Last of the Red-Hot Coelacanths
A G.E.V. scenario
by Tom Warner
9.07 Last of the Red-Hot Coelacanths.
This scenario represents a Combine attempt to disrupt or destroy Paneuropean western front operations command. The command center was placed in the most defensible terrain possible: the end of a narrow, dead-end valley. The Combine has decided to use the fastest ground vehicles available – the last experimental "Coelacanth"-class hovertank and a number of GEVs – to get to the command center in the shortest possible time.
9.071 Maps.
Use two G.E.V. maps and two Shockwave maps arranged as shown:
^ +--------+--------+--------+--------+
| north | | | | |
---+--- | SW-A | GEV-A | SW-B | GEV-B |
| | | | | |
+--------+--------+--------+--------+
SW – Shockwave Map
GEV – GEV Map
9.072 Setup.
The attacking (Combine) player (black) gets a Coelacanth Ogre and 25 GEV-based armor units – GEVs, LGEVs, and GEV-PCs. In this scenario, each Combine GEV-PC comes with 3 squads of infantry. The defending (Paneuropean) player (white) gets 175 armor units and 75 strength points of infantry, which are set up anywhere on the maps. He also gets one 60SP reactor, one 20SP laser tower, and an 80 SP strongpoint, all of which are set up within 16 hexes of each other on the Shockwave-A map. The attacker moves first and enters on the eastern edge of the GEV-B map. He does not have to commit all of his forces on turn 1.
9.073 The "Coelacanth" Hovertank.
(Mark VI-size stealth/ground effect cybertank):
| 2 cruise missiles (special/infinite; D3) | O O |
| 2 missile racks (D4) | O O |
| 20 internal missiles (6/5) | O O O O O O O O O O |
| O O O O O O O O O O | |
| 3 main batteries (4/3; D4) | O O O |
| 8 tertiary batteries (3/2; D2) | O O O O O O O O |
| 12 antipersonnel (1/1; D1) | O O O O O O |
| O O O O O O | |
| 60 propulsion units starting at 4/3 MA. | |
| (The progression goes like this: 4/3, 3/2, 2/1, 1/0) | |
9.0731 Special Rules for the Coelacanth.
Ground Effect Cybertank: The Coelacanth moves at 4/3 and is treated like a GEV for terrain effects. Its propulsion units are treated exactly like Ogre tread units, except that they are automatically targeted at 2-1 odds and takes 2x damage from rams, attacks, etc. When ramming, it is treated like a Mark VI.
Stealth Equipment: All attacks directed at this Ogre except infantry overruns are at -1 to their die rolls.
Tertiary batteries: An experimental smaller and less-armored version of the secondary battery. Worth 3 VP each when destroyed.
Victory Points: All destroyed components of this Ogre are worth 6.6 × their normal VP. For instance, a tertiary battery, when destroyed, is worth 19.9 VP. (A cruise missile is worth 12 VP × 6.6 whether fired or destroyed.) If the Coelacanth is destroyed completely, the opposing side gets an additional 257.4 VP for the cybertank body.
9.074 Variant GEV Units.
The Chi Cub (a.k.a. Missile GEV): M3/2, D2, A 3/4. Worth 2 armor units.
Heavy GEV: M3/2, D2, A4/2. Worth 2 armor units.
Both of these are treated as GEVs for terrain effects.
9.075 Escape.
Attackers may escape from the eastern edge of the GEV-B map. Defenders may not escape, as they are bounded on the north, west, and south sides by steep cliffs and are bounded on the east side by enemy units. Any unit attempting to move off the western edge of the Shockwave-A map or the south or north edge of ANY map is assumed to have hit the aforementioned cliffs and is destroyed. Any Paneuropean unit moving off the east edge of the GEV-B map is considered destroyed.
9.076 Special Rules.
No cruise missiles (except those of the Coelacanth) are allowed. Use G.E.V. rules 8.03-8.04 since one of the attacker's objectives is to destroy towns and bridges. Use of Ogre Reinforcement Pack section 5.00 is optional.
