Federation Commander

[Mike]

I've always been interested in solitaire scenarios. Maybe that's because I only had a brother to play against a couple of times back in the early days of SFB.

Anyway, in another thread a request was made for some simple training scenarios. This section was created to provide a place to post some ideas and perhaps some samples.

[Mike]

Federation Commander Basic Training

(8BT1) PILOTING A SHIP OUT OF STARDOCK
To prepare for your first mission, you must pilot your starship out of stardock.

(8BT1a) NUMBER OF PLAYERS
One: The Federation player.

(8BT1b) INITIAL SET-UP
Use the small hex side of the map panels. Set up one map panel. The stardock is in hex 0515, but a stardock counter does not need to be placed on the map.
Federation: Place a Fleet Scale heavy cruiser counter on the map in hex 0515 facing direction F (toward hex 0414).

(8BT1c) OBJECTIVE
Mission-Federation: Move into hex 0109 facing direction A with the Turn Mode satisfied.
Time Limit: 1 Turn.
Victory: End the Turn in hex 0109 facing direction A with the Turn Mode satisfied.

(8BT1d) SPECIAL RULES
The ship must move with a baseline speed of 8. The following is provided for more explanation of the movement during the scenario.
You could move directly to hex 0113 by moving straight ahead through hexes 0414, 0314, 0213, and into 0113. You would still be facing in direction F. Then you could turn right (leaving a Point of Turn marker in hex 0113) and move through hexes 0112, 0111, 0110, and into hex 0109. You would be facing in direction A.
There are other ways to accomplish the objective. Starting in hex 0515 facing F, another way would be to move ahead through 0414 and into 0314, turn right (placing a Point of Turn marker), move ahead through 0313 and into 0312, turn left (placing a Point of Turn marker), move ahead through 0211 and into 0111, turn right (placing a Point of Turn marker), move ahead through 0110 and into 0109. This would meet the objective of ending the Turn in hex 0109 facing direction A.
Set up your ship in the starting position again and try moving your ship differently from either of the ways described above. Just remember these things:
1. You must move only 8 hexes.
2. You must finish in hex 0109 facing direction A.
3. You must have fulfilled your Turn Mode by the time you enter hex 0109.
4. Since your Turn Mode is 2, you must always move 2 hexes straight ahead before you can turn.

(8BT1e) FORCE DYNAMICS
Try using acceleration, deceleration, and sideslips after playing the basic scenario. Also try using a ship from a different empire.

(8BT1f) DESIGNERS NOTES
This scenario was converted from the Star Fleet Battles Cadet Training Manual.

[Mike]

Federation Commander Basic Training

(8BT2) BATTLE DRILL
You are assigned to track down and destroy a series of five target drones.

(8BT2a) NUMBER OF PLAYERS
One: The Federation player.

(8BT2b) INITIAL SET-UP
Use the small hex side of the map panels. Set up one map panel.
Federation: Place a Fleet Scale heavy cruiser counter on the map in hex 0109 facing direction A.
Drones: Place one drone counter in each of these positions: hex 0101 facing direction C, hex 0207 facing B, 0705 facing D, 0810 facing F, and 0801 facing D.

(8BT2c) OBJECTIVE
Mission-Federation: Destroy all five target drones within two Turns.
Time Limit: Two Turns.
Victory: To win an outstanding victory, you must destroy the five target drones before the end of Turn 2. A marginal victory would be destroying three of the five drones and scoring at least 3 damage points on each of the other two drones. A tactical victory would mean destroying one or two of the drones and scoring at least 3 damage points on each of the others.

(8BT2d) SPECIAL RULES
The ship must move with a baseline speed of 8 during the entire scenario. The drones move straight ahead with a speed of 8 hexes per Turn. Each drone is destroyed by four damage points (total, scored as part of one or more volleys). Keep track of each drone and the damage points scored on it.

