The Archeo Rush
Race to acquire Archeotech (2-4 Gangs)
Objectives
A rumor has gone around that a piece of Archeotech has been located in a dangerous and remote location. Maybe the rumor is false, but an opportunity to acquire such a valuable commodity cannot be ignored!
The primary objective of this scenario is to gain Victory Points by acquiring the Archeotech Item.
The secondary objective is to cause harm to the leadership of opposing gangs.
The gang with the most Victory Points at the end of the battle wins.
Some Challenge options also offer further gains.
Attackers
In this scenario, all of the gangs are considered to be attackers.
Type of Battlefield
The players should agree whether they will fight this battle using the Zone Mortalis or Sector Mechanicus rules or optionally fight on a hybrid battlefield.
If the players cannot come to an agreement, roll a D6. If the result is a 4+ it will be a Sector Mechanicus battle, otherwise it is a Zone Mortalis battle.
Set up Battlefield
For two players, the battlefield should be a square that is either 24'' x 24'' or 2x2 tiles.
For three players, the battlefield should be 36'' x 36'' or 3x3 tiles.
For four players, the battlefield should be 48'' x 48'' or 4x4 tiles.
Players should determine a priority before setting up the battlefield.
Archeotech Area
In this scenario, a 6'' x 6'' square in the dead center of the battlefield is the Archeotech Area.
A single Archeotech Item is placed at the exact center point of that area, which is also necessarily the exact center point of the battlefield.
Roll a D3 on the following table to determine how the Archeotech Item will be represented on
the battlefield:
| D3 |
Archeotech Item Kind |
| 1 |
Locked Loot Casket: The Archeotech Item is contained in a loot casket. It is locked but can be opened using the Access Terminal (Basic) action. It can be carried using the Carry (Simple) action. The casket has Toughness 4 and 2 Wounds, is unaffected by Weapon Traits other than Demolition, Knockback, and Drag, and does not suffer Flesh Wounds. If it is destroyed, the Archeotech within it is also destroyed.
Access Terminal (Basic): The fighter may make an Intelligence check to access or otherwise operate a terminal, console, device, or object within 1'' of the fighter.
This can be used to unlock & open or close & lock doors and loot caskets, activate scenario or tile specific effects, and so on.
In some cases (where noted) a modifier may apply, and / or there may be a consequence for failure.
Carry (Simple): The fighter makes a Standard Move, taking a small carryable item with them as they go. Once they have finished their move, set up the carried item in base contact with the fighter. The carried item cannot be placed on top of anything else.
|
| 2 |
Sealed Heavy Box: The Archeotech Item is contained in a large box. It is sealed but can be opened using the Exert (Double) action. It can be carried using the Carry Heavy (Double) action. The box has Toughness 6, 3 Wounds, and a 2+ Armor save, is unaffected by Weapon Traits other than Demolition, Melta, Knockback, and Drag, and does not suffer Flesh Wounds. If it is destroyed, the Archeotech within it is also destroyed.
Exert (Double): The fighter may attempt to exert strength upon an obstacle, object, or restraint that they are in base contact with.
Roll a D6 and add the fighter's Strength; if the result is 9 or more the fighter succeeds.
If the object being exerted upon is a door, on success the door is forced open and cannot be closed again.
If the object is a closed casket, on success the casket is opened and cannot be closed again.
If the object is a piece of scatter terrain (or similar), on success the object is moved 1'' and may be knocked down or repositioned.
Carry Heavy (Double): The fighter moves a number of inches up to their current Strength characteristic, taking a heavy carryable item or a Seriously Injured fighter with them as they go. For instance, a fighter with Strength 4 could move up to 4'' while a fighter with Strength 2 could move up to 2''. Once they have finished their move, set up the carried item in base contact with the fighter. The carried item cannot be placed on top of anything else.
|
| 3 |
Embedded: The Archeotech Item is integrated with or otherwise lodged or embedded within a terrain piece placed at the center of the battlefield. It cannot be accessed or moved during the battle. To gain the item, a gang must take control of the terrain piece and hold it until the end of the battle. This item has Toughness 8, 4 Wounds, a 5+ Unmodified save, is unaffected by Weapon Traits other than Demolition, and does not suffer Flesh Wounds. The Archeotech Item is destroyed if it loses its last Wound. |
Gaining the Archeotech Item Mid-battle
In the Locked Loot Casket and Sealed Heavy Box variants, if a fighter successfully opens the container the Archeotech Item
is in during the battle, click
here
to determine what sort of Archeotech Item they have discovered.
