[Horizon Wars Zero Dark] Operation Gemini - Mission 1 Data Grab Battle Report

[Logus Vile]

After having played my last two games in an urban sci-fi environment I decided I wanted to change things up and Horizon Wars Zero Dark fit the bill... once I figured out who the Red Force was going to be.

I was having a hard time imagining who the Red Force was with the setting that comes in the book. The Red Force units are quite generic and work as a collective rather than a group of individuals if that makes sense.

All I could think of was the Star Wars universe with imperial forces, but I didn't want to go there. I'm pretty burnt out on anything Star Wars.

Then Terminator Genisys: Rise of the Resistance caught my eye on my shelf and suddenly I had my Red Force!

It's after Judgement Day and the machines rule the world. The Resistance fighters are fighting for their lives in Mission 1: Data Grab from Operation Gemini.

I set the table up as a post apocalyptic rural area using the Fallout Wasteland Warfare playmat, rocks I had made for Gloomhaven and Gaslands, along with some Plast Craft Games and Battlefield in a Box terrain I've had for a while. It's great to get use out of so many different pieces of terrain. Setting up is a very fun part for me too.

The objective was a data unit located in the centre of the table. The enemies set up in a 12"x12" grid surrounding the objective while my Resistance soldiers start in a corner.

I had them setup behind a rock formation and then proceeded to use terrain as cover to move up closer to the centre.

I sent one soldier off to one side while I moved everybody else into more of a central area in order to try to get the Terminators away from the centre. It didn't quite work but as time went on I was able to pick the enemies off one by one but not without a good measure of lucky dice rolls but also good positioning.

Towards the end I played a rule wrong. Once I had wiped the board clean of enemies, I should have rolled for complications each turn. Complications are from a chart in the book that can bolster the enemy forces or spawn new enemies. However, if the option on the chart can't be applied then nothing happens. I had rolled one of these where nothing happened and then kind of went with it from then on when instead I should have been checking every turn. In the next mission of the campaign I'm probably going to add those rolls in and see how things work out that way because I didn't find the game too difficult. However, you can get injured really quick so we'll see how it turns out!

You can also watch the full playthrough below:


I'm definitely going to play the next missions in the operation Gemini campaign as I work through a long list of sci-fi skirmish games I own.

[Kontuz]

Nice to see another battle report video from you. You put together a nice playable table, not too busy, not too little terrain.

I haven't gotten around to play HW-ZD but I've looked it over a fair bit. I like that it's different from most game systems, and very solo / co-op friendly. The mechanic of Cautious Movement stands out in particular as something to build from when putting a team together.

I'm thinking I'd lean towards always including one figure with both high Discipline and the Stealthy trait to generate bonus actions for the team while continually gimping the Red Force. Then I'd add in another with both high Fight and the Gun-Fu trait to be the teams Squad Automatic Weapon trooper analog.

Are you planning on doing more using HW-ZD as you progress this campaign? What systems are up next?

[pauld]

Another excellent video play through after the Rogue Stars episode.

 I have the rules but not played Zero Dark and this encourages me to try them out in the flesh.

Please continue, how about Hardwired (now renamed to something I can't remember just now) next?

[pauld]

how about Hardwired (now renamed to something I can't remember just now) next?

Remembered! now called Exploit Zero

[Logus Vile]

I'm thinking I'd lean towards always including one figure with both high Discipline and the Stealthy trait to generate bonus actions for the team while continually gimping the Red Force. Then I'd add in another with both high Fight and the Gun-Fu trait to be the teams Squad Automatic Weapon trooper analog.

That's sounds like a good plan. I think there's some flexibility and options available to allow several different approaches like yours.

Are you planning on doing more using HW-ZD as you progress this campaign? What systems are up next?

I will be doing at least the 3 mission Operation Gemini of which this is the 1st mission. After that I'm not sure. I do have the Nemesis supplement but it may take some time getting there.

As for other systems, I have recorded a Gaslands playthrough and am in the middle of the second mission of Chrome Hammer Ascension. After that, I have a few games I'm thinking about like Space Weirdos, Five Parsecs Bug Hunt, and Super Mission Force. But that's not set in stone, I'm going to go with what I feel like playing plus what I can put on the table because I want to have a "great time" doing this otherwise what's the point!? Hah!

Please continue, how about Hardwired (now renamed to something I can't remember just now) next?

I've had Hardwired now known as Exploit Zero for a while, what's held me back is the number of enemy troops you need for each die type. If I understand correctly, you need 10 of each level of troop, i.e. 10 D6 troops, 10, D8 troops, 10 D10 troops.

I'd love to try it out though and if at some point I can get a consistent force painted up, I'll do it.



Also, I'd like to thank you both for the compliments and watching. It encourages me to continue not only because I'm having fun but it's definitely an added incentive when other people enjoy it as well.