Strontium Dog Miniatures Game - Kansyr

Kansyr

Kansyr by Carlos Ezquerra
Copyright Rebellion 2000AD Limited

This alien is the last of the outlaws featured in the Strontium Dog Miniatures Game and while he is not the most proficient in combat, he is an intriguing and dangerous character nonetheless. 

Stats

As mentioned above, Kansyr is fairly poor at fighting with his hands or indeed with ranged weapons. Because of his sheer size, he is a slow but tough opponent, and his alien technology allows him to be highly elusive as well.

Note that his blaster has the Blister variant which means it ignores modifiers for cover. If enemies are going to attack Kansyr, cover will provide no refuge against his blaster!

Skills & Special Abilities

Halugin: This alien mind weapon adds +3 to his Evade stats making him a slippery opponent!

Mind Warp: Instead of using his weapons, this ability allows Kansyr to attempt to temporarily take control of the mind of an enemy combatant, allowing you take make a Single Action with that model! 

No Cure: His ability to control the perceptions of his opponents makes Kansyr an even trickier enemy; you gain an extra Chicanery card if he is your leader!

Tactics for playing Kansyr

Similar to how he operates in the strip, Kansyr works best when he is out of harm's way, trying to manipulate enemy minds as they approach him. Keep him well away from your opponents and make use of Mind Warp every turn to attempt to take control of an enemy model to shoot an ally in the back! His Halugin and strong Resist make him an opponent that will be hard to hit and tough to wound making him very hard to kill! The blister variant gun means that when enemies close in, cover will not help them when he starts shooting! The No Cure Chicanery Card bonus is worth 5 of his 11 Notoriety alone, so he is a great and relatively cheap option for a leader. This makes him an attractive proposition, particularly if you load your gang up with large numbers of low quality characters!

Overall

Some outlaws are cowardly but cunning! Kansyr is one of those! Not outrightly powerful but his potential extra Chicanery Card (if he is leader) and his Mind Warp ability make him well worth the points!


Want to read the comic? All of the stories are collected in graphic novels available from 2000AD here!

Strontium Dog Miniatures Game - Improbable Stars

Today I played two 2 player games of the Strontium Dog Miniatures Game which got me thinking about the probability of returning Star Chips to the bag. I want to set out the chain of events that occurred in both games that left me scratching my head a little, but feel free to jump to the end of the article if you're simply here to find out what the statistical chances are of returning Star Chips to the bag!

Background and forces:

We decided both battles would be fought with 60 Notoriety and selected the following forces:

Band 1:                                               Band 2:
Johnny Alpha (hero mode)                  Max Bubba
Wulf Sternhammer                              Kansyr
Middenface McNulty                           Steelkreeg
Durham Red                                       Low Down O'Phee
                                                           Brute Mosely
                                                           Skull

We played a Search and Destroy Job with the Face-Off Encounter and replayed the same scenario with the same forces but switched sides. In both games, the protagonists - Johnny's team - were to destroy 3 crates. This seemed a little easy, particularly because the protagonist gets to place two of the crates in his own half of the board, while a third is in the centre of the board. While neither of us actually declared it, we both ended up ignoring the crates and decided to have Johnny's band take on Bubba and his crew. For deployment, forces were not allowed to deploy within 9" of the centre of the board or within 9" of an enemy unit.

Game 1:

Wulf and Middenface make use of the special mission-based Chicanery Card to Move D6" closer to enemies. Middenface is first to activate and uses a Time Bomb on Steelkreeg, disposing of the robot immediately! Middenface's Star Chip is returned to the bag, then comes out again. He then charges Brute Mosely, also incapacitating him! Middenface is Pinned and then Wulf is next to activate. Wulf charges into enemy territory and returns the Star Chip to the bag. Kansyr activates and attempts but fails to take control of Wulf. He also failed to send his Star Chip to the bag. Wulf activates and passes a Cool test to shake off the Pinned marker from Kansyr then then attacks Low-Down O'Phee. Low-Down falls under the might of Der Happy Stick as well and the Star Chip goes back into the bag again! Johnny Alpha activates and moves into range of Max Bubba, throwing a Melta-Bomb which reduces the outlaw to a mound of cooked flesh. With only Kansyr and Skull left, the outlaw player concedes defeat and the game ends on Turn 1 - without the outlaws even being able to fire at the S/D Agents!

Game 2:

Just as happened in the first game, the S/D team use the Chicanery Card to push up but this time I use the other Chicanery Card which buys me a free shot on Middenface with Steelkreeg and the awesome Firepak! Except the Firepak's roll isn't awesome and Middenface soaks up all of the damage!  Max Bubba is first to activate and unleashes the Blazooka on Wulf but again, the S/D agent is unscathed! Middenface is next and takes out Steelkreeg with a Time Bomb, just as happened in Game 1. He is Pinned but Wulf is next and he takes out Brute and Low Down over two activations. The bad guys fail to inflict any wounds on their activations and the Johnny Alpha goes on a spree of about 5 consecutive actions, taking down Skull, Kansyr and a Stix (added from Collateral) and once again, with Max facing 4 unwounded S/D agents, the Outlaws concede defeat in turn 1!

