Five Parsecs from Home - Turn 1

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Reece traded (gaining 2 credits), Nathaniel recruited Mila; Anul and Kari Explored (gaining a rumour along the way), and Jack trained.

The crew were then given a mission by Nathaniel’s Patron.  A group of raiders had stolen a military grade Nano-fabricator machine during an attack on a Unity convoy.  Unfortunately, contrary to standard protocol, it had been left with its memory bubble installed whilst in transit.  In the wrong hands it could be used to construct anything from a handgun to a tactical nuke.  To make matters worse, the officer responsible for it is politically well connected and suppressing information about the incident, hampering any attempt at recovery.  Time for our heroes to step in…

The raiders had been tracked to an abandoned agri-research station out in the red wastes.  The job was to get in there, find the fabricator, and enter the kill code provided by the patron to reduce it to a useless pile of junk.

Former Agri Station R1101

Facing them were four raiders, with rifles and a shotgun, rated as ‘aggressive’.

As the encounter started, the raiders were holed up in the agri station’s hab unit.  Half the crew, armed with rifles, would cover it, while the remainder searched the three storage sheds (needing a 5+ to find the fabricator, with it being in the last one searched if not found before; the raiders would hear something was up and leave the hab on a 5 or 6 in any turn).

Taking up position covering the entrance to the Hab in the distance

Jack, Nathaniel and Kari took up position behind the abandoned harvester, watching the hab unit door; while Reece, Anul and Mila went to search the stores.

 Sneaking the side way, but Reece has been spotted

Unfortunately, Reece was spotted crossing open ground in only turn two, and the raiders came spilling out looking for trouble.  Jak took one down immediately on opportunity fire, and Nathaniel another, but Jak was knocked down himself by the raider with the shotgun (rolling a lucky 6 to hit).  Having taken casualties, both sides took morale tests, racking up one failure each.

The raiders sally ahead

 "Man Down!!!"

A short, but deadly exchange of fire (for both side) over the abandoned station

The next turn saw Kari taken down by another lucky shot from the raiders, but Anul evened the score, taking one out with his blast pistol at short range.  Nathaniel hit the raider’s leader, but failed to wound, only stunning him.  With the choice of either moving or shooting, the last raider attempted a last stand, but was obviously too shaken by his near miss to hit anyone.  Nathaniel had no such problem though, and bagged his second raider of the day.

Blast pistol to the face, nearly don

Just four turns and it was all over.

Checking afterwards, it turned out that Jak had taken a leg wound that would put him in sick bay for one campaign turn, while Kari was only knocked out.  The team gained another rumour, but also another enemy (the raiders weren’t going to take this humiliation lightly).  Loot rolls went well, gaining a total of 12 credits, rations (no need to pay for upkeep next turn), a repair kit, and an alien artifact (which turned out to be a suit of flex armour once 10 Cr had been spent analysing it).

Thoughts:

A quick and really fun game.  Th campaign system encourages a strong narrative, gaining a new enemy seemed just the right result.  The crew were lucky not to come out of it worse though.

Which brings me to the combat system.  It’s pretty basic, but that also makes it very quick to resolve, so it depends where your priorities sit.  One thing I struggled with a bit was the initiative system.  The turn is split into three phases, quick, normal and slow actions, and you roll a number of dice equal to your crew size then distribute them to determine who acts in what phase, which is a nice idea.  The difficulty was that, as I read it, any dice roll over your highest reaction score is discarded.  As most crews will start out with a reaction score of only one, there would be a good chance of none of them acting during a turn, giving the enemy free reign.  I got around it by assuming that anyone not acting in the quick phase would act in the slow, regardless of dice.  Of course it could be I’m just mis-reading it.

I have to say it wouldn’t be difficult to use whatever your favourite combat system is instead (for example I was tempted to try using the Rogue Trader one, simply because it’s engrained in my thinking ) as the real strength in this game is the narrative created by the character generation process and campaign system anyway.

The worst part of it is that I also want to be having a go at Five Leagues from the Borderland as well…

Dwarf Wizard

Dwarf Wizard, nuff said...

Dwarf Generals

A couple more of the short hairy ones.  These are form the Dwarf General's War Council that Grenadier produced, I've managed to pick up some elements from it.  Getting the full set seems tricky, it's listed on EM4 miniatures website, but has been out of stock for ages.

 The second figure has a great fur cloak, but the pose is oddly one dimensional and static, not the best of Nick Lund's work.

