shouting orders)

DarthVader (murmuring morosely to himself): A pity, as my fist is now itching with the Force... Well, I'm pretty sure some of these nitwits will fail miserably at some point and then I'll be able to exercise my grip before the hand grows numb...

Thursday, February 6, 2014

Mission 1 - Satellite Malfunctions

(based on the original campaign by Jim Chadwick, originally posted in http://boardgamegeek.com/thread/945073/the-erasmus-campaign-feedbackrequested)

Josh Messenger: Welcome to Coruscant News! The best source of information in the galaxy! Good evening to all our viewers. With me tonight is an special guest, Ben Mig-do, an officer of COMPNOR and our liasion with the Imperial Senate.

Ben Mig-do: Good evening, Josh.

Beni pushes forward with his X-Wings, full throttle towards the satellites,
while JL orders his TIEs to make a pincer maneuver
Josh Messenger: Ben, we have heard troubling rumors. Apparently the Imperial Navy has been unable to defend its citizens in the Outer Rim systems from the depredation of some mysterious individuals that call themselves the "Old Republic Alliance"... Is there any truth to such rumors?

Ben Mig-do: Well, Josh, as is customary with rumors, they are based on half truths. There was indeed a small group of malcontents that caused some trouble in the Outer Rim and attacked a prototype battle station that would, according to His Imperial Majesty Palpatine, end all wars. These thugs managed to cripple the battle station in the Yavin system. Fortunately, they have been apprehended and are now awaiting trial in Coruscant.

Beni's X-Wings speed through the asteroid field with JL's TIEs in hot pursuit


Josh Messenger: And what about the latest events in the Outer Rim... Several systems have lost contact with the Core Worlds.

Ben Mig-do: I'm pretty confident that our viewers understand that with so many systems, it is normal that some technical difficulties cause the communication relays to malfunction, specially in some of the most backward systems in the Outer Rim.

The X-Wings target lock the first satellite and start shooting it down,
while the TIEs realize their net had too many holes in it!
 
Josh Messenger: Fair enough, Ben, but some of these systems have not been contacted for several weeks now. Don't you feel worried?

Ben Mig-do: No, Josh, there's nothing to worry about. Several special teams from COMPNOR have been dispatched to the affected areas and none have found any signs of sabotage.
(Ben seems annoyed)

Three precise shots and the first satellite is blown to pieces.
Beni is ecstatic as he sees his strategy come to fruition, while JL cries with rage!

Josh Messenger: I'm not so sure, Ben. Some reporters on the ground are sending troubling news. Apparently some of the Outer Rim systems have stopped paying taxes to the Imperial Senate.

Ben Mig-do: Now, now, Josh. I'm confident you would not give any credence to such deceptive falsehoods.
(Ben starts tapping something on a datapad)
JL's TIEs finally catch up with the X-Wings, but some of the asteroids get in their way!

Josh Messenger: Ben, I've seen the footage sent by these reporters, and there are some very angry demonstrations going on in many of those systems.

Ben Mig-do: Josh, I publicly declare, and this is COMPNOR's official standpoint, that those videos are complete fabrications to try to discredit the Imperial Senate in the eyes of the Core World citizens, but everybody knows that peace and lawfulness have never been so prevalent as with this New Order.
(Ben keeps tapping on his datapad)

One of the X-Wings is badly damaged, but keeps covering the front one

Josh Messenger: Oh, Ben! You cannot be serious. Many citizens in the street are protesting against the recent Alien Act laws that limit the movements of non-humans in the Core Worlds and...

Ben Mig-do: Josh, the Alien Act law was passed in the Senate for the protection of the non-human races. These peoples have been exploited systematically and need to be under Imperial tutelage.
(some marching boot sounds can be heard in the background before the image and the sound disappear)


With a final barrage of laser fire, the X-Wings destroy the second satellite...
The Erasmus system is now disconnected from the rest of the Galaxy!

(monotonous robotic female voice) Coruscant News is having technical difficulties... We are sorry for the inconvenience... Please stand by while we solve the glitch... You will soon receive the latest news of the Galaxy...



Mission Summary
Beni's odious rebels destroyed the Erasmus satellites and with that the livelihood and property of many industrious Imperial citizens.

JL has dispatched more troops to investigate the sabotage... The Empire always strikes back!

Once upon a time, in a room far far away...

And so it begins!

To start our X-Wing miniature games, we decided to search for interesting scenarios or campaigns in the Internet and found a great website: http://www.themetalbikini.com/

The Metal Bikini has a great campaign. It starts simple and gets complex as the players learn the game. Its story arc is fun, interesting and in line with the Star Wars universe, so I would suggest it to anybody out there looking for fun scenarios to play...

So, without further ado, let's fly!