Reflections:

From a narrative point of view I loved these games as Johnny and his team cut through opponents like a hot knife through butter, just as they do in the Strontium Dog comics! On the other hand, this definitely wasn't the most satisfying gaming session we've had; it's just a fact that the most rewarding games are those which are closely contested.

We were both agog at the sheer one-turn one-sidedness of both games due to their Star Chips being constantly returned to the bag. We've played a good number of games now and never seen the Star Chips dominate proceedings to such an extent (although my other regular opponent would tell you I always return Star Chips to the bag)! We were almost wondering if we played the game incorrectly! It got us talking about just how probable it was that Star Chips would be sent back to the bag and if these two games were as unlikely as they seemed.

Star Chip Return Probability:

Star Chips being returned to the bag with a Special result on the Combat Dice (a 1 in 6 chance), I guessed that with Cool of 5, Johnny must have been perhaps 80% likely to returning a Star Chip to the bag while characters of 4 Cool would have approximately a 60% chance. This was way out.

I would love to say that we sat down and worked this out ourselves but google-fu seemed and turned out to be the faster option. So, to be fair to the webpage where I found the information, here's their link:-

https://www.edcollins.com/backgammon/diceprob.htm?fbclid=IwAR1g4Uq7ba5F0B-GD7FZ2Ytd1P_wqV3eT7ez9rf4kqbetMCTpFhbTEQsS2g

Thanks Edward D. Collins!

To summarise his calculations for our game:-

Number of Combat Dice Rolled                              Chance of Returning Star Chip To Bag

                       1                                                                   16.67%
                       2                                                                   30.56%
                       3                                                                   42.13%
                       4                                                                   51.77%
                       5                                                                   59.81%

As you can see, the chances of returning a Star Chip are only marginally in your favour with characters who have a current Cool of 4+. Repeating the feat several times in a single turn definitely sees the odds stack up against you!

To find out the probability of Johnny Alpha consecutively returning Star Chips multiple times in a single turn, you multiply the percentages by each other.

Desired Number of Consecutive Successful Cool Tests for Cool 5     Chance of Success

                      2                             59.81% x 59.81%                                            35.77%
                      3                       59.81% x 59.81% x 59.81%                                  21.39%
                      4             59.81% x 59.81% x 59.81% x 59.81%                            12.79%
                      5          59.81% x 59.81% x 59.81% x 59.81% x 59.81%                 7.64%
                      6        59.81% x 59.81% x 59.81% x 59.81% x 59.81% x 59.81%   4.56%

Of course, most characters with Star Chips have a Cool of 4.

Desired Number of Consecutive Successful Cool Tests for Cool 4     Chance of Success

                      2                             51.77% x 51.77%                                            26.80%
                      3                       51.77% x 51.77% x 51.77%                                  13.87%
                      4             51.77% x 51.77% x 51.77% x 51.77%                              7.18%
                      5          51.77% x 51.77% x 51.77% x 59.81% x 59.81%                3.71%
                      6        51.77% x 51.77% x 51.77% x 51.77% x 51.77% x 51.77%   1.92%


As you can see, the chances are ever-diminishing but I always think it's worth a go! The only time I would say when it may not be desirable is if you have a character with Gunfighter skill in a strong position; but that also comes down to probabilities so it's a judgement call!

Basically, as I like the odds in my favour, I don't think it is worth trying to send your Star Chip back to the bag unless you have a Cool of 4 or 5. That said, you can't make it a rigid rule not to attempt to put them back into the bag; the situation in the game will dictate that sometimes you have to go for it or you may lose the entire scenario (for whatever reason). In those situations you just have to go for it and whatever happens, have no regrets!

Bringing things full circle then, those two games we played were far from typical! The S/D Agents - while aided by some good Armoury Cards - really did some exceptional rolling and performed way beyond anything that could be expected. The fact that they did this two games in a row was unbelievable!

So when you play a scenario where things go gloriously insane like this, try to enjoy the fact that one side are fighting like legends! Next time I'm rooting for the bad guys though!

    

Strontium Dog Miniatures Game - Billy Joe

Billy Joe

An exceptional las-whip duellist, this mutant gangster is another formidable foe who has the potential to inflict serious harm to the heroic Strontium Dogs of the strip. Not only is the two-faced Billy Joe one of the most fear-inducing characters in the Strontium Dog Miniatures Game, he is also one of the trickiest to learn how to play. Fortunately, you can get the lowdown here by reading on...

Billy Joe by Carlos Ezquerra
Copyright 2000AD Limited

Stats

Billy Joe's stats are identical to Wulf Sternhammer's, meaning that he is incredible at landing blows in close combat. This is just as well since he doesn't come equipped with any pistols or the like.

