SA PBF GAME 1: Fight in the Graveyard

[Sheerluck Holmes]

Introduction:

The tip off the Threshold agents had managed to beat out of the cultist proved to be worth the bruised knuckles Agent Mckenzie was now sporting, for here in the cemetery was the cult leader and some followers up to some nefarious deed.

 It wasn't going to be easy... the cult leader had brought more than a knife to a gun fight, but at least the Threshold agents had the drop on these shady customers....



Turn one: Threshold Agents... orders please 

[Malebolgia]

Wong eyed the situation before him. He saw several dark shapes moving about in the shades of the cemetary. To his left, Diggler was loading his shotgun, abtly named Boomstick, and to his right was McKenzie. The Irish man was chewing on tobacco. He spat on the ground and then looked to Wong. "We're going in boss?", he wispered. Wong nodded and gave the signal to advance silently towards the
congregation. Suddenly a long hiss was emited by one of the lurkers...a snake man. The time for stealth was gone...time to decide this guns blazing!

Johnny Wong uses the Command skill and nominates Dirk Diggler and Angus McKenzie.
All models spend their actions to move.
-Johnny Wong moves to E6
-Dirk Diggler moves to E2
-Angus McKenzie moves to F11

[Sheerluck Holmes]

"Curses! It is Wong and his meddlesome agents!", the shrill voice of the Cult Leader cut through the gloomy silence that engulfed the graveyard. "Kill them before I rip your hearts out!" he ordered, snapping his fingers* to indicate his minions should advance and deal with the Threshold Agents once and for all.

(* not bad seeing as the figure has gloves on!)



I activate the cult leader and the cultist with the pistol and the one with the knife. The two cultist move forward one move and take cover behind gravestones, to P9 and N6 respectively.

The Cult leader spend his actions lamenting on the fact that maybe he should have left the cultist with the knife behind and chosen another with a firearm. Trust the novice to bring a knife to a gun fight.

 The Cultist with the shotgun is considered to be Alert.

[Malebolgia]

Wongs calls out to Diggler: "Take position at the graves at 10 o'clock...Angus, take cover near that tree and shoot that darn cultist. We need to get rid of them fast, before they bring out the big guns!". Wong takes out his pistols and readies himself for the combat..."

Okay, let's see. Wong nominates Diggler and McKenzie.
If I see this right, Wong has line of sight to the Cultist with knife, right? If so...BLAM! BLAM! He spends 1 action to fire 2 shots at the cultist in John Woo style.

[Sheerluck Holmes]

Bang Bang (6,1) [a 4 rolled = no critical hit on the 6, a 3 rolled =no Jam on the 1]

Despite being behind partial cover, the tombstone offers no protection as a slug slams home into the cultist.
(4+2 = 6 vs 5 = wound +1. Injury = 7+1 = minor injury, remove from table)

The cultist with the pistol makes a resolve test after seeing his fellow go down and fails (3 = revulsion) and runs.
His movement is 5, so he makes it off the table!!!!! 

"Shub-Niggurath hear me! Give us the power to defeat your enemies!". The Cultleader didn't know if his prayer would be heard or even answered, but it didn't hurt to try.

I activate the Cult leader and move the Cultist  with the shotgun to R7.

The Cult leader and Serpentman are alert.




Notes: Hmmm... I was wondering if the Tree (at H6) between Wong and the Cultist with the knife blocks LOS, but there is enough of a gap that I will allow it. The figure with the knife was a bit useless anyway, so he can die for his stupidity 

[Malebolgia]

Wong aimed his trusty .45's, released his breath, pulled both triggers and saw the bullets fly. One flew wide, but the other bullet hit the cultist squarely in the chest. It was as if the robed man was blown away in slow motion. The cultist with the pistol realized what kind of force they were dealing with and decided to run. He didn't want to die for some stupid God.
Diggler whistled. "Nice shooting, boss"

Woohoo! First blood. Go Wong.
Uhm, but didn't I have my activations of Diggler and McKenzie as I used the command skill? Ah well. Here goes my third turn.

Wong nominates Diggler and McKenzie.
Diggler activates, uses the 'Heroic' skill so he has three actions. He uses two actions to move to square M2. He uses his last action to shoot the cultist with shotgun with his double-barrel shotgun.
McKenzie uses two actions to move in cover beneath the tree in square J11.
Wong uses one action to move to I6, beneath the tree. If the cultist is still alive after Diggler's shooting, he uses an action to shoot the cultist with his pistols. If the cultist was removed from the game by Diggler, he moves to J8.

