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Author Topic: Bulshotski in the Zone - New Stalkers (Pig Iron Productions)  (Read 7317 times)

Offline Bullshott

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Re: Bulshotski in the Zone - Mission 3 - ABC Warrior (picture heavy)
« Reply #30 on: July 12, 2021, 03:54:16 PM »
Back in Laslo's office again. This time the big man is accompanied by a slim girl in designer jeans and sneakers looking at a laptop resting on a map of the Zone. You recognise her as the blonde in the red dress who was in Laslo's bar on the night he asked you to hunt for the drone.

"Right" says Laslo "let's get started. Nina here downloaded the data from the laptop you recovered. It was very interesting. Tell him what you found Nina".

Nina turns the laptop round to show you the screen as she starts her explanation. "In the 80s the Soviets had a secret research programme to develop fighting capability in a post nuclear or biological war environment. One of their projects was called Gigant and involved developing remote controlled warriors that could operate in a atomic, biological or chemical warfare environment. ABC warriors if you like. Anyway, following the fall of the Berlin Wall the project was shelved.

Five years ago the project was relaunched by the Russians, this time using stolen Western Artificial Intelligence technology to create fully autonomous fighting machines, using platforms built under the previous project that had been kept in storage."

Nina tapped on the keyboard and brought up an image of a humanoid machine, perhaps 3m tall and with what might be a weapon pod on the end of its right arm.

"It appears that the object of the revived program was to create robotic soldiers that could operate deep in the Zone to investigate anomalies and perform other missions, without being affected by environmental effects and being tough enough to fight off any hostiles they might encounter. Anyway, the program appears to have been only partially successful and, despite the use of rad hardened components, the energy fields emitted by anomalies still disrupted the operation of the robots. This disruption could temporarily or permanently shut down the robots. The program was therefore refocussed back to it's original military aims and any thoughts of using these robots in the Zone with their current technology were put aside."

"This brings us to why you are here" says Laslo. "Nina mentioned that anomalies disrupt the robots. Well, it appears that one of the shut down robots is still somewhere in the Zone. Nina thinks that it's tracking circuits may have been affected, so the Russians couldn't locate the robot to recover it. It's obvious what a useful asset a working one of these would be to the Bratva, hence the efforts they have been putting in to locate this one.

From the drone footage on the Bratva laptop you recovered, it looks like they were concentrating their search here". Laslo's finger stabbed the map, onto a village in the Yellow Zone, a bit too close to the Red Zone for your liking. "I want you to check out the village and see of you can find the robot. If you find it and bring it back there's 4K in it for you. If you can't bring it back download its program instead. Take Nina with you to deal with the robot. She can handle herself in the Zone, so she shouldn't be a burden to you."


Nina


The Objective
« Last Edit: July 14, 2021, 07:39:36 PM by Bullshott »
Sir Henry Bullshott, Keeper of Ancient Knowledge

Offline Spinal Tap

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Great painting and storytelling.

May this thread go on and on.

Offline ulverston

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Fantastic thread, really nice work on the buildings and figures

Offline Bullshott

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Re: Bulshotski in the Zone - Mission 3 - ABC Warrior game report
« Reply #33 on: July 14, 2021, 07:39:04 PM »
Both teams had been sent into the Zone to search for a deactivated military robot (see my previous post for the intro to this scenario, ABC Warrior). We both started in corners on the same edge of the board, with the intention of searching the village for the missing robot (the robot could have been in any of the seven building POIs, plus there were an additional five more POIs scattered around the board).

This was the most challenging game so far, notable for a bandit ambush that occupied my opponent, Russ, for three turns, several failed Will tests forcing my bone doc to wander off looking for or salvage and an incredible streak of lucky shooting by Russ' rookie.

I came out on top in salvage and advances, but Russ wasn't far behind, thanks to good use of his scrounger in making second searches of POIs.

Adding leftover advance points from my team's previous game, I had enough advances to do three upgrades; which were used to upgrade armour on my leader and veteran, as well as give my LMG gunner a movement bonus (obviously the experience of plodding along behind with his support weapon made him get some fitness training in).

The teams advance onto the board. It was raining, so visibility was reduced for several turns (so no long shots against each other).


My team advances to the first building.


I drew 'Nothing of Interest', so better luck next time. On towards the next building.


Meanwhile Russ's team moved in to investigate the dacha in front of them ...


... only to draw 'Bandit Ambush' Three turns later they had despatched the bandits, after a lot of poor shooting rolls and using up several Med-Kits and novel use of a smoke grenade (engulfing several of the team in smoke so that they couldn't be shot at, but also couldn't treat wounds or shoot).


While Russ struggled wit the bandits, my team moved on to the next two houses. They found a wounded stalker in one (using up a Med-Kit to get him on his feet). The next one contained the main objective (the robot), but was also home to a pack of ghouls.


