Ceres: Operation Stolen Base
Ceres: Operation Stolen Base Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
1.0 Introduction
In this game you the player take command of a Rebel squadron attempting to gain control of the critical asteroid Ceres.
The game system runs the OPFOR Federation forces.
2.0 Scenario Orders
The game is set up in the following order:
1. Situation
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Place all OPFOR combat units in the OPFOR bin.
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Place all six Intercept markers on Nodes via the Random Placement Procedure. If a node already has an Intercept marker, re-roll until it can be placed on a vacant node. They start on their OPFOR side.
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Place the NET Level marker on the "one" space of the NETRUN Index.
2. Mission
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Set aside the Grand Slam! Mission card. Shuffle and randomly pick one of the other Mission cards. Place it face down on the map. Place the other Mission cards aside, face down.
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Individual Scenario Victory: You win by completing the Mission Objective(s) before Ops cards run out.
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Campaign Victory: You win by completing all four Missions (over a span of missions). If the three preliminary missions have been successfully completed, the Grand Slam! Mission is the fourth and final mission.
3. Ops Card Set Up
Pick out the Intervention and Nemesis cards, then shuffle the Ops card and deal 8 cards face down. This becomes the Ops deck. Shuffle the remaining cards with the Intervention and Nemesis cards to form the Reserve deck. As cards are revealed and discarded, create a Discard pile of cards facedown, above the Reserve deck.
Note: After your first mission, the number of cards starting in the Ops and Reserve decks may change. Count out the appropriate number of cards for each deck, making sure the Intervention and Nemesis cards start in the Reserve deck.
4. Form Your Team
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Start with 15 Assembly Points (AP).
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Expend the Points to build your ships and pods. All pods must be placed on ships. You may, but are not required to, retain AP for later use. Note that one of the Missions requires an Orbital Base to be built so you may want to save 2 AP for that purpose in case it turns out to be your first mission.
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The Martian Free Trader may not be part of your starting forces. It enters through Op card play.
5. Deploy
All ships start at the Entry Point.
3.0 Random Location Procedure
When called upon to place a unit via the Random Location Table, do the following:
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Roll one die. This will give the Orbital in which the counter is placed.
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Roll a second die. This will give the number of Nodes, clockwise from the Transition Track intersecting the Entry Point, on which the counter will be placed.
4.0 Unit Types
Spaceships
- Attack Craft (AC) are specially designed combat spacecraft.
- Assembler Ships (AS) are equipped with nano-assemblers.
- Cyborg Ships (CB) have a human/cybernetic interface to control its systems.
- Escorts (ESC) are designed for general patrolling and interception duties.
- Miners (MR) gather raw materials from the asteroids, using powerful lasers to cut away desirable sections and a catapult/rail launcher to send those pieces to Assembler Ships.
- Probes (PR) have plenty of computer and sensor gear.
- Orbital Bases (OB) are space stations.
Martian Free Trader Enhanced Miner (MFT): This is a special reinforcement if you fulfill the condition of the Intervention card. It has both Bombardment and Cyber capabilities.
Pods
- Fuel: additional fuel cells.
- Swarms: combination of fighters and drones.
- Troopers: spaceborne assault troops plus short range shuttles.
- CyberWar: NET and weapons enhancements.
5.0 Hyper Cadre
The Rebels start with one Hyper Cadre in all scenarios. It does not count against the Transport limit of a Spaceship. It has a Cyber value of "2." The Hyper Cadre can flip to its reverse side. It loses its special ability but can be restored by expending one AP per the Assembly rule. An eliminated Hyper Cadre can't be replaced in the course of a Scenario. It is replaced at the start of each Campaign scenario.
6.0 Orbital Base
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The Rebel Orbital Base may be assembled during the Home Base Mission (exception to 17.2).
Editor's note: "17.2" is printed as the cross-reference here. In the Free Mars! Space Combat system rules, Assembly is section 18.0 and the Special Action Procedure is 17.2. Transcribed as printed.
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The Rebel Orbital Base can be used as a location to place assembled Rebel units.
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The Orbital Base is otherwise treated as a spaceship with a movement of zero.
7.0 Martian Free Trader Intervention
If you pick the Intervention card, then you must take the action called for. If you succeed, add the MFT Enhanced Miner spaceship to that TF (it has both Bombardment and Cyberwar capabilities). Treat it as a friendly unit, except it may not be rebuilt if eliminated. Set aside the card for the remainder of the mission but shuffle it in for future missions. If it is drawn again, place 2 free pods with your TF.
8.0 OPFOR Nemesis
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The OPFOR Nemesis Ops card is a modified OPFOR card. If picked, you must implement a NET Check and if it succeeds, then:
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Engage in Combat normally, but the OPFOR gets the additional Tactical Edge modifier on the card.
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If your Team wins the combat, the card is permanently removed from play for the rest of the Mission and Campaign. Otherwise, it is reshuffled into the Ops deck (not discarded!).
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9.0 What Doesn't Kill You...
After each Campaign game win, start the next Campaign with one less Operation, that is, start with 7 Op cards after your first win, 6 after your second and so on. Remember you can buy an Operation for 2 AP.
10.0 "I Need a Little Help Here ..."
If it's your first time leading a Rebel Task Force, we'll make it a little easier for you with these variants. You can pick one or more to taste.
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Special Actions: when you roll for NETRun or Quamtum, each positive results in an action choice (e.g. two positive results on a NETRun means you could flip the Mission card face up and gain one Op card).
Editor's note: "Quamtum" is printed this way on the scenario sheet; the system rules have no such action, so it is transcribed as printed.
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Burnouts: Positive results cancel Burnouts. This can be played as required or optional. If required, each positive cancels one burnout and you are left either with positives or burnouts (or they were even and cancelled out). If optional, you can choose to apply one positive result, use the rest to cancel burnouts, and then apply the remaining burnouts or positives.
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Start with more AP or cards in the Op deck. You could start with 18 AP and 10 Ops cards.
Spaceship and Pod Reference
Spaceship
- Weapons Systems (left number): the basic amount of combat power of the unit.
- Special Capability (center icon):
- Cyberwar (eyeball symbol)
- Nano-Assembly (crossed wrenches symbol)
- Orbital Bombardment Weapons (target reticule symbol)
- Energy (right number): the basic number of points the unit can move in a turn.
- Counter Flip: The front of the Spaceship counter shows it in its combat effective state. The reverse is its disrupted state. (Note that a disrupted unit may lose a special ability.)
Pod
- There are several different types of Pods. Some have a number indicating how many dice to roll for combat (Swarms or CyberWar) or Spaceborne Assault attempts. CyberWar pods add one to any rolls for attempts involving CyberWar. Fuel pods add one to movement allowance.
- Counter Flip: The front of the Pod counter shows a different type of unit than the reverse.
OPFOR Intercept Point Markers
- OPFOR focus for interception and defense. The reverse side has an enhancer pod.
- Counter Flip: The front of the counter shows it in its unknown state. The reverse in its known state.
Example cards
The scenario sheet illustrates the card format with two sample cards.
Event card (Nemesis), C12:
NEMESIS! NET Check. If die roll is less than or equal to NET level, then execute OPFOR Deployment. OPFOR: get +2 Tactical Edge. If die roll is greater than Net level, no effect. Win/Lose: 2 Op Cards.
Mission card, C01:
STRIKE ONE! Objective: Eliminate at least 3 Intercept Points. Perform a NET Run with Cyber assets in Middle Orbit. Roll 2 or more positives. OPFOR: NET +1 Enhancement: +2 Cyber for NET Run. Enhancer for future missions (Cyberwar symbol).