Tent Project 2 & 3.

End of phase one, based and undercoat.

I thought I'd try this loot out. A recent trip to Maplins got these spotlights for a couple of quid each and a two metre measuring tape key ring for £1.00, ideal for wargaming. I think.

Lights, Camera, Action

Phase two: undercoat base and guy ropes.

Equipment needed

Now if you have a wife that is younger then your Mum, the likelihood is she won't have access to or know how to use the above items: a roll of white thread (very good for attaching wayward shirt buttons); a needle (application device for the aforementioned); a threading device (to get the thread through the eye, the hole through which the cotton goes, of the needle.) Six years in the (regular) military and ten years solo living gave me an insight into the use of these arcane devices.

Guy Ropes and a Fire Place

Threading the ropes is not as easy to do as it looks. PVAing the canopies made it a great deal easier.

It's funny how you get the hang of it at the end of your projects. Pulling the guy ropes to the end of  the base making them taut by glue and plasticine (?) filler subsequently proved better. Snip the cotton with scissors, believe it or not it is difficult to cut cotton with a craft knife.

Matchsticks provided the posts. I would have used cocktail sticks but I couldn't find any! Breakfast on last day of project revealed that the aforementioned young woman had knocked over the pack and ethnically cleansed the house of cocktail sticks.

Phase three. Basing & finishing.

Equipment Used

A bit if dry brushing and flocking, gives the finished product.

Generally happy with the outcome, suitable for gaming. But as we all know the Mark 1's develop to the bespoke models.

Tent Project

I thought that this weekly blog would be about figures. However, one of the other ZBA's mentioned that he had a Rhodesian Project on the go. I remembered an article from long ago and necessitated a trawl through my 'OLD' mags. I came across the article but also came by a small project. So here it is.

For you youngsters out there. This was written in the days before personal computers.

On a typewriter, (an early word processor!) using pencil and paper (prehistoric design technology) for diagrams.

Equipment Needed



First Issue


The first issue I came across was the fact that the original dimensions were all in 'Imperial' (an ancient system of measurement, still widely, and successfully, used in the colonies, LOL). In a metric (European) world things just did not quite fit.

Metric Plans

'Failing to Plan is Planning to Fail'*. Oh how I wish I'd paid attention.

Cut Out & Glued

While that was sticking I went to phase two, 'The Roof'. I wanted a more flexible look then thick card.

Equipment Needed for Phase 2

H&S Point for all you kids out there: Never use sharp objects whilst under the influence of intoxicants. Please note a Zero percent and not a bad taste if you like 'Cobra' (Don't go for the Kaliber. It was out when this mag was published. It was gopping then and its gopping now!)

Wall Warping

Wall warping, PPPPPP, refer to the above *.This required the fitting of a 'ground sheet', remember to cut out the tab near to the door.

Roof On

I used kitchen roll coated in PVA glue. It sank in the right places but needs to dry hard.

Bigger & Better ?

Whilst awaiting I designed a bigger 'mess tent' as it's called in the original article, it reminds me of an old 8'x8' tent I used in the Forces. Maybe that's why it looks like it does.

And so the project ended for the night as I waited for the roofs to harden. Painting and basing remain.

In the mean time I cast a modellers eye over what I was throwing away and found these!

There has to be something that can be done with thin strips of balsa!!!!

PS how does one get the ZBA banner on their blogspot. It looks rather natty.

See you all soon.

Bring the Boys Home - Episode 2 - Take Back - ATZ, Bat Rep

Turn 10 (1-1) (5-3)

Zombies, zombies everywhere.

Connor swung to his left as more of the undead burst from the bushes. Chris pumped another round into his chamber and fired, again and again, the tips of his fingers feeling the heat as the barrel of his weapon warmed to its task.

"Terry, stay there! We'll draw them into the roadway and  you pop off anything that we miss!" Terry Moffat threw up an acknowledging thumb.

Turkey Sub stood agape at the carnage that greeted him and his colleagues, "Boss. Feds, feds everywhere, whata you wanna do."

Pulling a 'Tommy Gun' from beneath his trench coat Little Mo spat out the tobacco wad he was chewing, "let's take this party to them," he said to his lieutenants cocking the machine gun.