Templar

Frostgrave Templar from Northstar.  Really enjoyed painting this one, bit of an old school feel (and no skullz) and gave me a chance to practice painting techniques on armour and my shading and highlighting.  Kept the palette subdued to keep the look of a wandering adventurer.  Might be useful for Five Leagues from the Borderlands.

Needs a shield.  The mini came with a heater type, but I feel it needs something different

Still find shading large areas challenging.  Didn't help that I was using GW Charadon Granite, which has a drying time practically in the nano-seconds!

Airfix Battles

Had a proper try out of the Airfix Battles game by Modiphius tonight, something I've been meaning to do for a while.

The introductory scenario pits two equal 'platoons' against each other, consisting of two squads of 10 and a small squad of veterans.

The system is card driven, with everything you need to know about each squad/unit, set out on a card, and a deck of order cards for actions.  Any card can be used for a basic action, but the real fun comes with the special actions, some of which can only be used by certain unit types.  How many cards you get to hold and use depends on your officers, which makes for some interesting choices about whether to protect your officers or use their (slightly) improved combat abilities.

Everything needed is in the box, and good quality.  Dice, counters and maps.

I forgot to set up the rough ground, so sue me...

Both sides initially sought to gain cover of the buildings with their infantry squads while holding their captains and veterans in reserve.

The Germans used a 'sweeping advance' card (+2 move and fire) to get in cover on their right flank and fire on the US troops in the building opposite (the US made good cover saves, only taking one casualty).

In return, US captain used an artillery strike card on them, causing two casualties, enough to cause morale test, pinning the unit (pinned units are marked by turning their card on its side, a second failed test results in retreating, a third in a rout).  The Germans then used 'rapid advance' on the squad on the left flank to charge ahead and occupy the southern building on the US side of table, right in front of a (probably startled) squad of GIs.  However miserable dice rolling only caused two casualties and the US squad passed their morale test.

(rubbish photos from my ipad)

The US squad in the northern building sacrificed shooting to use a 'dig in' card. 

The Germans had some interesting cards ('sweeping advance' and 'superb teamwork'), but weren't able to capitalise on them.  The Germans in the north building rallied using their Captain's value and fired on their US opposites again.  Before they did the US tried to play an 'it ain't so bad card' to regain 2 casualties (certain cards can be used to interrupt the opponent's turn), but it got cancelled bythe German's own 'counter intelligence' interrupt card.  Another two US casualties were caused but they passed their morale check again. 

Rather than keep getting shot at in the open, the US squad in front of the German squad to the south, they risked an assault.  They lost three to defensive fire, caused three in return, but took another hit to a counterattack.  Both sides ended up pinned, the Germans tried using the Valour Counter to re-roll their morale test but still failed (the side holding the counter can re-roll a dice or dice, but then have to hand it to the other side).  The German Captain and Veterans started moving up the middle to support the attack (trusting to holding onto a 'hit the deck' interrupt card in case of trouble).

(The GIs attempt an assault, leaving both sides pinned)

The Germans won initiative for the next turn.  The squad who were pinned after the assault  attempted an 'open up' order (re-roll misses) but were unable to rally and stayed pinned. The US squad to their front had no such trouble and used the same card to good effect, forcing the German squad to retreat.  The German Captain used 'Commando Assault' (fire then move with +2) to open up on the US north squad (causing two casualties but no pins) and then occupy the house the other squad has just left.  The US squad on the north then used 'hold the line' to fire on the German command with an extra die (putting down two veterans).  The remaining German squad opposite fired back but to no effect.

Looking to end things quickly, the US Captain then used a 'rapid advance' move to get on the flank of the German command and assault the building.  They took one casualty to defensive fire but in return wiped out the enemy Captain and Veterans and occupied the building

With that, the US had destroyed three stars of the enemy and had a solid victory, ending the game.

The rules were really easy to pick up and follow, with most rolls being based on one stat for the unit (shown on the card).  The order cards are simple, you can always carry out a basic order (so long as the unit isn't pinned), but the special orders really add to it, allowing for some bold moves.  In larger games, I can also see how they encourage balanced combined arms forces to make best use of the special orders.

Interesting to think that, if the game had continued, the loss of their captain would have reduced the Germans to only one action card per turn.  Risking the officers really is a last ditch measure.

