After Action Review (AAR) # 1: Tarsan Pre-Emptive Strike, Phase-I

Stardate: Forday, 103-130 ABY/TAg Market Island Security Forces

Subsector: Shannekam

 

Planet:  Zenya

 

Region:  The Tau-Tau Autonomous District

After Action Review:  Pre-Emptive Strike Against Bongolaanian Fighter Base;

Morning, Local Time

 

 

Based on information provided by members of a Tarsan Diplomatic Security Team, TAg Market Facility managers agreed to launch a pre-emptive strike against the Crimson Ace fighter base on Concmar Island.  The purpose of the strike was to prevent Bongolaanian forces from obtaining air and space superiority over the TAg Market Islands.

 

The Tarsan Security personnel did not want their names or ship (an armed YT-1300 transport) to be identified in this report, but volunteered to join the strike.  An electronic warfare pod was attached to their vessel and was assigned to follow Squadron Leader Shamira's X-Wing on the attack run.  The station's remaining 4 X-Wings were also readied for action.

 

The 6-ship formation took off before dawn and flew nap-of-the-earth (NOE) in a circuitous route to the objective.

 

 

Due to on-going diplomatic talks, the Crimson Aces were ordered to stand-down, so all their TIE Fighters were on the ground.  However, the base was protected by two Surface-to-Orbit Artillery (SOAs--mobile blaster cannons). 

 

 

 Once over Concmar Island, the strike divided into 3 x 2-ship formations, as it flew through the valleys on Concmar Island. 

 

 

 The attack achieved complete surprise.  Five TIE fighters and a Lambda-Class Shuttle were destroyed on the first pass. 

 

 

 However, the central SOA vehicle opened fire, damaging Flight Leader Shamira's fighter.

 



 

Five more TIE Fighters were destroyed in the second pass.  Flight Leader Shamira managed to get off some shots at the second SOA vehicle, but not before receiving more damage to his X-wing.  Lieutenant Adva's fighter was also damaged by blaster fire from the central SOA weapon.

 

 

 Another volley of blaster fire damaged Lieutenant Tsvi's X-Wing as the formation egressed from the target area.  Grazing fire from the SOA vehicle destroyed the electronic warfare pod strapped to the YT-1300 freighter. 

 

 

 The pilots of the damaged X-Wings were forced to ditch near the southern tip of Kulovaan Island.  The remaining ships landed at Pierson Station without incident.  The crew of the YT-1300 insisted on readying their vessel for space flight and took off within hours of landing.  Their destination remains unknown at this time. 

 

 

The three pilots who ejected were picked up by GPV-254 (Grav Patrol Boat). 

 

 

While only 2 X-Wings remain serviceable, the strike was deemed successful in neutralizing the Crimson Aces' presence on Zenya.  Post-strike BDA (Battle Damage Assessment) indicates the remaining craft, 2 x TIE Fighters and a Lambda-Class Shuttle, received at least minor damage. 

 

While successful, less than one-quarter of the Crimson Aces mercenary unit was with hired for by Bongolaan.  It is likely the remaining personnel will want to opt-out of their contract and return to their headquarters.

 

GM's Note:

 

The game boards were from Squad Leader, while the starfighter pieces came from Star Warriors, while I used two pieces I made from Grav Armor to represent the air defense artillery.

New Year Resolution Of Sorts

 

In late 2011, I spun this blog off from Stern Rake Studio to provide a focus on the gaming, activities, updates and overall tabletop mayhem of my Redshift Campaign. 

My purpose of starting this endeavour was to bring out as much of my science fiction gaming material and miniatures into the light-of-day as possible.  Everything from roleplaying (RPG), in the form of the Star Wars Saga Edition RPG, (soon to be superseded by Edge of the Empire--Beginner Game)  to small unit actions (Stargrunt II or FUBAR), to large-scale planetary battles (Dirtide II or Future War Commander), and even fleet engagements (Full Thrust). 

Another goal of mine was to post a chapter per month of my initial webcomic, Breakout from Bongolaan, which will provide a detailed story of the initial Redshift adventure.

So, how did I do in 2012?

Well...

