War for a Price

The mercenaries and the Broadsword class ship are at the heart of the Garda-Vilis campaign. Although Adventure 7 already lists a full mercenary crew I wanted to do my own. As with Marzil's Marauders we will take a look at the commander first and then his troops.

Name: Sir Zarush Tarlion aka "The Major"

UPP: A79C5B

Age: 38

Trained on a TL12 world

Decorations: MCG x 2, MCUF x 4, Purple Heart x 2

Skills: Tactics III, Leader II, Recruit II, Recon II, Cbt Rifleman I, Auto Weps I, Mechanical I, Demolition I, Blade Cbt I, Hvy Weps I

Service History: Army (Infantry) 3 terms, Commandos 2 terms.

Zarush Tarlion could have spent his entire life in the lap of luxury, enjoying his position as a minor noble and running the family estate. Instead he decided to make something more of himself. The Tarlion familiy long ago established its legacy through conquest and Zarush was inspired by that to take up military life.

DOGS OF WAR

Some sources give the crew size of a Broadsword class as 44 men, others as 48. In either event we are told that crew size varies so this does not matter. A 48 man crew has the advantage, in game terms, of being able to provide a fighting force that is all elite and veteran.

48 men in total on the Broadsword class, all rated PICKED ergo: 12 x Elites, 14 x Veterans, 22 x Regulars

PLATOON HQ – deploys in Air/Raft + LMG

1 x Platoon CO: Elite. Morale 13. High initiative

1 x Senior NCO: Veteran. Morale 10. Average initiative

All PHQ personnel carry 4mm Gauss Rifle + 4cm RAM GL

1^st SQUAD – usually deploys in ATV

1^st Fire Team
1 x Squad Leader: Elite. 4mm Gauss Rifle + 4cm RAM GL
1 x Trooper (ATV Driver): Veteran. 4mm Gauss Rifle + 4cm RAM GL

1 x Trooper (Medic): Veteran. Unarmed

1 x Trooper (Fusion Gunner): Elite. FGMP 14

The 1^st FT has a Morale of 12 and High initiative.

2^nd Fire Team
1 x Team Leader: Elite. 4mm Gauss Rifle + 4cm RAM GL

1 x Trooper: Elite. 4mm Gauss Rifle + 4cm RAM GL

1 x Trooper: Veteran. 4mm Gauss Rifle + 4cm RAM GL

1 x Trooper (Cook): Veteran. 4mm Gauss Rifle + 4cm RAM GL

The 2^nd FT has a Morale of 12 and High initiative.

2^nd SQUAD – usually deploys in ATV

1^st Fire Team
1 x Squad Leader: Elite. 4mm Gauss Rifle + 4cm RAM GL

1 x Trooper (ATV Driver): Veteran. 4mm Gauss Rifle + 4cm RAM GL

1 x Trooper (Medic): Veteran. Unarmed

1 x Trooper (Fusion Gunner): Elite. FGMP 14

The FT has a Morale of 12 and High initiative.

2^nd Fire Team
1 x Team Leader: Elite. 4mm Gauss Rifle + 4cm RAM GL

1 x Trooper: Elite. 4mm Gauss Rifle + 4cm RAM GL

1 x Trooper: Veteran. 4mm Gauss Rifle + 4cm RAM GL

1 x Trooper (Cook): Veteran. 4mm Gauss Rifle + 4cm RAM GL

The FT has a Morale of 12 and High initiative.

3^rd SQUAD – usually deploys from a Cutter

1^st Fire Team
1 x Squad Leader: Elite. 4mm Gauss Rifle + 4cm RAM GL

1 x Trooper (Demolitions Expert): Veteran. 4mm Gauss Rifle + 4cm RAM GL

1 x Trooper (Medic): Veteran. Unarmed

1 x Trooper (Fusion Gunner): Elite. FGMP 14

The FT has a Morale of 12 and High initiative.

2^nd Fire Team
1 x Team Leader. Elite. 4mm Gauss Rifle + 4cm RAM GL

1 x Trooper: Veteran. 4mm Gauss Rifle + 4cm RAM GL

1 x Trooper: Veteran. 4mm Gauss Rifle + 4cm RAM GL

1 x Trooper (Cook): Veteran. 4mm Gauss Rifle + 4cm RAM GL

The FT has a Morale of 11 and High initiative.

TECH LEVEL NOTES

All men wear TL13 Battledress with inbuilt Power 40 radio comms

All 4cm RAM GL are TL 11

Marzil's Marauders

Having never played Striker before what follows represents my current best understanding of the rules.

Scenario 1: The Raid requires the creation of a full company of Tanoose Freedom League (TFL) guerillas and so I present "Marzil's Marauders". Let's start with the man himself.

Name: Marzillian Erkossa (aka Marzil)

UPP: 6967A7

Age: 38

Cr 180,000

Skills: Leader II, Tactics II, Recruiting II, Gun Cbt II, Brawling I, Forgery I, Blade Cbt I, Pilot I, Electronic I, Liaison I, Interrogation I

Service History: Pirate 3 terms, Diplomat 2 terms.

Marzil is a smuggler by trade and for many years made a living running contraband across the demilitarised neutral zone in his ship "The Forlorn Hope", a decommissioned Type T 400-ton patrol cruiser. Somewhat idealistic,  his previous activities in the TFL are represented by his time as a diplomat where he primarily focused on recruitment. His contacts among the Sworld Worlds and the Zhodani Consulate have made him a key player in the TFL hierarchy.

