28mm Battle Report: Batman and Daredevil Verses Nazi Zombies

BATMAN AND DAREDEVIL FACE THE HORROR OF NAZI ZOMBIES

This game of “ZombieTV” takes place upon my usual 2x2 gaming board which has been heavily populated with lots of sandbags, trenches and bunkers. This lay-out was created in order for us to play the scenario “the Dead Will Rise” from the “ZombieTV” skirmish spin-off rule book by “Crooked Dice Game Design Studio”; albeit our game replicated a battlefield not a modern-day cemetery. The survivors have to simply get across the tabletop, corner to corner, zig-zagging through the defensive emplacements. We selected this scenario in order to get further acquainted with the variant “7TV” rules “ZombieTV” brings with it, and thought it would provide us with an excellent storyline with which to use some of my “Secrets Of The Third Reich” models by “West Wind Productions”.

“The story so far… The Phantom Stranger has recruited the help of several super-heroes in order to help him track down and stop something sinister which is happening in the past and threatening to destabilize the present as we know it. Tasked to investigate strange tales of the dead rising from their graves during the end of World War Two, Batman and Daredevil are dispatched to the Eastern Front in 1944 and immediately come under attack from Nazi Zombies. Eager to put some distance between themselves and the walking dead the two costumed crusaders embark upon a perilous route across a deserted battlefield… But just because nothing now lives within the eerily quiet trenches and bunkers, doesn’t necessarily mean nothing actually dwells there.”

THE TABLETOP - THE BUNKERS AND EMPLACEMENTS OF A BATTLEFIELD

Batman and Daredevil were placed in the northwest corner of the table, whilst a pair of zombies were placed in the northeast and southwest corners. The zombie officer leading the Undead was placed in the southeast corner. The game started with the Nazi corpses all simply slowly lurching towards the super-heroes. Batman ran east along the north edge of the table. Whilst Daredevil, snatching up a pistol from a severed hand lying on the ground, followed him. Both looked around sharply as a loud groan came from close by as a corpse clawed its way out of the ground before them.

“The Restless Dead” Event Card then caused another cadaver to pull itself from the muddy earth and before they knew it, the dynamic duo were facing two fresh Nazi zombies. With a ‘thwack’ the Dark Knight embedded a bat-a-rang into one of the zombies and moved south. Behind him, the Man Without Fear felled the latest Undead arrival with a bullet round. The noise was bound to attract further hungry zombies and to the east three more corpses stirred from their resting places.

THE RESTLESS DEAD - DAREDEVIL DISPATCHES A FRESHLY-RISEN ZOMBIE

Batman could now hear the scrambling of dead limbs clambering over battlefield emplacements all around him, and decided now was the time for a “Stirring Speech” to rouse the courage in his companion. Inspired Daredevil charged into a nearby zombie and floored it with his billy clubs. Then the blind vigilante doused the twitching corpse with gasoline from a handy nearby can of gas, and torched the fiend to oblivion. That’s one zombie that won’t be rising again. With a triumphant shout Hornhead then charged into a second walking German carcass and battered it to the ground as well.

STIRRING SPEECH - DAREDEVIL COVERS BATMAN AS THE CAPED CRUSADER HEADS SOUTH

Over the barbed-wire battlements however both heroes could hear more groaning, as their activity alerted “The Wandering Dead” and some more Third Reich walking corpses entered the table from both the northern and western edges. Batman and Daredevil swiftly headed south through the trenches as more zombies clambered over the sandbags and into the bunkers behind them. Movement up ahead alerted the Dark Knight to another corpse staggering towards him, whilst three more of the Undead were crawling out of a trench to the west.

THE WANDERING DEAD - DAREDEVIL FIGHTS A BRAVE REARGUARD ACTION

Aware that they were being encircled, the two costumed crime-fighters sought for an opening in the approaching sea of clawing walking dead. A hand latched onto the Man Without Fear, and his billy club knocked the half-rotting ghoul to the ground. With a shout Daredevil charged into another cadaver and felled the fiend as well. Batman, sensing an opportunity to possibly split the hungry zombies rushed east using a (less than) Heroic Surge. Realising his back was no longer being covered, Daredevil used his Heroic Surge to leap over a wall of sandbags in front of him and put some distance between himself and the living German dead.

THE COWARDLY CRUSADER - BATMAN MAKES A BREAK FOR IT WHILST DAREDEVIL FIGHTS ON

Despite rushing ahead, the caped crusader once again found himself facing Nazi zombies as two more rose from the mud before his very eyes. Doubtless woken by the low moan coming from the upright corpse of a German Officer in a nearby bunker. With a daring leap the Dark Knight leapt over a nearby pile of sandbags and past the hungry zombies. Daredevil too was facing many more of the living dead to the north, so charged into the fiends, breaking the head of one with his billy club. The Man Without Fear then started clambering up over an empty gun emplacement. But suddenly three more zombies pushed free from the muddy ground and staggered towards him.

