Necromunda Survival: Game 1, Scavanger Hunt

Finally the first game of the Necromunda Campaign is here, its been quite a while in the planning so I hope it doesn't disappoint. To kick it off we are playing the scenario Scavenger Hunt, as our few survivors go out looking for supplies to stay alive, food, bullets, anything that might be useful. For those of you who haven't read the background, or the scenario rules click here.

The Mission

As a quick overview of the mission, there are 6 markers on the table, the survivors need to get to them, search, then get off the table. To search you need to be on the same level as the marker, with no enemies, and you search instead of shooting. While this is going on, zombies will flood in from a random table edge, the more gun shots fired through out the game, the higher the chance of more zombies appearing.

As we played the game we added a few little tweaks to make it run smoother that isn't in the scenario (I will change that at a later date when I review all of the material).

• Game can last a max of 10 turns, after that the survivors bottle out and run, this makes it a little more urgent and prevents experience farming.
• Zombie spawning was rolled for as the scenario, but we rolled a D6, 1-4 meant corresponding table edges, roll of a 5 zombies spawned in the centre of the table, and a 6 they appeared behind the most people (still at the board edge though).
• Deployment, each group of survivors could deploy on a different table edge if they wished (this was because after all the groups were set up it looked like they would just steam roll it, I probably should have tried but I though it would be more fun for the players to have the choice).
• Players took turns individually to play, which player went first alternated clockwise each turn, zombies always went last.
• Zombies charge 4 + D6 to represent the shambling nature, so its uncertain how safe you are from them.
• A zombie cut in half moves 2 inches and counts as ws 1 in combat, if you hit it in combat you kill it.

I set up the terrain in as much of an agreeable manor as possible (we didn't have much in the way of walkways) to represent a place a group of the PDF might have made a last stand. I then scattered 6 markers around on different levels to make the game interesting. Rolling for 2D6 + X zombies I ended up with 14 and scattered them about, making sure they were mainly next to an objective.

The Survivors

Orlocks: The Burning Chains

Pyro Joe (Heavy) -110

Flamer, stub guns, knife

Crazy Dave (ganger) – 75

Shotgun, hotshot ammo, knife

Steve (ganger) – 80

Autogun, maul

Stabby Micky (Juve) – 50

autopistol, sword

Van Saar: Forces of the Mechanicum

Hephestion Drax (Leader) – 315

Power axe, bolt pistol with red dot sight, bionic eye, respirator, flack armour, knife

Cawdor/ Enforcer: What's left

Morten Von Schill (Enforcer Handler)

Power maul, laspistol, carapace armour

Cyber Dogmeat (Cyber Mastiff)

carapace armour

Lucky Leon (Ganger)

autogun, knife

Ratskins: Ginger bread Kens (I don't know why)

Wanky Wolf (Shaman) – 175

Shotgun, sword, Blindsnake pouch, Spirit walk

Sitting duck (Ratskin) – 70

Massive axe

Rattrap (Ratskin Brave) – 35

Knife, maul

SmackRat (Ratskin Brave) – 35

Knife, Maul

The Mechanicum set up on his own (north side), the enforcer set up on his own (west) and the orlocks and ratskins set up together (east). We rolled to see who would get the first turn and it was the Mechanicum.

The Battle

Turn 1

The lone mechanicum leader moves forwards and attempts to kill a zombie with his bolt pistol but he misses.

Orlocks move up and manage to blow a zombies head off but mainly just make noise.

Using the cover of the Orlocks shooting, the ratskins get into position climbing up the ruins to their left.

Next the enforcer handler moves forwards and the cyber mastiff charges into the closest zombie. The ganger lucky Leon shoots at a zombie and manages to bring it down. In combat the cyber mastiff wins combat by a lot (something like 11 to 4) and with the 6 attacks rips the zombie apart.

Zombie turn, so far the noise tally is at 4, so I get D3 zombies a turn. Only 1 appears and comes on behind the enforcer and cyber mastiff. Following the noise the zombies move towards either the location of the closest noise or a survivor they can see. In this 1 falls off a ruin and plummets to its death, smashing its skull on the floor. No combat for the zombies.

Turn 2

Orlocks first, and they move forwards ready to shoot at the zombies as they are getting a little close. Pyro Joe starts by firing his stubgun at the closest but the shot fails to do any damage and jams as well, preventing it from being used for the rest of the game. The rest of the orlocks fail to do any damage.

