[Zombies!] Game Introduction & Battle Reports

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**Glarsnot Bloodcurdle**

We've recently be playing a few zombie survival skirmish games, using a set of rules designed by our local gaming group. You'll find some recent battle reports here:

The Mysterious Helicopter

An unknown helicopter crashes in a zombie-ravaged town. Can the survivors find out who sent it, and why?

Sweet Home Alabama (Grrr Argh)

The survivors attempt to escape by sea, but can they make it to the pier alive?

**Glarsnot Bloodcurdle**

And for the latest instalment of the post-apocalyptic zombie saga:

Myles Away from Home

Having escaped Phirul aboard a rusty boat –now dubbed the “Jailbird” in honour of Vinnie’s recent heroics–the surviving survivors (and a few more of their band who had met up with them later) prepared to set off for Florida… or Newfoundland… or possibly the Maldives. Before they could do so, however, Dirk discovered something that none of them had expected: Myles, it seemed, might still be alive!...

**Glarsnot Bloodcurdle**

Yet more post-apocalyptic drama:

Goodbye to Norbertville

For months, a dwindling band of survivors had struggled to stay alive on the edges of a Norbertville, a small Tennessee industrial town on the banks of the Suskannawatchee River. At the best of times, the town had been fighting a slowly losing battle against rusty oblivion. After the 2008 recession, its collapse had been further hastened by the onset of apocalypse and the murderous consumption of most of its citizens by hordes of voracious undead —a process described by Norbertville’s staunchly Republican mayor as “Obama post-colonial socialism taken to its logical extreme.” (Shortly thereafter, the mayor was disembowelled by his 11-year-old niece.)

While survival had always been tough for the survivors, it became tougher still when a fire swept through town one November evening. No one knew if it has been deliberately started by humans, by some zombie or animal stumbling upon inflammable relics of civilization, or by the weather. Whatever the case, the fire gutted many of the key buildings that had previously been relied upon for supplies. Facing the peril of a long cold winter with little to eat, four of the survivors decided to push on across the river, to try to find better quarters in the countryside beyond....

**Field Marshal Wiley**

Why no one has responded to these i do not know. I am not the biggest fan of the Zombie Apoc cause it's become a addiction to most of my friends and i still feel planet of the apes will happen first ( not the rise version though terrible).

I have enjoyed reading all of the mini adventures you are running. You said it was a home brew set of rules correct what kinda system is it roughly like , I use to run Zombie games with miniatures using the All Flesh Must Be Eaten Rules. Keep up the good work all of it looks awesome and i guess i can say BRAAAINS!

**Glarsnot Bloodcurdle**

Field Marshal Wiley wrote:Why no one has responded to these i do not know. I am not the biggest fan of the Zombie Apoc cause it's become a addiction to most of my friends and i still feel planet of the apes will happen first ( not the rise version though terrible).

Perhaps I need to find a supply of cheap 28mm apes and do a supplemental version of the rules

**Chemical Cutthroat**

Zombie games are great, particularly since it's a tabletop game you can play with friends that's cooperative rather than competetive. I'm all about competition and all, but sometimes it's nice to be able to work together to try and get out of a jam like... zombies.

This is fun! I'd certainly like to see more.

**bosky**

Terrific scenery and figures, they really make the tabletop look atmospheric.

I agree with the sentiment around cooperative gameplay, especially when Zombies are so popular right now (thanks Walking Dead) so it can be an easy way to get non-gamers interested. Just say "Hey grab a figure and we'll fight some zombies together" can be very appealing.

**Cave_Dweller**

Man that looks fun. I thought this was going to be about the zombies! Board game...but I like yours better

**Glarsnot Bloodcurdle**

Our latest zombie adventure:

Area 52

On the face of it, Fort Gingrich was like any other former military base in the southern United States. It had been closed in the mid-1990s when the Cold War came to an end, although a small National Guard armoury and training facility had remained in place for several years thereafter. Most of the site had been leased to the private sector—in this case to Walmart, which had shown a particular interest in its high concrete walls and deep military bunkers. Over the next several years, the company invested millions to upgrade the site, with Korean contractors constructing a small geothermal power plant, installing lab equipment of unusual design, and renovating the barracks to serve as quarters for the Walmart Corporate Security Division.

Despite hopes that such investment would be an economic boon to the local community, however, very few locals were employed in what residents soon dubbed “Area 52.”

