Strange Aeons: Escape...Into Danger

[nikharwood]

First run-out last night of Strange Aeons with the full rules - and my converted Cultists...I played the "Escape...Into Danger" scenario which sees our Threshold agents trying to get past the Lurkers and off their table edge...

Threshold Agents:
Special Agent Johnson: Bowie Knife, .45 Handgun, Tommy Gun
Agent Garcia: Bowie Knife, .45 Handgun, Bolt-Action Rifle
Agent Freeman: Bowie Knife, .45 Handgun, Double-Barrelled Shotgun

Lurkers: Cult of the Poisoned Ancients
Cult Leader Bartholomew: Bowie Knife, .22 Handgun, Shotgun
Cultist Jemson: .22 Handgun
Cultist Chad: .22 Handgun, Shotgun
Cultist Jerome: Bowie Knife
Ghoul: Claws / Bite

The table - played on my 20" x 20" board - Strange Aeons in 28mm plays on 2' x 3' normally - so I decided that no-one would go to the right of the road / building as you see it in the first pic here:














The Threshold agents rolled high & went first - SA Johnson Commanded his colleagues and they all double-moved forwards:






The Lurkers became aware of the advancing Agents - Bartholomew ordered the Ghoul to the fore with Chad taking up a firing position by the gibbet:




The Threshold agents continue their steadfast advance knowing they must take the fight to the Cult:




The Cult starts firing and Chad wounds Johnson as the Ghoul continues to run towards him - but he's dropped, losing a wound:






There's some further, largely ineffective, return fire from the Agents...


...and the Cultists advance further:




Seizing the opportunity, Johnson & Garcia run for the cover of the ruined building, trying to get away from the menacing Lurkers who take a casualty in the hail of bullets from Johnson's Tommy Gun as he fires from the hip on-the-run:


But Bartholomew runs to the doorway & fires at the backs of the agents, dropping Johnson [Face Up] as the Ghoul charges Freeman :




Freeman passes his Resolve test for being charged by the Hideous Ghoul but is clattered to the ground by the brute [Face Up]:




Johnson recovers & returns fire to drop Bartholomew [Major Injury] - now the Agents are moving fast through the ruin:


Garcia breaks free of the ruin and makes it to the back of the yard:


Garcia is charged by Jerome who puts his faith in his trusty Bowie Knife:


...which proves to be misguided as he is taken out in short measure:


Meanwhile, Freeman has managed to finally gut the Ghoul in an epic combat - leaving only Jemson facing the agents: reflecting that discretion is always the better part of valour, he legs it [failed his Resolve test for last man standing] - allowing the Threshold agents to make good their escape.


Post-battle:
Threshold: found no map pieces, Garcia gains a Skill & improves his shooting ability
Lurkers: only Batholomew took a Major Injury - the post-battle roll saw him make a Full Recovery.

Notes:
A great game - really enjoyable  and which showed me some of the subtleties of this system: how good use of Command [allowing the leader to 'nominate' two other models within range to act] is essential - and forces good decision-making from the Lurkers [who will tend to have more models available - but making you think about the best ones to nominate]; the fact that each nominated model gets two actions [Move, Shoot, Charge etc] rather than the 'normal' one in most skirmish games...excellent.  

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

Looks pretty.

ianS

[Leon]

Nice looking game!   

Where's the crucifix from?

[Steve J]

A nice game by the look of things. The command system looks good which seems unusual for skirmish games.

[Squirrel]

Good stuff! Thanks for sharing

Cheers,

Kev

[nikharwood]

Thanks folks - I am now hooked on this game for skirmishing...it's very fast, and very subtle...and it has captured the Cthulhu 'feel' very well [don't tell anyone, but I may even reach for some of my 28mm daemons etc & give them a bit of a runout at some point  ]

Leon - the gibbet thing is from GW - I think it was part of a Warmaster Chaos command pack IIRC...

[Maenoferren]

cheers Nik, looked a good game
I had better have a root about for my box of chaos figs 

[crancko]

Looks really fun!. I am getting hooked with the 10mm even for skirmish...

Btw could you compile a list of Pednraken catalog references for this? With the curretn situation of no pictures it is complicated to know what to order.

Thanks.

[nikharwood]

Btw could you compile a list of Pednraken catalog references for this? With the curretn situation of no pictures it is complicated to know what to order.

Yep - I'll put together a comprehensive list of what I've used in the next couple of days & post it...although the cultists here are all conversions...

[Maenoferren]

http://www.iguk.co.uk/products/bag-of-cthulhu-reprint-11509.aspx
I found these Cthulu thingied Nik I think there were some shown already but cant remember in which post 

[nikharwood]

Yep - got those on order already 

[Maenoferren]

thought you probably had 

[crancko]

Indeed can also be complemented with these thingies:

http://khurasanminiatures.tripod.com/little-carinthia.html

[Luddite]

Looks really good Nik!