Ratskins next and they move towards the bridge and the zombies on it. Shotgun blazing the shaman does little but make noise this turn.

Shouting at his mastiff, the handler commands the dog to attack and it charges another zombie. The handler himself charges the closest zombie, which happens to be down. Leon fires but the zombies prove too resilient. In combat however cyber dogmeat again manages to over power a zombie, knocking it to the ground and destroying its brain. With an easy mark the handler puts his power maul straight though the downed zombies head, removing the threat.

This turn the tech priest just runs to get into a better position.

Zombie turn and noise is up to 9, and 4 zombies appear on the north section. This turn some zombies are in charge range and a few charges are made, a zombie charges into the cyber mastiff and gets ripped apart. Another charges the techpriest and gets destroyed by his power axe. On the right a zombie charges crazy Dave, and taken by surprise the zombie downs him! Another zombie charges sitting duck but an axe to the chest rips him in half, but doesn't finish it off.

Turn 3

I need to make some half zombies

The shaman and Rattrap move towards the objective on the bridge, but can't get past the zombie on the bridge. Releasing his soul the shaman sends his spirit to attack the zombies assaulting the Orlocks and kills one in combat. The combat with the half zombie actually has the half zombie win against Sitting Duck by drawing combat, and the single attack downs the Ratskin.

Enforcer turn and the Cybermastiff charges another zombie followed by the handler who charges another. The ganger Leon aims his autogun but fails to wound any zombies. In combat the mastiff once again rips a zombie to pieces and the handler puts another one away with his power maul.

Moving onto the same level as a counter the techpriest searches the ruin for supplies but rolls a 1, he finds nothing and the counter is removed.

Orlock turn and they go to aid the downed ganger Dave, Stabby micky makes the charge while Steve shoots at a close zombie. Shooting from Steve and he cuts a zombie in half, while in combat Micky kills off the zombie who downed Dave. Orlock recovery and Dave bleeds out, going out of action.

Zombie turn and 8 zombies appear, so I spread them over two spawn points, so 4 appear behind the enforcer and another 4 appear behind the Orlocks. Again the zombies converge on the survivors and a second zombie charges into the Ratskins, and a zombie charges into micky. The ratskin fight ends with the half zombie getting killed while the other does nothing against the ratskins. The zombie who charged Micky manages to get stabbed straight in the head,going out of action straight away.

Turn 4

First the ganger and handler move away from the zombies followed by the cyber mastiff. Leon the ganger shoots at the zombies, he hits but fails to do anything and his gun jams, so he's stuck with just his knife for the rest of the game.

Techpriest next and he climbs down the ruin and misses with his bolt pistol.

Orlocks move away from the zombies, and pyro joe climbs a ruin to get a better line of sight. Shooting form them does nothing but attract the attention of the zombies.

Ratskins, Rattrap manages to kill off the zombie assaulting him, while the rest of the gang moves past onto the bridge.

Zombies turn and 4 zombies appear again behind the enforcers. Despite trying to get away from the zombies, one charges stabby Micky, and manage to bit him, taking him out of action in combat.

Turn 5

Bolt pistol firing, the techprist manages to down a zombie, but doesn't kill it. However that was his last bullet, leaving him having to deal with the rest of the zombies in combat.

Orlock turn and Pyro Joe searches and finds nothing (also rolling a 1) and the counter is removed. Damn it Joe. Steve fails to do any damage to the zombies.

Ratskin turn, the shaman sends out his spirit and it charges a zombie on the ground while he leads his ratskins forward. One of the ratskins searches the bridge and finds something (finally). In combat the spirit lashes out at a zombie but its ethereal forms just passes though doing no damage.

Enforcer turn and the ganger charges into a zombie with his knife and the handler does the same. They some how both manage to kill a zombie slowly reducing the hordes number.

Zombies and 4 more appear on the right. 2 zombies charge the orlock Steve but somehow in combat he downs one then kills the other!

Zombie slowly chases pyro joe

Turn 6

Orlocks go first this turn, with pyro Joe being the only one who does any damage. Lighting his flamer, Joe burns 2 zombies, killing 1 and setting the other on fire.

Ratskin turn, and they do nothing of interest, just move around the table.

