Unexpected May Day Gaming!

Last night, while working on a mash up of various rule sets for very small scale skirmishes using the same scenario i've been using to test the other rules, Lady Shadowmoss came home from yoga and plunked herself down on the couch in the man-cave. She was rather chatty, but allowed me to continue the game. Before I knew it, she had placed "zombies" (actually unpainted, unassembled, Rackham Warriors of Caer-Maed) on the table and wanted to know when it was her turn.

My test scenario was over in any case, so I cleared the table, got out some unpainted (I didn't want her zombies to feel bad) plastic sci-fi figures that I got years ago at a dollar store and we made up some simple rules (since she's never wargamed):



Initiative:

Opposed rolls on a d6, higher score wins, re-roll ties.


Movement:

zombies can move 6" (these are 28 Days Later types)
troopers can move 4" or fast move 8" but can not fast move 2x in a row

Troopers can move and shoot in the same turn.


Shooting:

12" for rifles, 6" or under hits on a 4-6, 6"-12" hits on a 5 or 6.
Targets in cover subtract one from the die roll.
Zombies roll a save, survive on a 6.
If fast move, shoot at -1.

Hand to Hand:

Opposed d6 rolls, high score wins. If zombie wins, replace trooper with zombie figure. Activates after one turn of rest (Lady Shadowmoss called it summoning sickness).

Attacks from behind +1 to roll
Fighting against multiple attackers -1 on each roll (1 roll per attacker)
No more than 3 figures may engage 1 figure in hand to hand.

I started with 3 troopers, she had 5 zombies. The game would end if I made it off the table from the corner opposite the one I entered or if one side was destroyed.

I'll spare you the details other than to say, I must have picked up the broken d6:

This is why I prefer slow zombies!

This victory was followed by some good natured trash talking and what amounts to an end-zone celebration. Humiliating though it was for me, I think she actually had fun and might be willing to play a game every now and then.

After she retired for the night (she gets up at 6am to go to the gym before work), I decided to run my first game of Paper Tigers. I've been intrigued by these rules for some time but it was this review over on Two Up, One Back that sold me on them. I agree with all of his points, so I'm not going to review the rules in any detail here, other than to say that, as they involve playing cards, I figured I'd like them before I even tried them.

For the game, I played on the recommended 3x3 surface with  2 units of 1/32 figures. In the rules, they suggest 3-5 figures per unit, which is what I went with. I also went with the ranges and distances specified in the rules for 1/72. I found I had no problem with this, and even the scale differences with the buildings didn't bother me - which opens up some possibilities for more 1/32 gaming! (I'm just trying to further justify some planned purchases).

The Germans came from the north, Russians from the south. The goal - capture as many buildings and the hill as possible in one pass of the deck. Hill worth 1pt, two small buildings each worth 1 pt, large building worth 2pts.

Giant playing cards attempt to sneak up on both sides!

The Germans sent both forces to the town, while the Russians captured the hill early and then captured the big building. Unfortunately for the Russians, they were apparently using the broken dice from earlier in the evening and couldn't hit the broadside of a barn from point blank range with a nuclear warhead. Consequently, they were destroyed and their village foothold lost.

Die Deutschmaschine lebt

The Germans were a good bit more accurate, as well as successful on their attempts to remove damage markers and thus held the town at the deck's end.

The rules encroach on the playing surface.

The Russians held the hill but, to be fair, it was never contested. They failed to make any of their rolls to move the remaining squad to try and take out the Germans in the village - which would have been a long shot anyway, given the 12" rifle range and 6" movement maximum.

Overall a fun game with some interesting decisions forced by the cards. I'm putting these in the "definitely" pile for some Pacific Theater games.