Solo Full Thrust Campaign System

Let me preface this by saying I don't play Full Thrust.  I do however realize that it's one of the most popular of all the space miniature games.  I therefore offer this solo "campaign" system.  Unlike my multi-player campaign system which is a full up board game, this solo system basically just sets up the battles.  All the political maneuvering, interstellar exploration, resource development, etc. is ignored as beyond the scope of the game.  This very simple system does however model a war of attrition very nicely.

Start off with two decks of playing cards (Jokers included) with different colored backs.  The decks represent two warring factions.  Shuffle the cards thoroughly.  Draw from the top of one deck, turning over cards until you reach a face card.  Note: If the first card drawn is a joker or face card, simply continue drawing.  If it happens again, keep drawing.  The key rule to remember is only stop drawing when a face card follows an Ace through 10.  Repeat with the second deck.  The two piles of face up cards represent two space forces meeting for battle.  For each pile add up the value of the cards (Aces count as 1, face cards and jokers as 0).  The total value of the cards multiplied by 4 equals the Mass available to that respective taskforce.  Note also how many suits are represented in each pile (Jokers each count as their own discreet, unique suit, thus there are six suits available).  Individual ships in the taskforce may have a maximum Points Value of 75 for every suit represented.  Note that the cards determine only Mass and Point Value parameters; the actual number of ships does not correlate to the number of cards.  For example: from Faction One's deck you draw an Ace of Clubs, 3 of Hearts, 10 of Clubs, a Joker and a Jack of Hearts, the last card causing you to cease drawing.  You have a total card value of (1+3+10+0+0)=14 so you have 56 Mass available for Faction One.  Also, three different suits are represented (Clubs, Hearts, Joker).  Thus any number of ships can be in the taskforce, as long as the Mass of all the vessels totals no more than 56 and no single ship has a Points Value that exceeds (75x3)=225.

Determine the ships available and fight the battle using normal Full Thrust rules.  Victory conditions should be determined before the fight, but generally will be simply forcing the enemy from the playing field either by causing his ships to flee or totally destroying them.  If the card draws result in two very disparate forces, feel free to create a scenario which allows the weaker force a chance at victory.  Do not level the playing field too much however; war is not fair.

After determining the victor, discard the winning faction's face card.  Set discarded cards aside in separate piles; these cards will not return to play.  Collect up the remaining face up cards and reshuffle them into the deck.  Repeat the entire process.  As the game continues, the forces should be larger and larger, with more and more capital ships appearing.  As one faction wins more engagements, it will lose more face cards from its deck, allowing it to draw more and more cards when building a force.  This nicely models a war of attrition where one side gains a crucial advantage and then slowly grinds down the other, choking the enemy's access to resources while expanding their own.  The campaign ends either from player boredom or when one faction has discarded all of its face cards.