Into the Wilderness: Mission 3 1/2

Mission 4: Well 3 1/2 really...

Decided to go with a rerun of the rescue just to see what would happen...with Cole having the only ammo (AP for his pistol) and everyone else using boots and rifle butts it should provide us with some death defying fun. Thing is situations like this are going to happen with the rules the way they are. Pathfinder teams are volunteer soldier/explorers venturing into a new world from the ruins of the old. There is no 'pimping out' or 'power gaming' because the resources just aren't there. Of course it is possible to pimp out a crew simply by fudging a few dice rolls but this is far from the spirit of the game. So we use what we have and crack on...   

Turns 1-4

Set up posed some interesting questions...2 objective markers were generated in the crew deployment area and both were in LOS so had to be revealed. 2 salvage markers, 3 savages and a hunting dog in a pear tree. AMBUSH!!!

'We're dead, we're dead, we're all dead!'

'Butler get a grip will you? I'll hold them up, you get Hooper out of here...' 

The first savage random moved while Cole, with 2 actions, attempted to thin the ranks of the enemies, the first armour piercing rounds must have loosened the plates of its knobbly hide as the second shot put the dog down and there was enough wounds left over to 'walk' 4 onto the savage standing next to it. The other blue buggers milled around a bit seeming unsure as to how to close the trap they had sprung while Radcliffe default moved for 3 inches. Butler specifically ignored a direct order and closed with the nearest savage but neither could find an opening. Turn 2 and Cole scored 3 actions, adding some more savages to the pot, and started plugging away, taking out his first target and literally dissolving the second with 7 wounds, ahhhh armour piercing, messy. 

He then ATC'd for a clean sweep of the area but missed with both dice. The remaining savages took the hint and gave chase but Radcliffe's 6 inch move kept him out of reach. The faithful Butler, raised his rifle and blew the head off the nearest savage...until he (and I) realised that the gun was in fact empty (doh) as no one except Cole had any ammo. The savage was duly resurrected, Butler moved away for 6 inches and we said no more about it.

The crew retained the initiative in turn 3, mostly due to attrition, and Cole used his single action to ATC, blasting a savage back through the doorway it was attempting to sneak through, not killing it but stealing its activation for the wounds. Radcliffe closed with an alien but could only muster a swing and a miss...twice. The alien slid past this ineffectual barrage and softened Butler up by 1 condition point, stopping his activation. Turn 4 and with all the close moves and ATCing etc the crew are actually making pretty good ground and when Cole blasted another savage out of the way he decided that his second action might be worth a search, we do need some loot after all. It's not...he finds an salvage marker okay but then rolls nothing to reveal it...pants.

The savage with the raised knife (hitherto fore known as the leader) is proving to be a tough SOB batting Radcliffe's attack away and knocking him down a condition point. The leader then survives a burst of fire from Butler who HAS NO AMMO!!!!! again. Butler, the young handsome fool, closes instead and pays for it. Already wounded he succumbs to the riposte and the grinning savage wipes its blade on the grass, beckoning to Radcliffe. 

Turns 5-8

Things started moving faster from here. Cole uses his sole action to shoot the leader, taking a condition point and stopping it from activating this turn. Radcliffe had a fine idea for his 2 actions and nips in to snatch a salvage marker from under the nose of the wounded leader while another savage sneaks in behind. We're getting really close now so Cole risks another search, 2 more savages another dog and at last some salvage and they all, including the leader, surround Cole. He nods to Radcliffe, who now understands what it means to be a Pathfinder.

'You best be off kid.'

Radcliffe makes it count, freeing Hooper with his first action and then heroically scuttling away with his second. Two turns to get out of here.

Turn 7 and Cole surrounded and outnumbered chooses the best time to fail his activation but miraculously the leader and his henchman random move away while the dog moves to guard the nearest salvage marker. 

