(SG) AAR--RESCUE and howdy!

HOWDY!	Okay, it has been a LOOOONG time since I've posted anything, and
I
haven't actually re-subscribed (I now read some of the lists mail via
the
list archive during lunch at work), but I've finally had a chance to do
a
Stargrunt game and thought you'd like to see some non-OT traffic.

I posted an early version of this scenario to the group way back when
(just
before I unsubscribed), but I will send the updated version in a
follow-up
e-mail.

I managed to make it up for Pseudocon on Sunday (June 30), and ran a
game of
modified Stargrunt.  Joe, Charles, and Roger played the UN Light
Infantry
squad, NAC Border Rifle HQ section, and NSL power armor squad
respectively.
While very experienced gamers, none had ever played Stargrunt.	The
opposing
Kra'Vak units were controlled by die rolls.

The goal for the players was to rescue the princess (or recover her
body)
and get off the field with minimal casualties.	The winner would be the
one
with the most points (points were to be awarded for recovering certain
items, destroying certain things, and taken away for casualties
suffered).

The unit order was determined randomly each turn via a card system (each
unit in the game was assigned a card and they were activated when their
card
was drawn; the deck was thoroughly shuffled before each turn).	When the
ace
was drawn, I rolled for reinforcements AND conducted actions for
automated
items that needed to be activated ("pets" and sentry guns).  Each piece
of
terrain had an inverted marker in it showing what was there (markers
represented harmless local fauna, items that should be recovered,
Kra'Vak
sentry guns, "pets", and the two hidden on-board units.  A marker was
flipped over if activated (humans move within sentry gun's arc and range
and
ace is drawn, for example) or after a successful observation attempt.
Terrain could be close-assaulted without discovering what the marker
was,
but then the player ran the risk of destroying items (or killing the
princess).

The playing area was roughly 4' x 6', with N-S being the long direction.
The terrain, starting from the south was generally densely scattered
woods,
then a trench section and building ruins, with an AAA installation to
the
NW.  The northernmost portion of the board was a trench complex with
wire.
The humans entered the board on the south edge.

Joe, Charles, and Roger worked out a rough plan (advance carefully along
the
western side of the board, NAC leading) and started playing. 
Unfortunately,
the first card drawn was for the UN, so Joe passed in order to stay
within
the plan.  The NAC and NSL then moved on to the field, staying to the
woods
for cover.  The first reinforcement roll for the Kra'Vak gave the aliens
a
light tank (bad luck for the humans), which entered at the NE corner of
the
board.

Turn 2-The UN troops moved onto the board (to the west of the NAC and
NSL
troops) and the NAC moved up a little more and made an observation roll,
then were attacked by a "pet".	The attacking creature is killed (or, as
the
players put it, "that's one dead space monkey.").  The NSL guys move up
so
that they are slightly behind and to the west of the NAC team.	The
Kra'Vak
get a standard close assault claw as a reinforcement, which enters on
the NW
corner of the board.  The light tank moves up to the AAA site.

Turn 3-The NAC troops make observation rolls and spot another "pet", but
then the ace is drawn and the "pet" close assaults the NSL squad.  End
result-another dead critter.  The UN squad moves up behind the NSL. 
With
these two easy kills, the humans start to get a little overconfident. 
No
reinforcements for the Kra'Vak this turn-the light tank moves forward
into
the ruined town while the combat claw moves into a trench in the NW
section
of the town.

Turn 4-The NSL move forward, and get blasted by a sentry gun to their
western flank, taking a casualty and a suppression.  The NAC fire on the
sentry gun, to no effect, then move forward, taking fire from a sentry
gun
to the east, taking a suppression, but no casualties.  The UN swings out
to
the west from behind the NSL in order to move into a position that can
support the power armor troops with fire.  The Kra'Vak get a power armor
scout team coming in the NW corner as a reinforcement, the light tank
moved
down toward the SW corner of the town and the combat claw do not move.

