Bubba's Breakout Solo Play One Shot Mission
Introduction
This is a Solo Play Battle Report for Warlord Games' Strontium Dog Miniatures Game.
Having narrowly avoided death at the hands of Johny Alpha and his gang, Bubba and Kansyr seek to regain their fortunes...starting with staging a jailbreak of their fellow Outlaws!
Having narrowly avoided death at the hands of Johny Alpha and his gang, Bubba and Kansyr seek to regain their fortunes...starting with staging a jailbreak of their fellow Outlaws!
Note: This mission follows the next deeds of Max Bubba following the events of the Conspiracy! campaign. You can still enjoy this battle report without reading those but the storyline does have a few callbacks to that campaign. As usual, all text in italics tells the story of the game, while standard text relates to gameplay itself.
Scenario Background
"Those Stixes nearly got us all killed," Max Bubba complains as he guides his ship into dock at the Central Spiral East Waystation. "We shoulda known better than to have trusted those damn Stronts!"
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| Max Bubba by Carlos Ezquerra Copyright Rebellion 2000AD Ltd |
"The deal was pretty sweet until Alpha turned up and ruined everything," Kansyr growls.
"Alpha! Curse him," Bubba snarls. "One day I'll have his head!"
"Let's attend to the business at hand first. We need muscle to get back up and running. We don't need any S/D Agents, just good reliable scum we can trust."
"Exactly, and I got the details from one of the cops on the payroll back on Alzir of where they're taking my boys. They're only on this Waystation for a few more hours. Then they're about to be shipped to Stelak VII Penal Colony."
"Hard labour camps," Kansyr sighs. "That'd be a tough break. But what's this about 'my boys', they're 'our boys', Bubba!"
"My boys an' I have been to the end of the world and back," Bubba replies. "The band is 'ours', but Brute, Impetigo, Skull and Low-down, they're always 'mine'. Everyone of them'd take a bullet for me."
"Yes, they demonstrated as much when Alpha was closing in on our bunker on Alzir," Kansyr says thoughtfully. "'Useful to have simple-minded fools around."
"Don't even 'think' about trying to use your mind tricks on them! If you must, there's always Darkus and Billy Joe! You can turn their minds to mush for all I care. First we gotta break 'em out though - you mind-sneck their guards and I'll do the hard work of springing the boys out!"
"Remember that the Weerds have been hired to guard those cells."
"Pah! Weerds! Child's play!"
"Don't underestimate them," Kansyr warns. "Word has it that Hiss Weerd stood up to a double-beating from Sternhammer and McNulty-"
"Stood up to that pair for a few moments maybe," Bubba scoffs. "They worked him over good for his insolence. And they call us cowards! Filthy Stront scum!"
"Speaking of which," Kansyr says, "there's a rumour that the Stixes have a presence here on this space station. We could go and see them, use 'em to get us work again. On improved terms to the existing deal of course."
"No. We tried that, it didn't work out. We're better being our own masters. We take all the profit! No going back. Besides, do you want to tell those Stixes that Alpha and his crew wiped out six of their kin?"
"When you put it like that...but they will come looking for us if they find out we're here."
"Then all they'll find is death."
Forces
Max Bubba 18 Notoriety
Kansyr 10 Notoriety
Billy Joe 16 Notoriety (incarcerated)
Impetigo Jones 6 Notoriety (incarcerated)
Brute Mosely 6 Notoriety (incarcerated)
Skull 5 Notoriety (incarcerated)
Darkus 12 Notoriety (incarcerated)
Total: 71 Notoriety
Hiss Weerd 10 Notoriety
Cuss Weerd 7 Notoriety
Silent Weerd 1 Notoriety
3 x Stix 30 Notoriety (reinforcements)
Total: 48 Notoriety
Game Notes
Job: Round-Up (Gunfight)Encounter: Stakeout
Collateral: Doubled from 150,000 to defender to 300,000. Stixes bought as reinforcements.
Special Rules:
1) Bubba's band are imprisoned in a cell on the opposite side of the board. They are unarmed and therefore, despite the Notoriety disparity, are not anywhere near operating at full effectiveness. Their Shoot is therefore ignored during this mission but they can fight as normal (no weapons though).
2) Bubba must spend a Single Action when within 1" of the nearby security terminal to free his men. He can spend a second Single Action to choose which doors to lockdown in the compound.
3) The priority of the gang is to escape as quickly as possible, not to inflict casualties but will fight anyone who gets in their way in Close Combat.
4) Kansyr can use his mind control as usual to move the Weerds away from the cells. If he instructs one Weerd to shoot another, the deception is immediately over.
5) Usual Stakeout rules are in effect. For the purposes of game story, any time a Sentry falls under the control of the enemy band because of a 2000AD result, this is Kansyr's mind control at work also - but it does not count as him activating.
