Patrol: Part 3 (Finale): ATZ, Batrep, AAR

Turn 11 (1-5-3)

“Quinoness, protect our rear! Profile, fix bayonets. Charge!” commanded Highway. Quinoness turned his back on the Gunny and levelled his rifle down the trail. Highway and his PFC thundered into the backs of two zeds that were advancing on Jones. The sergeant waved his thanks and crashed the butt of his weapon into the slavering zed advancing on him from Johanson’s corpse.

Ernest Carver, squeezed the trigger of his shotgun. It roared to life and obliterated yet another zed.

“Gunny?” squeaked Quinoness, “you’d better come and see this.”

Out of the darkness of the Donkey Drive shantytown emerged a group of figures. All male, all armed. At the head a larger then life figure in a tight fitting brown suite smoking a cigar that matched his physic.

A fast move got Highway and his section back to Stitch, passing a 2d6 ‘to charge test’ easily attacking the zeds from behind dispatched them. Freeing up Jones to off the zed that did for Swede. The PEF resolutions revealed only two to be of anything substantial both being revealed as gangers 10 in number. 1 zed created.

Turn 12 (6-6-4)

Highway hefted his Springfield to the ready position. And advanced on the group. With Quinoness to his left Profile to his right.

“Jones how you doing back there?”

The Donkey Drive Gang come to the Fight

Jones checked out Carver, “I’m OK Gunny. But I think Ernie is beginning to crack.”

“OK soldier. Hold it together protect our six and retire slowly to us.”

“Howdy,” Highway addressed the cigar smoker.

With no move for anything but the military Highway takes the opportunity to parley with the gangers. He wins by 1d6, making the gangers join Highway’s group for the game. 1 PEF created behind the cage in which Fragetti is.

Turn 13 (1-2-6)

“Evening. I’m going to cut to the chase. What you soldier-boys doing in my town, disturbing the sick and upsetting the residents?”

“Looking for one of my boys, we get him, we go.”

“Little Mo’s the name, and if we get your boy for you, you’ll just leave?”

“My word on it.”

Parley

“Deal. Tony! Take one of these lads to the soldier we found.”

“Doc,” Highway addressed Quinoness.

Highway and Lil Mo barter, Highway gets the upper hand and Mo agrees to trade something of value. This was Fragetti for Highway’s withdrawal from the shanty. There is a PEF moving slowly towards them.

Turn 14 (3-6-6)

The Clancy twins pushed and shoved their way through a copse. They were never separated in life and in half death they’d maintained that bond. Now they shuffled and lurched to the sound of life. At one time they would never have been seen dead in the company of John Oxford, a rotting hobo from the wrong side of Purgatory, but in death, they had but one goal, to feed, to devour warm living flesh.

Ernie Carver slotted another two shells into his side-by-side, “you see that Sergeant?”

“Sure do. Just stand your ground feller we’ll be fine.”

Carver and Jones await their fate.

With only the zeds able to move, they closed into sight of Carver and Jones.

Turn 15 (1-4-3)

Ernie pulled back the hammers on his shotgun. Lorna Clancy opened her mouth and emitted a roar that came from the depths of hell, where her soul lay in torment. Ernie’s nerve broke he turned and fled.



Carver flees



Lil Mo proffered a cigar to Highway.

“Obliged, mind if I smoke it later when we get out of here?”

Mo shrugged.

“You ain’t goin’ nowhere without us General.”

Highway and Mo turned to face the voice. They were confronted by a mob of Purgatory’s residents.

“What the…..” muttered Highway.

  



Survivors Ahoy

Shoving his way past crates and cast off furniture Doc Quinoness was led to a simpering body dressed in Army green.

“Vincent, it’s me Doc. Come on feller, come on I’m here to take you home.”

Vincent Fragetti rose and moved to his friend, “I’m frightened Doc.”

“Sure you are, we all are. Gunny’s here to take you back,” Doc put his arm about the shoulders of Fragetti and escorted him from the cage.

Fragetti is found

“Aw crap!” exclaimed Jones as the civilian guide disappeared behind him. The Clancy twins turned to face him. John Oxford pitched closer. Sergeant ‘Stitch’ Jones hefted the remains of the ‘Swede’ onto his shoulder, turned and fled towards the safety of the remaining Guardsmens’ guns.