[D@rth J@ymZ]

I activate the Cult leader and move the Cultist  with the shotgun to R7.

The Cult leader and Serpentman are alert.

Just some ringside heckling here, but from my interpretation the Cult Leader is not considered "on Alert" seeing as he has nominated models in the previous turn.

Regardless, keep up the great work gents! I find this PBF Game very intriguing..

[Mr. Peabody]

Once the wrinkles are ironed out of this PBF approach, I would love to jump in for a game! What a great way to show off the fun of gaming Strange Aeons!

[Sheerluck Holmes]

Uhm, but didn't I have my activations of Diggler and McKenzie as I used the command skill? Ah well. Here goes my third turn.

sorry - as there were no orders listed, I didnt think to ask if you wanted to move them after you gave orders to Wong.  I kind of got into the spirit of things.  I will do a debrief after the game for ways to improve the system so it is better for the next one.

 Due to the nature of the forum game, maybe we should either state all orders for each figure, or if you want to see the results of on figure's activation, we should add... "more to follow after results of 'x' have been determined, rather as you have done for the latest turn.

 I am caught up with work at the moment, so the results for the turn will be in after 6pm my time (still within time for results for orders to be given before tomorrow).

 

[Sheerluck Holmes]

Diggler lets rip with both barrels of his shot gun. A resounding Boom reverberates around the ghoulish setting. Peering over the iron sights of his shotgun, Diggler pauses to admire his handywork.

 (6 [reroll = 2],4) = one hit, not critial. The Tombstone offers no cover, nor does the flimsy cloth worn by the cultist (6 + 2 (shotgun mod) = 8 ) as a major wound (+3 to die roll) sends him screaming to his death (11).

The bloody mess that once was one of his minions doesn't even phase the Cult leader. (6)

I active the Cult Leader, who uses command to active the Serpentman.

 "Snakey" attempts to cast "Time Shift", but the sight of so many cultist dying so quickly has distracted it (2  )
, so instead he moves forward to R10 and takes cover behind the tree.

"Nooooooo!" a hysterical cry erupts from the Cult leader upon seeing his plans being blasted away in front of him. "You will die for this!". Charging forward, the Cult leader draws his knife and rushes Digger.

 I use the first action to move him to P3, and the second one to Charge Diggler and attack him with his knife, entering N2 to do so.



Close Combat: note - I am treating the shotgun as a club for the purposes of this combat. Finally I have some luck: CL rolls 5, 4 and Diggler rolls 1, 4. This makes 5+1+1 = 7 for the cult leader, and 4 + 1 = 5 for Diggler. 7 - 5 = 2 hits on Diggler. To wound higest dice = 4 + 1 = 5, or no wound (vs CON 6).

I am having no luck at all, and it is time for the next turn.

[Malebolgia]

Diggler levels his boomstick, aims and whispers "eat lead, ya darn lacky". He pulls both triggers and the shotgun roars as both barrels unload a hail of buckshot. Although the cultist is between some headstones, he is engulfed by the shot and falls to the ground, bleeding from many wounds. "Yeehah! Diggler one...suckers zero!"
Wong and McKenzie follow up with raised weapons. Things were going according to the plan, but the two most dangerous foes were still around. They needed to close the distance to support Diggler before he could be overwhelmed by the cult leader and its reptilian friend. As Wong ran forwards he saw the Cult Leader charge forwards with a glistening knife. Diggler saw him coming and drew his own bowie knife. The two quickly got into a dirty knife fight. Although Diggler had fought in a nasty scrap before, he never faced a frenzying madman. The cult leader feigned an attack and then stuck Diggler in the side. Diggler groaned and pushed the cult leader back. "Is that all you got, ya icehole!". Wong needed to help Diggler as this may go bad!

Wowzers, this game is going by the book for Threshold and the Lurkers have a lot of bad luck going for them.
Okay...orders!
Wong nominates Diggler and McKenzie. Wong uses both actions to charge the Cultist leader and attack him with the bowie knife.
McKenzie walks to O13 to get line of sight and then shoots the Snakeman.
Diggler's actions depend on the fact whether the cult leader is still alive. If the cult leader is still alive he will attack him with his bowie knife. If Diggler survives and the cultist leader is still alive, he will attack the cultist leader again. If the cultist leader was killed by Wong and McKenzie didn't kill the Snakeman, he shoots the snakeman once or twice (depending on the demise of the cultist leader).

