A few of us at Wigan Wargames Club decided to try out the Pulp Alley rules which we have had for a few weeks. The intention is to run a series of scenarios set in 1930’s middle east but whilst we were completing terrain for this we decided to try the rules with a Future Wars scenario for which we have terrain & figures.
The setting was a post apocalyptic city wasteland.
The protagonists were the Liberty League, a fancy name for anarchist scabbies who live in sewers and the Co-operative Commonwealth Corporation , a force from Future Cities inc, a protected well ordered , undamaged city domain run by oligarchic corporations. The CCC are neither Co-operative or interested in a common wealth. Needless to say the two forces are sworn enemies.
In the wastelands it was a free for all and various nare- do- wells had settled there including a certain Dr De’ath. The good Dr was interested in strange, nefarious , experiments which he performed on anyone he could catch. The Liberty League held him responsible for the disappearance of a number of their people and are intent on capturing him to question. The CCC have heard that against the odds he has discovered a new anaesthetic which he uses as he carries out his experiments. This anaesthetic could be a very marketable commodity if the good Dr could be captured and brought back to the Future City inc domain for questioning.
The Liberty League were headed by Luther, a former CCC soldier who deserted to their cause and was now one of their commanders. They had the perk ‘Network of Supporters’. They ended up with Luther (leader), a sidekick, two allies a follower and a level 2 backup character.
The CCC were lead by Zelda(La Malvada) Bruja, they had Company of Heroes so two sidekicks and an ally. La Malvada was a corporate trouble shooter (hit woman) and her supporters were corporation soldiers.
A third force was present, a news crew and guards from WTRDC news station in the Future Cities inc domain.
They’d had a tip that there was a mission from the city into the wastelands and the ambitious reporter Wilhelmena Meanz was determined to scoop the story.
We used ‘Trail of Clues’ scenario with plot points being a high point, a pre- apocalypse hoard, a trail left by a prisoner of the Dr, the aforementioned prisoner and the Dr himself(major point).
We added the complication of zombies which the Dr had generated to keep people out of his area. We used the zombie profile from Perilous Island however we had them generate on a roll of +4 on a D6 at the end of any round where there had been gunfire. We allocated random points where they would enter play.
The WTRDC would ‘shoot’ ie film whichever protagonists they came across, these were their plot points (1 point per two different characters filmed).
The game started with the CCC gaining initiative and both side going after the plot points on different parts of the city rather than trying to kill each other (commendable if unusual). In fact the only shooting was by the Liberty League who shot at the camera man who was filming them and so holding them back from their first plot point. There ended up being a gun battle between the WTRDC guards and some of the Liberty League and the camera man was of Down and Out a couple of times but recovered.
This action gave the CCC the edge and avoiding spawned zombies they quickly collected two plot points before the Liberty League had got their first one. Placing the major plot point the CCC set about trying to reach and capture it. The Liberty League , aware of impending defeat, split their forces and tried to contest the major plot point whilst going for their second minor point. There was more shooting of the cameraman (his was clearly the most dangerous role in the game) but again he recovered from a Down & Out. All the shooting spawned more zombies but unfortunately for the Liberty League the next two spawned (randomly) right next to the site of their second minor point. This held them up with fighting and the area also became perilous. Eventually Luther shrugged off some poor rolling put down a zombie and took their second minor plot point (the prisoner).
Whilst this was going on La Malvada took charge of the situation at the Major plot point and in successive rounds took out the challenging Liberty League members, the camera man who’d been filming her and captured the major plot point (the Dr). Both her victims didn’t recover and were removed from play.
La Malvada convincing Dr De’ath that he really is better off sharing his work with the CCC
This ended a really enjoyable game, with a 3:2 victory for the CCC who also inflicted a couple of casualties on the Liberty League for none in return La Malvada was the’ MVP’ of the game. As the WTRDC camera man was removed from play we allowed his camera to have been damaged and all their plot points lost.
We didn’t use the cards as freely as we perhaps should have but as we don’t normally use cards in miniatures games this will come with practice. The rules themselves were enjoyable, easy to pick up and fast play and we look forward to the 30’s middle eastern games though we may try another Future Wars scenario but using vehicles.
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April 16, 2024, 05:29:33 PM
July 04, 2009, 03:16:51 PM
