Here are 2 Triplanetary situations that pit a defending fleet against an invader.
Endgame An interstellar war reaches a critical turning point.
To end the conflict, the allied forces launch a daring raid into the Sol system. Their object is to neutralize the industrial motor of the enemy’s war machine - Terra! The most potent ships of the allied fleets are concentrated into a lethal Strike Force. The result will either be a glorious and cunning victory or a crushing loss of material and ships. Terra’s vaunted Sol Fleet - once a casual flotilla of political appointees - has been hardened into a veteran combat force by the war. It’s up to them to stop the naked, brutal assault on the billions of innocent people of Earth.
Special Rules:
FTL approaches
Sol Fleet player designates 2 vectors and Strike Force player picks a third. These are the only valid entry/exit vectors for ships using FTL drives, which means the entire Strike Force fleet. The Strike Force must pick, secretly, which single route they intend to take entering the system. For purposes of escape, they may use any route.
FTL transit
Any ship capable of FTL travel can jump out of the system when they reach minimum jump velocity, which is 7 hexes per turn. To jump, each ship rolls a die, and on any result other than a 1, that ship is removed from the board. A ship that jumps without a valid FTL vector is considered eliminated. When jumping into a system, each ship rolls a die. On any result other than a 1 the ship is placed at the edge of the map with a vector that reflects the minimum jump velocity and is directed towards the largest gravity well on the map.
Ships:
Both sides select ships using the MegaCredit system outlined in the Triplanetary rules. Sol Fleet has an allowance of MCr2500. Strike Force has an allowance of Mcr3000. Each side may purchase any ship or any ordinance. All Strike Force ships are assumed FTL capable.
Sol Fleet places its ships any where on the map with any desired vector. All bases in Sol system are friendly to Sol Fleet. Planetary defenses are fully operational.
Strike Fleet jumps into the system using one of the 3 FTL routes. All Strike Force ships must use the same vector jumping in, but may choose any to jump out.
Victory:
Strike Force earns 10 VP for every hex side they suppress and they lose 1VP per point of combat strength lost.
- 50 VP or more - decisive Strike Force victory
- 30-49 VP - marginal Strike Force victory
- 15-29 VP - draw
- 0-15 VP - marginal Sol Fleet victory
- 0 or less - decisive Sol Fleet victory
A decisive victory forces the other side to sue for peace. Any other result means the war contines…
The Fall of Earth A barbarian horde unleashes an assault on Sol.
In 2192, a horde of “barbarians” have smashed the approaches to the rich industrial Sol system! This barbarian fleet of FTL-capable ships slowly consumed the best worlds from the technologically advanced peoples. Despite desperate defenses the horde defeated all who stood in there way, darkening skies with their legion of invasion barges.
Finally, a battle-tested fleet has gathered at Sol. Here, the line is drawn. Here the United Defense Command (UDC) promises to break the invasion or die trying. There is no retreat! Victory or death!
Special Rules
FTL transit and approaches
Same as above for both FTL transit. The UDC may elect 1 approach that the barbarians cannot use.
Advanced Ships of the UDC
The UDC has a variety of combat ships that are ready for deployment, but have never been battle tested. Each of these ships are “torch” ships - they never have to refuel. They must resupply as normal. Additionally, each ship may perform a double acceleration up to 3 times.
- ship type,combat strength,fuel capacity,cargo capacity,cost
- DD-X, 8, nil, 10 tons, 600 MCr
- CA-X, 10, nil, 20 tons, 800 MCr
- BA-X, 15, nil, 40 tons, 1600 MCr
Orbital Defense Command
The UDC receives 1 Orbital Fortress already in orbit above Terra.
Invasion Force Barges
Each IFOR ship with a cargo capacity of 50 or more may elect to carry a troop of ground units. When a ship carrying a ground unit lands on a planet, the ground unit is considered available for ground combat. If a ship is eliminated while carrying a ground unit, that ground unit is also considered eliminated.
Ground units cost 10 MCr each.
Ground Units and Combat
During the combat phase, after any and all ship combat, ground units may attack ground targets, either other troop units or planetary defenses. Each ground force, on a roll of 2 or less, destroys a target. Attacked ground units may counter-attack. Attacked planetary defenses may never counter-attack ground units.
Ground units cannot be selected for attack by planetary defenses.
Ships may attack ground units, and the odds are always 1:1. Any result other than “no effect” suppresses that unit. Suppressed units may not move onto transports or attack other ground units.
Of course, any nuclear weapon used on a hex side destroys any ships or ground units that entered from that hex side. If it’s not clear which hex side the unit entered from (such as pre-deployed ground units), roll a die. On a 1 that unit is destroyed.
Ships:
Both sides select ships using the MegaCredit system outlined in the Triplanetary rules. UDC has an allowance of MCr3500. IFOR has an allowance of Mcr5000. Each side may purchase any ship or any ordinance except for the advanced UDC ships, which are available only to the UDC. All IFOR ships are assumed FTL capable.
All bases are friendly to the UDC unless captured by the IFOR.
Victory
Each planet with bases captured by IFOR is worth 10 VP. If IFOR controls Terra, IFOR receives 50 VP. Each side looses 1VP for point of combat strength lost. UDC looses 2 VP per “X”-type combat strength points. Eliminated ground units count as 1 VP lost.
- 60 VP or more - decisive IFOR victory
- 40-59 VP - marginal IFOR victory
- 20-39 VP - draw
- 0-19 VP - marginal UDC victory
- 0 or less - decisive UDC victory