Escort the VIP - IHMN V2.0 Battle Report

 Quick battle report from our first run through of the v2 IHMN rules.  My 10 year old son loves playing this game, and he also likes making up rules so we added some additional rules to the Escort scenario.

Notes on the pictures - some of the pictures were taken before we added the fog, so the chronological order of the pics is not totally accurate.

Scenario - Escort the VIP, Fog rules, "activate the gates" special rules

A company has to get their escort from one end of the board to the other; other company gets to set up as an ambush. Also used the Fog Rules - basically while the fog is in place, roll a die to determine visibility in inches. On a double, the fog is lifted.

Background -

The Mad Scientist Dr. Horscher has lost control of one of his experimental "Stone Men", and has hired Lord Curr's company to escort the Stone Man (the VIP) back to his laboratory, The Horscher Institute.

The US Secret Service has found out about the loose experimental Rock Man, and has dispatched Special Agent Dempsey to extract the experiment and return it to the USA in the interests of "Global Security". Agent Dempsey, along with his second in command Agent Sigma, have commandeered a squadron of US Rocket Corps for the mission.

The main thoroughfare is Queen Street which leads to the Horscher Institute.  

Additional Scenario Rules - The escort company (Lord Curr) has to enable the generator to activate the gates at the end of Queen Street, to open the pathway to the Institute.  Model needs to make a successful Pluck roll while in base contact with the generator.

The foggy streets of England.

Lord Curr's company at the far end of Queen Street, with their VIP.

The experimental Stone Man

US Rocket Corps deployed on the top of factory building, waiting for their quarry to appear...

Curr's company rolled first initiative - rocketmen on the building.

The generator behind the factory.  Also needed to make a successful pluck roll to move the barrels out of the way...

Curr split 2 Incorrigibles (Fitz-Curr and purple pants) over to the generator on the first turn.

Rocketmen spotted them, and Rocket Sgt Madison sent to men over to the back of the factory - they dropped a grenade, but with the fog and height, it missed. This alerted the constable guard.

On the back over on Queen Street, one rocketman dropped down to stop the incorrigbiles from resuming escort. Sgt Madison dropped the grenade hoping to take them out as well, but he mistimed the throw - the grenade went off just as the rocketman was landing - killing his own man!

2nd rocketman dropped down to help the fight for the generator, but the Incorrigble Purple Pants knocked him out of commission.  Fitz-Curr joined in support as well.

After rolling doubles, the fog had officially lifted, giving Agent Dempsey a better view of the situation.  With three out of five Rocket Men out of action, including Sgt Madison, Agent Dempsey at this point realizes things were quickly getting out of control and that his remaining Rocket Corps were outnumbered.  He signaled Agent Sigma to begin advancing down the street - Dempsey took cover behind the building, with Sigma behind the crates.  Mohan Singh saw Dempsey and unloaded a burst of fire with his machine gun, but hit the building.  Dempsey fired back, missed while dodging the hail of bullets.

The view from The Institute down Queen Street

Curr and his Incorrigbles escorting the Stone Man

The Rocketmen back at the generator turned the tables, knocking out Fitz-Curr!

With the help of another Rocket man, they took out Purple Pants as well, preventing him from turning on the generator to open the gates. 

The big scrum has ensued now - the rocket men come down Peacock Lane to join in. Multiple rounds of hand to hand combat end in a stalemate with fumbles and amazing Pluck rolls.

With the reinforcements arriving, Dempsey is squared up one-on-one with the infamous Lord Curr, and takes him out of action!  The tables have improbably turned in favor of the US Secret Service.

But then, a series of terrible rolls result in Agent Dempsey as the last man standing, outnumbered, facing an Incorrigible and Mohan Singh.  Dempsey manages to trip Singh and take him out.

With only a single Incorrigible left, Dempsey uses his pistol to crack him on the head, knocking him out. 

