Thursday, March 5, 2020

AAR: The Upton Chronicles: Rescue in the Bush

The Hook:

Sir Reginald Upton was surrounded by cannibals. His group, as well as his son's, lay unconscious?...dead?...on the ground. Not knowing the natives' language, he had mere moments to make his play before he also was brought down. Hands up, he dropped his pistol to the ground in a sign of submission. His other hand clasped a scroll...and the reason he was in this predicament. With a flourish he unwound the scroll, letting the aged parchment's writing be seen by both the chieftain and the village's shaman.

They were quick, he'd give them that. No sooner had they realized what they were staring at than they interjected themselves in between the tribesman spears and his exposed body. A series of commands later and Sir Upton and his comrades were enclosed in a giant cage. A quick examination showed that nobody had been outright killed, although Sid Jackson, Claire d'Amour, and Fire Marshal Bill were in fairly serious condition. The chieftain and shaman were conversing privately, looking at the scroll, and glancing sidelong at Sir Reginald with confused, but calculating, gazes.

As the rest of the party members awoke, the situation looked grim. There was only one group of "friends" that could possibly save them from being the next series of village meals. Would they be enough to free Sir Reginald and crew?

The village

The Forces:

Leading the rescue mission was none other than Sir Upton's daughter, Morgan. She befriended a local tribal chieftain, Oyibo, who had no love for his rival, Chief Ekwueme.  Together, they roused Oyibo's warriors and shaman, drums pounding out the call to war.  In the meantime, Detective Doyle and the remaining airmen "loaded up" and started the long slog toward the village. They knew that Morgan and her fleet jungle companions would engage Ekwueme's clan long before they'd arrive on the scene, but SMG slugs are hard to stop with wicker shields.

The Players:

Terry and Steve played the adventurous Morgan, Shaman Nsonowa, and their mud-smeared tribesmen.  Brad, Doug, and Ken played cannibalistic Chief Ekwueme, chief's son Chinwendu, Shaman Akachi, and villagers.  I held Doyle and the airmen in reserve, knowing their skills would potentially overpower the game.

Note: I upgraded the grunts from last game to regulars.

Peaceful at the moment...

The Game:

The action started early in the game, with the mud Shaman's forces encountering Chinwendu's at the edge of the village.  While this went on, Shaman Akachi and his forces retreated to the nearest hut, ostensibly to "gather spell supplies".

Chief Ekwueme and his shaman ponder Sir Reginald's fate.

First contact!

Oyibo strikes!

A scrum on the fringes of the jungle
The action quickly filtered down to two areas of contention: The fringe conflict between Nsonowa and Chinwendu, and the middle-of-the-village battle with everyone else.

Forming a wicker shield wall

Mayhem ensues!



The sides were evenly matched throughout the fight.  Eventually, Chinwendu's forces were wiped out, allowing Nsonowa to try to open the pen and release Sir Upton and friends.  No dice. The sorry villagers didn't have a clue as to how to break open a metal door or defeat the lock.  A lot of bar rattling and exasperation ensued.

What's a lock?!


Meanwhile, the toe-to-toe battle in the middle of the village slowly swung the cannibals' way. They engaged Nsonowa's force, which allowed the remainder of Chief Oyibo's force to close from the rear. 

Enter the airmen
As the airmen entered from the South, the cannibals were down to their last man. He fled in terror.  Sir Reginald and crew were saved!

This isn't going to end well for the natives...

Moments of note and Conclusion:

Ken still had trouble casting spells. His shaman proved to be the most ineffectual spell-caster of the night. He must've eaten a particularly fatty liver that didn't sit well with his belly.  In contrast, the "Magic Missile" spell worked wonderfully for Shaman Nsonowa.

Thanks for all who played. It really was evenly matched up to the end. I'm glad that I'd held the airmen in reserve!

Thursday, February 27, 2020

AAR: The Upton Chronicles: Quest for the Symbols of Radiance

The hook:

Deep in the jungle lie the Symbols of Radiance. Legends and rumors claim the Symbols bring immunity from disease, longevity of life, and unusually good fortune. The problem? A cannibalistic cult controls them, led by the brutal Chief Ekwueme, his son, Chinwendo, and the witch doctor, Akachi. 

An aging and sick Sir Reginald Upton hears about the Symbols, sees the personal possibilities, and cobbles together an expedition of loyal assistants. His son, Jimmy, wants the Symbols for...other (hello, financial opportunity?!)...reasons and gathers his own group of adventurous souls.

Two groups leave for the jungle, intent on retrieving the Symbols. Will either be successful, or will they be tomorrow's cannibal stew?


