abotage Mission

Scenario Overview

Scenario Description

A heavily fortified facility houses five unstable Reactor Cores. The Saboteur must sneak in, plant explosives, and escape before the Defender can stop them. The twist? The Saboteur starts HIDDEN and can move undetected... until they attack.

This scenario teaches stealth mechanics, asymmetric information, bluffing, area denial, and high-stakes decision-making. The Saboteur player must think like a stealth game protagonist, while the Defender plays a tense game of cat-and-mouse.

Map: The Reactor Facility

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Terrain Legend

The Reactor Cores (5 Objectives)

Reactor Locations

• Reactor 1: Top-left (hex [2,2])
• Reactor 2: Top-right (hex [11,2])
• Reactor 3: Center (4-hex cluster, [6,5], [7,5], [6,6], [7,6])
• Reactor 4: Bottom-left (hex [2,10])
• Reactor 5: Bottom-right (hex [11,10])

Destroying a Reactor

Step 1: Plant Explosive (Costs 3 SP)

• Stand adjacent to a Reactor hex
• Spend 3 SP and discard 1 card to plant an explosive
• Place an "Explosive" token on the Reactor hex

Step 2: Detonate (Costs 1 SP, can be done from anywhere)

• On a later turn, spend 1 SP to detonate ALL planted explosives simultaneously
• All Reactors with Explosive tokens are destroyed
• Detonation creates a Shockwave (see below)

Step 3: Escape

• After detonating, the Saboteur must exit through the Entry Point [6,12] or [7,12]

Shockwave Effect (When Reactors Detonate)

When explosives detonate:

1. All Caskets within 5 hexes of ANY destroyed Reactor take 8 damage (ignore armor)
2. All Caskets are Stunned until their next turn (cannot spend SP on their next turn)
3. The facility loses power: All lights go out (see Darkness rules)

Stealth Mechanics (Hidden Movement)

The Saboteur Starts Hidden

Setup:

• The Saboteur does NOT place their Casket on the map at the start
• Instead, the Saboteur secretly writes down their starting location (must be within 3 hexes of [6,12] or [7,12])
• The Saboteur moves in secret, tracking their position on paper or a hidden map

Hidden Movement:

• While hidden, the Saboteur can move normally but does NOT reveal their position
• The Defender cannot attack or see the Saboteur
• The Saboteur can plant explosives while hidden

Revealing the Saboteur

The Saboteur becomes Revealed (place their Casket model on the map) when:

1. The Saboteur attacks the Defender
2. The Saboteur moves within 3 hexes of the Defender (Defender's sensors detect movement)
3. The Saboteur detonates explosives (explosion reveals their position)
4. The Defender scans the area and catches the Saboteur (see Scanning)

Once Revealed: The Saboteur remains revealed for the rest of the game (normal combat rules apply)

Defender Mechanics

Scanning for the Saboteur

Scan Action (Costs 4 SP):

• The Defender can spend 4 SP to scan a 5-hex radius area
• Choose a center hex within 8 hexes of the Defender
• If the Saboteur is within that 5-hex area, they are Revealed (place their Casket on the map)
• If the Saboteur is NOT in the area, they remain hidden (wasted SP)

Sensor Range:

• The Defender automatically detects the Saboteur if the Saboteur moves within 3 hexes (no SP cost)

Patrolling

The Defender starts in the center of the facility (hex [7,7]) and must patrol to protect the Reactors.

Strategic Dilemma:

• Do you stay near the Center Reactor (R3, most valuable) or patrol the corners?
• Do you scan aggressively (costs SP) or move defensively?

Deployment

Saboteur Deployment (Hidden)

• The Saboteur does NOT place their model on the map
• Secretly write down starting position within 3 hexes of [6,12] or [7,12] (Entry Point)
• Use a hidden map or paper to track movement

Defender Deployment (Visible)

• Place Defender's Casket on hex [7,7] (center of facility)
• Facing any direction

Victory Conditions

Saboteur Wins If:

1. 3 or more Reactors are destroyed (detonate explosives on 3+ Reactors) AND
2. The Saboteur escapes through the Entry Point [6,12] or [7,12] (after detonation) OR
3. The Defender is reduced to 0 HP

Defender Wins If:

1. The Saboteur is reduced to 0 HP OR
2. Turn 10 ends and the Saboteur has not destroyed 3+ Reactors (time runs out, Saboteur mission fails)

