penance

ARENA SCENARIO #1: THE PROVING GROUNDS

Type: 1v1 Deathmatch Factions: Church of Absolution vs Dwarven Clans Estimated Playtime: 45-60 minutes Difficulty: Beginner-friendly (tests core mechanics) Victory Condition: Reduce opponent to 0 HP OR force 4+ reshuffles

SCENARIO SETUP

Map: The Proving Grounds (12×12 Hexes)

 [F ][F ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][F ][F ]
 [F ][F ][R ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][R ][F ][F ]
 [ ][R ][R ][ ][ ][W ][W ][ ][ ][R ][R ][ ]
 [ ][ ][ ][ ][W ][W ][W ][W ][ ][ ][ ][ ]
 [ ][ ][ ][W ][W ][E1][E1][W ][W ][ ][ ][ ]
[ ][ ][W ][W ][E1][ ][ ][E1][W ][W ][ ][ ]
[ ][ ][W ][W ][E2][ ][ ][E2][W ][W ][ ][ ]
 [ ][ ][ ][W ][W ][E2][E2][W ][W ][ ][ ][ ]
 [ ][ ][ ][ ][W ][W ][W ][W ][ ][ ][ ][ ]
 [ ][R ][R ][ ][ ][W ][W ][ ][ ][R ][R ][ ]
 [F ][F ][R ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][R ][F ][F ]
 [F ][F ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][F ][F ]

Terrain Legend

[F] - Forest (8 hexes)

[R] - Rubble (8 hexes)

[W] - Water/Mud (20 hexes)

[E1] - Elevation 1 (4 hexes, ring 1)

[E2] - Elevation 2 (4 hexes, ring 2)

[ ] - Clear Ground (All other hexes)

DEPLOYMENT

Church of Absolution Deployment Zone

Hexes: Top-left quadrant (rows 1-3, columns 1-3)

 [F ][F ][ ]
 [F ][F ][R ]
[ ][R ][R ]

Starting Position: Player chooses any hex in this zone Facing: Player chooses initial facing

Dwarven Clans Deployment Zone

Hexes: Bottom-right quadrant (rows 10-12, columns 10-12)

 [R ][R ][ ]
 [R ][F ][F ]
 [ ][F ][F ]

Starting Position: Player chooses any hex in this zone Facing: Player chooses initial facing

Deployment Order

  1. Roll 1d6: Higher roll chooses who deploys first
  2. First player: Places Casket in their deployment zone
  3. Second player: Places Casket in their deployment zone
  4. First player begins Turn 1

PRE-BUILT DECKS

CHURCH DECK: “MARTYR’S FURY”

Casket Class: Assault (Medium Frame - 5 SP)

Build:

Total: 29 cards (10 Universal + 6 Faction + 11 Equipment + 2 Tactics)

Deck Composition:

Universal Core (10 cards):

  1. Move ×3 (1 SP, Move 2 hexes)
  2. Sprint ×2 (2 SP, Move 4 hexes, +1 Heat)
  3. Brace ×2 (1 SP, +2 Defense until next turn)
  4. Disengage ×1 (1 SP, Move 2 hexes, ignore attacks of opportunity)
  5. Focus ×1 (0 SP, Draw 1 card)
  6. Emergency Repair ×1 (3 SP, Recover 3 cards from discard)

Church Faction Core (6 cards):

  1. Blood Offering ×1 (0 SP, Discard 2 cards, next attack +3 damage)
  2. Martyrdom Protocol ×1 (2 SP, Redirect damage from ally to yourself)
  3. Righteous Fury ×1 (Passive, +1 damage per enemy killed - permanent)
  4. Divine Judgment ×1 (4 SP, Deal 8 damage, ignore Defense)
  5. Consecrated Ground ×1 (3 SP, Create 3-hex zone, allies heal 1 card/turn)
  6. Last Rites ×1 (0 SP, When reduced to 0 HP, deal 10 damage to killer)

Equipment - Longsword (6 cards):