Errata: Billy Joe's las-whips are not High Powered as stated on the stats; the modifier is -1, not 0 as indicated. It is crucial to remember that when they hit, they reduce the target's Resist by 1. This has been confirmed by Game Designer Andy Chambers himself.

Skills & Special Abilities

Brawler: This ability offers Billy Joe the opportunity to counter-attack close combat attacks before they occur or enter "bullet-time" with opponents such as Wulf and Middenface!

Duellist: With his dual las-whips, Billy Joe can land hits on opponents by rolling both Hit or Special results on the dice. Note that this does not apply when rolling damage. In addition, if he rolls a Special result at all, he can move 3" after resolving the effects of the attack.

Two-Faced: A nice thematic ability that allows Billy Joe to have 360 degree vision; this means that other seasoned Brawlers cannot sneak up on him to catch him unawares!

Notes on how Billy Joe plays - with special thanks to James Hart for helping me understand this correctly. 

There are several points to understand when playing Billy Joe:

1) When Billy Joe instigates a close combat attack with his las-whips, remember that they have 3" range; this means that if you keep him more than 1" away from an enemy, you can conduct a close combat attack with Billy Joe but not actually be engaged with your enemy and avoid your victim's Brawler counter-attacks. Therefore, once you resolve your attack, you do not count as still being in close combat, meaning that the Escaping Close Combat rule does not come into force if and when you move on.

2) Rolling to hit in close combat: Because Billy Joe wields the 2 las whips, he gains +1 on his rolls to hit, giving him a whopping 5 combat dice, each of which have a 67% chance to hit rather than the usual 50% chance (see Duellist above). If any of these come up with the Special result, you will be able to move 3" after the attack has been resolved. 

3) Calculating damage: Although he dual-wields close combat weapons, Billy Joe can only inflict damage with one weapon. This means he rolls his Fight -1 for his las-whip + any other modifiers (such as +1 for charging). Note that the Duellist Special Rule does not apply when calculating damage (in other words, Special results do not count as hits). 

4) Target Resisting Damage: The defending model usually gains +1 to Resist against two close combat weapons but this is cancelled out by the -1 to Resist special rule for his Las-Whips.

Tactics for playing Billy Joe

It's arguable that Billy Joe is one of the most powerful close combat character in the game; although he doesn't have the Berserker skill which Wulf has, he is as powerful as the Viking in most other respects. His Duellist ability in particular means he is better at landing hits than Wulf, and can move away after attacking without any chance of an enemy getting a free attack. Even better, if you are fortunate enough to roll a Special result when rolling to hit, you will be able to move another 3". If at all possible, stay close to cover, move out, attack from more than 1" away and then move back behind cover again. The lack of power in the las-whips is the main drawback with Billy Joe but this is thematically accurate as he took some time to lash Johnny Alpha to within an inch of his life! Plus, you will hardly ever miss, meaning the damage will take its toll! It is still very much possible to take weaker enemies down in one attack but you will have a harder time against the likes of Wulf and Middenface due to their high Resist stats. You could use Charge double actions to nullify the -1 you receive to your Fight when calculating damage from Billy Joe, but I think two Fight options are by far the best way to employ Billy Joe. 

Overall

A great close combat specialist who only slightly disappoints in the (appropriate) weakness of his weapons. Make those stinkin' Strontys "eat lash" Billy Joe!

Strontium Dog Miniatures Game - Conspiracy! Part 2

Conspiracy! Solo Play Campaign Part 2

Introduction

This campaign is simply a series of scenarios I am playing through to playtest my Solo Play rules published on this blog. If you missed Part 1 you can find it here. I'm recording these games as battle reports for gamers and, in italics, a narrative story line to accompany the action. Enjoy Part 2!

Johnny and Wulf in action by Carlos Ezquerra
Copyright Rebellion 2000AD Ltf

Scenario Background

Bubo and the Bad Boys having been picked up by a law-enforcement shuttle, Brute leads Johnny and Wulf to a wide, desolate plain. In the centre of the plain is a tiny settlement consisting of nothing more of a few buildings, a power generator and a watchtower. 

"Der robot Steelkreeg is out there?" Wulf asks, passing Johnny the binoculars.

"Steelkreeg plays by the odds," Johnny replies. "His hideout is in the middle of nowhere where he won't be disturbed. In the unlikely event anyone does comes along, he can see them coming from every direction. Remember he's hired the Weerds. Never nice going up against fellow S/D Agents." 

"They've got Middenface in a coffin in one of those buildings," Brute says, pointing into the distance. 

"And vy vould you know that," Wulf barks, "unless you vere working vith der scum like Steelkreeg?"

"We-we had a deal," Brute answers defensively. "So I'm free Alpha?"

"Sure, go."

"I don't know which way to the spaceport..."

"I said I'd set you free. You're free. Be thankful you're still alive. Get out of here."

"You can't do this Alpha," Brute complains.

"It's already done," Johnny replies, walking off towards the settlement.

"Best start valking old cucumber! And don't follow us! Der Happy Stick vill not be so merciful a second time!" 

