Sunday 28 June 2015

Zombicide Report: Doctor Who, Han Solo And Chewbacca Verses The Cybermen

THE DOCTOR, CHEWBACCA AND HAN SOLO BATTLE THE CYBER LEADER
This game was played predominantly using the ‘Season One’ rules of “Zombicide” by “Guillotine Games” and as we were attempting the mission C19 “A Little Setback” (once again) we used the Tiles 5B, 6B and 7B. Because I wanted to try out the rules playing with science fiction heroes, and have plenty of painted “Crooked Dice”, “Black Tree Designs” and “Wizards Of The Coast” models ready for the table, we simply swapped the Survivors, Walkers, Runners and Fatties with some space-farers, Cybermen, Cybermats and Yeti. 

“The story so far… Doctor Who continues to attempt to thwart the evil machinations of the Cyber-leader and Great Intelligence on Earth. However whilst working alone the Time Lord has got himself into a bit of a pickle and having safely locked the TARDIS up inside an abandoned Generator Room, now needs to retrieve his Neutron Flow Polarity Reverser from the Console Room. To make matters worse the Cybermen have cornered him in the bathroom of a local restaurant and will soon ‘delete him’. Fortunately the Doctor has managed to make an intergalactic phone call using his sonic screwdriver and a couple of toilet rolls, so knows that help is on its way. Indeed, a modified YT-1300 light freighter has already landed nearby having managed to make the Kessel Run in 12 parsecs…”
THE TABLETOP - THE STREETS OF LONDON
Before we started we changed a couple of the printed scenario’s special rules in order to make it a bit different. Instead of following the “Split without enough weapons” instructions we gave Han Solo two pistols, Doctor Who a Fire Axe and a ‘Free Search Action’, and finally Chewbacca a Crowbar and ‘+1 Max Range’ skill. The Wookie was also made a Zombivor (as per the “Toxic City Mall rules) on account of his great strength. In addition we ignored “It’s quiet for the moment” and used all of the Zombie cards from the ‘Season One’ boxed set, didn’t award the Doctor 5 experience points simply because he had “already taken the key” and would not reveal any foes when opening the Generator Room door.
HAN SOLO AND CHEWBACCA LAND ON EARTH IN ORDER TO RESCUE THE DOCTOR
Having heard the approach of the Millennium Falcon, the Doctor started to search his location for anything useful for which to defeat his arch-foes the Cybermen. But in opening one of the bathroom’s cubicles instead found a still functioning Mark 1 silver cyborg and promptly had to send it back to Mondas by chopping its head off with his fire-axe. Meanwhile Han Solo threw his co-pilot one of his pistols and moved North into Vampifan’s Avenue. Chewbacca soon followed him and actually moved further East down the road so he was stood outside the bolted northern door of Roger’s Store. A little way in front of the Wookie appeared a Cyberman…
THE DOCTOR BATTLES A MARK I CYBERMAN FROM MONDAS
Still digging around the Doctor found a machete and continued to wait for help as the three Cybermen outside impotently pounded away on his hidey-hole’s plywood door. Chewbacca fired three times at the silver giant in front of him, but the Force wasn’t with him at all and he missed. Fortunately Han moved up alongside him and took down the cyborg with a single blast. With a Corellian curse though the silver-haired smuggler spotted another Cyberman emerging from a side-street.

With a satisfied smile the Doctor found a handy rifle tucked away in one of the rest room’s corners, and immediately opened the door between himself and the Cybermen. The Time Lord fired twice and two of the cyborgs crumpled to the ground before the third closed with him. Outside Chewbacca finally managed to ‘kill’ one of the ‘Giants from Telos’ and smashed open the northern door to Roger’s store. With a growl of horror the Wookie saw that the building not only housed three silver cyborgs but an impervious Yeti as well. Han’s pistol was out of his holster and firing before you could say “scruffy-looking nerf herder” and two of the Cybermen were down. However unable to damage the great Intelligence’s hairy automaton, the Rebel moved West to give himself some room and helplessly watched at the Yeti moved in on his co-pilot. Meanwhile more Cybermen appeared both to the East and West of the Corellian.
THE CYBERMEN SEEK THE ASSISTANCE OF A YETI
With two whacks of a fire-axe the Doctor dealt with the silver giant in front of him, rushed out into the restaurant’s main dining room and found ‘Plenty of Ammunition’ for a shotgun. Chewbacca used two actions to push past the Yeti, and battered the remaining Cyberman with his crowbar. Sensing his friend was handling the situation, for now at least, Han Solo fired twice at a Cyberman to the West of him and then moved south down towards the Generator Room. The Yeti once again closed on the Wookie inside Roger’s Store. Whilst two more Cybermen appeared to the East.
SEPARATED AND ALONE, THE HEROES BATTLE ALL MANNER OF CYBORGS AND ROBOTS
Safely tucked away under a napkin the Doctor somehow managed to find a katana. Pocketing the overlarge knife, the Time Lord moved outside the diner and spotted the two recently arrived Cybermen at the North end of the street. With a couple of shots from his rifle, the time-traveller managed to dispatch one of the silver giants. Meanwhile Chewbacca continued to dance around the Yeti looking to find something in Roger’s Store which would actually hurt the Great Intelligence’s robot. With a bemused roar the Wookie found a rifle hidden amongst the shop’s apple display.? Han meanwhile was able to shoot a Cyberman which had started to follow him, moved North into Vampifan’s Avenue and fired at the cyborg about to enter Roger’s Store through the building’s northern door. Attracted by the noise of the Time Lord’s rifle a Cyberman started to move South down the road towards the Doctor, whilst a second one emerged behind him from an adjoining side-street. To make matters worse a second Yeti and two accompanying Cybermen appeared behind Solo, making the silver-haired smuggle whirl around in surprise…

