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Tuesday, 9 July 2024

After the Third Apocalypse - Zombie Campaign - Bonus Game

A bonus game for of my campaign set in my post apocalyptic world of 2500AD where the Zombies of Russia periodically rise up and batter their way through eastern Europe intent on devouring the rich pastures of western Europe. 

The campaign involved four battles, all using the One Hour Wargames rules for Pike and Shot and adapted for Zombies, and appropriate scenarios to build a narrative. As the score is two games each for Zombies and Humans a bonus game where the Zombie horde has to defeat a Dutch Napoleonic army that represents the higher technology of the civilizations further from the borders. 

In this battle the Dutch will use the Horse and Musket OHW rules while the zombies continue using the rules designed earlier.  

As done for prior games, three red counters will be placed where ever a unit is destroyed.  

OHW Scenario 1: Pitched Battle. A symmetrical battlefield with a hill on either side. 

Start of game with the zombie hordes advancing towards the Dutch army of three infantry units, one Artillery Battery of three guns, and one unit each of cavalry and skirmishers.
Only the hills have any impact on combat or movement. All other terrain is purely for decoration.

End of turn 1 - the Dutch artillery fires but gets no hits, The Dutch army forms up on the hill where they will get a close combat bonus and wait for the zombies to get in range.

End of turn 2 - Again only the artillery can fire and they cause some hits. The skirmishers and cavalry have moved to the flanks of the zombies

End of turn 3 - finally in range the Dutch firing line opens up causing varying amounts casualties to the front zombie hordes.

End of turn 4 - the Dutch infantry have fired but have been contacted by the zombies. The Dutch cavalry are ready to charge.

End of turn 5 - the Dutch cavalry have charged the zombie horde in the rear and caused 10 casualties but then retired. In the center one zombie horde has been destroyed while only a few casualties have been inflicted on the Dutch infantry.

End of turn 6 - more zombie units fall and the Dutch Cavalry move to attack a different horde. On the right hand side the Dutch infantry have received 7 casualties and in the center 6. Facing fresh zombie hordes they may not be able to hang on.

End of turn 7 - Two more units of Zombies are destroyed. All Dutch units are still active but  all have casualties. The unit in contact with the zombies has 9 casualties and will need to roll for morale next turn.

End of turn 8 - the Dutch infantry fail their morale and retire. The zombies are distracted by the skirmishers firing on them from behind and turn to attack them. The cavalry form up to charge and the other Dutch infantry move to destroy the remaining zombie unit/horde.

End of turn 9 - the final zombie unit is run down and destroyed by the cavalry.

The zombie menace is destroyed. No doubt the surviving inner parts of the European civilisation will push outwards over the weakened Medieval, Outlanders and Waste landers and so gradually re-building the world.

Anyway a fun set of games for me and I enjoyed the campaign and narrative aspects which were easy to do but provided some structure for each game and the series. Once I had the main story decided I then spent an enjoyable hour or so perusing the OHW scenarios for appropriate ones.

Figures:

Dutch Napoleonic are from Pendraken 

Zombies are N scale railway people from Aliexpress. They come painted, all I had to do was base them and add some red. This is a very quick and cheap way of creating a zombie horde. Not as good as Pendraken's but much easier to get the mass.

The buildings are from Outland Models and trees from Aliexpress.

Where to next? I think the moon.


4 comments:

  1. Great stuff Ben - Western civilization saved by the Dutch - until the recent elections in Europe, that would have seemed an eminently reasonable supposition - now, I am not so sure!

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    1. Thanks Keith.
      I am sure the Dutch will always come through when needed 😁
      Sorry it took so long to reply to your comment.

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  2. Seems like that one was really gonna favor the Dutch, as they had firepower and could shoot at the zombies while they advanced, while working the flanks. It's what I would of planned anyway. The zombies needed a flank march, but zombies know nothing of tactics. But I was rooting for the Dutch anyway. 😁

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Stew. I thought that the Dutch would win vs the poor old zombies but didn't expect this many losses.
      I am not sure a flank march would do the zombies much good. I think reducing the number of zombies in the main attack just gets them wiped out quicker.

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