The Minos Factory incident at Princess Hara Bay - Playing Deadzone Ed2 in The Forge Club (2016.12.28)

Playing Deadzone Ed2 in The Forge Club (2016.12.28) - Imperial Space Gameplay narrative

Article updated: 2016.12.30

There was a club gathering at The Forge Club on 2016.12.28, where I organised a Deadzone Ed2 demo. After a quick warm-up game, there was an interesting battle between Fedák Zsombor and his friend, two youngsters who never played Deadzone before, but they were eager to try it. This is a retelling of the events that happened. To fit with the previous gameplay narratives, I set the story in the universe of the Forlorn Stars (Imperial Space) setting.

Prelude

There was an alien infestation on Salamander, the moon of Draconis Gamma. Before the Imperial intervention, the population was quickly evacuated to Draconis Beta, and Gecko Station, the loading port of Salamander. Knights arrived from House Aquilae, and aided by the Imperial Military, they started to suppress the aliens and clean up the infestation. The battle still rages on the planet, but after a long quarantine, Gecko Station was considered clean of infection, so they opened it again for the interstellar trade.

One day, the sensors of Gecko Station caught signals of cloacked spaceship activity. They sent two interceptor fighters, and a shuttle with a boarding crew, but they were late, the rogue spaceship landed at Princess Hara Bay, the starport of the Minos District, among the abandoned factories of the Minor House. Gecko Station informed the Aquilae knights of this incursion, but they had more pressing matters at hand. As neither the station, nor House Minos doesn't have jurisdiction over the planet during Imperial intervention, they approached the Nexus Spear, an Imperial starship, that was docking at the Gecko Station. The captain of the Nexus Spear, Bridget de Aries allowed Imperial Navy Captain Kokkinatmow to take a squad of marines to investigate.

While they were cruising over the ruined city, the still working security systems showed signs of a security breach at a land vehicle factory. The marine captain landed the shuttle and entered the facility to catch the raiders.

The Incident

When the marines approached the buildings, they've seen people emerging from a tunnel entrance. At the sign of the Imperials, the raiders ran behind cover. As the marines got closer, they've heard there are still several others in the tunnel. To stop the reinforcements, the marines had to close the entrance. The map they've got from the Minos security chief showed severak computers, they could use to access the security systems of the factory.

Although the marines didn't know at the time, there was also another important feature, a cargo lift, that lead down to the tunnels. Even though the marines could hold the tunnel access to stop the arrival of raider reinforcements, the raiders could still send the looted goods to their waiting fellows.

(Deadzone Ed2: The console on the building, and the warehouse gate was a 1 Victory point location, while the tunnel entrance and the cargo lift was a 2 Victory point location. As long as one force has a location under control, they get the Victory point for that every round.)

Captain Agim Gyerguy Kokkinatmow lead the marines to the factory, with marine Agostinho Mohnhaupt and assault marine Yasin Brinnand-Nielsen by his side. Marine Prima Buffini and marine Damyan MacLean charged towards the tunnel entrance. Sniper Joan Ducharme crawled behind cover to get a good view of the targets.

Lying low behind a landcar, Ducharme spotted two enemy combatants, Rouk, a high-gravity hulk, towering over Sharik Aslan, another pirate.

The raiders, lead by Captain Darling, realised there's only a handful of Imperials approaching, so they got their nerves together, and tried to scare the marines away. They didn't hope for victory, just wanted to buy enough time.

Captain Kokkinatmow took the tunnel entrance, and started to weld it shut with his plasma knife.

Sniper Ducharme climbed the command building, to get an elevated position, giving him a good choice of targets. He also found a computer console, and the codes given to them gave him access to the security systems. This got him a full view of the facility. (Deadzone Ed2: He took control of an objective location.)

Brinnand-Nielsen slowly walked on the left flank, moving through the parked vehicles.

Rouk, the high-gravity raider used a phasing field to charge. This made him look just like a blur, Ducharme was unable to take even a good look of him, before he disappeared behind the cover of the cargo lift. (Deadzone Ed2: Rouk was played as a Teraton, and that race has an innate ability to teleport. The cargo lift was an objective location, giving the rebels extra Victory points.)

Naughty-1, one of the reprogrammed cargo loader robots, now armed with assault cannon, moved forward to secure the gate of the warehouse. (Deadzone Ed2: It took control of an objective.)

Naughty-1, the heavily armed cargo robot opened fire on the sniper. Ducharme ducked behind the cover of the security station, keeping his head down. (Deadzone Ed2: Heavy weapons can pin their targets, even if they are not harmed by the attack.)

Buffini and MacLean used their jump jets to get on top of the command building to help Ducharme out of his dangerous situation.

Raider Captain Darling found a couple of grenades in one of the crates left behind the evacuation, and as he found them too heavy to carry around, he tossed them on the top of the building. (Deadzone Ed2: The special ability of the Rebel captain is to create items to be found. During the game, the rebel player used this ability to spawn as many loot tokens for his raiders as he could.)

To survive the explosion, Buffini jumped down the building, taking some shrapnel through her armour. Sensing the sudden change of motion, the emergency jets switch on before the marine could hit the ground, even though she landed prone. MacLean remained on top of the building, jumping behind the security console. (Deadzone Ed2: If your model survives a blast, it scatters randomly into a nearby area. Luckily for Buffini, Enforcers have jump jets that enable them to fall from buildings without harm.)

Magnet Chick, the other cargo robot also opened fire, targeting the prone MacLean, who fell under the heavy fire.