The rules:

Wiley Games Fistful of Lead, plus Tales of Horror.

The table:

Deep in the jungle, the cannibal village emerges from the foliage. At the far end of the area lies a uniquely carved cave complex set into a mountainous facade.

The teams/players:

Donnie: Sir Reginald, Ellie, Capt. Everhardt, Fire Marshal Bill, and Airman Jones

Terry: Jimmy, The Jackson brothers, Claire, and Prof. Edelstein

Ken: Chief Ekwueme and Shaman Akachi. Ted: Chinwendo

Ken & Ted: The grunt tribesmen

The game:

The village was minding its own business when out of the jungle erupted foreigners and gunfire! Chief Ekwueme and Shaman Akachi were basking in the glows of the the Symbols, while the rest milled as only extras will...





The initial fire favored the interlopers, but the scrum's tide quickly turned. There weren't a lot of wounds or shock taken in this this game. It was either kill or be killed. 





One by one the...heroes?...fell. A few of moments of note:  

Shaman Akachi never did deliver a spell.  His diminutive stature failed to strike fear into the hearts of either Jimmy or Sir Reginald.  Fortunately for him, his fellow cannibals more than compensated with blunt force.  



Professor Edelstein's beloved Native American peace pipe proved to be an outstanding club...until it wasn't.  The least combative figure on the table held off several attacks before succumbing to the natives.




Airman Jones, out of ammo, wounded, and stunned, bravely sacrificed himself to save Sir Reginald's life.


Fire Marshal Bill and his mighty fire axe took out multiple foes, but the last one got him in the short ribs.


The end was near and it looked dire. With everyone else down, Sir Reginald had to think fast or become tomorrow's stew. Surrounded by foes and not knowing the language, what can he do?!


Stay tuned, dear reader, for the next exciting chapter!

Thursday, February 20, 2020

AAR: Advanced Song of Blades & Heroes: Elves vs Orcs

It was a typical day on the fringes of Man's territory. A roving band of Orcs, hoping to pillage a nearby Human settlement, closes in. Word had spread of this, causing alarm among the Wood Elves. Their lands were being used by the foul Orcs and this would not stand. The Orc marauders met the forward elements of an Elven scouting party next to a crossroad.

Game 1:
Players: Ken (Orcs) vs Terry (Elves)

The Orc force: A leader, brutes, beast rider, Hobgoblin archers, and warriors.


Elven host: Archers, stud archer, spearmen, leader, and Satyr.

The Hobgoblin gets into range...
...and dies.

Add caption


The Orc war leader goes toe-to-toe with the Elves.

He's a mean one, he is!


The fight ended with the Orcs losing too many troops and fleeing the table. Evidently longbows, in the hands of skilled archers, are deadly. Who knew?!

Game 2: Terry (Goblins) vs Ted (Elves)

The Goblins were late to the party. They were sent to back-up the Orcs and help with the pillaging. The Elves had been delayed as well. Consisting of duelists, they were ready for a scrum.

I see them, Sir!

Sneaky lil' buggers!

A squad of duelists surround their leader.

The Dryad hid in the woods and didn't do a thing.
The game was over fairly quickly. The Goblins lost their leader, making it hard for them to consistently activate. The Sneak Goblins wound up getting stuck in the woods and were thus ineffective. They eventually all ran to fight another day.

Thursday, January 30, 2020

Marvel: Crisis Protocol

We got to try out the new game Marvel: Crisis Protocol this Wednesday. My buddy, Chuck, bought the game and graciously offered to throw it onto the table. I provided the terrain: an urban warehouse complex.

The players were Terry, manning Spider-Man and Captain America, Tim (Hulk and Iron Man), Chuck (Ultron and Red Skull), and me (Crossbones, Doc Oc, and Baron Zemo).

The plot was that there were shards of the Cosmic Cube scattered around the site that our supers needed to collect. The team that possessed enough of the pieces over the course of the game, won.

It was a close game. The heroes led most of the night, but the defeat of the Hulk and Cap to Doc Oc's Arm Lasers changed the tide for a villain victory.  Spidey's ability to use his webs to throw enemies and things was impressive and fun...unless you were Ultron.

All in all, a great game. Very easy to learn and play. Chuck's models were painted beautifully, which only helps the game's prominence.  I'd play it again!  Enjoy the pics!

The setting

Doc Oc, Zemo, and Crossbones

Spidey, Cap, Iron Man, and Hulk

Ultron and Red Skull

I see you, boy!

Can Skull tame the savage beast?

There's always a line at the food trucks!

That's MY taco!

The Hulk's defeat...


Slugfest!