Following the zombie apocalypse, Area 52 continued to function. Its defences were reinforced with barbed wire, floodlights, and intrusion detectors, and the Corporate Security Division personnel were quickly outfitted with new body armour and submachine guns. Terrified citizens who sought safety at the facility were turned away at gunpoint. Even more strangely, survivors began to disappear, leading to rumours that they were being held at Area 52—although whether for slave labour, outlandish experiments, or consumer focus groups no one really knew.

It was here that the brilliant but absent-minded research scientist Dr. Myles Boffin was imprisoned after his capture in Phirul. It was here too that young Bobby Bayou —the youngest member of Herd #704 of the Mooseketeers of America—was taken.

Ironically, this would prove a vulnerability that the planners of Area 52 had never anticipated. The Mooseketeers, you see, never, ever, EVER leave a moose behind.

**Glarsnot Bloodcurdle**

Incidentally, I should apologize to American readers that the scenarios are all set in the US.

We do have a set of Canadian variant rules we may try out soon (zombies move slower because of the cold, survivors are less likely to clash, and hardly any survivors have firearms--although they may be equipped with poutine or stale timbits, lumberjack axes, old hockey equipment, or loyal huskies instead)!

**Glarsnot Bloodcurdle**

Once again, a group of brave survivors faces the zombie apocalypse...

WZED-AM

It was just one of those things, an accidental happening that can change the course of destiny. And it all happened because Tex and Harry were arguing as Tex fumbled with the stereo in the Hummer.

“The damned Toby Keith CD again?” exclaimed Harry in frustration. “Great hell and tarnation, Tex, I swear you’ve got the musical taste of a roadkilled prairie dog…”

“Why don’t you just shut up?” Tex snapped back. “Keith is a patriot, he’s a good ol’ boy from Okla-homa, and he sings real country! That Taylor Swift of yours ain’t nuttin’ but a Yankee carpetbagger…”

“Well, at least he don’t listen to the Dixie Chicks!” added Cindy-Lou with a grin. The mooseketeers giggled as Tex squirmed. Everyone knew the Dixie Chicks were communists.

Just then, Cindy-Lou swerved to avoid a small pile of rotting cadavers on the road, causing Tex to lean heavily against the stereo. To everyone’s surprise, the radio came on—and this time, amid all the usual post-apocalyptic static,there was an actual voice.

This is KZED-AM, Tuskalocha—bringing the best in country music to survivors everywhere… Our next song, ladies and gentlemen, is about what separates us from the undead: Breathe…

“Did you hear that!” exclaimed Harry, who was none too bright. “They’re playin’ Taylor!”

“I’m more interested in the fact that they’re playing anything at all,” said Dr. Myles Boffin from the back, where he was uncomfortably wedged between several fidgeting children. As a graduate of Harvard and Yale he hated country music, and had been ignoring the conversation up until this point as he pondered recombinant DNA. “More survivors. We should investigate.”

They slowed down and pulled over on the road, flagging the other vehicles in their small convoy to stop. Most everyone agreed: it was worth a detour to find out what was up. In any case, they needed fuel and supplies if they were to make it to their final destination of the secret Walmart factory, and Tuskalocha seemed as good a place as any to find them.

“Can we bring guns and eat smores?” asked young Jessy.

“Why, of course you can.” chuckled Mr. Moose. “Lock and load, mooseketeers!”

Full battle report here.

**Clumpski**

haha im definitely following!

this is grate thank you! :3 i might have to borrow some ideas for a game with my mate

**Gymnogyps**

OK, yeah, this is incredibly well done. You had me at the Mooseketeers...

This would be a great way to use the upcoming Zombicide minis. Imma cross-pollinate here a bit!

Dakka Zombicide thread...
http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/446412.page

**Glarsnot Bloodcurdle**

Yes, I've pledged on the Zombicide project--it looks very cool (and I'll use the minis for our own games too).

**Glarsnot Bloodcurdle**

McGill University staff and graduate students battle the undead on a mock-up of the university campus:

...Susan Dodsworth provided overwatch from an upper floor window with her keen vision and trusty Webley revolver as Kedra Hildebrand and Islam Derradji carefully exited the front door of ICAMES, and Merouan Mekouar, Bruno Marot, and Greta Messori slipped out the back. While the Interuniversity Consortium for Arab and Middle Eastern Studies had been otherwise well-prepared for the zombie apocalypse, its supply of research materials was limited and the internet had long ago ceased to function. They all needed books, and—slavering hordes of murderous undead or not—a trip to the library was in order.