  1. Slash ×2 (2 SP, Melee, Deal 4 damage)
  2. Thrust ×1 (2 SP, Melee, Deal 3 damage, +2 if attacking front arc)
  3. Parry ×1 (0 SP, Reactive, Reduce damage by 2, next attack +1 damage)
  4. Riposte ×1 (1 SP, Reactive, When attacked in melee, deal 3 damage to attacker)
  5. Guard Stance ×1 (2 SP, Defense, +2 Defense until next turn)

Equipment - Buckler Shield (2 cards):

  1. Deflect ×1 (1 SP, Reactive, Reduce damage by 2)
  2. Shield Bash ×1 (2 SP, Melee, Deal 2 damage, push 1 hex)

Equipment - Martyr’s Brand Sigil (3 cards - Church-Exclusive):

  1. Martyr’s Blessing ×1 (Passive, When you discard cards via Blood Offering, gain +1 Defense until next turn)
  2. Sacred Wound ×1 (2 SP, Self-harm: discard 1 card, all allies gain +1 damage this turn)
  3. Zealot’s Fervor ×1 (Passive, When below 15 HP, all attacks deal +1 damage)

Tactics (2 cards):

  1. Righteous Fury Tactic ×1 (0 SP, Once per game: Next attack deals double damage)
  2. Blood Pact ×1 (0 SP, Discard 3 cards, recover 3 ally cards)

Opening Hand (6 cards, drawn randomly):

Playstyle:

Win Condition: Burst opponent down with Blood Offering combos before death spiral begins

DWARVEN DECK: “IMMOVABLE WALL”

Casket Class: Heavy (Heavy Frame - 4 SP)

Build:

Total: 33 cards (12 Universal + 6 Faction + 13 Equipment + 2 Tactics)

Deck Composition:

Universal Core (12 cards - includes Stone Endurance bonus):

  1. Move ×4 (1 SP, Move 2 hexes) - +1 extra from Stone Endurance
  2. Sprint ×3 (2 SP, Move 4 hexes, +1 Heat) - +1 extra from Stone Endurance
  3. Brace ×2 (1 SP, +2 Defense until next turn)
  4. Disengage ×1 (1 SP, Move 2 hexes, ignore attacks of opportunity)
  5. Focus ×1 (0 SP, Draw 1 card)
  6. Emergency Repair ×1 (3 SP, Recover 3 cards from discard)

Dwarven Faction Core (6 cards):

  1. Crushing Blow ×1 (2 SP, Melee, Deal 4 damage, ARMOR PIERCING - ignore all Defense)
  2. Forge Fury ×1 (2 SP, Convert all Heat to damage, deal X damage where X = current Heat)
  3. Rune of Protection ×1 (2 SP, Gain 1 Rune Counter, reduce damage by 1 per counter - max 3, lasts until end of mission)
  4. Unbreakable ×1 (1 SP, Reactive, Reduce damage by 3)
  5. Earthshaker ×1 (3 SP, Melee AOE, Deal 3 damage to all adjacent enemies, push 1 hex)
  6. Clan Vengeance ×1 (Passive, +2 damage per Component Damage taken - permanent)

Equipment - Warhammer (6 cards):

  1. Hammer Strike ×2 (2 SP, Melee, Deal 5 damage)
  2. Overhead Smash ×1 (3 SP, Melee, Deal 7 damage, +1 Heat)
  3. Hammer Block ×1 (1 SP, Reactive, Reduce damage by 2, next attack +2 damage)
  4. Pommel Bash ×1 (1 SP, Melee, Deal 3 damage, target loses 1 SP next turn)
  5. Crushing Sweep ×1 (2 SP, Melee, Deal 4 damage to target + 2 damage to 1 adjacent enemy)

Equipment - Tower Shield (4 cards):

  1. Shield Wall ×1 (2 SP, +4 Defense until next turn, cannot move)
  2. Tower Defense ×1 (1 SP, Reactive, Reduce damage by 3)
  3. Shield Advance ×1 (2 SP, Move 2 hexes, gain +2 Defense this turn)
  4. Bulwark Stance ×1 (1 SP, +2 Defense until next turn)

Equipment - Forge-Rune Sigil (3 cards - Dwarven-Exclusive):