(8BT2e) FORCE DYNAMICS
You can replay this training exercise with any equivalent ship from a different empire. This scenario can be replayed in Squadron Scale by using a Squadron Scale ship and by modifying the drones in one of two ways. Either place another drone beside each original drone or double the amount of damage points it takes to destroy the original drones. Another way to replay this exercise is to use a Squadron Scale frigate with the original five target drones.

(8BT2f) DESIGNERS NOTES
This scenario was converted from the Star Fleet Battles Cadet Training Manual.

[Mike]

Federation Commander Basic Training

(8BT3) UNDER ATTACK
Your starship has been assigned by Star Fleet Command to patrol a certain area as a show of force and determination during treaty negotiations at a nearby planet. The Klingons want your ship to leave the area so that the planetary government will see the Federation is weak. The Klingon Empire is hopeful that the planetary government will turn to them for exclusive trade agreements. The Klingons, however, are not willing to engage you directly in combat. To force you to retreat, they have launched drones into your patrol area.

(8BT3a) NUMBER OF PLAYERS
One: The Federation player.

(8BT3b) INITIAL SET-UP
Use the small hex side of the map panels. Set up two map panels side by side.
Federation: Place a Fleet Scale heavy cruiser counter on the left map in hex 0913 facing direction A.
Drones: Place one drone counter in each of these positions on the left map: hex 0109 facing C, hex 0301 facing D, and hex 1101 facing D. Place drones in these positions on the right map: hex 0301 facing E, 1101 facing E, hex 1403 facing E, 1408 facing E, and 1415 facing F.

(8BT3c) OBJECTIVE
Mission-Federation: Do not leave the area and do not allow your ship to receive significant damage from the drones.
Time Limit: The scenario continues until the drones are destroyed or the ship leaves the map.
Victory: To win an outstanding victory, you must destroy all the drones and not receive more than one internal damage point. A marginal victory would result from destroying all of the drones and not receiving more than three internal damage points. A tactical victory would mean destroying all of the drones and not receiving more than one internal damage point from any individual drone. A tactical loss would mean destroying all the drones, but receiving more than one internal damage point from any individual drone. A marginal loss would mean receiving more than 10 internal damage points. An overwhelming loss would mean leaving the map. An extraordinary loss would mean allowing your ship to become crippled (having more than half its internal boxes damaged) or destroyed.

(8BT3d) SPECIAL RULES
The ship must move with a baseline speed of 8 during the entire scenario. These drones move with a speed of 8 hexes per Turn and are seeking weapons targeted on the ship. Each drone is destroyed by receiving four damage points. In Fleet Scale, each drone will cause six points of damage if it impacts your ship. In Squadron Scale, the drones will each cause twelve points of damage.

(8BT3e) FORCE DYNAMICS
You can replay this training exercise with any equivalent ship from a different empire. You may also replay it with a different starting position for your ship. Try changing your starting position on the left map to hex 0415 facing A or hex 0110 on the right map.

(8BT3f) DESIGNERS NOTES
This scenario was converted from the Star Fleet Battles Cadet Training Manual.

[Mike]

Federation Commander Basic Training

(8BT4) CONVOY RAID
A neutral planet has refused to sell its products to the Klingon Empire, preferring instead to sell to the Federation. A convoy of four loaded freighters is now headed toward the Federation border. Your battlecruiser has been assigned to pursue and destroy the convoy to prevent it from reaching Federation territory (and to teach the neutral planet a lesson).

(8BT4a) NUMBER OF PLAYERS
One: The Klingon player. There is a two-player variant (see the Force Dynamics section).

(8BT4b) INITIAL SET-UP
Use the small hex side of the map panels. Set up two map panels side by side.
Klingon: Place a Squadron Scale D6 battlecruiser counter on the map in hex 0104 facing direction C.
Freighters: Place four Squadron Scale small freighters in hex 0112, 0110, 0309, and 0311. All freighters are facing direction B.