Hooper remains as an NPC for the scenario so receives no activation (something that could be altered in a later game). Radcliffe, who is now carrying her, scores two actions and moves right to the edge of the table, one inch from victory. Decision time. Technically that's the game but with one action left and another whole turn to play...sometimes you just have to gamble. He uses his last action to search and scores a welcome spot of savage. An alien brave closes with Cole who beats it back with another notch on his machete.

Turn 8. The adversaries snatch the initiative the closest hurling a wickedly barbed dart and Cole is literally saved from death by the thickness of his flak coat. He then dispatches much of the wounded with his first action, the enemies are so closely packed that he can spread the wounds around. One savage drops, one dog drops and another is wounded out of activation. Breathing space at last and the fearless Pathfinder claims a salvage with his last move of the game.

 'The leader' random moves...straight into base contact with Cole! It is a duel that has been brewing all game and when the dust falls the alien leader is on his knees. His final sight in this world, the implacable face of his killer. 

Radcliffe gets the final say. Two actions means he can move to claim another salvage, stash it in his pack and scuttle off the board for a win!

For once a gamble pays off.

 DOWNTIME

At last something to do on our day off. Well it's 4 EXP for the win plus 3 salvage markers so we get 2 resolves, a range and a new skill. Meaning Butler gets promoted a rank and everyone is now rolling 4's for activation which is mildly reassuring. 

Radcliffe is now a marksman, nice, and uses his other skill to alter smoke grenades to thunder flash. We have enough ammo to form a passable firing squad for the next scenario and decided that the machete that was found was actually an entrenching tool as that was what Hooper had on her belt. Closest we get to WYSIWYG around here.

Stay tuned...Cheers all.

Mission 3: Incidental Rescue

Following Hooper's survival roll at the end of the last mission the thought occurred that she may be sitting out mission 3 for reasons other than injury...what if she in fact captured by the disgruntled alien savages.

 This would necessitate the remaining three crew mounting a rescue mission and seeing as they would be somewhat shorthanded it would give a chance to experiment with a smaller table setup. 24 x 24 to be exact. Further, the adversaries for the scenario would only need to be taken from the alien savages plus a couple of new faces for a little spice.

The main rules already offer a Rescue mission so it would only need slight alteration to make if fit in with our current needs. This is very much in the spirit of SECTOR 12, rules are guides to be patiently listened to...and then ignored in favour of thrilling adventure. 

So a 24x24 table was set up as per the pics using the complications rules and only one objective marker generated to begin. Hooper would play no active role in the scenario but rather act as the 'package' to be secured and guided off the board.

Turns 1-4

A slow start with everyone moving or double moving across the board as they need to cover some space and fight in the opponents half should anything go wrong. The two alien savages that had been left to guard the hostage/sacrifice milled around a bit.

'Hey have you seen that new t68 speeder...?' 

Cole's next move revealed the only marker as another savage, a hunting dog and a bit of loot. The rest of adversary forces woke up at this point with one targeting Cole and the other moving in on Radcliffe who took 2 condition points off it for its trouble. 

Butler's nerves surfaced again and only managed a default move. 

Things really kicked off in turn 3, Cole claimed the salvage marker and then took careful aim at his preferred target...aliens...the first shot was saved by thick extraterrestrial bone nodules and the second was a jam. This didn't bode well...

The savage spat out a tooth, issued a suitably blood chilling battle cry and immediately charged Cole, delivering 4 hits with some frankly rather impressive Jackie Chan sh*t! One wound was saved by Cole's armour but the other three were enough to take him out of the game.

Marvellous. Five turns without the main man...

Butler had a miss and two shots on target saved then forced onto combat much as had been his unlucky boss. The savage double activated which meant two rounds of combat to survive, a miss, a hit and a wound saved followed by a hit a save and three unsaved wounds saw the savage sink to the ground...its place in ET Valhalla secured. 

