Canisters


INITIAL SET UP
FIRST PLAYER: heading C, speed max. Set up within 2 hexes of 4201.
SECOND PLAYER: heading F, speed max. Set up within 2 hexes of 4030.
CANISTERS: A number of small shuttle-sized canisters are placed in the hexes defined for asteroid fields (P3.11). If it is determined that there are more than 18 canisters, go through the list given in (P3.11) as many times as needed, but place the remaining canisters at range three to the hexes given in the list in a direction determined by die roll; use the arrows around hex 0328.
Example: The first canister is placed at 0505, the 19th canister is placed three hexes away from 0505 in a direction determined by die roll, as would the 37th canister, and so on. So while placing the 19th canister a 3 was rolled, place the canister at 0806.
Total the BPV of the both players fleets, including any points paid for Commanders Options, and divide the total by 30 (round fractions of 0.5 or more up, 0.49 or less down). The result is the number of canisters present.
LENGTH OF SCENARIO: The scenario continues until the end of the turn that all canisters have been collected and opened, or until all forces belonging to one side have been destroyed, captured, or have disengaged.
SPECIAL RULES
MAP: Use a floating map. Any unit that is more than 50 hexes from the nearest remaining canister is considered to have disengaged by separation (C7.2).
SHUTTLES AND PFs: All shuttles and PFs have warp booster packs if the year selected allows them. Shuttles are advanced types if the year selected allows their use. MRS shuttles may be purchased [up to the limits in (J8.5) ].
If using EW fighters, one fighter in each squadron may be of this type.
COMMANDER'S OPTION ITEMS
Each ship can purchase additional or special equipment as Commander's Option Items (e.g., T-bombs, extra marines, etc.) up to 20% of its Combat BPV. See (S3.2) for details and exceptions.
If players wish to use the optional rules for Prime Teams (G32.0), they can purchase such teams (25 points each) as part of their Commander's Options.
CANISTER SPECIAL RULES
Canisters are recovered by using the shuttlecraft tractor rules of (J1.621). Only Size-Class 4 or larger units may recover canisters. The shuttle box the canisters are recovered into must first be empty because of the canister's size and shape does not allow for overcrowding (J1.64). It takes 2 deck crew actions (note that most ships have at least two deck crews, per (J4.814) ) to analyze a canister. Upon being analyzed, the canister 'opens' and changes the ship; roll two dice and consult the following table. The result takes effect during the SHUTTLE & PF FUNCTIONS STAGE (6B8) of the impulse and lasts for as long as is noted in the description (or through the remainder of the scenario; whichever happes first), but does not affect the ship after the end of the scenario (the force creating the effect breaks down within a few hours). The canister may then be moved from the shuttle box to ship's stores with a further deck crew action, leaving the box available to accept a shuttlecraft or another canister. Two deck crews may work on a single canister during any period. If the shuttle box containing a canister is destroyed, the deck crews are killed (as normal) but the canister remains there until moved by deck crew actions (J1.59). Andromedans may only use the same procedure as galactic ships (J1.621) to recover canisters (the canister enters through the some appropriate hatch.) Andromedans who take on a canister has it deposited in a hanger space (Canisters take the 1/4 the space of a Cobra.) If the Andromedan unit does not have any hangers (e.g. Sat Ship), then it may only take on one canister at a time. A canister can be put in stasis, displaced, and tractored, but not death-dragged. They cannot be destroyed by weapons fire. If hit by an ESG, they absorb all of the energy of the ESG and are unharmed.
'The Ship' refers to the unit which 'opened' the canister.
2FIRE CONTROL UPGRADE: The ship's sensor rating increases by one and the scanner rating decreases by one. This can increase those values greater than 6 and less than 0. See (G22.712) for the effect on scanners. Apply this modifier to every box of the Sensor and Scanner track for this ship.
3SHIELD GENERATOR: The ship gains 5 extra shield boxes to each facing. Andromedans gain another PA panel to each bank.
4ENGINEERING NANITES: The ship gains a Legendary Chief Engineer. (Even Tholians.)
5WORMHOLE ANOMOLY: This ship is randomly displaced 2-12 hexes away. See (G18.4) for the procedure, except that there is no (G18.41) control of displacement.
6SUBSPACE SHROUD: For the next 32 impulses, the ship gains 9 natural ECM. This ECM also affects the ship's own systems.
7WHITE FLAG: For the next 32 impulses, the ship may not be fired upon, may not become the target of any seeking weapon, and has it's fire control disrupted (D6.68) for the entire period of this effect. Seeking weapons already targetted on the ship are unaffected, though the submunitions of scatter-packs, MW drones, etc that would otherwise target the ship when the bus vehicle 'breaks' will treat this ship as non-existant (e.g. go for a different legal target or go inert).
8CRITICAL HIT: Apply a critical hit (D8.2) on this ship. Andromedans use (D24.2).
9SUBSPACE EXPLOSION: A 10-point spherical Gravity Wave (P9.41) is generated in the hex of the ship and moves outward from that hex. Any units (except for the unit that opened the canister) in that hex when the gravity wave is created are immediately affected by the gravity wave on that impulse.
10SUBSPACE WARP BUBBLE ENCHANCEMENT: The ship gains nimble (C11.0) status.
11SALVAGE NANOFACTORY: At the end of the Self Destruction Phase of every turn, score 5 (non-directional) internals on the ship. Should the ship survive the scenario (or disengage before destruction), add 0.5 victory points to the player that controlled the ship at the end of the scenario for every turn that this damage occurs.
12THE LOVE BOAT: For the next 32 impulses, all non-canister units will move closer to the ship as if the ship were a black hole (P4.1) on the indicated impulses based on their range to that ship. There is no additional effect once they are in the same hex as the ship (e.g. no ramming, no destruction).

VICTORY CONDITIONS For each canister that was picked up by a ship that was not destroyed (but may have disengaged), give a victory point to the player controlling that ship at the end of the scenario. The player with the most at the end of the scenario is the victor. Ties go to the second player.