Rippers vs Zulus

Back to the Rippers campaign for a bit… last week I was a bit distracted so we played a quick fantasy skirmish (which I took pictures of… but didn’t bother posting any…). Actually the main reason why we were back to Rippers was because I really wanted to play a skirmish sort of game with all these Zulus I’ve been painting and I didn’t think I’d get the Saturday Savages to go for making new characters for a strictly historical skirmish campaign set during the Zulu War or 1879…. The Rippers characters are the same era and could easily be sent to South Africa…

We still haven’t found a new name that I’d like to replace “Rippers” with. “Rippers” just seems not-so-very-victorian to me… I was thinking something like League of Extraordinary Gentlemen… except… well… NOT!

One I had thought of was The Ministry of Paranormal Research and Defence (sort of a mix of the "Ministry of Magic" from Harry Potter and B.P.R.D. from the Hellboy comics...!?). Alternatively I could be the Military Intelligence Department X (Although M.I.5 wasn't formed until 1909...). There was the Special Branch – these could be members of the EXTRA Special Branch… maybe that’s a bit silly….

These all seem very... well... BRITISH (The Ministry would probably be a secret cabinet position - or operate completely separate from the regular government - like the Ministry of Magic in Harry Potter – the minister being appointed by the Queen herself). They also kind of take it away from being and international brotherhood of a masonic nature that transcends the rule of governments to fight for the better good.... which may or may not be a good thing.

I'm still taking suggestions.

Order of the.... somthing...?

In Weird War Two there's the Sons of Solomon - an organization that goes back millennia - whose members vow to oppose supernatural evil in all it's forms...? I guess I could use that.

Anyway… last nights adventure…

[Zululand, 1877]

SITUATION

Our heroes have traveled to the Cape Colony where the local lodge has reported trouble with werewolves along the Transvaal-Zululand border. Their travels took them to the Kalamba Mountains and then south into disputed lands along the border. While some of the werewolves were among the Boer settlers and were quickly dealt with, their hunt took them deeper into Zululand and to their horror they discovered the leader of the pack was the son of a prominent inkhosi. The Zulus didn’t take kindly to what they saw as European assassins hunting their people and decided to do away with them.


SCENARIO

Our Heroes and their companions are being hotly pursued by a Zulu war party. Werewolves may also be in the region – they must retreat across the Phogolo River on the north edge of the table.

FORCES

Sadie MacEwan – Vampire Hunter
Heinrich Neudorf – Wolfenjäger
Father William “the Stomach” Turner - Priest
4 Wolfenjäger
8 Boer Settlers
2 Natal Native Guides

Zulu Inkosi
20 Zulu Warriors with spear and shield
20 Zulu Warriors with muskets


THE GAME
(Remember: click on the pictures for a bigger version)


Turn One: The Zulus with muskets when first and shot one of the Natal Native Guides


The Zulu Warriors surge forward!


Our Heroes make a run for it – the fleet-footed leader of the Wolfenjäger and the veteran vampaire hunter taking the lead! (cowards)


Two of the Boer settlers were shot by Zulus and the rest of the unit failed a moral test…


Heinrich Neudorf is intercepted by a pack of wolves!


Sadie MacEwan comes to the young leaders aide.


Three of the Boers recovered and scarpered – three others were over-taken by the Zulus – they actually lasted two turns, but eventually were chopped to bits…


A Greater Werewolf made an appearance but was taken apart by the Wolfenjäger.


MacEwan then starts beating on the other wolves too…


The Zulus surge forward again.


The remaining Boers executing a desperate fighting retreat… trying to buy time for the Wolfenjägers fighting the werewolf.


MacEwan and Neudorf finishing of the wolves.


The Wolfenjägers were dealt a joker and took down the werewolf… but it was too late the next turn they were overtaken by the Zulus and massacred.


The last dash to the table edge and the drift across the Phogolo River!

Neudorf was the first off – a turn or two ahead of everyone else – abandoning his fellow wolfenjägers to their doom… ah well… he’s not LOYAL or anything…

The Preist was the next off – which was pretty damn amazing considering he’s a slow portly fellow (Pace: 5, Run: d4!).

Sadie and the Natal native guide then made it across the river with the three remaining Boers settlers.

The game was a bit of a nail-biter! With the Zulus ever surging forward it looked like they'd all be massacred by angry natives... indeed if I hadn't had the additional Wolfmen I'd thrown out retreat after the demise of their leader (the Greater Werewolf), they may very well could have all been killed... but where's the fun in that!?

Lost were five of the Boers settlers, all four Wolfenjäger, and one of the Natal Native Guides. The Zulus lost four of their warriors – plus the son of the Inkhosi (the Greater Werewolf) and a couple of his wolfie companions.


Coming soon on Savage Timmy’s Playhouse:

Hopefully some more character backgrounds for the Rippers characters (hint, hint!) and hopefully we’ll carry on with the mosnster-hunting next week!