  1. Runic Regeneration ×1 (Passive, When you gain a Rune Counter, recover 1 card from discard)
  2. Forge Heat ×1 (1 SP, Gain 2 Heat, +1 damage to next attack)
  3. Rune of Endurance ×1 (Passive, Max Rune Counters increased from 3 to 4)

Tactics (2 cards):

  1. Stone Endurance ×1 (Passive, +2 Universal Core cards, deck starts at 33 cards instead of 31)
  2. Runic Overcharge ×1 (2 SP, Once per game: Gain 3 Rune Counters immediately)

Opening Hand (6 cards, drawn randomly):

Playstyle:

Win Condition: Survive until opponent’s death spiral (4+ Damage cards) collapses their deck

TURN STRUCTURE REMINDER

4 Phases Per Turn

PHASE 1: REFRESH

  1. Restore SP to maximum
    • Church: 5 SP (Medium Frame)
    • Dwarves: 5 SP (Medium Frame)
  2. If Heat 5+: Roll Strain (1d6 + current Heat)
    • 1-5: +1 Heat
    • 6-8: -1 SP this turn
    • 9-11: Take 2 damage
    • 12+: Component malfunction (lose 1 random card type for turn)

PHASE 2: ACTION PHASE

PHASE 3: DRAW PHASE

  1. Draw cards until hand size = 6
  2. If deck is empty:
    • Shuffle discard pile
    • Add 1 “Damage” card (blank, dead draw)
    • This is your new deck

PHASE 4: END TURN

COMBAT RESOLUTION (WITH DICE)

Attack Steps

  1. Declare attack: Play attack card, spend SP, declare target component
  2. Calculate To-Hit Number:
    • Base: 5+ (roll 2d6 Attack Dice)
      • Range (Short 0-3 hexes +0, Medium 4-6 +1, Long 7-10 +2)
      • Attacker movement this turn (0 hexes +0, 1-3 +1, 4-6 +2, 7+ +3)
      • Defender movement last turn (0 hexes +0, 1-3 +1, 4-6 +2, 7+ +3)
      • Hex-side facing (Front +0, Weapon +0, Flank -1, Rear -2, Shield +1)
      • Cover (Light +1, Heavy +2)
      • Elevation (Higher -1, Lower +1)
  3. Roll 2 Attack Dice, add values:
    • 5-6 = Hit (standard damage)
    • 7-8 = Strong Hit (+1 damage)
    • 9 = Critical Hit (+2 damage, bypass 1 Defense)
    • 10 (double ) = EXECUTION (auto-destroy component)
    • <5 = Miss (attack wasted)
    • 2 (double ) = Catastrophic Failure (weapon jams, discard all Primary Weapon cards from hand)
  4. If hit, defender plays reactive card (optional, 0 SP)
  5. Defender rolls Defense Dice (1d6 per damage point):
    • Count blocks: SHIELD, ABSORB (each blocks 1 damage)
    • Apply special effects: CRITICAL (+1 Component Damage), HEAT (+1 Heat), PIERCE (no reactives)
  6. Defender discards final damage (original - blocks) from hand/deck

Damage Example (With Dice)

Church plays Slash (4 damage, Melee) against Dwarven Casket:

To-Hit Calculation:

Attack Roll: (3) + (5) = 8 total → STRONG HIT (+1 damage)

Damage Calculation:

Defense Roll (Dwarf rolls 9 Defense Dice):

Final Result:

Component Damage

When you discard cards from damage:

  1. Count how many Primary Weapon cards were discarded
  2. Each Primary Weapon card = 1 Component Damage
  3. Track Component Damage by location:
    • Arms (weapon systems)
    • Legs (movement systems)
    • Head (sensors)
    • Chassis (core systems)
  4. When 3 Component Damage to same location = Component Destroyed

Component Destruction Effects

VICTORY CONDITIONS

Primary Victory: Reduce Opponent to 0 HP

When opponent’s deck is empty AND they cannot reshuffle (discard pile also empty), they are defeated.

Secondary Victory: Death Spiral (4+ Reshuffles)

After 4 reshuffles, opponent’s deck contains:

At this point, most players concede. You can declare victory if opponent agrees.

Tertiary Victory: Concession

Either player may concede at any time.

