Campaign:Vargr Incursions/Rules

Sequence of Play

As per Fifth Frontier War except:

Discretionary Movement Step

Each player rolls one die. The player with the lower number must move first in all situations allowing discretionary movement. In the event of ties for a given number, this is resolved within that number by a second (or even third, fourth, etc) roll until an order of precedence is established for all players.

X-Boat Movement Step

Admirals may be moved by X-Boat (or other courier) by Imperial players. The player with the lower number (as rolled in step A, above) must move all admirals first, before the opposing player may move any admirals. Only Mercenary Admirals not assigned to Fleets and Admirals of their own faction may be so moved.

Movement

Plotting

The default forward plotting time for a Fleet is 5 weeks for all players.

Each Squadron being transported aboard a Carrier Squadron is considered to jump using the fuel-status and jump range of that Carrier Squadron, not its own fuel-status or jump range.

Special Situations

Establishing Fleets

Fleets may be established in off-map boxes

Fleet Adjustment

A fleet may only include squadrons that are

• Of the Fleet's own faction
• Mercenary
• Vargr Raiders (Vargr Fleets and Corsair Alliance/Duchy of Kaasu Fleets only)

Refuelling

Starports, Naval Bases and Scout Bases may only be used to refuel if there are no enemy troops present on the planet and no active enemy SDB squadrons in the system.

Naval Depots may only be used to refuel if the Naval Depot is not occupied by enemy forces. (n.b. The Corridor Naval Depot is represented by a separate world-surface box to the planet Camh Ranh) and each may be held by a different faction.

Fuel Source	Zero-Time Refueling	One Week Refuelling
Gas Giant	Any number of Streamlined or Part-Streamlined Squadrons	Any number of Squadrons
Friendly/Neutral Planet with Water	Any number of Streamlined Squadrons	Any number of Squadrons
Planet with no water	No Refuelling from this source
Unfriendly Planet	No Refuelling from this source
Friendly/Neutral Naval Depot	Any number of Squadrons
Type A Friendly/Neutral Starport and/or Naval Base and/or Scout Base*	Up to 4 squadrons of any type	Any number of Squadrons
Type B Friendly/Neutral Starport	Up to 3 squadrons of any type	Any number of Squadrons
Type C Friendly/Neutral Starport	Up to 2 squadrons of any type	Any number of Squadrons
Type D Friendly/Neutral Starport	Up to 1 squadron of any type	Any number of Squadrons
Type E/X Friendly/Neutral Starport	No Refuelling from this source
Any Enemy Starport or Base or Depot	No Refuelling from this source
Research Station, X-Boat Station, Ancient Site, Military Base	No Refuelling from this source
Tanker	Up to it's Defence Code of squadrons of any type plus itself. If it refuels any squadron (including itself), it is depleted and must refuel from a non-tanker source before it can re-use this ability to refuel.
Jump Bridge	(This is a specialist form of tanker.) Up to it's Defence Code of squadrons of any type. It automatically refuels itself between weeks.

• Not cumulative

Transport

As per Fifth Frontier War with the addition of:

Monitors, some damaged Ship Squadrons, Troops and Admirals have no intrinsic movement ability and must be transported by Carrier Squadrons (Monitors and Ships) or Battle, Cruiser or Assault Squadrons (Troops) in order to change locations.

Carrier Squadrons may carry up to one Monitor or Ship Squadron.

Monitors, and Ships may be unloaded from Carrier Squadrons at any point and may deploy immediately into combat. They may only load onto Carriers if the system is uncontested. This makes extricating this type of squadron difficult if the battle turns against the fleet.

Troop RPs are transported as if they are Regular Troop Units.

SDBs, Guerrilla Units and Planetary Defence Troop Units may never be transported.

Combat

Space Combat

Tactical Ability

Just to reiterate - The Admiral with the higher tactical ability adds 1 to the die roll; the Admiral with the lower ability deducts 1 from the die roll. The tactical ability is NOT the dice modifier.

Interface Combat

System Defence

As per Fifth Frontier War with the addition of:

{Presence of Asteroids}

{Anti-Orbital Units}

Surface Bombing

As per Fifth Frontier War. Anti-Orbital Troop Units may NOT contribute to Surface Bombing.

Space-Surface Transfers

As per Fifth Frontier War. Anti-Orbital Troop Units may NOT block Space-Surface Transfers.

Surface Combat

As per Fifth Frontier War, Surface combat occurs when a player has troop units on a world and another player has troop units on the same world with the below exceptions:

n.b. All such combat is resolved using the combat factors at the start of the Surface Combat Sub-Phase.

Balkanised Worlds

A balkanised world is one with troops of multiple states named after the same world (e.g. Demick has forces from New Ziru Sirka, Corsair Alliance as well as Independents). In these circumstances, combat between forces named for the same world is not mandatory unless the balance of power is disturbed by the arrival of other troops (named or numbered).

1. Where the additional troops are of the same faction as one already present on the world, no combat is necessary. If combat is desired, then all other troops unite in opposition (but see Mercenaries below).
2. Where the additional troops are of a faction not otherwise present on the world, the troops from that world, and any additional troops from those same factions unite to fight off the interlopers (if possible). (Again, see Mercenaries below.)

