Captain Sonar: Operation Dragon Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• New Technologies
• New Engineer Sheets
• New First Officer Sheets (Submarine Types)
  • Chateaubriand Class
  • Kasparov Class
  • Armstrong Class
  • Zerberus Class
• The Armada Mode
  • Setup
  • Damage
  • Weapons
  • Movement
  • Example
  • Detection
  • Further Details
• Expert Cards
• Operation Drache (Campaign)
  • Playing the Campaign
  • Expert Cards in the Campaign
  • Side Missions
  • Map 1: Oh Captain, My Captain!
  • Map 2: Armada
  • Map 3: Lab Work
  • Map 4: E.M.P.
  • Map 5: Vortex
  • Map 6: Blackout
  • Map 7: Volcano

New Technologies

The New Technologies consist of 4 modules. Each one is fully compatible with all previously published rules and scenarios. You can integrate them into the game however you like.

• For the Engineer: manage new engineer sheets.
• For the First Officer: command new submarine types.
• Armada mode: control a helicopter and a cruiser.
• Expert cards: use the special abilities of experienced sailors.

New Engineer Sheets

For the Engineer there are now 4 additional sheets. At the beginning of each game, each Engineer randomly draws 1 of the 5 sheets in total. The new sheets offer variety for experienced players.

New First Officer Sheets (Submarine Types)

For the First Officer there are 4 new, additional submarine sheets. At the start of the game, each crew chooses 1 of the 5 submarines now available. The new submarines are:

Chateaubriand Class

This old-school submarine has less capable sensors than newer models, but it can quickly saturate whole sea quadrants with mines. Keep your eyes open!

Kasparov Class

As the counterpart to the Chateaubriand submarines, the Kasparov models have excellent reconnaissance tools. Hardly any target escapes their watchful senses.

Armstrong Class

This submarine type stands out above all for its versatility: its mobility and firepower are matched only by its adaptability.

Zerberus Class

This boat has the most modern battery systems, with twice the charging capacity. With fully charged systems you can unleash hell beneath the water.

Each system of the Zerberus class has 2 switch groups, which are filled independently of each other. When a system is activated, the First Officer may reset one switch group of their choice. If both switch groups are full, however, the system may not be activated twice in a row: at least one movement of the submarine must take place in between.

The Armada Mode

In this game mode the Captain controls, in addition to his submarine, a helicopter and a cruiser.

Setup

At the start of the game, in addition to the starting position of the submarine, the Captain marks starting positions for a helicopter and a cruiser. Mark the helicopter's position with an "H". Mark the cruiser's position with a "K".

Damage

The helicopter and the cruiser are destroyed as soon as they receive 1 point of damage. Damage can be dealt with the known weapon systems.

Weapons

The cruiser can lay mines and the helicopter can fire torpedoes, following the same rules as your submarine.

When the Captain activates one of his weapon systems, he must choose whether to use the activated weapon system of his submarine or instead the corresponding one of the cruiser or the helicopter. (If a torpedo is activated, either the submarine or the helicopter may fire it. If a mine is laid, either the submarine or the cruiser may lay it.) This must be announced aloud when the system is activated, for example "STOP! Helicopter fires torpedo at G5!" or "STOP! Cruiser lays mine at D7!"

Movement

The helicopter and the cruiser can only be moved via the scenario-specific system on the First Officer's sheet. For each box ticked on this switch, either the helicopter or the cruiser may move to an adjacent square. It is not necessary to fully charge the switch in order to move a unit.

The Captain announces which of the two units moves 1 square, but reveals neither the direction nor the new position. Such a movement does not charge any system on the submarine and does not cause a malfunction on the Engineer's sheet.

After the movement, the Captain updates the new position on his sheet. Unlike the submarine, no route is drawn for these units; only the current position is recorded.

Only 1 of your own units (submarine, helicopter or cruiser) may occupy a square at a time.

Example

The Captain says aloud "Move the helicopter!", erases the H from his sheet and writes it again on the adjacent square, without announcing the direction.