Brute does not argue further and starts walking in the opposite direction. Wulf follows Johnny, talking as they go.

"Ve vait till nightfall Johnny?"

"No, we can't wait. We're being tracked. We have to take 'em head on before more trouble catches up with us. Besides, they may be moving off with Middenface soon."

"Who is tracking us Johnny?"

"Some of Bubo's gang. If I had to guess, Darkus and his Howlers."

"Bubo, Darkus, Steelkreeg, der Weerds...vy ve take this job Johnny? Is der dangerous business!"

"In our line of work, when isn't it? They'll be waiting for us, let's not disappoint them!"

Forces

Player Band:

Johnny Alpha (hero mode):      19 Notoriety

Wulf Sternhammer:                  15 Notoriety

Middenface McNulty:              13 Notoriety

Total: 47 Notoriety

Enemy Band:

Hiss Weerd:                              10 Notoriety

Cuss Weerd:                               7 Notoriety

Silent Weerd:                             1 Notoriety

Steelkreeg:                                15 Notoriety

Darkus:                                     13 Notoriety

2xHowlers:                               12 Notoriety

Total: 58 Notoriety

Note: Johnny and Hiss are the leaders of their respective gangs.

Game Notes

Job: Round Up (Gunfight)

Encounter: Raiders

Collateral: Unused (Defender was entitled to 150,000, 110,000 effectively spent in Notoriety)

Special Rules: 

1) Middenface cannot join the battle until he is freed from the coffin (inside the left hand house). The coffin can only be opened by a Player Band member who must spend a Single Action to open it, freeing Middenface.

2) Hiss, Cuss, Silent and Steelkreeg can start anywhere in their half of the board; Middenface's location is within that half.

3) The game doesn't end until one side is decisively defeated (in other words, when I decide).

4) There's no hidden set up: Johnny has had plenty of time to use his Weird Eyes ability to pinpoint where all enemies are hiding. The Enemy Band have been watching Johnny and Wulf's approach so they are deployed in a defensively advantageous position after Johnny and Wulf have been placed on the board.
5) Darkus and his Howlers will arrive on a random board edge not within 9" of Player Models on Turn 3.
6) Solo Play note: the Enemy Band are a combination of Gunslingers and All-Rounders. The Enemy Band's starting force will use the Defender Gunslinger and Defender All-Rounder flowcharts to determine their actions. Their reinforcements in the form of Darkus and his Howlers will use Protagonist Flow Charts.

The Encounter

1) Set up. As you'll see above I took some extreme liberties with the actual Job and Encounter. I tried also to up the difficulty after Part 1 went a little too smoothly, giving the opposition a larger band. The fact that Darkus and his two Howlers will be entering the field of play on Turn 3 forces Johnny and Wulf to free Middenface very quickly or they will find themselves hopelessly outnumbered.
There are two buildings on the board; Middenface is hidden in the crates/coffin within the left hand building. Hiss Weerd is inside guarding the "Tartan Terror", looking out towards Johnny and Wulf's deployment point which is on the bottom right of the board. Silent Weerd takes cover behind a crate outside the left-hand building, while Cuss Weerd is atop the watchtower. Steelkreeg is positioned behind the right hand building. This is a bad error which I only realised once the game was underway; if you have heavy weapons models, you want them out in the open (but perhaps behind crates for protection) because it requires a double action to fire them. In other words if you move, you cannot fire.

1. Using the powerful Alpha-rays that his eye emit, Johnny sees Middenface moving inside the coffin; Brute's information had been accurate at least. Time was running out however, they could see Darkus and his Howlers closing in behind them. They had to free Middenface quickly if they were to survive this... 

2) I deal out 6 Armoury Cards to myself. As I'm entitled to 4 Armoury Cards as Johnny is Well-Equipped, I opt to discard both of the Gas Bomb cards and keep the others.

2. "Heat Beam, check. Medpac, check. Time Trap, check. Electronux - check!"

3) With the notion of increasing the difficulty of the job still on my mind, I gamed it for the opposition and made Hiss Weerd the leader even though in the Scenario narrative Steelkreeg is really the leader as he has hired the Weerds as bodyguards. The effect of this is that the Player Team only get 2 Chicanery Cards...

3. "We're going to need to move fast Wulf," Johnny nods. "That creep Steelkreeg'll be analysing our every move! Keep on your toes!"
  

4) ...while the Enemy Band receive 4 Chicanery Cards. Remember in Solo Play that these are used to nullify 2 or more wounds or to prevent characters being incapacitated. Due to the Weerd Brothers' mistreatment of Silent Weerd in the strip, I rule that they would not waste any advantage (i.e. spend any Chicanery Cards) saving Silent. 

4. "The Weerds may be Strontium Dog agents," Johnny continues, "but just because we wear the same badges doesn't mean they won't hesitate. Hiss and Cuss will play every dirty trick in the book to save their necks!"

