ATZ Batrep - Xmas #4 - Sidetracked

Nick had a friend over for the night who has not played ATZ yet.  He saw the table and the kids didn't want to wait until morning to play so they nagged me until I agreed to run a game for them.  So 10:00 PM and we're off to the races.  I was too lazy to set up another layout so we had a go on the same map we've been using in our campaign.  It is a great testimony to the playability of ATZ.  No matter how many times you play the same set up, you get a completely different game.   I didn't want to risk any characters who are active in the campaign so we ran new Stars.  We went by the book and used Rep 5 characters.

The lineup for this mission.  Four Stars loaded for bear.  Even Maggie was ready for a late night go.

The squad fast moves onto the table, across the street, and into the gun shop.  They find a couple of gangers skulking in the shop.  The gangers don't like the odds and agree to join the group.

Plenty of Zeds are roaming the town in search of a nice snack.

 

Moving upstairs the group runs into three Civies that are quite well armed.  The Civies don't want anything to do with this seedy looking band of hooligans.  After a short discussion, our little band decides not to risk a confrontation with the well armed Civies and so they move on.  They get a pretty good idea!  They leave through the bay window and enter the next building through the window.  This means the Zeds still have not seen them.

As they enter through the second story window, they are confronted by a couple of gangers.  Luckily our friends are in the company of gangers and get a chance to try to talk this out.  These new gangers are not about to join up, but they are not about to start trouble either.  Now the group heads up the stairs to the third floor.

Where they get into a confrontation with a grumpy Rep 5 ganger!  Nick and the ganger go for their weapons and Blam Blam!  The ganger goes down.  So what now? 

The Zeds are now starting to "head to the sound of the guns" and our friends are stuck in the building.

 After a short argument, err.. I mean discussion.  The group decides on a course of action.  While the Zeds are closing in on the building.

Both sides of it!

The kids get a bit clever here.  They decide to throw the dead ganger out the window to distract the Zeds on the street side of the building.  Then they run back down the stairs, past the confused gangers, and back out the window.

Plop!  As the ganger's corpse falls to the street.

 

And our friends escape out the side window above the garage.

Now the group heads away from the commotion as fast as they can.  Jon and Dad break off to do a bit more exploring.  Nick and Maggie want to leave.

These Zeds don't care either way as they are having a nice snack.

A lone Zed comes bursting out of the garage after Nick and Maggie and finds himself the first victim of the Ginsu Girl.  A nice, rare moment of Maggie aggression.  They all leave the mission after this.

Jon and Dad are making their way around the warehouse.  They are hoping to score some easy scav before leaving.

I mean why not?  Most of the Zeds are tied up at the growing feast.

Jon and Dad burst into the warehouse office and find a rookie cop hiding in there.  He is only too glad to join up with them as he is really scared.  So now they have a new recruit and a matching patrol car!  They decide it is time to quit while ahead.

Just one little matter of business left.  Jon and Dad decide to take out a Zed to finish their mission requirements.  Blam Blam!  Down goes the Zed.  Dang life is good!

And when life is good in ATZ, it is usually time to start watching your arse.  Zeds come staggering in towards the gunfire!

And so does Spot the wonder dog who always knows the best time to arrive with a bunch of Zeds in tow.  Time to make a decision.  Go for the patrol car or just get out?  Decision..decisions..

In our games you can usually depend on the "greed factor" coming into play at some point.  The boys decide they want that cool patrol car.  Don't worry, they take Spot with them!

It looks like one of the hot cartridge casings has ignited the building.  It bursts into flames bringing even more Zeds as well as another dog who brings Zeds of his own.  What the heck, we'll take both dogs with us.

But as the activation Gods sometimes bringeth, they also sometimes taketh away.  A chopper flies over and distracts the Zeds!  Hooray!

It flies past just as the large mob of Zeds finishes it's feast.

 

And just like that. we're pretty much Zed free.

And it is time to go.  A successful mission!

A great mission.  We gained three recruits, lots of swag, and Dad went up a Rep.  Schweet.  But there was one little complication...

After the mission, Nick was talking a bunch of trash and was indicating that he considered the ganger recruits as "his".  Normally I wouldn't have paid it no mind but his imperious attitude ticked me off and I told him he was a chicken who ran away early and that he didn't deserve doodly squat.  More words went back and forth until it was apparent that nothing short of a duel would settle the issue.  I'm Rep 6 and have a shotgun so I'm thinking I have a fair chance to give him his "come uppance" that he so richly deserved.  So..

In true "High Noon" style, the two belligerents meet in the middle of main street.  Palms sweating, every nerve aware, the combatants go for their guns!  Blam Blam!

And Dad goes down.  Nick is now the head of this gang and he is off to an auspicious start I'd say.

I wonder what kind of karma hit he's gonna take for this one?

ATZ Batrep - Christmas # 3 - When you want it done right...

"When you want something done right, you just have to do it yourself."  That's what LTL Mom was thinking when she got up this morning.  After the unsuccessful raid by her gang, Mom decided to lead the next raid personally.  The group doesn't have enough food to last out here much longer and there is not enough fuel to get anywhere so the situation is rapidly becoming critical.
For this raid she will bring only a small squad, heavily armed, and with a single purpose objective; To find what Bobby's keys go to.  From the look of the keys that Bobby found in the office, it is likely that they go to one of the trucks parked outside the warehouse.  A truck would be a fantastic catch at this point as the group has a lot of resources and personnel to move.  Santa will stay in camp while the others watch over him.