He single-handedly secures the Stone Man and boards the Secret Service Ornithopter to spirit it away back to the US.  Against all odds, Mission Accomplished!

It was a really fun game.  The scenario, background narrative (mostly invented by my 10 year old son who was playing the game with me), and fog rules really helped to create a good setting for the game. It's one of the things I love the most about IHMN - every game really feels like a story.

As for Version 2.0 - I tried hard to go slow and actually read the new rules. For the most part, it's the same game with minor improvements (group fights, shooting into fights, etc., all much simpler).  Mohan Singh definitely feels like he's worth his points value now.  Looking forward to seeing how the adjustments to the Mystical Powers works out. In Version 1.0, they were definitely unbalanced. I played a number of games against The Servant's of Ra and Ahkenaton was pretty powerful. 

I'm definitely back into IHMN - I've decided to start upgrading my terrain: better pavements, better buildings, and convert my cobblestone MDF boards to insulation boards. The MDF is too heavy to carry around to conventions.  I'm also going to paint up my additional companies and NPCs so we have more choice.  Can't wait to get in some more games!

Death At Your Heels...again!

The Scenario

Death at Your Heels!

This is the second time we’ve played this scenario. First time was to escape a swarm of locusts.  This time, we went with creeping poison ivy! While the other guys were setting up and refreshing the rules, I “happened” to have some plastic aquarium plants from the pet store, so I quickly clipped them of the sprue and blu-tac’d them to some extra bases so they would stand up.  Good enough for gaming!

Since we had three players and three companies, we brainstormed a way to make it interesting (especially since Akhenaton was on the board).  We decided to have two companies, The Nubians and Lord Curr’s Company, start on either far corner edge (per the scenario).  Then the Servants of Ra would be split up.  Akhenaton a collection of cultists, and Professor Abir would be at the pier, but were waiting for Abir’s daughter Sairah and her body guard to make it to the docks before escaping on the steam launch.  Sairah and 3 cultist body guards would be set up in the center of the far table edge.

The Background

Earlier in the day, the 3 rival companies were investigating a rare plant that had recently been discovered and scheduled to be on display at the Kelways Conservatory.  Professor Abir believed it was possibly related to a strain of legendary plant known as The Pyrethrum Roseum.  According to legend, if given enough water while performing the right enchantment, the plant could animate and potentially be weaponized.  If true, this plant was of obvious interest to many, including Akhenaton, Lord Curr’s employer, and whomever the Nubian benefactor was. It’s not entirely clear what went wrong, but it we believe that the Professor attempted the enchantment, but something went wrong and the plant rapidly began growing and attempting to grab anything nearby.  The 3 companies are attempting their escape to the nearby dockyards, the first to the steam launch will have the surest path to safety.  The Servants of Ra reached the pier first, but then Abir realized that his daughter was lagging behind and they needed to wait for her.

 The Quick Recap

All three companies started sprinting to the harbor.  

One of Lord Curr's Incorrigibles took a pot-shot at Sairah, missed but she took a long look at who it was and wouldn’t forget it!

Servants of Ra on the docks, waiting for Sairah to make it.

 Unbeknownst to Professor Abir, Sairah gets taken out by a long shot from Sgt. Red Coat.

 Eventually Lord Curr motioned for a few of his team to intercept Sairah and the cultists.  Fight ensues, a few cultists die, then they get overrun by poison ivy!  

The Nubians on the other side decide it's time to make a break for the harbor, and someone actually manages to stun Akhenaton and knock him down!

 The mummy teleports over, tries to fight, but as the poison ivy gets closer they disengage and all run away down the alleys.  

 But eventually he gets up and dispatches with that minor annoyance, setting the stage for the final showdown - 3-way leader combat!

 Combat was a draw and then...

As we near the final turn and the poison ivy gets closer and closer, Professor Abir realizes that something must have happened to Sairah and she wasn't going to make it.  The remnants of the Servants of Ra hustle onto the steam launch and escape before they're overrun by poison ivy and rival companies!