(MXSM1.0) DRACOLICH
by Ichaborn, Genesis Galaxies
Your starship stumbles across a graveyard full of ancient starships. As you investigate the graveyard, a mass of floating bones begins to form into a massive undead creature of death. You barely have time to go to Red Alert before the creature is suddenly upon your ship.
(MXSM1.00) GENESIS GALAXY: The Mitrax Galaxy. As the Mitrax Galaxy is balanced against the Alpha Sector, the Monster Scenario will work with Alpha Sector starships as well.
(MXSM1.1) NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 1; The Dracolich moves by automatic rules; see (MXSM1.44).
(MXSM1.2) INITIAL SET UP
MONSTER: The Dracolich is in hex 1321.
SHIP(S): One Mitrax Heavy Cruiser in hex: 3012. Heading at the option of the player, speed 10, WS-II.
YEAR: The player should select a year before setting up the scenario. This will define the availability of ships, refits, fighters, missile speeds, and other items.
(MXSM1.3) LENGTH OF SCENARIO: The scenario continues until the Dracolich has been destroyed or the starship is destroyed by the Dracolich.
(MXSM1.4) SPECIAL RULES
(MXSM1.41) MAP: The map is floating.
(MXSM1.42) SHUTTLES AND PFs: MRS shuttles may be purchased (up to the limits in (J8.5)) under (SM9.431). Standard rules on PF deployment apply. Leader or scout versions can only be deployed if a tender is present in the squadron.
(MXSM1.43) COMMANDER’S OPTION ITEMS: Starships can purchase additional or special equipment as Commander’s Option Items (e.g. T-bombs, extra marines, MRS shuttles, special drones, etc) up to 20% of its combat BPV. See (S3.2) for details and exceptions. The costs of all these items count against the BPV allocated for the starship.
THE DRACOLICH
(MXSM1.44) The Dracolich moves by special automatic rules. At the beginning of every turn, the Dracolich will move as a seeking weapon toward the starship until it reaches the starship’s hex. The Dracolich moves at Speed 32 at all times. The Dracolich has a Turn Mode of 1 at all times. The Dracolich can Sideslip as a starship. The Dracolich can HET once per turn. All Dracolich weapons are 360 degrees. The Dracolich can be displaced, trapped in a web, and placed in stasis. The Dracolich will detonate mines as a size class 3 ship. The Dracolich uses free movement at all times.
(MXSM1.441) Every turn, when the Dracolich reaches (or is) 20 hexes (or less) from the starship, it will launch a Plasma-G Torpedo toward the starship by breathing flame at it. It will only do this once per turn.
(MXSM1.442) Every turn, when the Dracolich reaches (or is) 2 hexes (or less) from the starship, it will fire two PH-2’s out of its eyes at the starship. It will only do this once per turn.
(MXSM1.442) Every turn, when the Dracolich reaches the same hex as the starship, it will use its Claw Attack. The Claw Attack will bypass Shields, but it will not bypass Neutronium Armor. Roll a single die and use the following to determine the number of internals scored:
1 = 10
2 = 9
3 = 8
4 = 7
5 = 6
6 = 5
The Dracolich will only do this once per turn.
(MXSM1.443) Every turn, on the impulse after the Dracolich reached the same hex as the starship (and attacked with its Claw Attack), it will move away from the starship. Roll a single die to determine the Direction. The Dracolich will move in the determined Direction until it is 10 hexes away from the hex where it attacked the starship with its Claws. Note the Hex Number because the starship will most likely move away, creating distance between itself and the Dracolich. If the Dracolich reaches the Noted Hex, it will stay in that Hex until the turn ends. If the Dracolich does not reach the Noted Hex by the end of the turn, it will begin the next turn in the Hex it is currently in (disregard the Noted Hex since it did not reach it).
(MXSM1.444) The Dracolich will attempt to destroy any seeking weapon that enters its hex. The Dracolich accumulates a static ionic charge along its hide, and by flicking its tail (as in cracking a bullwhip), it can direct bursts of this charge toward targets. The tail operates as a defensive system with a 5/6 chance of destroying any shuttle or seeking weapon that enters the Dracolich’s hex (i.e. range zero). The tail can engage up to three targets per impulse (roll randomly to determine which targets). This defense is resolved after the weapons move into the Dracolich’s hex but before they score their damage. There is no way to destroy the tail of the Dracolich except by destroying the entire creature.
(MXSM1.445) The Dracolich cannot be held in a tractor beam.
(MXSM1.446) The Dracolich is immune to Wild Weasels, however it is possible to distract the Plasma-G Torpedo with a Wild Weasel.
(MXSM1.447) The Dracolich is destroyed when it suffers 150 points of damage. All seeking weapons targeted on the Dracolich are removed from play since the target is destroyed.
(MXSM1.448) If the Dracolich is destroyed, it will Reconstitute itself 8 impulses later. The Resurrected Dracolich disregards all previous damage and begins anew with full hits. On its next turn, it will begin to attack once more (see MXSM1.44). During the 8 impulses of Reconstiution, the Dracolich is immune to damage. However, on the 9th impulse, damage can be scored once more against the Dracolich. There is no limit to the number of times the Dracolich can Reconstitute itself.
(MXSM1.449) The only way to stop the Dracolich’s Reconstitution is for the Starship to use its Labs and Probes to gather Scientific Data about the Dracolich. Follow the Rules under (G4.1) and (G5.22). When the starship gathers 200 points of information about the Dracolich, the Dracolich will no longer Reconstitute itself when destroyed.
(MXSM1.5) VICTORY CONDITIONS: This is a do or die scenario. Either your starship destroys the Dracolich (Victory) or the Dracolich destroys your starship (Defeat).
(MXSM1.6) VARIATIONS: Dracolich can be made more challenging by making the following modifications:
A) Increase or decrease the amount of damage required to destroy the Dracolich.
B) Increase or decrease the amount of Scientific Data required to prevent the Dracolich’s Reconstitution.
C) Increase or decrease the number or types of attacks used by the Dracolich.
D) Increase or decrease the number of times the Dracolich can use its tail against seeking weapons.
E) Increase or decrease the BPV of the Heavy Cruiser.
F) Use a starship of a different Ship Type than a Heavy Cruiser.
Feel free to mix and match these modifications, enacting more than one modification if desired.
(MXSM1.7) TACTICS: In order to win the scenario, you must destroy the Dracolich permanently. This means that gathering Scientific Data on the Dracolich is the top priority. If you place battle as a higher priority to gathering Scientific Data, the Dracolich will simply Reconstitute itself over and over until your starship is destroyed. Use both Labs and Probes to gather Scientific Data. Starships with fewer Labs are going to be hard pressed in this scenario, while starships with a high number of Labs will have an easier time achieving victory. Protect your starship against the Dracolich’s attacks, strike with your own weapons when they are most effective, and gather Scientific Data on the Dracolich as quickly as possible. Don’t become one the ancient floating starship husks in the Dracolich’s graveyard!
(MXSM1.8) DESIGNER NOTES: Dracolich is a challenging introductory scenario for the Mitrax Galaxy (or any other Alpha Sector Equivalent Galaxy). It allows new players to become familiar with a Mitrax Heavy Cruiser while putting them under the constant pressure of their starship’s destruction. Players will also learn the value of gathering Scientific Data and which starships are better suited for this function.