(8BT4c) OBJECTIVE
Mission-Klingon: Prevent the freighters from reaching Federation space by destroying them before they exit the map.
Mission-Freighters: Exit the right side of the right map.
Time Limit: The scenario continues until all of the freighters are destroyed or have left the map.
Victory: To win an outstanding victory you must destroy all four freighters and not have any internal damage scored on your ship. To win a marginal victory you must destroy all the freighters and have no more than 10 internal damage points. To win a tactical victory you must destroy the freighters, but have more than 10 internal damage points. Allowing any of the freighters to escape is considered a loss.

(8BT4d) SPECIAL RULES
The Klingon ship must move with a baseline speed of 8 during the entire scenario. The freighters move with a baseline speed of 0 for the entire scenario, but must accelerate on every even numbered Impulse if they have the power to do so. Drones move with a speed of 8 hexes per Turn.
The freighters move directly ahead until they each the right map, at which point each freighter will turn to face direction C.
The freighters fire their phasers using these automatic rules. A freighter will not fire at the Klingon ship if a drone is targeted on it. It will fire its phaser at any drone that impacts it. If no drone is targeted on a freighter, it will fire its phaser at the Klingon ship on any Impulse that the Klingon ship is at a range of 3 hexes or less. If a freighter has not fired its phaser by the last Impulse and has the power to do so, it will fire at the Klingon ship regardless of the range unless a drone is targeted on it (then it will fire at the drone regardless of the range).

(8BT4e) FORCE DYNAMICS
You may also play this scenario with another player. The other player should be given a Federation heavy cruiser that would be placed in hex 1401 facing E at the beginning of Turn Four. The Klingon objective in this situation would be to destroy at least three of the freighters and escape from the north, south, or western edge of the map.

(8BT4f) DESIGNERS NOTES
This scenario was converted from the Star Fleet Battles Cadet Training Manual.

[Mike]

deleted

[Mike]

Federation Commander Basic Training

(8BT6) THE PLANET KILLER
From a distant corner of the galaxy comes word that something is destroying entire planets. It is the size of several large ships and seems to be either a living thing or perhaps some massive ship sent on a raid by a hostile empire. Your ship locates the monster just as it approaches another inhabited world.

(8BT6a) NUMBER OF PLAYERS
One: The Federation player. The Planet Killer moves by automatic rules (see Special Rules).

(8BT6b) INITIAL SET-UP
Use the small hex side of the map panels. Set up two map panels side by side. Place a planet counter on the right map in hex 1213.
Planet Killer: Place a counter for the Planet Killer on the left map in hex 0101.
Federation: Place a heavy cruiser counter on the right map in hex 1203. It may be facing any direction you desire.

(8BT6c) OBJECTIVE
Mission-Federation: Save the planet from destruction.
Mission-Planet Killer: Destroy the planet.
Time Limit: The scenario continues until either the Federation ship has been destroyed or the Planet Killer has been destroyed.
Victory: The Planet Killer wins if it can inflict 200 damage points on the planet. If the ship leaves the map before the Planet Killer is destroyed, the Planet Killer wins. The player wins an overwhelming victory if the Planet Killer is destroyed without any damage to the planet. A marginal victory means the destruction of the Planet Killer and fewer than 50 damage points on the planet. A tactical victory means the Planet Killer is destroyed and the planet receives 50 damage points up to 199 damage points.

