Pulp Alley AAR - Bounty Solo

[pistolpete]

having recently received and read through v2 pulp alley, i thought i'd do a test run through a scenario before attempting perilous island campaign.  never wrote up an AAR before so thought i'd give that a try too.

Background: Bounty scenario solo with a few cosmetic changes - the league has tracked 'el greco', a smuggler in the Mediterranean who's been bothering some french merchant ships, to a village on a small island.

hey pete, how'd you like a little vacation on an island in the mediterranean?
"silas, why do you make me wait for the 'well here's the thing...' that's coming next?"
come on, when have you ever turned down work especially when it includes sun, sandy beaches, and expenses paid?
"ok silas, we'll do it but you knew we would.  what's the scoop?"

League: Independent Recovery Service
 - perk: skilled
 - associate: Silas Greenbaum

leader: Pistol Pete
H:d10, B:3d8, S:3d10, D:3d8, M:2d10, F:3d10, C:2d10 - Quick-Shot, Indomitable, Inspiring

sidekick: Santino 'Angel Face' Tucci
H:d8, B:3d6, S:3d8, D:2d6, M:2d6, F:3d8, C:2d8 - Dashing, Daredevil

ally: Declan Connolly
H:d6, B:2d6, S:3d6, D:d6, M:d6, F:d6, C:d6 - Marksman

ally: Victoria 'Vic' Martinez
H:d6, B:d6, S:2d6, D:d6, M:d6, F:3d6, C:d6 - Savvy

NPCs:
Leader: El Greco
sidekick: Brown
allies: Charlie, Green, Dino

Set Up:
my mat is only 33" instead of the 36" so deployment is 3" from corner instead of usual 6"; a few buildings in the middle with some terrain and the plot point markers.


Turn 1:
Pete: "declan, angel take the flanks to cover us and keep an eye out.  Vic where did that dog come from?"
Vic: "it followed me since the docks. can we keep it?" <pre-scenario event - level 1 backup, animal>
Pete: "it couldn't hurt.  just keep it close"

Declan starts cautiously, slowly keeping his guns holstered <no shooting> while Santino draws his and moves up the right.
Pete, Vic, and Butch advance towards the middle of town.



Turn 2:
Declan notices something moving near the shipping crates, puts his hands near his guns. 
Santino rushes behind the building corner.  the rest keep advancing in the middle of town.
Pete: "keep calm, lets not spook anyone - El Greco's crew could be anywhere"



Turn 3:
Declan: "are those...NO NO!!! eegha!!!" as rats come swarming out from the crates, scurrying around his legs, under his feet, and causing him to loose footing <fails peril, takes a hit>
Santino knows he's got good vantage to offer cover if needed <no moving>; Pete approaches plot marker near warehouse and Vic checks out the alley



Declan shaken up, regains his composure as the rats head back toward the docks <recovery>

Turn 4:
Pete approaches a tanned, veteran sailor <plot point - the stranger>: escusi, conosci il greco? <passes challenge>
sailor: eu não falo italiano
Pete to self: i never did learn any portuguese. now where is that dog going?
Butch runs ahead barking

Vic sees a beggar behind a barrel, but slips on some leaking olive oil <plot - beggar; fails challenge>.   
the beggar turns to run away and is stopped by Santino <passes challenge> "relax friend. just tell us if 'el greco' is nearby"
beggar: they were at the other end of town this morning

Declan finally makes it to the crates but stays hidden.



Vic gets up, wiping the olive oil off her boots and legs "not one word, not one" <recovery>
Santino: "you've stepped in worse things"

Turn 5:
Pete decides to check out the old tree, SNAP! a branch falls but he's able to jump away <plot - TRAP; passes challenge> just as 'El Greco' and his crew  are returning to town.
Santino hearing the loud sound, rushes behind the building to see the crew and opens fire on Brown, the first mate, who returns the welcome <shootout, both have a hit and pass health>
Vic hears shooting and meets up with Butch "los gecos - vamos"
Green rushes toward Pete "Declan!"



Turn 6:
Pete and Green start fisticuffs <brawl, each take a hit, Green pass health, Pete is injured> "get you thumb out of my eye".
Vic shoots and downs Brown then pointing towards the crew and yells out "Tómalo" - Butch obeys and runs up laying a vicious bite on Dino
Santino shoots and wounds Charlie "ooohhh that hurts"

El Greco observing the scene "get rid of them and let's leave"



Turn 7:
Declan jumps from hiding behind the truck "Cool it everyone! El Greco, you're coming with us" <twist - NPC's have initiative>
Brown and Dino get up and retreat towards El Greco <recovery>
Charlie's not so lucky and bleeds out "it's worse than i thought" <fails recovery - out>
El Greco walks toward declan "surely some arrangement can be made" then abruptly shoots Declan catching him off guard "by arrangement i mean short range". Declan falls injured <failed health> with a belly full of lead.
Green proves faster while Pete is distracted and not able to see straight, he gets hit again <more brawl, suffers another injury>
Vic runs along the warehouse wall behind the tree and tries shooting El Greco but missses.



Turn 8:
EL Greco hearing the bullets wiz by, shoots at Vic who falls along the wall <fails health>
Green and Pete in desperation throw haymakers at one another and knock each other down <both suffer injuries>
Santino: "you shot my friend" and empties his gun into Brown who drops like a stone while Butch once again latches on to Dino trying to escape.



Summary:
a little disappointed the IRS lost this one, but Vic and Declan proved to be a terrible shots and the NPC's were strong opposition.  the solo deck almost forces the leader and sidekick to got first as some cards are too much for ally level characters (Declan got delayed multiple times).  i forgot to use the 'skilled' league perk as often as i should have.  It also helped to reread some of the rules again during the game as a refresher to get the flow down.

Nevertheless, it was fun to play this scenario and will probably reappear at some other point.  And i don't think we've seen the last of 'El Greco' either...

El Greco jumps into the truck and speeds away "we'll see each other again i think"

[pitac]

Nice!

[Alcide Nikopol]

When I'm playing solo, deciding which character to activate next is always fraught with uncertainty. If you drawn a solo card that an ally or follower can not handle then they are going to have a bad time. So sometimes it is better to activate your leader and sidekick first. But sometimes I like to activate the lower level characters first just to draw out those sorts of cards. For me it is that level of uncertainty that make a game of Pulp Alley such a challenge and so much fun.