Detection

The helicopter and the cruiser cannot be detected by sonar. If the Drone is used, however, the Captain must name all of his own units in the queried sector.

Example: "STOP! Drone: Are you in sector 7?" "Yes! The submarine and the helicopter are there."

Further Details

• If a fully charged scenario-specific switch is activated by the Captain to trigger a weapon system or a special ability, the corresponding points can no longer be used for movement.
• The helicopter flies low and is therefore vulnerable to mines or torpedoes. It also cannot fly over islands.
• The Armada mode can be used with any existing map. In the "Operation Drache" campaign it is mandatory on Map 2, while it should not be used on Map 3.

Expert Cards

During game setup, each Captain draws 1 random expert card and gives it to the crew member of the station named on the card. Teams may also agree to play with several of these cards.

Each expert card shows:

1. the portrait and name of the expert;
2. their station;
3. a description text;
4. the point in time at which the card may be used;
5. the effect of the card.

An expert card is normally played in addition to a normal action. After use it is discarded, meaning each such card may be used only once. During your turn (movement, surfacing, or activation of a system) you may play at most 1 expert card.

Operation Drache (Campaign)

Playing the Campaign

The 7 maps of this campaign should be played in the given order by the same two teams each time.

We strongly recommend not using the weapons from the first expansion, "Volles Rohr!" (the German title of that expansion, left untranslated here), and using the Armada mode only on Map 2, where it is mandatory. Map 3 is not to use it.

Each team chooses the sheets for the First Officer and the Engineer. These are used for the whole campaign.

After the campaign is complete, you can play the maps independently of one another and combine them with the first expansion and the other elements of this expansion.

Expert Cards in the Campaign

• At the start of the campaign the players have no expert cards. Expert cards come into play with each completed mission.
• Expert cards are discarded after a single use. Only when the draw pile is empty are the discarded cards shuffled into a new pile.
• A team may never hold more than 5 expert cards in hand. If this happens, it must immediately discard down to 5 cards.
• You may keep expert cards at the end of a mission and carry them into the next mission.

Side Missions

Some of the missions from the first expansion can be inserted between the main missions of this campaign as side missions. The rules of these missions remain unchanged; only the introductory text has been adapted to fit the campaign better. You play the side missions with the predetermined submarines and weapon systems.

In addition, the winning team of a side mission gains a noticeable advantage for the next mission of the main campaign.

Side mission: Through the Shallows

To reach supply ports and load provisions and equipment, the submarines must navigate the dangerous waters near the island of Hornos. Fast submarines have the advantage in this race.

• Map: INDIA
• Team 1: Armstrong class + KRAKEN missile
• Team 2: Armstrong class + ASGARD torpedo
• Advantage: The losing team starts the next main mission with 1 point of damage. (If it plays the mission "Lab Work" as Defender, it starts instead with an already destroyed base.)

Side mission: Electromagnetic Interference

The last battle was exhausting. Before tackling the next conflict, the crews recharge their boats by exploiting the electromagnetic fields of the Rikitea Archipelago.

• Map: HOTEL
• Team 1: Zerberus class + MINOS defence system
• Team 2: Zerberus class + TIRDENT hacking system
• Advantage: The winning team starts the next mission with fully charged weapon systems (red switch groups).

Side mission: The Labyrinth

Both submarines have taken heavy damage, but in the labyrinth of Kenner Bay repairs are impossible. A deadly cat-and-mouse game begins.

• Map: JULIET
• Team 1: Chateaubriand class + KRAKEN missile
• Team 2: Chateaubriand class + ULYSSES repair system
• Advantage: The winning team draws 2 random expert cards; the losing team receives 1 expert card.

Side mission: Against the Current

On! Ever onward! The journey into the Hollow Earth is becoming more and more of a hellish trip. Powerful undersea currents hinder navigation. But perhaps they can be used to your own advantage…

• Map: KILO
• Team 1: Kasparov class + ASGARD torpedo
• Team 2: Kasparov class + KAOS mine
• Advantage: The winning team starts the next mission with 1 marked switch box per system (6 in total).

