Lead Legionaries: February 2026

Multiple factions advance & investigate the smoking sections of the downed alien spacecraft

When the strange alien craft entered orbit around Tatooine, it failed to answer communication from the Imperial Star Destroyers. Fearing a Rebel Alliance trick, they fired on it and sent it plummeting into the atmosphere, disabled. However, just before impact, thrusters fired, slowing the ship's fall. The craft broke up into a number of sections on impact with the desert sands, though. Remarkably, long-range scans showed signs of power still operating on the ruined craft, though. Even more tantalizing were sensors picking up what appeared to be lifeforms moving amidst the wreckage.

Table setup with the 9 spacecraft sections & six smoke clouds obscuring the center of the board

Immediately, word got out and a number of speeders raced across the desert to investigate. Only the Empire and their Corporate Security partners had official clearance to approach. The Rebels, though, could not pass up the chance to perhaps beat the Stormtroopers there, and scavenge alien technology that might be useful in the rebellion. Two other craft that refused to answer imperial commands to break off course could belong to any of the various criminal syndicates, and perhaps even the mercenaries of the Bronze Legion. As the half dozen speeders neared the wreckage, clouds of smoke and haze thickened and visibility dropped rapidly...

My 6 players bring their squads onto the hexagonal battle mat I created to represent Tatooine

"Xenos Down!" would be the fifth scenario of our Star Wars skirmish campaign using Space Weirdos rules. Each of the six players controlled a faction along the political spectrum from the Empire to Corporate Security to Mercenaries to Rebel Alliance. We played on my four foot wide hexagonal board, with each of the six factions entering near the center of their own hex side. In the center were nine sections of crashed spacecraft that I had recently built, along with a scattering of glowing pieces of alien technology I had also just made. The factions would receive victory points for having those under their control, as well as knocking figures of the opposing factions out of action.

Rebel Alliance leader Ylena takes aim from atop one of my canyon rocks from Diabolical Terrain

My Canyon Rocks and Desert Rock Formations from Diabolical Terrain broke up the battlefield, as well as smaller outcrops of rocky areas that gave cover. Six large areas of smoke (also recently created) would drift across the battlefield randomly as the game progressed. These blocked line of sight entirely, while the entire tabletop itself was considered smoky and would reduce firing. The greater the distance, the more negative modifiers the haze would produce. Also, each turn, two alien creatures would emerge from randomly determined pieces of wreckage. They had no ability to shoot, but would charge any of the player's forces and attack with their horrible claws and teeth. Think of the alien xenomorphs from the Alien movies and you have a good idea of their nastiness and danger.

Criminal Syndicate members, Trumonkar & a battle droid, advance towards valuable alien tech

Still, the lure of possibly valuable alien technology lured in all six factions. There was some degree of cooperation among the various looters, but there was also firing between them almost immediately. In particular, Darth Pylor and his Stormtroopers opened up on the nearby local rebels and Rebel Alliance operatives. The animosity between the Bronze Legion and Foxhurst's Criminal Syndicate flared to life again, despite the peaceful ransoming and prisoner exchange they'd managed last scenario (TIE Fighters Strafing the Streets of Mos Eisley). Essentially, each faction wanted to claim a certain number of the alien tech tokens as their own, but this was disputed aggressively by their neighbors. Even if a player's figure had already spent two actions to disconnect it from the spacecraft and was actively moving it towards their area, they were often fired upon by their neighbors who sought to poach their find.

But what lurks within the smoky center of the board? A very angry alien emerges, looking for prey!

Cooperation most often happened when aliens emerged and charged from the wreckage. The Corporate Security troopers often fired on the beasts even if it was a Rebel they were racing towards. The Rebels returned the favor occasionally, as well. Still, Darth Pylor was known to use the force to pick up an alien and deposit it next to a group of rebels to let them deal with it! Foxhurst used the Force to snatch alien tech from the grasp of the Rebel Alliance, too. When an alien did manage to contact a player's figure, it often knocked it out of action. I maximized the alien's stats for speed and melee ability (Prowess) under the Space Weirdos rules. They had only average defensive abilities, though, and were eventually dealt with one by one. At game's end, there were still three aliens prowling the battlefield, with players dodging around to ensure another faction's figure was the closest to it and would receive its wrath. Apparently, being fired upon by a Star Destroyer and crashing onto the surface of Tattooine made them a little angry!

Taking what cover they can, Toms Local Rebels advance towards the smoking spacecraft

The players said they had a great time. There was lots of laughs as aliens appeared next to opponent's figures (usually Tom's Local Rebels!). Or when a figure took refuge from enemy fire in one of the smoke circles only to have it drift away from them at the end of the turn, leaving them out in the open, exposed. Players did a good job of either reviving their out of action figures with medical kits or carrying them to safety off the field. Only the disabled hulk of the Criminal Syndicate's battle droid was left in the center of the table when players began to retreat off the table. Most factions had taken one or more pieces of alien technology off the table, with the Mercenaries securing three.

One of the aliens emerges from the wreckage & prepares to charge Rebel Leader Zimeon

Space Weirdos rules works well, even with such a large group (counting the aliens, we really had seven factions playing). The rotating activation system with Initiative re-rolled every turn keeps everyone involved. The command points that allow players to respond during an opponent's turn (Dodge out of sight, interrupt and fire from Overwatch, or get First Strike in a melee) means players can act even when it is not their turn. The system of opposed pairs of dice rolls to resolve combat keeps players in the game, too. Time seemed to fly by and when I announced that it was 9pm and we'd been playing for three hours, everyone was surprised.

Bronze Legion trooper and leader being stalked by one of the aliens on the others side of the smoke

By that time, most factions had one or more figures withdraw off the table edge with alien technology or carrying injured friends. Their other figures were beginning to edge away from the center and contemplating leaving, too. We called the game a short time later, and I had everyone count up their victory points and write them down on the back of their leader's card. Since it is a campaign, I am allowing players to improve the stats of their squad in a limited way after each game. Rather than track victory points and spend them on particular advances, each faction can improve one of the five stats of one of their figures one level after each game. I know this seems a tad artificial, but it keeps all squads progressing at a relatively similar level. I have seen campaigns become one-sided when the victors get tougher faster than the losers, which allows them to win more often, and improve even more than their opponents. Eventually, the campaign games break down, with one or more sides seem fated to win while the others to lose. I am trying to avoid this with a more equal situation, yet still allowing character improvement. I mean, haven't we all heard that Defeat often teaches more lessons than Victory?

'Look out, sir - there is one behind you!' An alien charges & makes contact with the Legion captain

The players said they're having fun with the games, so I will keep running the skirmishes for them. I just need to keep thinking of more, hopefully interesting scenarios to toss at them! Apparently, Xenos Down was a success, and now it's time to get creative and devise the next challenge to throw at the Empire, Rebels, Mercenaries, and Criminals! The Bronze Legion mercenaries handily won the scenario, scoring a dozen victory points (3 alien tech pieces, 3 aliens knocked out of action). That puts them in the lead for the campaign, now, ahead of the Rebel Alliance (2nd) and Local Rebels (3rd).

Local Rebel leader Zimeon is taken out of action by an alien, while his crew rushes to his rescue

As far as my Acquired vs. Painted totals below, I decided to count the nine spaceship sections and six smoke clouds as "Terrain." The eight alien tech pieces are "Scatter." By the way, I HAVE been purchasing things, and will hopefully do an update soon to show them off. Weirdly, just as I was typing that sentence, the mailman arrived with one of the packages...! Stay tuned to see what it was...!