WINTER WAR 38 PART 2
I started Saturday by playing on the British side in Remeber Nelson, a refight of the Battle of Lissa in 1811. The game used Close Action rules, which I had played before, several years ago. The British pulled out a marginal victory (as opposed to the historical Biritsh crushing victory over the French). The French ships were all shotup and so were most of ours. Mine on the other hand, was barely touched, a couple crew killed, some Marine shot down and a bit of rigging damaged. Through a combination of luck (I rolled well and the French shooting at me rolled poorly) and more luck (Close Action has plotted movement and I always ended up in a good spot) I dealt ten times as much damage as I took.
At the annual auction I sold off enough stuff I wasn't using to pay for all the gaming stuff (miniatures and rules) I bought at the convention. I wish I had gotten a better price for my 15mm early 18th century 15mm's Anglo-Dutch and French armies, but I know the guy who bought them. They'll get plenty of playing, unlike when I had them (they sat in their bin for four years without me touching them).
In the afternoon I ran a Where Heroes Dare game, The Search for the Book.
The basic scenario was that a book two teams wanted was hidden in a field. When they showed up to find it they found other groups their looking for other items. They could fight or work with the other teams. Victory depended on finding their book, leaving the field with it, and killing off their sworn enemy (the other team looking for the same item). Since I had five people playing instead of the six I had planned for I decided that the Cultists were looking for Big Tony's Ledger, which was also being searched for by the Laew team and the Mobsters Team. In addition, Doctor X, his monster and minions battled Professor Y, his monster and minions for the lost notebook of Doctor Z (which was just full of monster making tricks and tips).
At the annual auction I sold off enough stuff I wasn't using to pay for all the gaming stuff (miniatures and rules) I bought at the convention. I wish I had gotten a better price for my 15mm early 18th century 15mm's Anglo-Dutch and French armies, but I know the guy who bought them. They'll get plenty of playing, unlike when I had them (they sat in their bin for four years without me touching them).
In the afternoon I ran a Where Heroes Dare game, The Search for the Book.
The basic scenario was that a book two teams wanted was hidden in a field. When they showed up to find it they found other groups their looking for other items. They could fight or work with the other teams. Victory depended on finding their book, leaving the field with it, and killing off their sworn enemy (the other team looking for the same item). Since I had five people playing instead of the six I had planned for I decided that the Cultists were looking for Big Tony's Ledger, which was also being searched for by the Laew team and the Mobsters Team. In addition, Doctor X, his monster and minions battled Professor Y, his monster and minions for the lost notebook of Doctor Z (which was just full of monster making tricks and tips).
The Cultists.
Lead by their Master the Cultist searched the clearing for Big Tony's Ledger. They planned to swap the ledger to Big Tony for an arcane tome that he had but didn't know the true value of.
Lead by their Master the Cultist searched the clearing for Big Tony's Ledger. They planned to swap the ledger to Big Tony for an arcane tome that he had but didn't know the true value of.
The Law
Detective Smith had been trying to get the goods on Big Tony for years. If he got the ledger Big Tony would go away for a long time on tax evasion charges.
Detective Smith had been trying to get the goods on Big Tony for years. If he got the ledger Big Tony would go away for a long time on tax evasion charges.
The Gangsters
Little Tony was sent to recover the ledger. Without it Big Tony would be unable to run his criminal empire, and if the Law got it that would be the end for his organization.
Little Tony was sent to recover the ledger. Without it Big Tony would be unable to run his criminal empire, and if the Law got it that would be the end for his organization.
Professor Y and his Monster
Professor Y was a modern man of science. No digging in graveyards for bodies to piece together for him, he preferred to work with chemicals to grow and make strong normal humans (being very short and wimpy he had a thing about growing tall and adding muscles through chemicals).
Professor Y was a modern man of science. No digging in graveyards for bodies to piece together for him, he preferred to work with chemicals to grow and make strong normal humans (being very short and wimpy he had a thing about growing tall and adding muscles through chemicals).
Doctor X and his Monster
An old-fashioned mad scientist he followed in the footsteps of the great Victor Frankenstein, and built his monsters from body parts collected by his gang of madmen and hunchbacks.
An old-fashioned mad scientist he followed in the footsteps of the great Victor Frankenstein, and built his monsters from body parts collected by his gang of madmen and hunchbacks.