...despite reaching the 130 day point of the campaign, I haven't advance much past the RPG level at this time.  Running an on-going RPG campaign proved too much for my players and I to maintain.  As a result of this demise, I spent a lot time re-evaluating my skills, or lack thereof, as a gamemaster. 

My "cunning plan" to post a chapter-a-month of Breakout proved to be overly optimistic.  Normally, graphic novels are collaborative efforts between writers and artists.  Whereas I'm a one-man cantina band.  Compiling pictures and adding special effects (explosions & blaster bolts), along with conjuring up a coherent narrative and dialogue has taken far more time to do than I originally estimated.  And that's if I have the time to do all this.

Finally--life got in the way.  My girlfriend's son got married in August and her mom passed away, after suffering from a long-term illness in October.  So 2012 has been a year of joy & sorrow for both of us. 

Plus there were other game projects I wanted to complete before this old year passed.

Now that I'm done making excuses, what am I going to do in 2013?

For starters, I'll set a more modest goal of posting 1 chapter every two months for my webcomic.  Since there are three subsequent adventures, this will keep me busy for years to come.  In the meantime, readers can get an overview of past adventures by reading this blog's past News Briefs, Intel Briefs and other appropriate postings.

War is about to erupt in the galaxy far, far away.  My plan is to conduct the strategic encounter solitaire and then post an invitation to fight a miniatures battle to my gaming group.  If scheduling a game proves too difficult, then I'll resolve the tactical battle using one of my sci-fi boardgames in my collection.

Finally, I've come up with another "cunning plan" to resurrect the RPG aspect, of sorts. 

A few weeks back the RPGers of our group held a Council Meeting, in which we laid out a plan for what RPGs we wanted to play and who would gamemaster them.  Because my rotating work schedule continues to be a problem, I thought I could conduct an episodic bounty hunter campaign.  That is, run unconnected adventures in which player characters (PCs) will decide what posted bounties they'll pursue and bring in--dead or alive.

My proposed Bounty Hunter Campaign was well received by the group and the idea is conduct game sessions in between any scheduling gaps that may occur.

That's the plan anyway.

So here's to making more modest, but steady gains in 2013.

Best wishes to all of you throughout the New Year.  Thank you for your interest and readership.

Intelligence Summary # 15: Warning Delivered/Ships Missing

 

Stardate: Thirday, 102-130 ABY/Tarsan Intelligence Service (TIS)

Subsector: Shannekam

 

Warning Message to Pierson Station Delivered

 

A subspace radio transmission from Pierson Station on Zenya, confirmed they received the warning about the impending attack by Bongolaanian forces.  The station's starport received a garbled transmission from Diplomatic Security Team Three (DST-3), on board the Gadnek Survivor.

 

 The ship arrived within a day of being dispatched from Ku Crassus. 

 

 

 The message from Pierson Station also mentioned the Gadnek Survivor was approached by the Zenyan Mainland United Government (ZMUG) corvette, Jamhuri. 

 

 

 

 Data on the Jamhuri, is as follows: 

 

 

 The Jamhuri may have employed its jamming systems against the Gadnek Survivor which interfered with their transmission to Pierson Station.  This however, cannot be confirmed. 

 

Attempts to contact and locate either vessels have failed. 

 

So it is unkown whether or not ZMUG is openly hostile to Tarsan vessels and shipping interests.

 

While corvettes are among the smallest military starships, the Jamhuri could easily outgun an armed freighter such as the Gadnek Survivor. 

 

News Brief # 17: Missing Persons on Ku Crassus

Stardate: Wonday, 100-130 ABY/Fringe Info Network (FIN)--Ku Crassus Bureau

Subsector: Shannekam

"All the news that's fit to transmit."

Several Police Officers Now on "Sick Leave"

FIN has just learned that the five surviving police officers involved in the gun battle at Cortona Park have fallen ill, or have somehow been injured.  The firefight erupted two days ago when a Tarsan Diplomatic Security Team (DST) became involved in an altercation between a force-user and a street gang.  Within moments, the fight escalated when a squad of Sith Mutants covered the escape of the force-user, rumored to be their Sith Lord.  Two patrol cars and several officers from the Cortona Police Department (CPD), responded to reports of blaster fire erupting in the capital city's central park. 

