Megagame: Den of Wolves 9/10/22

What follows is the Captain of the Endeavor’s perspective of the running of Den of Wolves in Dallas, TX on 9/10/22.

Captain's Log: Pregame

My name is Captain Greg. I was supposed to be on Rosal when the attack happened. Rosal and Gliese were playing in the semis for the Interplanetary Cup and we had tickets. Some other captain had called in sick and I was the next guy in line…so I wasn’t there. I had complained the entire way to the Rosal Asteroid Research Endeavor (RARE) out on the outskirts of Rosal territory.

I’d flown with Chief Scientist Jacob a few times and he wasn’t pleased to be assigned to RARE again. We shared quite a few venting sessions during the flight there and while we were on the station. He was finishing up some projects in conjunction with a group of scientists from the CPA when news of the first attacks hit our comms. We rushed to get as much data into our ship’s computers before the inevitable Wolf fleet descended upon the research base. My ship, the Endeavor, was the last one to leave because that damn Chief Scientist had to save ‘just one more file.’ Every ship that left before us was destroyed by the Wolf Interceptors… We were lucky to get away... I still don’t know how we did it.

I had a set of emergency coordinates logged into the console. We made the jump and found another Rosal ship waiting there, the Shepherd. They’re excited to see a familiar face and the worry in their voices dripped through the comm speaker. I put on a brave face and talked with senior leadership on the Shepherd and reassured them that we could get out of this alive.

Just then we receive a transmission from the ICSS Aegis. There’s a survivor fleet gathering to rebuild humanity. The scientific inventions and discoveries in the data logs of the Endeavor can help humanity survive. It’ll take all of our fuel to get there…launch…

Captain Greg: Turn 1

We position ourselves between two of the armed civilian ships of the fleet, the Quellon and the Vulcan. The Proximans are hot headed but I wanted to be in a safe position.

The Chief Scientist immediately sets off to work on creating the project he had been wrapping up on RARE; an Advanced Extractor. This would increase the amount of materials and/or ore the CPA ship ‘Icebreaker’ could produce. We would need those supplies if we want to escape.

I am returning from a round of introductions when the warning klaxons on the Endeavor start to sound. The Wolves are here. We positioned ourselves well and escape the first attack unscathed. I’m sure that won’t last.

A thrown together council of representatives from the surviving ships votes to have the fleet not consume any water and rations. People are going to be angry but they believe stockpiling now will pay dividends later.

Captain Greg: Turn 2

I’m immediately summoned to the council. They want to know our priorities. I share news of the Advanced Extractor and let them know we need people and materials. More people, more scientists and the supplies needed to help the fleet and we can get through this.

They insist our tertiary goals be to improve water and then food production, in that order. I happily oblige and return to my ship to share the updated guidelines from the council. After sharing, I receive a private call and take it in my bunk.

***Activate Wolf Sleeper Protocol DMG.1313***

The Interstellar Council and planets that make up the union must be purged. The job is almost done. It is my job to help sabotage this fleet of survivors and help my Wolf brothers and sisters.

Captain Wolf: Turn 3

Brother and sisters, unleash hell. Another Wolf attack rocks the fleet. The survivors stay still for too long. The attack is routed but the Wolves know where the survivors are. A ship is boarded, I’m not sure which.

The outspoken people of Proxima are already proving difficult. I stroke the fires of insecurity and talk about how suspicious they are acting to anyone who is listening.

The Admiral…the trusting Admiral Mark sends out new jump coordinates. I deploy a beacon back to the Wolf fleet to inform them of the survivors destination. We jump away.

Elsewhere in the fleet, the Salvadore, a medical frigate, is under some kind of crew rotation. Proxima wants full control of it. No one is sure why.

The Advanced Extractor is successfully deployed on the Icebreaker. The Endeavor serves only the fleet…or at least that’s what they will all believe. Work on something called an H1 Macro Net that’s supposed to increase the production of water. That feels useful…would be awful if something were to happen to it.

Captain Wolf: Turn 4

I volunteer to deliver the H1 Macro Net to the Lucas, the fleet’s premiere water production ship. While ensuring the device was properly secured in the shuttle’s cargo hold, I install a discreet poison injection module. You can find all sorts of devious things in the storage compartment of a science ship.

After dropping off the Macro Net, I make my way to the crowded Dione to ease drop on the Council proceedings. As I walk up, I hear news of a vessel with a beacon broadcasting its location back to a ship called ‘the Unity’ had arrived. They begin to argue about the ship, I tell everyone who will listen about this ship. Is it good? Is it bad? Will the council even bother to talk about it? They end up talking about it on the news that night but don’t go into specifics.

When I return to the Endeavor, the Admiral is there talking to the Chief Scientist. He wants a Wolf Detector of sorts created. Chief Scientist shares that it will be difficult to create because we need the body of a deceased Wolf.

The science team begins efforts on a device to increase food production.

I stop by the Shepherd to keep up appearances when another Wolf fleet attacks. It’s a brutal attack. A team of boarders reaches the Shepherd and is repelled by the ship’s security teams. They need one of my deceased kin to create their detector? I ensure that all bodies are properly disposed of and launched into space.

Captain Wolf: Turn 5

The Admiral shares another set of coordinates, superceding the previous set. I make sure to broadcast these coordinates as well. I make sure the Photosynth-Boost food processor reaches the Shepherd successfully and then return to the Endeavor when another Wolf attack hits.