Dum Da Dum, Diddly Dum, Oo-ee-oos…

For those interested in following the comic book exploits of Han Solo and Chewbacca in the new "Star Wars" series by "Marvel Worldwide", then I have reviewed the first five issues here:
 Star Wars #1     Star Wars #2     Star Wars #3     Star Wars #4     Star Wars #5

21 comments:

  1. Wow, how cool was that? I had to smile when I saw Vampifan's Avenue and Roger's Store (he will be chuffed, I'm sure!). It's early days yet, but you seem to have tweaked the rules just fine this time. With more Cybermen to contend with, the addition of an extra hero seems very sensible. Han, Chewie and the Doctor have the potential to be a great team up. I can't wait for part two.

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    1. Many thanks Bryan. I'm delighted you enjoyed it, and the least I could do was give a nod to the man who made me buy this terrific game in the first place :-) There are plenty of surprises in store and what seemed like a fairly comfortable ride soon escalates into a serious Cyber-threat. Han, Chewie and the Doctor look great together on the board (imho) and there were plenty of quotes flying about as you can probably imagine. If you thought this was cool though... wait until the next part ;-)

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  2. Another interesting use of the Zombicide rules, which I'm guessing the creators couldn't possibly imagine occurring. I'm curious as to whether the type of figure used changes the "feel" of the game, as although we've had the Doctor, Batman, werewolves, zombies and Cybermen, as the underlying rules are the same, your AAR's feel quite similar. Not a criticism, I might add, just curious.

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    1. Cheers CC. The games do feel entirely different despite the cosmetic changes as the gore-fest imagery imagined with say pure "Zombicide" doesn't seem to enter the mind. Instead Han is using his DL-44 heavy blaster pistol, Chewie his Bowcaster (rifle) and the Doctor some piece of gadgetry he's cobbled together with his sonic screwdriver. I think the AAR's feel similar because this is the way I always do them. Although our next planned game won't be using the "Zombicide" tiles and will probably include some simplistic rules for the 'zeds' shooting as well...

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  3. I love your games! Can't wait for the next instalment!

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    1. Thanks Gordon. Glad you're enjoying it :-)

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  4. Another cool twist on the Zombicide rules! Well done Bk.
    Can't wait for the next episode.

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    1. Cheers Bob. Glad a "Zombicide" veteran such as yourself approves. Much appreciated.

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  5. Another very imaginative mix-up :-) . Looking forward to the next installment.

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    1. Thanks Colgar6. Good to get Han and Chewie straight onto the tabletop, and dust off those Cybermen once again.

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  6. Ha Ha! Vampifan Avenue and Roger's Store I am as Bryan said most honoured sir, Excellent Batrep as always Simon, though you could have actually used the zombies themselves against Han and Chewie as there is a president for this in the shape of a video game from a few years back (the name of which escapes me at the moment) I only know of this as a while back I picked up a book from our local charity shop (because I liked the cover) called "Death Troopers" with a stormtroopers helmet hanging from a meat hook, anyway to cut a look story short it had Han and Chewie fighting "zoms" on an imperial star destroyer. Book was OK but I just thought I'd mention it. Good work anyway,

    Cheers Roger (store owner extraordinaire, apocalypse sale starting soon!).

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    1. Cheers Roger :-) I have the unabridged audio of "Death Troopers" but have never had a chance to listen to it. I may well put it in the car now and give it a go. I still haven't managed to re-base all my modern-day zombies yet, hence I'm a little stuck for zeds unless they're WW2 Undead. Glad you enjoyed the BatRep anyway and Part Two will be posted within the next few days.

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  7. Sounds (Unlike previous AAR's) that the heroes are handling themselves... handily(?) thus far.

    Deathtroopers was entertaining UNTIL Han and the Wookiee make an appearance. Kind of fed up with major characters having to be in EVERY story in SW. Huge galaxy, they surely can't be everywhere!?

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    1. Things certainly look good for the heroes at the moment, Dai. "But I've got a bad feeling about this..." ;-)

      I certainly hope to give "Death Troopers" a listen... I suppose Han & Chewie sell. But there again I'd have thought zombie stormtroopers would have as well...

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  8. A rifle in the shop’s apple display, eh? My market generally hides its firearms in the dairy section. :-P

    Cool batrep, BK. An entertaining read as always.

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    1. Thanks Finch. I always smile when my "Zombicide" heroes find weapons in the most bizarre places within buildings :-)

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  9. Can we ever expect to see the heroes of the Empire as the 'goodies'? Darth Maul doing acrobatic attacks with his dual-bladed lightsaber would kick ass!

    Keep up the good work

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    1. Cheers Roy. Sadly not... for now at least, as I've not painted up any of the baddies :-)

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  10. Absolutely wonderful, but what will happen to our silver haired hero?

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    1. Many thanks Michael. Part Two should be posted tomorrow ;-)

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