Space Infantry Campaign Game 2

Mission setup

After a brief respite, after the nightmare that was the first mission in the Hive, our merry band of Space Infantry are ready for their next mission. This will be mission 2 in the campaign and I really need a win in order to ensure I can get a decent number of VPs for the campaign. My first task is to find a mission. According to the Campaign Sheet I am still using Deck A and so I draw the top card to reveal mission S001. Thank goodness it isn’t another Hive mission.

Next I draw two more STRATOPs cards and get Mortar Support and Mines. Mortar Support won’t do me much good in this mission because all of the Nodes are indoors. Mines might be useful and it also comes with a Green Recruit point. Fire Team A was killed in the first mission and I want to get them back but I don’t know how many Line Recruit points I will get so I use a Green Recruit point. The unit is set to Ready and I add the Green trait to the unit.

There is nothing in the Mission Map or the Campaign Sheet that sets an enemy type for this mission so I use the Mercenaries who I picked to be the default enemy in this campaign. Mercenaries split their Range results evenly between Melee and Fire and so I will make sure I have a good mix of both types in the force I am taking. My base force will be:

• Squad Leader
• Veteran Assault Team A
• Fire Team B
• Veteran Heavy Weapons
• Snipers

I will also take some Specialists

• Technician
• Scientist
• Demolitionist

That is a total of 130 points. I will spend one of my two +20 Squad Point STRATOP cards and that will also mean that I am ten points under my Squad Point limit and will get an additional VP if I complete the mission.

For resources I take:

• Medkit x 3
• Intel x 2
• Grenade x 3

Hitting the ground

Turns 1 – 2

The first open Node ahead has a Security 3 requirement. I have two Specialists with the Skill and they both manage to get an SL each but that leaves me one short. I mark the Node with a 2 SL counter and move back to the starting location. It has been opened but there has not been an event so I get an RN which is a 0 and so there is no event here on the squad’s return.

The next turn the squad heads out and the Technician is able to get the one SL they need and the Node is now open. The RN for the event is a 6 and the RN for the enemy Presence Table is a 5. The Node’s event string is 5+/A and the 5 results on the Class A column of the Mercenaries EPT is 3 Soldiers. The Mercenaries have a Special Rule for Class A events and so I generate an RN for that. It is a 2 and so the Reinforcements rule doesn’t trigger. If it did then the Soldiers would have been replaced with an equal number of Battledrones and they are bad news.

Combat

The Squad Leader gets a CP and the range is set to Fire for this round. The Sniper generates one wound and the Heavy Weapon Team gets an RN of 5 which is increased to 6 because of their Advance Training trait. So that is three wounds. The Fire Team gets a 2 which is increased to a 3 with a CP. In total the squad generates five wounds. In return the Mercenaries generate three. I use a Med Kit to remove one wound and then assign one to the Sniper and one to the Fire Team.

There is only a single Soldier left and we get no CP but the range stays at Fire. The Sniper gets the final wound to remove the Soldier and it isn’t able to reciprocate.

Turns 3 – 5

One of the three Mission Nodes is right next to the squad and so that is where they go next. It has a requirement of Science 2 and the Scientist isn’t able to generate any SL this turn. We head back to the previous Node and then try again. The Scientist is able to get one SL but that still doesn’t open the Node. Finally on the next turn I use an Intel resource to get the two SL the squad need instead of waiting around for the Scientist. The Event string for the Node is 4+/B and the RN is a 0 so the squad is safe. This is one of three Mission nodes that the squad needs to visit.

Turn 6

Ahead of the squad is a 5+/A Security 2 Node. It is next to a lock icon which, in this scenario, means that if the squad tries to advance from it to the next Node on an RN of 3+ the bulkhead doors are locked and the squad will have to go back and take another route. Normally I wouldn’t take the risk and just head back now but that other Node is a Climb 2 Node that will require an Intel resource to clear and I want to save my last one for now. So forwards the squad goes!

No-one is able to generate a Security SL and so the squad heads back to the previous Node. The event RN is a 3 and so the squad avoids a Class B encounter again. The squad tries again and this time the Technician is able to open the Node on its own. The RN for the event is a 6 and so the squad gets a Class A event. The RN for the EPT is a 6 and so there are four Soldiers to fight. The Reinforcements test is a 7 and so the Soldiers are all replaced with Battledrones. The Battledrones are on F3 M4 units but they have a Forcefield that reduces Fire ranged damage unless the weapon is AP and so this can get a bit ugly.