The weird looking dog that nobody liked the smell of, moved in to support its handler and fortunately the third savage was unable to satisfactorily sight Butler so had to hold onto its poison dart. Butler then scored two hits with his ATC and a wound on the ring leader.

'For you Cole!'

The savages took the initiative in turn 4, the leader random moved away, wary of Radcliffe's boom stick but he needn't have worried. The sights had taken a knock and all he managed with his two shots was some sacrilegious damage to the priceless alien ruins. The rest began to close in, crowding our heroes with moves that came up just short of contact and Butler pulled a well thrown dart from his shoulder, thanking his armour for soaking up the damage

Turns 5-8

Due to the ferocity of the savages the surviving crew were technically no closer to Hooper than at the end of turn 1. Then Radcliffe failed his activation...the hunting dog sensed the hesitation and leapt through the gap at the strongest crew member and literally chewed him right out of the game with 4 wounds.

...then there was one...

Still hungry it went for the last man but yelped in mid air as Butler's first shot removed its third kidney. 

'See you in ugly dog heaven!'

The leader let out a gargling scream that was later translated as...

'...Mr Fluffy Boots!!!!!...' 

...but couldn't get close enough to attack and was forced to watch Butler's second shot find its mark also, stopping the other savage from activating.

The leader closed with 'The wicked dog murderer of Sector 12' and knocked Butler down a condition point but took one too and they were both driven back, in the space that was created Butler got his rifle up and sent the leader the same way as his beloved pooch. 

The last savage was not at all happy watching this warrior from another world chop up his mates and best dog and moved off to the salvage left by Cole's demise.

They fought again in turns 7 and 8, blocking, circling andfeinting but neither was hurt and as the light began to fade the two exhausted fighters locked eyes. A moment of understanding and perhaps respect passed between them, no one would win this day but they would return tomorrow and perhaps finish this...with a nod they both turned and made off in different directions through the trees.

Failure.

 

 

DOWNTIME

Well not much to do here. Two rolls brought the only reward for the game. 1 EXP for Cole's tall story of survival which went to Butler for a +1 Melee seeing as he was the only one that really did any hard work and the only one that made to the end of the game.

Fast and bloody, small tables and shorthanded crews mean for quick games where melee takes the front seat, not good when the only guy with a machete is taken out at the start of turn 3. That being said it also makes for an entertaining forty minutes which is surely more important and a game that you always 'win' is no game at all and probably not worth the effort and time.

So...our crew must return to the site of their defeat. Or should they? Technically speaking Hooper will return to the crew for the next mission after recovering from her wounds whatever happens so we come to a fork in the road. Either...

1) She slips her shackles while the savages are burying their fugly dog, returns to the crew of her own accord and our heroes seek a different adventure.

2) Or she remains captive and a battered crew decide that no man/woman/person is left behind and attempt the rescue once again?   

We also have a more pressing issue. Apart from Cole who has enough armour piercing rounds for two missions, the crew is completely out of ammo. Along with the utter paucity of hand to hand weapons whatever happens it will be tough going.

Cheers all

 

Into the wilderness the next chapter

Following on from the attack scenario we have a  problem and an opportunity.

Our faithful Greenwing, Hooper, rolled ‘I think it’s busted’ on the survival table so will be sitting the next scenario out while she licks her wounds.

Mmmmmm…..

We could as per the rules roll another scenario up and play through it with our three other crew members, much as we did before.

Or we could take this as an opportunity to let the ‘the story’ guide us. SECTOR12 was always envisioned as story driven rules set, attachment to the crew, progression and upgrades all point toward a story arch the crew are actually living through, be it episodic or serialised.

So what else could explain Hooper’s disappearance?

Well there were quite a few alien savages generated during the previous forays and quite a few dispatched as well. What if these scenes were witnessed by others of their tribe? What if the chief on hearing of these murderous interlopers into their territory demanded restitution? Blood for blood?

