It's been a week since Karl saw his first zombie: Mike, since then Mike's store was re-opened a couple of days later by his son Joe. Karl had noticed that the police were more active driving past on a regular basis and he had walked past a national guard checkpoint on his way home from work yesterday. A curfew was in place, all members of the public had to be home before dark.
Karl had been sent home early from work early today as there wasn't any work. His daughter Lizzie was playing the PS4 in her room and his wife wasn't home yet from her job at the farm. As he opened the fridge and helped himself to a can of beer he noticed that the milk was almost out, so thought he'd better head out and get some more before it got dark. He has seen people arrested for carrying weapons lately so he decides to just go out with a knife under his jacket.
Karl leaves his apartment and walks down the stairs to the out side. He see's no one around and heads to the convenience store. (Luckily the zombies activated as I did and moved just round the corner from the building as I exit it. 1 PEF didn't move, 1 moved away and 1 moved towards me over the first 4 turns. There was a random event, Wrong ammo, so I ignored it).
Karl enters the convenience store and sees 5 zombies, one of them is Joe and he seems to have been shot as there is a gaping hole in his chest. They all turn towards Karl and he backs up out the door, twisting his ankle and sees a national guard patrol across the road. They warn me that it isn't safe out here and go home. Then a phone starts to ring about 10 feet away from Karl drawing more zombies towards them all. (Even though there was 5 zombies I won the zombie surprise and decided to leave. Next activation roll was a double so random event. I twist my ankle. The PEF was resolved as a national guard checkpoint. But seens as the PEF was moving around I decided a patrol was more apt. We both scored the same amount of successes on the meet and greet table. The next initiative roll was a double and the random event was a mobile phone. It generated 3 zombies and continued to generate zombies every turn after).
The zombies charge out of the convenience store and charge straight into Karl. Karl turns and faces the zombies with his knife and Kills the first zombie stabbing it through the eye. The zombie drops to floor replaced by another that Karl stabs through the temple. The next zombie grabs at Karl and he pushes the zombie back and it falls over one of the dead zombies. Yet another zombie grabs Karl and Karl pushes him off him causing the zombie to fall down. The remaining zombie pushes Karl over and he falls to the ground banging his head stunning him. (Both myself and the national guard fail to activate. The zombies however do and they charge out of the shop and into me. I pass the charge into melee test with 2d6 but I don't have a gun so I allow it to turn me around and face them knife in hand. I amazingly survive the combat. I manage high rolls until the last zombie and I pass the "Harry are you ok Harry?" test I rolled a five!!! Thankfully. The rules state that only 4 figures can melee one figure at a time. I use this rule for human combatants but as far as zombies go they just surge towards you so as far as I am concerned if there's a group of ten zombies you have to fight them all, House Rule).
Karl gets jumped by 5 Zed's after saying hi to the national guard
Oh Christ Karl goes down
The national guard open fire on the remaining standing zombie and kill him. The national guard walk over and pop the weasel on the remaining 2 zombies as Karl regains his feet. Looking around the place Karl notices that the area has become crowded with zombies. There is a group of six off to Karls left and there are 7 others approaching from the right. Along with several others scattered around on their own all heading towards Karl, the National Guard and the ringing mobile phone. Karl decides to take the guards advice and head home. The national guard start shooting at the other zombies killing some more and drawing more towards them. As Karl heads home he bumps into another cicvilian heavily armed with a S.A.W. who shouts hey and then starts shooting the zombies that the national guard are shooting at. (Luckily both myself and the guard activate this turn but the zombie's don't. The guards shoot the remaining standing zombie killing it and pop the weasel of the two zombies on the ground. This draws a further 3 zombies toward them. Luckily none of them appear between Karl and his home. So next turn we all activate. Karl goes first and I decided to head home and I encounter a PEF which turns out to be a civilian armed with a S.A.W. we both roll the same amount of successes so we say hi to each other and he starts shooting at the zombies along with the national guard. Generating more than they killed!)
Thanks to the Guard for stepping in and helping Karl out ( I used my riot police figures as I do not have any army figures)
Karl says hi to a passing citizen
Things don't look to good for the Guard
Karl makes it home without any other incidents and flops down in his favourite armchair nursing his ankle wondering what the hell the world is coming to and his wife walks through the door and asks him how his day has been as if nothing has happened!! (I just walked Karl home all the while the national guard and the citizen kept killing the Zeds. As they were making the noise the Zombies just kept heading towards them).
The encounter wasn't a success as I didn't get my groceries. So I rolled to see if I decreased in rep and I rolled a 2. Almost did. This was nail biter. I really was worried when I got charged by the 5 Zed's and then taking the Harry are you ok test. There was over 25 zombies on the table when Karl made it home. The National Guard, although all rep 4 were lousy shots and they generated more zombies than they killed.
Bummer for Karl but discretion is sometimes better than valour and a retreat in the face of all that dead flesh was in order.
ReplyDeleteYes it was Andy but it was the twisted ankle that made my mind up.
DeleteKnowing when to run is just as important (possibly more so) than knowing when to fight. No shame on Karl for running away when facing those odds.
ReplyDeleteThanks vamp. No shame at all. Practicly all the dice rolled to generate zombies did
DeleteGotta know when to run, as Vampifan says, it's more important to know when you're over your head than fighting every time.
ReplyDeleteFun batrep. I'm interested to see your campaign unfold. Keep up the good work!
Thanks 667. Me too although I can see the possibility of starting again as it was a close one this time.
DeleteAs in Karl only just survived
Deleteits urban settings mate, they are killing grounds! but oh so much more fun!!
Deletevery true Andy :-)
DeleteWell every encounter you survive counts as a win dude! Only just mind, LOL. Nice batrep by the way! Discretion is sometimes the better part of valour, don't think of it as running away, more of a tactical withdrawl.
ReplyDeleteThanks Bob. Definitely a tactical withdrawal. Live to kill zeds another day.
DeleteWhat a fun bat-rep and even with a few hiccups along the way Karl survived it all (i doubt he would have with the new melee rules)
ReplyDeleteThanks Z. I have used the new melee rules round Andy's and he would not have got knocked down as I rolled 5 successes the zeds rolled none so although another 4 dice could've been rolled I would have killed 2 zeds at least if the other 4 dice were successes and based on the 2nd zombie's melee it managed only 1 success out of 4 dice....
DeleteThanks Z. I have used the new melee rules round Andy's and he would not have got knocked down as I rolled 5 successes the zeds rolled none so although another 4 dice could've been rolled I would have killed 2 zeds at least if the other 4 dice were successes and based on the 2nd zombie's melee it managed only 1 success out of 4 dice....
DeleteYikes, that was close! I agree completely: sometimes you need to know when to run for it.
ReplyDeleteYes it was Colgar. Funny how you tense up over your character. I almost had sweaty palms as I rolled for the Harry test
ReplyDeleteGripping stuff! Another great batrep!
ReplyDeleteThanks Gordon. Week three on it way
DeleteJust catching up with my blog story reading. This is moving along nicely. Off now to your next one.
ReplyDeleteThanks. Its been nail biting as I have got quite attached to the character. Sad I know lol
ReplyDelete