Kedra checked the door of the McGill Institute for the Study of Canada adjacent to ICAMES. Locked! Moreover, her efforts to force her way in soon attracted the attentions of a zombie near Syrian depanneur across the street. Before it could reach her, however, Algerian soccer thug (and MA graduate) Islam brought it down with a well-aimed rock to the head. The abomination fell awkwardly in the middle of the road, groaning its last groan.

A few moments later, Susan emerged from the front door of ICAMES. Turning to her friends, she had an idea: “We really need to head over towards Leacock, and help rescue Andrew!”

They had realized some weeks earlier that the Department of Political Science’s resourceful administrative officer, Andrew Stoten, was trapped in the Leacock Building. From signs he had held up to them from the roof they also knew he was low on supplies, and had several forms they all needed to fill out if they ever planned to graduate from university...

Read the full battle report at Generic Gaming Goodness.

**precinctomega**

Funny, literate and entertaining. A positive masterclass in how to write battle reports.

R.

**Pael**

Those were some cool batreps. Great job on the games, all your efforts paid off!!!

**Ragsta**

More battle reportsplease!

Very good stuff here - thank you for sharing. I am very fond of the zed apocalypse and developing a group of surviviors for some gaming.

Any chance you can tell us more about the rules you use?

**Glarsnot Bloodcurdle**

Jihad_Ragsta wrote:

Any chance you can tell us more about the rules you use?

Better than that, I've posted a set at http://genericgaminggoodness.wordpress.com/2013/01/18/zombies-the-ccl-edition/

They are still in draft form, but you should be able to see how the game system works. It is fairly straight forward:

Incident tokens move randomly, or towards noise. These represent something (zombies, feral dogs, survivors, even supplies)--but the players don't know what until they SPOT one.

Zombies move randomly, or towards noise or nearby survivors.

Survivors get two actions per turn.

Building and vehicle status and contents are randomly generated.

Survivors are customized with various positive and negative traits that affect how well they can carry out various actions.

Random events affect game play (we actually use a set of cards, but the set here uses a dice table).

If anyone actually gives them a try, comments would be welcomed!

**Djdom**

Have read through the rules, and looks really good. Will defiantly be trying them out soon.

Also, loving the reports, keep up the great work!

**CptJake**

Great looking terrain there! Looks like you guys are having some good times.

jake

**Djdom**

Can I ask, where do you get your minis and terrain from?

**Glarsnot Bloodcurdle**

Djdom wrote:
Can I ask, where do you get your minis and terrain from?

The minis are from all over. Most of the zombies are the plastic ones from Wargames Factory, although in a few cases I've simply modified unwanted figures from other games/genres (old D&D figures, etc.). The survivors are Brigade Games, Foundry, Warm Acre, and others. There's a lot of good stuff these days (although my painting skills are mediocre at best).

The scenery is mainly cardboard, with the roads and a lot of the buildings from WorldWorksGames excellent "Streets of Mayhem" range. Their pdfs are cheap, and highly customizable. They do need reinforcing for repeated use. You can also find a few website online that have free 28mm building pdfs. These sorts of post-apocalyptic games look and play best with lost of scenery on the table, I think.

The few plastic buildings are generally O-scale railway scenery, The cars are picked up cheap from dollar stories, toy shops, hobby stores, etc. The trees are cheap model railway scenery from eBay (generally from China, and often 4-5x cheaper than buying from a store).

**FITZZ**

Finally had the chance to sit and read your bat reps and just want to say that I enjoyed them very much and would love to read more.

**oddeye**

Studio miniatures has a nice line of 28mm zombies and survivors, though they can be a bit pricey. Black scorpion has some nice military figures as well. I will be using them for my upcoming battle reports and game demos. I'm interested to see your zombie ruleset that you are using, will take a look. I am currently making my own rule book for a zombie war game.

**FITZZ**

oddeye wrote:
Studio miniatures has a nice line of 28mm zombies and survivors, though they can be a bit pricey. Black scorpion has some nice military figures as well. I will be using them for my upcoming battle reports and game demos. I'm interested to see your zombie ruleset that you are using, will take a look. I am currently making my own rule book for a zombie war game.

Studio miniatures has also recently released a set of 28mm zombies in a multi-part plastic kit.
http://www.studiominiatures.com/Shop/Zombie-Miniatures.html