Mission Objectives, Turn Limits, and Hot Spots

In order to keep Zona Alfa games focused and moving, there are three key ingredients to every scenario: a single, important Mission Objective, Turn Limits, and evenly distributed Hot Spots. The Mission Objective keeps players focused on a goal, a Turn Limit ensures everyone is on the move instead of camping and sniping, and the Hot Spots provide secondary opportunities for loot and Campaign Advances.

A Mission Objective is the main reason for the scenario. It can be something as simple as recovering an item from an abandoned building, or escorting a scientist to a specific spot on the table. It can be complex, or multi-stage, like clearing out a nest of mutants before repairing a cell tower to restore communication in the region. Whatever you decide, achieving the Mission Objective gets the successful team the lion’s share of that game’s Campaign Advances and allows them one free roll on the appropriate TL Salvage Table.

Turn Limits in Zona Alfa raise the tension and force players to make tough choices. For smaller, 3’ x 3’ or 4’ x 4’ sized game areas, the Turn Limit is 4 +D3 turns. For larger tables with more players, bump the Turn Limit up to 6 +D3 turns. Here’s your excuse to buy (or make) that cool turn counter you wanted. The reason for the deadline can be anything from an imminent Emission, to a Zone Enforcement recon fly-over, or a stampeding herd of mutants. Whatever it is, the teams have a definite window to operate in the mission area and accomplish the objective.

Hot Spots are different from Mission Objectives. Hot Spots are specific locations on the battlefield, say a tool shed, a stand of trees, or even a stack of crates on the south side, third floor by the corner window in an abandoned warehouse. They can also be a scenic item like an abandoned vehicle, a crashed UAV, or a dead body. This indicates not only the presence of valuable Salvage but also the probability of danger. All Hot Spots should be clearly marked with a token or chit.

The number of Hot Spots on the battlefield is determined by the Threat Level of the area being explored. The number of Hot Spots in a given mission area is the Threat Level (TL) multiplied by 2. So, a Threat Level 1 area would have 2 Hot Spots. A Threat Level 2 area would have 4, and a Threat Level 3 area would have 6. Distribute them evenly throughout the board, giving both sides equal accessibility. Hot Spots are secondary, optional mission goals in the game, additional to the main Mission Objective.

If all anyone had to do was walk up and flip a switch or grab the black box to get rich, the Zone would be overrun with slackers, hoodlums, and posers. But nothing is that easy. There’s always a catch.

Mission Objectives and Hot Spots are where the ‘Risk v Reward’ dilemma kicks in. Both grant valuable experience and Salvage, but engaging with them always triggers a response from Zone Hostiles – the strange, dangerous creatures who make their home in the Exclusion Zone.

Anytime a player’s models pass through or end their movement within 3” of the Mission Objective or Hot Spot, the player has triggered the location. This 3” distance, or 6” diameter centered on the item, is known as the location’s Reaction Radius. When triggered, the player responsible must roll on the Zone Hostiles Table (see page 41) to determine the Zone’s response to the intrusion. This means, in essence, Mission Objectives and Hot Spots are area effect locations. Use a ruler or make a 6” template

to determine the location’s precise reaction radius. Center it on the scenic item – any model touching or within the template’s reach triggers the Hot Spot.

Mission Objectives and Hot Spots can also be triggered by other means. Players can have one of their models Toss a Bolt into the location’s 3” Reaction Radius to make the Zone Hostiles spawn. Simply have a crew member declare the intention and spend the Action to make the attempt (treat as a grenade throw, see pages 12 and 27). If successful, this Bolt Toss triggers the location and the Zone Hostiles spawn according to the rules. If unsuccessful, the Action is spent and nothing happens.

Bolt Toss allows players to trigger the location remotely, either with a nearby comrade on Alert, or when a rival crew is in proximity (Zone Hostiles attack the nearest model in clear Line of Sight, see pages 5 and 15 for further details).

Binoculars and the Inspect Action also come in handy here as they make it possible for a crew to check out the area from a distance and tweak which type of Zone Hostile spawns – for better or worse.

Remember both Mission Objectives and Hot Spots trigger Zone Hostiles. In order to accomplish a Mission Objective or clear and search a Hot Spot, the Zone Hostiles associated with that location must first be eliminated.

Once that is done, at least one crew member must spend one Action to interact or search the location. Some Objective or Hot Spots may require additional Actions or even a Skill Check to clear, as dictated by that particular Zone Run.

As Zona Alfa isn’t tied to any particular line of miniatures and the goal is to allow players to use figures in their collection, the Zone Hostiles are of a generic, post- apocalyptic type. Substitute as needed. If you don’t have feral dogs for instance, use spiders. If you want to use rat men instead of ghouls, or already have a nice selection of hooded cultists, go for it. Simply scale their abilities to fit the threat they represent. Take a look at the Zone Hostile Stat Table (see page 44) and tweak as needed. So long as it works for you and your gaming group, roll with it and keep playing.

Zone Hostile miniatures are placed on the table using the D10 Indirect Fire Deviation method (see page 27), with the deviation calculated from the center of the Hot Spot. Hostile models appear instantly and can make one free move to seek cover or engage the nearest visible enemy. Once Zone Hostiles appear, they join the Initiative/Activation sequence in last place. If multiple Hot Spots have been triggered and a number of Zone Hostiles are present, one unit from each separate Zone Hostile force activates after the other, until one unit from each group has gone. Then the new round of Activation begins. (Yes,

this can lead to a wave of Zone Hostiles moving in on the crews. The Alert Action will come in useful here).

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