Game #1: the Volturnus Squadrons

The Eorna and Mechanon fighter craft take the battle to the worms this time, in a free for all in space! Sathar transports are positioned around Volturnus, collecting the retreating troops and their equipment. Several dozen shuttlecraft are making their way back to their host craft in order to retreat back to their homeworlds. The heroes of Volturnus have decided to land one final blow against these invading foes to ensure they never forget their humiliating defeat at Volturnus.

 

Counters:

15 Sathar Destroyers

7 Sathar Light Cruisers

25 Sathar Fighters

6 UPF Fighters

6 UPF Assault Scouts
1 Planet counter

Place a planet counter at the center of the fold out hex map. The 15 Sathar Destroyer counters represent Sathar troop transports recovering Sathar warriors, the 7 light cruiser counters represent freighters recovering equipment and cyber-beasts. The 25 Sathar fighters represent shuttles. All transports start at a speed of zero, shuttles are moving at a speed of three hexes per turn. Troop transports can be placed anywhere but no closer than 6 hexes to the planet, freighters can be placed anywhere no closer than ten hexes to the planet. Shuttles can be placed anywhere, no closer than four hexes away from any transports or three hexes to the planet.

The UPF fighters represent Mechanon fighters, the assault scouts are the Eorna heavy fighters. They may begin in any hex orbiting the planet and facing any direction away from the planet (as facing the planet would result in a crash landing), with a speed of 1 hex/turn.

Replacements: none, although every three turns (during the repair turn) two sathar shuttles can leave Volturnus' surface (as PC craft, starting with a speed of 1 hex/turn in any orbit hex around the planet) for every three that were destroyed or recovered. This represents the sheer number of shuttle craft that landed versus the limited number of transports that remained to collect them (as there were heavy troop and equipment losses during the ground battle).




> Eorna fighters must land on the surface in order to resupply their rockets. They must end their turn in orbit with a speed of zero, the next turn they may enter the atmosphere. The third turn is spent on the ground, by the fourth turn they may exit the atmosphere and rejoin the battle (craft leaving the atmosphere begin with a speed of 1 and may face any direction away fromthe planet in one of the six orbit hexes around the planet). Care must be taken during these maneuvers...as the Eorna fighters can become sitting ducks to any nearby Sathar transports. No repairs can be made during the re-entry or take off turns (although if the repair turn comes up during the rearming turn, repairs can be effected).

> Sathar craft must have matching velocities and direction in order for the shuttles to dock. Both ships must be in the same hex to enable this. A freighter can recieve four shuttles, a troop transport can recieve eight, but once a freighter takes on three shuttles or a troop transport recieves six they will attempt to leave the board (although more shuttles may dock if they can match speed and direction). Craft that make it off the board with a minimum compliment of shuttles are out of play and can be considered as safely retreated from the skirmish.



 
Forward Firing Rockets (FFR): Simply put, the FFR is a set of fixed launchers similar to those found on a Rocket Battery, but instead of having a 360º field of fire they are forward firing weapons. Damage Table Modifiers are as a RB system, 2d10 with a range of 40,000km (four hexes), treat as an assault rocket for the resolution (head on bonuses are applicable). Restrictions are FF, MPO, LTD

Laser Turret (LT): A smaller scale version of a Laser Battery. Treat as a LB for all regards with a range of 40,000km (four hexes).

Pod Laser (PL): As described in Dragon Magazine, the Pod Laser is a set of laser cannons (down scaled laser battery guns) fixed to a fighter's hull. Treat as a Laser Cannon for combat resolution, 1d10 damage and a range of 50,000km (five hexes).

The Volturnus Squadrons must destroy at least 8 troop transports and four freighters

Sathar must evacuate at least 8 troop transports each having recovered at least six shuttles, and 4 freighters each having recovered at least three shuttles.

If fewer than 8 transports/4 freighters escape or 8/4 escape without the minimum compliment of shuttles and all Volturnus forces are destroyed in the process, it is a draw (note that characters may bail out of destroyed craft, to be picked up later by a reserve Eorna craft).

