When did I buy 5Core? Not sure. Within the past few years. How many times have I played it? None times. Starport Scum is my go to small action fighting, and recently I thought I would bust out Clash on the Fringe, the original sci fi rules that I bought...and have since never used. But, while re-reading it, my copy of Five Parsecs from Home (also unused) fell out of the folder. I started reading that...then realised it is only a campaign making book, and the skirmishes need to be played via 5Core. So I set about reading those. To be honest, there was a lot in there, and I am not sure. I like some elements of it. Maybe even loads of elements. I am just unsure about it. Maybe I am scared of trying something new.
Thus I decided to go bug hunting. Next game I will try and do a bounty hunting thing.
Another day, another hunt. Across the galaxy there are countless small settlements, where people from all backgrounds eek out an existence on the fringes of society. This place is another nameless-armpit-of-the-galaxy settlement. A few families with a ship and a dream. Places like this draw little to no attention from anyone other than the odd pirate or slaver raid. That is, until they do draw attention.
In a room, in a basement, on another planet, equipment beeps. Listening posts like this are all over the galaxy, programmed to flag up certain words, phrases, or strings of code. One such string of transmissions contained enough to be sent on to an actual human. This desk jockey in turn pushed it up the line. And so on, and so forth and here we now were. A detachment of marines sent to the ass-end of nowhere to investigate.
Two squads of marines advance through the woods to find the small settlement.
At the lee of a mountain range, the small settlement seemed deserted. It was time to move on in, searching each building and the spacecraft.
I set it up that each turn, the marines would have a turn, then I would roll to see if a xeno spawned somewhere. Then, when they search a building, a roll of 1 would find a civilian, whereas a 6 would find a xeno.
One squad advanced up to one of the buildings.
One squad advanced cautiously up to the settlement spacecraft.
For activation then, to see what I would be able to do this turn, I rolled 1, which is "scurry". All my squad can activate and move, but may not fire or anything.
While searching the building a xeno burst out of the wall! Contact!
So the marine who made a search action rolled a 6. Searching is instead of firing.
One marine backed up and opened fire, sweat dripping! It was Johnson's first combat mission. The xeno scurried for cover.
Hutchins, 1st squad's plasma gunner crept around the building to open fire again on the xeno, causing it to climb behind the building to shelter from the high powered fire.
In game terms, I rolled a 1 on a kill die, which means it was "knocked down" and would need to rally if it wanted to activate.
Suddenly the xeno ran up to Hutchins, causing him to panic and retreat into the woods.
This was a brawl. Each rolls, and if attacker wins by 1, then the defender panics (retreats 6 inches). Attacker can then move 3 inches and brawl again. The xeno has the ability where it can roll two dice and pick the highest.
The xeno then moved on to attack Johnson, causing him to fall back behind the building.
This was a "follow up". It is quite powerful. I asked Ivan from NWG on Discord and he said that technically you can "follow up" as many times as the dice allow, so I could have done it a third time, but didn't.
Seizing the initiative again, the marines open fire...
This was actually because the turn type that the xeno rolled was a "Firefight" meaning no-one moves and everyone who can shoot shoots, on both sides. Because xeno can't do ranged fire, I allowed him to charge and attack. Four marines had LOS to the xeno so could fire. You can't shoot over another character's base. Time to get smaller bases amiright?!
...knocking the xeno down.
Xenos have an ability called "tough" where if they are knocked down, or out of action, then they can re-roll the kill die and if they score 1 or 6 then they aren't knocked down or out of action. If they get 2-5 then the original result stands.
Taking advantage of this momentary respite, Martinez unloaded almost an entire clip, splattering the alien across the sand, acid blood sizzling around its disintegrating corpse.
This might be the point at which I realised that if you are shooting at a target in the open and are within 12 inches then you add another 1K to your roll, doubling the chance of a kill.
With the immediate threat gone, second squad regrouped and carried on advancing to the building on the western edge of the settlement.
Likewise, the main part of first squad advanced to the landing pad to take a closer look at the space craft. It looked like it had been mid-unload and the colonists are just...gone.
Second squad searched the building only to find a terrified settler who explained that he thought all the others were dead and he had been essentially holed up inside for two standard months eating nothing but ration cubes, waiting to be found and...well it didn't bear thinking about. He then scurried off, the isolation having done a real number on him. Poor sod.
While searching the spacecraft first squad again found another xeno! It was time for another showdown, but this time with a traumatized civilian in the mix!
Almost reflexively, Martinez let rip with another few bursts of fire! It caused the xeno to pause, and look for an easier target!
Again, the xeno was knocked down, but that doesn't sound too good in battrep narrative speak.
Recovering quickly, the xeno stormed over the half loaded truck right at Smith and Brown. Smith tried vaporizing the xeno with his plasma gun, but missed wildly.
This was reaction fire, when I discovered that you can only react to an action with one other figure. Shame.
The xeno leapt at Brown dismembering him without even a second glance!
It then pounced on Smith who also went down under a flail of limbs and assorted other members.
Johnson and Martinez both opened fire on the xeno as it approached them, both falling back with discipline, covering each other.
The xeno managed to catch Hutchins, who managed to fight free and fall back in an attempt to join his comrades. More marines joined the fray and this xeno was blasted apart by concentrated rifle fire.
Or at least I think it was. I don't remember it being killed, but it definitely was. Maybe even in this brawl by Hutchins.
The civilian made for the mountains, likely to die of desert exposure or dehydration.
As members of first squad approached another homestead another xeno appeared! They had just gotten rid of two of them, how many more are there?!
This is the only time a xeno actually spawned. If there were no xenos on the table and it was their turn, I rolled and on 1 or 6 one spawned. Then a die roll to see where.
Lightning reactions from the Johnson, Martinez and Siebert allowed for enough fire to cause the xeno some problems, but not eliminate it.
Unable to get a break, Hutchins goes toe to toe with his third xeno, but this time in the struggle, while managing to shoot off a limb, the acidic blood sprayed all over him, killing him.
Getting better at this, second squad advanced up to the final home and uncovered another xeno. However, rapid reactions, and pinpoint fire made quick work of this one.
Upset at the loss of Hutchins, Martinez opened fire a final time, shredding the xeno in accurate fire. The settlement had been searched, cleared, and would now likely be ravaged by scavengers, picking on the corpses of the fringe worlds. There were likely enough supplies here, and a functional ship and vehicles to keep someone's crew flying for a while now. It wasn't everyday a settlement just disappeared.
I enjoyed this game.
1. I regret facing xenos, because I would have liked to experience a real firefight. I will, however likely return to this settlement with a couple of bands of scavengers to duke it out properly.
2. I love the 1 and 6 mechanic with dice. I like the kill and shock dice mechanic.
3. I LOVE the activation structure. I can really get behind activation systems that limit how many you can activate, or if all then what they can do.
4. I will actually finish reading the rules to see if there are any pre-made characters that I can use.
Nordic Weasel Games produce some good looking, run to read rules. I love the little narratives at the beginning of his books. Starport Scum is my all time favourite, but this was fun. And has potential. If combined with Five Parsecs, then I might have a game on my hands. I might also use it at school with the kids...if we ever go back.
