Star Wars Campaign Game 12: Clone Lab

 

Last Thursday I ran the latest game in the ongoing skirmish campaign for my gaming group, The Fawcett Avenue Conscripts. It was the second season finale, bringing together elements from seasons one and two, and setting the stage for next season. 

In the previous game the Rebels managed to steal samples of various kinds of Imperial cloning and medical technology. With that intel, the Rebels, led by Senator Leia Organa and Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker, were raiding a hidden Imperial cloning lab.

The Imperial goal was to leave the Eastern table edge with the three suspensor-supported cryo-coffins, containing new clones. 

Was this a trap set by Darth Vader? Would the product(s) of the Imperial cloning effort be available to thwart the Rebel mission?

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The table represented a secret underground Imperial cloning facility on Navarro, complete with a lava river running North-South through the table. 

Leia, now a Jedi Apprentice under Knight Luke, led some Rebel Troopers and advanced from the Eastern edge of the table. Luke and some Pathfinders infiltrated through a back door in the Northwest to try and intercept the clone transfer. 

A suit-less Darth Vader led some Stormtroopers to the centre of the table, covering his men and holding the bridge. 

The clone Luuuke (grown from the original Luke’s left hand, lost in combat with the late Emperor last year) moved to the protection of Vader’s Shield, then advanced on Luke to duel him face to face. There can only be one!

Unfortunately for Luuuke, his swordsmanship was not up to the task and he was very quickly put OOA by the real Luke. Luke proceeded to cut a swathe though the Stormtroopers remaining to the west of the lava, even managing to push one into the river. 

Vader, sensing an opportunity, jumped into close combat with Leia, trying to capture her and turn her to the Dark side. 

Leia, though vastly inferior in skill to the God-Like Anakin, managed (with the help of Sharp Tongued) to inflict a Wound on the Dark Lord of the Sith! This could not last, and she ended up badly wounded by her father. 

However, himself wounded by massed blaster fire and running out of time, Vader cut his way to a coffin, grabbed it and exited the East table edge. 

Leia’s troops managed to grab the two remaining clones and hurled them into the lava, destroying them utterly. 

With hard evidence of the Imperial cloning plan, Navarro will likely be pushed over to the Rebellion. 

The Mayhem Twins have won a minor but clear Rebel victory. What clone was rescued by Darth Vader? Stay tuned for next season. 

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Thanks to Rob, KevinH, and Dallas for sharing fellowship and beer.

Star Wars Campaign Game 11: Train Robbery

 

Over the summer, I ran game 11 in the ongoing Fawcett Avenue Conscripts’ Star Wars skirmish campaign.

In game 10, the Rebels failed in their attempt to rescue Captain Rex. Not only was the Clone Wars veteran permanently killed, but Chewbacca was put Out of Action until next season!

The current game was a variant of the “Holding Up the Wasteland Caravan” scenario in Wiley Games' Wasteland Warriors book.

The MDF maglev train is from BP Laser. This is also the first time we have used the Science Fiction folding cardboard terrain set from Acid House; very portable and strong enough for gaming. The mat is a nice 4’ x 2’ mousepad type from the late Antenoceti’s Workshop. 

The Rebels, led by Ahsoka Tano, and featuring a reformed Barriss Offee set up within 1” of either long table edge. (Last season, Barriss was an Inquisitor and lost her left arm in a duel with Ahsoka; she has since literally returned to the Light.) 

The Imperials included Dark Troopers (Soulless, Tough as Nails droids), some ubiquitous Stormtroopers, and a Probe Droid with Self Destruct. 

The Imperials set up in response to the Rebels, near the train, picking several spots of high ground with good fields of fire. (Clearly, there is a traitor in the Rebel’ midst!)

The Rebels’ goal was to steal as many types of loot (secret Imperial tech) as possible and exit the board; each flat car had one of three different types of loot. At the end of Turn 8, the train would leave and end the game. 

Several 2-wound, non-combatant models were also wandering around the table. The factions would LOSE Renown for each none-combatant killed.  

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At first things looked very bad for the  Imperials. The Probe Droid managed to get into contact with 4 Rebels and detonated, but then rolled badly, only causing Shock and no Wounds! Then they took several casualties from blaster fire and Ahsoka’s lightsabers (even though she, AGAIN, managed to drop one). Bariss, the Rebel strike force’s healer, tried to emulate Ahsoka’s assault, but she was knocked Out of Action immediately by a Droid!

The Rebels wisely tasked several team members to just trying to steal tech. Though a few were gunned down by the Imperial  fire, they managed to obtain at least one set of loot from each flat car. 

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The Rebels held the field at the end, with only a Stormtrooper Officer as the sole survivor of the opposing force. Game MVP was Ahsoka, who managed to recover her lost saber, and put Out of Action or severely Wound several Imperials. A special Mention in Dispatches to a simple Rebel Trooper who put out of action a Dark Trooper. The lone Stormtrooper Officer will be able to spin some kind of plausible story, and maybe even cage a promotion. 

Fortunately, Bariss Offee will recover in time for the start of next season. 

The Rebels gained enough Renown to ensure that Princess Leia gains some Force powers. She will join her Farm-boy Hero brother, Luke, to once again face off against their father, Anakin, in the Season 2 Finale next month!  However, what clone shenanigans will the Imps have come up with by then?

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 Thanks to Dallas, KevinG, KevinH, and Frederick for playing.