“That’s right general,” went on the spokesman of the group, “you can’t leave us here and we ain’t goin’ to let you go with out us.”

Highway weighed up his options, there was a score of them, some had firearms others improvised weapons. Quinoness was leading a shattered Guardsman out of the cage. His Sergeant was retreating to his position, the scout had fled and he was unsure of how his newly found ally would react if it came to a shooting match with his people.

“Get fell in on the road,” he sighed.

Carver failed his ‘being charged’ test 02d6. Jones decided that discretion was the better part of valour and retreated. Quinoness rallied Fragetti who was too broken to help. The PEF was resolved as a group of survivors + 1 more then the players, as they had allied with the Mo’s gangers this meant 14 (!) survivors. Highway won the interaction, PEF was only rep 2, and they agreed to join the party.

Turn 16 (2-6)

Jones Retires.

Stitch had underestimated the weight of his colleague’s remains. He could hear the scraping footfalls of the beasts closing in on him. The crack of Profile’s rifle focused the Sergeant’s attention. He heard the round ‘slap’ into one of the zeds. He knew there were three left, “forgive me friend,” he whispered to Johanson’s corpse as he dropped him to the ground.

Swede save Stitch

 

Zeds close in on Jones who fails his ‘being charged’ test. Stitch  drops poor old Swede who is then set upon by the zeds, Profile passes an ‘insight’ test and offs a zed. Highway rounds up the survivors onto the roadway.

Turn 17 (6-5)

The spokesman for the residents cajoled and ushered the survivors into a double file on the path.

“You OK, Jones?” asked Highway, slipping round into the breach of his Springfield.

“Sure Gunny. I had to leave…”

Gunny Highway raised his hand to silence the sergeant,” no time for that now. There are three of them bastards between home and us. Get ready.”

“General!”

“Yep.”

“Bayonet them, the sick seem to be attracted by noise.”

“Jones, Profile en garde!” commanded the Gunnery Sergeant adopting the classic stance for bayonet practise. His men followed suite.

“One each. CHARGE!”

The three guardsmen crossed the distance between the sick and themselves in seconds. Three blades thrust into putrefying flesh, they twisted, tore up, they were withdrawn. Their targets reeled. In unison all three thrust for the head and three of the undead collapsed.

“Just like you taught us Gunny,” said Profile stabbing down into the hobo’s body.

“You did well Profile, but it don’t mean I’ll be buying you flowers and taking you to the movies.”

No zed move, Highway gathers his forces bayonets fixed they all pass the ‘to charge’ test 2d6 and dispatch the remaining zeds with ease. Mo’s gang disperse into the shanty. No photo for this move as it was too unfocused.

Turn 18 (3-6)

Highway turned to see the column of survivors advance up the path.

“Jones, Profile! Take point!”

The two Guardsmen did as commanded.

Lil Mo waved a cigar at the Gunny, ”be seeing you,” he called out as his men filtered away into the town.

Highway gave him a mock salute and took up his position at the head of the column.

Highway Leads the way

Mo says Goodbye

"They'll never allow 'em out," said Lil Mo as the group faded into the night, they'll be back and out for revenge. A state of affairs that can only be to our benefit. Haaaaaaa."

He strolled unworried back to his shebeen.

Epilogue

Highway leads the survivors to the police barricade at the end of Donkey Drive. However, the Moor City officials refuse to allow them to leave. This leads, in a bizarre twist of fate, quiet nicely to the next scenario of the Haven campaign which is the second riot in which the 'guard are involved.

Thoughts

The increasing PEF formation became a bit of a monster. I think that in future I'll split doubles between PEFs and events. I missed those experiences that event creation makes. Once again 'the game' surprised me. It could have gone horribly wrong with the ganger and the survivors. But the benefits of having a high Rep leader is invaluable. Saying that it has led this scenario seamlessly into the next one on the Haven list which is another riot. As I feel would be the outcome of the survivors being turned away at the checkpoint.

Thanks for reading. I hope that you enjoyed it, any feedback gratefully received.

Good luck out there.