"Is der crying shame," Wulf nods, "that they help scum against their own! Maybe der Happy Stick can knock sense into them!"

5) Turn 1. Cuss is first to activate, and is placed on Overwatch.

5. Up on the watchtower, Cuss Hiss watched Johnny and Wulf approach. 

"I see you Alpha," he thinks, aiming his blaster. "Just come a little closer..."

6) Johnny uses "In My Head" but fails...

6. "I see you too," a voice whispers in Cuss' mind.

7) But does succeed in Pinning Cuss.

7. Cuss spins around, half-expecting to see Alpha right behind him. There is no one there though. When he turns back around...

8) Johnny returns Star Chip to bag, reactivates. He Sprints to cover. Returns Star Chip again.

8. ...Johnny has already ran for cover!

9) Johnny uses Aimed Shot to ensure Silent is taken out of the equation first.

9. "Don't feel good about shooting a blind man," Johnny grimaces, training his Westinghouse upon the featureless face of Silent Weerd. Johnny squeezes off a shot which clips Silent sends him crashing through the glass window behind him!

10) But his Star Chip isn't returned to the bag, pinning him.

10. Despite it being a stun shot, Johnny hesitates momentarily as the glass may have grievously wounded Silent.

11) Hiss Weerd activates, uses Aimed Shot.

11. "Rot your bones Alpha," Hiss howls, "no one harms our brother except us! You'll pay for that!"

12) Wounding Johnny twice!

12. Hiss opens fire and clips Johnny in the leg! He collapses on to one knee, and half-registers the blood spray in the sand beside him. He knows it is a bad wound, but he is still in the fight!

13) But - luckily for Johnny - Hiss fails to return the Star Chip to the bag and is pinned!

13. "I'm gonna kill you slow Alpha! Gonna make you bleed," Hiss shouts, wallowing in his success in wounding the legendary Johnny Alpha.

14) Steelkreeg activates, Sprints...

14. "++Human hirelings emotionally compromised++" Steelkreeg VII chatters to himself. "++Intervention required. Advance.++"

15) ...behind cover but with a clear view to use his Forepaw.

15. "++Optimal position achieved++" 

16) Wulf activates, opting to take a Single Action Move.

16. "Ach, ve never take down Steelkreeg behind cover," Wulf says.

17) And moves forward, until Steelkreeg is in range and in his sights.

17. "Got any ideas big fella?" Johnny winces, clutching his wounded leg.

18) Rather than take a direct shot at Steelkreeg who benefits from cover, Wulf uses Heat Beam!

18. "Ja Johnny, ve remove der cover!"

19) Leaving Steelkreeg exposed! Note: I'm not clear if this was a legal card to play! Normally only Johnny can fire special ammunition because of his Cartridge Blaster. However, the Heat Beam only uses a Single Action and has no "Cartridge Only" restriction printed on the card so it seems ok...

With everyone having activated, this seems to be the end of the turn, but...

19. The rock is reduced to molten slag but, shimmering in the heatwave beyond, Steelkreeg VII is untouched!

"++Cover disintegrated. Zero damage sustained. Preparing Firepak. ++"

20) I play the Sudden Momentum Chicanery Card and Johnny and Wulf can activate afresh!

20. "Keep going Johnny," Wulf shouts.

21) Johnny activates but is forced to use Shake It Off to clear his Pinned Marker (regrettable because I wanted him to Hunker Down). Instead he puts his blaster to stun and opens fire at Cuss.

21. "Blaster to stun," Johnny says, squeezing off another round.

22) Which is just as well, because Johnny rolls poorly but the guaranteed stun is useful! Still carrying two wounds, Johnny opts not to try to return the chip to the bag.

22. "It'll take more than that to put me down Alpha," Cuss goads from his vantage point.

23) Next, Wulf activates again...

23. "I deal vith Steelkreeg," Wulf grunts, rushing forward.  

24) And is able - just - to get into throwing range!

24. "Time's up for you verdammt robot," Wulf hollers, hurling a Time Trap at Steelkreeg.

25) Wulf throws a Time Trap! Steelkreeg is caught in a time loop and removed from the battle! Wulf does not attempt to return his Star Chip to the bag and Turn 1 ends!

25. In a blinding flash of light the trap activates, trapping Steelkreeg in time, replaying the last few seconds in a continuous loop!

"++Cover disintegrated. Zero damage sustained. Preparing Firepak. ++...++Cover disintegrated. Zero damage sustained. Preparing Firepak. ++"

26) Turn 2. Johnny activates...

26. "Need a tourniquet on this wound," Johnny thinks.

27) ...and Hunkers Down, removing an injury marker. He succeeds in returning the Star Chip to the bag, and his chip comes straight back out! He fires a devastating Aimed Shot at Hiss Weerd, which despite a good Resist and Light Cover bonus (he is in Heavy Cover but Johnny has that variable blaster which can shoot through walls), deals out a devastating five injuries!