6) As per the terrain Resist stats, the doors have Resist as 4 but only one Hit is required to get through to blow the door apart from its hinges (meaning Stix won't be too far delayed).
6) The Stixes will arrive on a random board edge on Turn 3.
The Encounter
Turn One
Bubba and Kansyr ready themselves for their audacious raid!
"Work your magic," Bubba says.
Bubba activates and uses his Mind Warp ability.
"Don't give me orders Bubba," Kansyr growls. "I know what to do."
Kansyr reaches out towards the holding cells. He can sense Hiss Weerd taunting their fellow outlaws. Their responses are impolite.
Cuss fails his Cool test, allowing Kansyr to perform a single action!
He ignores Hiss, instead targeting Cuss!
Kansyr Moves him.
He has total control of the fool! Cuss is blissfully unaware that he his being puppeteered by the ruthless alien nearby!
Go For Broke Failure (GFBF) - Pinned!
"One out of the way," Kansyr says.
Bubba activates.
"Good. I'll catch him unawares."
Bubba makes two Moves.
Cuss activates but the dice for the encounter indicates that he stays put. No attempt is made to return the Star Chip (it doesn't make sense when he is unaware of the impending attack).
Bubba reactivates, making a Move then a Fight action (just in range and no more)!
"I've got the drop on that ugly snecker," Bubba thinks to himself.
Cuss fails his Cool test to nullify the two wounds inflicted (as per Solo Play rules)! GFBF for Bubba!
"Ugh! What the-" Cuss shouts as he is attacked from behind!
Hiss activates.
At the sound of his brother's cry, Hiss Weerd sees hope in his prisoners' eyes!
He Moves into cover, the intention to Go For Broke! and then Overwatch but he suffers a GFBF!
"What's goin' on out there Cuss?" Hiss shouts from behind cover.
Silent Weerd activates. He makes a Charge.
There is no reply but Silent somehow - inexplicably - senses Cuss is in danger!
Silent misses Bubba however.
Bubba stares incredulously as Silent shambles towards him to attack! How can his fellow mutant sense him? More to the point, how does he eat?
The prisoners push up to the laser screen but can't see what is happening.
"It's gotta be the boss," Brute grunts.
"Well, it's about time," Billy Joe exclaims.
End of Turn 1 overview.
Turn TwoBubba and Kansyr ready themselves for their audacious raid!
"Work your magic," Bubba says.
Bubba activates and uses his Mind Warp ability.
"Don't give me orders Bubba," Kansyr growls. "I know what to do."
Kansyr reaches out towards the holding cells. He can sense Hiss Weerd taunting their fellow outlaws. Their responses are impolite.
Cuss fails his Cool test, allowing Kansyr to perform a single action!
He ignores Hiss, instead targeting Cuss!
Kansyr Moves him.
He has total control of the fool! Cuss is blissfully unaware that he his being puppeteered by the ruthless alien nearby!
Go For Broke Failure (GFBF) - Pinned!
"One out of the way," Kansyr says.
Bubba activates.
"Good. I'll catch him unawares."
Bubba makes two Moves.
Cuss activates but the dice for the encounter indicates that he stays put. No attempt is made to return the Star Chip (it doesn't make sense when he is unaware of the impending attack).
Bubba reactivates, making a Move then a Fight action (just in range and no more)!
"I've got the drop on that ugly snecker," Bubba thinks to himself.
Cuss fails his Cool test to nullify the two wounds inflicted (as per Solo Play rules)! GFBF for Bubba!
"Ugh! What the-" Cuss shouts as he is attacked from behind!
Hiss activates.
At the sound of his brother's cry, Hiss Weerd sees hope in his prisoners' eyes!
He Moves into cover, the intention to Go For Broke! and then Overwatch but he suffers a GFBF!
"What's goin' on out there Cuss?" Hiss shouts from behind cover.
Silent Weerd activates. He makes a Charge.
There is no reply but Silent somehow - inexplicably - senses Cuss is in danger!
Silent misses Bubba however.
Bubba stares incredulously as Silent shambles towards him to attack! How can his fellow mutant sense him? More to the point, how does he eat?
The prisoners push up to the laser screen but can't see what is happening.
"It's gotta be the boss," Brute grunts.
"Well, it's about time," Billy Joe exclaims.
End of Turn 1 overview.
Cuss is first to activate and takes an Aimed Shot at Bubba even though they are in Close Combat!
"Sneaky-" Cuss hisses, squeezing off a shot at Bubba!
Cuss inflicts a wound on Bubba!
"Ugh," Bubba cries as Cuss wounds him!
Bubba makes two Snap Shots.
