Looking to 2018

Happy New Year!

Instead of looking back at a fairly good gaming year in 2017 despite my poor blogging 

in the last four months let’s look ahead to 2018. 

Miniatures

I hear stirrings of both a LW 4th edition and a Team Yankee league forming very soon.

I hear there will be one game a month instead of two. I hope that is true as that works

better for my ability to play. Here is to hoping my Stukas and Cobras sting the

enemy soon. We are really excited by the release of Tripods and Triplanes coming

later in 2018. 

Board Games

The final Yacht Campaign Mission should happen early in the year and then we

are eager to return to Black Plague. I have also plunged back into Star Wars Imperial 

Assault and X-Wing. Our gaming group plans to get Conan, Ghostbusters, Space Patrol,

and Shadows of Brimstone to the table. Games Workshop looks to be well back in the

mix too. Necromunda, Shadespire, Gorechosen, and Execution Force are definitely in

the queue. 

Wargames

Playing wargames has us all very excited. We neglected this part of our hobby a bit too

much in 2017. Our list is huge but the top few needing play early in 2018 are Warfighter,

B17 Leader, Nam 65, Combat Commander, Brezhnev’s War, Tricorne, and OST. Sincerely,

the list here is so full of goodness that I need to win the lottery to get caught up. I have 

also stockpiled many solitaire wargames and intend to play one a month and post the 

AAR. 

Card Games

Getting all of our Magic duel decks played is always a goal. We look forward to the Realms 

offering and especially look to bear the HeroRealms quest. Down in Flames and

Modern Naval Battles look to see more table time too as they offer a quick and satisfying 

wargame like fix quickly with little setup. 

Sports Games

(Edit) As Bilbo pointed out in the comments, we are going to get a favorites from years

past back on the table. We have slated a Strat-o-Matic Baseball series, Slap Shot Hockey,

and maybe a few others like SOM Hockey and Sports Illustrated Football! 

Closing 2017

I hope everyone had a great 2017 and all of your 2018 gaming is fun and plentiful!

Supply Run

Yacht Campaign Side Mission

We barely escaped our old base as the barricade collapsed and

the zombies and dogz flooded through hot on our tail. Luckily,

Josh found a place for us to hide while the hordes disbursed. 

Nick and Ross are not doing well and don't stand a chance of

making to to the yacht without meds not to mention we needed

ammo to fight our way onto our escape vessel. Phil decided that

as the team lead he would take his last ammo and make a supply 

run while the others recuperated and tended to our injured. 

How we got to this point

The Yacht Mission 1

The Yacht Mission 2

The Yacht Mission 3

Phil and Dong discuss the fallback plan in case Phil isn’t back in 24 hours

Phil slips quietly into a nearby neighborhood in hopes of finding ammo and

medical supplies. Phil encounters no zombies in the first few homes then

jackpot. Phil finds some medical supplies. Now, we just need some ammo. 

Phil has found some ammo but not really enough for the charge to the dock

and the dogz around the Yacht. The volume of zombies is growing as Phil

presses on. 

Bingo! Phil finds a stash of ammo in a house with a few zombies

After searching about 20 houses, Phil has everything the group needs. 

He even found a few cans of food. Phil makes his way back the way

he came successfully killing and dodging the growing number of zombies. 

As Phil rejoins the group, he has a nawing thought that this area was lacking

zombies so they are at the dock between them and escape. 

What you need to play Supply Run

Supply Run Rules which are free

Risk and Rewards Deck $5 from Two Hour Wargames

A few markers which can be miniatures, pennies, or anything else to denote

zombies, survivors, and your character. Supply Run is a fun and quick

play. You can use option rules to increase the difficulty and even run it

as a co-op game. 

Wrap Up

I have played Supply Run many times and have never had the cards and 

dice go my way like this run. We are hoping to play the concluding mission

of the Yacht Campaign very soon. 

Thanks swinging by and reading our blog. If you are inclined we love

comments and really appreciate our follows. 