(8BT6d) SPECIAL RULES
The Planet Killer moves like a seeking weapon toward the planet. It always moves 8 hexes per Turn (it cannot accelerate or decelerate). It has a Turn Mode of 0 (meaning it can change direction freely at any time). If it moves into a hex adjacent to the planet it will stop and cease moving unless it is lured away to follow the ship. If it can move into either of two hexes to fulfill its seeking movement, make a die roll to determine which way it will move (odd=left, even=right).
If the ship is within two hexes of the Planet Killer at the beginning of any Sub-Pulse, it will begin to follow the ship. It will continue to follow the ship until the ship moves farther than two hexes from it (at which point the Planet Killer will resume moving toward the planet).
During the Offensive Fire Phase of the first Impulse during a Turn when the ship is within six hexes of the ship, the Planet Killer will fire its weapon. The weapon can fire in any direction and damage is scored according to this chart:
Die roll (Damage) 1 (40) 2 (30) 3 (20) 4 (10) 5 (5) 6 (1).
Range has no effect on the result, but the weapon is limited to a range of six hexes. If the Planet Killer is within range of the planet, it will fire at the planet. It can only fire its weapon once during each Turn.
An exception to the firing rule for the Planet Killer occurs when it has not already fired its weapon during a given Turn and it begins following the ship. If the ship is still two hexes away (or less) when the Offensive Fire Phase occurs, the Planet Killer will fire its weapon at the ship. Therefore, if the Planet Killer has not fired its weapon during a particular Turn and is about to come within range of the planet, the ship can move to within two hexes of the Planet Killer and force it to fire its weapon at the ship instead of the planet.
The Planet Killer has a close-in defense system that operates just like an anti-drone system. It will fire at any drone that impacts it. Make a die roll to determine the outcome. A result of 1-3 means the drone hit the Planet Killer and scores damage. A result of 4-6 means the drone was destroyed before it could cause any damage. The Planet Killer will also use this system on any shuttle or fighter that moves within three hexes of it, but it will only fire at a given shuttle or fighter once per Turn.
At the start of this scenario, you do not have enough information to know how to destroy the Planet Killer. Your labs will provide you with this information. When you have accumulated 100 points of information, roll one die and consult this list to determine how to destroy the Planet Killer:
Die Result
1 - An 18-point suicide shuttlecraft must hit the Planet Killer to destroy it.
2 - A tractor beam will rip its hull apart and destroy it.
3 - It can be destroyed by 200 damage points (including up to 150 prior to this roll).
4 - It can be destroyed by an anti-matter probe fired as a weapon.
5 - It can be destroyed by a successful Hit-and-Run Raid.
6 - Insufficient data. Gather another 50 points of information and roll again.
Note: only in the case of the 3 result can anything be done prior to the die roll. The results of rolls 1, 2, 4, and 5 can only be done after the die roll is made.

(8BT6e) FORCE DYNAMICS
Start the scenario with the Planet Killer either closer to or farther away from the planet. You could also start the ship closer to the Planet Killer.

(8BT6f) DESIGNERS NOTES
This scenario was converted from the Star Fleet Battles Cadet Training Manual.

[Davec_24]

Great idea Mike! I was a little bit disappointed at the lack of solitaire scenarios in Federation Commander myself, because I also don't get many chances to play with other people (and so don't get many chances to play at all because of this). Maybe with some decent solitaire scenarios, this could give me a chance to keep my hand in. Thanks for sharing these!

[pinecone]

Cool! I'll have to give these a go sometime.

[Requete]

This rocks, Mike!

One thing that is interesting is that I have a friend who doesn't like to play competitive games (I know... what a loser! ). But he said that he would be interested in doing a cooperative style game. He has expressed some interest in SFB/FC but only in that vein.

Maybe I can see if he wants to go together against the old Planet Killer. I always thought that was a cool premise.
_________________
"In Klingon Empire, drone launches you!"

----

Pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy:
http://www.catholicity.com/prayer/divinemercy.html

[Mike]

Requete: use two smaller ships with a friend against the Planet Killer.

[Mike]

These scenarios have NOT been playtested. They are off-the-cuff port-overs from SFB. Any changes made to them were to make them fit the FC system. There may be some glaring problems, but those can be fixed if they are tried enough and feedback is given.

After someone mentioned in the other other thread that they wanted some situations in which to teach new and younger players, the idea occurred to port over some of the scenarios from the old Cadet Training Manual.