"Shoot me, would you?" Bubba blurts as he returns fire.
Bubba hits with one but the wounds dealt are nullified by a Chicanery Card! He also misses the second shot - and suffers a GFBF!
"Gotta aim better'n that," Cuss sneers!
Hiss activates.
Hearing the shouting, Hiss opts to investigate!
Hiss Moves and Fights! No damage to Bubba though!
Hiss presses forward and, seeing Bubba, attacks him! Bubba parries Hiss' attack with his blaster!
Silent makes a Charge attack.
Silent swings his gun around in the air...
And inflicts a wound - a rarity in this game for Silent!
"Argh," Bubba yelps as the gun butt cracks his head! Blood runs freely from the wound!
Kansyr fails his Cool test and has to use Shake It Off!
Kansyr is caught between using his Mind Warp again or intervening directly!
He Moves.
He opts for the latter.
He reactivates and Moves twice, taking up position to shoot at Bubba's tormentors!
Kansyr grumbles to himself as he lumbers forward. He prefers to stay out of the way.
He plays a Chicanery Card - Wondershot!
Kansyr spots Hiss Weerd and fires at him!
But Hiss passes his Cool Test and a Chicanery Card comes to the rescue.
"Sneck, missed," Kansyr curses.
Hiss activates, Charging Bubba.
"Nice of you to join us," Hiss snarls. "This baby-sitting job doesn't pay well. The bounty on your head will be a nice bonus!"
Bubba is incapacitated - and Hiss' Star Chip is returned to the bag!
"So much for the great Max Bubba," Hiss exclaims.
Hiss reactivates and fires an Aimed Shot at Kansyr!
"Now for the galaxy's great 'Kansyr'!"
He inflicts a wound! GFBF!
Hiss targets Kansyr through a mass of cabling and wounds him!
Kansyr returns fire by taking two Snap Shots but misses the first and the second is nullified by a Chicanery Card.
"Stand still, rot you," Kansyr grunts.
Overview at the end of Turn Two.
Turn Three
Enter Stix!
"Lead seems right," one says. "Bubba here. Attempting breakout."
"Attempting but failing," another adds.
Hiss is first to act, firing another Aimed Shot.
Hiss looses another shot at the alien!
Kansyr suffers another wound!
"Curse you," Kansyr cries as another blaster shot scorches his fur!
Kansyr returns fire but fails to wound Hiss!
"Did you forget to charge your blaster?" Hiss taunts as Kansyr's blaster fails to harm him.
Hiss reactivates and fires another Aimed Shot - this time Kansyr is defeated!
"The bigger they come, the harder they fall," Hiss shouts, levelling his gun at the alien outlaw.
He hits Kansyr square in the chest and with a cry the outlaw collapses! As he falls, he becomes entangled in the loose cabling, and looses consciousness in the strangest of positions.
"Heard commotion," one Stix addresses Hiss. "Need help?"
"These two were no danger to professional S/D Agents like us," Hiss replies triumphantly. "And their bounties being to us! Don't think you're getting a cut of our little bonus!"
Although they have no enemy to fight, I activate the remaining models and manoeuvre them to ensure that Hiss has the situation under control. I then play the Playing Dead Chicanery Card to resurrect Bubba to the fight!
Suddenly Max Bubba springs to his feet! Hiss' face slackens as his mind struggles to make sense of what his eyes are showing him!
"You were saying?" one of the Stix says to him.
Bubba fails his Cool Test so has to use Shake It Off! twice. GFBF!
But Bubba is badly bloodied and bruised from the assault.
Turn Four
Cuss activates and takes an Aimed Shot at Bubba!
"Watch out Hiss," Cuss shouts, loosing a shot.
He misses and Bubba is next to activate, making two Snap Shots at Hiss. This is a key moment of the battle!
But Cuss' shot goes astray - giving Bubba the drop on Hiss, firing twice!
Hiss suffers two wounds and then a Stun.
Inflicting several blaster wounds on Hiss who howls in agony!
A Stix activates and as Bubba fails a Cool test he is Pinned, intimidated by the bounty hunter. He makes 2 Move actions.
A Stix finds his way to Bubba blocked by the Weerds so has to approach his target from the long way around.
Cuss activates and takes an Aimed Shot at Bubba!
"Watch out Hiss," Cuss shouts, loosing a shot.
He misses and Bubba is next to activate, making two Snap Shots at Hiss. This is a key moment of the battle!
But Cuss' shot goes astray - giving Bubba the drop on Hiss, firing twice!
Hiss suffers two wounds and then a Stun.
Inflicting several blaster wounds on Hiss who howls in agony!
A Stix activates and as Bubba fails a Cool test he is Pinned, intimidated by the bounty hunter. He makes 2 Move actions.