27. Swiftly tightening his gun strap to stem the bleeding, Johnny looses another shot at Middenface's captor, Hiss...

28) A Chicanery card nullifies that! Johnny tries to return the Star Chip to the bag but fails and is Pinned! Hiss is next to activate, returning fire but Johnny easily Evades! Hiss attempts to return his Star Chip to the bag but without success - he is Pinned too!

28. ...but misses! Hiss returns fire but Johnny dives out of harm's way!

29) Cuss fails his Cool test and so has to spend both actions on Shake It Off, once for the Pinned marker and another for the Stun. He tries but fails to return his Star Chip to the bag, meaning he is Pinned again! The bad guys aren't having much luck!

29. Cuss tries to fire at Wulf but his gun jams!

"Snecking gun," Cuss curses.

30) Finally, Wulf Sprints forward to close in on Hiss. He takes cover behind a crate so that Hiss does not have a clear shot when he next activates. As he doesn't try to return the Star Chip to the bag, Turn 2 comes to a close. On the face of it, Johnny and Wulf should easily deal with Hiss and Cuss to free Middenface but...

30. Spotting Cuss struggling with his blaster, Wulf seizes the moment to sprint towards the building where Middenface is being held!

31) Turn 3 ...Darkus and his Howlers arrive! I use an old Epic dice to randomly determine where they deploy, and it isn't ideal - they have a clear bead on Johnny and Wulf! Can the Strontium Dogs still prevail?

31. Darkus and his Howlers arrive!

"Take Alpha alive?" one Howler asks.

"Dead better. Less trouble," Darkus replies.

32) The first chip out is a red Star Chip! I seize the opportunity to move Wulf inside where he spends a second singe action to free Middenface! Wulf fails his Cool test when he goes for broke and he is Pinned!

32. Wulf storms into the building and, ignoring Hiss, punches the unlocking mechanism on the side of the coffin. Hydraulics hiss and the box opens up. Middenface McNulty springs out like a demented jack-in-the-box.

"Cheers big yin," Middenface nods as he rushes towards his captor. "Ah'll take it fae here!"

33) Darkus activates and fires an Aimed Shot at Johnny Alpha but - even carrying a wound - the mutie Evades and dives behind cover! Talk about a stroke of luck!

33. Meanwhile, Darkus aims trains his gun upon Johnny and opens fire. The bullet whistling mere inches past his head, Johnny leaps behind a power generator to take cover.

34) And Darkus fails when he goes for broke.

34. "Alpha," the alien leader shouts. "Just want talk. Come out."

35) One of his Howlers activates and goes on to Overwatch in case Johnny breaks cover.

35. "That's why you have one of your Howlers ready to blow my head clean off if I break cover," Johnny shouts. "No deal!" 

"You die now, it save us time Alpha!"

36) I activate a very angry Middenface who charges at Hiss.

36. In the shack, Middenface charges at Hiss Weerd.

"Right Hiss - you're claimed!"

37) Middenface inflicts two wounds.

37. "How'd ye like a close look at mah lumps," Middenface yells as he jerks his head back to deliver a Glesgae Kiss...

38) But Hiss nullifies the hit with a Chicanery card and Middenface fails when he goes for broke!

38. ...but Hiss sidesteps and Middenface head-butts the wall, taking a chunk out of the wall!

"That's gonnae need some corrective plasterwork..." Middenface shouts furiously. "...and so's your coupon when ah'm done wi' ye!"

39) Johnny activates and targets Cuss on the watchtower.

39. "Gotta take Cuss down first, then worry about Darkus," Johnny thought, opening fire on his fellow mutant.

40) ...inflicting two stuns on Cuss! Johnny fails to return his Star Chip.  Cuss shoots back...

40. And he hits! Reeling from the impact, Hiss squeezes the trigger to return fire!

41) But Johnny Evades!

41. Once again, Johnny evades the attack! He is too fast for them!

42) Another Howler activates and goes onto Overwatch. Turn 3 ends!

42. "Alpha moves out, kill him," Darkus hisses as the other Howler aims at the power generator, scanning for a glimpse of Johnny! 

43) Turn 4 begins with the Strontium Dogs playing Wrong Footed Chicanery Card and (slightly disappointingly) one of the Enemy Band's Chips is removed from the bag - at least it's a Star Chip! Hiss is first to activate and attacks Middenface, inflicting a wound before returning the Star Chip to the bag.

43. Hiss counter attacks and attempts a head-butt! One of the snakes bites Middenface in the nose!

"Argh! Ye sleekit snake-heided scunner, ye!"

44) Cuss is next to activate and fires again at Johnny.

44. "Dodge this Alpha," a furious Cuss shouts, squeezing off another shot from his blaster.

45) But Johnny once again Evades!

45. "Happy to oblige Cuss," Johnny responds, nimbly sidestepping the blaster fire.

46) Wulf is next and charges Hiss, swinging der Happy Stick with force! A Chicanery Card nullifies the wounds though!

46. "Snakes?" Wulf spits as he sees Hiss' assault on Middenface. "You look more like a voorm to me!"

