Brenda, who has just moved back to town (Yay!) also stopped by to give SW a try (or, having nothing better to do, was browbeaten into giving it a try) so I quickly came up with a second in command for K’s Kommando’s for her to play.
Rick decided that being Heroic was “stupid” and so voluntarily took Bad Luck instead.
Talbot IV, 8944-056
SITUATION
After last week’s episode Captian Jackson insisted on returning “the package” to Bubba the Gutt – without even opening to see what it was inside! Bubba was grateful for such a display of loyalty and declared Captain Jackson free of debt.
The Mercenaries then set about trying to find some employment and scored themselves a quick Raid Ticket on Talbot IV. A local government hired the unit to take out a pesky group of marauders that the local authorities had neither the manpower not skills to.
SCENARIO
Raid the Compound. Kill or capture all within.
(Captain Jackson sent the Wrong Way and the two engineers along to see if they could scavenge any useful spares for the ship…)
FORCES
Mercenaries and Ships Crew
Commander “K” – WC (Amanda)
Ag d8, Sm d8, Sp d10, St d6, Vg d6,
Pace 6, Parry 7, Toughness 5 (7/9)
Skills: Fighting d10, Shooting d6, Notice d6, Stealth d, Knowledge: Imperial Law d6, Knowledge: Battle d6, Streetwise d6, Investigation d6, Persuasion d6, Intimidate d6
Edges: Command, Alertness, Natural Leader, Combat Reflexes,
Hindrances: Major Enemy (Colonel Morgan),
Gear: Syn-Weev Armoured Overcoat, Knife Str+d4
Heavy Pistol (Range 15/30/60, ROF 1, Damage 2d8, AP: 2)
Mad Willie – Technician – WC (Christian)
Ag d8, Sm d10, Sp d6, St d6, Vg d6,
Pace 6, Parry 5, Toughness 6 (8)
Skills: Fighting d6, Shooting d10, Notice d6, Repair d8, Taunt d4, Pilot d6, Knowledge (Starhip Engineering) d8, Knowledge (computers) d6,
Edges: Ambidextrous, Two-fisted, Mr. Fixit,
Hindrances: Phobia (Robots), Delusional (minor – believes he’s Scottish), Delusional (Major – doesn’t believe in lasers)
Gear: Syn-Weev Armoured Vest
2x Heavy Pistol (Range 15/30/60, ROF 1, Damage 2d8, AP: 2)
“Wrong Way” Joe – Co-Pilot/navigator – WC (Rick)
Ag d8, Sm d6, Sp d4, St d10, Vg d8,
Pace 6, Parry 7, Toughness 7
Skills: Fighting d10, Shooting d8, Notice d4, Pilot d8, Knowledge (Astrogation) d8, Knowledge (Sensors) d8
Edges: Brawny, Scholar (Sensors & Astrogation), Ambidextrous
Hindrances: Enemy (minor – alien that he ripped off…), Quirk (chews tobacco), Heroic
Gear:
SMG (Range 12/24/48, ROF 3, Damage 2d6, AP: 1)
Heavy Pistol (Range 15/30/60, ROF 1, Damage 2d8, AP: 2)
Sgt. Mjr. Anderson – 2IC – WC (Brenda)
Ag d610, Sm d8, Sp d8, St d8, Vg d6,
Pace 6, Parry 7, Toughness 5(11)
Skills: Fighting d10, Shooting d8, Notice d8, Stealth d6, Intimidate d8, Throwing d6
Edges: Command, Combat Reflexes
Hindrances: Loyal (to Commander K)
Gear: Infantry Armour (+6)
Nano Sword (St+d6+2, AP2)
Mercenary Commando Fire Team (5)
Ag d6, Sm d6, Sp d6, St d8, Vg d8,
Pace 6, Parry 6, Toughness 6(12)
Skills: Fighting d6, Shooting d8, Notice d6, Stealth d6, Intimidate d6, Throwing d6
Edges:
Hindrances:
Gear: Infantry Armour (+6)
Bolt Gun (Range 24/48/96, ROF 3, Damage 2d10, AP: 6)
Cpl. “Bullseye” Jones - Mercenary Section Commander – WC (Jackson)
Ag d10, Sm d6, Sp d6, St d6, Vg d8,
Pace 6, Parry 6, Toughness 6 (12)
Skills: Fighting d8, Shooting d12, Notice d8, Stealth d8, Intimidate d4, Driving d4, Knowledge (Battle) d4, Persuasion d4
Edges: Steady Hands, Quick, Command, Quickdraw
Hindrances: Quirk (Purple Hair!), Loyal (to the unit), Vengeful (major)
Gear: Infantry Armour (+6)
Bolt Gun (Range 24/48/96, ROF 3, Damage 2d10, AP: 6)
Mercenary Commando Fire Team (5)
Ag d6, Sm d6, Sp d6, St d8, Vg d8,
Pace 6, Parry 6, Toughness 6(12)
Skills: Fighting d6, Shooting d8, Notice d6, Stealth d6, Intimidate d6, Throwing d6
Edges:
Hindrances:
Gear: Infantry Armour (+6)
Bolt Gun (Range 24/48/96, ROF 3, Damage 2d10, AP: 6)
Marauders
