28mm Battle Report: Rocket Raccoon, Groot and Rogue Trooper Verses Nazi Zombies

ROCKET RACCOON, GROOT AND ROGUE TROOPER FACE A SEA OF GERMAN UNDEAD

This game was played using some homemade rules and takes place upon my usual 2x2 gaming board. The battlefield was populated with a variety of pre-painted scenery made by “Tablescape”, most notably a few earthworks, some crates and barrels. In addition a large fuel silo was placed in the centre of the table. The objective was simple, as the winner would be the side which controlled the most territory by the end of Turn Six.

“The story so far… In a desperate gamble to push back the American Third Army from their encampment alongside the Rhine, the German Heer have unleashed a horde of flesh-eating zombies upon the Allies. Desperate to help stave off this supernatural threat General Eisenhower has dispatched the living legend of Nu Earth, Rogue Trooper, to fight alongside his soldiers on the front line. But the Commander’s radio communications have also been overheard in outer space, and it seems like this could be a job for ‘The Guardians of the Galaxy’… well, for two of them at least.”

THE TABLETOP - THE ALLIED CENTRAL FUEL SILO

Turn One unsurprisingly saw the first wave of zombies shamble south towards the Allied emplacements. Realising he needed to get into a strong firing position straight away, Rogue Trooper rushed east to some oil barrels. Rocket Raccoon and Groot headed north-west, with the Monarch of Planet X taking the lead as his little friend’s bodyguard. Alpha Team headed north splitting up around the piping directly in front of them. Whilst Bravo team also deployed two soldiers north up to a large group of wooden crates. The other two privates hunkered down into a nearby bunker. In the distance a low groan could be heard as a second wave of zombies appeared, most notably containing an exploding cadaver in the north east.

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY- GROOT AND ROCKET FACE A HORDE OF ZOMBIES

Turn Two started with the two members of Bravo Team by the crates shooting down two of the walking dead shuffling south from the north-western corner. Two soldiers from Alpha Team moved towards the large fuel silo in preparation for climbing its single ladder. Their colleagues opened fire at an exploding zombie clambering over some sandbags in the north-east corner. But despite a bellow of encouragement from Groot, they missed. Rocket had no such issues and caught the TNT wearing corpse full in the chest. The explosion obliterated an additional two nearby zombies, including a deadly mustard-gas cadaver from the Eastern Front. Rogue Trooper also pointed Gunnar at the nearest ghoul and took it down, thinning the line of swaying zombies approaching their position quite considerably.  But with a load groan the horizon suddenly filled with another ten of the living dead, including more of the gas-mask wearing Soviet corpses and others with explosives strapped to their chests.

EARLY SUCCESS -  THE ALLIED SOLDIERS START TAKING NAMES AND KICKING ZED BUTT

Turn Three saw the horde of zombies move south towards the middle of the battlefield. Three of them broke away from the main force and heading down the western side of the central silo. Eager to put an end to any zed threat from the east, Rogue Trooper and Rocket Raccoon tried to pick off the stragglers before them, but only one fell to the ground. Sensing his furry friend wasn’t in any immediate danger of attack, Groot moved to the south-west corner of the silo, and put himself between the approaching ghouls and the soldiers of Alpha Team. Meanwhile three members of Bravo Team now huddled together in their south-western bunker, with just soldier stood by the crates. Some of the previously shot zombies in the north-western corner were picking themselves back up off the ground and this was starting to rattle the Allies. Two of Alpha Team reached the walkway on top of the central fuel silo. Their colleagues gave them covering fire and took down a zombie.

MOVING IN TO POSITION - ROGUE TROOPER TAKES CAREFUL AIM AT THE UNDEAD

Turn Four saw more of the walking dead arrive in the north east corner. Bravo Team once again fired in to the mass of zombies approaching them along the western table edge. The soldier by the crates took down the closest shambling corpse. Whilst the others in the bunker struck a gas-masked zombie. The Allies stood on top of the silo started to pick their shots and another cadaver was down and out. But by now the zombies in the centre of the battlefield were starting to pour around the silo. Their numbers started to swell as some of the cadavers the Americans had previously shot, got to their decaying feet. With a snarl a zombie launched itself at the private from Bravo Team stood by the crates and sunk its teeth into the man’s brains. Realising the Allied western flank was starting to buckle Groot charged into the nearest ghoul by the central silo, and with a bellow struck the mustard-gas zombie to the ground. On the eastern flank, Rocket Raccoon and Rogue Trooper continued to bring down any living dead unwise enough to enter their sights, including an explosive zombie, whose ‘Ka-boom’ also decimated two nearby shuffling cadavers.

MONARCH OF PLANET X - GROOT SMASHES A MUSTARD-GAS ZOMBIE

The penultimate turn saw a number of the living dead rise to their feet across the battlefield. This was especially impactive on events in the centre of the battlefield as Groot suddenly found himself fending off a zombie charge. Three times the Flora Colossus was injured, but his bulk allowed the Monarch of Planet X to keep going despite his wounds. Having tasted human flesh the walking dead in the west shuffled further south and reached the edge of Bravo Team’s bunker. Frozen with terror the three Allied soldiers missed with their weapons. Alpha Team were almost as ineffective, with only the two privates on top of the silo hitting any of the undead. Groot pounded the zombie attacking him into the ground and Rocket Raccoon, eager to go to the assistance of his large friend, took down another ghoul to the east of the silo.

ZOMBIE REINFORCEMENTS - GROOT IS SURROUNDED BY THE HUNGRY DEAD

The last turn saw Bravo Team completely lose their wits and despite the closeness of the zombies clambering over sandbags towards them, missed with all their carbine shots. Alpha Team were not so dire and reduced the undead presence in the east to just two walking cadavers. Suddenly though a ticking zombie rounded the western side of the silo, wrapped itself around one of Groot’s legs and exploded. The Guardian of the Galaxy was no more… despite a desperate plea from Rocket. In the north-west a third ghoul appeared, lifting itself off of the floor. Stunned by the apparent demise of the Monarch from the Planet X, neither Rocket Raccoon nor Rogue Trooper hit anything despite pouring numerous shots into their ever-hungry flesh-eating foe. Worse to the west, they could hear the sound of flesh being chomped by hungry zombies as the undead assailed Bravo Team and brought one of the soldiers down. With things looking decidedly dodgy on the Allied western flank, we brought the game to an end and determined a winner.

FALLEN HERO - GROOT EXPLODES AS THE ALLIED LINE STARTS TO CRUMBLE

As there were still a few zombies in the east and the two heroes hadn’t pushed very far north, it was agreed this part of the board was still being fought over. Whilst the central third was clearly in the hands of the Allies due to their impressive shooting from atop the central fuel silo. Although Bravo Team were still just alive in their bunker, it was clear that the entire western side of the battlefield belonged to the undead. So in the end we went with a tied game… though I get the distinct impression the zombies would probably have rolled the Allies over within two or three more turns. Especially if a few more of the walking dead returned to their feet in the west.

For those interested in finding out a bit more as to what Rocket Raccoon, Groot and Rogue Trooper are about I have reviewed some issues from their latest comic book series here:

Rocket Raccoon #5    Rocket Raccoon #6    Rogue Trooper Classics #1