Zombicide Report: Alien Verses Blake's Seven - "Exterminate" - Part One

ROJ BLAKE, JENNA STANNIS, VILA RESTAL AND SECTION LEADER KLEGG BATTLE ALIENS

This game was played predominantly using the "Zombicide: Toxic City Mall’ rules of “Zombicide” by “Guillotine Games” with a few additional house-agreed variances on account of us attempting to try and play the second "Space Hulk" Mission by "Games Workshop". In addition as I wanted to try out some science fiction heroes and villains, and have already plenty of painted “Crooked Dice”, “Heroscape”, "Prodos Games" and “Horrorclix” models ready for the table, we simply swapped the Survivors, Walkers, Runners and Fatties with some future freedom fighters, Alien stalkers, 'Alien hounds' and larger Aliens. 

“The story so far… A Federation experiment on an extra-terrestrial life-form has gone horribly wrong. Having successfully secured the endoparasitoid species on board the orbiting Weapons Research Facility, Roj Blake has momentarily joined forces with Section Leader Klegg and two Federation troopers in order to help reduce the number of Aliens which they face. But despite the threat which faces both the Liberator's crew and the Terran Administration, can the dislikeable Death Squad commander actually be trusted..?"

THE TABLETOP - THE "GORDON RICHARDS" FEDERATION WEAPONS RESEARCH FACILITY

As aforementioned before we started we incorporated a few special rules of our own in order to make the game play a little differently. The biggest change was that each 'survivor' could only initially perform two actions instead of three on account of the cramped corridors and sense of claustrophobia. In addition all of the Aliens were treated as being Toxic on account of having acid for blood. This meant that "upon elimination" they would inflict one wound upon their assailant if they were both in the same zone (or rather tile). In order to somewhat 'even up the odds' though, it was also agreed that the somewhat contentious Ranged Combat rule of assigning hits in the targeted Zone to Survivors first would be ignored.

The Liberator's boarding party consisted of Blake ('Zombivor' with the skill Born Leader), Vila ('Zombivor' with the skill Break-In), and Jenna (Survivor with the skill Matching Set). Section Leader Klegg (Survivor who starts with a pistol) was given some additional rule tweaks in order to try and represent the two members of his Death Squad accompanying him. Essentially these minions could operate separately to their commander, utilise his weapons as if they were their own, add to his items, as well as contribute experience with their kills etc. But if injured just once they would immediately die. Finally if Klegg himself fell before the extra-terrestrial menace, then his underlings would dutifully flee in terror.

GAN TELEPORTS BLAKE AND HIS PARTY INSIDE THE SPACE STATION, AS KLEGG ADVANCES

The object of the mission was simple. Either one of the freedom fighters or Section Leader Klegg had to survive the Alien's assault long enough for their experience to reach the Red Danger level. There would only be two Alien Spawn points and a series of airlocks initially separating the slimy space creatures from the player's starting zones. These doors could however only withstand five hits before being destroyed and would be attacked by the extra-terrestrials if there was no-where else for them to move. To help speed the game along four Objective Markers were placed around the base, in the Robot Room, Green Room, Radio Room and Stargate Room. Each of these was worth five experience points.

Using his Born Leader skill Blake contacted Klegg, and gave the villainous Terran commander an extra action. He then ushered Vila up to Green Central's western door and watched the thief dutifully open the airlock. With a yell, Restal ran back the way he'd just come. There was an Alien Stalker in the room. Jenna immediately moved beside Blake, raised her space pistol and fired. She missed. The Section Leader meanwhile was experiencing similar problems from his southern entry point. The Federation Death Squad had found an Alien Stalker inside the Red Room, and Klegg's shot had gone wide. Fortunately one of his troopers quickly dispatched the fiend. Whilst the other moved into the scarlet-lit room itself.

VILA FLEES AS THE DEATH SQUAD EASILY CLEAR THE RED ROOM OF HOSTILES

Shouting Jenna an order, Blake raced past the Alien as it moved towards him, and safely entered Green Central. Jenna joined him and then whirled to fire upon the hissing creature behind them. Again though she missed. Vila momentarily hefted the fire axe he was carrying, and then remembering the monsters had acid for blood, cowered further back into the alcove he was trying to hide in. Unaware of the freedom fighters' slow start Klegg walked into the Red Room and found a crowbar. Beside him his troopers quickly opened the area's western door and marched into the corridor beyond. To the north the Alien was momentarily torn between so many living targets. But as the earth female was the noisiest, the Stalker decided to leap towards her. 

THE LIBERATOR CREW STRUGGLE TO OVERCOME A SINGLE ALIEN STALKER

Giving Jenna another quick order, Blake moved north out of Green Central and headed towards the corridor junction linking the Stargate Room and Radio Room together. Stannis  hurried beside him, and looking backwards finally took down the Alien Stalker that had proved so tiresome since their mission's start. Realising he was finally safe (for now at least) Vila made his way into Green Central and lock-picked the area's western door.

Klegg meanwhile was still searching the Red Room but having found naught except a glass bottle headed after his men. Up ahead of him the Section Leader saw one trooper open the eastern door to the Robot Room and blow away the Alien Stalker which leapt out at him. Whilst his black-suited companion claimed the objective inside and took the Federation Death Squad's experience into the Yellow Danger Level. Smiling Klegg thought of how unprepared the hated rebels would now be, and how hungry the Aliens rushing through the air-ducts sounded...    

THE FEDERATION DEATH SQUAD CAPTURE AN OBJECTIVE AND RAISE THE DANGER LEVEL

Blake tapped his wrist communicator, shouted an order to Vila, and then made his way back to Green Central. Inside he searched an especially dark corner for equipment, and with a shout of warning backed away from the hissing Alien he had foolishly disturbed. Hearing Roj's cry, and realising he'd need more than a space fire-axe to help his leader, Vila quickly opened the eastern airlock to the Green Room and screamed in terror; three Aliens were stood in the doorway. Jenna grimly raised her weapon on the extra-terrestrial menacing the Liberator's captain, and took the fiend down with her shot. Its acidic blood sprayed over Blake, and the freedom fighter took a seemingly unnecessary wound. Apologetically Stannis joined her injured team-mate in Green Central.

Further south and oblivious to the increased numbers of Aliens their actions had caused, the Federation Death Squad spent some considerable time searching their surroundings for useful objects. But had to settle for two bottles of water and a space baseball bat. Vila meanwhile had other things on his mind, as the three extra-terrestrials in front of him, angrily leapt upon him... 

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