Angry Ali Booubbah (WC)
Ag d8, Sm d8, Sp d10, St d6, Vg d6,
Pace 6, Parry 6, Toughness 5
Skills: Fighting d8, Shooting d8, Notice d8, Stealth d6, Intimidate d6, Repair d6
Edges: Command,
Gear: Assault Rifle (Range: 24/48/96, ROF: 3, Damage: 2d8, AP:2, 3RB )
Desert Marauders #1 (4)
Ag d6, Sm d4, Sp d8, St d6, Vg d6,
Pace 6, Parry 5, Toughness 5
Skills: Fighting d6, Shooting d6, Notice d4, Stealth d4, Repair d6 (Mechanic Only),
Gear: Assault Rifle (Range: 24/48/96, ROF: 3, Damage: 2d8, AP:2, 3RB )
Desert Marauders #2 (4)
Ag d6, Sm d4, Sp d8, St d6, Vg d6,
Pace 6, Parry 5, Toughness 5
Skills: Fighting d6, Shooting d8, Notice d4, Stealth d4, Repair d6 (Mechanic Only),
Gear: Assault Rifle (Range: 24/48/96, ROF: 3, Damage: 2d8, AP:2, 3RB )
LMG (Range: 24/48/96, ROF: 4, Damage: 2d8, AP: 2, Snap Fire, Bipod, 3RB)
Desert Marauders #3 (4)
Ag d6, Sm d4, Sp d8, St d6, Vg d6,
Pace 6, Parry 5, Toughness 5
Skills: Fighting d6, Shooting d6, Notice d4, Stealth d4, Repair d6 (Mechanic Only),
Gear: Assault Rifle (Range: 24/48/96, ROF: 3, Damage: 2d8, AP:2, 3RB )
LMG (Range: 24/48/96, ROF: 4, Damage: 2d8, AP: 2, Snap Fire, Bipod, 3RB)
THE GAME
Wrong Way Joe scanned the location from Orbit and determined that there was indeed a compound at the given location and it was in fact inhabited….
The group tried to sneak up on the compound in the pre-dawn light but weren’t all that sneaky. The sentries spotted them and all hell broke loose before they even got to the compound wall. The sentries were quickly dispatched in a hail of 10mm explosive-tipped light armour-piercing rounds.
(Remember: click on the pictures for a bigger version)
The teams move up and prepare to enter the compound.
Sgt. Mjr Anderson’s team are the first into the compound.
The three ships crew skulk around outside for a bit.
Angry Ali decided to light up Anderson’s team as they entered the compound….
OOOHH! That's going to hurt!!
…and he took two out in a hail of full auto gun fire!
One of the other groups of marauders, roused from their sleep set up their LMG and took down two of Jones’ team as they entered the compound.
Everyone went for cover at that point and blazed away at each other with little effect for a couple turns.
Finally Mad Willie decided he’s had enough waiting around and charged in both pistols blazing…
…and took down one of the marauders – while dodging bullets from others that had been waiting on hold for just such an opportunity…
Wrong way followed him in, then the mercenaries, feeling a little shameful about hiding in cover while the un armoured ships crew were dashing around through the compound, made their way in… Sgt. Mjr. Anderson charged across the middle of the compound and chopped one marauder in two!
Mad Willie dashed out form the building he ducked into, guns blazing again…
…hmmmm… better benny that one…
re-rolling he hit Angry Ali – but then cause no damage…
Cpl. Jones, not to be outdone by some mad man in a skirt, bolt gun blazing away… mad Willie seeing him getting ahead left cover and gave chase.
The pair took turns blasting the defenders apart and leap-frogged through the building.
Willie was the first one in the building. He took out the last marauder on the ground floor…
…the charged upstairs in search of their leader.
The rest of Jones’ Team moved in to sweep the building and Anton dashed into the compound, but was winged by Angry Ali…
Anderson’s Team blasted apart the wall by the window Ali was shooting through, shaking him.
Ali, hearing the mad Scotsman taunting the mercenary commandos trailing behind him rushed to the stairs and riddled the area with bullets. Mad Willie, thanks to some bennies, rushed through unscathed and shot up Ali point blank – causing three wounds.
Cpl. Jones shot into the melee hitting both Mad Willie and Angry Ali – Ali he finished off, but Willie, thanks to more bennies, ended the game without a scratch.
