penance

SCENARIO #3: ESCORT DUTY

Type: Asymmetric Objective Players: 2 (Attacker vs Defender) Estimated Playtime: 60-75 minutes Difficulty: Advanced Victory Condition:

Defender: Escort the Supply Caravan to the exit
Attacker: Destroy the Supply Caravan OR eliminate the Defender

SCENARIO OVERVIEW

A vital supply caravan must reach the settlement before nightfall. The Defender must protect the slow-moving caravan while the Attacker tries to destroy it. The caravan is vulnerable but has basic defenses.

What This Teaches: Asymmetric objectives, protecting weak units, aggressive vs defensive tactics, tempo control

MAP: THE TRADE ROAD (16×10 Hexes)

[F ][F ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][F ][F ]
[F ][R ][ ][ ][W ][W ][ ][ ][ ][ ][W ][W ][ ][ ][R ][F ]
[ ][ ][==][==][ ][ ][==][==][==][==][ ][ ][==][==][ ][ ]
[ ][R ][==][R ][ ][E1][==][ ][ ][==][E1][ ][R ][==][R ][ ]
[W ][ ][==][ ][ ][ ][==][ ][ ][==][ ][ ][ ][==][ ][W ]
[W ][ ][==][ ][ ][ ][==][ ][ ][==][ ][ ][ ][==][ ][W ]
[ ][R ][==][R ][ ][E1][==][ ][ ][==][E1][ ][R ][==][R ][ ]
[ ][ ][==][==][ ][ ][==][==][==][==][ ][ ][==][==][ ][ ]
[F ][R ][ ][ ][W ][W ][ ][ ][ ][ ][W ][W ][ ][ ][R ][F ]
[F ][F ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][F ][F ]

Terrain Legend

[F] Forest: +1 Defense, blocks LOS
[R] Rubble: +1 Defense, difficult terrain (2 SP)
[W] Water/Mud: Difficult terrain (2 SP), remove 1 Heat at end of turn
[E1] Elevation 1: +1 damage, ignore cover when attacking from here
[==] Road: Fast Movement (move 2 hexes for 1 SP), no defensive bonus

SPECIAL UNITS: THE SUPPLY CARAVAN

Caravan Stats

HP: 40 HP (does not use deck system - tracks damage directly) Movement: 2 hexes per turn (moves during Defender’s turn, costs no SP) Defense: 3+ (harder to hit than Caskets) Size: Large (occupies 1 hex but can be attacked from adjacent hexes)

Armor:

Caravan ignores first 2 damage from each attack (heavy wooden frame)
No component damage (caravan has no components)

Vulnerabilities:

Cannot move off the Road hexes (must follow the road)
Cannot attack or defend itself
Takes double damage from Fire attacks

Caravan Movement

Automatic Movement: At the start of each Defender’s turn, the Caravan moves 2 hexes along the Road toward the exit (no SP cost).

Blocking: If the Attacker’s Casket is standing on the Road directly in front of the Caravan, the Caravan stops moving (it cannot push through).

Exit Point: The Caravan exits the map when it reaches hex [15,4] or [15,5] (far right edge of road).

DEPLOYMENT

Defender Deployment

Deploy anywhere within 3 hexes of hex [2,4] or [2,5] (near the Caravan)
Must start within 6 hexes of the Caravan

Attacker Deployment

Deploy anywhere within 3 hexes of hex [13,4] or [13,5] (ambush position)
Can deploy on either side of the road

Caravan Starting Position

Caravan starts on hex [1,4] (leftmost road hex)
Faces East (toward exit)

VICTORY CONDITIONS

Defender Wins If:

The Caravan reaches the exit (hex [15,4] or [15,5]) OR
The Attacker’s Casket is reduced to 0 HP

Attacker Wins If:

The Caravan is reduced to 0 HP OR
The Defender’s Casket is reduced to 0 HP OR
Turn 12 ends and the Caravan has not exited (supplies arrive too late, settlement starves)

SPECIAL RULES

Road Movement

Moving along Road hexes (horizontally) costs 1 SP for 2 hexes (fast travel)
Moving OFF the road costs normal SP (1 SP per hex)
Road provides no defensive bonus (you’re exposed)

Caravan Combat

The Caravan cannot attack or use cards
The Caravan cannot be moved by Push/Pull effects
The Caravan ignores Heat, Taint, and Component Damage
When the Caravan takes damage, mark it on a separate HP track (starts at 40)

Blocking the Road

If the Attacker stands on the Road directly in front of the Caravan, it stops moving
The Defender can Push the Attacker off the road to unblock the Caravan
Blocking the Caravan generates 1 Heat per turn (engines overheat from holding position)

Turn Limit

The scenario ends after Turn 12 (about 12-15 minutes of real time)
If the Caravan has not exited by Turn 12, the Attacker wins

TACTICAL CONSIDERATIONS

Defender Strategy

Protect the Caravan: Stay close and intercept the Attacker
Clear the Road: Push the Attacker off the road if they’re blocking
Speed Matters: The faster the Caravan moves, the less time the Attacker has
Positioning: Use elevation to threaten the Attacker from range

Attacker Strategy

Destroy the Caravan: Focus fire on the vulnerable Caravan
Block and Delay: Stand on the Road to stop the Caravan’s movement
Ignore the Defender: Sometimes it’s better to rush past and hit the Caravan directly
Use Terrain: Elevation and rubble give you defensive bonuses while attacking

BALANCING NOTES

If Attacker Wins Too Easily:

Increase Caravan HP to 50
Reduce turn limit to Turn 10

If Defender Wins Too Easily:

Reduce Caravan HP to 30
Increase turn limit to Turn 15
Allow Attacker to deploy closer (within 5 hexes of exit)

VARIANTS

Variant: Reinforcements

On Turn 6, a second Attacker Casket (controlled by same player) enters from hex [13,9] (bottom right)
Defender must split attention between two threats

Variant: Hazardous Cargo

When the Caravan takes 20+ damage, it drops Unstable Soulstones
Place 3 Soulstone tokens on the road where the Caravan was hit
Any Casket that moves through those hexes takes 3 damage (explosion)

Variant: No Turn Limit

Remove the Turn 12 limit
Attacker must destroy the Caravan OR eliminate the Defender to win
Makes the scenario less tense but more forgiving for new players

RECOMMENDED FACTIONS

Good Defender Choices:

Dwarven Forge-Guilds: Tanky, can shield the Caravan with high armor
Church of Absolution: Aggressive, can threaten the Attacker into retreating
Elven Verdant Covenant: Mobile, can reposition quickly to intercept

Good Attacker Choices:

The Ossuarium: Taint corruption and Phylactery resurrection, can outlast the Defender
Church of Absolution: Burst damage, can kill the Caravan quickly
Dwarven Forge-Guilds: Armor-piercing, ignores Caravan’s armor

DESIGN NOTES

This scenario tests asymmetric objectives and tempo management. The Defender must balance aggression (stopping the Attacker) with protection (keeping the Caravan safe). The Attacker must decide: “Do I destroy the Caravan, or eliminate the Defender?”

The turn limit creates urgency. The Defender wants to move fast; the Attacker wants to slow everything down.

Lesson: Not every scenario is “kill the enemy.” Sometimes survival is victory.

Next Scenario: Scenario #4: King of the Hill →

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