The Vulcan is boarded, rumors that they captured one of our kin quickly reach our ears, and the Vulcan then fires on the Shepherd?! Something about a breach in prisoner work contracts? I don’t know but it’s going to distract from anything I’m doing.

After the attack is repelled, a news broadcast shares that water on the Dione was poisoned and they got the water from the Lucas. The fleet is concerned.

The Icebreaker and Refinery share something about ‘Pipeline of Unity Day.’ I’m not sure what it’s all about but I find it weird that they named a holiday after a ship they don’t know about…whose beacon is now broadcasting our location to the Wolf fleet in the storage hold of the Endeavor.

The fleet successfully jumps away.

Captain Wolf: Turn 6

Absolute chaos the fleet. The Warden, the gunner on the Vulcan who fired on the Shepherd, is arrested and brought to trial. He is somehow let off the hook and released back to the Captain of the Quellon. The shuttle captain from the Lucas drops off a load of water at the Endeavor and shares that she was at the Dione when it was discovered that their water had been poisoned.

I make it a point to share that information anyone who would listen.

The Captain of the Lucas comes over and talks to the Chief Scientist and I about making a water purification device to make sure that the issue with the water can be solved. They provide the plans and the Chief is able to quickly produce the device. I, again, volunteer to secure the cargo and make sure that all water that passes through the unit is seen as clean, regardless of how much poison it actually contains.

The Chief Scientist was able to get a hold of one of my deceased battle brothers and quickly produced the Wolf Detector. He hands it to the Admiral before I can get my hands on it.

Captain Wolf: Turn 7

They are dismantling the Vulcan? The Chief Scientist was able to spend some time with the beacon and it was discovered that the Unity is some kind of huge battle cruiser capable of saving humanity. It will be here soon. I send a broadcast back to the Wolf fleet with this information, they must be prepared for a large scale conflict.

After learning this, I head off to the Refinery with a bomb in my backpack. It’s time for extreme measures. The Refinery crew is working hard but they won’t leave me alone, even for a moment. I start back towards the hanger bay when I’m met with a wall of Aegis Marines. The Flight Wing Commander is standing in front of them, “Captain Greg, you’re being detained for possible acts in opposition of the fleet.” *gulp* By the grace of Wolf, they don’t go through my backpack.

I’m plopped into the brig and asked questions about the water upgrade that was attached to the Lucas. I tell them that it was created by our scientists and installed by Lucas crew and that the water purification system was designed by Lucas, created by our scientists and installed by Lucas crew. I share all of the advanced systems that the science ship contributed to the fleet. The Chief Scientist had been busy and all of the other ships we had helped were doing just fine. They fall for my lies hook, line and sinker. I just might get away with this.

Captain Wolf: Turn 8

I’m released and they immediately take the Chief Scientist in for questioning. I hope our stories align…

There’s another Wolf attack. It’s a big one and the Aegis is getting hammered. It comes out of the fight battered and bruised but it’s there. The Vulcan’s gun was moved to the Quellon and radio chatter says the Warden is still manning the gun? The Caption the Quellon cut all power to the gun and the Warden offs himself before security teams reach his station. I’m still not sure why they let him off the hook before…

I visit the Dione in time to hear the Admiral say he wants to institute marshal law. Something about a useless council, time to spread more fear. I tell everyone I can find that the Admiral wants to wrongly take over. The Chief Scientist has turned on the Admiral. He trusts nothing he says. Fantastic.

Captain Wolf: Turn 9

The Admiral is frantically trying to get the fleet to jump away before the Unity arrives. The Chief Scientist doesn’t want to go, he thinks we should take our chances with the Unity. I wholeheartedly agree, as I know the Wolves are coming soon.

The Unity arrives, it’s a huge ship, and so does a Wolf fleet. A major battle begins as the survivor fleet jumps away. Well, most of the fleet. The Endeavor stays behind. I broadcast the coordinates of the survivor fleet’s final destination to the Wolf fleet engages. I load my blaster as I make my way down to the Chief Scientist’s bunk to see if he wants to defect.

Post Game:

My apologies if the turns didn’t exactly line up, it was a chaotic day. I think I captured most of my highlights.

In the words of Woody from Toy Story ‘Somebody’s poisoned the water hole!’ That somebody was me! I was in absolute shock when I learned turn 2 that I was to be a Wolf again. Honestly, it’s an honor.

I learned after the game that my little ploy on the Lucas wasted 31 units of water, some materials and research points that could have been served better elsewhere. Not to mention all of the mental resources that were expended trying to find where it came from. It definitely changed the game.

I was never able to meet up with them but my fellow Wolves were the Warden on the Vulcan (he was definitely the ‘loud’ Wolf of this game), the Chief Engineer of the Icebreaker and the President was activated.

The survivor fleet was in much better shape than the last running of this game. However, with two Wolves still running rampant, a heavily damaged fleet and their current location well known to the Wolf fleet; who knows how much longer they could have run. A pyrrhic victory for the survivors, is where I’m at. If the Unity wins its battle, the survivors are in a much better place.

As always, thank you to Dallas Megagames for an incredible event. The DMG team took a ton of feedback from their first run of Den of Wolves and made a bunch of changes that made a huge impact in how this game went.

If you’re interesting in playing with the Dallas Megagames group, you can find them on Facebook or Twitter. They have games of Den of Wolves coming up at LoneStar Game Expo later this month, BGG Con in November and are planning on playing the popular Watch the Skies in early December.

I hope to see you there.