Books

The Predrzen IV Incident
By Felix

BACKGROUND

This scenario takes place sometime before the events in Encounter at Farpoint.

The Federation colony of Predrzen IV was far away from the fighting on the Cardassian-Federation border, and the colonists were quite happy with their way of life.

Star Fleet often used Predrzen IV's capital city of Nikámor for shore leave, abounded as it did with small taverns and restaurants. Nikámor often played host to Star Fleet personnel on their way to the fighting on the Cardassian front.

It was a quiet evening in Nikámor, crews from the USS Crazy Horse and USS Melbourne mingled with Star Fleet Marines - the foot soldiers of the Federation. Security Officers, armed with phasers patrolled the streets, more to allay the fears of Nikámor's residents then prevent trouble breaking out.

However, trouble was soon to break out, as four Cardassian warships dropped out of warp and started attacking the two Star Fleet ships in orbit. The Melbourne was badly damaged and was forced to flee, one of the Cardassian warships suffered a warp core breach after a particularly violent onslaught of photon torpedoes from the Crazy Horse. As the fighting continued, one of the Cardassian ships broke off and headed away, it began transporting troops to the surface to capture key installations and attack any Federation personnel they could find. A second Cardassian ship also broke away and began transporting troops and heavy weapons to the surface. The third, believing that they had permanently damaged the Crazy Horse attempted to move to transporter range, when the USS Saratoga, and the USS Melbourne dropped out of warp and began attacking the Cardassian warships.

Long range sensors on all the Star Fleet ships showed that more Cardassian warships were on their way, and that unless Star Fleet reinforcements showed up quickly, then they had better get out of the area. The starship captains decided not to leave many people on the surface, knowing full well what Cardassians did to their prisoners, immediately began transporting personnel from the surface, using ship and surface transporters.

SCENARIO

This is a two player game, but can be played solo. It represents a small group of Federation personnel attempting to use a surface transporter to get to safety, however they face constant attack from ever increasing numbers of Cardassian soldiers.

THE FEDERATION

You have the following forces, they may be placed anywhere on the table:

Commander Felicia McFarlane: a security officer assigned to the communications relay at Nikámor. She is well experienced and carries a standard Federation Phaser Rifle. Three Action Points

Lieutenant Dexter Fletcher: McFarlane's second-in command, carries a standard Federation Phaser. Three Action Points

Chief Alexander Dimitri: one of the best Federation engineers based at Nikámor, and a real wiz with transporters, normally... he is armed with a standard Federation Phaser. Three Action points

Three Security Officers: the remaining part of McFarlane's squad of security officers, they all carry a standard Federation Phaser Rifle. Two Action Points each.

Michael Shannon: a colonist who runs one of the local taverns, he is armed with a standard Federation Phaser. Two Action Points.

Amanda Klintonak: a colonist with a long hatred of Cardassians, who killed both her parents, she has a Federation Phaser Rifle, which she has spent many an evening improving and adding components, as a result it is more powerful and has a longer range than a standard Federation Phaser Rifle. Two Action Points.

Four unarmed colonists: currently unarmed, they can use dropped weapons. One Action Point each.

With regard to action points, refer to rules later on.

The surface transporter is currently out of action, each turn one person can attempt to fix the transporter and get it working.

Roll a D10 and get equal or below to get the transporter working (note 0 is equal to 10).

Turn 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10+
Score 1 1 2 2 3 3 4 4 4 5

All, except Chief Dimitri and Commander McFarlane, have to add one to their dice roll. Once the transporter is fixed it can transport three people to a starship each turn. Luckily the transporter is protected from Cardassian Disrupter fire (see map), unless they can get within 1" of it.

Your objective is to get all the people off the surface.

CARDASSIANS

You are Gul Nortak of the Third Order, Cardassian Central Command has sent you and your squad of motivated and dedicated Cardassian soldiers to liberate the illegally held planet of Predrzen.

Each turn look at the table, and roll a dice if required, this indicates the number of Cardassian soldiers that arrive to help liberate this illegal Federation colony. Roll a D6 for the location that each soldier enters the table (see map).