Fortunately Crazy Ivan (my veteran hiller) and my LMG gunner had been placed on alert. As the ghouls swarmed round the building they met with a hail of ammunition, including hot load ammo from my LMG.


With the ghouls out of the way my scrounger and tech specialist (accompanying my team just for this mission) climbed through a window and started work on the robot. With several actions required (open casing, disable tracking circuit, power up robot and activate it), this took three turns to complete due to failed tech rolls.


Russ dealt with the original ambush and a second group of bandits who popped up at another POI. I therefore did a bolt toss at a building between us, in the hope that it would spawn something to keep him occupied. It spawned an infestation of zombies. However, to our surprise, Russ' rookie opened up with his shotgun and kept getting critical hits, wiping out the entire group of zombies single handedly.


With Russ busy mopping up whatever salvage he could find on the board, my force casually strolled off with the main objective. Any mission into the Zone that you can walk back from is a good mission!

Offline Bullshott

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Re: Bulshotski in the Zone - Mission 3 - Wayside shrine completed
« Reply #34 on: July 16, 2021, 02:16:38 PM »
Wayside shrines can be found on the main roads and trails through the Zone, where superstitious stalkers leave offerings and say a prayer to Saint Strelok for good fortune (or at least getting out unscathed). Sometimes the offerings are ammunition or booze, sometimes they are Roubles, sometimes they are items of useful gear.

This was made a a Point of Interest for my ZA games. A rare opportunity to gain something without having to fight for it  lol


Offline Kikuchiyo

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Re: Bulshotski in the Zone - Wayside Shrine completed
« Reply #35 on: July 18, 2021, 08:28:03 PM »
The gasmask is a nice touch

on another subject - did you buy or scratch build the radio mast? Always on the look out for more POI terrain

Offline Bullshott

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Re: Bulshotski in the Zone - Wayside Shrine completed
« Reply #36 on: July 19, 2021, 08:10:25 AM »
on another subject - did you buy or scratch build the radio mast? Always on the look out for more POI terrain

The mast came with an old Plasticville TV station kit. I'm in the process of converting the building from the kit into a Soviet era gas station

Offline Kikuchiyo

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Re: Bulshotski in the Zone - Wayside Shrine completed
« Reply #37 on: July 19, 2021, 10:21:29 AM »
very cool

Liking the blue building with the green roof too

is that a sarissa kit or something else?

Offline Bullshott

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Re: Bulshotski in the Zone - Wayside Shrine completed
« Reply #38 on: July 19, 2021, 12:06:55 PM »
very cool

Liking the blue building with the green roof too

is that a sarissa kit or something else?

I think it's a 4Ground building. It's party of the terrain collection at my FLGS

Offline Dentatus

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Re: Bulshotski in the Zone - Wayside Shrine completed
« Reply #39 on: July 19, 2021, 12:33:39 PM »
Great battle report. But that shrine...  :-*

Offline Kikuchiyo

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Re: Bulshotski in the Zone - Wayside Shrine completed
« Reply #40 on: July 19, 2021, 02:31:24 PM »
I think it's a 4Ground building. It's party of the terrain collection at my FLGS

Thanks - found it Damaged Shotgun Shack


Offline Bullshott

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Re: Bulshotski in the Zone - New Stalkers (Pig Iron Productions)
« Reply #41 on: November 11, 2021, 10:59:35 AM »
After an enforced break due to moving house, I'n now back on a roll painting up stuff to Zona Alfa. To start with, I'be just finished a new group of stalkers. These are from Pig iron Productions. The heads for the two female stalkers are from Statuesque Miniatures.




« Last Edit: November 11, 2021, 11:01:07 AM by Bullshott »

Offline Kourtchatovium104

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Re: Bulshotski in the Zone - New Stalkers (Pig Iron Productions)
« Reply #42 on: November 11, 2021, 02:15:58 PM »
Your Zone and its 'inhabitants' are great! Your female stalkers particularly  :)

Offline Kikuchiyo

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Re: Bulshotski in the Zone - New Stalkers (Pig Iron Productions)
« Reply #43 on: November 11, 2021, 07:12:37 PM »
They look cool

how do they scale?

Offline James Mahdeep Bond V

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Re: Bulshotski in the Zone - New Stalkers (Pig Iron Productions)
« Reply #44 on: November 13, 2021, 12:09:23 AM »
Shrine was a nice touch. Handy and useful depending upon what you find there. Would you say a Roadside Shrine is typically a European phenomenon?  In the States I see structures like Little Free Libraries and maybe rarely a Little Free Pantry. That's as close as I'd come to a Roadside Shrine in Illinois. Just don't see them.

 

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