[Sheerluck Holmes]

It looks like I picked the wrong day to play the Lurkers! 



Results:

Close Combat: Diggler (6,6,4...no crits rolled for the 6s) vs Cult Leader (4,1... no crit failure) = D:6+1+1 (multiple opponents) = 8 vs CL: 4 + 1 = 5.  Diggler wins by 2. Damage: 4 +1 = no wound (5 vs 6 con).


Wong: Shoots (1, 3, 4) = 1 hit, no jam. Damage = 4 + 2 (6) = a wound, but as the serpentman as two wound points, he goes on.

Close Combat part 2: McKenzie: (5, 2) vs CL (5,2) = 5+1+1 = 7 vs 6. McKenzie wins by 1. Damage: 6 (and 6 again!  ) +1 + 2 = 9!!!!  Wound: with mod = minor injury, remove from table. 


The serpentman makes a resolve test and will stay in the battle.

 Activating 'snakey' he (it?)  charges McKenzie, who must take a resolve test due to the hideous nature of the serpentman (rolls a 6    )

Close Combat: the Serpentman throws my dice at McKenzie (I rolled: SM 2, McK 6,5).  [2+1 = 3 vs 6+ 1 = 7 = +4 for McKenzie. Damage rolls: 6,5,4,3... take the 6+2 (again treating the firearm as a club) = 8. Wounds: 7+1 = minor wound... remove from table - game over.

Sorry I didn't type up any of the story, as I have been doing a few things at once.

Let me know the post game sequence you want to do: who gets what skill, and the treasure hunting phase (who will do what) and the re-equipment phase.

[Sheerluck Holmes]

Thoughts on the game? worth another one? ways to make it better?

 I have a bigger and hopefully better looking map in mind for the next one.

 Sides for the next game - any takers?  I would like to keep Malebolgai as the threshold player - a) so he can develop the characters in a campaign, and b) as a reward for playing.

 Maybe I could accept multiple players if i tweak the system a bit - say a couple of Threshold players and some Lurker players, but I want to get the game running smoothly first.

 So who is interested in another game? 

[Malebolgia]

Wow, this has been the most bizarre game of SA ever! Threshold was hit only once and never suffered damage. Weird.

Maybe some more obstructions (houses, walls, etc.) to give the cultists more blocking cover so they won't be shot up so easily by Threshold? I think Threshold was having a field day as I was able to advance and unleash hell while the Lurkers didn't have a lot of ranged weaponry and were at a severe disadvantage (especially on a field with little cover and blocking scenery).

Okay, on to the post battle sequence. I have three remaining models on the table, so I roll 3D6 to see how many map pieces are found (used an online dice roller): 6, 1, 1...one map piece!

Although I like to keep playing with Threshold, I think it's a lot more interesting if someone takes over. This way the Threshold team gets played by several forum members and we get a real forum experience .

To summarize, the Threshold team has the following:

Johnny Wong - 5BP/6BP (Character)
M5 / Dex. 4+ / CON6 / A3 / W2 / Res. 3+
Skills: Command, Two Fisted
Weapons: 2 .45 handguns, Bowie knife

Dirk Diggler - 2BP/4BP (Agent)
M5 / Dex. 5+ / CON6 / A2 / W1 / Res. 4+
Skills: Heroic
Weapons: Double-barrelled shotgun, Bowie knife, .45 handgun

Angus McKenzie - 2BP/5BP (Agent)
M5 / Dex. 4+ / CON6 / A2 / W1 / Res. 4+
Skills: Tough
Weapons: Tommygun, .45 handgun, Bowie knife

Threshold has one map piece!
Threshold can give one skill to either Johnny Wong, Dirk Diggler or Angus McKenzie (+1 Base Point)

I am more than willing to play the Lurker! Love playing the bad guys
So who wants to play Threshold? The new player can pick up to 3 (!) skills and spend one map piece (maybe on a special agent? ).

Oh, and thanks for hosting this Sheerlock . It was a real blast. If you need someone to take over, let me know.

[Sheerluck Holmes]

Ah, so we keep the same Threshold characters and let other people play them for each new game? I like the idea