Strike on Kar'A Nine Scenario One: Escape and Evade!

As its been a while since I played Gates of Antares, I decided that a good way to quickly brush up on the rules would be to play the scenarios from Kar'A Nine with a few changes.  I'm using pins and command checks for orders and I'm using the actual res modifiers for hyperlight armor instead of a flat +2.  To me both of these rules are too common to leave out and I'd rather start getting them in my head right from the start.

This scenario opens with the scattered Concord troops starting at the southern edge of the map while two AI patrols move in from the northeast and northwest to intercept them.

The forces deployed and ready to go!

The Algoryn quickly respond to the Concord troops that have moved into the area.  The team in the northeast corner of the map advanced into the rocky pinnacles and opened fire on the strike trooper there, downing him in a flurry of mag rounds.

The remaining two strike troopers, realizing that they have been discovered, move into the closest rocky pinnacle.  The one in the center of the southern edge has to run to make it to cover but the other is able to advance and fire on the closest AI team.  The spray of plasma bursts hit the Algoryn but fail to penetrate their armor.

The remaining AI team advance towards the nearby cover, laying down fire on one of the strike troopers.  Firing on the move, their shots go wide but they are closer to getting into a more defensible position.

The second turn opens with the same AI team moving into cover and firing on the strike troopers again.  This time they are able to train their shots in but the strike troopers are able to duck down behind cover.  One of the troopers pops out of cover and opens fire on the Algoryn, taking out one of them and sending the other running for the hills.

The remaining AI team opens fire on the strike troopers but they weren't able to get off a clean shot.  During a break in the fire the other strike trooper makes a break for it, running for the northern edge of the map.

Turn three opens with the running trooper breaking from the battlefield to rejoin the rest of the C3 recon force but his comrade is not so lucky.  The AI open fire again and are able to score a lucky shot, dropping him dead and ending the game with an Algoryn victory.

This is definitely a down and dirty scenario, and adding in pins makes it even more so.  Since the Concord troops were individuals it was less of an issue since the shots were usually fatal but it cost the Algoryn one of their squads early (in hindsight they actually should have only broken on a 10 since it was a team of two... oops!) but I feel better including all of the rules to make sure I remember them.

I'm very glad that I made the terrain bits as well.  While the 2d templates are good for a starter set, just adding in these little things really added to the game visually.  What's even better is it only cost me $4 to make a bunch of bits using Crayola earth tone Model Magic.  I wasn't sure how much one package would make as it's only four ounces but I was able to do all of the area terrain templates and seven of the obstacles, more than enough for all of the scenarios in Kar'A Nine.

 

I also used a fine point Sharpie to darken the border on the templates just too make them stick out a bit more.  Model Magic has a squishy consistency so I don't know how it will paint up but even if I just leave them as is, they blend in really well.

Now its on to Scenario Two as the Concord probe the Algoryn forces to try to find any weaknesses in their lines.  Until next time...