Zone Mortalis
In Zone Mortalis, players choose and place a tile in priority order.
After the first tile is placed, subsequent tiles must be placed so
that they are touching another tile edge to edge and corner to corner.
After enough tiles have been placed to make a board of the necessary size, keeping within
priority order each player gets one opportunity to flip, rotate, or swap placed tiles, or replace a tile.
The Archeotech Item is placed in the center of the board now. Determine its facing using a scatter die.
Still in priority order, each player may place a door or Ductway
or D3 items of scatter terrain anywhere on the battlefield outside
of the Archeotech Area. For this scenario, all doors start closed and locked.
Sector Mechanicus
In Sector Mechanicus, the players first collaborate to set up the Archeotech Area
and place the Archeotech Item, then take turns placing terrain, ladders, railings,
walkways, and so forth until they collectively agree to stop.
Players should roll off to resolve most disputes, highest roll wins.
However, at a minimum the Archeotech Area must remain reachable from a
number of sides equal to the number of players.
Challenge
Archeotech is powerful and significant. The harder it is to acquire, the more memorable it will be. The Archeotech Area is now elaborated to make it so.
The player with priority rolls a D6 on the following table:
| D6 |
Archeotech Area Challenge |
| 1 |
Automated Turrets: Place one (1) Automated Turret per participating player within the Archeotech Area, as symmetrically as possible while ensuring each turret has direct line of sight to the Archeotech Item and at least two unobstructed firing lanes that are at least 18'' long. |
| 2 |
Spider Things: Place D3 Spider Things and triple that many Baby Spider Things evenly around the Archeotech Area. |
| 3 |
Tentacle Monster: Place D3+1 tentacle markers evenly around the Archeotech Area and within 3'' of the Archeotech Item. |
| 4 |
Seismic Tremors: Place a marker within the Archeotech Area indicating the Seismic Tremors condition is in effect within the Archeotech Area.
At the beginning of every even numbered round of battle, before priority is rolled for each Standing fighter in the affected area must make an Initiative check or become Pinned; an Engaged fighter who fails this check is first disengaged without reprisals and becomes Pinned 1'' away from all enemy fighters. Ratskin and Squat fighters gain a +1 bonus to their Initiative check to resist this effect.
|
| 5 |
Bad Air: Place a marker within the Archeotech Area indicating the Bad Air condition is in effect in the Archeotech Area.
The air in the area of the battlefield has become nearly unbreathable, particularly for the weak and injured.
Ash Waste Nomads and Ratskins are immune to this condition, and various abilities and gear (such as a Hazard Suit) help fighters resist this condition.
A fighter with a modified Toughness of 3 or less that starts their activation within the area suffers a Flesh Wound.
|
| 6 |
Hazard Lights: Place a marker within the Archeotech Area indicating the Hazard Lights Only condition is in effect within the Archeotech Area.
Dark tunnels and domes, power outages, freak dust storms...lighting in the underhive is unreliable at best.
Various abilities and gear (such as photo-goggles) allow a fighter to be unaffected by this condition,
but an area of low-light imposes the following penalties on affected fighters:
Within the Area
Into, Within, or Across the Area
|
In the Automated Turret, Spider Things, and Tentacle Monster variants, determine how many items will be placed in total,
and then in priority order each player sets up one such item onto the battlefield per the given instructions.
In the Seismic Tremors, Bad Air, Hazard Lights Only condition variants, the player with priority places an appropriate marker;
it is every player's responsibility to remember to enforce the condition.
Complication
There may be an additional complication in the Archeotech Area.
The player with priority rolls on the following table.
In the Locked Loot Casket and Sealed Heavy Box variants roll a D6, in the Embedded variant roll
D6+1.
| D6 |
Archeotech Area Complication |
| 1 |
Multiple Containers: There are multiple possible containers for the Archeotech Item, making it difficult to find.
