GI Joe: Attack of the Sleezoids

 So I've painted enough of my GI Joe and Cobra figures to put on a solo game of Fistful of Lead, and last night I did exactly that. 

Episode setup: Dismissed from Harvard for his unethical experiments, disgraced geneticist Dr. Hiram Sleeze is currently hiding out in a junkyard shantytown in the American Southwest. At Dr. Mindbender's suggestion, Cobra seeks to recruit Dr. Sleeze to their cause, and won't take no for an answer. A Joe team is dispatched to deny Cobra the opportunity to recruit Sleeze as an asset. Sleeze, for his part, is wracked by paranoid delusions; he's not going with anybody, no matter who they are! He's armed himself with a poison syringe and a couple of sticky "goo grenades," and has released a number of genetic monstrosities, called "Sleezoids," into the surrounding environment. 

GI Joe and Cobra deploy at opposite corners of the board. Searching for Dr. Sleeze involves entering a building and spending an action to Search; on a 10+, he's found. Searchers add +1 to the roll for each building that's already been searched. If he's not found sooner, Sleeze is in the final building left to be searched, regardless of the results of the search roll. Once found, Sleeze had to be beaten in Close Combat to grab him. Once grabbed, he needs to be escorted to that team's starting table edge to secure victory.

 

Whenever a Joker is played for a figure's activation, a Sleezoid spawns, emerging from a terrain feature and attacking a member of the opposing squad. So if one of the Joes activates on a Joker card, a Sleezoid appears and attacks one of Cobra's operatives. 

 

GI JOE (Team Trait: Tactical)

• Duke (Leader; Veteran, Nerves of Steel, Tough as Nails, Encouraging) armed with an SMG and 2 Frag Grenades
• Scarlett (Specialist; Smart, Cunning, Sniper) armed with a Crossbow
• Snake-Eyes (Specialist; Brawler, Flurry of Blows) armed with an SMG and Katana
• Shipwreck (Regular; Deadeye, Sharp Tongued) armed with a Pistol
• Lifeline (Regular; Medic) armed with a Pistol and carrying a Medi-Pack

 

 

COBRA (Team Trait: Ferocious)

• Major Sebastian Bludd (Leader; Veteran, Deadeye, Inspiring, Bodyguard) armed with a Pistol and wearing Light Armor
• Zartan (Specialist; Camouflage, Stealthy, Dodge) armed with a Crossbow
• Torch (Regular; Killer) armed with a Flamethrower
• Buzzer (Regular; Thundering Charge) armed with a Chainsaw
• Ripper (Regular; Brawler) armed with an Automatic Rifle and Weaponized Jaws of Life
• Cobra Troopers (Grunt Group; Tough as Nails) armed with Automatic Rifles

 The game started with the Joes and Cobra fanning out; at the start of turn 2, Ripper investigated one building, coming out empty-handed; Duke checked another, and found Dr. Sleeze - and got stabbed with a poison syringe for his trouble!  Sleeze took of running as a pair (!) of Sleezoids popped out, attacking Zartan and Scarlett. Duke went down, wounded and delirious as the poison ravaged his system; Scarlett was wounded, but the Sleezoid forced back temporarily by Shipwreck, while Bludd shot the creature attacking Zartan. 

Snake-Eyes took off in pursuit of Dr. Sleeze, but got tackled by a THIRD Sleezoid. With one swing of its powerful paw, the Sleezoid put the ninja warrior Out of Action.

With three Sleezoids rampaging around the board, both the Joes and Cobra focused their attention more on dealing with the genetic abominations instead of shooting at each other (mostly). Lifeline got Duke back on his feet, and then moved and did the same for Scarlett. Ripper and Buzzer moved to intercept Dr. Sleeze; Buzzer got hit with a Goo Grenade, sticking him in place, and then got attacked and mauled by a Sleezoid before he could get free. 

