The Pilot by Bob Naismith

Designers notes written by Bob Naismith

So where do I begin? Well I have always been a huge scifi fan and have watched a lot of it as I'm sure you have too!


Gaming wise my early experience was with Traveller and the SPI and Avalon Hill sci fi games like starforce,starsoldier and of course Starship Troopers! Loved Serenity, adored The Expanse and Andor and the Mandalorian bring us right up to date – all fantastic stuff. 


Its my view that sci fi is just that – extrapolation of current trends and issues that are live for us right now and is a way to explore the potential consequences for those trends. In a real sense Sci fi isn’t about the future – its about now.


So this pilot in my minds eye is one of us – a human (or humanoid) with a set of skills that he has gathered. 


Also of course he is wearing his own tools of the trade – namely a suit of Hi G body armour and a pilots harness. 


He has a communicator pad on his chest and his head is clustered with various sensors that are analysing his thought processes and his reactions to the stimuli fed to him by this rig. 


Around his head is a cradle of highly sensitive detectors that is capable of mapping his brain at any given instant – this is his predictor rig – it feeds the data it gathers to the ships computer which runs a series of models on this data to inform the pilot of any upcoming threats or issues that his main consciousness failed to recognize.. 


 The demands of such routines are severe both upon the pilot and the hardware onboard the spaceship. Both wear out very quickly indeed – but the results are spectacular! Of course in his right hand is his final argument – a Maverid Sy60 Fleschette pistol. 


Built as a zeroG solution for space security the SY60 is a trusted sidearm for the outer reach Military Forces – which is a clue to this pilots previous career…

RULES & SHORT STORIES

MARS: CODE AURORA COMPATIBLE RULES

THE PILOT

TYPE: INFANTRY

RANK

6

M

6

E

6

HP

6

A

6

WEAPONS

Fleschette PISTOL

L

6

R

6

P

6

SPECIAL RULES

Phobos Dog

This Combatant can be recruited for a cost of 3 points in any Squad that does not include another Phobos Dog, regardless of the Faction chosen. However, he does not benefit from the rules specific to this Faction.


Dramatis Personae

This Combatant may not receive Optional Equipment, nor be assigned a Specialist role, nor be given a Rank. This Combatant is unique and can only be recruited in one copy.


Helmet of Prediction

At the beginning of each of his activations, this Combatant may choose one of the following special rules: Mental Scourge or Supercomputer.


Mental Scourge

Until the end of his Activation, when this Combatant performs a Fire Attack, he may use instead of his base weapon the weapon with the following characteristics: Mental Flail R30 B- P5. However, use the Combatant's Willpower instead of his Aggression, and the Willpower of his Target instead of his Endurance.


Supercomputer

Upon Activation, this Combatant may designate an Enemy Combatant within 30cm and award him a Locked On marker for free. In addition, until the end of the turn, all Allied Infantry Combatants roll two additional dice if they fire at a Locked On Enemy Combatant if that Combatant is in line of sight of Lukas K. Wehgger.


THE PILOT

Short story by Hugo Nivesse

"Well, do you know how many people have made the entire trip from Earth to Mars without ever going into cryosleep?


- Yes, of course, there are eleven, just the main pilot of each of the Arks. Everyone knows that Stan!


- Okay okay. But keep your voice down, there's no need to get so excited. And did you know that ever since the Arks landed on that damn planet, those eleven people have suddenly dropped off the radar? Well for the one who was piloting Eleven, he must be scattered in the wreckage of his Ark. But there are ten others that have vanished into thin air.


- Yeah, but at the same time, Stan, the Arks are laid up and they'll never take off again. So it's not surprising that we don't hear about their pilots anymore. They must be working in an office or something like that by now.

- Something like that... You're funny, Igor!


- Maybe I'm funny, but I don't see what this has to do with the shit that happened to us earlier. It's not that I don't feel good, here, stuck in a fucking ventilation shaft with you, but if you could be a little more explicit, I'd be happy!

- Well, everything leads mes to believe that the guy who came into the lab earlier is THE Pilot.

- The pilot? What the hell is this bullshit?


- Until this morning I thought it was just a rumor, believe me. A legend created out of thin air to scare the little suckers out of doing it.


- Just fucking say it!


