Things were looking bleak for Sir Rupert Utterley-Barkinge and his Expeditionary Company. He had been disowned by the Explorer's Club. He was still stuck in the New World. He'd lost a friend to the Black Dragon Tong. Lady Constant had locked herself in their steam dirigible, from which she had refused to emerge since the end of episode one. And now they had spent the best part of four days trekking across the countryside chasing a Clockwork Pigeon. there hadn't even been an opportunity to stop for a bit of big game hunting along the way. And now they were sat staring at a bunch of Zombies wearing military uniforms he'd never seen before. Cout Otto remained convinced that there was something vaguely Germanic about them, but he couldn't put his finger on quite what it was that made him think so. Private Gathering had been quick to point out that it's a good job he didn't because those Zombies would be quick to bite it off. The comment had not gone down too well...
We set up a larger table than usual for this episode. We needed to place the Barn in the middle of the table with its only working door in the dead centre. (Sorry, couldn't refuse that one!)
We decided to spread the Nazi Zeds around the Barn. (Yes, you read that right. And no, we haven't even begun to explain that one yet. Honestly, run with this. If you don't, what follows will make even less sense. You have been warned!) We decided that they would move at the start of every turn in a direction determined by one of the old GW 40K scatter dice. A hit result would mean they would stay put for the first two turns. After that, they would move anyway. We used the profile for Todtruppen in the original IHMN rulebook. They'd move 6" each turn when able. Once a model came within 12" of them, they'd move straight towards them. Also, they would turn towards any sound of gunfire or melee. (Honestly, at this point we were getting wistful thinking of the fun we had a couple of years ago playing ATZ!)
We placed the clockwork pigeon at the Barn door. What lay inside was unknown. But the bird clearly wanted Sir Rupert and his men to go inside and check it out!
We set up our companies 8" into the board on a frontage of 12" measured 6" either side of the centre of the table edge. We were playing lengthways across the 6'x4' table after all.
The Black Dragon Tong clearly meant business.
The first turn saw both companies making a dash across no man's land towards the barn. the only thing curbing our respective enthusiasm was the prospect of meeting those Zombies. Knowing they would ignore the first failed pluck roll had us worried.
The Zombies were beginning to make a move. Well, half of them were. The other three were standing their ground.
It looked like they might cause more of a holdup to the Black Dragon Tong.
Sir Rupert and his men were approaching the road, wary of the proximity of the Zombies.
Suddenly running towards the objective seemed a foolish idea.
Goonda made a dash for the Barn. but fell short. having +2 Speed is one thing, but it did leave him rather exposed.
Sergeant Reynolds and Private Gathering decided it was important to introduce the Zeds to some cold British steel and charged. It was the perfect distraction, allowing two Secret Agents to charge the second Zed, leaving three more Agents to provide cover for Goonda.
The Dragon Lady seemed to march unperturbed between the two buildings, whilst Master Wu-Jen and the Dragon Warrior began to take a rather long route around the house. They obviously hadn't realised that a solitary Zombie was waiting for them on the veranda.
Sir Rupert and Count Otto had only taken 3" worth of steps forwards, allowing them to make full use of their Hunter talent without negative impediment. They aimed at the Zeds in combat and fired. Sir Rupert wounded the Zed attacking the Sergeant and Private, which f curse didn't wound it at all. It did, however, mean that it could be killed next time (represented by the dice in the next photo). The second Zed survived the Pluck roll caused by the Count's shot.
Meanwhile, the Yeti charged a Zed, failed to wound it and in response was hit and knocked down. It should have been a sure thing as the Zed in question had been shot and injured so was on its second life. Derek was beginning to wonder how much of a liability the silly beast had become in recent games. I had to agree.
The Dragon Tong still had to deal with another Zed. It too had been shot and lost its extra life.
Master Wu-Jen was steadying himself to face that pesky Zombie.
Sergeant Reynolds mad short work of the Zombie thanks to his Bayonet Drill. Unfortunately, the Secret Agents were failing to do much more than keep their Zombie busy.
And although the Black Dragon Tong members were now surrounding the Zombies, they weren't having any success. One of the Tong had just failed a Terror test and run out of shot...
It was at this point that Goonda crept into the Barn. He found himself surrounded by all manner of strange engines. As he looked at each in turn, trying to figure out what they might possibly do, his gaze fell on a large console sat on a sturdy oaken desk. Wires and pipes branched out all around the desk, connecting it to a number of machines, all of which seemed to feed bunches of wires into a spherical cage. As he stepped towards it to take a closer look, dials began to waver frantically. within the metal cage, a ball of light appeared from nowhere and a low-pitched hum filled Goonda's ears...
Outside, some remarkable things began to happen. The Agents managed to injure and knock down the Zed they had spent the last few minutes battering aimlessly. Around the back of the barn, the Tong managed to knock down one Zed.
And then, with a blinding flash of light, a strange horseless wheeled carriage coalesced into being astride some bushes.
We decided to place the strange conveyance 2D10" from the front barn door in a direction determined by the scatter dice I mentioned earlier. The dice seemed to favour the Black Dragon Tong. It all seemed to be so far away from Sir Rupert!
It was now going to be a race to see who would make it to the strange contraption that had appeared.
And I didn't seem to be much of a fair race. Ooh, I should point out the Yeti. You know, the one on the ground? Yup. Two successive activations saw him fail a Pluck roll to get up. I fear the Stand-In Sasquatch's days may be numbered...
And although Sir Rupert and his men did a wonderful job of dashing towards the strange vehicle at full pelt...
They were beaten by the Dragon Lady and a number of her Tong. As they climbed inside there was a blinding flash of light, and the carriage and its contents disappeared. Just like the photo I thought I'd taken of the Dragon Lady at this point...
Where had this strange vehicle come from? What had Goonda done to make it happen? Why did it disappear? Where did it go to? Why did it bear an uncanny resemblance to a 1940's Citroen? What have Nazi Zeds got to do with all this? And what will happen next?
The answer to at least one of these questions will be answered next time. Hopefully.
Sir Rupert WILL return!
(Just not so sure about the Dragon Lady just now...!)
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