Turn 11 (1-6-5)

Sergeant Ski, began to get worried. He'd fought bandits in the Ural Mountains and gangsters of underworld Paris but these things were unceasing. There seemed no end to them. He cocked his revolver and slotted another round into the brain of one of his attackers. Had Chris been telepathic he would have felt the fear of his senior as it was he formulated his own terror. Terry Moffat shrank further into the bush behind which he was hiding.

Little Mo shot a glance at his Lieutenants, "Who da Feds firing at? Sammy, you heard anyting from the Irish?"
"Not me Boss, dey could be the 'Stallions' from over da river. Or it ....." Sammy stopped in mid flow and dropped the blade he was polishing on the side of his pants. his mouth kept working but nothing came out as a blood stained, rotting corpse lurched at him from out of the blue. Sammy turned and fled. Turkey Sub followed as a gaping mouth of a second zed snapped at him. Little Mo glanced at the backs of his fleeing men and joined them in what he would later call a 'tactical retreat.'

Dice throws kept the cops safe. The gangsters got unlucky and two zeds appeared in their zone, they failed their insight tests and retired.

Little Mo and his gangsters flee

Turns 12 to 14

Stinking bodies shuffled and scraped there way towards the officers. Chris' weapon got hotter and hotter as he pumped round after round at the advancing danger. He thanked God he'd listened to Jack Regan, 'Chris, don't skimp on the ammo."

Sergeant Ski held his breath at every round he fired making sure each one counted. Two beasts had been hit in the chest and rose from the ground to lurch at him again.

"Enough!" he cried, "Chris get over here, we'll hole up back to back. Terry get your arse in gear and bring up the ambulance!" He crossed to a recumbent zombie and put a .38 round in it's skull.

Terry makes a break for the Ambulance.

General dice throwing the shotgun still performing well but Ski's pistol is KOing too many, thankfully a couple were near enough to 'pop'. Moffat's lack of Rep are proving dangerous and anything he does is ineffectual.

Turn 15 (2-3)

"Think he'll make it?" asked Officer Dean as he pushed his back up against that of his Sergeant.

Connor cast an experienced eye about the field. As twilight fell he saw fewer of the creatures stumbling from the woods separating the 'Purgatory' from civilisation. He heard the ambulance door slam and began to breath easier when it coughed into life.

Dice were beginning to favour the characters, no new zombies created, within their sight, \a trio were advancing from zone one, but as yet unseen.

Turn 16 (1-3)

Attack of the unseen zombies

A howling cut over the sound of the approaching ambulance. Connor spun on the balls of his feet, seeing a zed lurching through the gap between the car and Archie's place, he double tapped at the creature collapsed.

Chris, tears cutting through the grime on his face, braced himself as two more of the beasts appeared from behind the Chevvy.

Terry Moffat floored the accelerator and his ambulance crashed into Chris' assailants. Blood, gore and broken bones splattered the hood and windshield. He pulled up adjacent to the store.

The characters got another break and no zeds were created.

Police Vehicle Accident

Turn 17 (5-1)

Night fell and an eerie silence blanketed the entrance to Donkey Drive.

"Chris, cover us. Terry let's get these lads home," Sergeant Connor Ski whispered to his men. "It ain't pretty in there."

The two officers wrapped the remains of their colleagues in a trawl net and bundled them into the back of the waiting ambulance. Constable Chris Dean climbed aboard the abandoned prison car and pulled in behind the other vehicle as it headed towards Moor City. In the distance he saw the lights of a convoy approaching the shanty. He sobbed uncontrollably.

No zeds created and having cleared the board of danger the characters were able to complete their mission and leave the board. In the distance the 'Quarantine' scenario hefts into view.

End Game

Aftermath

Got to grips with the PEF situations, in the end. Thanks guys for the advice on the last post. Noise and ammunition is the thing in these open games, but low Rep characters really struggle in melee. Terry did have a H2H battle, which I omitted for time's sake. He scraped through with 1d6 to spare. Haven:'Quarantine' scenario gets me back on line in the sequence. Now  most of  the buildings are done I can concentrate on some figures. I can't believe that this is just day one, Haven seems to suggest a shift lasts 16 turns, making a day 48 turns.

Thanks for reading and putting up with my fantasy world. Keep up all your good work.

Bring the Boys Home: Episode One - Take Back - ATZ, Bat Rep.

