The Soviet far east was restive even at the best of times. Moscow was far away and occupied with matters west, while the bandits, Chinese and Manchurian warlords, Mongol interlopers, a few White Russian stragglers all flouted the border when they thought they could get away with it. It was a good place for a man to make hay, thought Oleg.
To tell the truth, Oleg Steparenko was rarely sober enough to think much about anything, but when he did, he thought of loot, of a score big enough to drag him away from Siberia's bunghole.
It was a miserable living. Oleg was no man for peacetime and the end of the civil war had fallen hard on him. Cashiered, disgraced, and faced with the life of a street sweeper in Tashkent, the Red Army was through with him. And that was just fine! He was through with them too! But it was not easy. He'd robbed a few depots, hijacked a few small army convoys, smuggled opium, even dynamited a bank, but none had yielded much more than the coin for a few days forgetfulness.
But word had come down of a few men looking for a deal, men like Oleg who might wear Red Army uniforms but whose allegiance was to rather more to gold. Men who knew how things might go "missing" from Red army stores... Not just a few crates of rifles, but machine guns, and even heavy artillery! His best money had always come from selling stolen weapons to the warlords across the border - here was meat the warlords would fight over! He could sell to whoever wanted it worse, to really put the squeeze on this time. No more living on stolen army rations and homemade baijiu! If he pulled this off, he could flee to the coast, to Manchukuo and spend his days wallowing in the fleshpots of Hsinking and drinking liquor that
hadn't been made in disused oil drums.
Through a Russian sailor, he had a link to a crew that could pull the cargo out for him. They weren't too nosy about particulars and they came cheap. he just hoped the idiots could keep their mouths shut...
==========================
The scenario.
Our villain-of-the-week, Oleg Steparenko, has arranged to buy a large quantity of stolen Russian weapons. However, he is not the only one in the know. Pop Top's bandits are eager to grab the goods too and knows plenty of "colleagues" who would be eager to buy, but he may just keep the toys for himself!
On top of that, the Red Army has got wind of things and has sent a team to smash the thieves. The Army would be there soon (the 6-turn limit) but the Special Support Battalion of the 88th Technical Rifle Division (the Bogatyrs) has been rushed out to do what they can until the cavalry arrives.
My wife played Pop Top, I played the goons under the villain-of-the-week, and our housemate played the Bogatyrs.
The deal has gone south, so now there's nothing to do but grab what you can and smash anyone who gets in the way!
A work camp under construction is the setting for our little impromptu arms bazaar. The sawmill, forested area, and watchtowers were deemed perilous, as was contact with the gulag outhouse.
The plot points were: #1 (minor) - A local labourer. He knows the area well - can he help?
#2 (minor) - This brand new truck will help get the goods out of here quicker than the rickety old clunker that brought you here!
#3 (minor) - There are crates of rifles and munitions everywhere. You'll never load them fast enough... unless sturdy Andrei here can be convinced to help!
#4 (major) - The centrepiece of the deal was a 76mm field gun. Mikhail, who arranged this deal, is ready to help the first customer who pays in full get it out of here.
#5 (minor) - Several machine guns are also available. Yuri would be happy to help move them - so long as he gets a cut.
The first league enters. Oleg, our villain-of-the-week, leads Captain Allan (sidekick) as well as two sailors, Pishov (who misses the first turn off-screen, guarding their own truck), and "Peaches" Blunderdale. Unaware that they have company, Oleg leads his men towards the storage barn where most of the goods were being stored.
Suddenly another truck pulls up! Pop Top and his gang pile out. "Chee boss! Lookit that!" squeals Jung, pointing at the field gun right out in the open. Pop Top says nothing yet, but his eyes widen and his eyebrows wiggle. Their source didn't lie! A brace of grins spread across the faces of the gang.
Then, from the west side of the camp, come the Bogatyrs. With incomplete information they move in cautiously. Where are the workers of this camp? Something is not right here...
League deployment
Both Katyusha and Grigori spot the labourer. "Hello Comrade! Where are the workers of your camp? This is most unusual!"