A spokesbeing for the CPD, who spoke on condition of anonymity, would only say that the officers were placed on sick leave.  However, follow up calls to Cortona hospitals and doctors' offices revealed that no one from the CPD has checked-in to report any illnesses or injuries.  Calls made to hospitals and doctors' offices across the planet also turned up negative. 

The police officers involved in the gun battle are not the only ones missing from the public eye.  All the homeless beings that inhabit, or frequent, Cortona Park are nowhere to be found.  At this time it is too early to jump to the conclusion that there is a connection between the two vanished groups.  However, it seems unlikely that this is a mere coincidence.

Redshift Tales #1

A few months ago, the folks at Comic Life put out a Version 2.  I bought two copies right away and downloaded them to my PC and laptop.  The new version has some cool templates and features, but there is a noticeable learning curve after being so use to the initial version.

I finally found some time to do some serious playing around writing the other day.  As an opening test I wrote this vignette, Tales from The Redshift Chronicles: Carnage in Cortona Park.  (You can also click on Redshift Tales #1 under the Chronicles Pages tab). 

This was based on an actual gaming incident this past summer.  During a session of my Star Wars Role Playing Game (SWRPG), the good guys were chasing a high-powered bad guy through a city park.  One of the players tried to shoot said bad guy, but rolled a "1" on a 20-sided die (d20).  In the d20 game system this is considered a fumble, which can have disastrous, or hilarious consequences, depending on which side you're on.

Fortunately for our hero, the result "only" turned out to be a burned-out powerpack in his weapon.  However, despite being safe from immediate harm, this single malfunction jeopardized the entire team.

I took some liberties with the dialogue, primarily for the sake of space, but I like to think I captured the spirit of the banter that ensued.

I'm not sure if I'll use this new Comic Life version for Breakout from Bongolaan and other full-length graphic novels I plan on writing.  For now, I'll toy around with the program and post vignettes, especially comedic ones, when my muse inspires me.

Mixing and Matching Figures

 

A few of weekends ago, I went on a two gamestore shopping spree, that I posted about several days ago on Stern Rake Studio.

At the Hobbytown store in Wilsonville, OR, I ended up buying four boxes of AT-43 figures. While I like pre-painted miniatures, I felt the Rackham products were a bit too pricey. "Were" being the operative word, because the company went into liquidation a couple of years ago. (I guess other gamers thought their figures were too pricey too).

This was, however, unfortunate because they made excellent quality figures. They're now offered discount prices from sites like The Miniature Market and on the discount shelves in some retail stores, like Hobbytown.

I didn't snatch-up the packages right away, but spent over an hour pondering whether or not to buy them. This was not because the figures were lacking in quality. On the contrary, they're awesome looking.

My major concern was whether or not I could integrate these with my 25 millimeter (mm) Star Wars Miniatures. The Hobbytown staff, while helpful, weren't sure if the AT-43 figures were 25, 28, or even 30 mm.

I didn't have access to the internet, nor did I bring any of my Star Wars figures for a comparison. With the "clock ticking" (I had to pick up my girlfriend from work), I decided to buy four of the box sets, all from the "U.N.A." (United Nations of Ava).

So, without further ado, here's my latest sci-fi figure purchase:

The first set I decided on was the U.N.A. Star Trooper Squad.

This consists of 6 x troopers with assault rifles, 1 x trooper with a "Volcano Machine Gun," and a Star Trooper leader.

Rifle squads often need additional fire support, so I selected the U.N.A Star Trooper Attachment Set.

 

Some, (or maybe all?) of the troops, bearing the following weapons can be added to the basic squad: Missile launcher and flame thrower, along with another Volcano Machine Gun. A medic and/or engineer can also augment the squad, along with another officer/NCO.

All these figures have detachable heads that can be swapped out with triple-lens helmeted ones.

Troops wielding heavy weapons is one thing, but they're still foot-bound infantry.

What about mobile firepower?

As with Star Wars, the AT-43 universe seems fixated on "mechs" or "walkers." The only two I found at Hobbytown were two "Fire Toads," Mark 02 and Mark 03.

