So... You're the brand new owner of a slightly um... ancient... dimensional portal that allows you to walk across the galaxy in your slippers anytime you want. Which is cool and all, but what's to prevent pirates, opposing armies, or annoying relatives from stepping through and trashing YOUR planet? I mean, when you think about it, security for this thing is a real bitch.
You can't just turn it off, because that only stops you from traveling out. For incoming traffic, the link is powered by the portal at the other end.
You can't block it off with a door or something, because the designers decided to make it destroy anything that's obstructing the portal when the link is made.
You can bury it. But it will still carve out a cavity when it opens. Which any enemy can put a big shaped explosive in. Easily clearing a hole to the surface. Unless of course they're an insect race that likes to dig tunnels. Then you won't know you've been invaded until the ground underneath you collapses, and you get fed to the mega-colony's queen. Not a good idea!
So you have to keep the thing someplace that you can keep an eye on it. Preferably someplace outside and a bit away from major population centers. At least occupied ones.
You can't just park an army around the portal though, because then the invaders will hit you with a neutron/chemical bomb before they step through, killing everyone and leaving the portal intact. So you can't keep too many troops near it. Just enough to police the normal portal traffic and discourage petty criminals. The rest of the troops will need to be kept at least a few miles away.
So keep it outside. Post a squad or two at the portal. Keep a platoon or two a bit further out, and at least a company of troops 5-10 miles away with fast transports. Simple, right?
Description
An attacking force is attempting to seize control of the immediate area around a Stargate, Teleport Pad, or Dimensional Portal. If successful, their bridgehead will allow them to transport more troops and material into the defender's territory, escalating the confrontation.
The Defender must rush their first-response forces to the area, and seize control of the portal. Shutting it down and stopping the invasion in it's tracks without harming the device itself.
Setup
Each player rolls a die, and the winner becomes the Attacker. The Attacker chooses a long table edge, and places his portal marker. The Defender takes the opposite table edge.
The center of the portal marker must be placed exactly 9" from the Attacker's long table edge, and 36" from both short edges of the table.
The marker may not be placed on or within any piece of terrain other than a bare hill. If there is a piece of terrain in the way of the marker, that terrain may be moved up to 6" in order to either place the marker on top of it (in the case of hills), or to one side of it (all other terrain).
If both players agree, a suitable portal-like terrain piece may be placed beneath the marker as decoration.
However this terrain piece will not provide concealment, nor block line of sight.
Starting with the Attacker, both players will now deploy 1 objective each within the control zone. The Defender's objective may not be placed within 18" of the Attacker's objective.
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| Objectives and blocking obstacles are in place. |
The Defender now selects half of their forces, rounded down, to be their Initial Response Force (IRF). The rest will be held in delayed reserves (1 reserve die on turn 3, 2 on turn 4, etc.).
The Defender now places one of his IRF units within his deployment zone, which extends 6" from his long table edge. The rest will enter on his first turn.
The Attacker now places one of his units within his deployment zone. Which extends 12" from the center of the portal marker.
First Turn
The Attacker goes first.
Every turn, including turn 1, one of the Attacker's units may enter through the portal. To place a unit, position the unit's leader anywhere within 6" of the center of the portal. Then place the rest of the unit anywhere around the leader within 6". Due to the effects of the transit, all units arriving through the portal are considered to have moved At The Double on the turn that they arrive.
On the Defender's first turn, he may bring on the rest of the units in his Initial Response Force. These units may enter from either the Defender's long table edge, or either of the 2 short table edges. These are his reserve edges.
For both the Defender's IRF units, and his units in Delayed Reserve, no more than one defending unit may enter from any single table edge, unless at least one unit has already entered from all of the 3 reserve edges during that same turn.
Objectives
The Defender's objective is to control either of the two objectives in the Control Zone. Doing this will enable them to shut down the portal and win the mission. The Defender may also win if he destroys more than half of the Attacker's units, forcing a Task Force Morale Check. If the Attacker has no officers left to take the check, then he will fail the check automatically and lost the mission.
The Attacker's objective is to hold off the Defender's forces. He will win the mission either by forcing a failed Task Force Morale Check on the Defender. He will also win if, after turn 6, the Defender has no units within 24" of the center of the Portal Marker.
Edit: There is no turn limit. You just play until someone wins.
Thoughts?
This mission will, I think, require more playtesting than the others in order to tune everything properly. But it should be pretty fun. :)
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