- Well, like you said, there's not much for pilots to fly here. So what do you do when you're mentally gifted and don't have anything intersting to do during your rotations? Well, you get bored. And you look for ways to occupy your available brain time. You know that one of the big strengths of pilots is the calculation of trajectories. And when you have to hit the ball, it's very useful to know exactly where your targets are going to be.


- You mean...


- Yep. I heard that one of the pilots, THE Pilot, is offering out his services as a mercenary. Rumor has it that if he sees you, you're pretty sure the next round won't miss. So now, we keep our mouths shut, and we wait in our cozy nest for the dust to settle. I'm paid to steal high-tech stuff, not to go check if the legends are real."


INCLUDED WITH YOUR LIMITED EDITION MINIATURE

  • Limited Edition 'The Pilot' Miniature

  • Certificate of Authenticity

  • Acrylic Display Case

  • 32MM NFC Connected Base

  • 10% off at WePrintMiniatures.com

WARSURGE COMPATIBLE RULES

The Pilot

Points Cost: 22.62 Points

MOVE

6

DASH

6

DEFENCE

6

HP

6

ARMOUR

6

AGEIS

6

TRANSPORT

6

UNIT PERKS

BLINK 1 

CONVICTION

WEAPONS

ENERGY PISTOL - TYPE: BATTLE

RNG

6

ATK

6

PWR

6

AP

CRITICAL HIT 1

A Leap of Faith

The stars scattered across the cosmic canvas shimmered like droplets of paint on a wet palette. The vast expanse of space was home to The Pilot, an intergalactic starship pilot who had dedicated his life to exploring the mysteries of the universe. He had seen the darkness that lurked in the shadows of distant galaxies, and he had faced it down with the trusty pistol holstered at his side.


"Starship Tenebris, this is Mars Orbital Base, come in," said a voice through the communication channel, bringing The Pilot back from his reverie.


"Copy, Mars Orbital Base, this is Starship Tenebris," replied The Pilot, his voice tinged with the weariness of a thousand battles fought in the cold void of space.


"We have received intel about a potential threat in the vicinity of our base. We need you to investigate and neutralize it," the voice from Mars Orbital Base said, a sense of urgency evident in their tone.


"Understood," The Pilot replied grimly. He knew what these missions entailed; an unseen enemy lurking in the darkness, waiting for its moment to strike. But he was no stranger to danger, and he welcomed the challenge.


As the Starship Tenebris approached the coordinates provided by Mars Orbital Base, The Pilot prepared himself for the confrontation ahead. His hand rested on the grip of his pistol, ready to draw it at a moment's notice.


Once he reached the location, he discovered an abandoned ship drifting eerily through space. His heart raced as he docked the Tenebris with the derelict vessel, his senses on high alert.


"Starship Tenebris to Mars Orbital Base, I've reached the target. Proceeding to investigate," he reported.


"Be careful, Pilot. We don't know what we're dealing with here," warned the voice from Mars Orbital Base.


The Pilot nodded, even though he knew the base couldn't see his affirmation. He tightened his grip on the pistol and stepped into the abandoned ship, his every sense straining for any sign of danger. The air inside was stale and cold, and the only sound was his own breathing echoing in his helmet.


As he moved deeper into the ship, he noticed scratch marks along the walls and floors, as if something had been dragged through the narrow corridors. The flickering lights cast ominous shadows, playing tricks on his mind.


"Starship Tenebris to Mars Orbital Base, I've found signs of a struggle. Proceeding with caution," he said, his voice barely concealing the growing unease he felt.


"Copy that, Tenebris. Stay alert and report any findings," replied Mars Orbital Base.


The Pilot continued to follow the trail of destruction, leading him to the ship's bridge. The scene that awaited him was a chilling tableau of horror. The crew, or what remained of them, lay scattered around the room, their mutilated bodies telling a gruesome tale.


His breath caught in his throat, and he fought to keep his composure. "Mars Orbital Base, I've found the crew. They're... they're all dead," he whispered, a shiver running down his spine.


"Dear God," the voice from the base murmured. "Tenebris, be on your guard. Whatever did this could still be on board."


The Pilot's grip on his pistol tightened as he scanned the room, his heart pounding in his chest. Suddenly, a low growl echoed through the bridge, and he whipped around to face the source of the sound. A monstrous creature, its maw dripping with blood, lunged at him from the shadows.