9.077 Advanced Scenario.
The Combine gets three squads of infantry riding a Goliath Ogre and 5 more GEV-based armor units in addition to the basic set-up. The Goliath is the only Ogre in this scenario allowed to have self-destruct capability.
9.0771 The Goliath Ogre.
The Goliath Ogre (from Space Gamer #64) is a "kamikaze" Ogre the size of a Mark III with a special exploding power plant. Its stats are:
Goliath: 40 tread units starting at 4 MA.
Goliath is subject to the same rules of movement, ramming, etc. as other Ogres except that it may transport up to 3 squads of infantry as per rules for Light and Heavy tanks. It rams like a Mark III. Goliath may self-destruct at any time its owner wishes, with the following results:
- Any Ogre in the same or adjacent hexes is destroyed. At two hexes, all of an Ogre's missiles and half of its remaining secondary batteries, tertiary batteries, AP, and treads (round down) are destroyed. At three hexes, one-half the missiles and one-third of its remaining tertiary batteries, AP, and treads (round down) are destroyed.
- Other units are affected as per the chart below. Count the distance in hexes from the Goliath to each other unit and apply the attack odds or automatic result indicated. If the target of an attack is building SP, divide the building's SP into groups of five and roll against each; on an X result, that group of five is destroyed. No other result has any effect.
- All mines within 6 hexes are detonated.
- If Goliath detonates in water, add 3 hexes to the effective distance to each unit – except that anything in the Ogre's detonation hex is considered destroyed.
| Unit type | X | 4-1 | 2-1 | 1-1 | 1-2 | NE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bridge, road, or R.R. | 0 | 1 | – | – | 2 | 3+ |
| Heavy Tank | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | – | 6+ |
| Missile Tank, building, or D1+ CP | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | – | 7+ |
| Light Tank or GEV | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | – | 8+ |
| Infantry, howitzer, or D0 CP | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | – | 9+ |
| MHWZ, Mobile CP, town, or forest | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | – | 10+ |
The only ways to render Goliaths unable to detonate are complete destruction of the treads, and critical hits (see below). A trapped or detonated Goliath is worth 50 VPs to the opposing player.
9.0752 Critical Hits (Optional).
Any or all units attacking an Ogre may be alloted to a critical hit attempt. Only one attempt may be made per Ogre per turn. The units attempting a critical hit may not attack other targets during the turn – instead, their firepower is totalled into one attack and three dice rolled on the table below. For instance, two heavy tanks, with a total attack strength of 8, would need to roll a 16 or better to score a critical hit on a Mark III. A successful hit cracks the target open, eliminating it completely!
| Attack strength | Die roll | % chance |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 19 | 0.00 |
| 2-3 | 18 | 0.46 |
| 4-5 | 17 | 1.85 |
| 6-11 | 16 | 4.63 |
| 12-20 | 15 | 9.26 |
| 21-30 | 14 | 16.20 |
| 31+ | 13 | 25.93 |
Modifiers:
- Subtract 1 from the die roll for a Mark V or VI, Coelacanth, Goliath, or Ninja.
- No modifier for a Mark III, Mark III-B, IV, or Fencer.
- Add 1 to the die roll for a Mark II.
- Add 3 to the die roll for a Mark I.
9.076 Winning the Game.
The game is over when one side has no buildings or mobile units left on the map. Victory points are as follows:
- Both sides get normal VP for destroying enemy units.
- +10 for each Paneuropean SP destroyed. (Combine only)
- +3 for each large bridge destroyed. (Combine only)
- +2 for each town or small bridge destroyed. (Combine only)
Victory conditions are determined by comparing victory point totals at the end of the game:
Combine ahead by:
- 450+ VP: Total Combine victory.
- 370-449 VP: Combine victory.
- 290-369 VP: Marginal Combine victory.
- 210-289 VP: No clear victor.
- 130-209 VP: Marginal Paneuropean victory.
- 50-129 VP: Paneuropean victory.
- 49 VP or less: Total Paneuropean victory.
