Battlefleet Gothic
Salvage Op
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An abandoned ship has exited the Warp in the void. It passes through empty territory and is detected by two patrol forces. Initial scans indicate that there is minimal life signs on board, and both forces are on the verge of ignoring the ship when it is identified as the Endeavour, an exploratory ship which disappeared on its return from investigating an obscure system. The last transmissions seemed to indicate that it had managed to collect an item of alien technology, possibly a weapon or an ancient text. Whatever happened, it was obviously something notable as the ship seems lifeless, the crew either dead, missing or driven insane. The knowledge collected is obviously valuable, and all parties would gain by salvaging the research notes, survey notes and scientific logs aboard the crippled ship.
The course of action is clear to both commanders. The data devices must be recovered, the Endeavour must be destroyed to stop any further information passing to the enemy, and the enemy patrol fleet must be driven off and crippled to protect this area of space for further recon and strengthening.
This scenario is played between two forces of equal size. Decide on a points limit for the game and both sides may spend up to this amount on a fleet. However, only one attack craft carrier may be taken for each fleet, although this may be of any class. A points limit of up to 1000 or 1500 points works well for this game. Alternatively, you may choose ships in any way that you both agree on.
The Endeavour has exited the Warp in open space. This scenario is played in deep space. Additionally, no celestial phenomena may be set up in the centre corridor. The widths of the corridors are shown, any remaining table width is designated for setup zones.
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Each player sets up his entire fleet in one of the setup zones marked. Ships may be set up at any point along the setup zones, and facing any direction.
Both players roll a dice and the player with the highest score may choose whether to go first or second.
The Endeavour: The stats for the Endeavour are determined before the game.
| Name | Type/Hits | Speed | Turns | Shields | Armour | Turrets | Points |
| Endeavour | Cruiser/D3+3 | 10cm | None | 1 | 5+ | 2 | - |
| Armament | Range/Speed | Firepower/Strength | Fire Arc |
| - | - | - | - |
The Endeavour starts the game 10cm from the left edge of the table and in the center of the center corridor, and will move 10cm each turn directly forwards. It moves in the End Phase of the second players turn. It will not turn at all, and the game lasts until it exits the table at the opposite end. Irrespective of the number of starting damage points, the Endeavour is crippled when it is reduced to three damage points or less. The Endeavour will defend itself against attack craft and torpedoes, and will get its turret defences against every attack wave and torpedo salvo it contacts with.
Boarding and Salvaging: Both sides are attempting to salvage documents and artifacts from the ship. This can only be done by directly boarding, assault boats and boarding torpedoes are insufficient as provisions must be made for the information and artifacts to be returned to the home vessel. Boarding occurs as normal, treat the Endeavour as having a -1 modifier to the boarding results table due the shortage of crew. However, the boarding ship will not take critical hits, although damage is awarded as normal. For example, an Imperial Cruiser boards the Endeavour. The Cruiser gets its boarding value of eight, and so a plus one to the roll as the Endeavour gets its turret value of two and has five damage points, making a total of seven. The Endeavour also gets a -1 modifier. Surprisingly, the Imperial Cruiser loses then and damage is awarded as normal. However, while the Endeavour must role to take critical hits, the Imperial Cruiser will not.
The first fleet able to perform a successful boarding action, that is one that the ship beats the Endeavour in the boarding table roll, recovers the data devices and transferes them to his ship. Note that to be successful, the ship must win, a draw is not enough. Also note that the ship has completed its objective and is counted as so, even if the ship is subsequently crippled or destroyed - it is assumed that the data devices are protected and sealed and can be recovered or carried to friendly space.