Special Rules

Darkness (After Detonation)

When the first Reactor explodes, the facility loses power:

• All Caskets have -2 to Attack Dice rolls (fighting in darkness)
• LOS is reduced to 6 hexes maximum (can't see far in the dark)
• Defender's Scan action costs 6 SP instead of 4 SP (sensors are damaged)

Reactor Alarm

If the Defender sees the Saboteur planting an explosive (i.e., the Saboteur is Revealed and adjacent to a Reactor):

• The Defender gains +2 SP immediately (alarm boosts power systems)
• The Defender can interrupt the Saboteur's turn with a single attack (costs 2 SP)

Escape Under Fire

If the Saboteur is Revealed and tries to exit through the Entry Point:

• The Defender gets one free attack (no SP cost) as the Saboteur flees
• If the Saboteur survives, they escape successfully

Tactical Considerations

Saboteur Strategy

• Stay Hidden: Avoid the Defender's patrols and scans
• Plant Multiple Explosives: Plant on 3+ Reactors BEFORE detonating (simultaneous explosions)
• Bait the Defender: Move loudly in one area, then sneak to another
• Know When to Fight: If caught, decide: fight the Defender or run?

Defender Strategy

• Patrol Efficiently: Cover multiple Reactors in each patrol route
• Scan Smart: Don't waste SP on empty areas, predict where Saboteur will go
• Protect High-Value Reactors: Center Reactor (R3) is hardest to defend (4 hexes, multiple angles)
• Force Reveals: Stand near choke points to trigger the 3-hex detection

Balancing Notes

If Saboteur Wins Too Easily:

• Reduce turn limit to Turn 8 (more pressure on Saboteur)
• Increase Defender's scan range to 6 hexes
• Require Saboteur to destroy 4 Reactors instead of 3

If Defender Wins Too Easily:

• Increase turn limit to Turn 12 (more time for Saboteur)
• Reduce Defender's scan cost to 3 SP
• Allow Saboteur to plant explosives for 2 SP instead of 3 SP

Variants

Variant: Co-Op Mode (Solo Saboteur vs AI Defender)

The Defender follows a simple AI patrol pattern:

1. Turn 1-2: Move to Reactor 1 (top-left), scan 5-hex radius
2. Turn 3-4: Move to Reactor 2 (top-right), scan 5-hex radius
3. Turn 5-6: Move to Reactor 3 (center), scan 5-hex radius
4. Turn 7-8: Move to Reactor 4 (bottom-left), scan 5-hex radius
5. Turn 9-10: Move to Reactor 5 (bottom-right), scan 5-hex radius
6. If Saboteur is Revealed, AI moves toward Saboteur and attacks

Solo Victory: Destroy 3 Reactors without getting caught by AI patrols

Variant: Reversed Roles

• The Defender starts hidden and must survive 10 turns without being found
• The Saboteur patrols and scans to find the Defender
• Tests the opposite skill set (Saboteur hunts, Defender hides)

Variant: Time Bomb

• The Saboteur can only detonate explosives on Turn 7 (exactly)
• Must plant all explosives by Turn 6, then detonate on Turn 7
• Creates predictable timing, increases tension

Variant: Multiple Saboteurs

• 2 Saboteurs vs 1 Defender (2v1 asymmetric)
• Both Saboteurs start hidden separately
• Defender must catch both before Turn 10

Recommended Factions

Good Saboteur Choices

• Elven Verdant Covenant: High mobility, can plant and escape quickly
• The Ossuarium: Phylactery resurrection survives shockwave damage
• Church of Absolution: Burst damage if caught (can fight way out)

Good Defender Choices

• Dwarven Forge-Guilds: Tanky, can patrol aggressively
• Church of Absolution: High damage stops Saboteur before escape
• Elven Verdant Covenant: Mobile, can patrol multiple areas quickly

Design Notes

This scenario introduces hidden information and bluffing. The Saboteur player must think like a stealth game protagonist, while the Defender plays a tense game of cat-and-mouse.

The Scan action is expensive but necessary. Defenders must balance aggression (chasing the Saboteur) with information-gathering (scanning for hidden threats).

The turn limit creates urgency. Saboteurs can't turtle forever...they must take risks to plant explosives and escape.

Lesson: Information is a resource. Sometimes what you DON'T know is more dangerous than what you DO know.