Elsewhere, Sgt. Mjr. Anderson had collected a prisoner and Commander K had started checking on her downed Mercs.
I realized afterwards that no one there had healing!? So their wounds would likely have ended up being slightly more grievous! As it is the two injured in Anderson’s team were lightly wounded, as was one of the members of Jones’ Team, and will shortly return to action. The other wounded member of Jones’ Team was more seriously wounded and will be recuperating in the sick bay a bit longer.
Mad Willie and Anton scrounged a few spares and some new audio accessories (speaker wire… lots and lots of speaker wire…).
Coming soon to Savage Timmy’s Playhouse:
There likely won’t be an Savage Action next Saturday as I’ll be hosting my second annual Hordes of the Things Campaign Weekend – you can read all about that at Tim’s Miniature Wargaming Blog soon enough. After that the Further Adventures of the Muttonchop Express continue!
7 comments:
as always a pure joy to read about your games. Always makes me wish I lived a bit closer to your neck of the woods.
One question though... my experience with the Savage Worlds/Showdown rules are, that rifles absolutely rule the filed with their long range and good damage, making players stay down a just fire on the distance. But your games always seems to get people to close in for a serious fight? Any suggestions to why??
When I host Showdown gaming nights I have taken to reduce the range of weapons drasticaly - but would love other inpur.
Thanks!
Sometimes it's scenario design - they must take such and such within X turns...
In this situation I think there were a few factors in play that could have influenced things:
In the approach to the compound they were trying to sneak up initially and had next to no cover. Once the sentries were alerted to their presence they had to get TO the compound for any sort of cover. Also if they waited for the rest of the defenders to wake up and rush to the walls they'd have a LOT more foes in hard cover with themselves in NOTHING.
Another factor was that most of hte commandos were wearing infantry battlesuits giving them an effective toughness of 12 (10 vs. Assault Rifles with AP2). Which gave them pretty good odds of surviving a hit.
Another was Mad Willie. He's just mad. Once the defenders were aroused, and in positions with hard cover within the compound, there was a few turns that they and the commandos spend blazing away at each other with very little effect. Mad Willie got bored and dashed from the cover of the gate to the doorway of a building within blazing away with his two pistols (two-fisted and ambidextrous!) and HIT the leader of the Marauders! After that, everyone having seen how he managed to get in a move about without getting dead, they followed him in - not wanting to be outdone by a madman who thinks he's scottish wearing no armour and carrying only a pair of pistols?!
Having LOTS of cover that they can dash from one bit of hard cover to another could help? Once they realized there was no fire coming from certain buildings, the felt they were safe to run to (should have had another team of guys waiting to ambush them in one of them!).
Hi Tim
Thanks for the words. You have given some things to think about. And great thanks for that.
We mostly play (Deadlands) western-style of games, so Armour isn't that available.
But I have mad players a plenty, so perhaps I just have to encourage them to up the "Mad Willie" factor a bit ; )
And I hope to get my hands on more western style buildings during the spring, so more cover should also be available in the near future.
Yes, this time the short circuitry in Willie's brain rolled "attack!" It might not the next time. It doesn't help that Willie interprets "Scottish" as obstinate and bloody-minded. And frankly he thinks the power-armoured mercenaries are a bit too close to being robots to trust them fully.
As for ranged stuff, Tim always have lots of cover in his games, allowing for covered approaches, and usually an objective that has to be captured / searched. As well, we use some house rules that make people harder to hit. (+2 to hit if you could not see the target at the beginning of your move, +2 to hit if you cannot see the target at the end of the move. Prevents ducking in and out of hard cover). The other thing is that usually our toughness / armour is enough that wild cards can take a hit or two and keep going if you are lucky, and have some bennies.
On the other hand, see the report on Mad Abdul's stereo stash. I tried to put a section of extras in hard cover vs 2 sections of Russians, and got my ass kicked in ranged combat, so it doesn;t work all the time.
Any
Dude, it's not Power Armour - it's a Infantry Battlesuit - it's basically a super-kevlar bodysuit covered with light armour plates some sort of synthetic ceramic or something... nothing powered about it!
Oh, I HAVE guys in power armour... wait for it!!
Yes - real power armour will make Willie quite a bit more unstable - watch the grenadoes fly!
Willie doesn't trust the mercs, though. Not only are they not part of the crew, but they might turn onto cyborgs any minute now - who knows what robot devilry is woven into those battle suits? Willie is definitely keeping an eye on them, just in case. And they did for that poor lass Abby, too...
I may have to develop a whole new set of delusional hindrances here, especially if the mercs insist on including Willie in their "spray first, ask later" policies.
Always a great read! The compound looks to be modular and looks awesome (two bonuses really).
Can't wait for more Sci-fi stuff. Good luck next week on the HOTT campaign!
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