Prologue

A number of officers have attended at the entrance to 'Purgatory', the Moor City Shanty running along Donkey Drive, and have had a pretty torrid time of it. Two officers, Dave Briggs & Bob Louise, were sent to investigate a domestic dispute at Arch Wright's store. Constables Jack Regan and George Carter along with  Special Agents Hamilton Square & Conway Park backed them up. They saved the Wright children but their colleagues fell. Sergeant Connor Ski and Constables Terry Moffat and Christopher Dean have been sent to 'bring the boys home.'

Aim

To play in the open. To get the feel for 'Purgatory' for future games and to try out PEF rules.

Convention on dice rolls zeds first: characters second: others third.

The Recovery Team

Map of Gaming Area

 Turn One (5-1)

The three PEFs 2 (reps 3 & ) in zone 1, 1 (Rep 2) zone 6.

Sergeant Connor Ski ordered his driver, Constable Terry Moffat, to pull up by St.Anne Field, prior to the Wright's place. On the instructions of the Force's senior sergeant he'd taken an ambulance as opposed to a police vehicle. Born Kimnel Konorski somewhere in western Russia he had punched and fought his way through war torn Europe arriving in Liverpool at the age of 16. Securing his passage to the new world he was re-baptised Connor Ski by an Irish American clerk on Ellis Island unable to get a grip on his birth name. Now a sergeant in Moor City PD he found himself recovering the bodies of two of his new family in Donkey Drive.

"Sarge, what do you reckon to Jack's story? I mean the living dead," asked Terry Moffat a rookie with less then six months on the job.

"He's a good man Moffat. Pay attention to what he says. Jack's no fool," replied Ski, squatting by the corner of St Anne Field, surveying the road between the bush and the store. He checked over his shoulder to ensure that Constable Dean had brought the shotgun.

"Load up boys," ordered the sergeant.

PEF resolved & one down

Free move, 6d6 rolled for noise no zeds.

Turn 2 (6-1)



'Orders'





"What the?" gasped Dean pointing along the turnpike.

"My God," hissed Ski as two figures emerged from the scrub lined road.

Tattered, blood soaked clothing and pale grey skin marked the bodies 'different'. The two creatures roared in unison and charged the trio.

Connor recovered first and snap fired, one of the beasts flew backwards as one of the .38 rounds ripped the top of it's skull off.

One of the PEFs moved into sight and was resolved into 2 zeds (could have been allot worse to start with). Passing 'in sight' 1d6 the zombies charged. Connor being the only one to react; hit one missed the other.

Turn 3 (5-1)

Gnashing pointed teeth was all saw as the beast lurched across the closing gap. Connor fired again, downing the beast.

"Bloody hell, sarge."

Sergeant Ski did not reply as he scanned the space between his team and the house. Years of keeping alive began to pay dividends. Use the bush on the far side of the road to protect your back, giving you a good field of fire down Donkey Drive. To the abandoned Penitentiary vehicle and then the store. Dean would follow with the artillery, protecting both him and Moffat. Moffat takes up the rear,keeping him near the vehicle and out of the way.  Easy when you know how. But with no time for a course in 'field-craft' Ski snapped his orders to the other two. 

Fairly straight forward dice rolling here. One zed created in the car park.

Turn 4 (4-1)

"Move out!" barked Ski as he bolted across the turnpike, sidestepping along the scrub, Donkey Drive always in sight.

Dean followed, taking up position opposite the entrance to the fields.

"Chris, three-o-clock!" Connor yelled at his shotgun-man pointing down the Drive.

Chris Dean snapped off three rounds seeing them all go wide.

The zed shrugged off those pellets that pulled at his clothing, turned and shuffled towards the shooter.

"Move Out" A zed heads towards Dean.

Turn 5 (6-3)

Connor shouts out, "MOVE!" and jogs into the lea of the Penitentiary vehicle. Chris Dean takes his place. Terry pushes his way through the underbrush towards the unseen dead.

Seeing the danger Chris looses three rounds at the slavering zed awaiting his young colleague. The zed disappears in a shower of black gore.

Terry drops as the detritus splatters him, for the second time that day Constable Moffat saw his breakfast. 

One zed created zone 9 & one at 6.

Turn 6 (2-5)

Connor slipped to the side of the car and checked inside. Seeing the keys hanging from the ignition he breathed a sigh of relief.

