Kingdom of Britannia
Orders from Field Marshall William Cromwell III, Cairo
To: Suez Fleet Commodore and Colonel of Suez Garrison
24 July 1870
The Italian States have recently increased military operations in North Africa, threatening our Lion's Share of colonial dominance on that continent. American transport ships approach from the Indian Ocean, requesting passage through the Suez Canal, but British Intelligence reports that this American convoy is destined for Naples with armaments to support Italian expansion in Africa. American diplomats have been busy in Rome, and an unofficial alliance is suspected between the two nations.
Primary Directive: Do not allow these American ships to pass through the canal. The FSA fleet commodore may insist the ships are carrying dry goods cargo destined for Istanbul. Keep their ships in the Suez Gulf and delay with bureaucracy. Commence firing if absolutely necessary. They must be forced to take the longer route around the Horn of Africa.
Score 1 VP for each medium transport which is kept from entering the canal, either by diplomacy or force. Subtract -1 VP if any KoB unit fires first upon FSA units.
Secondary Directive: If the American fleet is engaged, attempt to capture a cruiser for reason of analyzing FSA rocket or generator technology with an aim to incorporate this advanced weapon system into our own fleet.
Score 1 VP for each separate rocket battery or generator on a FSA medium class cruiser which is prized and remains in KoB control until the end of the game.
Federated States of America
Orders from President Nathaniel Adams, Washington D.C.
To: South Pacific Fleet Commodore and Colonel of the 5th Armored Regiment, Combined Federal Command
24 July 1870
Diplomats representing the Ottoman Empire in Washington D.C. have offered a provisional alliance between our respective nations. A convoy of transport ships loaded with Sturginium is destined for Istanbul as a token of friendship and payment for a new technology the Turks have agreed to share with us. After transferring cargo in Istanbul take possession of a prototype to be returned by the same convoy of ships through the Gibraltar Strait and directly to the naval yards at Annapolis.
Primary Directive: Escort the convoy of medium transport ships through the Suez Canal, convincing the British to allow safe passage at the nominal fee charged for use of the canal. A regiment of Armored Landships have landed in the middle of the night not far from the British garrison to persuade the British forces to allow passage of our ships. Do not commence any fire unless first fired upon.
Score 1 VP for each medium transport vessel which enters the canal and moves beyond the bridge. Subtract -1 VP if any FSA unit fires first upon KoB units.
Secondary Directive: Land additional military supplies for the 5th Armored Regiment by moving the small transport ships to support the ground operation the water.
Score 1 VP for each pair (2) of small transport ships which move into the water zone of the FSA ground forces deployment area.
Confrontation at Suez Scenario Special Rules
Deployment: The scenario is a confrontation between two teams. Each team consists of 2-3 players. Each player's force is composed of models costing a total of 600 or 900 points, depending on how many players are on each team. Each player will command primarily a land or naval force. Naval forces deploy on the water half of the playing table and ground forces deploy on the ground half, in respective deployment zones, and may include aerial models. Ground forces may deploy naval squadrons in support of their ground forces: the KoB player may deploy naval models in the canal or within 6" of the coastal defense fortification; the FSA player may deploy naval models in the 8" x 8" zone adjacent to the land deployment zone on the west side of the land table. Aerial models included in the land forces composition must be deployed within ground deployment zones. The KoB ground commander may deploy ground units on the western side of the canal, within 4" of the canal, but aerial models must be deployed on the eastern side of the canal. The coastal defense fortress is deployed on the eastern shore at the mouth of the canal with arcs of fire facing south along the length of the water table; this piece uses the statistics of the KoB coastal defense fortress but does not count toward the point costs of the KoB ground force. The FSA ground forces may also deploy a squadron of 4 infantry carrier units at no cost.
Tiny Flyers: There are no free Tiny Flyers included with any forces in this scenario. A sandstorm to the north has ground all KoB Tiny Flyers, and the FSA fleet is too far from a friendly airbase within range of Tiny Flyers. Carriers or airstrips which are included as part of a player's force may provide Tiny Flyer tokens as usual.
Morning Conditions: During the first 2 turns of the scenario any KoB surface vessels (only) on the western half of the water table may fire upon FSA surface vessels on the eastern half of the water vessel with +1 DRM to hit. This condition simulates the rising sun in the east which silhouettes the FSA surface ships.
Victory Conditions: The first player to declare an attack in the game takes a -1 VP penalty for that respective team. All other VP is awarded as the directives indicate on the secret orders issued to each team. If one team scores more than twice the VP of the opposing team, then a Clear Victory is won by that team. If more VP is scored than the opposing team, but not more than double, then only a Tactical Advantage is won by that team. No VP are scored for damaged, captured, or destroyed models.
Special Models: There are several special models included in this scenario.
Canal: The canal is 4" wide and may be crossed by Large Landships. A Landship must end a movement at the edge of the canal, spend the entire movement of the next turn entering the canal, and then spend the entire movement of the third turn moving to the opposite side of the canal; after a crossing the Landship may again move as normal. Medium and Small ground units must cross the canal at the Bridge or Gate. The Bridge does not block naval units moving along the canal unless it is destroyed; and the Gate must be open to allow naval units to move along the canal.
FSA Infantry Carriers: The FSA ground forces include a squadron of 4 infantry carrier tokens which operate as a squadron but do not count toward the STAR card hand limit. Infantry Carriers have a movement of 8" and must remain within 6" command distance to maintain squadron formation. They are considered small units, hit by medium and large units only on 5 or 6. They have DR of 2 and CR of 3 with only 2 HP. Infantry Carriers cannot attack, fire weapons, or ram enemy models. Each token is equivalent to 2 AP which may launch an infantry attack against an enemy model within 4" or transfer AP to a friendly model to replenish lost AP, within 4" of the token. When the AP is transferred from the carrier then the token is removed from the table.
Bridge: The bridge across the canal can be used by small and medium land models. The large landships cannot cross the bridge. The bridge can be damaged and destroyed as a large model with DR 4, CR 9 and 10 HP. Critical Hits against the bridge do not roll on the critical hit table but only inflict 2 HP damage. If the bridge is reduced to 0 HP then it is wrecked and falls into the canal, blocking passage by ships along the canal and unable to support land units crossing the canal.
Canal Gate: The gate may be opened or closed if either end is within 4" control of a land model. The activating model may open or close the gate, but the gate will not change until the end of the turn. Only small tank tokens may cross the canal over the closed gate. The gate can be damaged and destroyed as a medium model with DR 3, CR 5 and 5 HP. Critical Hits against the bridge do not roll on the critical hit table but only inflict 2 HP damage.
Merchant Ships: The Gulf is busy with merchant vessels. At the end of each turn, after all players have activated squadrons, a d6 is rolled for each merchant ship to determine movement. Merchant ships are damaged and burn the same as civilian villages.
· 1: Move 2" and place All Stop token or remain stopped.
· 2-3: Move 2"
· 4: Move 2" using medium turn template to Port.
· 5: Move 2" using medium turn template to Starboard.
· 6: Move 2" and roll again for additional movement.
Civilian Villages: The Civilian Villages block movement for ground models and block LoS as small models so only a Large class land model may fire at another Large class model across a Civilian Village. Any unit may fire upon a village but cannot destroy it. If fired upon with any hits then a village will burn, generating smoke above the village which blocks all LoS as well as smoke trailing 6" downwind from leeward edge of the village. Smoke from a burning village blocks all LoS between all models, ground and aerial. Two aerial models, both at Obscured height, may trace LoS above the smoke.