"Pah" spits the worker "I have nothing to say to you. Get out of here if you want your faces to remain in place."
Grigori is in no mood for rudeness. "You had best watch your mouth, idiot!"
"Haha idiots yourselves. What will you do to me? Send me to a labour camp? Ahahah! Now get out!"
The labourer decides to fight the two, lashing out with his shovel. He misses Katy, but smashes into her rocket pack, which sputters and hiccoughs flame jets. Katy rushes to shut the wild rocket engine down before it explodes (peril failed, no injuries, but Katy cannot move for 1 turn).
Meanwhile, Oleg has spotted all the interlopers crawling out of the woodwork. "Piss in a sieve! The whole world's been invited! Mikhail! What is going
on?". Oleg's rage attracts Chichikov's attention, who comes to see.
As the Russians bandy words, Jung wastes no time. Taking up a position behind the fence, he fires off several rounds at Katy Rockets. Now it's a fight!
Katy is unharmed. At the same time, Chichikov is desperately trying to get his comrades' attention. "
Sssst! Ssssst! Over here! There are weapons everywhere! The thieves are here!"
"We had a deal!" bellows Oleg. "If we had a deal why did you tell the whole world, stupid!" retorts Mikhail, in no mood to renegotiate. Oleg has no patience for an argument and simply pummels the man (peril passed), before punching him in the gut with a gold bar (challenge passed). "Choke on your damned share, then. Go to our truck and hook up this gun! NOW!"
Peaches tries to get Andrei to load the rifles, but discovers that a total inability to speak Russian is proving something of a drawback deep in Siberia. "HEY! I SAID TUH LOAD TH' RIFLES. YUH KNOW... UH... LOOOOADDDD RIFFLES. TRUCKY? BEEP BEEP?"
Andrei, a nervous sort, panics and swings a crate of ammunition at the angry slab of beef berating him in a mystery language. *Clonk* Down goes Peaches!
At the south end of the compound, Joe expresses his interest in all things mechanical and Yuri is happy to help.
A conversation is stitched together in butchered Mandarin and Pidgin Russian "Uhm... you know how to operate?" "Ohh sure sure, I use before! In Xinjiang! To shoot... uhhh..." Joe belatedly realizes he probably shouldn't mention killing Russians in that campaign "...uhhh practice! Haha." Eager to change the subject, Joe grabs the trigger "See?" before spraying the sawmill with bullets! Joe passes his first Cunning check (peril), but doesn't quite make it on the second (challenge), with Yuri now eyeing him warily.
Having just seen Oleg paste Mikhail, Chichikov's whisperings become rather more urgent. "
Uhm... Comrades are you coming? There is a dangerous lunatic here on the loose!"
The Bogatyrs have finally "talked sense" into the labourer, however now Pop Top has a clear shot at Katy Rockets and Grigori!
Pop Top and Jung blast away at the Russians. Grigori is injured but manages to dive behind some logs for cover on the second salvo.
Pop Top is about to take aim again (3rd turn just started here) when all of a sudden Katy shouts out to him "Stop! You are in violation of the terms of the irregular Sino-Soviet treaty of 1927, the bilateral agreements pertaining to non-specific areas clearly states that..." Katy drones on while all present are hopelessly confused.
The gambit actually works! The Russians buy some time and get into a better position. Chichikov draws a bed on Oleg.
Pishov has gone to help Peaches, but having recovered earlier, Peaches is eager to complete the pot point by himself. Andrei tries once again to fend off the angry hulk, (peril passed), before Peaches smashes the crate out of Andrei's hands, speaking a language known by all men (challenge passed by use of the "uncanny" card), though even that only barely succeeds (lowest roll possible roll that would have completed the challenge!). Pishov snaps at Andrei to load the truck and the terrified little man hops to it.
Pop Top finally blurts out "I never signed any treaty!", breaking the spell before running over towards the barn to help his men. Oleg howls in confusion like a wounded animal. What is going on?! Grandmother Muromets comes over to try and help Chichikov trap this raging bear.
