Halloween Scenario

As this year the 31st of October falls on a Tuesday, my regular gaming club night, I decided to do something special, so I am bringing a scenario back, one that died several editions ago but I'm digging up and giving a burst of life to resurrect for our enjoyment...

I originally found this on a blog called Awakening Ynead, I have no idea if he's still blogging (or perhaps has renamed his blog given that Ynead is now, y'know, awake) so original credit goes that way, but hopefully I have updated it to work in 8th edition. I have tried to keep the original character as much as possible while abiding by the obvious changes to the ruleset.

 

Army Selection:

You have 75 points. There is no minimum requirement for squad sizes (so an Eldar player could take one Fire Dragon, one Striking Scorpion and so on). Only three of these can be "upgrade" characters, like a sergeant or an exarch, though that model may take an upgrades allowed without counting for further "upgrades." No more than two can have "upgrade weapons" such as a heavy or special weapon that isn't standard equipment. For example, a Space Marine player takes 3 Marines and a Scout. He can upgrade one into a sergeant with any weapons normally allowed, and two more can have special weapons normally allowed by their codex entry.

You may select team members from any Force Organization slot except HQ. Only infantry models may be selected.  No dedicated transports are allowed. You are not allowed to select anything with the “character” special rule.

All selected models form one squad. Your squad must remain in 2" coherency, and are treated as a single squad.

Setup and Objective

Set up the board with the normal amount of terrain for a 40k game.  Ruins and graveyards make great terrain for this mission.  If you have a large amount of players you may need to either split into two tables or widen the current table.  The players should have to cross about 6' of board with enough room side to side so that everyone isn't clustered together.

The goal is to reach the escape helicopter (or truck or whatever). The first squad (at least one guy alive, obviously) to be within embarking distance at the beginning of their movement

phase wins (so you have to survive one round before you can win).  If there is another unengaged player within embarking distance you may not embark.  You must duke it out with the other player as there can only be one.  There should be one escape helicopter per 5 players, spread out evenly along the back board edge.  Each escape helicopter is guarded by a boss zombie.

Turn order is determined randomly.  Each player will move, shoot and assault, then pass to the next player.  When all players have gone the zombies take their turn.  There's no need for a zombie controller as the zombies are on autopilot. After the zombie turn, everyone takes any relevant morale tests. This is of course unlikely as most squads will be small in size, but do so if necessary. Use the highest leadership value in the squad.

 

 

 

Movement Phase: Players who fall back from combat must end their move not only further away from the enemy, but also further from the nearest chopper.

 

Shooting Phase:

More Pressing Matters: Treat all player controlled squads as if they had the “character” special rule for the purposes of shooting. This rule is thrown out the window once a player controlled team gets within 18” of the chopper. A team within 18” of the chopper can return fire at any squad that fired at them, but otherwise the character rule still applies to the pursuing squads.

Assault Phase:

On each player turn, only teams in an assault involving the active players models will fight. This is to prevent each team potentially getting as many rounds of combat as there are players between zombie phases, which would brutalise the local zombie population. So if you charge zombies, you will fight them. Everyone else waits for their (or the zombies) turn.

If your assault involves multiple squads of zombies, for simplicity's sake you don't have to say which squad you're attacking.  Remove casualties from the smallest squad first (you get more powerups that way)

If you assault a player squad, they get to fight back as normal. If you assault an ongoing assault between a player team and zombies (or between multiple player teams) then people can attack whoever they wish following the usual rules for combat. Everyone with skin in the game gets to fight, each time it is the turn of someone involved in the fight. A mass player team bundle will get messy very quickly.

If a team starts it’s turn in combat with other players but then withdraws, those players do not get to fight that turn.

After all players have gone the Zombies will move.

 

 

ZOMBIE TIME

Zombies come in squads of 5. There should be about two squads of zombies per

player, deployed in a spread out fashion. Their stats are as follows:

WS5+ S3 T3 A1 W1 LD10 Armour 5+

Resilience: Zombies save all suffered wounds (even mortal wounds) on a 5+

Bit! - Any to wound roll of a 6 inflicts a mortal wound instead of a normal wound. If this isn’t saved by some other means, such as a med pack, then a new zombie joins the squad that inflicted the mortal wound.

Zombies only have two phases, the Shamble Phase and the BRAAAAAIIINS phase.

Shamble Phase: Killed zombies will respawn in groups of 5 during this phase, before rolling to move the zombies.  Roll a  D6 on the following chart to see where they go.

1:  Starting table edge

2:  The table edge to the left of the starting edge

3:  The table edge opposite the starting edge

4:  The table edge to the right of the starting edge

5:  Scatter 3d6" from the center of the table.  Zombies deepstrike like a drop pod and will move out of the way of obstructions.  They will move and assault with the rest of the zombies as normal.

6:  The player who is furthest from the chopper chooses a result 1-5 on this chart.  Further rolls of a 6 will go to the second furthest player and so on.

Zombies moving in from a board edge will enter in line with the nearest unengaged player.  Subsequent entries in the same phase on the same table edge will move in towards the second nearest, and so on.