What if in the confusion of the attack a party of savages stole in and kidnapped our wounded Greenwing and took her back to their village as an offering to their chieftain’s anger?

The germ of an idea occurs…..

Into the Wilderness: Mission 3 : The Rescue

Mf…..

Into the Wilderness : Mission 2: Attack

The Grenades, the grenades, remember the grenades...

'...You were walking round the whole time with two frags in your pocket?'

As with many solo games not everything is remembered in the heat of battle so this time let's try and remember the frags shall we?

The second mission in the mini/warm-up campaign is an ATTACK on the overgrown ruins our heroes spy through the trees so no need for Searches just kill everything. 

Setup generated 3 Tentacles, 2 Giant Spiders, 3 Mutts and 1 Hyena Tick. (Mmmmmm) scattered mostly around the centre of the board. The adversaries took the initiative (surprise me) and off we go...

Turns 1-4

Two Mutts moved to size up Cole but his Flak Coat still smelled of arachnid from the last mission so he took a couple of speculative shots at the first spider scoring 1 and 3 wounds and taking it out.

 'Right people you've seen how I do it so let's go...'

Frag time! Radcliffe got that crazy look in his eye, moved 6 and tossed a killer pineapple at the tentacles (bang on target)while spawning a brace of Alien Savages for rolling a 12 for activation. The first tentacle took three hits and instantly relocated, the second was fine, as was the second spider and the third tentacle was saved by its armour. A distant Mutt looked up at the commotion and took a piece of shrapnel in the spleen for its curiosity and another piece grazed Cole as he was standing just within effective range. 

'Radcliffe you ape that was my good hat!'  

'Sorry Boss, my bad. Good shot though eh?'

The second spider moved to protect a salvage marker and the tick closed in on the crew. Butler shot at the other two mutts killing one and taking the other down to a single condition point while Hooper moved up 6 inches. An altogether productive first turn.

Turn 2 was a quieter affair with Cole taking out another Mutt with his single shooting action. The Hyena Tick fancied its chances against the Pathfinder and dealt him a solid hit that was only saved by a Flak Coat but suffered a swift machete death for its valour. Butler only managed a stuttering 6 inch move and Hooper failed to activate at all. The savages moved in together and the remaining spider random moved 4 inches away. 

The bad news was that the tentacles, devoid of attention relocated to the far side of the board, which was going to make taking them out all the more difficult.

In the Attack scenario there is an automatic spawning at the start of turns 3 and 4. Turn 3 delivered another Giant Spider as the adversaries took the initiative. The first spider random moved just short of Radcliffe, and Cole shot point blank at the savages, doing for one and knocking the other down to 1 Condition. The last savage rolled 2 for its actions and got close enough to Close with Butler but nothing came of it besides a bit of shoving and name calling.

Radcliffe got 3 actions, killing a spider with a shotgun blast then lost his grip on his last frag with a bit of a wild throw that caused no damage. Hooper finally woke up moving 12, revealing two salvage markers and flushing two Rad Rat swarms from their burrow.

The spawning at the start of turn 4 generated a Carnivorous Ape in the deployment square 10 inches behind the slow moving crew (marvellous news).

Cole's three actions brought a 6 inch move, a shot on a tentacle for nothing then another move for 1 salvage in the bag and another held if he didn't move again. The rats began to circle Hooper who had become somewhat separated but couldn't find an opening. Radcliffe didn't plan to waste his two actions but did, he moved into short range and gave a spider both barrels. 3 dice for damage, result, until he rolled two out of a possible sixteen for wounds, the spider just shrugged and went back to his screenplay, meh.

Butler was in base contact so even with his default move had to fight and lightly beat the savage to death with his rifle butt. Hooper didn't care for the swarms surrounding her but only hit two stones, a tree and a lot of grass with her two shoot actions.

