ATZ Short Stories: Our boys at the Front!

Introduction

Welcome to another of my ATZ "Short Stories".  This was planned as a one-off game, but I might continue with some of the characters in further games if I feel like it.

"We can now go live to our city correspondent, Lynne Gosnett, to find out the latest on the Government's calming measures.  Lynne, tell us what you can see."

"Yes indeed.  We're approaching the junction of Harbour Road and Hill View, near the supposed origin of the outbreak.  Troops have been sent in to restore order and we can see some soldiers just a few yards away.  They're on foot and ... oh - they're shooting at something.  We can't quite see what's happening, but if we just step round this corner ... Augh!  That's ... urk, I can't look!  We've just ..." <sounds of automatic weapons fire, heavy breathing and rapid footsteps>

"Thank you, Lynne.  I think you need to get to a place of safety now, while we return to the studio.  Now, sports.  Darren, tell us what's been happening today on the pitch."

The Scenario

Teams 2 and 3 debus from the APC, whilst team 1 remains in the Humvee

We decided to play the "Law & Order Patrol" scenario from the Haven scenario book for All Things Zombie.  In this, a group of soldiers have to disarm & arrest any armed humans and eliminate any zombies from the board.  There are initially no other forces on the streets, but there are 6 buildings that need to be cleared.  We decided to add 3 PEF (Possible Enemy Force) markers as well, though Haven doesn't mention these.

The Squad

Team 1 (in the Humvee)

• Lieutenant Brosnan, REP 5, pistol
• Connery, REP 4, assault rifle
• Van Damme, REP 4, assault rifle

Team 2 (deployed to the left of the road)

• Hackman, REP 4, assault rifle
• Dalton, REP 4, assault rifle
• Moore, REP 4 (medic), pistol

Team 3 (deployed to the right of the road)

• Corporal Eastwood, REP 5, assault rifle
• Weaver, REP 4, assault rifle
• Gibson, REP 4, squad automatic weapon

So, these soldiers are reasonably competent and have a considerable amount of firepower.  They're confident and well trained, but - importantly - they haven't a lot of experience in dealing with zombies.  They are authorised to use deadly force right from the start.

Vehicles

The Humvee has a mounted medium machine gun.  The truck has no weapons, but it is armoured and (if all the openings are fastened properly) it is pretty much impervious to small arms fire - and zombies.  On turn 1, both vehicles are already deployed on the board with their engines switched off.

The Game

Almost before any of the troops had moved, one of the Possible Enemy Force markers came into view just beyond the bus stop.  This turned out to be a single civilian - an old gent who was waiting for a bus.  Obviously he'd heard the trucks coming along the road and then stopping; he must have thought that this was his bus arriving!

Once the soldiers had shouted at him a bit, he toddled up the road past them and went in search of a train instead.

The 2 squads on foot entered the buildings nearest to them, but found nothing.  They relaxed somewhat; this wasn't going to be so bad after all!

After the In Sight test.  Dice indicate the number of successes for each model (and therefore the order in which they will act).

However it was a different matter when squad 3 climbed the stairs to investigate the upper floor of the bookshop.  The troops came face-to-face with a pair of men who were acting very suspiciously.  The younger punk ("Barack") was armed with a pistol, whilst the older hard case ("Smiley") had a nasty-looking pump action shotgun.

"Drop your weapons!" shouted Hackman.  "Make me, pussy!" responded Smiley without any hesitation.  And before anyone could say anything else, bullets were flying.

• Barack fired at Dalton, but missed.
• Simultaneously, Dalton fired at Smiley and sent the ganger scurrying for cover.
• Hackman then shot Barack twice; the young punk dropped to the ground, bleeding.
• Moore (the medic) moved over to the injured man and kicked away his pistol.  He examined him briefly, cuffed him and said "You'll live.  On your feet; we're going to go for a little ride..."
• Dalton and Hackman advanced cautiously round the desk where Smiley was hiding.  All the fight had gone out of the older man; he surrendered quietly and was also cuffed.

Meanwhile, out in the street, Van Damme was keeping a good, all-round watch.  He saw a very obviously dead figure stumbling towards the flank of the Humvee, so he unlocked the MMG, swung it round carefully and opened fire.  When the gun eventually ran out of ammunition, there was nothing left but a few bloody parts; the threat (such as it was) had been neutralised.  "I've always wanted to do that!", Van Damme thought to himself.

"Pass me another magazine" he called to the crew inside the Humvee.  He whistled a bit while he reloaded the gun, but the smile dropped from his face when he looked up again.  "Contact, right!" he shouted, just as Brosnan (in the passenger seat) yelled "Multiple hostiles, front!"

Van Damme worked at the gun with one hand whilst using the other to fend off a zombie that was attempting to climb onto the vehicle.  He finished reloading and cocked the weapon just as Connery fired up the engine and Brosnan pushed away a little girl zombie.  As the Humvee started to move, Van Damme emptied the new magazine into the crowd of zombies to the front.

The Humvee shot forwards, just as even more zombies closed in on its previous position.  All of the soldiers were horrified at how many of the undead were now present.  Where had they all come from?  It had been so easy just a short while ago!

Teams 2 and 3 wisely kept out of sight of the main street.  Team 3 continued to work their way through the burger bar's car park whilst team 2 guarded their prisoners in the bookshop and watched the horde go past.  The mission had started so well, but what a difference a few minutes can make!

As if this wasn't enough, we then drew an event card.  Dalton (team 3, in the bookshop) wasn't there when Hackman looked round.  Somewhere in the confusion of hustling the prisoners down the stairs and then hiding from the zombies in the street, he must have taken a different route.  Hackman and Moore didn't dare to call out loud, but a fierce whisper was met with no reply; Dalton was gone!

To Be Continued...  [This way to part 2 ==>]