{Example: TBC}

Invasions

When troops of multiple factions are present in a world's surface box, and the states controlling those troops are at war, and the world is not Balkanised (above), surface combat is mandatory at that world. Basically, surface combat is resolved as a simultaneous exchange of fire between the units on a world; all such combat is resolved using the troop combat results table.

Special Rules

Travel Zones

Replaced by Interdicted Worlds below

Interdicted Worlds

Imperial squadrons may jump to an interdicted system. However, Imperial troops and admirals may not be landed on the world and Imperial squadrons may not use the world's starport or ocean (if any) while the interdiction is in place. Once unit of any Vargr player enters the system, the interdiction is lifted and Imperial forces may operate on the world for the rest of the game as if it were any other world.

Imperial forces may freely use the gas giants (if any) of an Interdicted World.

Control

{See also open ports}

Surrender

Replaced by Open Ports below

Open Ports

{Open Ports}

Admirals

{Precedence}

Navies

Each political grouping is its own navy. {Friendly Squadrons}

The Warrant

There is no warrant in this game

Special troops

Armour

Armoured troops (Armoured, Armoured Infantry or Armoured Reconnaissance) all fight at double the combat factor given on the counter. Thus a 5-10 Armoured unit fights as a 10-10 unit. They are still transported based on their face value. This value is cumulative with Elite or Fanatic benefits (below).

Elites

Elite ground troops represent the few specialist units that have training and experience above the norm. These troops fight at double the combat factor shown on the face. Thus a 1-15 troop unit would fight as if it were a 2-15 unit. This doubling is cumulative with the doubling aforded Armoured units.

Fanatics

The Church of the Chosen Ones is fascinated by the Ancients and when fighting on a planet known to be associated with these beings, their adherents are fanatical in both offence and defence of those worlds. If the world is an Ancients World (Denoted by a red hexagon symbol), the combat factor of these fanatical raiders is doubled. This is cumulative with the doubling caused by the unit also being an Armoured unit.

Psionic

No side fields Psionic troop units in this game

Guerrillas

{Guerrilla Rules} Some worlds were particularly resistant to occupation by Vargr forces, or forces of a particular Imperial faction. These worlds have, in addition to, or in place of, their usual defence forces Guerrillas.

Each guerrilla unit has two modes of operations: covert and overt. When covert, a guerrilla unit is in hiding on its world and is ignored for all surface combat and world control purposes. When overt, a guerrilla unit is treated as a regular troop unit.

Overt guerrilla unit undertake combat and suffer percentage losses as other troop units do.

Guerrilla units recover from losses and have their mode of operations determined during the guerrilla step of the plotting and reorganization phase. Only guerrilla units that are covert at the start of the guerrilla step recover from losses. Each covert guerrilla unit recovers 10% of its full-strength at this point. For example, a covert guerrilla unit with 30% losses would have its losses reduced to 20% at the start of the guerrilla step. Note, however, that a guerrilla unit suffering 100% losses is eliminated and removed from play; it does not recover any strength. Following recovery of losses, the operating player may change the mode of operations of any or all their guerrilla units in play, flipping the counters to their overt or covert sides as desired.

Guerrilla units are not space-transportable and may not be removed from their home-world.

Unlike Fifth Frontier War, Covert Guerrilla counters may be reconstituted (through the provision of replacements or by be re-created) through the use of Troop RPs provided there are, at the start of the Replacements and Reinforcements step, no opposing SDB or Squadron counters in the system and there is at least one friendly non-Guerrilla unit extant on the planet with the same or greater strength as the Guerrilla unit being re-supplied. This reflects the tendency of troops to support covert forces as an effective means of opposition to an enemy. Guerrilla counters may ONLY be recreated on the world for which they are named (the exception being the Droyne Guerrillas which may only be reconstituted on 495-524.)

Mercenaries

{Mercenary Rules}

Vargr Raiders

{Vargr Raider Rules}

Secret Base

There is no secret base

Serk Puppet Government

The Planet of Serk is an unusual mix of Vargr and Human settlers. Should the Garrison (other than the Guerrillas) be eliminated, a pro-Vargr Human Government will appear and a brigade of security troops supporting that government will be recruited (They were initially placed in the Serk Puppet Government Box) and appear on the surface of the world. This happens as soon as the last "Serk" planetary defence unit is destroyed. Serk then has the unusual situation of a Human Government loyal to the Dzarrgh Federate and a pro-Imperial Vargr citizenry in rebellion as Guerrillas!

Arms Factory

The Vargr start with an arms factory. Possession of this factory by a Vargr Faction allows that faction to have few worries about missile expenditure with translates to a +1 in both Space Combat and Surface Bombardment dice rolls while the factory remains operational.

If any Imperial faction has troops present on the world when the factory is undefended, it must attack the Factory and will automatically destroy it.

Any result that causes the defenders of the factory to be destroyed in their entirety will, if the attacker includes any Imperial troops, see the factory destroyed as a result. If the attacker has no Imperial troops, the factory is captured.