A Stix finds his way to Bubba blocked by the Weerds so has to approach his target from the long way around.
Bubba is surrounded! Silent activates and takes an Aimed Shot at Bubba!
Bubba looks around him - there is danger from every direction!
Bubba looks around him - there is danger from every direction!
But Bubba evades! Breaking from Close Combat gives Silent a free attack (wrongly, Bubba has a better Move than Silent but I forgot about that) which, somewhat miraculously stuns Bubba!
Silent flails blindly and pistol whips Bubba as he staggers from the fray!
Bubba activates but fails his Cool test and is forced to make a Shake It Off action to clear the Pinned Marker. This is crucial as Bubba had a medpac and had plans to revive Kansyr who is incapacitated nearby.
As Bubba staggers forward, he hears the shouting of the Weerds behind him and can sense the Stix going for their blasters. He is doomed and he starts to slump over the computer console...
Bubba makes a Throw action to employ a Time Bomb! Three enemies fail their Evades and vanish! Bubba's luck finally runs out though - GFBF!
His hand slips into his pockets where he finds a spherical device - a Time Bomb! He spins around and rolls the bomb along the console - Hiss tries to grab it but fumbles and it rolls to the floor, landing between him, Silent and a Stix!
"Sneck," they say in unison.
There is a flash of light and then all three vanish!
Stix fires an Aimed Shot.
Stix's impassive gaze rolls from the empty space where Hiss, Silent and one of his kin stood mere moments ago, across to the panting Bubba beside him. Eyes bulging with rage, he aims his blaster at Bubba.
Bubba suffers three Injury Markers!
Bubba is shot through the shoulder, shattering his shoulder-bone! Bubba falls to his knees and waves for mercy...
He reactivates and makes another Aimed Shot - finishing Bubba!
...but Stix has no mercy! He makes no mistake and, with another blast, makes sure Bubba stays down!
Assisted by the two remaining Stix, Cuss patches up Kansyr and Bubba before throwing them into the cell with their cohorts.
"Looks like you succeeded in getting your gang back together after all," Cuss laughs. "And more good news! The train's arrived to take you all to Stelak VII Penal Colony! Happy mining chumps!"
"Don't think that'll keep us down," Bubba shouts. "I'll never forget! And I'll escape! And you'll pay!"
Tired of Cuss' conversation, the Stix take their claim of the share and leave the bay.
Aftermath
Minutes later, Cuss notices that the gang have gone quiet. He approaches the containment screen and sees the outlaws have huddled around in a corner of the cell. Cuss squints but jumps back when there is a sudden flash of light. This is followed by the noise of a commotion as the gang suddenly start kicking and punching at the three figures who've suddenly appeared in the cell!"Wha-what the sneck is goin' on on there?" Cuss shouts.
"Just a little insurance," Bubba says, standing up. "See, I figured things might go wrong... so that time bomb I had... I set the coordinates to here and now. So you see, you're gonna set us free and we're gonna skip that train to the Penal Colony. We've got other plans!"
"I don't follow! Why would I do that?"
Cuss' jaw slackens as the gang step aside to reveal a beaten Stix, Silent and Hiss lying on the floor of the cell! Bubba kicks Hiss in the face before grabbing his leg and dragging him across the floor. He lies Hiss out beside to the containment screen.
"You wouldn't really stand there and watch me burn your brother's face off, would you?" Bubba grins. "Be reasonable Cuss! You can count on it that I won't be! So, before I toast your brother's face...Open sesame."
Closing Reflections
I knew this would be a tough mission and so it proved to be! It was always going to be a hard task with the Stix arriving on Turn 3. The game could have easily went the other way though - twice!
The first time was when I tried to play Max Bubba thematically which meant I couldn't resist a sneak attack on Cuss who Kansyr had successfully distracted. Considering you can't inflict more than 3 Injury Markers, it meant that it was impossible for Bubba to incapacitate Cuss in a single attack and silently remove him from the fight. The sensible - and now patently obvious! - move would have been to ignore Cuss and hack the computer to release the gang!
The other point where I messed up was after Bubba used the Playing Dead Chicanery Card; I had Bubba attack Hiss Weerd when what I should have done was throw that Time Bomb - taking out four enemies instead of three! This would have left only one Stix and Cuss to stop Bubba. If he was able to activate next, he would then have Hunkered Down to use the medpac on Kansyr and then it would have been a straight two v two fight! Oh, and despite having a high Evade, it's worthy of mention that Kansyr failed to dodge any shots sent his way!
Still, it was a fun small encounter and I enjoyed seeing my coveted SD miniatures operating in a futuristic space station with my stunning new Core Space terrain by Battle Systems. Expect to see a lot more of this terrain in future reports!
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