Zombies will move 2D6 to the nearest target. All zombies on the

board move the same distance but at their own relative targets. If this move

brings them in base contact with a player squad they count as assaulting. There is no overwatch… we’ve all seen zombie movies, those sneaky fuckers always pop out for the jump scare.

Zombies will join a current assault if they can fit.  If they can't fit they will instead move towards the next nearest target.

If a player kills the last member of a zombie squad, or kills the last member of a player squad (only whomever removed the last model, doesn't matter who did all the work) he may roll on the powerup chart.

BRAAAAINS Phase: Zombies assault during their movement, we just combine it because they don't shoot.  They receive +1 attack if they charge.

The Boss Zombie:  The boss zombie does not move during the shamble phase as normal.  It will only move if a player moves within embarking distance of the escape vehicle, and will automatically assault that squad.  If there are multiple squads that meet this requirement randomize which one it assaults.

WS4+ S4 T4 A3 W3 LD10 Armor 4+

Resilience: Zombies save all suffered wounds (even mortal wounds) on a 5+

Bit! - Any to wound roll of a 6 inflicts a mortal wound instead of a normal wound. If this isn’t saved by some other means, such as a med pack, then a new zombie joins the squad that inflicted the mortal wound.

Really Resilient - any attack that would do multiple damage only does 1 Wound instead.

It is of course perfectly legal to move your squad and escape in the vehicle while the other player is off fighting the boss or another player.

 

Respawns:

Should your squad be destroyed, you may respawn in your turn no closer than 6" behind the

furthest player, but it can be anywhere on the board (as long as you are 6" further away from the choppa than the current furthest squad).  You lose all upgrades and powerups earned during their previous lifetime.  If you wish you may play a new team.  When you respawn you may roll on the powerup chart.  You may voluntarily suicide your squad at any time to respawn, but if you do you may not roll on the powerup chart.

Powerups:

If you kill the last member of a squad (zombie or player, this also includes killing the boss zombie, and also includes wiping them out due to morale rolls) you may roll 2D6 on the powerup chart.

2:  Zombie Bile:  You are treated as the only target for the next Shamble Phase.  If two or more players have this then the zombies will move to whomever is closer of those players.  If another player is in the way of the zombie movement, the zombies assault that unfortunate unit as they just happened to be in the wrong place.

3:  Banana Peel:  In your next turn, your movement value is determined by rolling 2D6 and using the highest. This may technically make your squad faster… hey, guess you got some momentum from that banana skin.

4:  Ork Boy Tag Along:  An Ork boy has decided to join you for some reason.  He is armed with a pistol and a choppa and is treated as a member of your squad for all purposes.

5:  Duct Tape:  Whether it's a chainsaw taped to a kayak paddle or a duct-taped-over-under gun, you may give one model either +1 attack or +1 shot per turn.  Permanently.  Until you die.

6:  Chainsaw:  The ultimate zombie close combat weapon.  One model may be equipped with this item.  Requires 2 hands.  Hits on a 2+, and if it hits instantly takes a wound (no saves, even resilience saves) off any zombie in close combat.  If you roll a 1 the chainsaw has run out of fuel and is discarded (but any hits you got in this round still count, if you roll a 1 and get a reroll it does not run out of fuel unless you roll another 1).

7:  Medpack.  May be saved, one use only, you may carry any number of these.  You may ignore one suffered wound. Even a mortal wound. This is after a failed armour roll.

8:  Shotgun:  There is no better tool in an zombie invasion.  One model is armed with it, and that model does not need to have a ballistic skill.  The shotgun has a range of 6" and hits on a 2+, instantly taking a wound off a zombie with no armour or resilience saves allowed.  It is an assault 1 weapon.  If shot at a player it is treated just as the Imperial Guard version of the shotgun.

9:  Super Mushroom Speed Pack:  You may carry up to one of these in your squad.  When activated all members in your squad may add an extra +1 to all their movement, which includes movement, advancing and assaulting.  

10:  Defibrillator:  Counts as a Medpack but may be used to bring back one model in your squad who has previously died.  If that model had multiple wounds only one is restored.

11:  Sweet Aviator Shades:  In the next Shamble Phase, zombies will ignore your squad for the purposes of the closest target.

12:  The Blessing of Chuck Norris:  Your squad receives the blessing of the Great Red Bearded One until the end of their next turn.  Your squad may reroll all rolls they make (if they already have a reroll they can reroll that reroll as Chuck is that awesome).  All shooting counts as AP -5 with no cover allowed and all assault counts as AP-3 and allow no resilience saves.

If you are the furthest player from the board edge, you may add +1 to your roll.  You may roll the dice before deciding whether or not to add the +1.  You may also switch out any rolled result for The Blue Shell.  If you pick The Blue Shell you may move the player closest to the escape vehicle back D6" away from the vehicle.  If they are in close combat, the whole combat moves with them.  If your roll on the powerup chart is because of a respawn, you may not select The Blue Shell.

The +1 can only take you up to 11… it’s a spinal tap, but not a blessing of chuck norris. Only a natural double six can get you the blessing of chuck norris. Chuck himself managed it with only one dice.