Sunday, January 1, 2012

Berlin '85 - Chemwar! New Year's Battle Report

In accordance with ancient custom, once more this year I hosted a New Year's Day game. This year we went with tried and tested themes - World War III and zombies. The (admittedly thin) backstory is that World War III started in 1985, and the ensuing nuclear, biological and chemical exchange has created "chem-zombies" - lurching, half-dissolved horrors that crave nought but the flesh of the living.

Into this fairly bleak setting, behind Soviet lines, we drop a downed Blackhawk helicopter bearing some secret item (upper centre of photo), which the Americans (centre at right) must recover or die in the attempt. Add chem zombies, and Robert's your mother's brother, you have a game.

View from the US table edge
Factory buildings containing barrels of "fun sauce"
chem zombies in fun sauce barrels
Scattered liberally around the table were chem zombie spawning points, represented by Eureka's excellent barrels-with-zombies models. These barrels became known as "fun sauce" containers for obvious reasons.

Some of these barrels are not like the others...
Since this is essentially a skirmish game, we use a tried-and-tested variant of our favourite simple skirmish set, GW's "Lord of the Rings". It gives a straightforward, fun game, and with the state of some of the boys' noggins on New Year's Day, we like to keep it simple.

Downed chopper is a very nice "toy" model
Soviets suited for the occasion



All of the models used in the game were sculpted by Kosta Herastinides for Eureka Miniatures. We used his excellent zombies, Soviets in NBC gear, and my newly-painted US infantry in MOPP suits.



 
Conscript Brian tried a flank march along the table edge...

...but couldn't avoid the chem zombies!


  
Conscripts clockwise from left: Kevin, Mike A., Greg, Dallas, Frederick, Brian, Dave V.  Mike F. and Cam showed up later


As it turned out, the Americans failed to achieve their objective, so the nude photos of Nancy Reagan or whatever was so important in the Blackhawk remained unrecovered. But we had a fun time all the same.

I owe special thanks to my wife Pam for whipping up a spectacular German lunch for us, and to Conscripts Mike A. and Dave V. for bringing snacks.  Thanks lads!

5 comments:

Greg B said...

The food and the game were awesome - many thanks Dallas.

Good thing the Zombies spoiled Brian's cheese-bag "flank march".

Curt said...

Its all about the flank attack y'know... Wish I could have made it out - looks like it was a great time! Nice to see your new MOPP Suits out on for a stroll. Love the Oil Drum Bursting Zombies!

Curt

Kevin H said...

Thanks again, for a great game Dallas, and pass on our thanks to Pam for a great lunch!

Dangerous Brian said...

Looka like it was a great game. Thanks for the pics and the quick report. I'm interested that you used a modified form of LOTR. I've toyed with that idea myself a few times but never really put it into practice.

Paulalba said...

Looks great.

Paul