Remove the loot casket or heavy sealed box from the middle of the battlefield, then set up onto the battlefield
1 loot casket or heavy sealed box per participating player.
Each container must be between 2'' to 4'' from the center of the battlefield and must be at least 3'' away from the other containers.
It is unknown which container the Archeotech Item is in.
During the battle, when a container is opened, destroyed,
exposed by a special ability or gear (such as an
Auspex),
or carried off the battlefield,
if it is the last remaining container then the Archeotech Item is within it.
Otherwise, roll a D6; on a 5+ the Archeotech Item is within that container.
|
| 2 |
Too Hot: The Too Hot condition is in effect in the Archeotech Area.
At the end of each of their own activations a fighter who remains in the affected area
must roll a D6. If the roll exceeds their current modified Toughness, the fighter suffers a Flesh Wound,
becomes Broken, and begins Running for Cover. Broken fighters within the affected area
will take the most direct route available to them to leave the area.
|
| 3 |
Traps: Place D3-1
Frag Traps,
D3-1
Gas Traps,
and D3-1
Melta Traps
in the Archeotech Area. The traps must be at least 2'' away from each other.
|
| 4 |
Corpses: One or more conflicts have raged over this area before.
Place D6 corpse markers around the Archeotech Area representing the remains of fallen Archeotech seekers.
Fighters within 1'' of a corpse marker can search it for loot by making the Interact (Simple) action.
Click
here
to determine if any loot is found on the corpse.
The fighter may add any discovered loot they are able to use to their fighter card.
All other loot can either be left on the corpse or added to the gang's Stash immediately.
Other fighters within 1'' may pilfer any loot remaining on the corpse by making the Interact (Simple) action.
Remove the corpse marker when no loot remains on it.
|
| 5+ |
No Complication: nothing more complicates this battle.
|
In the Multiple Containers, Traps and Corpses variants, determine how many items will be placed in total,
and then in priority order each player sets up one such item onto the battlefield per the given instructions.
Choose Crews
The Crew for this scenario is composed of all available fighters on the gang's roster who are not in Recovery, including Hired Guns.
Given the importance of gaining control over Archeotech, it's an all hands on deck situation.
Infiltrators, Scouts, and Reinforcements Decks
Each player must take the fighter cards of their Crew and organize them into three decks, which are shuffled and placed facedown near the battlefield.
Players are not allowed to look at the fighter cards in the decks until after they have been drawn and played to set up the corresponding fighter on the battlefield.
Infiltrators Deck: each player may select none, some, or all of the fighter cards from their Crew for fighters that are able to infiltrate, and shuffle them together face down to form their gang's Infiltrators Deck.
Scouts Deck: each player may select none, some, or all of the fighter cards for the Prospects and Juves in their Crew and shuffle them together face down to form their gang's Scouts Deck.
Reinforcements Deck: each player gathers all of the remaining fighter cards of their Crew, and shuffles them together face down to form their gang's Reinforcements Deck.
No Scouts?: if a gang has no Scouts Deck, they must take the top card from one of the gang's other decks without looking at it and place it face down to form the gang's Scouts Deck.
Determine Crew Rating & Underdog Status
Crew Rating is calculated as described in the campaign format specific Pre-Battle Sequence.
The participating gang with the lowest total Crew Rating is considered to be the Underdog for this scenario.
Underdog Bonus
For the duration of the battle, if the Underdog ties for priority they win priority (even if they previously had priority).
Fighters Recover
For each fighter that was excluded from Crew selection because they are in Recovery, clear their Recovering box on their gang's roster now.
Those fighters are able to take part in their gang's next battle, and are also able to take part in Post-Battle Actions after this battle.
Tactics Cards
During the Tactics Cards step of the Pre-Battle Sequence, each player may remove up to ten cards from the Tactics Cards deck, and shuffle the remaining cards to form their gang's Tactics Cards deck for this battle.
Afterward, each player draws two cards from their gang's Tactics Cards deck to form their starting hand.