TRAPPED - DAREDEVIL FAILS TO CLIMB INTO A TRENCH

With a loud groan, one corpse caught hold of Daredevil’s shoulder and pulled him back into the horde of snapping jaws behind him. The zombies were all around him now, tearing at him, desperate to get a firm hold and bite his flesh. Batman, sensing his comrade’s fatal plight, turned to give assistance and… “Cut!”

 The zombies were now assailing Daredevil with great energy. Hornhead punched one ghoul but failed to hurt it. He lashed out at another. But again their grip on him never slackened. One fiend tried to take a bite out of his shoulder, but missed. Whilst another, tottering over some nearby sandbags lurched towards him its arms outstretched for a deadly painful embrace. The Undead were also trying to take hold of Batman, but the caped crusader managed to dodge away from their fatal reach.

SURROUNDED - DAREDEVIL STARTS TO GET OVERWHELMED BY THE WALKING DEAD

Deciding now was the time to “Seize The Moment” and automatically win the initiative Batman punched a nearby zombie in the face before heading southeast and safety. Behind him he could hear The Man Without Fear vainly resisting the advances of the surging Undead. A cry alerted Bruce Wayne to the fact that Daredevil had at last been bitten by the zombies; Matt Murdock’s death was now sadly but surely inevitable. A tug on his cape brought Batman back to reality as he tore free of the Third Reich corpse’s grip and utilised “Behind The Sofa”; allowing him to move that bit closer to the southeast corner.

BITTEN - THE ZOMBIES START TO FEAST UPON THE MAN WITHOUT FEAR AS BATMAN ESCAPES

Tasting blood the zombies swarmed over Daredevil, and with a faint final cry his red costume disappeared beneath a sea of German field-grey uniforms. Meanwhile, uncovering a hidden tunnel beneath the final obstacle to his goal and safety, Batman quickly cleared his escape route of debris and slipped away like a ‘Sewer Rat’ to continue the Phantom Stranger’s mission…

EATEN - BATMAN LEAVES THE BATTLEFIELD AS DAREDEVIL MEETS A GRISLY END

Having ended the game we looked to the Victory Points to establish just who had won. As Batman has survived with his 3 Hits still intact the super-heroes were awarded 3 Victory Points. Unfortunately, the Undead were awarded 2 Victory Points for 'overwholeming' Daredevil and a further 3 Victory Points for reducing the Survivor Side to half their models... so a win for the long-dead Third Reich. For now anyway...

28mm Battle Report: Doctor Who Verses The Cybermen

BRIGADIER LETHBRIDGE-STEWART AND DOCTOR JOHN SMITH FACE THE CYBER CONTROLLER

This game of “ZombieTV” takes place upon my usual 2x2 gaming board which has been populated with a smattering of trees, through the centre of which runs a snaking road. At the north end of the road is a broken down truck and at the south are some fuel drums. This lay-out replicates that advised by the set up for the scenario “Break Down” in the “ZombieTV” skirmish spin-off rule book by “Crooked Dice Game Design Studio”. The survivors have to get to the gas, bring it back to the truck and then escape in the vehicle. We selected this scenario in order to get reacquainted with the variant “7TV” rules “ZombieTV” brings with it, and thought it would provide us with an excellent storyline with which to use some long-neglected models by “Crooked Dice” and “Black Tree Design”.

“The story so far… Brigadier Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart and his UNIT scientific advisor, Doctor John Smith, are travelling back from some underground cave investigations at Wenley Moor, when they hear a Cyberforce has landed nearby and an invasion started. Eager to return to UNIT Headquarters and evade the attack, UNIT driver Gwyn Evans forgets to stop at a fuel depot en route and their truck grinds to a halt in the middle of nowhere. Fortunately some abandoned petrol barrels were seen just a mile back down the road, so the three UNIT members decide to disembark and collect them. But with Cybermen and Cybermats now roaming the countryside it isn’t just a simply matter of walking back, and there’s also a Cyber Controller to think about…”

THE TABLETOP - A SIMPLE ROAD WITH SOME TREES EITHER SIDE

All of the models were placed in their respective deployment zones as per the Episode’s set up. A number of House Rules were agreed in order to allow the Brain Survivor, Doctor Smith, to better represent the skills of Doctor Who; so his character was awarded the special effects Boffin and Gadgets – both of which aren’t ordinarily allowed in “ZombieTV”. 

As several weapons were also drawn as part of the Prologue’s Scavenger rules, this meant a number of pieces of equipment were shared out amongst the three men. Of note, Driver Evans was handed a useful one-shot miniature laser by his scientific advisor, the Brigadier grabbed a fire-axe from the truck, and the Doctor packed away a handy Matter Reducer ‘an old friend’ had once lent him.

