More Weird War One

 We had so much fun with last week's Weird War One game, Arthur came up with another scenario for us to try!  This time the protagonists were the Germans, taking on the same cultists as before.

                                        

In this scenario, the red-robed, gas-mask cultists are trying to reach the altar (centre top) in order to complete more strange rituals.  The Germans need to stop them!

German force, led by the sniper in his armoured mask.

Gas mask cultists

And a selection of strange creatures, including "Trenchula" the giant spider!

Cultists move onto the table, heading directly for the altar.

Germans come on from the opposite side, and maneuver to a flanking position, making best use of available cover.

Cultists wander too close to a nest of giant spiders and are swarmed!

Germans continue the flanking movement.

Cultists show no caution, and are attacked by the mudworm and the bugeyed beastie.  As it happens, neither of these creatures cause the cultists any distress!

Germans snipe at the cultists from behind cover.

Trenchula charges at the German sniper, but is readily dispatched.

Cultist leader reaches the altar, and summons help in the form of an skeletal pied piper. Rather than rats or children, this one controls giant spiders!  It marches against the Germans with its proteges following.

The German sniper dispatches the pied piper, but it's not enough - the spiders swarm the German leader!

The last German soldier decides to withdraw and take news of this event to higher command.

The Germans were cautious, made good use of cover, and conducted a flanking maneuver that kept them away from the nests of strange creatures, and yet were defeated. The cultists charged straight at their objective, triggered every possible beastie nest, and yet succeeded in taking control of the objective and winning the scenario!  Sometimes there ain't no justice :)

Press, and more strikers

We are going to have another go at the Battle of Ballantyne Pier on Friday, and I've added a few more figures just in time. Arthur took one look at this collection and said, 'that's a lot of blue!', so I will try to expand my colour palette for the next figures :^)

There are a few more strikers with signs.

The press will be represented.  We are still working out the game mechanics but each side (cops and strikers) will be able to influence the story, and manipulate the final score.

And after the press write their stories, the newsboys will be out there flogging their newspapers!

Not all the workers have placards.  There are a few more workers who are ready to use other means to dissuade the scabs from crossing the picket lines.

Not everyone is in the union.  The police detective is also ready for action.

And one more:  the union president, straight from negotiations, waving his notes from the negotiations with the owners.

 

Weird War I action

Tuesday evening is game night with Arthur's friend Oliver and his dad Tyler.  This week, Arthur came up with a novel setting - somewhere on the Western Front in WWI, nefarious cultists are trying to complete some mystic rites to summon strange creatures from beyond the veil.  Arthur took the scenario from the Fistful of Lead supplement Tales of Horror but changed the setting to the Western Front.  

Arthur set up three factions.  First up, army troopers including a chaplain with special abilities to counter the summoned creatures.

Four cultists - a leader and three guards.

And a selection of creatures that can be summoned.  The spiders need one successful test to summon, the apparition needs two successes and the big beastie needs three consective successes across multiple turns.

The guards line up in the trenches as their leader begins summoning at the altar.

The guards get into a firefight with the advancing soldiers.  Puffs of smoke signify shock.  The officer uses the abandoned artillery piece as cover, but is still wounded.

The cultists summon giant spiders, which wound one of the soldiers.

Despite his wound, the officer moves up to rescue his wounded trooper.

Fierce fighting in the trenches as the cultist guards hold off the soldiers, allowing time for their leader to summon a greater monster.

After three consecutive successes over three turns, the greater beast is summoned!  I was able to use cards that allow rerolls to help get those successes!

The beastie instantly turns on the cultist that summoned him!

He tries to defend himself, but is quickly defeated and is soon monster food.

The soldiers pour fire onto the monster as the chaplain works to undo the summoning.

After some tense conflict, with the monster distracted by gunfire, the chaplain successfully banishes the beastie back to its home dimension.  The Earth is safe, for for how much longer?

Battle of Ballantyne Pier take 1

On Friday at the Trumpeters' Bonsor monthly game night, Lisa and I put on our first attempt at gaming the Battle of Ballantyne Pier.  We played this using modified Fistful of Lead.  See my previous posts for more background on the real battle and on our special rules for the scenario. We had great interest in the game.  Even though I initially thought to limit participation to four players, we ended up with eight - three playing the police (Vancouver Police, BC Provincial Police and RCMP), and five playing the longshoremen. 

The police (Vancouver Police Dept in blue) lined up in front of the tracks.  Heatley Ave running south from the police line, and the Ballantyne Pier warehouse behind them.

Reference material set out for anyone interested.

Striking longshoremen advance up Heatley Ave from Powell Street.

VPD line.

Mounted RCMP arrive behind the strikers.

Mounted cop charges a union leader from behind.  Thanks to some terrific rolling by the union man and an abysmal roll from the mountie, the policeman is knocked off his horse!

But then the second mountie takes out the union man.

VPD deploys tear gas.

Mounties maintain pressure on the rear of the march.

Strikers on Heatley Ave are dispersed but the flanking group can be seen advancing on the left.

Strikers rally and charge the police line!

Strikers on the left flank push past the BC Provincial Police, leading to victory for the strikers!