Deployment
Players determine a new priority, then the player who now has priority selects any edge of the battlefield as their deployment edge.
In a two player game, the opposite edge is their opponent's deployment edge; in a three or four player game the remaining players choose an available deployment edge in priority order.
After each player has selected their deployment edge, still in priority order each player must draw one fighter card from their gang's Scouts Deck and play it to set up the corresponding fighter onto the battlefield with the back of their base touching the edge of the battlefield.
The battle begins with one scout from each gang on the battlefield.
Starting the Battle
The battle starts and is fought normally using the Battle Sequence.
Drawing Tactics and Fighter Cards
At the end of the Action Phase of each round, immediately before the End Phase begins, additional fighters may enter the battlefield.
In priority order, each player rolls a D3 and may draw that many total cards from their gang's Tactics Card deck, or Scouts Deck, or Infiltrators Deck.
Starting at the end of round 4, players can also choose to draw from their gang's Reinforcements Deck.
Tactics Cards
Tactics Cards that are drawn are taken into the player's hand.
Scouts and Reinforcements
Scouts and Reinforcements fighter cards that are drawn are played and the corresponding fighters are set up onto the battlefield with the back of their bases touching their deployment edge.
Infiltrators
When a player draws a fighter card from their gang's Infiltrators Deck, they take the card into their hand, keeping it a secret.
Then, the player sets up onto the battlefield a Blip within 6'' of their gang's deployment edge.
A Blip placed in Plain Sight is subject to being immediately exposed.
Hidden Infiltrators
When a player is able to deploy a Hidden infiltrator onto the battlefield, a Blip is used instead of a fighter's model.
The Blips used by a given gang should be distinct to that gang, so that it is possible to tell the difference between Blips from two or more gangs.
If a gang has multiple Hidden infiltrators, any of their Blips could be any of that gang's infiltrators. Which Blip is which fighter is revealed only when a Blip is exposed.
Blips cannot be a target, and cannot be hit by Blast or Template markers. Blips get Ready markers as if they were fighters upon the battlefield, but when activated a Blip can only Leave Hiding, or Move 8'', or Stay Put.
- Leave Hiding: expose the Blip, set up a relevant fighter onto the battlefield, and they immediately activate and take their full turn as normal.
- Move Marker: you can move the Blip up to 8'' as if it were a fighter. Blips ignore movement penalties due to climbing, Difficult Terrain, or similar, and automatically succeed on any Initiative checks made as part of movement.
- Stay Put: the Blip remains on the battlefield and nothing else happens.
Exposed
Blips can be exposed in three different ways:
- Leave Hiding: when the controlling player chooses to expose a Blip upon activation, as previously described.
- Plain Sight: when a Blip moves into clear view of an enemy fighter it might be exposed.
- Detect action: when a fighter successfully uses the Detect action to find a Blip, it is exposed.
When a Blip is exposed, the controlling player must select one available infiltrating fighter from their Crew that isn't already on the battlefield, then set that fighter up onto the battlefield where the Blip is, and remove the Blip.
Plain Sight
If a Blip enters the vision arc and line of sight of an Active enemy fighter no more than 12'' away, and that enemy fighter is not Blinded and their vision is not obscured by cover, fog, darkness, or similar, that enemy fighter can make an Initiative check. On success, the Blip is exposed. After the detected infiltrator is set up on the battlefield, the infiltrator can take a Simple or Basic action and then end their turn.
Detect action
Active and Pinned fighters can take the Detect (Basic) action in an attempt to expose a Blip.
Use this simplified table for detecting Blips in this scenario, ignoring the standard Detect modifiers.
Detect [Hidden] (Basic): When using the Detect action to Detect a Blip, select a Blip within 12'', and then make an Intelligence check with the following modifiers applied. If this check is successful, the selected Blip is exposed.
Escape!
Fighters can escape the battlefield by moving off any deployment edge (voluntarily or involuntarily).
Escaping fighters are removed from the battlefield, and count as being taken Out of Action for the purposes of Bottle Tests, but will be available for their gang's next battle.
Escaping With Archeotech
In the Locked Loot Casket and Sealed Heavy Box variants, if a fighter Escapes while equipped with or carrying the Archeotech Item, that fighter gains 1 XP immediately and that fighter's gang controls the Archeotech.