Wulf swings Der Happy Stick as he charges Hiss! Once...

47) The Star Chip is returned to the bag and Wulf attacks again - but another Chicanery Card comes to the rescue for Hiss!

47. ...Twice!

48) And again! The Enemy Band have exhausted their supply of Chicanery Cards though, and Wulf returns the Star Chip to the bag!

48. ...Three times Wulf misses!

49) And when he activates again, he does inflict wounds upon Hiss! Not enough to put him down though! After four straight activations, Wulf's luck in Going For Broke finally runs out and he is Pinned.

49. But the forth attack finally makes contact, connecting with Hiss' chest with the crunching of ribs!

"Ooft Big Yin! That wis mair wild than mah granny's auld dug," Middenface exclaims.

50) Darkus is finally able to activate and has Middenface in his sights! Fortunately for McNulty, the cover saves him from harm!

50. "Hey ugly," Darkus bellows to Middenface, firing his long barrel hand blaster. "Too much noise! Shut it!"

51) ...and Darkus fails when he Goes For Broke!

51. "Ye missed, ye great hairy galoot," Middenface replies, grinning out of the window.

52) But Darkus isn't alone in having a bead on Middenface! One of his Howlers opens fire...

52. "I won't," one of the Howlers says, firing upon Middenface.

53) ...and inflicts a wound upon the Tartan Terror!

53. "Jings," Middenface yelps as a bullet tears through his left arm. "Mah bevvy arm!

54) Johnny activates but is forced to use Shake It Off! to clear his Pinned Marker.

54. Johnny feels slightly unsteady on his feet. Blood loss was slowing him down! 

55) He can only inflict another stun on Cuss - but he is on the brink!

55. He shoots and stuns Cuss once again - but he knows he should have taken Cuss out of the equation by now!

56) But Johnny is Pinned once again!

56. Crouching down, Johnny ejects an empty cartridge from his Westinghouse and slams in a fresh reload.

57) Middenface is wounded but determined to put Hiss down. He has to use Shake It Off! which crucially denies him from Charging (and gaining that +1 damage bonus).

57. Middenface grabs Hiss and head-butts him again...

58) He does inflict a wound however...

58. ...this time breaking Hiss' jaw!

59) One last Howler activates, Moves around the rock to gain Line of Sight to Middenface.

59. The last Howler stalks around the rocky outcrop to draw a bead on McNulty.

60) Which he does and takes a pot shot! The cover saves Middenface this time! End of Turn 4.

60. He fires but the shot does not penetrate the shack!

61) Darkus is first to activate in Turn 5 and takes an Aimed Shot at Middenface! Another wound inflicted!

61. Darkus has Middenface in his sights and fires yet again. This time he finds his mark and Middenface is wounded! 

"Argh! Gi'e's a break," Middenface exclaims.

62) Another Howler activates and makes an Aimed Shot...

62. Another Howler fires at Middenface...

63) And takes Middenface down!

63. "Uhh, ye dirty deevils," Middenface cries out as he is hit in the stomach. He stares dumbly at the wound for a moment before staggering backwards and crumpling to the ground!

"Middenface! By der Gotts," Wulf cries.

64) Johnny promptly takes vengeance by finally bringing down Cuss! His Star Chip also goes back into the bag!

64. Wulf's distress shakes Johnny to his senses and he fires at Cuss once again. The shot connects with Cuss and he falls from the watchtower, landing on one knee with a sickening crack!

65) The last Howler activates and fires at Wulf, but he is too tough in cover to harm!

65. A stray shot ricochets past Wulf's head but he is so filled with rage that he doesn't even register it!

66) Reduced to Cool of 1, Hiss must try to Hunker Down. He makes a run for it!

66. His dislocated jaw flapping wildly, Hiss makes a run to escape Wulf.

67. But as he flees, Wulf takes the opportunity to take a free attack. This time there is no escape as Hiss is dispatched through the window!

67. "You vant to leave," Wulf growls. "Allow der Happy Stick assist!" 

Hiss is battered by the Happy Stick and driven straight through the window! He tries to crawl away but he has no remaining strength, and lies still. 

68) Cuss dealt with, Johnny Moves and makes a Snap Shot - but misses!

68.  With the Howlers attention firmly focussed upon his friends, Johnny is able to move into position to return fire. 

69) And fails his Cool test when he Goes For Broke!

69. Somewhat uncharacteristically his shot fails to find its target!

70) Wulf is next to act, hitting the last Howler with a precision shot!

70. Wulf draws his blaster to target one of the Howlers. With Middenface out of the fight and Johnny struggling to find his mark, he realises that they are in danger of being overwhelmed by Darkus and his goons.

71) Inflicting two wounds! Wulf doesn't attempt to return his Star Chip to the bag, there ending Turn 5.

71. "Verdampt creature," Wulf curses as he opens fire. 

The Howler wails as Wulf's shot hits it in the shoulder, severely wounding the creature! 