Combat

The first combat round starts with the Squad Leader getting a CP and the range being set to Fire. The Sniper generates a Wound and I apply it to a Battledrone whose Forcefield will negate it. I mark that unit though so I won’t mistakenly negate any further wounds this round. The Heavy Weapon team generates three wounds. Two go on a new Battledrone and the third goes on the drone that was hit previously. The Fire Team does two wounds and one of those are applied to the first drone and then one to a new Battledrone which ignores it. In return the Battledrones generate two wounds. I use a Med Kit on one and then apply the second to the Assault Team. Two of the Battledrones are down.

Round two and the Squad Leader doesn’t generate a CP and the range stays at Fire. The squad generates five wounds and since the Heavy Weapons team has an AP weapon five of them go through and remove the rest of the Battledrones. They manage to get a single wound and I will use the last Med Kit to void it.

Turns 7-8

Across the bulkhead door from the squad is a 6+/A Demolitions 2 node. They try to advance and the door does not crash down on them locking them out! Luck is on my side. The Demolitionist is only able to get one SL though and so the squad heads back to their previous Node. Trying the bulkhead door again results in it still not locking. Maybe the Technician is doing something? The Demolitionist is able to get the second SL and the Node is open. Sadly the event RN is a 6 and so the squad gets a Class A event. The RN is a 1 which results in two Soldiers and they are not reinforced with Battledrones.

Combat

In the first combat round the Squad Leader generates a CP and the range is set to Fire. The Sniper, Heavy Weapon Team and Fire Team all generate one wound each but I have to spend the CP in order to do it. One Soldier is down and the other has a single wound left. The Soldiers only generate a single wound and I put it on the Demolitionist who has already done the job he was brought for. Sorry buddy.

There is no CP to use in the second round and the range stays at Fire. The Sniper puts the second Soldier down and it isn’t able to wound anyone in return. The Node is cleared. This Node is marked as a G class Resource Cache. I generate an RN and get a single Resource. I choose a Smoke Grenade to use in case I run into more Battledrones.

Turns 8 – 9

On to Building 01. The next Node has a requirement of Computer 1. Both the Technician and the Scientist generate an SL and so the Squad easily slips into the room. The RN for the event is a 1 and so the squad is able to avoid a confrontation with the Mercs.

The squad attempts to move into the second Mission Node but there is a Bulkhead they need to get through first and sadly the RN for it is a 3 and it slams shut and locks. Since they will have to go the long way I need to head back to Building 02 and go to the second Mission Node there. It is also an M Class Resource Cache and I will need to fill up on Med Kits if I have to take the long route.

Turn 10

The squad easily slips back into Building 02 and then attempts to move into the second Mission Node. It has a Security 2 requirement and the Technician only gets one SL and so the squad has to head back to the previous Node. Thankfully the event has been cleared there. They try again and this time I spend the Intel resource to clear the requirement. The squad enters and checks the 2+/B event and gets a 4 as the RN. This results in three Soldiers and one Sergeant. The RN for range is a 1 which starts the Combat off in Melee. I decide to avoid activating the Squad Leader as in Melee I will need someone to toss a grenade.

Combat

The Sniper misses, as you would expect, and the Assault Team generates 2 wounds. The Heavy Weapon team surprisingly does a Melee wound and the rest of the squad is without success. The Squad Leader decides to toss a grenade into the melee and In reply the Mercenaries generate 4 wounds! I remove the Technician (there are no Nodes left that require him), put a wound on the Heavy Weapon team and sadly have to remove the Fire Team and the Sniper.

The next combat round starts with the Squad Leader failing to generate a CP and the range staying at Melee. The squad only manages to get a single wound and the Mercenaries get two in return. I remove the Scientist and sadly decide to lose the Squad Leader. The Mercenaries lose their Sergeant which should hopefully make the next round easier.

The range expands to Fire and the Heavy Weapon team hits the remaining Soldier with 3 wounds. The Soldier does no wounds in return and happily the combat ends before I lose the entire squad. With the Mercenaries removed the remains of the squad searches the room and finds five Med Kits. Could have used those a little sooner.

