On Christmas morning the captain and crew awoke to find their ship's heavy weapons missing! Some evil force has stolen the guns and spirited them away to a remote sector of space. Following the greenish glow left by this unknown power, they arrive to find an arena littered with different kinds of weaponry...and a host of other ships seeking this wealth of new technology!
Use as large a map as you like.
Any number of players can participate. Each player chooses a capital ship from one of the younger races (no Vorlons, Shadows or Ancients) and reveals it to the other players. There can be no duplications (if so, simply select another ship). Then, transform each offensive weapon on each ship into a generic "hardpoint." Defensive weapons are not changed. If there is any doubt as to which weapons are "defensive," the players should decide now and do so consistently (i.e., if a standard particle beam is a defensive weapon on one ship, it will be defensive on any other ship as well). A ship's power curve remains as shown on its sheet despite these replacements.
Next, place 6 counters per player randomly across the map. These represent weapons the Grinch has stolen from other races in an attempt to ruin their Christmas season.
The modified vessels are then mixed up in a pile, and each player selects one at random. Each player begins along the edge of the map, no closer than 10 hexes from any other ship.
Each time a ship enters the hex of a weapon counter, it automatically "picks up" a random weapon (see chart below) and places it in one of its generic hardpoints. The weapon is assumed to be normally powered by the ship's reactor. It can be fired on that same turn, or held for later use. It can be deactivated and will provide its regular amount of power (not the hardpoint's original power) if this is done. It can be sustained, if you want to wait long enough to arm it as such. If it is a weapon with ammunition, it is assumed to be full, but contains no special or unusual munitions except as noted. The weapon uses the arc of the hardpoint it is fitted into (the player's choice).
Once fired, a generic weapon can be dropped (reverting the slot to a generic hardpoint) or retained. If retained, the player may not choose to drop it until after the next firing step. This prevents a ship loaded with weapons from running over a new one, rolling on the chart, and replacing a weak gun with a better one. A new weapon can only be added if a slot exists to place it in.
If a weapon is destroyed, the hardpoint is destroyed along with it. Use the to-hit chart for the original weapon to determine if the hardpoint is damaged. A hardpoint with no weapon cannot be hit; any such damage goes to structure.
If you roll a weapon for which you have no stats (i.e., it is in a product you do not have), then go out and immediately buy that product so you can continue the scenario! If your game store is closed and you have no other way to get the supplement, then roll again.
Whoever is last on the map is the winner. Note that alliances, teams, etc. are not defined by the scenario, so you will have to figure these out as you go along. Be sure to bring plenty of Christmas cookies to give to your "friends," and watch out who you lock-on to...
For a larger battle, each player also selects one heavy combat vessel, using the same rules as above. The HCV cannot pick up weapons from the same counters used by the capital ship on the same turn (and vice versa).
* The heavy particle cannon requires two hardpoints on the same structure block and can only fire into the region where the hardpoint arcs overlap. If only one empty hardpoint exists, the player can still accept the weapon but must drop another weapon to make room for it at the end of the current turn (the heavy particle cannon cannot fire until this is done).
** This weapon requires four hardpoints that bear forward and can only fire into the row of hexes directly ahead of the ship. If less than four empty hardpoints exist, the player can accept the weapon but must drop another to make room for it at the end of the current turn. The planet-cracker cannot fire until at least the turn after it is acquired in any case, and must fire on that turn or the following turn, after which it is automatically lost.