At 50% off I couldn't pass these two up. Now that my troops have mech support it was time to answer the big question: Are these figures compatible with my 25mm Star Wars Miniatures?

These U.N.A. troops bear a passing resemblance to Rebel Hoth troopers, so when I got home and conducted my photo-shoot, I dug out the appropriate Star Wars Miniatures for a direct comparison...

 

..."Dang!" The AT-43 figures are visibly larger than the Star Wars ones, even when looking at them from a distance. By the time I was taking these pictures I had access to the internet and confirmed the AT-43 figures are, in fact, 28mm. 

 

(Sigh).

But then I started thinking: Maybe the mech/walkers can be integrated with the Star Wars figures?

Before answering this question, I placed a U.N.A. soldier and a Fire Toad side-by-side, for an initial comparison:

 

Then I placed a Hoth Trooper next to the Fire Toad:

Hmmm. Not bad. In fact, I think the size ratio seen in the above photo is more appropriate.

I mean, mechs SUPPOSE to be BIG, right?

(Whew!).

So this purchase wasn't a total bust.

I may buy a squad of "Red Block" infantry as opponents to the U.N.A. which will give me a couple of small forces for 28mm-scale games. More importantly, I'm seriously considering obtaining more AT-43 vehicles for my sci-fi collection--especially if they're offered at discount prices.

After some more internet snooping I came across pictures of "O.N.I" vehicles and figures (some are conversions):

 

 

They appear to be more suited for police/security/riot control than heavy combat. However, they have that Aliens look that sci-fi gamers love--which is why these vehicles are almost impossible to find.

(Sigh).

Just what I need--another quest for out-of-production game material.

In Case You're Wondering...

 

...why there's been no post for over a month and a half, I have a couple of answers. 

 

First of all, last month was busy for me, real-lifewise.  On the professional front, we're training a new coworker and we were dealing with a large wildfire in Central Washington State.  So I've had to work more hours at my day (night & weekend) job in emergency management.

 

On the personal level, my girlfriend's son got married less than two weeks ago.  While this wasn't on the same scale as a Royal Wedding, a lot of planning and preperation was conducted to set up the chapel and reception area--and to clean up afterwards.  Dancing with my girlfriend for the first time made all the hard work worth it.

 

The second issue dealt directly with this Star Wars RPG campaign I've been running.  Out of the five players that signed up, three of them; representing the player characters (PCs) Cad So Billes, Thege Kli Klotaz and Sei'do Avari; decided to leave the game.

 

After several e-mail discussions, two prime reasons for their departure were made apparent to me.

 

First, due to my rotating work schedule, it's impossible for me to run this, or any campaign, on a fixed day of the month.  So it was hard for the players to maintain their enthusiasm about the campaign on such an irregular schedule.

 

The critical hit of this campaign was:  The players felt they were mere spectators in my campaign. 

 

They were not incorrect in feeling this way either. 

 

My rational for my game mastering style was, that I set this game up as a military campaign.  Military life tends to be directive in nature.  An armed force can't have its soldiers galavanting hither and yon all over the realm/planet/galaxy.  In this game, our heroes would be assigned a mission and once they neared their Area of Operations (AO), how they achived their objective, was left up to them.

 

Apparently, I've been too directive, despite my best intentions otherwise.

 

So the RPG aspect of this campaign is, at best, in hiatus.  Our heroes are currently en-route to the TAg Market Islands, to warn the inhabitants of an impending attack by Bongolaan.  We'll tie-up any loose ends of this RPG story arc and come to some form of conclusion. 

 

Since two of the players expressed a keen interest in the wargaming aspect of this campaign, I hope to continue the story as a "Star Wars military history."  I also have plenty of material for a series of graphic novels, based on the adventures so far.

 

So stay tuned Redshift Chronicles fans, there's more to come.

 

Thank you for your time, support and interest.

Intelligence Summary #14: Alderaan's Vengeance, Mercenary Cruiser Profile

Stardate: Sixday, 098-130 ABY/Tarsan Intelligence Service (TIS)

Subsector: Shannekam

Profile of the Mercenary Cruiser Alderaan's Vengeance

The starship, Alderaan's Vengeance, has been a fixture in the Tarsus System for several years now.  During this time, the "Aldi Vee" provided escort to merchant vessels and security to planetary facilities, on a contractual basis. 

