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Tuesday 5 November 2024

Space Rangers in Danger

 Part of Project Fluffy. The Space Rangers need to get across the snow fields to the rescue shelter and call down a shuttle to escape. All that stands between them and safety is an endless horde of Fluffies who want to eat them.

Rules used are the FFOL Galactic Heroes.

Fluffies move 10" per turn and can only fight in close combat and roll a D8. Each turn one to four groups of three Fluffies will appear on the edges of the board. There a six entry locations on the edges of the board and each group will be randomly allocated to one of these.

Space Rangers can fire twice, or move once 4" and fire once, or move twice (8") and roll a D10. The rangers need to get to the shelter, enter and call down the shuttle. The shuttle will take one to four turns to arrive.

Below- Start of the game - on the left is the space ranger squad led by their sergeant with a flamer. The other five rangers all have assault guns. The Fluffies on the board are hidden by hills.

End of turn 1. Fluffies are moving from both sides as the rangers head for the shelter. Two more lots of Fluffies have come on the table.



End of turn 2.  The Sergeant sends two men to the shelter to call down the shuttle while the other rangers deal with the approaching Fluffies. All the Fluffies have moved towards the rangers. Four additional groups of Fluffies have appeared on the board with three of these groups appearing in one entry location, bottom left.


End of Turn 3. Fluffies that have been incinerated are replaced by burning markers. This shot are shown by the red hit markers. Dead Fluffies are added back to their reinforcement pool.
While the Sergeant and his partner have dealt with the Fluffies near them, the rear two rangers are struggling to inflict any wounds on the Fluffies. The front two rangers have been stopped in their race to the shelter but have killed one Fluffy. However a horde of Fluffies is approaching from the bottom left.


End of turn 4. The rangers at the rear are still struggling to do any damage. In the center they have finished off the Fluffies and at the front only one Fluffy remains. However three more sets of Fluffies are headed their way from the top.



End of turn 5. The rear rangers finally kill two Fluffies but they will soon be replaced.
In the center the Sergeant moves to incinerate a the advancing horde of Fluffies and sends his squad members towards the rescue shelter.
At the front two rangers hold the Fluffies while a third races towards the rescue shelter to call for help.



End of turn 6.  The Sergeant's sacrifice has paid off and one of the rear rangers has broken free. The other unfortunately also falls prey to the Fluffies. 
In the center the Fluffies are being killed in great numbers but more and more replace them.
One ranger has reached the rescue shelter and will soon be able to call for the evacuation shuttle. 


End of turn 7. At the rear the Fluffies feast on the fallen rangers. In the center the Fluffies still come and the rangers have battled through them. Will they make it to the shelter?
At the front the ranger has made it into the rescue shelter and has called for evacuation. Will any other rangers join him?


End of turn 8. The shuttle is 2 turns out from the shelter, but a horde of Fluffies is headed there as well. Two of the Rangers are free from the Fluffies and maybe able to make it to the shelter.


End of turn 9. The shuttle is only one turn away as the rangers battle with Fluffies to make it safely into the shelter. One of the rangers has gone down to the rampaging Fluffy horde who feast upon him


End of turn 10. The Shuttle arrives and the three remaining rangers enter it gratefully as Buzz provides covering fire. 

I had no idea how this would turn out so a good result as far as I am concerned. The Fluffy hordes kept coming and coming. While the Rangers killed 30+ Fluffies they were not deterred. No doubt the Rangers will not return here.

But good news. The Imperial Guard will and another report is on it way.

Lots of fun to play. I skipped using the cards to determine playing order and the rangers went first each turn. With the number of Fluffies in play it made more sense.