World War 2 Skirmish with no Zombies!?!?

No way dude!  I may be a complete sicko, but I simply cannot help myself.  Ever since playing Nuts! with Zombies, I just don't want to play it regular any more.  Zombies just make everything better.  Period.  We play a mongrel version of Nuts!/Hell on Earth/Chain Reaction/All Things Zombie for pretty much all our modern skirmish games now.  In case you have no idea what the heck I am talking about, these are all games from the excellent Two Hour Wargames skirmish rules collection.  You can find the link on this page.  These games are great because you can just throw up any kind of idiotic game instantly, with no effort or planning whatsoever, and be done in a couple of hours.  Here's a quickie game my friend Jil and I played a couple of weeks ago.  My son decided to throw in some trouble makers of his own to keep us guessing.

Some of Jil's Germans scouting their way onto the table.

Another section checking out some buildings and working their way through the rubble.

Ever since we got our deck of Zombie cards (a game aid for All Things Zombie) from THW, we have been using them in our WW 2 games as well.  Anytime troops enter a building you draw one of the cards and it instantly tells you what you find inside with no dice generating or arguing.  Their bloody great!  When we play WW2 we just make the Gangers into Axis or Reds, and the Survivors become Allies.  The cards tell you right off what Rep level and weapons types.  It really cuts down a lot of die rolling, highly recommended.

Ah, and here are my Tommies scouting some abandoned German vehicles. 

And the first Zombies of the day!  Ever since the desperate German experiments went awry, the battlefields have become more dangerous than ever.  These roving bands of reanimated soldiers are truly a nuisance.

My Tommies look on as more Zeds appear in the distance.

Elite Covenant troopers in shimmer camo armor who are moving through the sewers have encountered a section of Germans and surprised them.  My Son simply cannot stand to not have some sort of Aliens involved, so we humor him and just view it as another random factor of the unexpected.  This was a situation where the Aliens entered an area and drew a card and it turned out to be three Rep 5 Germans.
Two of the Germans go down right off.

But here we got a really unexpected surprise.  The last German turns and fires and while he doesn't actually do any damage, he manages to scare off the Aliens and they run off and hunker down!

Another Alien is streaking for the sewers but this one gets seen by my Tommies who open up on him.  These Aliens in shimmer armor are hard to spot.  We play that you have to pass both die on the insight test, and they always get concealment when their armor is activated.

My Tommies miss and the Alien makes it into the sewer.  That poor third German is going to have to have a bit more luck this day.

And he does!  He activates and makes it out of the sewer.  But he's not out of the crapper yet, my Tommies are about and not in good humor after encountering that Alien.  Their fingers are itchy.

But that German troopers luck is still holding!  My Tommies miss and he returns fire with his SMG and makes my lads duck back!  Our Enfields are outgunned by his MP40.

And so that lucky German scampers across the street and out of the sight of my Tommies.  But he's still not home free!  The shooting has attracted the attention of some Zeds!  Now this poor guy is surrounded by enemies.

While my lads are ducked back, another Alien makes it to the sewer with impunity.

In the meantime, the other Aliens have rallied and are regrouping to punish these puny humans.

And here comes the Zeds!  That poor German lad is in a tight spot.  Will his luck hold?

Finally, Jil is starting to accrue some troubles of his own.  The Zeds have spotted their next meal and they make for the building where one of Jil's sections are holed up.  He starts blasting but he's not dropping them too fast but he's making plenty of noise.

My Tommies leave a rear guard to watch their backs and then forma  firing line to deal with the incoming Zeds. 

My lads start slowing the Zeds down with their fire and they also stun that lone German.  Now he's really in trouble with Zeds closing in on him.

Jil's engaged section is getting more popular by the minute!  Oh, he's killing Zeds, but more and more keep coming.

And now Zeds are even starting to appear to his rear.

Now there is a three way fight in progress as my Tommies and Jil's Germans are sniping at each other while trying to fend off the Zeds.

My Tommies report that the right flank is secure.

Enemy or not, my lads do not have the heart to leave that lone German to be eaten by Zeds.  One of my boys dashes out to rescue him.  While he's now a POW, I'd say his luck is still holding.

And this is why my Tommies left a rear guard.  After playing so many Zombie games, I know better than to ever turn my back for even a moment.  Let 'em have it lads!

Jil's problems are multiplying very quickly.  That is a formidable mob forming in his rear.

But Jil's veteran section is not playing games with the dead boys.  He opens up with a firestorm of destruction and demolishes the Zed mob!  I sure was glad he was venting at the Zeds and not my lads this turn.

The Zeds continue to try clawing their way into the British position but my lads are having none of it.

My rear guard is standing tough too.  Bring it on you bloody rotters!

Now here is where it gets interesting.  Jil's weaker section has managed to stay in place a wee bit too long and has become surrounded by Zeds who are clambering and clawing their way up into the building.  A German trooper loses his melee and gets pulled down into the mob.

My Tommies have reinforced their left flank and are standing off the Zeds in two directions.  The German POW is revived and I am even considering the possibility of rearming him if he swears to behave!

And just when I think I am beginning to get things stabilized, more Zeds start filtering in on my right.
In case anyone is curious, the Aliens have been moving around in the sewers and I am sure they are planning a nice surprise for someone.  Jil and I have no idea where they are as Nick is moving them secretly.  It's kind of fun having an unbiased third party planning some sneaky shenanigans.

Gee wiz, now even more Zeds are working their way through the rocks and the British left.

Back at the Alamo, Jil's section is still stuck in that building and it is looking quite grim indeed.  Let's face it, all these guys are dead meat.  They don't make die rolls ridiculous enough to get out of this one.  The German commander across the street decides not to reinforce failure, and takes his remaining squad back out of the city.

At the same time, in the Tommie district, the shouting of the words "Pull back! pull back!" ring out loud and clear.  Nobody has to tell any of these troopers twice.



We simply do not have enough Zeds!  I think we need about 200 to 300 minimum for these games.  500 would be sweet.  I sure wish that Vampifan lived across the street so I could borrow his!