A crushing came from Chris' left. He spun on the balls of his feet bringing his shotgun to the ready as a brace of pigeons break from the cover of a roadside hedge.

Moffat, already spooked, crept through the remains of the zed, a snapping twig brought his attention down Donkey Drive, he stared down an empty road into the shanty.

A no move for the cops, but the zeds move as did the PEFs. Both came to fruition this move but led to nothing.

Turn 7 (6-6) (1-3)

Connor checked his twelve and crossed to Wright's. Moffat pushed on to the edge of the bushes covering the Drive. Officer Dean cocked his shotgun and walked down the centre of  Donkey Drive.

"Who the hell do you think you are Dean? Wyatt Bloody Earp!" yelled Ski as he dodged into the side door of Wright's.

Dean froze and his mouth dropped, he shot a glance at Moffat only to see the blood drain from his face. As if by some kind of necromancy a trio of the undead morphed into being before their eyes.

Doubles created a PEF which appeared in zone 5, resolved to three zombies.

Turn 8 (5-6)

"Holy Mary, mother of God," prayed the devout Moffat, as the creatures bayed a if torn from the warmth of hell and dumped into Purgatory.

Dean's mouth dried and he spat to clear it.

Connor Ski cast an eye about the carnal house that was once Archie and Becky Wright's living room. The remains of the two MCPD only recognisable by their shredded uniform.

"SARGE!" Terry's voice echoed from without.

No move for either side.

Turn 9 ( 6-6) (3-4)

Moffat's cry activated Ski and he burst from the store and into a gunfight. Chris Dean fired and kept on firing hitting zombies as if they were Aunt Sallies at the County fair.

Terry Moffat tried to follow his colleagues example but his shots all went wild and the remaining only standing zed lunged across the Drive at him. Terry braced himself as the creature crashed into his chest knocking them both to the ground. Ramming his left arm under the snapping teeth he kept death from claiming him. Turning the beast Terry found himself on top of the creature. He hammered the butt of his revolver onto the skull of the grey paloured beast. It's forehead burst showering his already blood stained face with a second coating. Terry didn't stop 'til his assailant head was a mush.

Sgt. Ski enters a gunfight

Little Mo had run the beer market in Purgatory since it formed and a day of shooting, albeit not that unusual, required his attention. Leaving his 'Sportsmans' Canteen', with two of his most trusted Lieutenants, Little Mo took an afternoon stroll up Donkey Drive.

Little Mo enters the fray

The doubles create another PEF. Coming in zone 6 it is instantly resolved, again, & three gangers are created. CD does well and all his shots hit with varying results, killing one and knocking down another. TM misses his shots and is charged and forced to melee: 3-6,3,1: 5-3,1. Zeds created all over the place.

Epilouge

The team are holding their own with no serious threats to life, save for TM's melee. As U.S. Marshal Heck Thomas said in 1896 when he dealt with the Doolin Gang, "we got the shotgun to work and the fight was over." But can they survive? A group of gangers to deal with and they don't seem to be getting a break from 'shooting' created zombies. PEFs are proving more difficult then first envisaged.

Aftermath

I struggled with the rules over this one, I had a mental aberration over activation and I found the creation of PEFs awkward, Why? I know not, a bit too cocky methinks. As a result my note taking was poor as was the photo story. Playing, by far, is the best way to get a grip of them but the game didn't flow, therefore the story is not as fluid. I have played this game to a conclusion in one sitting and 'Episode 2' will follow presently.

Shanty Town-Quick Post-Sorry about text and quality!

In order to keep my New Years resolution I've rushed this post a bit.

Overhead view of the town



Entrance to town, waste tip at top



St Anne's Field

Bushes are made from ripped up sponge, painted and dipped in 'coarse turf'.

Arch. Wright's Store & Canteen

Out Houses

Water Tower

Trough

Mission

Mission

Thanks to Lucky Joe for he tips on the fencing. It's only there to show it off, a real shanty would not have that sort of thing, I think.

No. 31, market garden & graves

Some shacks

The buildings are complete I just need to sort them out onto a 3'x3' table. They're all there now and it's very crowded. When things are less hectic I'll post some more photos and I fancy a recover game. As some of Moor City's finest go to recover their downed colleagues.