Part of the gaming group got together for a game of Fistful of Lead the other day. We played a tweaked version of Death from Above, a Wasteland Warriors scenario. It was a learning game for almost everyone. I wrote up character cards for each team ahead of time and everyone picked a team and we got going.
The game is set in an alternate history/future somewhere in the Soviet Union. Some mad scientist made some bad things and they got out. A whole Zone, à la S.T.A.L.K.E.R., Zona Alfa, etc., was cordoned off by the military. Now groups are going in, both military and looters, to collect scientific equipment, anomalous materials, and other worthwhile loot, either military or monetary.
The main objective in this game is the central Point of Interest in which are located the codes to access the Orbital Targeting System to rain hell on their enemies from above. Seven other POIs are placed around the table to loot. Successfully scavenged POIs garner 2 points each. Putting an NPC or enemy Out of Action gets 1 point each. Securing the OTS codes is worth 5 points. And killing the Gorath (Goreman) is worth 3 points. A failed scavenge attempt at a POI would spawn a group of zombies or Zone bandits 12″ from the POI in a random direction.
This was a 6 player game on a 4×4 board.
Turn 1.
A slow start with a lot of housekeeping and questions, but everyone caught on pretty quickly.
Turn 2.
The Masked Gunmen leader made a break out into the open, trying to reach the OTS Access Codes. He politely disregarded the warning about being in the open, and was put Out of Action by the Marine Sniper with a roll of 10 on the wound chart. Fitting.
The Tankers’ Flamethrower trooper cooked up three bandits and two zombies and dodged a bullet from the Soviet Hazmat crew Matrix-style with his Quick as Lightning trait, all before the end of the turn.
The Soviet Hazmat team tried to advance to the OTS POI but did not make it in time. The leader of the Tankers also dodged a bullet! There were quite a lot of shouts of joy for those incredible dice rolls!
The US Army MOPP crew mostly stuck around their own corner battling zombies and bandits. They kept failing to scavenge from the POI and eventually one of them succumbed to the undead. This kept them scoring points, though, with one point per enemy taken out.
At the other side of the board, the Soviet Mobile Infantry barely made it out of the woods and were all tied up fighting the Masked Gunmen. One guy was wounded but managed to stand back up and fight on, taking out one of his foes with his AK47 and entering into close combat with another. The Mobile Infantry had no points up yet, but finally got on the scoreboard.
At the end of Turn 2 it was getting late and we had to call it a night. The US Army MOPP crew and the Tankers tied for first place with 8 points each. It was a great game and everyone had a good time. I do wish the Gorath came back out and wrecked havoc, but the Jokers stayed buried that turn, and, of course, it would have been nice to activate the OTS and send some artillery down from outer space onto the table. Maybe next time!
I Dream of Minis 