N18 Sneak Attack Scenario poorly balanced?

[mac21]

The Sneak Attack scenario is causing some discussion in our campaign, with one player suggesting it should just be removed from the scenario selection table we're using. Not sure if we're missing something, or if it's just heavily weighted towards the attacker, and the sneaking/sentry rules seem kind of pointless. Thought I'd ask what others felt about it, and your experiences of it.

The attacker starts with their whole gang, can choose two tactics cards, and has the advantage of being hidden at the start of the game. The defender only starts off with some of their gang (technically random, but in practice custom), and gets three random tactics cards. The defender's gang relic has to be set up within 6" of a table edge, and the attacker can set up within 4" of any table edge, allowing him to effectively start off with his entire gang on top of the relic. The map is also relatively small.

In practice this seems to result in the attacker getting the drop on the defenders, and slaughtering them before many of their reinforcements can arrive.

Something that I've noticed is that in the N17 rules for the scenario the gang relic could be set up anywhere that is not within 8" of the edge of the board, which would at least improve the defender's odds a little. Any idea why this was changed?

I was also wondering if using the "Tunnel Warfare" rules would help, as it would hinder the attacker's approaches to the relic?

 

[Beebopalulla]

It's heavily imbalanced. If play too early it will simply kill the desire to play again the game for whoever is ambushed.

That being said do not remove it entirely. It works mid campaign or late campaign. When gang start having wargear than help defend a place.

Pets are war gear that can compensate for the lack of gang members.

Some hanger on and at least one brute (the squat one) can help in case of ambush.

Trap and trazior sentry gun help too.

But they are mid game investment.

The real problem of that scenario is that some gang are already devastating at infiltrating and will wipe out any opposition without leaving the possibility of resistance.


So again is the situation where one have to choose between wining but ruining the game for other or moderate himself so everyone enjoyed the game.

 

[TopsyKretts]

This scenario has been known to be broken for longer than I can remember. Sentry rules have several problems too. Some effort has been made to tweak these rules over the years, but hardly enough. In general it is questionable to have an official scenario selection table where this is put in. Why not select a cool new scenario each battle instead? Or make your own table. Or roll a 200D and get any of the existing scenarios But a lot of the other scenarios are broken too, so...