If this occurs, the battle continues until the end of the current round and then ends.
If the Multiple Containers Challenge is in effect and a Locked Loot Casket or Sealed Heavy Box is carried off the battlefield, it is first determined if the container holds the Archeotech Item as described by that Challenge.
If it does, this outcome is treated as described for the Locked Loot Casket and Sealed Heavy Box variants above. Otherwise, nothing special happens.
Bottle Tests
Bottle Tests are not made during the first three rounds, but are made normally at the end of the fourth round and all remaining rounds.
Ending the Battle
There are several ways for the battle to end.
Archeotech Removed From Battlefield: if the Archeotech Item has been carried off the battlefield, the battle will continue to the end of the current round and then be over.
Archeotech Destroyed: if the Archeotech Item is destroyed, the battle will continue to the end of the current round and then be over.
Wipe Out: if zero fighter cards remain in Scout, Infiltrator, and Reinforcement decks and there are no Active, Engaged, or Pinned fighters remaining on the battlefield, the battle will continue to the end of the current round and then be over.
Last Gang Standing: if zero fighter cards remain in Scout, Infiltrator, and Reinforcement decks and all of the fighters remaining on the battlefield belong to the same gang, the battle will continue to the end of that round and then be over.
Victory
The final tally of Victory Points is made at the beginning of the End of Battle Events step of the Post-Battle Sequence.
The gang with the most Victory Points is the winner.
If two gangs are tied for most Victory Points, the battle ends in a draw.
If no gang has at least 1 Victory Point, all of the gangs are considered to have lost the battle.
The outcome of the battle hinges on whether a gang managed to end with control over the Archeotech Item.
Control is determined as follows.
Embedded
In the Embedded variant, if an Active or Pinned fighter is within 1'' of the Archeotech Item, and there are no enemy fighters within 2'' of them or the Archeotech Item, their gang controls it.
Locked Loot Casket or Sealed Heavy Box
In these two variants, the Archeotech Item might be revealed or unrevealed. If revealed, it might still be in its container or it might be equipped or carried on its own.
Normally, for the purpose of determining which gang controls the Archeotech Item (if any), it does not matter if it has been revealed yet or if it is in or out of its container.
Controlled Archeotech: If a gang controls the Archeotech Item, that gang gains 1 Victory Point plus 1 additional Victory Point for every 25 credits the item is worth (rounded up).
Destroyed Archeotech: If the Archeotech Item was destroyed, the gang that destroyed it gains 1 Victory Point.
Taken Out Challenge: Every Automated Turret, Spider Thing, or Tentacle Monster taken out by a fighter is worth 1 Victory Point to their gang.
Taken Out Leader: Every gang Leader taken out by a fighter is worth 1 Victory Point to their gang.
Rewards (Campaign Only)
Archeotech Item
If a gang ended the battle in control of the Archeotech Item, and which
item they gained has been determined, that item is moved to
the gang's Stash immediately.
Otherwise, if the specific Archeotech Item gained has not already been determined click
here
and add the indicated Archeotech Item to the gang's Stash immediately.
Experience
Participation: If the battle at least got to end of round 4, every fighter who participated in the battle gains 1 XP.
Each fighter that deployed onto the battlefield from the Scouts deck that remains on the battlefield gets 1 additional XP.
Blips that did not get exposed by the end of the battle do not count as participating fighters.
Standard XP: Fighters gain the standard XP awards for taking opposing fighters Out of Action.
First Blood: The first fighter in the battle to take any enemy fighter Out of Action gets 1 additional XP.
Da Boss: If a gang is the winner, that gang's Leader gains 1 XP if they participated in the battle.
Challenges: Some of the challenges grant XP if defeated, as noted.
Archeotech Item
Reputation
Each gang gains 1 Reputation per opposing gang.
The Underdog gang gains 1 Reputation.
Each gang gains 1 Reputation for every 2 Victory Points they earned.
Gangs that earned 0 Victory Points lose 1 Reputation.
Post-Battle Sequence
Proceed to the Post-Battle Sequence.