Scenario: Destroy the Chancellor

Here's another scenario I posted to the Galactic Knights mailing list some years ago that I've cleaned up a little bit for y'all.  It's geared toward six players, but since it's just a set of linked combats, you could easily play it with fewer people.  Any similarity to an actual historical event is strictly intentional ...

SINK THE BISMARCK DESTROY THE CHANCELLOR

BACKGROUND:  The massive warships Chancellor and Noble Knight Prince break out of their home system, prowling the spacelanes looking for vulnerable merchant convoys.  Interdiction Fleet command dispatches several squadrons to find and destroy the marauders before they can harm civilian shipping.

FORCES: This linked series of battles requires six players: one operating the Chancellor and Noble Knight Prince, and five controlling each interdiction group. 

 

Player A  

• Super Galactic Dreadnaught (Chancellor)
• Galactic Dreadnaught (Noble Knight Prince) 

Player B

• Galactic Dreadnaught (Heir Apparent): 40 points
• Dreadnaught (Viscount Admiral): 30 points

Player C

• 4 Light Fighter squadrons (from off-board carrier Triumphant): 3 points each
• 6 Heavy Fighter squadrons (from off-board carrier Triumphant): 3 points each

Player D

• Carrier (Vessel Regal): 25 points & 10 fighter squadrons (4 Light and 6 Heavy): 1 point each
• Dreadnaught (Notoriety) 20 points
• Cruiser (City of Steel) 10 points

Player E

• Destroyer (Horseman): 6 points
• Destroyer (Disciple): 6 points
• Destroyer (Warrior): 6 points
• Destroyer (Tribesman): 6 points
• Destroyer (Thunderbolt): 6 points

Player F

• Galactic Dreadnaught (Baron Admiral): 15 points
• Galactic Dreadnaught (Monarch): 15 points
• Battlecruiser (Earl Marshal): 10 points
• Battlecruiser (Southwest County): 10 points
• Destroyer (Farmer): 5 points
• Destroyer (Grower): 5 points

SETUP: Each encounter occurs in sequence.  Forces start on opposite ends of the map with a drift of 4.  An encounter ends when Player A’s ships leave the opposite side of the map or if both of them are destroyed.

• ENCOUNTER 1: Player A v. Player B
• ENCOUNTER 2: Player A v. Player C
• ENCOUNTER 3: Player A v. Player D
• ENCOUNTER 4: Player A v. Player E
• ENCOUNTER 5: Player A v. Player F

Damage to Player A’s ships carries over to all subsequent encounters.  If one of Player A's ships ends an encounter with an empty missile magazine, that ship may begin the next encounter with a full magazine (this represents bringing disassembled missiles up from storage), but the ships only carry one reload per magazine.  In addition, Player A may replace one destroyed fighter squadron one time for a subsequent encounter (this is a singular event representing the maintenance chief cobbling together working fighters from spare parts and damaged craft--"I need those birds back in the air, chief!").

VICTORY CONDITIONS: Player A gets victory points as indicated for each enemy vessel destroyed.  The other players get victory points equal to the percentage of their own ships/fighter squads that make at least one attack and survive the encounter (a fighter squadron survives an encounter if at least one fighter from that squad makes it to the end of the battle).  If Player A’s ships get all the way to Encounter 5, determine the winner by victory points.  If Player A’s vessels get destroyed in an earlier encounter, that other player is the winner.  If Player A survives all 5 encounters, Player A is the winner.

Has anyone ever played a set of linked battles like this?  If so, how did it work, and what would you do different if you tried it again?