Turn 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10+
Number of Cardassians 3 D3 D3 D3+1 2D3 2D3 D6 D6 D6 D6+1

Each Cardassian soldier is armed with a standard Cardassian Disrupter and has two Action Points.

Gul Nortak has a standard Cardassian Disrupter and has three Action Points.

Your objective is to liberate Predrzen, stop anyone escaping (by whatever means necessary) and generally be Cardassian... In this area, you can't destroy the surface transporter unless you are within 1" of the transporter.

RULES

You can of course use your own rules for this scenario, however I thought I would include some simple rules, which unashamedly are "borrowed" with some major modifications from Leading Edge's ALIENS boardgame. They are based on a 6'x4' table.

WOUNDS

Each character has a number of wounds equivalent to their number of Action Points. If a character is wounded, you can either say it has no effect. This will require some book-keeping, you could say a wound reduces movement by 1" and when firing the character must add 2 to the dice.

TURN PHASE

Each turn each character may take the number of actions they have, they can use them to fire weapons, aim weapons, move, fix transporters, activate the transporter, pick up weapons, etc...

Each turn the Cardassian player and the Federation player take it in turns to move their characters, expending the first Action Point, they continue to take turns, using the second Action Point.

For example, the Federation player moves McFarlane 4", the Cardassian Player moves one of his Cardassian soldiers (#1) a full move of 4". The Federation player can then move another character (they are unable to move McFarlane as she has moved, so the Federation player makes Fletcher fire his Phaser). The Cardassian player moves another of his Cardassian soldiers (this time #2) this time only 2".

Once all characters have expended one Action Point, characters can then expend their second Action Point. Once all characters, who can, have expended their second Action Point, they can utilise the third Action Point.

Action Points can not be held over.

MOVEMENT

Move 4" for all except Lieutenant Fletcher who can move 5", and Amanda Klintonak who only moves 3" because her Phaser Rifle is heavy and awkward to carry. Wounded characters

Moving across an obstacle costs 2".

FIRING

To fire measure the range check the number required, throw a D10, you need to get equal to or under to hit and wound.

Dice throws are subject to the following modifiers:

Aimed Shot -2
Target in open -1
Wounded +2

 

Federation Phaser - one wound
Range 0-6" 6-12" 12-18" 18-24" 24-30" 30-36"
Score 7 5 3 ~ ~ ~
Federation Phaser Rifle - two wounds
Range 0-6" 6-12" 12-18" 18-24" 24-30" 30-36"
Score 9 7 6 4 2 ~
Amanda Klintonak's upgraded Phaser Rifle - three wounds
Range 0-6" 6-12" 12-18" 18-24" 24-30" 30-36"
Score 9 8 5 5 3 2
Standard Cardassian Disrupter - one wound
Range 0-6" 6-12" 12-18" 18-24" 24-30" 30-36"
Score 8 6 4 2 ~ ~

HAND-TO-HAND COMBAT

Once in base-to-base contact, a character must expend one Action Point to make a hand-to-hand attack, it costs no Action Points to defend.

Each character must roll a D10, subject to the following modifiers:

Felicia McFarlane +2
Gul Nortak +2
other Cardassian +1
other Federation Security Personnel +1
Wounded -2
Unarmed colonist -2

If the attacking character scores higher than the defending character, then the attacking character has caused one wound, if they score higher by equal to or more than four, then they have caused two wounds.

If the scores are equal then the result is a draw.

If the defending player scores higher than the attacking player then it is also a draw, but if they score higher by equal to or more than four, then they have caused a wound on the attacking character.

SOLO PLAY

To play this game solo, the Cardassians, will move first and fire second each turn on a roll of 1,2,3 on a D6 and fire first and move second on 4,5,6. Each Cardassian soldier will move towards the nearest Federation character.

RESULTS

If the Federation get four or less people off the surface, or fail altogether, then the Cardassians have won.

If the Federation get more than four but less than eight people off the surface, then it is a draw.

If the Federation get eight or more off the surface, then the Federation have won.

FIGURES

As yet no official figures, well one can dream, use cardboard counters...