 THE MARAUDERS

I had some Heroics and Ros modern USA infantry lying around and decided they would make suitable guerilla infantry. I also have some support weapon packs too, just in case an escalation of force is required in future scenarios. Because this is my first go at the Striker design system I decided to make things easy on myself.

100 men all MILITIA rated ergo: 84 x Recruits, 10 x Regular, 5 x Veteran, 1 x Elite

Company HQ

1 x Company CO: Elite. Morale 13. High initiative. 7mm ACR (Marzil)

1 x Senior NCO: Veteran. Morale 10. Average initiative. 7mm ACR

Company Support Squad

1 x TL7 80mm RR + 2 crew (R): Morale 7. Average initiative. 9mm Auto Pistols

1 x 4MFT (2R2Rc): Morale 6. Average initiative. 7mm ACR

1^st Platoon (The Ready Platoon)

1^st Squad: 1 x 4MFT PHQ (1V3Rc). 7mm ACR

                   1 x 4MFT (2R2Rc). 7mm ACR

2^nd Squad: 2 x 4MFT (2R2Rc). 7mm Carbines

All Fire Teams in the 1^st Platoon have a Morale of 6 and Average initiative

2^nd Platoon

1^st Squad: 1 x 4MFT PHQ (1V3Rc). Morale 6. Average initiative. 5.5mm Assault Rifle

                   1 x 4MFT (4Rc). Morale 4. Low initiative. 5.5mm Assault Rifle

2^nd Squad: 2 x 4MFT (4Rc). Morale 4. Low initiative. 5.5mm Assault Rifle

3^rd Squad: 2 x 4MFT (4Rc). Morale 4. Low initiative. 5.5mm Assault Rifle

3^rd Platoon

1^st Squad: 1 x 4MFT PHQ (1V3Rc). Morale 6. Average initiative. 7mm Auto Rifle

                   1 x 4MFT (4Rc). Morale 4. Low initiative. 7mm Auto Rifle

2^nd Squad: 2 x 4MFT (4Rc). Morale 4. Low initiative. 7mm Carbines

3^rd Squad: 2 x 4MFT (4Rc). Morale 4. Low initiative. 7mm Auto Rifle

4^th Platoon

1^st Squad: 1 x 4MFT PHQ (1V3Rc). Morale 6. Average initiative. 7mm Auto Rifle

                   1 x 4MFT (4Rc). Morale 4. Low initiative. 7mm Auto Rifle

2^nd Squad: 2 x 4MFT (4Rc). Morale 4. Low initiative. 7mm ACR

3^rd Squad: 2 x 4MFT (4Rc). Morale 4. Low initiative. 7mm Auto Rifle

4^th Squad: 2 x 4MFT (4Rc). Morale 4. Low initiative. 7mm Carbine

The adventure book stipulated that there should be a mix of gun types with at least 30% being Auto Rifles so I devised this table and rolled by the squad:

1 = 7mm ACR

2 = 7mm Carbine

3 or 4 = 7mm Auto Rifle

5 = 5mm Assault Rifle

6 = 7mm Assault rifle

As can be seen Marzil has put his veterans in positions of command and has formed a small Ready Platoon. He usually commands the Ready Platoon and tends to use it as a "fire brigade"/tactical reserve. The company support squad is usually commanded by the Senior NCO.

Welcome to Garda-Vilis

This blog will (mostly but not exclusively) chronicle my attempt to run a wargames campaign using 6mm scale figures and the Striker rule system. It will be based on Far Futures Enterprises Classic Traveller supplement Adventure 7: Broadsword. Although Adventure 7 will form the basis of the campaign I do not intend to slavishly follow its contents.

THE SETTING


Garda-Vilis, meaning New Vilis, is located in the Vilis subsector (0308) of the Spinward Marches (the following UPP is taken from Supplement 3: The Spinward Marches).

Starport: B (Refined fuel, annual maintainance and non-starship construction available)

Planetary Size: 9 (9000 miles diameter)

Atmosphere: 7 (Standard, tainted)

Hydrographic Percentage: 8 (80% water)

Population: 8 (475 million)

Government: 6 (Captive - Governed by Military Council of officers from Vilis)

Law Level: 8 (No personal weaponary other than knives - only recently imposed)

Tech Level: A (Interstellar, just below Imperial average)

Bases Present: Imperial Scout Base (xboat)

Gas Giant: Present
Main Star: 912lm M3 V

"The world's location along the x-boat route to the Regina, Lanth, and Jewell subsectors, along with the widespread dissatisfaction of its populace with the local and Imperial governments make Garda-Vilis a prime location for covert Sword World and Zhodani activities." - Traveller Adventure 7: Broadsword

I have used this rather excellent world generator from donjon to obtain images that will represent Garda-Vilis for the purposes of my campaign.

Here we see the planet in the standard Traveller format:

Roughly in the center of the main land mass we can see the famous Mosaic Desert where "Natural geologic processes laid down a variety of coloured minerals in layers on an ancient seabed. Later, seismic disturbances tilted that seabed and allowed a gentle wind erosion to uncover the layers. The result is the Mosaic Desert, endless patterns of brilliant colours." - The Spinward Marches Campaign

Here we see the planet as if we were in orbit:

Here is the planet in map format:

And finally here we see the planet from first the North Pole and then the South:



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