SECTOR12

[Chimpfoot]

For any Hooligans out there….


Mission 2: ATTACK

The Grenades, the grenades, remember the grenades...

'...You were walking round the whole time with two frags in your pocket?'

As with many solo games not everything is remembered in the heat of battle so this time let's try and remember the frags shall we?

The second mission in the mini/warm-up campaign is an ATTACK on the overgrown ruins that our heroes spy through the trees so no need for any Searches just kill everything. Setup generated 3 Tentacles, 2 Giant Spiders, 3 Mutts and 1 Hyena Tick. (Mmmmmm) scattered mostly around the centre of the board. The adversaries took the initiative (surprise me) and off we go...

Turns 1-4

Two Mutts moved to size up Cole but his Flak Coat still smelled of arachnid from the last mission so he took a couple of speculative shots at the first spider scoring 1 and 3 wounds and taking it out.

'Right people you've seen how I do it so let's go...'

Frag time! Radcliffe got that crazy look in his eye, moved 6 and tossed a killer pineapple at the tentacles (bang on target) while spawning a brace of Alien Savages for rolling a 12 for activation. The first tentacle took three hits and instantly relocated, the second was fine, as was the second spider and the third tentacle was saved by its armour.

A distant Mutt looked up at the commotion and took a piece of shrapnel in the spleen for its curiosity and another piece grazed Cole as he was standing just within effective range.

'Radcliffe you ape that was my good hat!' 
'Sorry Boss, my bad. Good shot though eh?'
 
The second spider moved to protect a salvage marker and the tick closed in on the crew. Butler shot at the other two mutts killing one and taking the other down to a single condition point while Hooper moved up 6 inches. An altogether productive first turn.

Turn 2 was a quieter affair with Cole taking out another Mutt with his single shooting action. The Hyena Tick fancied its chances against the Pathfinder and dealt him a solid hit that was only saved by a Flak Coat but suffered a swift machete death for its valour. Butler only managed a stuttering 6 inch move and Hooper failed to activate at all. The savages moved in together and the remaining spider random moved 4 inches away. The bad news was that the tentacles, devoid of attention relocated to the far side of the board, which was going to make taking them out all the more difficult.

In the Attack scenario there is an automatic spawning at the start of turns 3 and 4. Turn 3 delivered another Giant Spider as the adversaries took the initiative. The first spider random moved just short of Radcliffe, and Cole shot point blank at the savages, doing for one and knocking the other down to 1 Condition. The last savage rolled 2 for its actions and got close enough to Close with Butler but nothing came of it besides a bit of shoving and name calling.

Radcliffe got 3 actions, killing a spider with a shotgun blast then lost his grip on his last frag with a bit of a wild throw that caused no damage. Hooper finally woke up moving 12, revealing two salvage markers and flushing two Rad Rat swarms from their burrow.

The spawning at the start of turn 4 generated a Carnivorous Ape in the deployment square 10 inches behind the slow moving crew (marvellous news).

Cole's three actions brought a 6 inch move, a shot on a tentacle for nothing then another move for 1 salvage in the bag and another held if he didn't move again. The rats began to circle Hooper who had become somewhat separated but couldn't find an opening. Radcliffe didn't plan to waste his two actions but did, he moved into short range and gave a spider both barrels. 3 dice for damage, result, until he rolled two out of a possible sixteen for wounds, the spider just shrugged and went back to his screenplay, meh.

Butler was in base contact so even with his default move had to fight and lightly beat the savage to death with his rifle butt. Hooper didn't care for the swarms surrounding her but only hit two stones, a tree and a lot of grass with her two shoot actions.

HALF TIME
 

[Mr. White]

For any Hooligans out there….

ha! thanks!

I enjoy seeing folks create their own little worlds. I need to dip more into solo gaming myself. It may be the best way I get some rulesets played... :/

[mikedemana]

Sounds like the rules are perfectly tailored to solo play! Fun reading along...