Ripper managed to grab Dr. Sleeze and started hauling him towards the table edge, but got shot in the back by Duke and put Out of Action. Dr. Sleeze took off running. Torch (aided by a pair of Cobra Troopers) and Shipwreck each put a Sleezoid out of action, and the third got caught up a fight against a nameless Cobra Trooper that somehow managed to win three rounds of Close Combat, putting a Shock token and pushing the creature away each time before the creature finally routed off the table. 

With the Sleezoids dealt with, Zartan, Torch and the remaining Cobra troopers turned their attention towards the Joes; Major Bludd caught up to Dr. Sleeze and grabbed him by the collar (an Out of Action result from his Close Combat roll!). 

 

"Right, Dr. Sleeze, you're coming with me! COBRAAAAAA!"

Duke, Scarlett, Shipwreck and Lifeline worked their way across the middle of the table, taking down Cobra Troopers and sending Zartan darting from cover to cover. Zartan wasn't able to sit still long enough to reload his crossbow, and his active participation in the game was curtailed by Shipwreck's right hook.

It looked like it would be a Cobra victory, as Bludd managed to drag the unconscious Dr. Sleeze within 4" of the Cobra table edge. But just then...Duke activated on a Joker. A new Sleezoid emerged, tackling Major Bludd! The creature kept the Australian mercenary tied up long enough for the Joes to converge on his position, and 4" from the table edge, the Sleezoid put Bludd out of action before getting killed itself with a crossbow bolt from Scarlett. At the 11th hour, the Joes eked out a victory! YO JOE!

This was a fantastic game that kept me guessing. Having three Sleezoids emerge within the span of two turns took me by surprise for sure. At one point every "Out of Ammo" marker I had was on the table (the black "raygun" piece in some of the pictures). Multiple figures were wounded, went down, struggled to their feet...Zartan and Shipwreck both healed by activating on the Queen of Hearts card at different points during the game. 

Both Snake-Eyes and Duke were ultimately put out of action, but Scarlett, Shipwreck and Lifeline were in perfect health at the end of the game. When the game ended, everyone from Cobra was out of action except for Zartan, who was prone with two Wounds on him. Just a brutal game; Cobra had more long-range firepower with the five automatic rifles they were able to bring to bear, but Lifeline's presence helped balance that somewhat by keeping Joes on their feet and in the game. In retrospect now I realize I forgot to roll for Bludd's armor to see if it lessened the hit from the Sleezoid at the end, but with so much going on this solo game ended up taking about two hours to play through and by the end of it my brain was getting foggy.

Wasteland Warriors: Where's The Map? (Solo Campaign Game 3)

 I've been trying to "shop my stash" and paint things from my leadpile, and especially terrain pieces, this month. I'd bought some 3D-printed "Post-Apocalyptic Shantytown" buildings a while back and finally got them primed and painted (and I realized that my priming area is south-facing - I primed these buildings black and the roofs warped a bit. Oops!). So I decided that called for another solo game of Wasteland Warriors, continuing my irregular solo campaign. 

MENTOK'S GANG (Gang trait: Advanced Comms)

• Mentok! The Mind-Taker (Gang Leader; Mutant; Psionics, Smart, Ranged Fighter, Cunning; Mutations: Dual Brains) armed with a Beamer Pistol
• Blaster (Specialist; Human; Strong, Observant) armed with a Heavy Machine Gun
• Andrea (Regular; Human; Medic) armed with an Auto-Rifle and Machete
• Two-Badd (Regular; Mutant; Two Fisted, Street Fighter, Drunkard; Mutation: Two Heads) armed with an Axe and Mace
• Jacko (Regular; Mutated Plant; Bloodthirsty; Mutation: Large) armed with a Scythe

 

MAXIMUS' GANG (Gang trait: Ferocious)