TERRIFIED - DRIVER EVANS RUNS FOR HIS LIFE STRAIGHT INTO THE CYBERMEN

Turn One saw the first of the “ZombieTV” Event Cards being played “Desperate Last Stand”. This caused Driver Evans, terrified at being ordered to remain and guard the truck, to rush west along the northern edge of the table, into the woods and towards three approaching Cybermen. Petrified the UNIT soldier was allowed to chance one shot from his high calibre rifle and he didn’t miss. A silver giant fell to the ground without a head – these alterations the Doctor had made to UNIT’s standard rifles were marvellous. Meanwhile to the east the scientific advisor spotted three fast-moving Cybermats scurrying from out the trees – doubtless attracted by the noise of Evans’ rifle. Swiftly he turned his sonic screwdriver towards one of the metal monsters but it was out of range. With a “Splendid fellow” the Brigadier jogged past the Doctor heading south down the road towards the fuel.

COWARD COMES GOOD - EVANS DEACTIVATES A CYBERMAN AS THE CYBERMATS APPROACH

Turn Two saw the military officer suddenly collapse in a “Dead Faint” as his current twenty-four duty took its toll on the old soldier. Aghast the Doctor turned to see the Cybermats were now pouring out from the north-eastern woods towards them and Cybermen were stamping out from some foliage to the west. Evans, retreating back to the UNIT truck discharged the Doctor’s gift, and his miniature laser stopped another Cyberman. Only this one was simply deactivated and could shudder back to life again at a moment’s notice. Fortunately Lethbridge-Stewart gave a groan and got back to his feet… just as the silver giant Evans had just hit also began moving again.

GET IN FRONT OF ME MY GOOD CHAP - THE BRIGADIER PROTECTS HIS SCIENTIFIC ADVISOR

In order to ensure the UNIT staff had the Initiative for the third turn, the Brigadier used his Star Quality, “Last Man On Earth”, to automatically give it to them. As a result the soldier marched briskly south down the road and shot a Cybermat. The bullet deactivated the robo rodent but attracted the attention of three more, who trundled towards him. Driver Evans, returning to the truck he was ordered to protect, deactivated another Cybermat with his rifle. But the high calibre weapon was quickly attracting the attention of the Cyber insects. Meanwhile the Doctor ran up behind the Brigadier and set his sights on running down the road after the petrol. But Cybermen were now appearing from amongst the trees all over the place; especially from the south-western woods. Though the main problem was the swarm of 5-6 Cybermats heading from the east and already scuttling across the road’s surface.

CYBERMEN ARISE - EVANS CLUBS ONE SILVER GIANT BUT MORE APPEAR

To make matters worse for UNIT, the event “The Restless Dead” caused a Cyberman to rise up out of the ground just behind the main Cybermat pack at the start of Turn Four. Another of the silver giants reached Evans, but the driver dodged the attack. From the western wood a Cyberman was fast approaching the Doctor. Whilst the Cybermats finally closed in on the Brigadier, one snapping at his feet but missing. Driver Evans managed to club the Cyberman grabbing at him and with a stroke of Luck did enough damage to the alien’s head to bring it to the ground for good. Using a shot of scavenged adrenalin he then placed the Cyberman about to attack the Doctor in his rifle’s sights and squeezed the trigger. The weapon jammed!!! Meanwhile Lethbridge-Stewart, Cybermats worrying his feet already caught sight of more of the tiny cyborgs racing to his position and pulled out the fire-axe. He chopped one but despite a Heroic Surge failed to hit any more of the fast-moving robo rodents. Doctor Smith, spun to confront the Cyberman about to apply a devastating karate chop to the Timelord’s neck, and fired off his Matter Reducer… He looked down at the small robot at his feet. It looked like a child’s toy.

DE-MATERIALIZING DOCTOR - AS THE CYBERMATS SWARM THE BRIGADIER, DOCTOR SMITH ESCAPES 

Turn Five saw the Brigadier give a “Stirring Speech” which saw Driver Evans unjam his rifle and move towards his inspiring Leader. The Doctor managed to deactivate another Cybermat with his sonic screwdriver before disappearing into the western wood saying “I’ll be back in a moment old chap.” However Lethbridge-Stewart was too busy fending off the attacks of three Cybermats to respond.

THE CYBER CONTROLLER APPEARS TO WITNESS THE BRIGADIER'S DEMISE?

Turn Six began by the Brigadier deactivating another Cybermat with his trusty fire-axe and the Doctor used the distraction to run even further south behind the western woods, down towards the petrol stash. He would have to be quick however as the Cybermats were now swarming around UNIT’s Commanding Officer, and they were finally under the specific leadership of the newly arrived Cyber Controller…

Dum Da Dum, Diddly Dum, Oo-ee-oos…

With Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart about to be submerged beneath a wave of Cybermats, and the Cyber Controller having finally arrived to personally lead his Cyber Forces, things did not look too good for UNIT and its scientific advisor. However at this point, as we called it a night, the military organisation technically still had 7 victory points and the Cyber Force had 0 victory points. Giving Doctor John Smith and his UNIT friends a momentary moral victory... at least until we play Part Two...