Professor Y and the Cultists entered on one side of the board. Seing the Monster the Cultists quickly hid in the woods.
The Law and the Gangsters entered on the other side of the table, fortunately seperated by Doctor X and his team (look out for giant pencils and falling trees). The yellow stars were Dare locations, where the book (or something else might be).
Paulie sprinted ahead of the rest of the Gangsters to a Dare Location, which turned out just to be a rattlesnake that he easilly avoided. Dr. X's Monster raced towards a Dare location, then found out he was too stupid to figure out what it was.
After finding an empty briefcase Sergeant O'Brein started to lead his men passed an abandoned shack. Then a moonshiner who was using the shack to work in popped out an opened up on O'Brein. O'Brien was hit twice (one save because of bullet-proof vest) but cut the moonshiner down with his tommygun.
Professor Y threw a Gas Grenade at a group of Cultists and then had his Monster charge them while they were fighting off the effects of the gas. Max the Believer ignored the noxious fumes and wounded the Monster twice as it charged madly (Mad Dog Rage schtick). The Master and two other Cultists left Max and the others to face the monster, though they also scored a wounding hit on a snap fire.
Meanwhile, Paulie tried to move through some overgrown ruins on the way to another Dare marker. Unfortunately for him the ruins were that of the Acccursed Huxley Hall, scence of many acts of Black Magic and Voodoo. A remaining guardian from those times, the Howling Horror of Huxley Hall appeared and howled at Paulie stunning him (Mind Destroying Ray attack).
Jimmy the Geek led two lab assistants towards another Dare location, only to come under fire from the guns of Sergeant O'Brien, Detective Smith, and company. Professor Y complained about the bit of police brutality to no avail (when you bring your 12 year old daughter to a Gaming Convention, remember to keep her on your side of the battle otherwise she'll take great delight in attacking your army).
Though the Monster of Professor Y was a killing machine in close combat he arrived all shot up, lost the initiative, and fell to Max the Believer.
Paulie might have been stunned by the horror of the Horror but Little Tony lead da boys forward and the Horror vanished after taking numerous hits from gunfire (You may be a monster but that doesn't always help against a tommygun).
The Monster of Doctor X charges from woods against the Master and his last cultist. In a bitter battle the Monster wipes out the Cult and takes the Notebook of Doctor Z from their bodies.
For some strange reason Doctor X happily handed Big Tony's Ledger to the police. "I may be a Mad Scientist who makes monsters from the corpses of the dead, but I stillbelieve in being law abiding". No, that wasn't said, but it should have been.
Doctor X's Monster charged Professor Y. Unfortunately, he had been injured in wiping out the Cultists and Professor Y put him down with a couple gunshots. And then calmly took the Notebook of Doctor Z from him. The Monsters didn't do very well this game. Doctor X's Monster won one battle, and that only by hiding unseen in the woods until the Cultists came in charge range. The other two times the Monsters died in a hail of pistol shots (both monsters started with a Dare of 4, had Tightend Muscles which let them take their current Dare from the strength of hits against them, and had Cast Iron Arm which gave them a +3 Initiative in Hand-to-Hand and wounded on a 1-9 on 1d10 (minus target's body armor)).
In trying to help the Police escape (ignoring the fact that Professor Y had the Notebook of Doctor Z) Doctor X and his band of crazy henchmen die in a cross-fire from Professor Y and the Gangsters.
A lucky long range shot drops Sergeant O'Brien leaving his men stunned (suppressed). Detective Smith having fled the board (a mistake on the part of the player) couldn't help. The Gangsters closed on the surviving Police and gunned them down (despite and attempt by Doctor X to help them). In the end the Gangsters got Big Tony's Ledger and Professor Y had the Notebook of Doctor Z.
Saturday Night I played ina a settlers of Catan tournament. Sunday morning I played in a game of Desperado. The Federales, some American Mercenaries, and some Villaistas were trying to find gold in a small village undergoing random bomardment. The high (low?) point for me in that game came when my leader jumped in a window and promptly had his head hacked off with a machete used by a woman hiding in the building.
That last game left me with a record for the con of one win, one loss, and several I didn't lose but I came close. All in all a good con and I look forward to next years.
That last game left me with a record for the con of one win, one loss, and several I didn't lose but I came close. All in all a good con and I look forward to next years.