Mike Demana

[Chimpfoot]

Thanks Mike

The Attack : Part 2

Turns 5-8

Turn 5 heralded a golden period for our heroes though Cole's failure to activate didn't show it. The rats, having survived the pistol barrage last turn charged Hooper, one of them paying with their lives to wound her and cost her an activation for this turn.

The ever optimistic Radcliffe decided it was time that someone put a dent in the tentacle situation. Two longish shots bounced off the armoured hide of one but took the second tentacle down to a single condition point. It relocated 5 inches away in disgust. The spider saw a chance and tried to nibble one of Radcliffe's legs off but couldn't get above 6 from the two dice it rolled.

Butler top scored for actions and called his animal friends to come and have a go if they thought they were hard enough and a zimian savage obliged him. He then spent his two actions taking pot shots at the tentacles, one was saved by its armour but the other disappeared below ground for good, minus a few bad smelling chunks. Finally the carnivorous ape wanted a closer look at one of the salvage items, a path that would take it through Butler.

'Boss? what's the procedure for 13 foot gorillas again?'
'Not sure...have you tried soiling yourself?'
'Yes...it's still after me...'
 
The crew took control again in turn 6, with Cole pinging a wound from one of the tentacles, while Radcliffe, who is fast becoming the crew's rising star, saw off the advances of a giant spider, then after wiping the innards from his boot ATC'd toward the nearest tentacle and blasted 3 wounds of it with some close range scattergun antics. Tyke.

The rats went after Hooper once more but she simply used their bodies as a trampet. Butler the Ape wrangler, called two more zimians with a random spawning, then decided that he didn't really like super intelligent monkeys after all and slopped off in the other direction, bagging a salvage and holding another if he didn't move before time was called. Hooper concurred and fast walked from where the apes were massing, while the cowardly tentacles relocated behind the woods. (not James).

Turn 7 saw Cole leaving his held salvage in favour of a pop at the tentacles but his shot was deflected by wartiness.  The carnivorous ape was distracted by a salvage point and Radcliffe rolled another 12 for actions bringing a wandering dinosaur to the party, his long range shots at the tentacles killed one but for the second he needed a 12 to take it out and could only manage an 11.

Two of the zimians wanted the salvage that Butler (who only default moved so elected to stand still and HOLD his lot) is codling and moved in, the third zimian savage shambled off in favour of some easier pickings while Hooper quietly claimed a salvage marker for the crew by only just negotiating a spot of rough terrain.

Last turn and Cole's shot ricocheted off the last tentacle's armour again, the two zimians declared that they were finally hard enough but Butler, in taking a wound and losing his activation, beat them both back in a fair fight with nothing more than a rifle butt and a pair of soiled combat trousers, surely worth a drink at the bar should he survive.

Radcliffe manages to get within short range of the last tentacle and blows its tip off, sending it slurping back to the depths from which it came forever, killing the last of the adversaries that needed to die for victory. 

Elsewhere Hooper protects the salvage the crew so desperately need but pays the ultimate price at the creepily long fingered hands of a zimian savage.

With three apes and a dinosaur converging on the suddenly pasty looking Butler...the game ends.

Pics and DOWNTIME to follow….

[Chimpfoot]

DOWNTIME

Didn't think they would pull it off but 'Damn people!'...how's Hooper by the way?

Hooper rolls a 'think it's busted' result for survival and bereft of any medical supplies will sit out the next mission but she will survive.

So goodies time…salvage was much better, Butler claimed 1 and held 1, and Cole claimed 1 too and along with one for each surviving crew comes to 6.

Meaning…a shiny new backpack and Flak Coat for Radcliffe and a couple of stun grenades.

Butler also got a Flak Coat and Cole got some Armour Piercing rounds for his handgun (ironic). There were also loads of Rations found including a Cache which brings the crew an extra EXP point.

Speaking of experience points...All the starting adversaries were cleared plus 1 for the Cache gives 5 in total.

So Butler gets his Tradetongue skill improved (handy) and an Intellect and Melee improvement, raising them both up a rank. Hooper gets a Condition point to toughen her up and Melee improvement too.
 