HALF TIME 

 

Turns 5-8

Turn 5 heralded a golden period for our heroes though Cole's failure to activate didn't show it. The rats, having survived the pistol barrage last turn charged Hooper, one of them paying with their lives to wound her and cost her an activation for this turn. 

The ever optimistic Radcliffe decided it was time that someone put a dent in the tentacle situation. Two longish shots bounced off the armoured hide of one but took the second tentacle down to a single condition point. It relocated 5 inches away in disgust. The spider saw a chance and tried to nibble one of Radcliffe's legs off but couldn't get a single 6from the two dice it rolled. Butler top scored for actions and called his animal friends to come and have a go if they thought they were hard enough and a zimian savage obliged him. He then spent his two actions taking pot shots at the tentacles, one was saved by its armour but the other disappeared below ground for good, minus a few bad smelling chunks. Finally the carnivorous ape wanted a closer look at one of the salvage items, a path that would take it through Butler. 

'Boss? what's the procedure for 13 foot gorillas again?'

'Not sure...have you tried soiling yourself?'

'Yes...it's still after me...'

 

The crew took control again in turn 6, with Cole pinging a wound from one of the tentacles, while Radcliffe, who is fast becoming the crew's rising star, saw off the advances of a giant spider, then after wiping the innards from his boot ATC'd toward the nearest tentacle and blasted 3 wounds of it with some close range scattergun antics. Tyke.

The rats went after Hooper once more but she simply used their bodies as a trampet. Butler the Ape wrangler, called two more zimians with a random spawning, then decided that he didn't really like super intelligent monkeys after all and slopped off in the other direction, bagging a salvage and holding another if he didn't move before time was called. Hooper concurred and fast walked from where the apes were massing, while the cowardly tentacles relocated behind the woods. (not James). 

Turn 7 saw Cole leaving his held salvage in favour of a pop at the tentacles but his shot was deflected by wartiness.  The carnivorous ape was distracted by a salvage point and Radcliffe rolled another 12 for actions bringing a wandering dinosaur to the party, his long range shots at the tentacles killed one but for the second he needed a 12 to take it out and could only manage an 11. Two of the zimians wanted the salvage that Butler (who only default moved so elected tostand still and HOLD his lot) is codling and move in, the third zimian savage shambles off in favour of some easier pickings while Hooper quietly claimed a salvage marker for the crew by only just negotiating a spot of rough terrain.

Last turn and Cole's shot ricocheted off the last tentacle's armour again, the two zimians declared that they were finally hard enough but Butler, in taking a wound and losing his activation, beats them both back in a fair fight with nothing more than a rifle butt and a pair of soiled combat trousers, surely worth a drink at the bar should he survive.

Radcliffe manages to get within short range of the last tentacle and blows its tip off, sending it slurping back to the depths from which it came forever, killing the last of the adversaries that needed to die for victory.  

Elsewhere Hooper protects the salvage the crew so desperately need but pays the ultimate price at the creepily long fingered hands of a zimian savage.

With three apes and a dinosaur converging on the suddenly pasty looking Butler...the game ends.

DOWNTIME

Didn't think they would pull it off but 'Damn people!'...how's Hooper by the way?

She rolls a 'think  it's busted' result for survival and bereft of any medical supplies will sit out the next mission but she will survive.

So goodies...salvage was much better this time, Butler claimed 1 and held 1, and Cole claimed 1 too and along with one for each surviving crew comes to 6. 

Meaning a shiny new backpack and Flak Coat for Radcliffe and a couple of stun grenades. Butler also got a Flak Coat and Cole got some Armour Piercing round for his handgun (ironic). There were also loads of Rations found including a Cache which brings the crew an extra EXP point.

Speaking of experience points...All the starting adversaries were cleared and 1 for the Cache gives 5 in total. So Butler gets his Tradetongue skill improved (handy) and an Intellect and Melee improvement, raising them both up a rank. Hooper gets a Condition point to toughen her up and Melee improvement too.

Cheers all