Handler and Mastiff again charge into the middle of the zombies, while the ganger hides at the back with his knife. In combat the cyber mastiff rips a zombie to pieces while his handler cuts a zombie in half, and downs him, but doesn't get the kill.

Moving towards the enforcer, the techpriest gets into range of search token and searches, finding something of use.

Zombie turn and 5 appear in the centre of the table. The zombie on fire stays on fire but the flame does nothing. On the left one zombie charges the cyber mastiff (it gets ripped to bits), one manages to reach the techpriest (and gets destroyed by a power axe to the head). Also a zombie manages to charge Ganger Leon, and some how the ganger is able to put his knife right though the zombies eye socket, killing him with ease. 

Turn 7

Ratskins search the bridge for anything of use but don't find anything, again rolling a 1, I don't know how they are getting so unlucky. The shaman sends out his spirit and it attacks a zombie managing to destroy the monster.

Heightened by his recent kill, Leon charges another zombie and some how kills it! The handler and dog move away.

With his failed search, the techpriest moves towards the centre of the table, aiming for that loot token as well.

Pyro Joe searches again but this time rolls a 1.... these guys need new dice.

Moans come from the right and left as 2 groups of 4 appear. One zombie charges the techpriest but gets murdered.

Turn 8

Both the mastiff and handler charge again, already covered in blood they just can't stop hunting zombies, as is the enforcers want. The mastiff kills a zombie but the handler actually fails in combat allowing the zombie to win and deal a single wound which is stopped by his carapace armour.

Disgusted by the filth in the underhive, the techprist charges a zombie and once more cleaves it in two from head to groin.

Orlock turn and again pyro joe uses his flamer again but this time it runs out of fuel, but not before it killed a zombie. The other orlock ganger is just shooting at zombies not really doing much.

Ratskins move to collect the other search token next to them and its a dud (3 out of 5 1's... their rolling sucks). Using a scatter shot, the shaman targets a group of zombies, hitting 2 and killing 1.

The burning corpse burns out and dies. More zombies appear and ganger Steve is surrounded and charged by a single zombie. The zombie wins combat but does no damage to him.

Turn 9

Wielding his axe, the techpriest charges 2 zombies next to each other, killing 1 and downing the other.

Ganger Steve wielding his maul brings down the zombie but doesn't kill him.

Again firing a scatter shot, the Ratskin Shaman targets a group of zombies but misses, and the shot actually hits the techpriest, but fails to wound him.

Enforcer turn and the dog moves towards the centre to help clear the zombies while the handler moves back firing his laspistol to no effect.

A sudden spurt of speed from the zombies leads to Leon getting charged and two zombies jumping on the Handler. Leon unfortunately can't handle this zombie and goes down this turn. However in a little more trouble, the handler dispatches the first zombie that attacks him, but while he is distracted the second zombie manages to take a chunk out of him, taking him out of action!

Turn 10 (Final turn)

My notes are a little rushed here so I apologise for the briefness.

The orlocks manage to kill off a single zombie, the techpriest kills another and the ratskins down 1, but no one manages to search the token.

I skip the zombies turn as none of them are really in range to do anything.

Post-Game

So with the game over, we first go over injuries. 4 survivors went out of action, and one was down when the game ended. We roll to see if Leon, the downed ganger is ok and he survives the encounter. Every one else has to roll on the injury table, and re-roll dead results for this game only.

Enforcer Handler – Scared of Zombies (they now cause fear to him)

Ganger Crazy Dave – losses 2 fingers on his left hand (obviously bitten off).

Stabby Micky – full Recovery

Smack Rat – Full Recovery.

Next with every one being alive I roll to see if any of them get infected (again re-rolling turning into a zombie for this turn).

The Handler, SmackRat and Stabby micky all become sick from their proximity to the zombies and must miss the next game. Crazy Dave however is fine.

Exploration next and they roll a triple 1, finding an infected survivor. They decide to shoot him and take his stub gun but next game they start at +1 noise token.

Every one rolls for their experience and upgrades which I will share with you next game as I don't have all of the information at my disposal right now.

After talking to the players about what they would like their next move to be in the underhive, looking for some form of medical help to stop the sickness seemed to be a good story based and logical place to go. I offered them the choice of either attacking a mutant camp to find something (they lived with zombies before chaos came) or attack a medica facility higher up in the hive. They chose the medica facility, so that will be a fun little scenario to come up with.

Anyway that's the first game done with, what do you all think?