Shall we try nova, and if we enjoy it we can do a longer game?
Right then, page 11 of the rules. Sides are EastBloc, WestBloc and the aliens. Anyone have a preference or shall I assign randomly?
To clarify the human victory conditions:
Marginal victory: destroy [including inflicting damage that will cause it to go off the map or crash into a planet] the last alien ship.
Decisive victory: capture an alien ship and bring it to a friendly base.
It’s possible for one human power to score the Decisive victory condition and another to score the Marginal.
I’m happy with random.
Random is fine with me. (I’d better review the combat rules…)
Very much of their era, with a CRT and everything. In short: d6 on the CRT based on combat power ratios, -1 per hex separation (from attacker’s closest approach that turn), -1 per velocity difference over 2 hexes. Attacker can combine multiple attacks, or combine onto multiple defenders, but everything has to be in the same target hex and it’s generally the worst available modifier that gets used. Counterattacks are free. A ship can only attack or be attacked once per combat phase, which I think we’ve been forgetting.
OK, the aliens will be played by:
1: Roger
2: Nick
3: David
@discobot roll 1d3
3
OK. Aliens don’t set up until the human powers are done.
EastBloc, pick 3 hexsides of Terra to be yours; West gets the other three.
Then West selects one Luna hexside to be theirs; East chooses one other.
Then there’s a die roll for one distant colony each.
Those are the only bases in play.
East and West each build a fleet of 50 combat strength points and distribute them among their own bases.
After that’s done, the four alien ships (corsairs) enter on the top hex row at speed 1.
A quick test render: WestBloc torch, Alien, EastBloc frigate.
Must they be contiguous?
Yes. (“Adjacent” according to the scenario notes.)
Hi, well, I guess I’ll have ABC then.
OK, WestBloc takes DEF on Terra, and A on Luna.
Which bases are available on Luna? I’ll have D if it’s a possible.
N
Eastbloc has a base at Ceres; Westbloc has one on Venus, which I’ll put on side B.
I’ve turned the Clandestine mines into normal asteroids, and coloured Ceres appropriately.
Next step: East and West pick 50 combat strength points worth of ships, and allocate them between their various bases.
Westbloc allocation, don't look
Frigate, loaded with two torpedoes:
Blackwood, Dundas, Exmouth: at Luna base A.
Grafton, Hardy, Pellew: at Terra base F.
Corvette Thames at Venus base.
(“Yes, we let the Americans think they’re in charge of the Westbloc.”)
EastBloc allocations
Eastbloc allocations:
2 Frigates and 1 corsair each at Zemlya base C and Luna D. Frigates have 2 torpedos, corsairs have a mine.
2 corsairs and a corvette at VeneraBase. Corsairs have mine each.
Zemyla: Frigates: General Zhukov, Chairman Molotov, Corsair: Courageous
Luna: Frigates: Pyotyr Veliky, Comrade Stalin, Corsair: Dauntless
VeneraBase: Corsairs: Valiant, Implacable, Corvette: Manta Ray
You don’t get Venus, but you do get Ceres. Shall I just move that force, or do you want to change more things?