72) At the start of Turn 6, a Howler activates and looses an Aimed Shot at Johnny!

72. One of the Howlers takes a shot at Johnny!

73) Inflicting another injury!

73. And a second bullet tears through his leg!

74) It is a relief that Johnny activates next; he Hunkers Down and plays the Medpac Armoury Card!

74. "Time to use that medpac,'" Johnny grunts to himself, cracking open the kit.

75) All of his Injury Markers are removed and his Star Chip returned to the bag!

75. Johnny applies proper dressings to his wound and takes an adrenaline shot...

76) Wulf makes an Aimed Shot to finish off one of the Howlers.

76. Seeing his partner safely behind cover, Wulf resumes his gunfight with one of the Howlers. The Howler cries out and crumples to the ground!

"Another vun down Johnny!" 

77) Johnny is activated again, and he Moves, repositioning himself behind some cargo crates. He then fires a Snap Shot at the Howler...

77. Johnny knows he could play it safe and simply use his Alpha Rays and Westinghouse to shoot Darkus and his remaining Howler without having to show his face. That isn't his style though! He breaks cover and moves into position behind some crates.

78) ...wounding the creature! The Star Chip is returned to the bag...

78. The adrenaline shot coursing through his veins, Johnny sprays off three shots in rapid succession! The first wounds the remaining Howler...

79) And comes back out again! Another two wounds take out the Howler! The Star Chip goes back into the bag again!

79. ...the second silences the Howler!

80) ...And Johnny activates again, this time targeting Darkus himself!

80. And the third blows Darkus' hand clean off!

81) ...inflicting three wounds on Darkus! Finally, Johnny fails to return the Star Chip to the bag!

81. Darkus screams in outrage and horror as he stares at the spurting stump where his hand once was!

82) Reduced to Cool of 1, Darkus is forced to Hunker Down...

82. He spins away, taking cover behind a boulder and wrapping a filthy rag around the gushing stump. 

83) ...but luck is not with him, he fails to heal any wounds!

83. But it is too severe a wound to heal! 

84) Bleeding profusely and with Johnny and Wulf's guns trained upon him, not to mention his band utterly defeated, the wounded Darkus is forced to surrender. The job is done.

84. He feels faint and finally accepts defeat!

"Surr-Surrrrrrender," he waves to Wulf before falling unconscious.

The battle is over - but at what price?

Aftermath

"Wulf," Johnny cries, "Middenface? Is he-"

Middenface Mcnulty by Carlos Ezquerra
Copyright Rebellion 2000AD Ltd

"Deid?" Middenface grimaces, exiting the house with Wulf. "Nae chance! It tak's mair than these bampots tae plant a McNulty! Ah jist need a medpac."

"Ja, old cucumber," Wulf obliges, "nice of der Veerds to keep der supply for us."

"Nice nuthin'," Middenface grimaces, "the Weerds wur helpin' Steelkreeg abduct me!"

"The question is, why?" Johnny raised an eyebrow.

"There's a private contract oot oan me. Must be some norm wi' a grudge fae the war...or maybe Tiny Digits McTavish efter he heard ah'd pumped his missus... Whoever it wis, Steelkreeg wis a'ways a canny yin. He hired the Weerds tae let me know where he wis, walked me right intae his trap. They wur waiting fir a shuttle tae arrive tae tak' me away. Someone must ha'e been payin' a guid few boabies fir it tae be worth his while tae hire the Weerds. Whit were Darkus and his Howlers daein' here?"

"Part of Bubo's gang," Johnny responds. "Who are working for Max Bubba. As was Steelkreeg."

"Why wid Max Bubba want me? Ah wisnae oan the Ragnarok joab wi' the both of you."

"He knows you're a friend of mine, Middenface. Maybe you were to be bait to get to us. It would explain why the Weerds helped out, they've had it in for us too since we left 'em in hell."

"Hell? Whit are ye oan about Johnny?"

"Long story Middenface," Johnny smiles.

"Why no' ask 'em Johnny?" Middenface says, gesturing to the bloodied brothers.

"No time," Johnny scowls. "We'd better get outta here before the shuttle arrives. We're in no fit state for another battle."

"The Weerds stashed a few skimmers nearby," Middenface explained. "We kin use 'em tae get oot o' here."

"Lead the way," Johnny waves. "One other thing. I'm not letting you out of my sight until we get to the bottom of this. Consider yourself part of the team!"

"Velcome aboard," Wulf smiles.

"Cheers big yin! Lang may oor breeks reek lads!"   

NEXT PROG: A Cure For Kansyr    

Closing Reflections

I was extremely pleased with how the Solo Play rules worked and that the scenario was extremely challenging. Frankly, had I not had a lot of luck returning Star Chips to the bag, I think I would have been defeated. Out of all of my Armoury and Chicanery cards I only had one left so I had called upon as many advantages as possible. This bodes well for the system if games are as difficult as this; overcoming a tough encounter is far more rewarding than one you breeze through! I'm looking forward to playing the next game!