Chichikov wisely decides to leave Oleg in favour of an easier target, Allan, who has been trying for several turns to hotwire the new truck (was up to 1 of 2 successes needed by this point). Unfortunately Chichikov should count his bullets better (you can't really see it well, but that's the Out of Ammo card). The Politruk has given up whispering and is now howling for aid "Cooomraaaades!!!"
Finally Grigori rushes over to help Chichikov, firing several times at Allan, who takes a bullet in the arm.
With a temporary fix in place, Katy rocket blasts over. And with the entire Russian team arrayed against him, things do not look good for Allan! "Kee-rist! I'm in the bloody soup now!"
But wait! With a bloodcurdling yell, Oleg dives in behind Chichikov and Grigori. "HOOOAAHHHHHH! OLEG IS HERE LITTLE MEN!" He comes up swinging (splits attack dice between them)
The surprise attack puts Chichikov down for the count! Looks like the Politruk was right to fear Oleg.
Katy tries to finish off Allan but he abandons his attempts to get the truck running and dives behind it instead, for some badly-needed cover. "I don' want ter die in the blasted armpit of Russia! Just tryin' ter make a few damned pence!"
Faced with shooting the terrifying Katy Rockets, or an old lady, Allan chooses... to shoot an old lady. Her unearthly aura fails to protect her she falls to her knees, cursing and holding her side.
"We must get Grandmother Muromets to safety!" Katy decides to try grab the truck herself, but is beset by an unseen peril! The wolf of the forest who'd been shadowing the action is enraged by Grandmother Muromets' being injured. The wolf lashes out at the first thing he sees - Katy!
Immoveable, Katy simply stares the wolf down! He slinks away, embarrassed. "You should be ashamed! I am trying to
help her you stupid wolf!" (peril passed)
Katy now tries the door again, only to discover Allan had hurriedly booby-trapped the truck, pulling a loose wire against the door! A little mild electrocution is bad for anyone's health (peril failed).
Pishov tries to get into position to help his fellows, but what's this? Jimmy Noh has him in his sights!
That's it for you, friend.
Peaches, carrying a plot point, has attracted an unhealthy amount of attention. Jung tries to squeeze off a shot on Peaches, but doesn't quite make it.
Here I made a grotesque blunder. Knowing Jimmy Noh would probably gun me down, Peaches tried to rush Jimmy Noh, hoping for a better chance while engaged. But I forgot the shooting defence against rushing! Jimmy Noh uses his quick shot and Peaches goes down in the worst blowout of the game. Then I got hit with a
second Stay Down card. I suppose this sort of thing
does tend to happen to generic goons...
Chichikov recovers, as does Grigori (Grigori was something of an iron man this game, passing no less than four recovery checks!). Fists fly as they try to grapple Oleg.
Eventually they opt to dodge move to try and escape the crazed thug. Grigori holds off Oleg while Chichikov "retreats strategically".
Allan shakes off his injuries "Now's nowt th' time."
Joe tries to light up Allan, but Allan's feeling better with each move and scores three hits on Joe while taking none. It seems like the brawny asian is headed for the mat, when this health check is rolled.
I guess John Rambo was right! Going topless
does deflect bullets! Actually, it turns out the shots ricocheted off of Joe's bandolier! A stray one strikes the ammunition boxes in the truck bed and bullets fly randomly in all directions! Allan dodges, but Chichikov is hit again!
"Hello Friend". Jimmy Noh doesn't do "personable" very well, so while Jimmy does at least speak Russian, Andrei refuses to help this latest terror (challenge failed).
Allan hightails it out of here! "We got a peice an' that'll do. I'll take such as I can get!" (I had the extra turn reward card and declined to use it)
Finally, Pop Top strides over and gregariously puts an arm on Andrei's shoulder, smoothly slipping a flask out of his pocket with his other hand. "My friend, let me tell you of the advantages of the free life..." (challenge completed)
The final tally left me with a razor-thin victory (three points for holding the major point point, with my wife and friend each holding two points apiece).
Welcome, Guest. Please 
April 26, 2024, 01:21:34 AM
October 10, 2015, 04:47:47 PM
