Rogue Stars Star Struck Lovers get Pranged.

Two households, both alike in dignity,

In fair Neoverona, where we lay our scene,

From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,

Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean.

From forth the fatal loins of these two foes

A pair of star-cross'd lovers whose misadventured piteous overthrows
Is now the two hours' traffic of our stage;
The which if you with patient ears attend,
What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend.

First Citizen  "Which way ran he that kill'd Mercutio?

Tybalt, that murderer, which way ran he?"

BENVOLIO "There lies that Tybalt."

First Citizen "Up, sir, go with me;  I charge thee in the princes name, obey."

 

Enter Prince, attended; MONTAGUE, CAPULET and others

PRINCE  "Where are the vile beginners of this fray?"

BENVOLIO  "O noble prince, I can discover all  The unlucky manage of this fatal brawl: 

There lies the man, slain by young Romeo,  That slew thy kinsman, brave Mercutio."

Now is our stage set and our modest play begins.  Here our players assemble.

House MONTAGUE,  287

Montague Lord. Big, Heavy Worlder, Reptiloid, Tough, Leader Marksman  28 = 48

Light Combat Dress Legs/Arms 2 Torso/Head 3  7

Breath weapon Flamer pistol 3 Scortching, Energy, Close range 8

Powered Gauntlet 3 Crunch, Energy 5

Verona a Prince. Big, Green, Heavy Worlder, Reptiloid, Tough Weaponmaster   11= 43

Combat dress, Legs/Arms 3 Torso/Head4 18

Breath weapon Flamer pistol 3 Scortching, Energy, Close range 8

Force Glaive 4 Long, 2 handed, Smiting, Heavy, Energy 6

Romeo, son. Big, Green, Heavy Worlder, Reptiloid, Tough Marksman, Weaponmaster. 17=41.

Light Combat Dress Legs/Arms 2 Torso/Head 3  7

Breath weapon Flamer pistol 3 Scortching, Energy, Close range 8

Zap Pistol 3 Electrical, Energy, Short range. 5

Vibroblade 3 4 

Benvolio  Cousin. Big, Heavy Worlder, Reptiloid, Tough, Marksman 22=59

Combat dress, Legs/Arms 3 Torso/Head4 18

Breath weapon Flamer pistol 3 Scortching, Energy, Close range 8

Zap Rifle 4 Electrical, 2 handed, Energy, Short range. 7

Laser Pistol Shoulder Mounted 4 Blind, Energy, Short range. 6

Xabam, a servant. Big, Civilian Heavy Worlder, Reptiloid, Tough Marksman 14 = 34

Combat dress, Legs/Arms 3 Torso/Head4 18

Breath weapon Flamer pistol 3 Scortching, Energy, Close range 8

Assault Rifle 5 Automatic, two handed 8

Yalsalar a servant.Ambidextrous Big, Civilian, Heavy Worlder, Reptiloid, Tough  Marksman, Weaponmaster. 25 = 62

Combat dress, Legs/Arms 3 Torso/Head4 18

Breath weapon Flamer pistol 3 Scortching, Energy, Close range 8

Zap Pistol 3 Electrical, Energy, Short range. 5

Monowire Blade 3 Armour Piercing 6 

House CAPULET 286

Capulet Lord. Big, Heavy Worlder, Reptiloid, Tough, Leader, Marksman, 28 = 67

Light Combat dress, Legs/Arms 3 Torso/Head4 18

Breath weapon Flamer pistol 3 Scortching, Energy, Close range 8

Laser Pistol 4 Blind, Energy, Short range. 6

Sonic Pistol Chest Mounted 2 Sonic, Energy, Short Range 7

Juliet, Daughter.  Big, Civilian, Heavy Worlder, Reptiloid, -2= 21

Light Combat dress, Legs/Arms 3 Torso/Head4 18

Powered Gauntlet 3 Crunch, Energy 5

(Being a female she lacks the breath weapon)

Tibald, Cousin. Ambidextrous Big, Heavy Worlder, Reptiloid, Tough, Marksman, Weaponmaster. 35= 62

Combat dress, Legs/Arms 3 Torso/Head4 18

Breath weapon Flamer pistol 3 Scortching, Energy, Close range 8

Zap Pistol 3 Electrical, Energy, Short range. 5

Force Sword 4 Energy 6

Peter, a servant. 15= 52

Big, Civilian, Heavy Worlder, Reptiloid, Tough, Marksman, Weaponmaster.