Turn 5-The NSL unsuppress and destroy the sentry gun that hit them.  The
NAC
unsuppress and fire ineffectually on the sentry gun that fired at them. 
The
UN moves further north.  The surviving sentry gun fires at the NAC,
causing
two effective hits and a suppression.  The Kra'Vak combat claw and power
armor scouts move toward the humans along the west edge of the board. 
The
light tank stops moving within the town.  No new reinforcements arrive.

Turn 6-The ace card is drawn first, allowing the sentry gun to fire
again on
the NAC team, causing another suppression.   The on-table Kra'Vak combat
claw reveals itself (it was hiding in the trench on the southwest corner
of
the town) by firing at the NSL power armor troops who were just within
range.	The shooting is ineffectual.  The NSL holds fire, in case the
light
tank comes at them.  The UN move up a little farther, so that they can
support the NSL unit against its new opponent.	The NAC team removes
both
suppressions.  The Kra'Vak receive a power armor combat claw as a
reinforcement coming on the NE corner of the board.  The light tank
moves
up, but not far enough to engage the humans, while the two reinforcing
Kra'Vak infantry teams do nothing.

Turn 7-The NAC go first, firing all available weapons at the sentry gun,
destroying it.	The Kra'Vak on-table combat claw goes next and close
assaults the NSL power armor troops.  Two humans go down, as do two
Kra'Vak.
Both sides fail morale at this point and run away.  The Kra'Vak, due to
poor
die rolls, do not make it back to the trench and are caught in the open
by
shooting from the UN troops-killing one K.  None of the other Kra'Vak
units
move.

Turn 8-The NSL go first and unsurpress, then return to the woods that
they
had been pushed out of.  The sole remaining Kra'Vak trooper on the
on-board
combat claw jumps back into the trench.  The K light tank moves up and
fires
at the NSL troopers, causing a single suppression.  The other K combat
claw
and the PA scout claw move forward-next turn the combat claw will be
within
close combat range of the UN troops.  The UN fires at the light tank
with a
missile, which misses, and at the combat claw, which causes a
suppression.
The NAC force reorganizes (casualties end up being one dead and one
wounded), then sends most troops forward to occupy a garden at the
south-central edge of the town.

Turn 9-The NSL removes its suppression and fires at the light tank, but
the
plasma gun (IPG) does not penetrate (at this point, the team consists of
the
IPG, the SAW, and a rifleman).	The light tank pulls back into the town
and
is not longer a valid target.  The PA scout claw conducts a close
assault
against the UN troops, and losses (two Kra'Vak dead, one human dead, one
stunned).  The K unit withdraws back to its starting position.	The NAC
squad moves up in preparation for crossing the garden's town-side wall.

At this point we called the game a loss for the humans as it did not
appear
that the human forces could achieve their victory conditions.  The NAC
squad
was actually within one or two moves of the princess, but of course they
did
not know that, and in order to get to her would have had to cross a
street
swept by fire from the light tank.  And there were plenty of markers in
the
area that might have been opposition forces (in fact, one was a "pet",
another was a sentry gun-but pointed in the wrong direction-and another
was
the K command team, while six others were actually things like tea and
wine
crates and more local fauna).  It might have been interesting, but
getting
out would have been VERY tough.

The total time to play (including a quick explanation of the rules) was
three hours.

NOTES:	The scenario was a bit on the tough side, as I made some pretty
good
roles with regards to the random Kra'Vak actions.  The heavy losses in
the
NSL PA unit were due to some very poor defensive and armor rolls-they
should
have gotten off a bit better than they did.  On the other hand, I would
have
led the advance with the UN team (they have a better sensor roll) and
use
the NAC for firepower and the NSL for close assaults.  The NAC move
forward
that got them hit by the sentry gun was against the plan they had
originally
set, and caused a significant hold on the pace of the advance.	Their
firepower was sorely missed on the western side of the table.  For a
game
with only three human players, I really did need to modify the
reinforcement
table so that there would be fewer Kra'Vak.

Anyway, game went fairly well and I think that all three players enjoyed
it,
so hopefully there may be a few more SG players around...

Robert Hofrichter