Yuma Proving Ground - Game 2 - The Action

After that rather long intermission and a word from our sponsors I’d like continue the story of my 2nd Zone Alfa game.

Our intrepid hero’s are over the wire and making there way to Silas in the desert. They knew where his camp was but they didn’t know that after the visit from the Army patrol, Silas and Bull had decided they needed a little more protection.

So they’d decided to ring the place with a wire fence and a big gate. This might make things a little more difficult!

The main objective is the wooden shed that the brothers use for their sleeping quarters, there are 2 secondary Hot Spots, the tent in the far corner and a wandering one. Its location would be decided once Donovan and his team arrived at the gate.

As everyone knows now, the area around the Yuma Proving Ground is a dangerous place, the brothers might be OK, holed up in their compound or they might not be.

Taking the Z.A. chart for id of Zone Hostiles a D6 roll of 1 indicates it’s the brothers rather than a swarm of something and they’re OK, a D6 roll of 4 usually indicates Zombies and you’ve guessed it, they’re not OK but are now Zombies.

A roll of 6 on the set up die means Donovan has 7 moves to get into the compound, search it for the brothers and get out before an Army patrol turns up demanding to know why he is inside the blue zone, rather than outside guarding its outer perimeter. That might require some fast talking but I think he’s up to that challenge.

As before a die roll decides where Donovan’s team enters the board and providentially it’s in front of the gate and Stanislav is able to say, rather smugly, “there it is Sir” “You didn’t mention wire fencing did you” he responds. “did anyone bring wire cutters”. There’s a resounding silence when I rolled 3 having decided that they would have wire cutters on a roll of 5 or 6.

Is the gate locked? 1-5 it is, did I mention it’s a dangerous place out there? - Roll 5, whoops it’s locked.

Not to worry Katie Moss is a skilful lock picker, a skill she picked up in a previous life, one that she doesn’t talk about much, or at all. I forgot to mention, after the last fiasco with the Rookies now everyone is Hard and she has 2 actions trying to pick the lock. Unfortunately she fails….twice.

Hummm.

Once the team arrived at the gate I rolled to see where the wandering Hot Spot would be. Fortunately it’s on the far side of the compound and out of sight. It will wander 1 to 6” in a random direction each turn until it is in sight of one of the team.

The Hot Spot is the penny with 4 lentils on it.

I don’t believe it’s as easy to climb an 8’ wire fence as most rules writers and so everyone has to test to make the climb. Donovan, Freddie and Stanislav are not dexterous enough to make the climb and so only Hans and Schmidtt get over. Katie has used up her actions failing to pick the lock and will try the climb next move.

Well at least someone is inside although I worry a little because the Games Master might make them test to climb back out, especially if they get injured.

Katie has hidden talents and in spite of the tight dress and high heels she’s over the fence in no time. Freddie and Stanislav move right to cover Schmidtt as Donovan goes on Alert to cover Hans.

As Hans moves forward to check out the tent he disturbs a bunch of zombies, two of them look very like Silas and Bull, although Hans doesn’t know that. He’s a little perturbed when they make an immediate move towards him. He fires as they come and misses, nerves I guess, understandable in the circumstances but a bit awkward all the same.

Donovan on Alert, can’t fire a shotgun without hitting Hans and so he draws his pistol instead.

Schmidtt climbs onto the truck, which isn’t such a good move as some ghoulish looking creatures rush out and surround him. He fires as they come and one explodes in a ball of blood and green flesh.

Freddie and Stanislav look on in horror as they realise they’ve used their actions for this turn.

Katie wonders if it was a good idea climbing over the fence and also wonders if pulling the pocket revolver and the can of mace is going to be 1 or 2 actions or maybe even a free action. There’s time for a passing thought on who will activate first next turn and finally, she wonders why she pays a bodyguard who can’t climb a fence and isn’t available to guard her body when she needs him.

The green ghoul just wonders what she will taste like.

This bit is a little confusing, well it confused me. Ghouls activate 1st, 2 of them attack Schmidtt, one of them hits Schmidtt and he fails to save so is down. He defends and gets two hits, both of the Ghouls fail to save, so 2 Ghouls down. He can’t use one of his 2 hits to parry an attack because he’s the defender not the attacker.

The zombies activate next and there are 2 of them in contact with Hans, he goes down. Katie shoots at the Ghoul nearest her and hits it but does no damage, it moves into contact with her.

The remaining 2 zombies move towards Katie but Donovan now has a clear field of fire and blasts them, they both die.

Freddie also has a clear field of fire between the cars and shed. He hits both remaining zombies and one of them goes down.

Katie is wondering if it’s possible to train one of these things, you know, a bit like a pit bull terrier, she’d be the envy of everyone she knows, walking round with a Ghoul on a lead.

Petra Stanislav doesn’t give a damn, she moves and fires, killing Katie’s new pet….dead. Katie reflects that’s probably the best outcome.

Start of a new turn and there’s only 1 zombie left standing, however there’s only Katie still on her feet in the compound and time is ticking.

The zombie moves towards Katie but Donovan blows it away just before it reaches her. Stanislav shouts “That’s Silas” then mumbles “Well it was Silas”

Katie thinking on her feet, moves forward and searches his corpse, with a lucky roll she finds the key to the gate padlock and throws it to Donovan. Donovan opens the gate nest turn. Well at least she won’t have to climb back.

Hans and Schmidtt make use of their Medipacks and they’ll be ready to move soon but will it be soon enough.

The wandering Hot Spot wanders around the corner of the compound and sees Freddie, they move towards him mumbling and grumbling something about brains, Freddie thinks that’s a bit rude so shoots one of them, as Stanislav moves over in support, I’m not sure Freddie needs support but it’s the thought that counts.

Freddie and Stanislav continue to fire into the advancing zombies to no avail.

Katie rushes to the shed but doesn’t find anything. That failure is replicated by Hans when he searches the tent. Schmitt examines the truck and with yet another lucky dice roll discovers that the keys are still in the ignition.

Lets get the hell out of here yells Donovan and everyone starts to run for home. With a head start Freddie Donovan and Stanislav are making good time but the three in the compound aren’t going to be so lucky until Schmitt turns the key and the trucks engine bursts into life, Katie and Hans jump on board.

This is at the end of the 7th move, as the Army patrol are going to come on the 8th I gave the game to Donovan, I think they deserve it.

Schmidtt is actually supposed to be inside the truck but I’m not cutting my figures in half for effect, you’ll just have to imagine it.

Donovan is a little out of breath but will soon commandeer a ride.

Freddie and Petra Stanislav are enjoying their jog across the desert, I wonder who will win?

Not these guy’s, that’s for sure, they are more my kind of shambling runners.

Well Captain Andy Donovan now knows what Homeland Security wouldn’t tell him. Something has gone awfully wrong in the Yuma Proving Ground and the secure perimeter isn’t secure. The following day the army pulled back from the Yellow perimeter fence and took over control from Donovan at the outer fence of the Blue Zone.

Donovan has seen the Senator or is it a Governor of a State and been given some unequivocal orders that hopefully will be revealed in due course.

Katie Monk has no evidence to confront the worlds press with but it confirms her previous assertions, maybe her Editor can overturn the previous decision on her foray into the Mojave Desert in search of ……… Redacted……..

I'm still not sure where I'm going with this campaign but I'm enjoying the games so far.

It's always nice to hear from any one who reads this gibberish. 

Cheers