Combat dress, Legs/Arms 3 Torso/Head4 18

Breath weapon Flamer pistol 3 Scortching, Energy, Close range 8

Zap Rifle 4 Electrical, 2 handed, Energy, Short range. 7

Vibroblade 3 4 

Sampson, a servant. 12= 51

Big, Civilian, Heavy Worlder, Reptiloid, Tough Marksman, 

Combat dress, Legs/Arms 3 Torso/Head4 18

Breath weapon Flamer pistol 3 Scortching, Energy, Close range 8

Zap Pistol 3 Electrical, Energy, Short range. 5

Tangler 0 Entangle 8 

Gregory,  a servant. 12= 33

Big, Civilian, Heavy Worlder, Reptiloid, Tough Marksman, 

Light Combat Dress Legs/Arms 2 Torso/Head 3  7

Breath weapon Flamer pistol 3 Scortching, Energy, Close range 8

Zap Rifle 4 Electrical, 2 handed, Energy, Short range. 7

Patrol Baton 3 Stun, Energy 6

Methodology.  I tried something different inspired on the Of Gods And Heroes startup.

I'm going to call this Brief Encounter.  It's to simulate 2 sides getting into position, talking, before someone fires the first shot or throws the first punch.

There needs to be a central point.  The defender places the first figure ANYWHERE no closer that 6" from the centre or any enemy model. The players then alternate until all placed.  The attacker takes the first move.

This whole scenario was inspired by the dead chap I got from Alternative Armies Prang bought during another lock down sale:   https://www.alternative-armies.com/search?q=prang  

Well done our Eli. Any resemblance to the Sheyang from Farscape is, of course, coincidental.

Yes, I went over the limit, but in my defence all the figures shared basic stats so these "cancel out".

No I didn't finish painting.  Got close but not there yet.  Next time.

I also had trouble with phone charger, so a mixed bag from 2 phones.

Scenery.  I got this kick starter as a  knee jerk reaction during my "get those Egyptian OGAM armies done!"  Amusingly, this is meant to be 32mm scenery.  Right, never actually looked at Egyptian buildings, then?  They built for the scale of the Gods, so huge.  This just about works for 15mm, 10 or 6mm would be better.  "I can just throw this together, quick slosh of tester paints.  Wrong.  On the morning decided they needed basing.  Slap on, press on upside down with no attempt to shape.  Result was that the white hard as nails was still a bit "icing sugar" soft.  Did an excellent job of assembly though, this stuff is rock solid.

The Game  Tony took Juliet's House Capulet and won the initiative,  Unsurprisingly beating my 1, my first 6 rolls were all 5 or under --.

Gregory (out in the open) starts the proceedings with a long shot.

Tibald works his way forward.

Until he is deep in enemy country, is this a column too far?

House Montague, Montague to the left, the Prince centre and Romeo to the right.

Gregory again, shoots the valiant Prince, shattering his arm.  He retires. 

The House Capulet servants advance.  Note Xabam.

A shot from Peter, Xaban rolls a 1.  He's a Sheyang so explodes in a bloody rain of chemical fire.

That alerts Romeo to the flank push.

He lines up with Sampson, who gets an initiative and shoots him in the arm, crippling it.

Benvolio detects Tribald, sneaks in close and shoots him through the back of his head with his shoulder mounted laser.

Yasalar goes to the flank.

Montague goes to check on his lad.

Seeing Sampson in close range, aiming to take the wounded Romeo prisoner with his Tangler (oh what a wicked  web we weave) he dashes in and strikes the servant down with his gauntlet.

Gregory again takes centre stage, he has a clear shot at Benvolio and wounds him.

What is this?  Montague raises his mighty fist to finish his foe, but rolls a 1! In desperation Sampson unleashes his breath weapon.  Mortimer falls, wounded.

Unopposed the House Capulet assembles. Juliet sensibly stays behind Dad, probably ready for a well aimed nag.

Yalsalar, the only active Mortimer, rushes to his masters aid!  But alas he rolls a critical failure on a first aid roll, giving his master another wound.  He begins to drag fim from the fray.

Benvolio had crawled into cover, now he carefully regains his feet.

Meanstwhile a cocky Gregory advances to inspect his handywork, collect a few souvenirs.  Not the armless Prince in the background.

 

Now comes Romeo to aid in the dragging of his Father.

Enter Capulet to take control.  Thus our little play ends.  House Montague is thrice stricken and must come to terms. 

That worked well.  The setup matched the civilian nature of the conflict.  Civilians and greens slowed down the pace to a realistic level and kept the reactions flowing.

Either the presence of the Prince prevented a massacre or there was a quick shift in power.

Would Capulet have spared Romeo, only to have his own grandkids seek revenge?  I think not.  Juliet would be promptly remarried (having become the heir to the Montague fortune) to the Princes cousin (as originally arranged) and a new dynasty installed in power.  

Amazing how much of this play I remember from my 6th form English lit class.  My teacher there remarked that "I was the only one in the class with a vocabulary, which I couldn't spell and even if I did, no-one would be able to read it,"  Which was an able and succinct summary.  Crom be praised for computers like wot I am using know.