And that’s about your lot
Honestly thought we were screwed at half-time but the dice gods smiled on a few rolls and we bring home the big W 🥳
About time we would have been up against it for the next scenario.
Speaking of which…

[Chimpfoot]

And the candy…

[Chimpfoot]

Mission 3: Incidental rescue

Following Hooper's survival roll at the end of the last mission the thought occurred that she may be sitting out mission 3 for reasons other than injury...what if she in fact captured by the disgruntled alien savages.

This would necessitate the remaining three crew mounting a rescue mission and seeing as they would be somewhat shorthanded it would give a chance to experiment with a smaller table setup. Further, the adversaries for the scenario would only need to be taken from the alien savages plus a couple of new faces for a little spice.

The rules already offer a Rescue mission and in the spirit of SECTOR 12, rules are guides to be patiently listened to...and then ignored in favour of thrilling adventure.

So the table was set up as per the pics using the complications rules with only one objective marker generated. Hooper would play no active role in the scenario but rather act as the 'package' to be secured and guided off the board.

Turns 1-4

A slow start with everyone moving or double moving across the board as they need to cover some space and fight in the opponent’s half should anything go wrong. The two alien savages that had been left to guard the hostage/sacrifice milled around a bit.

'Hey have you seen that new t68 speeder...?'

Cole's next move revealed the only marker as another savage, a hunting dog and a bit of loot. The rest of adversary forces woke up at this point with one targeting Cole and the other moving in on Radcliffe who took 2 condition points off it for its trouble. Butler's nerves surfaced again and only managed a default move.

Things really kicked off in turn 3, Cole claimed the salvage marker and then took careful aim at his preferred target...aliens...the first shot was saved by thick extraterrestrial bone nodules and the second was a jam. This didn't bode well...

The savage spat out a tooth, issued a suitably blood chilling battle cry and immediately charged Cole, delivering 4 hits with some frankly rather impressive Jackie Chan sh*t! One wound was saved by Cole's armour but the other three were enough to take him out of the game.

Marvellous. Five turns without the main man...

Butler had a miss and two shots on target saved then was forced onto combat much as had been his unlucky boss. The savage double activated which meant two rounds of combat to survive, a miss, a hit and a wound saved followed by a hit a save and three unsaved wounds saw the savage sink to the ground...its place in ET Valhalla secured.

The weird looking dog that nobody liked the smell of, moved in to support its handler and fortunately the third savage was unable to satisfactorily sight Butler so had to hold onto its poison dart. Butler then scored two hits with his ATC and a wound on the ring leader.

'For you Cole!'

The savages took the initiative in turn 4, the leader random moved away, wary of Radcliffe's boom stick but he needn't have worried. The sights had taken a knock and all he managed with his two shots was some sacrilegious damage to the priceless alien ruins. The rest began to close in, crowding our heroes with moves that came up just short of contact and Butler pulled a well thrown dart from his shoulder, thanking his flak coat for soaking up the damage

Turns 5-8

Due to the ferocity of the savages the surviving crew were technically no closer to Hooper than at the end of turn 1. Then Radcliffe failed his activation...the hunting dog sensed the hesitation and leapt through the gap at the strongest crew member and literally chewed him right out of the game with 4 wounds.

...then there was one...

Still hungry it went for the last man but yelped in mid air as Butler's first shot removed its third kidney.

'See you in ugly dog heaven!'

The leader let out a gargling scream that was later translated as...

'...Mr Fluffy Boots!!!!!...'

...but couldn't get close enough to attack and was forced to watch Butler's second shot find its mark also, stopping the other savage from activating.

The leader closed with 'The wicked dog murderer of Sector 12' and knocked Butler down a condition point but lost one too and they were both driven back, in the space that was created Butler got his rifle up and sent the leader the same way as his beloved pooch.

The last savage was not at all happy watching this warrior from another world chop up his mates and best dog and moved off to the salvage left by Cole's demise.

