Friday, May 4, 2018

Custom Short Campaign: A Smuggler’s Life For Me


Good morning gamers,
Today we look at another themed campaign: a day in the life of an Alliance smuggler. Ironically, we won’t be using the side mission from the Alliance Smuggler Ally Pack (though you could if you wanted to), but instead we focus on doing various jobs with one of the best smuggler’s in the galaxy: Chewbacca. To play this campaign, you’ll need a copy of the Core Set AND the Twin Shadows Expansion.

Campaign Theme
Like our Sabotage campaign we did last week, this campaign is focused on a theme: be a smuggler. Smugglers are recruited by all kinds of person across the galaxy to procure and delivery some kind of thing (be it information, contraband, etc.) and provide it for the right price to someone else. This campaign is going to be different from all the others in one key way: while the heroes will be trying to win Chewbacca as an ally in the first mission, he’s only available for use in one other mission – this campaign is full of non-purchased allies! The trade for the IP is that in the missions where the Rebels get free allies, the objectives are straight forward (and you get some bonus deployment cards to use).

Mission 1: The Spice Job
Let’s admit it: we all love Chewie. Chewbacca is loyal, strong, bold, and loud – everything we want in a supporting character. Like a Labrador or St. Bernard, he’s always around and ready for action. In this first mission, we get to help him get some supplies to help Han Solo get out from under the thumb of Jabba the Hutt (who doesn’t want to do that?).

Pre-Mission Briefing: After the Battle of Yavin, the Rebel Alliance owed a great debt to the daring smuggler Han Solo and his companion Chewbacca. While both were happy to help the Rebellion pick up the pieces after the battle, it was shown a few days prior that Solo was wanted by Jabba the Hutt for not paying his debts. Knowing full well the wrath of the vile gangster of Tatooine, Chewbacca requests the assistance of a Rebel Special Forces team to steal some supplies that belong to the gangster on Nar Shadaa that could pay off some of Han’s debts and buy him a little breathing room before he can front the rest of the money. . . .

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): With the spice barrels secured on your freighter, you return to the Rebel Fleet. After you arrive, Chewbacca tells you that some of the spice barrels are for you, to pay you for your efforts in helping him. You’re informed that if you liked that job, there are some Imperial financeers on Tatooine that you could “ruff up” for some cash, as well as bank account information in computer terminals for some of the top Imperial military weapons designers there. You might want to be ready for trouble with the local garrison, but he’s confident in your abilities. Chewbacca also sends an astromech friend of his with you to help – just in case. . . .
Post-Mission Briefing (on Defeat): You secure as many spice barrels as you can before retreating out of the building. What you’ve procured will hopefully buy Han some time (though not as much as you hoped) and will give you a small bump in pay when it’s sold. While you didn’t pull off a complete heist today, Chewbacca informs you that there are some Imperial financiers on Tatooine that you could “ruff up” for some cash, as well as bank account information in computer terminals for some of the top Imperial military weapons designers there. You might want to be ready for trouble with the local garrison, but he’s confident in your abilities. Chewbacca also sends an astromech friend of his with you to help – just in case. . . .

Mission 2: Shady Dealings
This mission involves talking to people (either politely or by force) and hacking into computer terminals to get data. Heroes will need to hurry to defeat the “patrols” and unlike other hero reward missions, you don’t need Saska Teft to complete this mission (though there is a great reward for her if she’s present). The Rebels will receive R2-D2 as an ally in this mission – sorry, Chewie can’t come.

Recommended Units for the IP:
·         8-cost group for double the threat level deployment
·         Up to 8-points for patrol #1
·         Up to 8-points for patrol #2
·         Clawdite Shapeshifter            [Heart of the Empire]
·         Hired Gun                              [Hired Gun Villain Pack]
·         Jet Trooper                             [Jabba’s Realm]
·         Nexu

Post-Mission Briefing (on Victory): As you run out of the alley with bank information and cash in hand, you are anxious to get the supplies you’ve acquired to an old safe-house on Yavin 4 for protection. When you finally return to the Rebel Fleet, you inform Chewbacca of your adventures and he’s very impressed. He asks whether you’d be up for a more difficult challenge, to which you reply in the affirmative. Apparently, there are rare eggs that can be found on Dathomir – acquiring these eggs would not only pay off most of Han’s debts, but could also make you very, VERY rich. . . .
Post-Mission Briefing (on Defeat): As you do your best to escape out of the alley, you’re disappointed to not get a lot of money from those financing the Empire. Still, what you did get will supplement your day job pretty nicely. When you finally return to the Rebel Fleet, you inform Chewbacca of your adventures. After thinking for a moment, he asks whether you’d be up for a more difficult challenge, to which you reply in the affirmative. Apparently, there are rare eggs that can be found on Dathomir – acquiring these eggs would not only pay off most of Han’s debts, but could also make you very, VERY rich. . . .

Mission 3: Perilous Hunt
When it comes to smuggling, there is little more excitement than smuggling contraband. So what could be more prized and exotic than RANCOR EGGS! As noted in the intro, this is the only mission the Rebels can bring Chewbacca on if they won him in the first mission.

Recommended Units for the IP:
·         15-cost group if the Rebels won Chewbacca 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 eggs secured, you return to your safe-house on Yavin 4 and bask in the glory of your findings with a few friends from the war: cash, spices, and rare eggs are strewn across the place, waiting for shipment and your early retirement appears complete. For a moment, everything is simply perfect. Then, the moment passes as you hear booted feet approaching your door and the sound of a battering ram pummeling it. Apparently, your safe-house has been discovered. You only have a few moments to gear up before Imperial troops arrive, eager to ransack the supplies you’ve rightfully stolen. . . .
Post-Mission Briefing (on Defeat): You race to secure the eggs you could and hurry back to your safe-house on Yavin 4 before you are eaten. You bask in the glory of your findings with a few friends from the war: cash, spices, and rare eggs are strewn across the place, waiting for shipment and your early retirement appears complete. For a moment, everything is simply perfect. Then, the moment passes as you hear booted feet approaching your door and the sound of a battering ram pummeling it. Apparently, your safe-house has been discovered. You only have a few moments to gear up before Imperial troops arrive, eager to ransack the supplies you’ve rightfully stolen. . . .

Mission 4: Breaking Point
In this finale, the Rebels are playing defense, trying to protect their supplies from being sacked by Imperial forces. They are joined by Rebel Troopers, who are provided as a free ally to the Rebels (again, no Chewie). The Empire will need to work quickly to destroy the caches – in many ways, it’s easier to just focus on the caches than to try to destroy the heroes.

Recommended Units for the IP:
·         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]
·         Tusken Raider                         [Twin Shadows]
·         Elite Ugnaught Tinkerer         [Bespin Gambit]
·         Weequay Pirate                       [Jabba’s Realm]

Post-Mission Briefing (on Victory): You stand victorious in your safe-house, having successfully repelled the Imperial assault. You can’t rejoice for long – you know more troops will arrive at any moment. You move quickly to secure your belongings, head back to your ship, and take your goods to the far reaches of the galaxy to sell them to worthy purchasers and enjoy a life of ease, at least for a time. . . .
Post-Mission Briefing (on Defeat): You find that the agents of the Empire are too strong and you race out a back door, abandoning your precious supplies. Using back alleys, you head back to your ship, and take off to rejoin the Rebel Fleet. Each of you is saddened at missing the chance to enjoy a life of ease, but at least you know there’s work to be done for the Alliance, and the pay isn’t that bad, really. . . .

I hope you get some great ideas for how to work these campaigns into your gaming sessions – until next time, happy gaming!

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