A solo campaign based on OPR Grimdark Future Firefight and Nine Steps and a Bloody Heart (NSAABH)

Background: 1988: hypergates appear in different places of the Earth. The gates lead to what apparently is a different version of our planet in which elements of the present world mix with elements from the remote past and from what possibly is a remote future. From the hyperplanet, invading armies, dinosaurs and giant golems attack our world. The governments of the Earth send SWAT squads through the gates: their task is to explore the hostile planet on the other side and hopefully find a way to shut the hypergates and stop the invasion.

Sgt.Ephraim and his comrades must shut-down an unstable wormhole which has been reported in the Opokt area. The wormhole is under the control of Damocles Garth, a renegade marine who has joined the collaborationists. The earthlings have been informed by an anonymous source in Damocles’ army: who is this person?

I use the NSAABH card deck to answer these three questions:

(Clubs) Where exactly is the wormhole?

(Diamonds) How can it be shut-down?

(Spades) Who is the anonymous informant?

(1) five of spades – the anonymous informant is not a robot.

Ephraim’s squad recovers a memory deck whose position had been revealed by the informant. He sent the earthlings a handwritten note: so he/she is not a robot. Ephraim fails a 50-50 roll to discover a second card.

New card: two of spades – the informant isn’t Damocles’ sidekick Tia.

I set up a “king of the hill” scenario: the side with more figures on the top of the central building at the end of turn 4 wins.

The “collaborationist” opposition is formed by:

Tia (the paper mini): same stats as Ephraim (Sergeant)

two Veterans (running guys): same stats as Calaf

three bugs (Assault Grunt stuts: Q:5+ D:5+ Claws(A2) Fast, Strider)

The earthlings (green) have a slightly higher point count (120 vs 105). But when I rolled for entry sides, the collaborationists (blue) got the more advantageous right side. All buildings and stairs are difficult terrain.



The three bugs are fast and ignore difficult terrain (strider): they start climbing the stairs. All the others advance.



Calaf and Ephraim kill the giant ant. The green infantry squad and Pierre (bazooka) try shooting at the cricket, but fail. Tia and the two blue veterans use the second stair to reach the target area.



The cricket blocks the road to the green infantry: the humans charge, but with no effect. Ephraim and Calaf run behind Tia towards the stairs on the right. Pierre shoots and misses again.



The green infantry men are badly damaged by the cricket (2 figures down). Ephraim and Calaf engage a firefight with the veterans: Ephraim takes one wound, Calaf and one of the blue men are stunned. It’s a clear blue victory, with four unstunned figures at the top of the building.