They fought again in turns 7 and 8, blocking, circling and feinting but neither was hurt and as the light began to fade the two exhausted fighters locked eyes. A moment of understanding and perhaps respect passed between them, no one would win this day but they would return tomorrow and perhaps finish this...with a nod they both turned and made off in different directions through the trees.

Mission Failure.
 
 
DOWNTIME

Well not much to do here. Two rolls brought the only reward for the game. 1 EXP for Cole's tall story of survival which went to Butler for a +1 Melee seeing as he was the only one that really did any hard work and the only one that made to the end of the game. No salvage was recovered.

So...our crew must return to the site of their defeat. Or should they?

Technically speaking Hooper will return to the crew for the next mission after recovering from her wounds whatever happens so we come to a fork in the road. Either...

1) She slips her shackles while the savages are burying their fugly dog, returns to the crew of her own accord and our heroes seek a different adventure.

2) Or she remains captive and a battered crew decide that no man/woman/person is left behind and attempt the rescue once again?   

We also have a more pressing issue. Apart from Cole who has enough armour piercing rounds for two missions, the crew is completely out of ammo. Along with the utter paucity of hand to hand weapons whatever happens it will be tough going.

Thoughts? Preferences?
Cheers all
 

[mikedemana]

Yikes! That was a close one!! What would you have done if the alien knocked out the last crew member? Written them off and started over with a new crew?

Mike Demana

[Chimpfoot]

Hey Mike
If you mean if all three had failed their after game survival rolls? Then errrr….
That would have been a bummer 🤣 and pretty typical of my ability to roll dice too but it would mean that either you fold the crew, report back to base for reinforcements or you could play a ‘solo’ solo game with just Hooper on her own. Maybe an escape scenario flowed by a pursuit? She could maybe pick up some new crew mates on the way ( there are rules for adding savages to your crew human ape and alien) so there are always options.
The brains ticking now!!!
Cheers 👍🏼🤣

[mikedemana]

That's very cool. I like how you look at the "end" as just a new beginning... 

Mike Demana

[CapnJim]

This all has been thoroughly entertaining. I like your story style.

We also have a more pressing issue. Apart from Cole who has enough armour piercing rounds for two missions, the crew is completely out of ammo. Along with the utter paucity of hand to hand weapons whatever happens it will be tough going.
Thoughts? Preferences?

Well, you could do a mission where they set out to purchase, obtain, steal, or otherwise tactically acquire ammo and HTH weapons...then get back to the business at hand...

[Chimpfoot]

Cheers Mike and captain Jim👍🏼

There’s a thought…there are bound to be  villages and population centres etc in SECTOR12 waiting to be discovered, even one of the Hoon townships.
And although theft, burglary and pilferage do not officially appear in the Pathfinders handbook…hard times and all.
Idea…ammo dump/storage facility, under cover of darkness steal in and liberate some choice sundries. Adversaries: guards (possibly drunk) guard dogs (possibly mutant) would need to kit bash some kind of covert movement and spotting rules but mmmmmm…🤔 could be done….

[James Mahdeep Bond V]

Last  pages of the string show figures with clear bases. Have seen lots of clunky bases that are ill-fitting with the given terrain. Many built up bases are beautifully done. Clearly a well done and appointed base enhances the look of the figure.  However clear base gives uncluttered view of the actual terrain footing below the figure. It is a clean look that allows a figure to represent whatever terrain the fig is standing in. Good job.

[Chimpfoot]

Thanks Mr Bond 👍🏼
I agree though I do sometimes cringe when moving clear based figures around a table that has terrain covered in glued and painted sand 😳
Very scratchy to my borderline ocd 🙄🤣
To tell the truth I swing from one end to another I like the way the clear bases look bit sometimes I just feel like making some scenic bases too
Ahhhh the life of the fickle war gamer 🤷‍♂️👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼

[Akrim]

This is such a cool thread! I really enjoyed reading it.
I love the simian warriors, nice paintwork all around.
Hope there is more to come.