(SP___.0) Live long or prospect

A frigate is dispatched on a raid behind enemy lines to disrupt prospecting operations in the asteroid belt. Pursued by a flotilla of interceptors, it has only a short time to complete its mission and leave the area.

(SP___.1) NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 2; the attacking player and the prospecting player.

(SP___.2) INITIAL SET UP
Prospector: Small Prospecting Freighter and Large Prospecting Freighter deployed as (SP___.45), speed 0, WS-I
Reinforcements arrive on turns 2-7, speed max, WS-II
Attacker: Frigate (85 BPV including COs) enters on turn 1 on any map edge, speed max, WS-III

(SP___.3) LENGTH OF SCENARIO: The scenario continues until all forces belonging to one side have been destroyed, captured, or have disengaged.

(SP___.4) SPECIAL RULES
(SP___.41) MAP: Use a fixed asteroid map.
(SP___.42) SHUTTLES AND PFs: None of the shuttles have warp booster packs.
(SP___.421) No unit has an MRS in this scenario.
(SP___.422) There are no fighters in this scenario.
(SP___.423) The interceptors have warp packs.
(SP___.43) COMMANDER'S OPTION ITEMS:
(SP___.431) The frigate can purchase additional or special equipment as Commander's Option Items (e.g. T-bombs, extra marines, etc.) up to 20% of its Combat BPV, up to a total BPV of 85. See (S3.2) for details and exceptions.
(SP___.432) All drones are "medium", speed-20.
(SP___.44) REFITS: The frigate may have any applicable refits for the year selected, if within the allowed BPV.
(SP___.45) THE FREIGHTERS
(SP___.451) The two prospecting freighters are hidden (D18.0) somewhere on the map, not within 5 hexes of each other or of any map edge (so they must be between 0606, 0624, 3706, 3724).
(SP___.452) Each freighter replaces one prospecting shuttle with an admin shuttle.
(SP___.46) THE PROSPECTING SHUTTLES
(SP___.461) All prospecting shuttles are placed on the map, 2 in each map segment A-F, speed 0 or max at the player’s option. If stationary, they are hidden (D18.0).
(SP___.462) The shuttles are all full of ore. This can be offloaded onto a freighter for victory points.
(SP___.463) Any shuttle leaving the map is considered destroyed.
(SP___.47) REINFORCEMENTS
(SP___.471) The prospecting player’s interceptor squadron has been searching the asteroid belt for the intruder. As the attack starts, they rush to the rescue. On impulse 1 of each of turns 2-7, roll one die to determine on which map segment (A-F) an interceptor arrives. The owning player places the interceptor anywhere on the map edge of that segment.

(SP___.5) VICTORY CONDITIONS
The attacking player scores points thus:
- Each prospecting shuttle or interceptor destroyed: 1
- Internal damage to small freighter: 1
- Small freighter disengages: 2
- Small freighter crippled: 4
- Small freighter destroyed: 8
- Small freighter captured: 16
- Large freighter: as small freighter, doubled
The prospecting player scores points thus:
- Each prospecting shuttle that survives or lands on a freighter that survives: 1
- Internal damage to frigate: 5
- Frigate crippled: 15
- Frigate destroyed: 30
- Frigate captured: 100

(SP___.6) VARIATIONS: The scenario can be played again under different conditions by making one of more of the following changes:
(SP___.61) Substitute a CA (140 BPV total), 3 large freighters and a PF squadron
(SP___.62) Replace the interceptors with 12 class-3 fighters, arriving on impulses 1 and 17 of turns 2-7.

(SP___.7) BALANCE: The scenario can be balanced for players of different skill levels by one of more of the following:
(SP___.71) Use a larger or smaller attacker
(SP___.72) Give the freighters skids or ducktails.
(SP___.73) Alter the entry times of the interceptors.

(SP___.8) TACTICS:
Attacker: Kill stuff and leave. As long as the interceptors are dispersed, you can kill them safely. In pairs, they’re a threat. All together, they’re deadly.

Prospector: A lot depends on when he finds the freighters and where your reinforcements appear. Use interceptors and shuttles to harass and delay him until you can mass your forces and kill him. Feel free to disengage the freighters, but land some shuttles first.