Five Parsecs from Home Campaign

Keen to get some actual gaming in, I'm going to try Five Parsecs from Home by Nordic Weasel games (Ivan Sorenson).  I like Ivan's games (having played the 'Five Men in' games a few times).  I like the more role playing type elements and the focus on solo playability.  Five Parsecs is suppose to evoke the sort of adventures depicted in Firefly and the old Traveller RPG.

Scale was an early question.  28mm was a possibility, but would take a lot of room.  I didn't want to go for 15mm and add yet another scale to my collection.  Then I found some old GW Dark Future minis in the collection, added a few more via ebay and hey presto.  I can always press in a few 1/72nd minis as stand ins as necessary.

Next job, roll up a crew.  Lets meet them:

Reece Jonand

Background: Wealthy Merchant

Motivation: Discovery

Class: Explorer

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The youngest son of one of the great traditional trading houses of Espilon III, on reaching his majority Reece had the stark choice of a lifetime of closeted luxury as a ‘spare’ (in every sense of the word), or a one off payment in return for severing all ties and claims on the family forever.  He chose the money and freedom, and never looked back.  Enthusiastic, optimistic, sometimes naive; Reece now explores the Fringe as Captain Owner of his own ship, the Astral Envoy, along with his crew of loveable rogues.

Anul (Beloved one of the Multiverse)

Background: Alien Culture

Motivation: Faith

Class: Trader

Quest Clue

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Not even his crew mates know what Anul is under his robes and skin tight environment suit, or which planet he hails from.  All they do know is that he tells them (via his somewhat idiosyncractic translator unit) that he was chosen by his species to commune with the peoples of the wider universe, and his mania for trading for bizarre and apparently unrelated tech and trinkets, which he then sends to wherever home is.  Whatever, he (or she, or it) seems to have knack for getting on with people, and helping them get on with each other.

Kari Rezal

Background: Beauracratic Class

Motivation: Glory

Class: Bounty Hunter

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Kari’s life should have been mapped out for her.  The right parents, the right schools, then a lifetime of progression through Unity bureaucracy until retirement with a comfortable pension on a core world.  She chose something different.  Her impulsive behaviour occasionally leads to tensions with the crew, and Reece in particular.

Jacken Hardson (‘Jack’)

Background: Industrial World

Motivation: Loyalty

Class: Soldier

Patron (gang lord)

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Jacken would describe himself as ‘uncomplicated’.  That is, he would if he were inclined to such levels of introspection.  A former soldier, factory worker, fiercely loyal to his friends and Captain, there’s no better man to have beside you in a firefight.  Jacken keeps in contact with the gang master from his factory days, who occasionally sends the odd job his way.

Nathaniel

Background: Orphan Programme

Motivation: Revenge

Class: Trouble Shooter

Enemy

Patron (Government Administrator)

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An orphan of the great Rift Raids, Nathaniel was brought up in an official Unity orphan programme.  His case worker noted the young orphan’s quick wits and knack for problem solving, and found him work troubleshooting for the Unity in places where a more ‘official’ approach might be counter-productive, and still on occasion turns to him and his new colleagues for off the books jobs. Nathaniel has not forgotten his origins though, and his efforts to get his (and the other Rift orphan’s) sealed records open has not gone unnoticed in some quarters…

Mila

Background: Religious Cult

Motivation: Escape

Class: Agitator

Enemy

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Recruited by Nathaniel to round out the crew, Mila escaped her cult family as a teen, and has been making herself a nuisance to then ever since, exposing them and their practices.  Recently she may have been a bit too successful, and hopes signing on with a crew will give her a degree of extra security.  Very reserved, most of her new colleagues are still unsure of her (with the exception of Anul of course, who’s welcoming to everyone).

Base, bases and more bases

Basing has been the order of the day recently.  As I've mentioned before it's a job that I have little love for, but has to be done.  MDF bases in 25mm and 20mm were duly procured from Warbases, plus a restock of superglue (generally use the gel for basing, as it helps with any uneven surfaces.

On the one hand, it may me appreciate the invention of the slottabase more.  On the other it was actually quite heartening; ended up reviewing what I'd done recently and realising I've done a fair amount of painting recently compared to my usual snail's pace output.

A question does arise though: do I complete these bases the way I normally would (sand, paint and drybrush, add static grass), or do I go completely with the old school theme and go straight with the painted sand approach (a little like those already painted and based orcs lurking at the back)?

Not content with that, I also based up a horrendous number of old GW Dark Future miniatures on pennies.  More on that shortly...