Two days ago, the Aldi Vee departed for Ku Crassus and according to Captain Robert Ulgo, accepted "...a long term contract outside the Tarsan system."

At the moment, it is doubtful that Captain Ulgo will do business with any Imperial-based employer.  Ulgo and a large portion of the crew are descendants of Alderaan's expatriate community, people who happened to be away when their world was destroyed by Palpatine's first Death Star.  As a whole then, the crew of the Aldi Vee bear a deeply-rooted hatred towards the Galactic Empire and its subsequent variations.

Another point to consider is that despite the ship's departure, family members of the crew have remained on Tarsus. 

Despite these apparent assurances, the current political-military situation remains uncertain and there are dozens similarly outfitted vessels operating within this subsector, which our ships may encounter as either friendly--or hostile.

Ship Capability:

While classified as a "mercenary cruiser," in reality, Alderaan's Vengeance is a modified CR90 Corvette.  The specific modifications include:

--Moving the two laser batteries to midships

--Removing one blaster battery and moving the remaining blaster forward

--Replacing the point defense (PD) battery with an Area Defense Anti-Fighter (ADAF) system

--Adding a hangar bay

--As a consequence to adding the hangar, the vessel's thrust is reduced to 5

(GM's NOTE:  Ship statistics are based on Star Wars Full Thrust Rules). 

The ship's hangar currently holds 4 X-Wing fighters and 2 assault shuttles. 

For Full Thrust, use a 4-ship counter/stand to represent the X-Wing fighter group.  More detailed specifications can be found in the Star Wars RPG supplement Starships of the Galaxy. 

Note of caution:  The actual book, by Wizards of the Coast, is out of print, but according to Google, is available for as a free PDF download.  I own the hardcopy, so I can't vouch for the validity and safety of the download sites listed in the Google hyperlink above.

Fighter-to-fighter combat can also be conducted, if you can find a copy of Star Wars--Star Warriors.

 The shuttles are capable of transporting 2 x 8-man squads/2 x recon speeders/one of each.  Various types of shuttles are available, the most generic consisting of one support weapon.

The Aldi Vee has a complement of 184, consisting of the following positions: 

The ship's captain

3 x Doctors

37 x Emergency Crew

3 x Engineers

12 x Medics

9 x Officers

3 x Intelligence Officers

18 x Pilots

24 x Ship Gunners

100 x Technicians

1 x Mercenary Captain

8 x Mercenary Scouts

42 x Mercenaries

(GM's NOTE:  The NPC stats for these individuals can be found in the Star Wars RPG supplement, Threats of the Galaxy).

The ship's troops, the "Alderaan Avengers," are divided into the following:

5 x 8-man squads

4 x 2-man scout teams (on foot or operating the recon speeders)

1x 3-man command team

The ship's troops are known to wear a variety of armor; short of power, or battle armor, while armed with standard blaster weapons. 

The scouts, on the other hand, prefer to wear light armor, for swift movement and concealability. 

The ship's "Dust Devil" recon speeders can be outfitted with enhanced sensors, or blaster cannons. 

While highly trained and motivated, the total strength of the Alderaan's Avengers, equates to a reinforced platoon.  Of the 5 squads on board, a maximum of 4 will be deployed off-ship during any given operation.  One squad provides shipboard security at all times.  The entire force is capable of the following missions:  starship escort, shipboard assaults, raids, personal or facility security and training cadre. 

GM's Notes on Possible Squad Capabilities and Stats:

Our gaming group has utilized, or experimented, with the following rules for sci-fi wargaming:

Fubar, Stargrunt II  and Future War Commander.

