CADET SCENARIO #3: CONVOY RAID

The neutral planet of Iridima has refused to sell its iridium to the Klingon Empire, preferring instead to sell it to the Federation. This metal is vitally important to starship construction, and while the supply from Iridima represents only a fraction of that available to the Federation or the Empire, it could make an important difference. A convoy of four freighters is now headed toward the Federation border. Your cruiser, the Imperial Klingon Vessel Destruction, is assigned to pursue and destroy this convoy, preventing it from reaching Federation territory. This will teach the Iridimans that they will sell their iridium to the Empire or to no one at all. This scenario can be replayed with minor variations; see the section on INSTANT REPLAY below.

PLAYERS: This scenario can be played with one or two players. If two players are available, one commands the Klingon ship while the  other commands the four freighters. In this case, the Iridima (freighter) player can fire the phasers at his discretion (within the rules). If only one player is available, he commands the Klingon ship. The freighters move directly ahead without turning until they reach hex row 15xx, at which point each freighter will turn to heading C. They will fire their phasers as follows: Freighter A will fire its phaser (at the Klingon or at a drone targeted on itself, then at a drone targeted on another freighter) on impulse #2 of every turn. Freighter B will fire on impulse #4, freighter C on impulse #6, freighter D on impulse #8.
Approaching drones have priority over the Klingon ship as a target.

REQUIRED MATERIALS:  You will need the 8-Impulse Movement Chart, the counter for the Klingon cruiser Destruction, four of the Klingon drone counters, the four freighter counters.

SCENARIO SET UP: Load scenario 3 or set up as follows on a new map. Use 0101 to 2817. The freighters will try to leave the map from the top edge. The Klingon ship can leave the map from the other three edges. Any ship which leaves the map cannot return. Place the Klingon ship in hex 0104 facing in direction C. Place freighter A in hex 0112, freighter B in hex 0110, freighter C in hex 0309, and freighter D in hex 0311. All freighters are facing in direction B.

LENGTH: The scenario is over when all of the freighters are destroyed or have left the map.

SPEED: The freighters will move at a rate of four hexes per turn; this may be reduced by damage. The Klingon player can select any speed (from zero to eight hexes per turn) at the start of each turn. He can change speed every turn if he wishes. The drones launched by the Klingon ship have a speed of eight.If using the 16 impulse chart on a replay use the appropriate drone speed as per the dronesheet chart.

OBJECTIVE: The freighters are trying to escape by moving off the map at the east (28xx) edge. (For example, freighter A would reach hex 2811, then expend another movement point and move off the map.) The east (right) edge of the map is the Federation border, and any freighter which crosses it (leaves the map) is safe and cannot be fired on. For the Klingon player to win the scenario, he must destroy all four freighters before they can leave the map.

ADVICE: This scenario can be played "by the numbers" or in certain logical steps. The first step is to score at least 10 damage points on each freighter, eliminating its weapon and preventing further damage to your ship. This must be accomplished in the first four turns, preferably less.

The method of accomplishing this is to move within three hexes (or closer) of a freighter and fire your disruptors and forward phasers. Then turn to one side, allowing the phaser on that side to fire. Then (if possible) pull out of range of the next freighter scheduled to fire (four hexes away will be adequate). Try to maneuver in such a way that all four of your phasers can fire every turn. This may require flying through the convoy; don't do that, however, until you have eliminated their weapons.

In the meantime, you have to minimize damage to your ship by keeping the freighters from penetrating your shields. Keep track of when each freighter will fire, and turn a shield that is strong enough to resist the blast toward that freighter.

There are ways to eliminate the weapons in less than four turns. For one thing, you have drones. Launch one drone each turn; launch the first two drones at different freighters. If possible (do some counting), pick a target close enough that the drone will get there before that freighter is scheduled to fire its weapon. Then with a bit of luck and one of your side phasers, you will have scored 10 damage points and eliminated its phaser. With a lot of luck, you will have silenced all four phasers in two turns (two by disruptors and phasers, two by drones and phasers).

The next step is to slow the freighters down so that they can't reach the border as quickly. Doing this requires scoring more damage, but only a small amount on each freighter. Slow all of the freighters down before you start finishing them off.

Just a note for future reference. If a Federation cruiser could be expected to come out and meet the convoy, you may have to settle for destroying only one or two freighters. In that case, hit one or two of them hard enough to silence their weapons and slow them down. They will fall behind the convoy, and you can pick them off, allowing the other two (or three) to escape.


INCREASING DIFFICULTY: After two or three playings (or perhaps only one), you will find it very easy to win this scenario. When this happens, and if you feel that you are not ready to move on to Scenario #4, then move the freighters forward six hexes and allow them to use their shuttles which have a phaser-3 and play the scenario again. (Or increase their speed to six hexes per turn, or both.) If you still win, move them forward six (or fewer) more hexes and play again. See how close the freighters can be to the border while you can still catch them all.  Another way is to place the freighters in hexes 0110, 0111, 0209, and 0210 so that their firepower is more concentrated. You could also ransomly replace one or all of the civilian freighters with a civilian Q-ship. A ship that looks like a freighter until fired upon or it fires and then reveals itself to be a more heavily armed military vessel.

INSTANT REPLAY: This scenario can be played with another Cadet ship. After reading the rules on plasma torpedoes in Scenario #6, you could use the Romulan Cadet ships in this scenario. Instead of using the Klingon Cadet CA you could use the Klingon CL (light cruiser) or even DD (destroyer). See how small a ship you can take and still win the scenario.

FOR LATER USE: After completing Scenarios #4 and #5, you can return and replay this scenario with a significant change. Use two players. On the first impulse of turn 4, place a Federation cruiser in hex 2801 facing in direction E. The Klingon wins if he can destroy three freighters and escape off the map before being destroyed. Use the 16-Impulse Movement Chart and assign a speed of 4 to the freighters and speed 16 to the drones. Obviously, any of the available starships could be used.

AND EVEN LATER: After playing Scenario #8, you can return and play this scenario with the full-size ships and rules. In this case, use the  32-Impulse Movement Chart, assign the freighters a speed of 8, double all damage and shield values for the freighters (or simply cut the damage totals in half before application), and use a drone (or plasma) speed of 32