Five Parsecs: Campaign game 3. The Ash Wastes

Gallius has heard rumours of increased Mining Guild activities out in the Ash Wastes. He wants to see if there’s any profit in it for him. To encourage the crew, he pays for better medical care for Roma, and she will be able to come on the mission.

The ash is hard going as they approach an old pumping station. Konrad the Outrunner has spent years out in the wastelands and spots a fast-approaching vehicle…

A Ridgerunner approaches

I have gained enough Rumours to undertake a Quest mission. I rolled ‘Defend’ against ‘Nomads’, and decided it was time for the Guiding Hands cult Mining Guild to come into play… We’re on difficult ground, and all movement is -1”. Again, I rolled nine enemy (!) along with a ‘Hulker Brawler’, so the crew is in for a tough fight. I rolled a deployment variation for the cultists innocent miners using the Trailblazers Toolkit expansion, and got a flanking detachment coming from my left. The Ridgerunner has no effect on the game; it just looks cool.

"Quickly! Into the rocks!" barks Konrad.

"Throne, they've got some abhuman brute!"

Deployment. 3'x3' marked by the dead trees.
Rocks from Gale Force 9 (recommended). Cigar Box battlemat

The Underhivers are more at home with this close-in fighting,
but unnerved at being outside.

Konrad frags the abhuman! The flanking force is destroyed.

"This is EF-733, there are more of them in th-"

"Lady Hel! No!"

The crew are lucky to destroy the flanking force, but are starting to take hits and decide to withdraw. However, the mining guild are also reconsidering and adopt a more cautious approach.

"I'll cover you! Get out of here!" shouts Roma.

Luck or skill? Roma snipes the enemy leader.
Maybe the crew have a chance after all!

She takes a hit, but Gallius takes down another with his plasma pistol...

... and Konrad guns down the last.

"What was going on here?" he wonders.

What a game! Konrad was the man of the match. I spent a few Story Points during this game. I initially rolled a Necron-like enemy, but thought that was inappropriate and spent a point to reroll. I only needed a 3+ to wound the cultists, but failed on multiple attempts so burnt a few more Story Points on rerolls there as well- not always successfully…

I did get lucky with Konrad rolling a 6 and taking down the Aberrant on his first shot, but then took two casualties and was going to get swamped. I decided to withdraw, but in her covering fire Roma took out the enemy leader, and I felt I was in with a chance.

In the post-game, I spent more Story Points on injury rolls. Roma made a full recovery, but Lady Heldycryn will spend next game recovering. EF-733, however, died. Human medicae just weren't able to comprehend his augmetics. I had looked forward to him journeying among the stars for science, but now I wonder if the AdMech will come seeking revenge...

Vale EF-733, aspiring TechPriest

On the Campaign Event roll, I amazingly rolled that a new crew member is recruited! The crew find a captive slave and free him- watch this space!

What a game, indeed! The story is emerging before me.

To be continued...