• Maximus Firepower (Gang Leader; Human; Veteran, Fearsome Presence, Encouraging, Impervious) armed with a Handgun, Knife, and Frag Grenade
• Barbeque (Specialist; Human; Killer, Predatory, Steady) armed with a Flamethrower
• Breaker (Regular; Human; Brawler) armed with a length of chain and a Knife
• Jackson (Regular; Human; Street Fighter) armed with an SMG
• Fat Boy (Regular; Human; Cunning) armed with a Crossbow and Knife

 

I pulled a King of Hearts when determining scenario, so Mentok and his followers have snuck into Maximus' hideout in search of a hidden treasure map; as they're searching, Maximus returned, and now has to shoot his way into his own home. If Mentok can find the map and make his way off the table carrying it, he'll score a win. 

The game opened with Mentok and Andrea in the central building, with Blaster, Jacko and Two-Badd on lookout. Blaster took a shot at Breaker, putting a Shock token on him and sending him scurrying for cover. Barbeque crept forward, getting into position behind the left-hand shack, while Maximus Firepower moved into cover. Fat Boy moved up and took a shot at Jacko, putting a Shock marker on the plant. Two-Badd entered the house to warn Mentok that they'd been spotted.

Turn 2 is where things got wild. Jacko moved 8" towards Fat Boy and Maximus Firepower, and Blaster moved towards where Breaker disappeared into cover. Mentok found the map, while Barbeque moved forward and unloaded with his flamethrower at Jacko; Jacko took a single Wound, but Fat Boy, caught in the blast of flame, was reduced to a pile of sizzling bacon.

On Turn 3, Jacko charged Maximus Firepower, hacking at him with his scythe over the low, crumbled wall. Maximus took a Wound and went down, but stood up on his activation, and struck back at Jacko - and sent Jacko Out of Action! The big mutant plant is reduced to guacamole! (I might be writing this while hungry.)

Jackson fired a burst at Blaster and Andrea, putting a Shock token on Andrea and a Wound on Blaster while going Out of Ammo. Two-Badd and Breaker came to blows - prone, Two-Badd still managed to nail Breaker in the ankle with an axe in self-defense, but when he tried to struggle to his feet it became too much, and the two-headed mutant expired on the table. 

 Maximus Firepower threw his frag grenade at Mentok, but missed, and in retaliation Mentok used his Psionics to move Firepower 10" into the air and then drop him, the falling damage sending the green-haired warlord Out of Action. 

Mentok fired his Beamer but immediately went Out of Ammo, getting charged by Jackson. Andrea moved to defend Mentok in Close Combat, but got put Out of Action for her troubles. Blaster rolled a "1" on a Recovery roll and bled out. 

Quickly being alone on the table, Mentok took off running, with Jackson in pursuit - through some miracle, Mentok managed to pistol-whip Jackson and send him Out of Action, securing his own escape. 

 

It was a messy and brutal game, and the last three paragraphs cover two or three turns of play.  Making it off the table with the map earned Mentok 3 Renown Points; rolling for survival, Blaster and Andrea will miss the next game but return on the following game, Jacko is ready to go for the next game, and Two-Badd has a date with the Soylent factory. 

On the other side, Barbeque, Breaker and Jackson will be ready for the next game. Maximus Firepower and Fat Boy, however, are Soylent-bound. Barbeque will graduate to Leader status going forward.

Wasteland Warriors: Ambush! (Solo Campaign Game 2)

It's been a hot minute since I've done a Wasteland Warriors game (since January in fact), so I decided to get the table set up and run a second game for my (sporadic, I guess) solo campaign. I pulled "Ambush" as the scenario from the book - one gang, spread throughout the ruins, is caught in an ambush and have to pull together a defense quickly. I decided Annette's Gang, the winners of last game, would be the defenders this game; it's a "Survival" game so there's no Renown to be won. Stalker, one of Annette's Regulars, has to sit out this game due to injuries sustained during the previous game. The Ambushers would be a gang of Warmongers - descendants of an attempt to genetically engineer super-soldiers that worked a little too well. They're definitely not Orks.