Rouk, the high-gravity raider phased again to reach cover. He also reached a bag, and among some useless junk, he found a fragmentation grenade. As he got a good look of the area during his phasing, he used the grenade to get the tunnel entrance free of marines. (Deadzone Ed2: Because of the previously mentioned scattering, frag grenades are a good way to get people away from places you don't want them to be.)

Captain Kokkinatmow jumped behind cover, but Buffini didn't have time to assess the surroundings, and jumped forward. She was still lying in the smoking ruins, when Sharik Aslan, standing on a computer station, caught her in his view, and put a few armour piercing bullets into her, taking the marine out of action. (Deadzone Ed2: The raider found Armour Piercing Ammo, and used it to kill the marine.)

The pinned sniper, Ducharme also fell under the heavy fire of the robots.

Captain Kokkinatmow got back quickly to hold the tunnel entrance.

Marine Mohnhaupt jumped on top of the building to take revenge for his fallen brothers, and fired salvos at one of the heavily armed robots.

Fiddling with a computer console, one of the raiders, Stallion Vicious, gained access to the security cameras, although they didn't have clearence to take over the security network. (Deadzone Ed2: The rebel found an Intel token, giving the player a Victory Point.)

As the Imperial forces were supressed, the raiders were free to haul their loot to the cargo lift. Henricus Bernard Rameckers, their tiny technician sent package after package without interruption.

To get rid of the annoying marine on top of the command building, Magnet Chick strolled forward. As it approached the edge of the building, the security system, still controlled by the marines, recognised the robot as an intruder, and a hidden explosive device blew it off. Even the tough armour of the robot couldn't stand the explosion. (Deadzone Ed2: The robot revealed the Booby Trap token, killing it.)

Captain Kokkinatmow heard a raider conversation on an open channel, about the reinforcements in the tunnel bringing a fusion cutter to get through the blocked entrance. This was somewhat discouraging, but the the Imperial forces tried to stand their ground. (Deadzone Ed2: The Rebel captain found another Intel token, gaining another Victory Point.)

Raider Captain Darling, throwing caution aside, charged on the building, to face marine Mohnhaupt.

The raider captain emptied his clips, as he fired round after round of ammo, until the marine fell under the barrage. (Deadzone Ed2: The Rebel captain used extra Ammo, and extra Shooting action.)

Another grenade launched by the high-gravity raider forced the marine captain to abandon the tunnel entrance, and this was enough for the raider reinforcement to pry the tunnel entrance open. As the marines lost the control of the security computer, and the tunnel entrance was lost, Captain Kokkinatmow decided to cut their losses, and retreat from the Minos factory. (Deadzone Ed2: The Rebels reached 10 points we have set as the Victory condition for the demo, winning the game. The players decided they finish the game there.)

Aftermath

After the battle Captain Darling showed he is not a savage, as he got the wounded marines treated just as if they were his own casualties, and they were left at the Princess Hara Bay medical facility, so their comerades could pick them up. (Deadzone Ed2: There are rules that can be used to find out what happens when a model becomes a casualty.)

Agostinho Mohnhaupt lost one of his arm, replaced with a bionical one. (Deadzone Ed2: -1 Fight.)

Due to extensive internal injuries, Prima Buffini got weaker, she has a hard time even breathing. (Deadzone Ed2: -1 Fight.)

Damyan MacLean received nerve damage to the spine, causing frequent tremors. (Deadzone Ed2: -1 Shoot.)

Joan Ducharme got serious injuries and has to take time in the hospital. (Deadzone Ed2: Miss next game.)

Even though the pirates of Darling carefully collected every single piece they could find from Magnet Chick, their technician, Henricus Bernard Rameckers couldn't repair the extensive damage, taking the robot out of commission. (Deadzone Ed2: Dead.)

* * *

Players: Young Boy as the Enforcers / Imperial Navy, and Fedák Zsombor as the Rebels / raiders.

System used: Deadzone Ed2 from Mantic Games.

The Enforcers used the normal rules.

Enforcer Captain, as Enforcer Captain
Assault Enforcer, as Assault Enforcer
Enforcer Sniper, as Enforcer Sniper
Enforcer, as Enforcer with Laser Rifle

The Rebels had to be substituted:

Sponsor Blaine, as Rebel Commander
Long Rock Lifer's Grogan Thug, as Rebel Teraton
Long Rock Lifer's Con, as Rebel Yndij
Bremlin Nebulas' Prone Kalyshi, as Zee Scavenger
Free Agent Jetari Training Drone Guard, and Free Agent Jetari Training Drone Striker as Rebel Grogan with Onslaught Cannon

Miniatures used:

The Enforcers are Warpath miniatures (1x Enforcer Captain, 1x Assault Enforcer, 1x Enforcer Sniper, 3x Enforcer) for the Deadzone game from Mantic Games. They were painted by Takács György (Kadmon).
The Rebels are DreadBall Extreme miniatures (1x Sponsor Blaine, 1x Long Rock Lifer's Grogan Thug, 2x Long Rock Lifer's Con, 1x Bremlin Nebulas' Prone Kalyshi, 1x Free Agent Jetari Training Drone Guard, 1x Free Agent Jetari Training Drone Striker) from Mantic Games. They were painted by Takács György (Kadmon).

Scenery:

The battle mat is the Deadzone Deluxe Rubber Mat for Deadzone from Mantic Games.
The futuristic blue building and the green container are part of the Mototronica Scenery Pack for Infinity from Corvus Belli.
The container buildings were created by the Nexus Studio.
The vehicles and consoles are produced by Antenociti's Workshop. They were kindly donated by Antenociti's Workshop.