Mech Campaign - Part 2 - The Campaign Rules

Having decided the high level background for the campaign in my previous post, the next step is deciding upon a specific campaign setting and campaign rules. I found some simple campaign rules in the “One Page Fantasy Rules” by John David Stor which seemed to fit the bill nicely and with minimal modification would work for my sci-fi setting. But before getting into the campaign mechanics the setting of the campaign needs to be described.

Not all mech are walkers. Miners have upgraded mining equipment with weapons.

Campaign Setting…

"Possession is nine-tenths of the law," as they say, and the mining corporations and mining houses will race to seize or claim as much prospecting territory as possible before the Aridex Prime Prospecting Claims Council (APPCC) steps in. This council, composed of representatives from the major corporations and mining houses, holds the authority to decide on prospecting rights.

Aridain Prime. The campaign is taking place in the southern hemisphere.

A prospecting area has recently become available in the southern hemisphere of Aridain Prime, situated between the existing claims of StarCore Industries and The Rorek Syndicate. This land once belonged to the now-defunct mining house, Trogan Trading Company, founded by one of the original prospectors, Dyrk Trogan, the house remained under his family’s control after his death. However, internal disputes and mounting debts eventually led to its downfall. The rights to the land were nullified, as it was believed that the area had been completely depleted of Nyxium from previous mining operations. However, recent surveys have revealed sizeable traces of Nyxium still remain, both in the ground and in the old mine tailings, as earlier mining techniques were far less efficient than today's methods.

The prospecting area of 20 territories to be contested by StarCore Industries and Rorek Syndicate.

Campaign Rules…

At the start of the campaign, there are 20 unclaimed prospecting territories. The objective is to secure more territories than your opponent. The campaign consists of 8 battles. Before each battle both players must choose one of the following objectives:

1. Expand Territory – If the player wins they claim 2 unclaimed territories.
2. Recover Territory – If the player wins they steal 1 of the opponent’s claimed territories.
3. Hostile Claim – The player wins they take 2 of the opponent’s claimed territories. Otherwise, the opponent claim 1 of their territories in addition to their chosen objective's rewards. Note you must have 1 claimed territory to select this objective.
4. Disrupt Claims – If the player wins, then 3 of the opponent’s territories become unclaimed.

After all 8 battles are fought, roll a D3 for each territory claimed. Add up your total D3 results. The player with the highest combined score wins, representing the total amount of Nyxium deposits available for mining.

Drones are used to support the mechs.

Setting up a game…

The games are setup using one of the scenarios from One-Hour Wargames. For this game the “Take the high ground” was selected.

A small, isolated team of StarCore mechs (Red) has secured a hill near the abandoned mine in sector Alpha-457. Meanwhile, a group of 6 Rorek mechs is advancing from the south to investigate two StarCore targets. As they move in, they detect an additional 4 targets approaching from the north, expected to arrive soon.

Tabletop setup

The next post will have the game report.