Map 1: Oh Captain, My Captain!

After months of catastrophic weather worldwide, the boats can finally weigh anchor again. With a drastically reduced crew, they put out to sea.

Objective: Sink the enemy submarine.

Special rules: At the start of the game only the Captain is on board, and he controls all stations alone. To man the other stations, the Captain must steer the submarine next to an island with a sea-base symbol (diagonally or orthogonally adjacent). By calling out "STOP! Reinforcements!", he interrupts the game and mans the corresponding station of his submarine. This is not an actual action and does not activate any system of the submarine.

Reward: The winning crew receives 2 randomly drawn expert cards; the losing crew receives 1 card.

Map 2: Armada

A large-scale operation has been launched to track down and recruit top technicians. Such a team is believed to be in the North Atlantic. With enormous effort in men and materials, both corporations are trying to secure access to these experts.

Objective: Sink the enemy submarine.

Special rules: On this map the Armada mode with helicopter and cruiser must be used (see page 3 of this expansion, "The Armada Mode").

Reward: The winning crew receives 2 randomly drawn expert cards; the losing crew receives 1 card.

Map 3: Lab Work

The victorious crew of Operation Armada has captured a series of bases containing development labs, in which teams of experts research the latest technological breakthrough: superfluid flow profiles, with which the speed and silence of the submarines can be greatly increased. Defending these bases is crucial.

On this map the winner of Operation Armada plays as the Defender, and the loser plays as the Attacker.

Objective: The Attacker must neutralize the 4 bases chosen by the Defender. The Attacker may NOT attack the enemy submarine. The Defender must sink the Attacker's submarine.

Preparation: The Defender secretly chooses 4 of the 6 possible bases and marks them with a "B" on the Captain's sheet. The Attacker must destroy these bases. The Attacker has no weapon systems with which to attack the Defender's submarine. The mine and torpedo of the Attacker's submarine therefore remain unused and may not be ticked by the First Officer.

Setup:

• The Defender marks their role on the Captain's sheet.
• The Defender secretly chooses 4 bases and marks them with a "B".
• The Attacker marks their role on the Captain's sheet.
• The Attacker strikes out their weapon systems (mine and torpedo).
• The Attacker writes "Goliath Missile" on their scenario-specific switch.

Special rules:

• The Attacker cannot use the mine or the torpedo.
• If the Attacker uses a drone, they may either ask for the position of the enemy submarine or ask whether a base is in the sector.
• To destroy a base, the Attacker uses their Goliath Missile (scenario-specific system with 4 boxes). The Captain may fire the Goliath Missile at a target up to 4 squares away (not diagonally). Being a ballistic missile, it can pass over islands. The defending Captain must confirm when a base has been hit.

Reward: The winning crew receives 2 randomly drawn expert cards; the losing crew receives 1 card.

Map 4: E.M.P.

Research into superfluid currents has revealed something astonishing: the Hollow Earth exists, and it is no myth. In the depths of the sea, passages repeatedly open that remain passable for a short time. One of these rifts was recently discovered off the coast of New Zealand. A network of E.M.P. ("Electromagnetic Pulse") generators is being used to deny the enemy submarines access to this new area.

Objective: Sink the enemy submarine.

Setup: Write "E.M.P." on the scenario-specific switch.

Special rules: The scenario-specific switch with 4 boxes represents an E.M.P. trigger. When it is fully charged, the Captain may call out "STOP! E.M.P.!" and name one of the 9 sectors. This triggers an E.M.P. attack. Each submarine that is located in the named sector AND on the orange-coloured E.M.P. area immediately takes 1 point of damage. In addition, it must completely clear either the switches of both red systems or the switches of both green systems.

Reward: The winning crew receives 2 randomly drawn expert cards; the losing crew receives 1 card.

