Game Scenarios

Take & Hold

Your forces advance, ready to take the fight to the enemy on the surface and in the space above. But they are just as determined to hold the key strategic areas on this war-torn planet. Take the important landing sites and destroy their ships before they do the same to you!

• 2 players.
• Fleet List: Standard.
• Suggested Approach: Column (opposing edges shown in blue).
• Duration: 6 turns.
• Orbital Debris: Debris Fields (2-5 Fine, 4-6 Dense).
• Victory Conditions: Clusters (Standard Scoring, Critical Locations).

Variant: "Double Down"

The two clusters (and their Critical Locations) either side of the centre cluster are worth double victory points.

Erupting Battlefront

What seemed like a Recon skirmish was in reality the prelude to a fleet sized engagement, with the foe making a play for key sectors on the surface. Capture and hold them quickly; your reinforcements are en-route, but so are the enemy's...

• 2 players.
• Fleet List: Standard.
• Suggested Approach: Rapid Reaction (opposing edges shown in blue).
• Duration: 6 turns.
• Orbital Debris: Planetary Ring.
• Victory Conditions
  • Player 1: Gains 1 VP for each Sector in B Clusters destroyed, B Clusters are Critical Locations and A Clusters follow standard scoring.
  • Player 2: Gains 1 VP for each Sector in A Clusters destroyed, A Clusters are Critical Locations and B Clusters follow standard scoring.
  • Both players: C Clusters and Space Stations (Standard Scoring, Critical Locations).

Variant: "Punching Up"

Replace 2 of the Sectors in the central Cluster with Orbital Guns.

Moonshot

Operations in strategically useful cities on the ground have be hampered by the presence of a large solid object in orbit, allowing light enemy fleets to engage in hit and run attacks and use piratical tactics. Such a physical impediment to orbital combat must not be used by the enemy to delay conquest of the surface.

Hold the space stations and ground support clusters close to it to deny the adversary this advantage.

• Players: 2 players.
• Fleet List: Standard.
• Suggested Approach: Battle Line (12" along opposing board corners shown in blue).
• Duration: 6 turns.
• Orbital Debris: Debris Fields (0-2 Fine, 2-3 Dense), LSO (12" Diameter).
• Victory Conditions: Clusters (Standard Scoring, Critical Locations), Space Stations (Score as Medium Clusters and Critical Locations). In addition, players are awarded Victory Points for the following Kill Points.

Kill Points	Victory Points
600+	2
760+	3
1000+	5

Variant: "Extra Large Solid Object"

Make the LSO 18" diameter.

Power Grab

This region's main weakness is intermittent and shifting power supply, often generated by unstable power sources. Holding these generators could deliver the whole region, but denying them to the opposing forces is the long term aim, one way or another.

• Players: 2 players.
• Fleet List: Standard.
• Suggested Approach: Column (12" along opposing board corners shown in blue).
• Duration: 6 turns.
• Orbital Debris: Debris Fields (2-8 Fine, 6-10 Dense).
• Victory Conditions: Clusters (Standard Scoring, Critical Locations). Clusters Containing Power Plants are worth double Victory Points but nothing if the Power Plants is destroyed.

Variant: "Bifuricate"

Remove the Debris Fields and place a Planetary Ring Vertically through the centre of the table.

The Anomaly

ADMIRAL, TASKFORCE SHIP CAPTAIN'S EYES ONLY - ANOMALY DETECTED

A Lysander class lighter operating under the auspices of the Office of Naval Intelligence has detected an anomalous vessel in your combat zone. She is cruiser-sized, running dark and does not match any known signature. She approached at beyond-relativistic realspace speed, which is notionally impossible, slowed to combat speed above your planet of operations, and has been making multiple course changes. All attempts to hail her have failed. No conventional life signs were detected, but spectral analysis suggests the presence of unusually homogenous organic matter. ONI lost contact with our Lysander 17 minutes ago.

Proceed with your current mission, but additionally, and this is time-critical, obtain further intelligence about this vessel. Do not engage or attempt to hail. Do not approach to within visual range, where we risk deck crew making observations. Bridge crew should be made aware that any information gleaned is classified to level 6, and confined to quarters under guard for an indefinite period post-mission. Proceed with caution. We surmise the enemy is also attempting to research this vessel. You will be visited by a senior representative of ONI in due course. Out.

The Anomaly may be added to almost any existing Dropfleet Commander scenario. First, replace a random cluster or space station with The Anomaly - the replaced cluster or space station must be further than 12" from any player's deployment zone/ board edge. The Anomaly should be placed in low orbit and facing a random cluster or space station, again, not one within 12" of any player's deployment zone/ board edge. If making the replacement would compromise the scenario, choose a different one to replace. If impossible, place The Anomaly in the centre of the table.

At the end of each Roundup Phase, The Anomaly should be moved 9" forward. If that move would take it within 6" of the cluster/ space station it is facing, it should stop there and be turned to face another random cluster or space station (any, this time). The Anomaly may not be targeted offensively and cannot take damage in any way. Once per turn, you may active-scan The Anomaly. Once done, roll 1D6 and refer to the following table:

	Distance from scanning ship to The Anomaly
D6 Roll	Over 36"	25-36"	13-24"	7-12"	0-6"
1	0 VP	0 VP	D	D	D
2	0 VP	0 VP	0 VP	D	D
3	0 VP	0 VP	0 VP	0 VP	D
4	0 VP	0 VP	1 VP	1 VP	2 VP
5	1 VP	1 VP	1 VP	2 VP	3 VP
6	1 VP	2 VP	2 VP	3 VP	4 VP

Either an amount of VP's are gained, or the scanning ship is rendered mysteriously inoperable (a result of 'D'). In which case, remove it from play, and do not roll on the Catastrophic Damage Table. Opponents score no Kill Points for this ship.

If any ship ends its move in high/low orbit within 3" of The Anomaly, its owner loses 1VP. Additionally, if The Anomaly's end of turn move places it within 3" of another ship in high/low orbit, that ship’s owner loses 1VP.