I haven't taken the time to write them in a true "training" fashion for a couple of reasons. One was time. The other was that I assumed that someone wanting to learn how to play would have an experienced player to guide them through. Each of these scenarios *could be* fleshed out much better to include a section that stated which rules, weapons, types of movement, etc. are to be allowed and included, but that might be a little much. The way most of them are written, even players familiar with the game can play them with a certain amount of enjoyment.

[Requete]

[Mike]

Federation Commander Solitaire Scenario

(8SS7) THE SPACE BLOB
Your ship is on patrol in a far flung sector and detects an unusual energy reading. Your science officer traces the reading to a nearby sector, so you order the navigator to plot a course to intercept. Upon arrival, you discover a huge amorphous life form that is many times larger than your starship. The science officer reports that it is radiating a form of energy that is extremely harmful to humanoid life and must be neutralized. Unfortunately, neither the science officer nor the computer has any idea how to do that. You order your ship to move closer to investigate further.

(8SS7a) NUMBER OF PLAYERS
One: The Federation player. The Space Blob moves by automatic rules (see Special Rules).

(8SS7b) INITIAL SET-UP
Use the small hex side of the map panels. Set up two map panels side by side.
Space Blob: Place a counter for the Space Blob on the left map in hex 0408.
Federation: Place a heavy cruiser counter on the right map in hex 1401 facing direction E.

(8SS7c) OBJECTIVE
Mission-Federation: Neutralize the Space Blob.
Mission-Space Blob: Who knows?
Time Limit: The scenario continues until either the Federation ship has been destroyed or the Space Blob has been neutralized.
Victory: There is only one level of victory for this scenario. The player must neutralize the Space Blob.

(8SS7d) SPECIAL RULES
The Space Blob moves with a baseline speed of 0, but accelerates on even-numbered Impulses (it essentially moves 4 hexes per Turn).
It moves randomly. During each even-numbered Impulse, make one die roll to determine the direction it moves. 1=A, 2=B, 3=C, 4=D, 5=E, 6=F. The Space Blob moves last in the order of movement.
You may fire weapons at the Space Blob to accumulate damage points for possible use later.
The primary action in this scenario is the scientific investigation of the creature. During the Turn, note the closest approach your ship makes to the Space Blob. Also note which shield was facing the creature at that point. At the end of the Turn, but before the End of Turn procedures take place, figure how many information points were gathered about the Space Blob. Divide the total amount of information points in half to find the number of damage points that were inflicted against the shield that faced the Space Blob at your closest approach. Probes may assist in obtaining information.
Once 400 points of information are gathered about the Space Blob, make a die roll and consult this chart:
Die Result
1 - An 18-point suicide shuttlecraft must hit the Space Blob to destroy it.
2 - A tractor beam will destroy it.
3 - It can be destroyed by 200 damage points (including any accumulated up to this roll).
4 - It can be destroyed by an anti-matter probe fired as a weapon.
5 - Insufficient data. Gather another 100 points of information and roll again.
6 - Communication is established with the Space Blob. It is friendly, and you are not required to destroy it. You have neutralized it by convincing it to avoid areas where humanoid life exists. If you have scored damage on it, you automatically lose this scenario.
Note: only in the case of the 3 result can anything be done prior to the die roll. The results of rolls 1, 2, and 4, can only be done after the die roll is made.

(8SS7e) FORCE DYNAMICS
The strength of the Space Blob can be adjusted to the ship used by the player with this equation:
N = (V / 140) x 400
N is the number of points of information that must be accumulated in order to determine what will neutralize the Space Blob. Round off N to the nearest tenth (0.1).
V is the point value of the ship being used.

(8SS7f) DESIGNERS NOTES
This scenario was converted from SM2.0 (The Space Amoeba) in the old Star Fleet Battles Commanders Edition.

[Mike]

deleted