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AN ONGOING NEWSLETTER | October 2007 |
Ever since zombies first appeared in modern western society people have tried to exploit them for profit. Scientific research on zombies has so far remained fruitless, but that doesn't stop power-hungry corporations from trying to find the secret to immortality or trying to create the ultimate soldier. Zombie research copes with great public resistance, greatly surpassing that to the use of laboratory animals in the 20th century. Therefore all zombie research is conducted in secret, often in well guarded science bunkers. Sometimes word of zombie research gets out, and anti-zombie activists sabotage the experiments. This scenario reconstructs a raid by the anti-zombie organisation Genepeace on a zombie research facility. Genepeace has learned that Klebercom, a small bubble-gum factory, is actually a cover-up for an underground zombie research facility, possibly government funded. Five specialists have been hired to penetrate the facility and destroy all test subjects.
The map: The underground facility consists of several rooms connected by corridors, with lots of doors to divide it into separate areas. On one end of the facility is the entrance corridor of the Genepeace troopers. On the other end there are five containment rooms which accessible only through security doors: the zombies are in these rooms. I made my layout using tiles from the Doom boardgame, each square is 2.5 x 2.5 cm. Of course you can use any floorplan system or simply draw out a map. I didn't use any cover inside the rooms during my games, but if you do I suggest you place it before the game starts to speed up gameplay.
Doors: Any model may open a door in base contact by expending one action point. Once opened the door will remain open until the end of the turn, when it closes automatically (models standing in the doorway will end up on the side that most of their base is on). A model may also close a door in base contact manually by expending one action point. Doors cannot be destroyed. Security doors work in the same way as regular doors (also closing automatically at the end of the turn) but may only be opened by a model carrying a key. At the start of the game there are two Klebercom scientists each with a key. A model carrying a key will drop it in place when killed. If a model turns into a zombie it will keep the key until the zombie is destroyed. A model may give a key to another in base contact by expending one action point. Routing models: Routing models will move 20cm towards the exit, which is the same as the Genepeace entry corridor. They will automatically open all doors in their path (except security doors unless they have a key), and will be removed from the table when they reach the end of the corridor. If a routing model is forced to move through an enemy or zombie model while routing it is removed from the table as a casualty. The forces: The Genepeace troopers consist of five elite quality troopers with a leader and a sub-leader. All are wearing NBC suits and comm-links and have a medium pistol. Four are equipped with assault rifles and one is equipped with an Electrocutor Charge Gun. See "Zombies in the Zone!" for rules for NBC suits and the Electrocutor Charge Gun. Klebercom has three trooper squads and two scientists at the facility, in addition to three zombie subjects. The first two trooper squads (Squad A and B) consist of three average quality troopers led by a sub-leader only. All are equipped with flak jackets and medium pistols. The third (Squad C) consists of four average quality troopers led by a leader only, equipped with flak jackets and assault rifles. The two scientists are green quality, each carrying a key (see above) and a medium pistol. The three zombies are each locked separately in one of the five containment rooms (ie: three rooms with one zombie and two empty rooms). The scientists behave as individuals and do not generate initiative. The zombies are controlled by an umpire as described later. Deployment: Genepeace has acquired a blueprint of the facility and know the General plan of the facility (ie: the map), but they don't know any details. The Genepeace troopers deploy in the entry corridor (green on the map). The Klebercom forces are not deployed at the start of the game, but tokens are used instead. Placing tokens: At the start of the game the Klebercom player places all his tokens face down on the table. Each area (a part of the map bordered by doors) may contain a maximum of one token. The five containment rooms must all contain one blue token (use the tokens marked "Zombie" or "Empty": the "Robot" token is for an optional rule below). The brown tokens may be placed in any other area except the entry corridor (green). In addition, the Klebercom player writes down which tokens contain the scientists. The scientists may be attached to any brown tokens (also to tokens marked with "nothing"), but not to blue tokens. Both scientists may be added to the same token if the player wishes. Moving tokens: During the compulsory move phase of the turn (before rolling for initiative), the Klebercom player may move any brown token by up to 15cm. The tokens are not hindered by doors in any way, and doors passed through by brown tokens remain closed. The tokens may not enter the containment rooms, nor may they enter an area occupied by Genepeace models. If the alarm has been sounded (if any troopers have been revealed yet, see below) the Klebercom player may choose to reveal any tokens in an area adjacent to Genepeace troops after he has moved them. Revealing tokens: As soon as a Genepeace model opens a door to an area all tokens in that area are automatically revealed. The revealed troopers and scientists may be placed anywhere within the area the token occupied. They count as not having activated yet so may activate after the Genepeace player is done with his squad. Once any troopers (not scientists) are revealed the alarm is sounded, and the Klebercom player may reveal tokens in areas adjacent to Genepeace models in the following turns as described above. Revealing tokens in containment rooms: Blue tokens are revealed just like brown tokens, except that the revealed zombie is automatically placed in the middle of the room. Blue tokens may not move, although zombies