Turn 11

So the “squad” heads back to the previous Node and then moves over to Building 01. They avoid an event and then head to a new Node with an Advance 3 requirement. The two troopers only get a single success and so the Node is marked and they head back to the previous Node. This time the event is triggered and the troopers are met by three Merc Soldiers.

Combat

The range for the first round of combat is Fire. The troopers generate 4 wounds and they are placed to eliminate two Soldiers. The Soldiers generate two wounds and I use two Med Kits to negate them. In the second round, the range contracts to Melee. The Assault Team just barely manages to generate a wound and the Soldier is unable to connect. No wounds come from the Mercenaries. The range goes back to Fire for the third round and the Heavy Weapon team hits three times and the Soldier is taken out without generating any wounds in return.

Turn2 12 – 14

The troopers are easily able to Advance into the next Node and unlock it. There is no event and they immediately move out to the next Node which is an I Class Resource Cache. Surprisingly both troopers draw a 6 for the Search skill and they are able to move into the Node. Shocked is not an adequate word to describe the situation. There is no Event and the troopers manage to find five Intel resources of which they can only take three.

The next Node has an Intelligence 2 requirement and so I burn an Intel resource to open the Node up. The Event string is a 5+/A and the RN is a 4 so they manage to avoid more gunplay. The next Node has an Advance 2 requirement and so the troopers attempt Skill checks instead of using an Intel resource. The RNs are a 6 and a 0 so I luckily make it through and don’t regret my decision. The event string for the Node is 5+/A and the RN is a 4. Whew! [Note: I should have only rolled one RN here as you can only make a single unskilled test.]

The final Mission Node is just ahead and it has a Science 3 requirement. In our first attempt I use an Intel resource to get two SLs. This pushes the troopers back into the previous room and requires them to make another event check. The RN is a 1. They move out again and once more use an Intel resource to unlock the Node. The event string is 5+/B and the RN for the event check is a 6. Crud!

Combat

Combat ensues and again the squad, or what is left of it, is confronted by three Soldiers and a Sergeant. The range is Fire which is slightly better for the troopers as they Heavy Weapon team as a Fire stat of 2. Despite that, the Heavy Weapon team is only just able to generate a single wound which is put on the Sergeant. The Sergeant on his own deals three wounds and one Soldier generates another for a total of four.

So there is a brief interruption in the game while I head off to read the rules to make sure that I am allocating the wounds properly as well as using the Med Kits correctly. Wounds are allocated as they are generated and you also can’t allocate wounds to a unit in excess of its Hit Points. So in this instance I allocate the three wounds from the Sergeant but since my units each have one wound and only two Hit Points I discard the third wound.

I manage to save both troopers but at the expense of all three of the remaining Med Kits. I may not win this mission in the end as the Sergeant on his own can easily generate two wounds.

In the next round the range reduces to Melee. The Assault Team generates two wounds and the Heavy Weapon tosses a grenade which explodes for six wounds. Happily the change in range must have put off the Mercenaries and they do now wounds in return. The grenade clears out the Node and that is enough for the remaining two troopers to successfully claim a “success” on the Mission.

Debriefing

I am not sure how two wounded troops manage to drag everyone back to the extraction point but I won’t dwell on that too much as I don’t want to cause ‘suspension of belief’ and ruin the narrative.

The first Debriefing step is to recover anyone who was injured last mission which was Assault Team B. No Green units went on this mission so none of them will be promoted. The squad gets seven VPs for this mission. Three for completing it, 1 for 10 unspent Squad points, 1 for two Resources unused, 1 for battling the Batteldrones and a final 1 VP for only using one STRATOP card. Then I give the two remaining troops 3 XP and since the mission was a success I have 1 additional XP which I give to the Heavy Weapon team. Not too shabby. Now comes the potentially perilous part – rolling for OOA units.

The Squad Leader will require medical treatment. The Snipers recover as does Fire Team B. The rest of the team were Specialists and they aren’t tracked so let’s assume that they were all fine and are enjoying a nice ice cream treat at the commissary. So not as bad as it could have been.

As a final note, I should mention that in both of my games so far I have been forgetting to use 6.3.2 when moving back to a previously resolved node. I hope that it wouldn’t have made a significant difference but I will be using it going forward.