Award 2-6XP per player based on participation (2 for low participaiton, 4 for medium, 6 for highly active). Double XP rewards if the Volturnus Squadrons achieve their goals.

Game #2: The Battle of Zebulon

The Sathar artifact on Volturnus sent out a subspace transmission the moment it detected approaching spacecraft. By the time anyone had discovered it, things were already set into motion. The Sathar battle fleet arrived in Zebulon, bent on destroying any life on Volturnus' surface. Nonetheless, a call was sent out to Truane's Star, who responded with confirmation of dispatching warships of their own. Sadly the worms were already en route long before the Truane's Star government could muster up an offensive, hence the large scale ground battle between the natives of Volturnus and the worms.

But the Truane's Star government did make it to Zebulon while the Sathar were present, despite the immense ground warfare going on. This is the tale of that epic deep space battle, where allied forces comprised of Palean militia vessels, Streel Corporation ships, and detached duty UPF warships acted together in an attempt to cleanse the newly discovered system of the Sathar threat once and for all. 

Counters:

1 Sathar Heavy Cruiser
1 Sathar Assault Carrier
5 Sathar Destroyers
1 Sathar Frigate
10 Sathar Fighters
3 Pirate Corvettes
1 Pirate Frigate

1 UPF Light Cruiser
1 UPF Destroyer
2 UPF Frigates
1 white on orange Frigate
2 white on orange Assault Scouts
1 black on gray Frigate
3 black on gray Assault Scouts
1 freighter
6 UPF fighters
black on lt green Frigate
white on dk blue Frigate
white on dk blue Assault Scout
black on yellow Frigate
white on brown Frigate


All Sathar counters represent their respective craft. The three pirate Corvette counters represent the Gunned Scout Ships and the pirate frigate counter represents the supply ship.

The UPF Cruiser and destroyer counters represent their respective craft, the two UPF frigates represent the assault transports. The white on orange counters represent the Pale militia craft (frigate = frigate and assault scouts = gunned escorts), the black on gray counters represent the Streel ships (frigate = corproate frigate and assault scouts = merchant scouts). The freighter counter represents Streel's carrier conversion, and the 6 UPF fighters represent the Streel fighters.

The four colored frigates each represent a government subsidized craft: black on lt green Frigate = Anchor, black on yellow Frigate
 = Fathom, white on dk blue Frigate = Steelwagon, white on dk blue Assault Scout = Solar Flare, and white on brown Frigate = Trudger.

Allied forces may begin the game on the left side of the fold out hex map, no more than ten hexes inside the left border. Sathar forces begin at the right side of the map, no more than ten hexes inside the right border. All craft have a start speed of 10 hexes/turn.

Replacements: none

The Sathar Supply Ship will not engage in the battle, rather it will hover near the right edge of the map. At least one gunned scout ship will remain behind to escort the supply ship. Any Sathar craft that dock with the supply ship (matching speed and direction in the same hex) can rearm itself. In addition, any sathar ship docked to the supply ship during the repair round may utilize up to half of the supply ship's DCR in addition to the docked vessel's own DCR for repair attempts. Naturally the Sathar should place a priority on defending this vital craft if any enemy craft venture toward its proximity.

Same as Game #1

The Allied Forces must destroy at least half of the Sathar capital ships (cruiser, carrier, destroyers, and frigate), including the heavy cruiser. In addition, the supply ship must be destroyed as well. Once this requirement is met, remaining Sathar craft will attempt to retreat from the battle and escape (possibly taking out any pursuing craft with them, up to and including ramming). Fighters without a carrier to return to will continue fighting to cover the retreat, once this is effected they will attempt to ram any allied craft.

The Sathar Fleet must destroy at minimum all of the Pale militia craft, the Streel corporate frigate, UPF light cruiser, and the destroyer. Once this requirement is met, remaining Allied Craft must retreat and escape.

Any other outcome is a draw.