Reinforcements and Replacements

Reinforcements

The reinforcements schedules are specific to this game. See Reinforcement Lists.

Replacements

The replacements process is specific to this game.

Available Troop RPs

Each state has a pool of Troop Replacement counters from which they may draw replacements each turn. These may be drawn because:

1. The named world (or box) is controlled by the faction
2. The faction has access to off-map resources
3. The faction gains Troop RPs in lieu of standard reinforcements as per the reinforcements track.

World Based Troop RPs per Turn

The worlds (and box) that gain reinforcements each turn are shown below:-

World	Troop RPs	Race
ARR LAEN/PR2240	1	Vargr
ASHIMA/CO1515	1	Human
ATADL/DE3015	1	Vargr
DAEKUAGUL/PR2540	10	Vargr
DRAYNE/CO0910	1	Human
DURIMA/CO1205	10	Human
GHERRG/PR1440	1	Vargr
IRASUMSHU/CO0417	10	Human
[[Kaasu (world)|KAASU/CO1209	1	Human
KHOUTH/CO0104	1	Human
KHUKISH/CO1606	1	Human
LIGHOZ Naval Base Box	1	Vargr
MIKESH/CO0206	10	Human
PLUNGE/CO2505	1	Human
SEGAN/DE2717	1	Vargr or Segani
TALON/DE2704	1	Vargr or Souggvuez
VOUDZEUR/PR1039	10	Vargr
YUBITTY/CO0313	1	Human
ZUDAGIM/CO1415	1	Human

Factional Troop RPs

Factional Troop RPs become available starting turn 1118.I.1

Faction	Troop RPs	Race	Placement
Domain of Deneb	2d6	Human or Nenlat or Vargr or Aslan	Any Domain of Deneb off-map box
United Followers of Augurgh	None	n/a
Dzarrgh Federate	4d6	Vargr	LIGHOZ Naval Base Off-Map Box
Irrgh Manifest	6d6	Vargr	Any Irrgh Manifest Off-Map Box
Corsair Alliance	None	n/a
Glory of Taarskoerzn	1	Vargr	Glory of Taarskoerzn Off-Map Box
Ngath Confederation	None until 1121.XIII.4	n/a
	1 from 1122.I.1	Vargr	Ngath Confederation Off-Map Box
New Ziru Sirka	2d6	Human	Any New Ziru Sirka Off-Map Box

Troop RP Placement

Troop RPs are non-aligned. Those drawn from a world are placed in that world's Surface Box. Those drawn from an off-map box are placed in that box. Those supplied as part of the Reinforcement Track are placed as directed. Those drawn for a faction are placed in the off-world box for that faction or (for the Domain of Deneb only) in the world surface box of Corfinium. n.b. Corfinium may never have more than 100 Troop RPs on its surface.

Available Squadron RPs

{Gaining Squadron RPs}

Expenditure of Squadron RPs

{Spending Squadron RPs}

Expenditure of Troop RPs

{Spending Troop RPs}

The Domain of Deneb may also spend Troop RPs to create troops at the Corfinium Military Training Base provided there are at least 25 battalion equivalents of Regular Imperial troops present in the world surface box of Corfinium to act as the training cadre. This is true even if the world surface box is contested.

Imperial states may additionally spend troop RPs to create troops at any Imperial naval base provided:-

1. the world surface box of the world on which the base is located is garrisoned not contested by troops of another state. i.e. if the world surface box has troops present from two or more states, that base is not eligible for this usage.
2. the Troop Unit being created/replaced is a Marine Unit.

Replacement of Guerrillas

As Fifth Frontier War rules

Preparing for Play

The game is prepared in the following steps:-

1. Administrative Counters are placed per the Initial Deployments
2. Mandatory Deployments are made per the Initial Deployments
3. Imperial Discretionary Deployment Units per the Initial Deployments are deployed (Corsair Alliance, New Ziru Sirka then Domain of Deneb
4. Vargr Discretionary Deployment Units per the Initial Deployments are deployed (United Followers of Augurgh, Irrgh Manifest, Dzarrgh Federate and finally Glory of Taarskoerzn)
5. Initial Plotting is undertaken for all fleets.

Victory

{To be determined}

Optional Rules

Surprise Attack

This is not relevant to this game

Black Globes

These rules apply to the black globe squadrons available to the New Ziru Sirka and the Domain of Deneb. It is not only 6-2-8 battle squadrons that deploy black globes. (see Squadron Counter Key to identify qualifying units.)

Jump troops

This rule applies to this game.

Squadron Quality

The TL of each squadron is printed on the squadron counters. The Fleet TL is the lowest TL of squadrons in the fleet. The Fleet with the highest Fleet TL gets +1 column shift in combat; The opponent gets a 0 shift. If they are the same, there is no column shift for either side

Sources and Contributors

This list of sources was used by the Traveller Wiki Editorial Team and individual contributors to compose this article. Copyrighted material is used under license from Mongoose Publishing or by permission of the author. The page history lists all of the contributions.

• Author: BackworldTraveller