It is entirely possible that both sides initiate boarding actions at the same time. Boarding occurs in the end phase, and so this situation occurs when a ship attempts to board the Endeavour while an enemy ship is already in base contact. If this happens, then treat each boarding action as a seperate action against the Endeavour with the following alterations. In this case, board the Endeavour as normal, but add the remaining damage points of the third ship to the Endeavours boarding total. Additionally, critical hits can be caused to the boarding vessel, but this is only if a third ship is involved. So, for example an Imperial Dauntless Light Cruiser attempts to board the Endeavour, but only manages a draw and so stays in contact. In the next turn, a Chaos Cruiser also attempts to board the Endeavour. The Chaos Cruiser has a boarding value of eight, while the Endeavour has a total boarding value of four (total hits remaining) plus two (turrets) plus six (damage remaining for the Dauntless), making a total of twelve. So, the Chaos Cruiser gets a plus one for being Chaos, while the Endeavour gets a plus one for a higher boarding value. In this case, the boarding action is repulsed (Chaos loses) and so damage is lost. Also, critical hits may be scored against the Chaos Cruiser and the Endeavour - the Dauntless will not take damage but has a chance of taking critical hits in the same way as the Endeavour. In this case, the Chaos Cruiser lost by two and so takes two damage points. The Chaos Cruiser also suffers a critical hit on a 4+, while both the Endeavour and the Dauntless will take a critical hit on a 5+.
The game lasts until the Endeavour exits the table. Ideally, a game of between six and ten turns works best.
Normal victory points are not used, instead each player gets points for achieving the scenario objectives. At the end of the game, add up the number of points for each player. The player with the highest number of points has won. A difference of one or two points results in a marginal victory, a difference of three or more points results in a major victory.
Data Device Recovered: The player which performed the first successful boarding action against the Endeavour managed to recover the data devices and return them to his ship and gets 10 points.
Endeavour Destroyed: The fleet which delivers the hit which takes the takes the Endeavour to zero damage is credited with the destruction of the Endeavour and gets 4 points.
Opposing Fleet Beaten: If the enemy is reduced to half strength in points value the player gets 7 points.
There are two basic strategies involved here. You can either go for the recovery of the data devices, in the knowledge that this will get you racing towards victory but that you will need to either destroy the Endeavour or the enemy in order to secure a win. Or you can ignore the data devices and try to concentrate on destroying the Endeavour and the enemy fleet. This is a little more risky, as if the enemy gets the killing blow in the game turns into a simple fight for supremacy. However, if you do decide to do this, you have the advantage that you are fairly sure where the enemy will be, and you may even be able to deal them a crippling blow at the same time as destrying the Endeavour.
This scenario can be altered in a number of ways.
You can vary the amount of time that the Endeavour stays on the board, effectively reducing the size of your table, or the Endeavour can be pulled back into the Warp at any time and dissapears off the board on the result of a 6 rolled before its movement.
The boarding actions can be played out as seperate games in themselves, using Space Hulk, 40K or even Inquisitor.
You could state that the Endeavour is travelling into space controlled by one player. In this case, the attacker gets a full fleet while the defender only gets two thirds of the points value. But if the Endeavour is intact and exits the table then the defender automatically boards it at his leasure. In this case, the defender simply has to protect the ship and stop it being destroyed. If you play this variation then I would recommend that four victory points are awarded to the attacker if he cripples the ship, instead of if he destroys it, and the defender does not get the additional points for destroying the Endeavour.
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UCT-14 > Unidentified ship detected. Patrol fleet Abraxos scanning vessel. UCT-14 > Commander Philips has ordered avoidance. Alien contamination possible. UCT-14 > Intercept fleet notified. ETA 899 hours (Terran) UCT-14 > Further scanning identifies vessel as Endeavour. UCT-14 > Unmanned probes report minimal life signs. UCT-14 > Patrol fleet altering course to intercept. UCT-14 > Enemy forces detected. Heading towards Endeavour. UCT-14 > Unmanned probes detect location of data recorders. UCT-14 > Patrol fleet Abraxos is preparing battle stations. Moving to engage. UCT-14 > |
Date: 12/01/2002
Scribe: cybershadow@epic40k.co.uk