Custom Campaign: Balance of the Force

Good morning gamers,

As we begin our series of custom short campaigns, we begin today with two of the most iconic characters in Star Wars: Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader. The “Balance of the Force” short campaign can be played simply by owning the Core Set and helps you enjoy some of the missions that involve the famous father and son.

Campaign Theme

This campaign is a character-centered campaign (see our previous post for a few ideas on themes you can use): in it, we’re going to be using Luke Skywalker in most of the missions and Darth Vader will feature prominently on the opposing side. Both Luke and Vader are powerful figures in Imperial Assault and in these missions, you get all the joys of using them and often avoid paying the high cost of fielding them. With this in mind, let’s get into the action.

Mission 1: Homecoming

Since the short campaigns begin with a Green mission, we begin with a journey to Tatooine (where Luke and Anikan both called home). This mission involves a lot of moving, but otherwise is a focus on killing lots of stuff (which, let’s face it, makes for a fun start to any campaign).

Pre-Mission Briefing: As the Rebellion continues its fight against the dreaded Empire, Commander Luke Skywalker has headed to Tatooine to recruit promising pilots for the Rebellion. After arriving at Tatooine, Skywalker’s communication trail ended, leaving many to wonder what became of the famed pilot who won the Battle of Yavin. In response to the threat of harm to the Rebellion’s greatest hero, a Rebel strike team has been sent to Tatooine to assist Skywalker in returning to the Rebel Fleet safely.

Recommended Units for the IP:

·         6-cost group for double the threat level deployment

·         Imperial Officer (up to 2)

·         Jawa Scavenger                                     [Jawa Scavenger Villain Pack]

·         Elite Jawa Scavenger                            [Jawa Scavenger Villain Pack]

·         Probe Droid (up to 2)

·         Ugnaught Tinkerer (up to 2)                 [Bespin Gambit]

Post-Mission Briefing (on Victory): As you jump to hyperspace to rejoin the Rebel Fleet, Luke turns to you and says, “Thanks for helping me out back there. The Imperial garrison here is stronger than I originally thought, so I didn’t want to send an emergency signal for fear of it being intercepted. I’m grateful for your help today and could use your help on a different task: I’ve felt a great disturbance in the force back on Yavin. I would check it out myself, but … well … I have a bad feeling about it. Do you think you could check it out in my stead?”

Post-Mission Briefing (on Defeat): You are kept from reaching the transport and escaping, but Luke Skywalker takes you and your team down a back alley. After a few turns this way and that, you lose your pursuers. “They’ll be back – you’re not safe with me. I’ll find my own way back to the Rebellion, but I have another task for you: I’ve felt a great disturbance in the force back on Yavin. I would check it out myself, but … well … I have a bad feeling about it – and I doubt I’ll get out of here without being closely followed. Do you think you could check it out in my stead?”

Mission 2: Temptation

This is a “Force” campaign, so which mission would be better to do than Diala Passil’s reward mission? If Diala isn’t being used in the campaign, the Rebel players will need to pick a figure to stand in for Diala Passil for game rule purposes.

Recommended Units for the IP:

·         10-cost group if the Rebels won Luke Skywalker as an ally

·         8-cost group for double the threat level deployment

·         Clawdite Shapeshifter            [Heart of the Empire]

·         Hired Gun                               [Hired Gun Villain Pack]

·         Jet Trooper (up to 2)               [Jabba’s Realm]

·         Nexu

Post-Mission Briefing (on Victory): With the vision of Darth Vader defeated, the dark haze around the ruins clears. After caring for Shu Yen’s body, you prepare your preparations to return to the Rebel Fleet. On route, you are contacted by Rebel High Command, informing you that Commander Skywalker has made his report and believes there are valuable recruits to be gained on Tatooine. Apparently, word has spread amongst the locals of a team of Rebel Operatives who fought against the Empire to aid Skywalker in his escape – Rebel High Command would like to use your recent notoriety to gain some valuable new soldiers and pilots to the cause.

Post-Mission Briefing (on Defeat): The power of the Dark Side and the ambush of the Empire proves to be too strong for your team to withstand. Your team beats a hasty retreat to return to the Rebel Fleet. On route, you are contacted by Rebel High Command, informing you that Commander Skywalker has made his report and believes there are valuable recruits to be gained on Tatooine. Apparently, word has spread amongst the locals of a team of Rebel Operatives who fought against the Empire to aid Skywalker in his escape – Rebel High Command would like to use your recent notoriety to gain some valuable new soldiers and pilots to the cause.