SCENARIO OBJECTIVES (Optional Victory Points)

These are OPTIONAL goals for learning/practice. Not required for victory.

Church Objectives

Dwarven Objectives

SPECIAL RULES FOR THIS SCENARIO

1. Simplified Component Damage

For beginner learning, track Component Damage as a single pool (not by location).

Advanced players should track by location.

2. No Pilot Wounds (Optional)

For faster learning games, ignore Pilot Wound Decks.

Once comfortable, add Pilot Wounds for full brutality.

3. Terrain Interaction Encouraged

The map is designed to teach terrain usage:

Players should experiment with terrain advantages.

EXPECTED GAME FLOW

Turns 1-3: Positioning

Turns 4-6: First Engagement

Turns 7-10: Brutal Exchange

Turns 11-15: Death Spiral

Expected Winner

51/49 Church favor - slightly more aggressive, can burst down Dwarves before attrition matters.

However, if Dwarves survive to Turn 12+, attrition favors them (32 HP vs 30 HP).

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

This scenario teaches:

  1. SP economy: When to spend, when to save
  2. Heat management: Risk/reward of high-Heat cards
  3. Deck cycling: When to reshuffle, when to delay
  4. Component damage: Tracking and destruction effects
  5. Facing modifiers: Importance of positioning (rear arc +2 dmg)
  6. Terrain usage: Cover, elevation, difficult terrain
  7. Reactive cards: 0 SP interrupts (Brace for Impact, Unbreakable)
  8. Death spiral: How Damage cards accumulate

After playing this scenario 2-3 times, players should understand all core mechanics.

POST-GAME DEBRIEF

Questions to Consider

  1. When did you feel most powerful? Most vulnerable?
  2. How many reshuffles occurred? (Track Damage card accumulation)
  3. Did Component Destruction happen? Which component?
  4. How did terrain affect positioning choices?
  5. Did Heat Strain matter? (5+ Heat rolls)
  6. Which cards felt most/least useful?

Balance Observations

Suggested Variations

MAP STRATEGY GUIDE

For Church (Aggressive Striker)

  1. Opening: Deploy in Forest hex (top-left) for initial cover
  2. Turn 1-2: Rush toward center elevation using Desperate Lunge + Overextend
  3. Turn 3: Reach Elevation 1 (E1), use Quick Shot to harass
  4. Turn 4+: Close to Melee, attack from elevated rear arc (4 base + 2 rear + 1 elevation = 7 dmg)
  5. Heat: Use Water hexes to cool down if overheating
  6. Win: Burst damage from favorable position before Dwarves stabilize

Key Hexes: Elevation 1 (center ring), Forest corners (fallback)

For Dwarves (Defensive Anchor)

  1. Opening: Deploy in Rubble hex (bottom-right) for +1 Defense
  2. Turn 1-2: Advance slowly, play Rune of Protection (stack counters)
  3. Turn 3: Activate Shield Wall, position near Water (Heat management)
  4. Turn 4+: Let Church come to you, counter-attack with Crushing Blow
  5. Heat: High Heat generation, use Water hexes frequently
  6. Win: Outlast Church through superior HP and damage reduction

Key Hexes: Rubble (defensive positions), Water (Heat cooling), Elevation 2 (if safe)

QUICK REFERENCE

Movement Costs

Damage Modifiers

Heat Strain Table (Roll at 5+ Heat)

| 1d6 + Heat | Effect | |————|——–| | 1-5 | +1 Heat | | 6-8 | -1 SP this turn | | 9-11 | Take 2 damage | | 12+ | Component malfunction |

Component Destruction Effects

| Component | Effect | |———–|——–| | Right Arm | Lose Primary Weapon cards from hand | | Left Arm | Lose Secondary Equipment cards from hand | | Legs | Movement +1 SP per hex | | Head | -1 dmg to ranged attacks | | Chassis | -1 SP maximum |

SETUP CHECKLIST

Before starting:

NOTE: If you don’t have custom dice, use regular d6:

STATUS: PLAYTEST READY NEXT STEP: Example of Play (4-5 turn walkthrough) ESTIMATED TIME: 45-60 minutes first game, 30-45 minutes experienced players

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