Zombicide: Olympus is Burning!

Zombicide The Yacht Mission 3

Read Mission 1

Read Mission 2

Doug: "You're right Phil, there is no doubt the smoke is coming from Olympus"

Wanda: "We gotta move quick they could still be holding on"

Phil: "Let's move! The only thing the smoke means is they triggered the explosives

           in order to block some access points"

No one spoke up but everyone was thinking that we hope that's all it means. The

team moved quickly but carefully as the experienced survivors they had become. 

Ned said every good base needs a name. We decided if Olympus was good enough

for the White House is was good enough for us. As we approached Olympus, we

could see the charges had amazingly worked as planned. The two roads we blocked

and hopefully that would keep the zombies from forming a horde. It should also 

only leave one way into and out of the area we had secured.  

Phil, Wanda, and Amy breech the door hoping to find our team safe and sound. 

The building is full of zombies and the team floods in to meet the challenge

The team breaks out to looks for survivors but a pack of dogz blocks the way

Josh hold the doorway in hopes of keeping the zombies thinned out while the rest 

of the team presses on

Josh rejoins the others as there are too many bad guys to hold back

Amy and Josh move into the second building and still no survivors 

A steady stream of dogz and runners keep Amy, Josh, and Wanda tied up. 

Wait! Is that a voice behind the next door?

Doug, Phil, and Ned keep the path out open although the number of zombies is 

growing

Any and Josh quickly complete the barricade so that they can keep searching without

harassment by swarms of zombies. 

Yippee ki yay! It's Nick but he is hurt and we will need to carry him out

Josh drags Nick out and Whoa it is a huge abomination and some dogz

Josh: "I've been saving this for you ugly so say bye bye!"

Josh throws the Molotov he has been carrying

Ned mans the barricade while Wanda continues the search

While rummaging for more Molotov fixings, Josh finds George but zombified. 

Josh does what has to be done for his old running buddy. They had been friends 

before the Zombicide started

The barricade creaks as the zombie masses press into it

Wanda finds Ross and Doug begins to clear the escape route. Every single room has

been searched and only three of the ten members hold Olympus have been accounted 

for so far

The team unleashes fire and fury into the mass of dogz and zombies blocking their 

exit

A true horde is crushing into the barricade

The added power of the fatties smash through the barricade 

The dogz and runners are hot on the teams trail

The team exits just in time. The search and rescue attempt went smoothly with the

team working together like the seasoned survivors they have become. Everyone hopes

some of the team escaped and are not in fact now part of the zombie hordes. 

Phil: "We have no choice but to hope the yacht can get us to safer ground"

Amy: "I know it is fueled and we have the keys"

Doug: "Wanda you're with me. We've got rear guard"

Josh: "I saw a place we can hold up and get Ross and Nick in better shape about an hour back"

Conclusion 

Mission 3 went really well. Our spawn draws were lucky at the right times. I will do a whole 

post on some home rules we use to add random turn order and zombies destroying barricades. 

They both work well and add lots of uncertainty and excitement. Our next and last mission

of the Yacht Campaign is up next. We are excited to see if we can get all eight survivors on

the Yacht and see where that will take us. 

Thanks for reading our reports and please leave a comment and consider giving us a follow. 

Zombicide: Save the Girl! Get the Keys!

Zombicide The Yacht Mission 2

Read Episode 1

We rested up after the all-out battle on the docks and gave Amy food and water to build her strength. Even with rest and food she was still not feeling much better. She finally confessed to Wanda that she had a condition and needed her medicine soon or she would get worse. Luckily right before the area around the docks was overrun her dad had found a pharmacy and stashed a huge supply in the duplex by the boathouse. Amy said her dad had also hidden the yacht keys in the boathouse.

