And Sometimes The Innocent Die
by Peter Bogdasarian

Background

It is a sad truth that the wars which rage across our solar system are not so forgiving towards the lives of the innocent as the average skirmish away from a populated center might suggest. Terror raids are an important part of the Dark Legion's strategy and an occasional agent of retribution for an angered megacorporation, particularly Imperial.

Choosing Forces

Alpha Player: Any WarZone army.

Bravo Player: Any Human WarZone army plus a number of civilians. (see special rule one)

Equal points, but see special rules one and three. I suggest using about five to six hundred points, but I've been involved in planning a version of this scenario for a 12'x12' section of floor in someone's basement.

Arranging Your Battlefield

The battlefield should incorporate several buildings along with the other terrain. For those on a budget (like myself), I've used all of the following as buildings : empty tissue boxes, coffee cans and paint cans (for those who play on the floor). Other pieces of terrain to consider include : overturned cars (not hard to improvise), rubble piles (gravel, rocks, etc.) and sewer entrances (quarters). No building should be within 6" of a deployment zone.

Deploying Your Forces

Alpha player should set up as per normal WarZone rules.

Bravo player should set up his regular forces as per normal WarZone rules.

The two players should alternate placing civilians within 6" of any building.

Winning The Battle

Normal victory point rules, but each civilian evacuated is worth 2 points for the Bravo player and each civilian killed is worth 1 point for the Alpha player. Both players might also wish to nominate several objectives on the table following the procedure outlined in the Warzone rulebook. (City Hall, The Bank, Network News Station, etc.)

Civilians are considered evacuated if they exit the table through the Bravo deployment zone. This defies the ordinary rules for exiting the table.

Players may also wish to allow Alpha forces to be evacuated - these forces are worth their ordinary value in victory points. The game ends when the Alpha forces are destroyed or have left the table.

Special Rules

1. Civilians

   	CC	MW	PW	LD	AC	W	ST	MV	A
   Civilian	9	9	-	9	3	1	0	3	18

   Civilians may act normally if a Bravo unit gives them orders. An individual model activates all civilians within 6" of its position, a regular trooper one civilian per action who is within 3". Civilians might also act if an Alpha unit moves within 6" (LD check to activate) or if another civilian is killed within 6" of them. (LD check or they panic towards the nearest building) Civilians are considered a seperate entity for targeting purposes, allowing troops to target the nearest civilian or the nearest enemy unit.

   Civilians do not cost any points for this scenario.

   I would suggest using a good number of civilians - at least twelve, but no real ceiling. Civilians can be represented by whatever you can spare - old plastic toys, Games Workshop miniatures (my sense of irony at it again) or actual civilian miniatures. (There have been a few) If both players agree, some of the civilians might be carrying sidearms, particularly in Imperial and Capitol territories.

2. Terrain

   Buildings - As anyone who has ever wanted to stage a city fight knows, Buildings are a real pain in the ass. Here are several different methods for buildings :

   1. The highly unrealistic, but nice and simple, "nobody goes in dem buildings rule."

   2. The simple system of creating zones. The "building edge" zone allows the trooper to fire out of that side, and to be shot at with a -4 penalty. The "internal" zone allows the trooper to shoot at the "building edge", "roof" and "basement" zones only, and with a -2 defensive penalty. The "roof" zone places the figure atop the building, with -2 cover. The "basement" zone protects the figure from most attack, except that coming from the internal zone. Changing zones costs one action, as does entering. Most buildings can be entered from any facing.

   3. Drawing maps inside your buildings with windows, sofas, chairs, desks, etc. Very complicated and best saved for special games revolving around a single building.

   Rubble Piles - These provide -4 cover and hinder the movement of anyone attempting to move through a rubble zone.

   Sewers - Sewers allow rapid travel at the risk of getting lost. It costs one action to enter the sewers. The figures may then make a LD roll each time they are activated, with a success allowing them to exit from another sewer entrance - up to one full move and are then placed on wait orders. (considered to have been fully activated)

3. Reinforcements

   Reinforcements are only availible to the Bravo player for this scenario.

   Essentially he can buy forces with his initial points which will arrive after the initial deployment through his deployment zone. Their cost is reduced as follows : Turn 2 - x0.8 Turn 3 - x0.5 Turn 4 - x0.2

Notes

I haven't playtested this to death, so they'll be some questions and teething pains. If you can get a third person to set up the table, do so - it will make things better. Capitol's Airborne forces and Dark Legion Teleportation abilities may make the Alpha player very deadly, but the Telepathic command ability will certainly aid any evacuation! Comments, questions and death threats may be sent to :

Peter Bogdasarian prb7@cornell.edu