(Planet 28) Incident at Colgar Station 6

Colgar Station #6 was a biological research base, conducting all sorts of experiments.  Hours ago a distress called was sent to all channels from a Dr Jay Banks, requesting extraction and a big reward for his rescue.  

Three different teams responded, each with different motivations.  

Playing with a Pulp Alley scenario with Planet 28 rules, there were six normal objective tokens and one major objective (Dr Banks in the center of the table).  All chips on buildings are inside the buildings and figures must go inside to recover them.

All buildings (and normal terrain) are considered rough.  An agility roll is required.  Pass and most normal.  Fail and that movement is done at half speed. 

The lillypad and small oasis are both considered hazardous terrain.  Passed agility roll and they treat terrain as rough (half speed).  If failed, the figure takes 1d10 damage (minus armor).

Upon touching an objective token for the first time, the figure will roll 1d6 to determine what skill needs to succeed (1-2 Fighting, 3-4 Shooting, 4-5 Agility). 

The first group to leave for the distress call were the Gnomish Planetary Police Force unit, known as the "Chimneysweeps."

Chimneysweeps (547)

Agility: 3 Fighting: 4 Shooting: 4  Move 10 - 1d6cm  HP: 20

Slow, Iron Skin

Lt Armor (d8+d4), SMG (2d6, 40cm 2-handed), Leader has Pistol (d8, 20cm)

They're not just bad cops, they're BAD at policing as well, far tougher than a civilian, but in this fight, there might be trouble.

There aren't that many honest folks, but the crew of the Placidity were the closest thing to it... and relatively nearby.  

The Placidity  (992)

Captain Nate 

Agility: 6, Fighting 5, Shooting 6, Move 10cm, HP: 20

Persuade, Inspire, Pilot

LasPistol (d8, 25cm), No Armor (1d4-1)

Gina - 1st Mate

Agility 6 , Fighting 6, Shoting 7, 

Gunslinger

Shipsweeper (1d12+6, 30cm, Knockback, Explosvie, Reload)

Alan - Pilot

Agility 8, Fighting 4, Shooting 4, Move 10cm, HP 20

Inspiring, Pilot

No Armor (1d4-1)

Adam -Merc

Agility 6, Fighting 5, Shooting 7 Move 10cm, HP 20

Gunslinger, Sniper

Hvy Rifle (d12+6, 40cm, 2-handed, -2 to opponents armor)

Jewel - Mechanic

Agility 6, Fighting 3, Shooting 4, Move 10cm, HP 20

Engineer, Repair

Tool (1d4+3 melee)

Blue Martian Irregulars wanted to plunder the research base, and possibly eat Dr Banks... or treat Dr Banks to something nice. 

Blue Martian Irregulars (770)

Shooters (x3)

Agility 7, Fighting 3, Shooting 4, Move 10cm, HP 20

Laser Rifle (2d8, 40cm, 2-handed), No Armor (d4-1)

Dervishes (x2)

Agility 8, Fighting 4, Shooting 5, Move 10cm,  HP 20

Pistol (d8, 20cm) Dagger (d4+3 melee), No Armor (d4-1)

Three wildly different groups, all they I've designed with the 1st Edition "Plus" rules for Planet 28.   The crew of the Placidity also have a lot of skills that will be more useful in the longer campaign.  

Deployment:  All three units deployed on the left hand side of the board, two on opposite ends of the oasis, and the Placidity below the Blue Martians, hidden by research buildings. 

Turn one:  Everyone who couldn't dash towards an objective found the relatively safe spaces with cover, until Khan-Man randomly opened fire at Captain Nate (and missed)! 

Turn two:  Alan from the Placidity high tailed it into a research building for relaying data to a contact off-world.  Two of the Blue Martians dashed into a different building.  The two gunslinger Martians had a different time obtaining the biological samples from the oasis, one taking signficant damage from the traps.  

Khan-Man ran away when Adam the Merc appeared around the corner.  Destination: "Save" Dr Banks, whether he wanted saving by the Blue Martians or not.

Come back here!  Let me save you!

Figures in the building are actually inside the buildings at that spot.

Gina and Jewel take the long way to reach the lillypads

Turn Three and Four:  Khan-Man finally "save" Dr Binks, but also realized he was actually saving Dr BINKS. 

Back at the research buildings, Alan easily cancelled the distress call, and moved on to help Gina and Jewel, but the two Blue Martians in the other building were in a bit of a pickle.    Captain Nate was just outside their door, and Adam was waiting around the corner holding a Heavy Laster Rifle, a weapons tough enough to put a hole in space marine armor.  The one Martian jumped out and shot the Captain in the back. The captain turned around and gave him a glancing shot in return.  Adam, completely befuddled, decided to shoot at the Martian Dervish off in the distance, sizzling the already wounded creature.  

Gina and Jewel attempted to evade the giant poisonous pond frog.  

Jewel took significant damage from the frog, but distracted it enough for Gina to accomplish the objective.

Alan gave some inspiring words to Gina and Jewel, to prevent them from dying.

Turns 5-6 - Khan-Man and another Dervish met up at mid board and moved to scrap materials from the power station.  

And what of the Chimneysweeps?  The Sweeps are the weakest GSM unit I statted out.  As corrupt law enforcement, they have horrible skills, poor movement, and solid armor, so no one wanted to bother them, but in the reverse, they couldn't hit the Blue Martians to save their life, whether they were sprinting or standing still.  The captain of the GSM was able to reach a lab and plunder it with minimal effort.  

Adam and Captain Nate scattered as the first Martian started shooting wildly and ran out the door and around the corner.  Captain Nate though he had sufficient cover, but the escaping Blue Martian had turned around and fired a returning shot, knocking the Captain to the ground.  

With that lucky and dangerous hit, Adam went into  defensive mode, protecting his remaining clue.    Gina, Jewel, and Alan took the long way to get home, but it was a safe way. 

The Chimneysweeps attempted to encroach on Adam's new territory, but with a gloved fist in the air, they stopped dead in their tracks. 

Don't even try it.... 

No one on the Chimneysweeps had been injured and they retreated with their ONE POINT.

Despite Captain Nate's injuries, the rest of the crew escaped with minor injuries and TWO POINTS

The Blue Martians, dissipated after the game. in two directions, but had acquired SIX POINTS (Three minor objectives and Dr Binks).

Using the short campaign rules on the back page of the 1st Edition zine, two characters earned 1 xp each, while the rest earned tenths of xp's (Examples: Each successful shoot or fight action, pre-armor, is .1 xp.  making it through the scenario unwounded is .5 points).  Traits and equipment can be added based on their point value at creation, while skills and Hit Point increases cost 20 xp, so don't expect great progress with figures who can't hit or can't avoid getting hit early in a campaign.

The Blue Martians earned 10xp collectively for winning the scenario, so I expect some equipment upgrades, or maybe armor for one of the irregulars.

Finally, any character who reached 0 HP roll on the injury chart.  Both Captain Nate and the Blue Martian Dervish who were taken out suffered a shattered legs, resulting in both of them getting -4 Agility to the Dervish for 4 games, and -4 Agility to the Captain for 2 games.  Both dropped to a max speed of 7cm per action.

The scenario was directly pulled from Colgar6 and the Infinite Legion of Toy Soldiers: The incident at Station X