Phil gathered the team after his chat with Wanda and shared his thoughts. “Ok the way I see it, the yacht is our best chance to get out of our current deteriorating base situation. Amy was a help fighting our way off the yacht and I think she will be a good add to our group for one and getting the key lets us gain a mobile base easily isolated from shore”.  Doug was concerned about the added time away from base but agreed with the plan. The die is cast then and we hit the duplex and boathouse at first light.

Meanwhile, Ned was carefully traveling through the night to bring an important message to the yacht rescue team.

The team advances on the duplex and are very pleased when they see few enemies. 

Ned arrives with his urgent message but doesn't see the team. 

Ned is alone, opposite of the team, and zombie dogz are prowling

Ned and team break toward the front of the building with dogz hot on Ned's tail. Ned runs into a barricade and the team sees the front door is also barricaded. 

Phil, Wanda, and Josh breakdown the barricade just in time. 

The group searches for ammo and equipment while holding off the wandering dead. Doug call for go time into the building. We are spooked by the low quantity of dead. 

Wanda makes short work of the door and is greeted by a fatty. 

Wanda and Doug lure the Fatty and Z Dog to their doom! The team is working like a well oiled machine. Amy is doing well but is starting to look ill again. 

Half the house is clear but still no meds and no pass code for the boathouse. 

Amy has her meds and the pass code book is in sight. Phil has moved down to hold the path to the exit. The number of zombies is growing. 

Phil, Doug, and Josh go back to back to back to keep the house exit and path to the boathouse clear. 

Phil and Ned buy time while Doug recovers the yacht keys. Wanda and Amy have clear a back exit through the house flanking the zombie hordes. 

The group flees successful in their mission with a hail of destruction laid upon the horde of zombies. As the team catches thier breath, Ned informs them that an unusually large buildup is occurring around the hideout and ammo is getting low. The team looks in the direction of home and sees ominous smoke rising in that direction. "Damn it! Let's go and go now", exclaimed Phil. 

Conclusion

The game was fun as usual. We were shocked at how the spawn draws and searches went in our favor. The campaign has been very satisfying with the connected storyline. The next mission looks be tough and the question remains...do we dare to dream of making the yacht ours. Mission three is coming soon. We appreciate you visiting our blog and would love a follow. 

PS - We got the dogz painted as promised!

German FJ Company versus Soviet Light Tank Company

Situation

Soviet Union Winter 1941

The German drive into Russia had slowed with the onset of a harsh winter.

Soviet forces had also begun localized counterattacks as the Germans 

supply lines stretch to the breaking point. 

Mission

The German FJs were surprised to see the Soviet infantry and tanks 

appearing in force to their front. Only half of their force was in place. 

The envelopment was developing rapidly but the entire field is muddy

forcing the Soviet tanks to stay on the roads. 

 

 

Only the 10.5 mortars and one FJ platoon with attached HMGs were

in place. 

 

The Luftwaffe swoops to to help stop the T26's

 

The mighty KV bogs trying to hurry down the road towards the exposed

flank. 

PaK 36s ambush the T26s on the right flank

 

The Soviet infantry quits the field after sustain fire from infantry and

HMGs but the Soviet tanks are still baring down on all roads.

 

The Pak 36s on the right are destroyed and the ones on the left are about 

to eat lots lead and are about to be destroyed. The KV is back on the

move. 

 

The Luftwaffe braves heavy AA and destroys the KV

 

Soviet tanks including flame tanks engage the last reinforcement platoon. 

The FJs assault the tanks and drive them back but only bag one tank. The

FJs fall on the next turn and the Soviets own the day. 

Result

The game was a really fun 4-3 victory for the Soviets. It was fun as both

sides were dishing out destruction. In the end, my Crete list FJs didn't 

have enough AT assets to carry the day. I had several air attacks chased 

off by AA so had the struck home it might have gone 4-3 the other way. 

Many thanks to Kevin for a game played in the right spirit and we both

had fun. Early War tends to always be fun in my book. 

We were playing v3 but since I really enjoy Team Yankee I'm looking

forward to v4 escalation event coming soon. Thanks for visiting and please 

consider following LZBravo.