Mission 3: Sympathy For The Rebellion

This mission is the first mission so far where attribute tests will be required of the team to ensure mission victory. As such, while there will be plenty of fighting involved, it has a very different feel to other missions in this campaign (which are mostly roast-all-the-bad-guys).

Recommended Units for the IP:

·         10-cost group if the Rebels won Luke Skywalker as an ally

·         8-cost group for double the threat level deployment

·         Clawdite Shapeshifter            [Heart of the Empire]

·         Hired Gun                               [Hired Gun Villain Pack]

·         Jet Trooper                              [Jabba’s Realm]

·         Nexu

Post-Mission Briefing (on Victory): You quickly bring the recruits out of the Cantina bar and rush them and Luke Skywalker to a transport nearby. As the transport’s engines rev up and the ship begins to take off, you head to a different transport to leave Tatooine. As you exit the atmosphere and plot the coordinate for the jump to hyperspace, your scanners pick up an Imperial Star Destroyer approaching. Before you can make the jump, you are caught in the Destroyer’s tractor beam and are being steadily pulled towards the belly of the massive vessel. You only have a few minutes before you’re boarded and you know what they’re after: the location of Luke Skywalker and the Rebel Fleet. You quickly execute a code to wipe the computer’s communications’ log, but you’ll need time for the computer’s memory to be wiped clean – time you may not have as you hear Imperial boarding crews begin their work…

Post-Mission Briefing (on Defeat): You quickly bring the recruits you could convince to join the Rebellion out of the Cantina bar and rush them and Luke Skywalker to a transport nearby. As the transport’s engines rev up and the ship begins to take off, you head to a different transport to leave Tatooine. As you exit the atmosphere and plot the coordinate for the jump to hyperspace, your scanners pick up an Imperial Star Destroyer approaching. Before you can make the jump, you are caught in the Destroyer’s tractor beam and are being steadily pulled towards the belly of the massive vessel. You only have a few minutes before you’re boarded and you know what they’re after: the location of Luke Skywalker and the Rebel Fleet. You quickly execute a code to wipe the computer’s communications’ log, but you’ll need time for the computer’s memory to be wiped clean – time you may not have as you hear Imperial boarding crews begin their work…

Mission 4: Dark Obsession

This is the finale – and what a finale it will be! Darth Vader will be trying to fight his way down a hallway surrounded by some allied troops, seeking to reach a computer console that will give him the location of Luke Skywalker! The Rebel’s objective is simply to stop him; the Imperial’s objective should be to get the doors open and to have Vader move as much as possible (though slashing occasionally can be really useful and fun).

Recommended Units for the IP:

·         10-cost group if the Rebels won Luke Skywalker as an ally (thematically, you shouldn't have Luke in the story, though)

·         10-cost group for double the threat level deployment

·         Dewback Rider                       [Captain Terro Villain Pack]

·         Elite Imperial Officer

·         ISB Infiltrator                         [ISB Infiltrator Villain Pack]

·         Elite Probe Droid

·         Riot Trooper (up to 2)             [Heart of the Empire]

·         Elite Ugnaught Tinkerer         [Bespin Gambit]

·         Weequay Pirate                       [Jabba’s Realm]

Post-Mission Briefing (on Victory): Though you find yourselves hard-pressed by your foes, you have bought enough time for the computer command to finish wiping the memory of your ship’s communications and navigation log. You duck into a side-corridor and jump into a small scout shuttle which has a hyperspace jump capability (much to your surprise). As you blast free from the captured ship and plot the jump to hyperspace, you are all intensely aware of how close you were to capture by the Empire. Thankfully, that experience will have to wait for another day. . . .

Post-Mission Briefing (on Defeat): Despite your best efforts, Lord Vader walks confidently into the control room and begins pulling up navigation data and call records. Using his arcane knowledge of the Force, he pulls up the origin of your trip from Rebel High Command to assist Luke Skywalker in recruiting space pilots from Tatooine. As the information is forwarded to the Star Destroyer’s Command Bridge, you are painfully aware of the surprise attack that is being planned for the Rebel Fleet and the likely torment you will face to gain additional information about Rebel High Command and their current operations. . . .

I hope you get some great ideas for how to work these campaigns into your gaming sessions. In our next post in this series, we'll be looking at "The Solo Story" - a short campaign centered around the famous smuggler Han Solo. Until next time, happy gaming!