Rogue Stars: The Metebeetlejuice Fulcrum. Death vs Sanity Klaws

Life, oh my froody hoobs, can get in the way of wargaming. I know, that's a shock, but unfortunately true. Loyal readers will know that I try and have a campaign ready and waiting. So it was that in a recent order I added some of the more – exotic- outpouring of the Ion Age. A small outlay gave me 2 crews – Christmas, Halloween & "burger" https://theionage.com/collections/collected-monthly-miniatures 

plus a few “lost boys”, local gang hirelings available to both sides.  Useful little set, these- ideal add-on to my vampires and/or Anglo-Martians https://theionage.com/products/aiaf003-the-betrayers

Big snail is by Khurasan, smaller chompers The Scene, Blue birds Splintered Light.

Now I need a plot, something to “hang” the games together. I'm using a lost valuable The Metebeetlejuice Fulcrum. You remember Aristotle on telly saying “give me a lever big enough and I'll move the Earth”? Well this is the fulcrum made for the attempt. Complete with original packaging and letter of authenticity. Now apply BS.

By now you have an idea of how the game plays, so I'm going to concentrate on dynamics. For instance, it is possible for a force to stack up so many pins and stress that they are just incapable of further action. Rather than a bloodbath, this usually leads to endgame.

Game 1. A vehicle lies in a cold, irradiated wasteland. Both sides want to grab it, repair it then get the frac out of there!

Christmass Cultists.

Sanity Klaws. Artificial, Big, Marksman1, Non reactive, Psi, Leader1

Laser cannon, 2 frag, 1 stun grenade.Non reactive, Psi,

Rudolf, Artificial, Extra leg, Fast3, Martial arts2, Non reactive, Psi.

Elfless, Marks1, Psi Psi master, Reactive. Detect weakness, Flight pack, Lt combat dress, SMG

Little Helper Civilian, Marks1, Medic2, Psi, Robotech, Tech2. Slug pistol.

1 lost boy

Generic Lost Boys Marks1, M/arts2, Psi

Halloween Cultists

Death Difficult target, Fast, Leader1, Psi, Weapon master. Scyth, Reaction field

Zelda Psi, Psi master3, M arts. Flight pack, Lt combat armour, Electrokinesis, Guide.

Pump(kin) flail, Ambidextrous, Diminutive, Fast, Vegetable, M/arts2, Force flailx2.

Satanic mechanic Civilian, Marks1, Medic2, Psi, Robotech, Tech2. Slug pistol.

1 lost boy

The Game

Tony takes Christmas & the initiative. Santa whooshes to the top of the lander while the rest bundle the tech into the vehicle.

Using the available reactions I push forward Death & Pumpflail as both are close assault specialists. Zelda brings up my left flank, staying in cover. The teams were designed before, and making Santa's little helper a civilian means he's racking up the stress and giving me reactions. But never enough.

Death starts to move forward, Santa takes a shot but misses. Pumpkinflail and lost boy go down, but not dead, to a hail of fire from Elfless. Santa takes another shot, and Death is dead. That helped my morale.

Zelda takes an Electo blast at Santa (to keep his head down) but she rolls high, he rolls low and he tumbled down as dead as death! That helped Tony's morale and I gained the initiative. In goes the vegetable of doom, to be met by the reindeer of wrath. Smashed about the head by the flails it goes down. But it's too late, Zelda gets shot down and the remaining Christmass crew are in the vehicle and off they go!

Come back and fight!

Game 2. The derelict ship. This was on 2 levels. Made sense that the vehicle gave access to the top layer and initiative whilst mine had to pick the back door.

Christmass Crew.

Santa had a quick reboot back at the lab. From Artificial, Big, Marksman1, Non reactive, Psi, Leader1 to Artificial, Marksman1, Psi, Leader1 and lost his flightpack.

Reindeer was replaced by Happy Helper Artificial, Marksman2, Non reactive, Psi, Sonic rifle.

Halloween Crew.

Death is no stranger to the slab and he has arisen anew as Dr Death, Artificial, Fast3, Marks1, Weaponmaster3, Psi, Leader1. Light cbt armour, flight pack, Laser rifle, Accurate.

They get stuck with a (rookie) service bot (presumably from the ship) Green, Laser pistol, Lt combat armour.

The Game

Tony's crew having easy access and found the top level empty bar 1 suit of power armour (probably a hasmat suit, considering-) 

 Took their time getting a lost boy into it. Santa's little helper inherited the others kevlar.

 Meanstwhile, on niggardly reactions I got inside. The engine room and the next was gutted, nothing but scrap. I spread out as fast as I could. Tony gives up initiative.

First door, nasties, shut it quick.








Next door, big nasty, shut it!











Third door, more nasties, but no! Failure to shut, out they come. There's no rules for this, so we gave them an activation as-and when. My poor Pumpkinflail and a Lost Boy goes down.

 Satanic mechanic opens the second door, letting the big one out. True enough it goes for the first lot, a battle ensues (in fact a mini-game). As he heads for the exit, he hears the lift coming down!

Yep, Tony'd finished the top floor and headed down. Zelda takes a pot shot at Dr Death and he'd down, hardly gotten in the door-. Satans M opens the third door and tries going around the rear of the lift. He nearly made it. Santa's crew loses a lost boy to chomping jaws-.

Everyone is running for the service hatch now, streaming past the befuddled service bot without bothering to shoot.

Christmas gets away with losing one lost boy but gains a suit of power armour.

Halloween crew is reduced to Zelda and the green bot-.