With lightning-fast reflexes, The Pilot drew his pistol and fired, the deafening crack of the gunshot ringing through the bridge. The creature howled in pain and retreated, disappearing into the darkness from whence it came.


"Starship Tenebris to Mars Orbital Base, I've engaged the hostile. It's wounded, but I've lost sight of it," he said, his voice tense.


"Stay sharp, Pilot. We're sending reinforcements to your location. Hold out until they arrive."


The Pilot knew he had to buy time for the reinforcements to reach him. He had faced countless threats in the void of space, but this creature was different - cunning, deadly, and relentless. Yet, he was determined to protect Mars Orbital Base and those who called it home.


As the nightmarish creature stalked him through the ship, The Pilot stood firm, his pistol at the ready, prepared to make a final stand in the grim darkness of the cosmos.

UNOFFICIAL - NECROMUNDA 

COMPATIBLE RULES

Silence Gondavar (The Pilot)

Points Cost: 22.62 Points

M

6

WS

6

BS

6

S

6

T

6

W

6

I

6

A

SKILLS

ESCAPE ARTIST, FEARSOME, HIPSHOOTING

WARGEAR

AUTO PISTOL, MESH ARMOUR, PHOTO CONTACTS

Silence Gondavar (The Pilot)

by Ian Roberts (designer of Squig Racing)

In the hive and spoils of Necromunda, among the dregs of humanity, exist many mutations. Some are grotesque deformities of the body, others are less visible, but no less horrific. Among the rarest and  most feared is the Null. Those born with the Pariah Gene. Soulless beings that expire revulsion, even outright terror, in their fellow humanity. An unnatural quiet clings to these being, a coldness that numbs the mind and can snuff out even the most potent of psychic powers. Among most of the clan houses the birth of a Pariah is heralded as a terrible omen.


The man known Silence Gondavar was said to be born during one of the greatest dust storms to wrack Gothrul’s Needle in living memory. Such was the child’s ill omen his parents prepared to sacrifice him to the storm that night, but the hive Citizen Defence force intervened, citing the rights of all citizens under Gothrul’s bizarrely democratic rule. Gondavar grew up in a hive run scholum until a visiting merchant magnate recognised his ability for what it truly was. A great potential smuggler.


Such is the instinctual revulsion most people feel towards a pariah they instinctually turn away, subconsciously blanking them from their minds. Trained as a piolet Gondavar learned to focus his unique talents to the operation of a small, specially adapted shuttle and began running smuggling operations past The Eye of Selene.


As time went on Gondavar’s criminal sponsors became more and more demanding, insisting he fly larger shipments, until eventually the shuttles were too big for his abilities to blank from the servitor


manned guns on the Eye of Selene. His shuttle was blasted out of the sky, crashing down among the debris of Helmawar’s Graveyard and its cargo scattered over a wide area. Somehow Gondavar


survived and made his way back to Gothrul’s Needle. Though his wounds were trended his reputation was shot. Worse, the criminal guilds held him responsible for the loss of cargo and insisted he make amends.


Seeing little other option Gondavar decided to recover the cargo from the wreckage. Fortune never smiles on a Pariah however and the remaining goods had already been scattered, seized by


scavengers and Ash Nomads or sold on to other gangs. Thus Silence Gondavar can be found across Necromunda, tracking down clues to the one cargo he failed to deliver.


Silence Gondavar is a hired gun who may be taken by any gang.


Special Rules:


Psychic Null: Gondavar may attempt to Disrupt Warp Powers just as if she were a Psyker (see Necromunda Rulebook). If a Psyker is within 6” of Gondavar they may not manifest psychic powers in any way.


Pariah: Gondavar is unnerving to all around her. All fighters, friend and foe, in 6” of Gondavar suffer -2 to the dice roll when making cool checks.


Blank: Gondavar may not be targeted by an gang tactics card, from either side. Not he may still be effected by a tactics card so long as it doesn’t target him specifically.


Faceless: From the start of the each battle round until this fighter is activated enemy fighters must pass a Willpower test to attack them with a ranged attack or place a blast marker so it’s touching their base. If the check is failed the enemy fighter may choose another target instead.


Looter: Gondavar may reroll the dice to see what’s inside any loot crate he opens.