Wargames - Playing Afterlife Ed1 v1.3 on Games Day Budapest 2016

Article updated: 2016.12.29

I played a game of Afterlife Ed1 v1.3 with Tóth Dániel (Grosh) on Games Day Budapest 2016. This is the account of the events that occured there.

The game was played for an Ellenor Renard miniature as a prize, so we have created a story around that during the convention. As I'm still unfamilar with the Afterlife universe, I'm writing the narrative incorporating the elements of the Forlorn Stars (Imperial Space) setting. The Unity Council forces became the Imperial army, Ellenor became Doctor Daniele Thomassen, a field medic, the Marine Corps became Imperial Marines, the Ajax Exo-suits became Imperial Knights, and the Pan Continental Republic forces became the soldiers of the local militia.

The rescue of Daniele Thomassen

The Imperial starship Nexus Spear arrived at the Hammer Games, the annual weapon and munitions market and jousting competition held on the ringed planet of Vesuv's Forge. During this time they have sent a resupply mission to the St. Eris World Workshop, a terraforming enterprise. The workers of the company held a festival to celebrate the arrival of visitors from far away places. While the officers spent their time bargaining the price of raw materials, the crew enjoyed their time in the housing tubes. Some of them event turned their stay into a humanitarian mission, the technicians helped in turning a dead zone into a desert, a team of soldiers cleared an alien infested wreckage, and the field medic, Daniele Thomassen, visited the volcano hospital to lend her knowledge and medical equipment, to make sure the workers stay a while before they pass into the afterlife.

The crew of the Nexus Spear gather around the space knight, the local bastion of the Empire

During their stay an unfortunate event occured, that started a civil disturbance. Some say it was due to the lack of toilet facilities, others blame it on the work of the fairy folk, whose two members are said to appear on the festival. The appearence of a single blue armoured space knight dispersed the rioting crowd. After the crew gathered, they have found Daniele missing. Unknown to them at the time, one of the furnace workers, who had seen Daniele's talent in the hospital, had the bright idea of kidnapping her to help the locals.

Sergeant Predrag Fedak went with a team of recon commando marines to find her. Following her signals, they manage to free Daniele from her captivity, but the sounds of the conflict alerted the local miner militia. The marines got into a dispute with the militia that got out of hand, and none of the imperial soldiers survived. Luckily Daniele had the chance to hide in the ruins. (Unfortunately there are no records of this event.)

A few hours later, just before sunset, another team was sent, this time accompanied by a trio of Imperial Knights, armed with heavy weapons. This is their story.

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The Imperial Knights pass the bridge where the previous conflict took place, and scout ahead. The leader of the Knights, Count von Toth scans the distance, seeing movement in the ruins. Two marine squads, one lead by Sergeant Yorge Weber, and the other lead by Sergeant Ella Noir follow them, hugging cover.

The marines of Squad Noir climb up a floating tower to get a better vantage point.

From their better position, the marines have a view of the ruins, finding the militia forces hiding there.

After the miner militia realise they have been found out, they spread out to outflank the Imperials.

The miners have some heavy weapons, their crew gets in position in the ruined facility to get a view of the closing Knights.

The quick advance of the Imperial Knights surprises the militia. They are used to more cautious enemies.

The Knights open fire on the militia squad. The assault cannons of Ianus "Le Renard" de Lys and Baroness Geistwald catch them in crossfire, killing three of the militia members immediately. The militia started to return fire in desperation, emptying their clips on their heavily armoured opponents. Le Renard got wounded by the counterattack, but continued to fire, until he finally fell a few seconds later. (Afterlife: The Exo-Mechs attacked, but their opponent got lucky and gained the chance to react - this means they fire at each other simultaneously.)

After the smoke clears, the only one standing is a single Imperial Knight, Baroness Geistwald. The militia squad is totally wiped out. The Knight leader, Count von Toth and the fellow Knight from the de Lys family still shows lifesigns, but they are out of the battle for now. After she made sure her comerades are alive, the Knight focuses her fire on the ruins. trying to pin the militia members.

Meanwhile, the flanking miner forces on the right get moved down by the marines of Squad Noir, firing from the floating tower.

The heavy weapon specialists hiding in the ruins start to pour fire on the remaining Knight, while she and the marines of Squad Weber return fire. After a long exchange, the Baroness finally falls, but the ruin is cleared of the militia.

The last remaining militia members who hide in cover, get mopped up by the marines of Squad Weber.

By the time the sun sets on the volcanic fields, the opposition of the Imperials is crushed. The survining miners flee the area.

Doctor Daniele Thomassen finally gets out of her hiding place, to join her comerades from the Nexus Spear.

In the aftermath of this incident, the family of the deceased Sergeant Jens Gross, the commander of the miners got into indentured slavery as a fine for his crimes against the Imperium. Centurion Lew Hossky of the REX 1 Security, the officer of Sergeant Gross got demoted due to the poor indoctrination of his subjects, and moved to the postal service facility at Anvil Point.

Thanks to their enhanced biofeedback and the life support systems built into the Knight armour, all of the Knights survived the battle, although Baroness Luminosa Geistwald lost both of her legs due to the grievious wounds received from the breacher missiles that took her out.

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Notes

Players: Takács György (Kadmon) as the Union Council / Imperial Navy, and Tóth Dániel (Grosh) as the Pan Continental Republic / Miner Militia

System used: Afterlife v1.3 from Anvil Industry.

Miniatures used:

The Union Council forces are Afterlife miniatures from Anvil Industry. They were painted by Lehoczky Tamás (Zirrian) and Tóth Dániel (Grosh).
The Pan Continental Republic forces are Afterlife miniatures from Anvil Industry. They were painted by Tóth Dániel (Grosh).
The photo of the Ellenor Renard miniature for Afterlife from Anvil Industry was painted by dwartist, the image was taken from Anvil Industry.

Scenery:

The game board is the Lava board created and painted by Scenery World Workshop.
The futuristic scenery is the Lava board sci-fi scenery, for the Lava board, also created and painted by Scenery World Workshop.

Photo manipulations: GIMP

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