RS Tourchwood vs less than jolly Green Martians

Got to admit we s t r e t c h e d the rules just-a-l e e e t l e bit. So my strident gossips, how could we do such a thing? This is supposed to be my Martian year and it being May (just) I thought it high time that I got on with it. Although I may have summat on the stove. Patience.

Peter Pig and Fisticuffs. 27 Years. Shit. First one, Salute the weekend before, cheap travel day on train, Irregular new 6mm SF! Quick grey paint (sophisticated for me, back in the day) nice little scenario aimed at showing the kids that this new company bring out overpriced junk- there was a better, cheaper alternative. 

 Oh THIS year, bought a selection of his Martians and naval types, after all up in the air they will appear smaller. Martians bought n based Saturday, quick incomplete paint job Sunday, used (bank holiday-like a Sunday but added eastenders. The horror) Monday

Scenery.  The centre piece was a throw together from scraps way back when I had a wargame room-.

The cobbled paper is from Hobbycraft, meant to be wrapping paper.  These vehicles were made for Yorkshire specifically for police & Torchwood.

As for the Martians, John Carter 2 types, the second being scruffy desert dwelling yobs, and that's the look I'm going for here. Someone has equipped them with a manufactured hand guns and AA. They are culturally armed with overarm lances (no saddle) used from their reptilian mounts that are much smaller than the raptors used by their larger cousins. A look at the carrying rules shows a 1” reduction for carried. This played right, they were supposed to be light build and about as strong as a human, being internal tendon and gristle rather than muscle. We also worked out that the mounts would retire until called.

The Martians

The 3 Mounts: Claws, 2pr extra legs, reptile, Fast2 Tough2 40. This gives Armour 1, ignore 1^st pin, speed of 2,8 &10, reduced by one when mounted.

Basic Green Martian “App” Ambidextrous, Extra arm, Huge, Insect, Weapon3 Giving armour2, no morale critical fail.

Leader2 Spear Mace(sword) for 47.

Reduction to Weapon2, Shoot1, “musket requiring reload, 4 damage, sword & spear for 42

Shoot1, “musket requiring reload, 4 damage, 2spear for 44

Total 253

Torchwood

Professor Quarterpound  Leader3, Perceptive3, Tech2, Xenologist @34.

Assistant/niece Miss B Alert, Reactive, Marksman2, Slug pistol @24

Colonel Danger sense, Fire into melee, Marks3, Reactive, Stealth2, Musket+1, knife @46

American Reactive, Marks3, Blaster rifle (adapted radium rifle) @31

Shootist Ampidextrous, Marks2, Tech2, Weapon master2 “bionic” eyes 2 slugthrowers @54

Miss G Agile1, Fire into melee, Marks2, M.Arts2, Medic2, Slug pistol @36

Native Guide (Canal Martian girl)

Green, M.Arts3, Xenologist, Psi, Psimaster Elektro, Heal, Levitate @26

Total 251

The Games. Same set-up for both, except for starting position for Torchwood's vehicles.

We actually finished quick enough to swap sides and complete 2 games- miracle! We don't rush.

Tony took the Martians and came in very fast and strong (him usually being the cautious one) with the leading charging right into the gap! The American spots him (on reaction)The poor Miss G goes down, speared in the head and trampled, the Colonel clambers up on the vehicle for a clear shot.

Number 2 comes in and the American shoots him, dismounted they begin a sniping battle.

Mumber 3 takes the long way round, spears the shootist (who will fall in the same place in both games) leaps off his mount to spear the Colonel before shooting the American in the back. Not British, these chaps!

Herded into the corner, the remainder of the party scramble into the vehicle and slam the hatch.

Now they are faced with a quandary, to escape they must run over poor Miss G who'se lying there wounded and all alone--.

Now it's my turn with the Greenies. Tony places the vehicles outside the building and the Colonel on guard. I start with no3, getting him to ride up and distract. This worked, the murderous shootist comes out on reaction, and gets skewered by charging no2.

No3 hops up onto the vehicle and shoots the Colonel in the chest, but he's hard-. Then he dashes into the ruin and takes out the American from behind. Then he gets shot in the head by the Colonel, goes down, but not out. He gets up, headshot, goes down- talk about hard!

No2 goes around the ruin, leaps off and through the crack- to roll a 1 and end up flat on his back, head-to-groin with Miss B who shoots him to keep him down. And again.

The leader rides around and spears the Colonel, goes all the way around and dismounts by the other vehicle. A flash! Miss G has leapt into it, shamelessly exposing her ankles. He runs around and attempts to stab but fails (sitting duck we took as-) getting stuck with his ass waiving in the wind.

He manages to get shot as he attempts to get out of her line of fire, goes down dead. No3 isn't lucky and gets shot in the head again, but he's getting used to it.

The guide comes to the aid of Miss B (I don't think she needs it) and shocks poor No2 before getting clobbered. Miss B make a run for the vehicle.

The Professor makes a shambling run for the other vehicle. So they are safe – until the remaining 10,000 members of the tribe come over the hill----.

Very pleased how this came out, got the right feel!  I expected the Greens to go down in a hail of high caliber fire.  Using the vehicles as a stop- try it!

Mounts.  You note that I've treated each mount as a cgharacter, and they could have been shot at.  We only had one rider-or-mount decision and that was a simple 50/50 roll.  Tempted to use others, make them a simple AI with a base of responses or rules.

Game 1

Game 2

'an we thought she wos a noice gal!

Miss G is inside the vehicle, shooting out

These work, mount-rider- you get shot alot, you get pinned alot!