Map 5: Vortex

Access to the Hollow Earth is within reach. The whirlpools in the surroundings are clear proof of this. We must be the first to find the exact access point and get there.

Objective: Locate the access point to the Hollow Earth and be the first to reach that square. If the square lies on an island, it is enough to reach an adjacent square. If the square lies on a whirlpool, it is enough to enter one of the two whirlpool squares.

Preparation: At the start of the game, Team Yellow secretly notes one row of the map, and Team Blue secretly notes one column of its choice. The intersection of that row and column marks the access point to the Hollow Earth.

Setup: Write "Hacking" on the scenario-specific switch.

Special rules:

1. Access to the Hollow Earth. At the start, each team holds only half of the access coordinates. To obtain the missing information, the computer systems of the enemy submarine must be hacked. A submarine can only be hacked after it has taken at least 1 point of damage.

   • Hacking: Use the scenario-specific switch with 4 boxes. A hacking attack is carried out when the Captain announces "STOP! Hacking attack!" and names the sector of YOUR OWN submarine. The attack succeeds if the enemy submarine is in that same sector. In this case, the enemy Captain must announce aloud his information (the row or column of the target).

2. Whirlpools. The two whirlpool squares are connected. When a submarine reaches one of the two squares, it is immediately transported to the other one, without requiring an additional movement action. The Captain must announce this with "Whirlpool passage!" ("Strudeldurchgang!").

   • While a submarine is on a whirlpool square, it cannot be damaged, cannot activate any of its own systems, and cannot play expert cards.
   • Details:
     • You cannot cross a whirlpool without being drawn into it.
     • You may only enter the whirlpool squares again after your submarine has surfaced at least once.
     • You cannot surface on a whirlpool square.
     • Torpedoes cannot be fired through whirlpool squares.

Reward: The winning crew receives 2 randomly drawn expert cards; the losing crew receives 1 card.

Map 6: Blackout

The Hollow Earth! An unknown ocean that no human has ever entered: the dream of every explorer… Unfortunately, the extreme pressure and high temperature allow only a short excursion. We must return to the surface of the waters as quickly as possible.

Objective: Sink the enemy submarine.

Special rules: Some areas render certain systems of the submarines unusable. When a submarine activates a system that has the same colour as the square the submarine is on, the Engineer must immediately cross out 1 reactor symbol on their sheet.

Example: If a red system is activated while the submarine is on a red square, a reactor malfunction is triggered on the Engineer's sheet.

Reward: The winning crew receives 2 randomly drawn expert cards; the losing crew receives 1 card.

Map 7: Volcano

On the way back to familiar waters, the crews reach a volcano whose behaviour seems to defy all the laws of physics. The movement of the boats appears to trigger volcanic activity, and islands rise up as if from nothing. Only those who fight their way through here will reach safe waters.

Objective: Sink the enemy submarine, or drive it into a corner (see below).

Setup: Write "Island" on the scenario-specific switch.

Special rules: Using the scenario-specific switch, the players can create new islands. As soon as at least 1 box of this switch is marked, it can be activated. At most 4 boxes may be marked.

The Captain activates the switch with the call "STOP! Island!" and then clears any number of boxes of the scenario-specific switch. For each box cleared, he draws a new island on his map and tells the enemy submarine its coordinates. Islands can arise on any sea squares.

• If a submarine is on a square where an island arises, it immediately takes 1 point of damage and must then evade to an adjacent square.
• If a mine is on a square where an island arises, it explodes and causes its normal damage to any submarines nearby. So if an island arises on a square where a submarine AND a mine are located, the submarine takes a full 3 points of damage.

If, after an island has appeared, the two submarines are isolated from each other, i.e. they are in different halves of the map and can no longer reach one another, the game ends immediately. The team whose submarine is in the larger area wins. All sea and island squares in that area count, not just the sea squares! The squares of the separating island chain count toward neither area.

Reward: The winner of this final conflict wins the entire campaign.