ANNETTE'S GANG (Crew Trait: Loyal)

 

• Annette (Gang Leader; Human; Veteran, Coolheaded, Killer) armed with a Shotgun
• "Nine-Yards" Nora (Specialist; Human; Ranged Fighter, Strong) armed with a Heavy Machine Gun
• Bandit (Regular; Human; Stealthy) armed with an Assault Rifle
• Croak (Regular; Mutated Animal; Brute; Mutations: Regenerate) armed with a Club

 WARMONGERS (Crew Trait: Bloodthirsty)

• Boss Guzbag (Gang Leader; Mutant (Warmonger); Veteran, Fearless, Cunning; Mutation: Armored Hide) armed with a Blaster Pistol and Chainsword
• Baldy (Specialist; Mutant (Warmonger); Deadeye, Strong; Mutation: Armored Hide) armed with a Heavy Machine Gun
•  Ace (Regular; Mutant (Warmonger); Quick; Mutation: Armored Hide) armed with an SMG with Bayonet
• Cap (Regular; Mutant (Warmonger); Brawler; Mutation: Armored Hide) armed with an SMG with Bayonet

The game began with just Nora and Croak on the table, with Bandit and Annette elsewhere in the ruins; Guzbag's crew began spaced out along one table edge. The table was densely packed with ruined buildings, rock outcroppings and mutated plant growth.

Note the extra Warmonger; I took this photo, reread the scenario and realized gang sizes needed to match. Sorry Davy, you're sidelined.

Bandit arrived on the opposite table edge from the Warmongers at the beginning of Turn 2, and that's when things went wild. I'd forgotten to take the Jokers out of the deck, and Nora activated on one on Turn 2; I decided to roll for a random event and the table got hit by a Radiation Storm; a couple of Warmongers took Shock tokens from the storm, as did Nora, while Bandit took a Wound!

Also on Turn 2, Guzbag shot at Croak using his Blaster Pistol, but missed due to long range, Croak being behind heavy cover, and the Blaster's own incredible kick. Croak responded by charging the big Warmonger, bashing him with his club and putting two Shock tokens on him. Then Baldy, the Warmonger Specialist, charged Croak, swinging his machine gun like a club - and Croak turned around and smashed him in the face, putting a Wound on Baldy! 

 

On Turn 3, Guzbag rallied, shrugged off his Shock tokens, and brutally cut Croak down with his chainsword, sending the mutant lizardman Out of Action. With some encouragement from Guzbag, Baldy also stood up; however, while this was happening, Bandit activated on a Queen of Hearts, which removed his Wound. Moving into range, Bandit used Burst Fire to put a Wound on Guzbag and a second Wound on Baldy. Using Burst Fire put Bandit Out of Ammo, and in Wasteland Warriors, due to scarcity of resources, unless you're specifically carrying extra ammo or activate on a "6" card, you're out for the game. 

 Meanwhile, Annette arrived on the table this turn, maneuvered into position, and shot Warmonger "Cap" in the back with her shotgun, putting a Wound on him. 

 

On Turn 4, Annette ran up and started hammering on "Cap" with the butt of her shotgun, sending him Out of Action. Guzbag and Baldy both staggered to their feet, and Bandit...ACTIVATED ON A "6"! Finding one last bullet in his pocket, he chambered the round and shot Baldy, putting a third Wound on him and thus sending him Out of Action. 

Per the scenario conditions, the game ended when 50% or more of the Ambushing Gang were rendered Out of Action or routed off the table, and Baldy and Cap made 50%. Wounded, Guzbag rounded up his remaining flunky Cap (who also had a Wound on him from getting shot by Nora earlier in the game) and went looking for easier pickings.

It was a quick and brutal game that proved perfect for a weekday night; for campaign purposes, Croak recovered fully and will be ready for the next game.