Squad Data using Fubar:

Mercenary Infantry
Veteran
Activation: 3+
Expertise: 4+
Suppress:  3
Armor:  Medium-5+, or Heavy-4+
Possible weapons:
Blaster Rifle--2 Firepower Points (FPs)
Blaster Pistols--1 FP
Grenades--3 FP
Heavy Blaster--3 FP

Mercenary Scout Team
Veteran
Activate: 3+
Expertise:  4+
Suppress:  3
Armor:  Light-6+, or Medium-5+
Possible weapons:
Same as mercenary infantry, but substitute a sniper weapon for the heavy blaster.
Special abilities:  "Chameleon Power"

Squad Data using Stargrunt II:

Squad Type:  Infantry
Unit Quality & Leadership:  Veteran (orange counters)
Full Strength:  8
Armor:  Full Suit (light)--D8/Scouts, partial suit (light)--D6
Sensors:  Standard--D6/Scouts use Enhanced--D8
Small Arms Types:
Blaster Rifles*:  Firepower--2, Impact--D10
Possible Support Weapons:
Heavy Blaster (infantry):  Support Firepower--D6, Impact--D12
Sniping Blaster (scout):  Firepower--D12, Impact--D8

If the entire platoon is involved in a large-scale operation, then the following stats from Future War Commander may be used:

HQ (CV8)
Move: 40F
Attack: 2/30
Assault: --
Hits:  6L
Save:  6
Cost:  130

Recce Team
Move:  10F
Attack:  1/30
Assault:  --
Hits:  3L
Save:  6
Cost:  40

Recce (Dust Devil landspeeder)
Move:  30 G
Attack: 2/30
Assault:  2
Hits:  3L
Save:  5
Cost:  50

Infantry
Move:  10F
Attack: 3/30
Assault:  3
Hits:  4L
Save:  6
Cost:  70

Other sci-fi rules are available for conducting battles involving the Alderaan Avengers, such as:

Tomorrow's War, Gruntz, 5150 and Blasters and Bulkheads.

News Brief #16: Carnage in Cortona Park

Stardate: Sixday, 098-130 ABY/Fringe Info Network (FIN)--Tarsus Bureau

Subsector: Shannekam

"All the news that's fit to transmit."

Tarsan Security Detail Involved in City Park Gun Battle

Two days ago, members of Diplomatic Security Team Three (DST-3) were involved in a firefight in the middle of Cortona Park on Ku Crassus.  The team happened upon a meeting between an apparent Sith Lord and the Bongolaanian delegate, after the Tarsan-Bongolaan negotiations ended for the evening.  After the meeting, the team attempted to follow the Sith, but were ambushed by a strike team of rifle-armed Sith Mutants.

The blaster fire alerted the Crassian police, who dispatched a squad to the scene.  All five of the Sith Mutants were killed, along with one Crassian police officer, in the ensuing battle. 

However, these were not the only casualties.  Several gang-members and a couple of homeless beings were reported killed while DST-3 was in hot pursuit of the Sith Lord.  Currently, there are conflicting reports on the causes of death among the park-dwellers.  An investigation is now underway to determine if DST-3 employed indiscriminate blaster fire during the chase.

One homeless man did survive, despite suffering from cardiac arrest.  The individual, who bears some resemblance to Janos Gazdag, Professor of Economics at the University of Shanneka, was escorted into a police land speeder by DST-3.  The professor has been missing for several days now.  (See the bottom story of News Brief #13).  The identity of the survivor taken out of the park has not yet been released.

 

The Sith Mutants sacrificed themselves to allow their leader to evade DST-3's pursuit and the subsequent search by Crassian authorities.  An anonymous source in the Crassian System Defense Force told FIN, it is possible this being is off-planet by now.  If he has access to Sith Infiltrator starships, like the type spotted landing on Gadnek Island in the Zenya System.  Such vessels are equipped with cloaking devices and can easily evade military-grade sensors and scanners. 

If this is so, then it is anyones guess where this Sith Lord and his mutant strike teams will turn up next. 

Webcomic Chapter 4 Posted

Breakout from Bongolaan's Chapter 4 has been posted and can be found on pages 85-123. 

The soundtrack interlude to this chapter is:  When the Levee Breaks, by the ladies of Zepparella.  I thought this tune evoke the sense of danger and despair in the face of an approaching storm. 

I've made a couple of changes to help streamline the process of posting my graphic novels.  The nature of the modifications can be found in the Webcomic Link Page on the Stern Rake Studio site. 

Now that Chapter 4 is available for viewing, it's time for me to add some news briefs and intel summaries on what's transpired recently in the Redshift...