may, once revealed. Zombies Once a zombie has been revealed it will activate at the end of the turn, after all Genepeace and Klebercom models have had their turn. Zombies do not roll for initiative and thus always activate last. Since the only motivation of a zombie is a craving for human flesh they will not distinguish between Genepeace and Klebercom models. It is best to have an umpire control them, but if there is no such person present then the zombies will move towards and attack the nearest living model instead. Winning the game: The Genepeace player wins if all zombies are destroyed at the end of the game. The cost is irrelevant, as the specialists are hired guns and for them it's the risk of the trade. The Klebercom player wins if there are any zombies alive at the end of the game, even if all his troopers and scientists are dead. Klebercom is owned by a large organisation that can lock down the facility and retrieve the zombies to continue research. Optional rule - Experimental robot: nstead of having two empty containment rooms, one room can contain an experimental robot. The robot is armed with two autocannons but otherwise follows the rules for the Cybertech Avenger 500 as described in the main rulebook on page 30. The robot is an experiment with a zombie's brain wired into a regular robot, and as such behaves rather erratically. The robot is activated together with the zombies at the end of the turn. Before activating however, roll a D6: on a 1-3 the robot may be controlled by the Genepeace player, and on a 4-6 it may be controlled by the Klebercom player. The robot will not attack zombies under any circumstance! Evacuate! Because of the erratic behaviour of the robot, it's activation triggers an emergency evacuation plan. As soon as the robot is revealed, all doors in the facility automatically open, even security doors! Reveal all remaining tokens, and remove all doors. The game objective stays the same, so the Klebercom player still has to preserve his zombies.
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Deployment: Genepeace has acquired a blueprint of the facility and know the General plan of the facility (ie: the map), but they don't know any details. The Genepeace troopers deploy in the entry corridor (green on the map). The Klebercom forces are not deployed at the start of the game, tokens being used instead. Placing tokens: At the start of the game the Klebercom player places all his tokens face down on the table. Each area (a part of the map bordered by doors) may contain a maximum of one token. The five containment rooms must all contain one blue token (use the tokens marked "Zombie" or "Empty": the "Robot" token is for an optional rule below). The brown tokens may be placed in any other area except the entry corridor (green). In addition, the Klebercom player writes down which tokens contain the scientists. The scientists may be attached to any brown tokens (also to tokens marked with "nothing"), but not to blue tokens. Both scientists may be added to the same token if the player wishes. Moving tokens: During the compulsory move phase of the turn (before rolling for initiative), the Klebercom player may move any brown token by up to 15cm. The tokens are not hindered by doors in any way, and doors passed through by brown tokens remain closed. The tokens may not enter the containment rooms, nor may they enter an area occupied by Genepeace models. If the alarm has been sounded (if any troopers have been revealed yet, see below) the Klebercom player may choose to reveal any tokens in an area adjacent to Genepeace troops after he has moved them. Revealing tokens: As soon as a Genepeace model opens a door to an area all tokens in that area are automatically revealed. The revealed troopers and scientists may be placed anywhere within the area the token occupied. They count as not having activated yet so may activate after the Genepeace player is done with his squad. Once any troopers (not scientists) are revealed the alarm is sounded, and the Klebercom player may reveal tokens in areas adjacent to Genepeace models in the following turns as described above. Revealing tokens in containment rooms: Blue tokens are revealed just like brown tokens, except that the revealed zombie is automatically placed in the middle of the room. Blue tokens may not move, although zombies may, once revealed. Zombies Once a zombie has been revealed it will activate at the end of the turn, after all Genepeace and Klebercom models have had their turn. Zombies do not roll for initiative and thus always activate last. Since the only motivation of a zombie is a craving for human flesh they will not distinguish between Genepeace and Klebercom models. It is best to have an umpire control them, but if there is no such person present then the zombies will move towards and attack the nearest living model instead. Winning the game: The Genepeace player wins if all zombies are destroyed at the end of the game. The cost is irrelevant, as the specialists are hired guns and for them it's the risk of the trade. The Klebercom player wins if there are any zombies alive at the end of the game, even if all his troopers and scientists are dead. Klebercom is owned by a large organisation that can lock down the facility and retrieve the zombies to continue research. Optional rule - Experimental robot: One of the two supposedly empty rooms can instead contain an experimental robot. The robot is armed with two autocannons but otherwise follows the rules for the Cybertech Avenger 500 as described in the main rulebook on page 30. The robot is an experiment with a zombie's brain wired into a regular robot, and as such behaves rather erratically. The robot is activated together with the zombies at the end of the turn. Before activating however, roll a D6: on a 1-3 the robot may be controlled by the Genepeace player, and on a 4-6 it may be controlled by the Klebercom player. The robot will not attack zombies under any circumstance. Evacuate! Because of the erratic behaviour of the robot, it's activation triggers an emergency evacuation plan. As soon as the robot is revealed, all doors in the facility automatically open, even security doors! Reveal all remaining tokens, and remove all doors. The game objective stays the same, so the Klebercom player still has to preserve his zombies. |