The squad for this raid:  Nick, LTL Mom, and Dad are armed to the teeth and Dad is all out of bubblegum.

Our Heroes fast move down the street between the offices and warehouse and make a bee line for the blue truck.  Right away they see that there are still plenty of Zeds staggering around looking for another feast.

Our Heroes activate first.  Dad goes to the blue truck and bingo!  On the first try he finds that his keys go to this truck.  Mom and Nick set up an over watch position and get ready to kick some Zed butt.  So far so good!

Bang! Bang! Bang!  Mom blows away a Zed and Nick knocks down another.  All in all it's pretty lousy shooting and not what you'd expect from these steely-eyed veterans.

 The crack of the SA rifle and the heavy boom of the shotgun are like a dinner bell for the ravenous Zeds.  On the next activation Mom does a little better and downs another two Zeds but Nick is still shooting badly.  He knocks down another one, but the one he knocked down last turn is already back up again.  He really needs to do better than this!  Meanwhile, Dad jumps back out of the truck and takes down a single Zed.  It's that damned bird shot he picked up at Wal Mart.  Mom and company are not dropping enough Zeds for the amount of shots being fired.  This can not continue much longer.

The needle on the Zed-O-Meter is starting to climb.  A bad activation and just like that the situation is getting critical.  At this moment Dad realizes and points out to the others what will most likely transpire if they get another bad activation.  Mom and Nick might possibly survive one more turn, but Dad will turn into a Zombie happy meal.  Trying to clear some Zeds before taking the truck is starting to look like a bad idea.

Hooray!  Now you see 'em, now you don't!  With a damned timely luck of the die our Heroes make like Houdini and waste no time heading to the only viable escape route left to them.  They all head into the building entrance next to where Mom and Nick were standing.  Gee wiz that was a close one.  And these clowns should all know better than this by now.  Time to stop and stare at Mom's shirt for a moment.

 Inside the building our friends are confronted by a couple of Survivors.  Dad tries to get them to join up but they refuse.  At least their not hostile, and a good thing too because they are well armed.

While Dad is learning the intentions of the Survivors inside the building, the angry Zeds outside the building are rapidly closing on the doorway in search of where their lunch has disappeared to.  Now it is time to pay for that lucky activation a while back as the Zeds activate first and burst through the door.  Nick and Dad must fight at a disadvantage but our Heroes still manage to hold them off for the time being.  Another close call.

A rare unanimous decision:  Mom, Dad, and Nick high tail it out the back door.  Another darned lucky break that this building has a back door.  The Survivors do not follow.

And then yet another lucky break!  A black helicopter flies over the town and the Zeds are attracted to it and follow it down the street.  And just like that; new life is breathed into this mission.  Maybe.

The sweet sight of a mob of Zeds moving away from you!

Time for a breather.  Our friends stop at the gas station Quicky Mart to see if they can score a snack and refreshing beverage and Dad and Nick find some goodies.  Luckily Dad does not find any bubble gum.  Food is always a welcome resource.  Especially while we got Santa back in camp, as he's such a glutton.  But since he has all the toys, he gets some perks.

Maybe this mission isn't over after all.  The Zombies just keep moving away.

And away..

So Mom, Dad, and Nick decide to go back and try for the truck again.  On the way they decide to have a go at the gun shop.

The Zeds are just wandering around now.

In the gun shop our friends are confronted by a couple of Zeds and one of them is still standing after the first round of melee.  This Zed turns out to be some kind of incredibly bad ass Zombie Bruce Lee type.  I mean, this guy just will not go down despite having to melee at 19D6 to 1D6!!!  Yes, the rolling was that bad.  We finally got him down with like 3D6 left and we were seriously sweating bullets.  Mom already tried to loot this place the other day so she doesn't look now, but Nick and Dad both find weapons tucked away in a secret stash that the others had missed.

 

Next stop is the apartment up stairs where our friends find a lone Survivor.  She's a hot little number wielding a SMG and a negligee so Mom immediately takes a dislike to her, especially when she asks to join the group for mutual safety until we get out of town.  Hottie says she will then be off to look for a bigger group.  Now Mom's really pissed and Dad and Nick are a bit aggravated also.  But you never know when another gun will come in handy so our friends accept.

Now it is time to be off to see about that truck!

The Zeds are still off chasing helicopters and are nowhere in sight.

Almost there!  But wait!  Here's a building that's not been looted.  I wonder what's inside?

Doh!  Just more Zeds.  Three of them to be exact.  I sure hope they don't get Zombie Bruce Lee's brother.

No problemo, our Heroes are finally acting like the arse kicking Stars that they are.

Now it's back outside and everyone to the truck.  Almost done with a fabulously successful encounter.  Just one last thing to do..

A quick rush, some blunt objects to the head, and the hottie goes down.  Then Mom performs a beautifully executed double tap and that's that.  "Either your with us, or against us you snotty little hussy."  Mom scoops up her SMG and climbs into the truck with the boys.

Oh baby, gotta love the new truck and it is almost full of diesel.  When our friends get back to camp they find that the truck is hauling food.  What a sweet catch. 
Now everything is finally set.  Time to get Santa off to safety.
The saga will continue!