Core Space: The Trouble with Viscounts!

The last time I played this game was May 2019. I still can’t believe it was that long ago. I stopped because I told myself I’d get the core set all painted up before I finished the Perseus Arm campaign. It’s taken me this long to complete the painting. And of course I got derailed by Stargrave along the way. 


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In this fifth mission, my crew has been hired to rescue the chairman of a galactic corporation who is being held prisoner by some fanatics. If I don’t get to him in time, they will execute him. 

Complicating matters is an Automa crew (won’t attack me but will grab the chairman if they get to him first so it’s a race) and of course the ever present Purge. 


First up: the hostage guarded by 2 fanatic civilians. 

The race is on! My Captain vs the Automa captain. We have a frenemy agreement.

Purge galore! I let the Automa crew face them, cad that I am. 😝

Then disaster! An assassin spawns ahead to schedule thanks to an Event card and downs one of my crew. (Now that I've re-read the rules, it seems you can't melee across doorways. Only shoot or throw things.)

Can’t let that stop me now. The tussle for the hostage!

And I pip the Automa to the hostage by a whisker. We run back to the ship while the Automa crewman miraculously downs the Assassin. (He rolled 4 hits on 3 dice.)

An innocent civilian spawns, sees the Purge and runs off to hide in a corner.

Haha. No. It was a Live One in disguise!!! Undone by Event cards again!

More Purge spawn to intercept my crew as they race back to the ship with the hostage.

BUT... the Event cards that have thrown complication after complication in my way finally comes up roses as I get something that aids me. This turn, only the Live One will activate, meaning...

... all my crew make it back to the Black Maria so I do t even have to stage a rescue mission for my downed crewman. (Hint: always pack at least one if not two med-kits). 

Even so, with all the time pressure on me, I left a lot of loot behind. Including the secondary objective shown above.


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That was loads of fun! The problem with the original Perseus Arm campaign is it was originally designed for 2 players... unlike the latest First Born campaign. 


So I turned the crew of the Ion Hope into an Automa opponent that will mess me up if I don’t focus. If they get to the hostage first, the hostage will join their crew. Also, they won’t attack me (frenemies) until I’ve achieved the objective or I attack them first. 


It worked well for the most part and injected some tension into the game … as if there wasn’t enough with the ever present Purge. Both Purge and the Automa crew made things difficult enough for me that I got away with the main objective but not the secondary one or much loot. So it was a satisfying game overall … for a jury-rigged solo game. 


Next mission, here I come!

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