The hunt for Burt Reynolds!

Upon receiving the mission to capture the notorious Burt Reynolds, the crew set about awakening the passengers in stasis (Crew of our friend Öwall).
They consist of:
Tippley - A former Star ship crew member looking to strike out on her own, seeking power over her own destiny. She´s adept at sneaking with the infiltrator talent.
Dabby D - A ganger from a research outpost looking for adventure. Rather ordinary. Joined the team as "Engineer".
Goat head priest - Former member of a religious cult, now working as a trader. Looking for revenge after his brother was slain by bandits.
T2-M4 - Servant droid to Goat head priests family, now follows and assists Goat head priest.

Left to right Goat head priest (ordinary human with mask), T2-M4, Tippley and Dabby D

The combined crew assembled a strike team consisting of
Cpt. Sargeant, Corporal McIntosh and ID-10T from crew Gabbe
Tippley, Goat head priest and T2-M4 from crew Öwall

An overview of the abandoned industrial area where Burt Reynolds hide. Sentries patrolling around the large factory building and a robot standing guard at the far side of the table.

Team Öwall took up positions on the other side of the factory building, stalking their victims. In the meantime, Corp. McIntosh climb up the crane (losing a grenade during the climb). Seeing a potential escape vehicle, he decides to squeeze the trigger of his hunting rifle and one of the guards bites the dust.

This is followed by a short exchange of fire with a second guard seeing Cpt Sargent bailing for cover before ID-10T steps in and guns the guard down.

ID-10T and Cpt Sargent take up positions to advance on the other side of the complex.

Meanwhile T2-M4 and Goat head priest take cover behind some crates but Goat head priest slips (or was he tripped?) and goes out of action!

Tipley exchanges fire and downs another guard, making the way forward clear, but is held of by the stentry droid for quite some time.

Burt (a Lhurrg!) tries to leg it and escape in the armoured car but can after some intense brawling be put down by ID-10T with help from Cpt Sargent and covered by Tippley and T2-M4, Victory!
When the dust settles it turns out Goat head priest have suffered light injuries, being forced to rest for a while.

The group hands Burt over to the farmers for an uncertain fate! They gain some rolls on the trade table gaining a grenade, some medical equipment and scrap. They also gain some fame for their bounty hunting skill and a new enemy, the gang the Wildcats!

In the ensuing campaign turn Crew Öwall recruited Elsa, a singer (artist) travelling the stars looking for a mirror and a watch. Crew Gabriel recruited Martin Luther DJ, a ganger who left his home planet after a religious experience looking for at faith.
Cpt. Sargent could finally leave the death of Bocca behind (#RememberBocca) and is no longer shaky (Rolling ascension on the Character table).
Venturing into the settlement New Eslöv recruiting, trading etc the group attracted the eyes of an enemy and they will soon be attacked by their enemies!

5 parsecs from home - Crash landing

Joel here, commander of the Varuna legion, nemesis of the Sickles! A while back me and Gabriel (Gabbe) tried 5 parsecs from home, we kind of liked it but figured it would need a GM. Last week I got a sudden creative fit and created a campaign setting from which we have played two games.

The crew consists of six members.
Captain Sargeant* – Unity Agent renowned Sharpshooter motivated by Discovery
Bocca the Narcissist – Hulker
  Corporal McIntosh– Former Unity marine with combat armour and a Hunting rifle, is a Hacker and searches for Faith.
Miss Kiss - A Skilled Unity agent from a dystopian urban hellhole she left looking for romance.
Goon – After first game got name “Eggsy” and rolled background, having grown up at a Space station motivated by Discovery.
ID-10T – Working class Warbot from the Unity orphan program armed with a shotgun and a handgun


The first game (where no pictures were taken) saw the crew of the a repurposed science vessel, now a freighter of mostly legal goods under Captain Sergeant suffer engine failure midhyperdrive, they wound up in the Florin system having suffered both engine and hull damage, unable to start their Svensen drive to continue their journey. They were attacked by pirates as they had no way of escaping. Boarded by Captain Anna Greenskirt and her crew. An intense firefight ensued seeing one of the crewmembers, Bocca the Narcissist, die in a valiant charge trying to stop the pirate captain. The crew avenged their fallen comrade and soon all the pirates were dead.
The captain found some alien ascension drugs gaining a talent and some psionic power but became shaky, possibly due to the stress of lossing a member of the crew. After giving Bocca a space funeral the crew landed on the closest habitable planet, Florin-9N.
#RememberBocca

Florin-9N is a dry planet, marked by Unity as colonisable but attraction has been weak. The equator is covered by a belt of salt deserts unable to sustain life, all known settlements are in the northern hemisphere. The planet seems to have been colonised by another spacefaring race only to be abandoned, these mystic forerunners seems to have left the semi-sentient Lhurrgs which can be found living in nomadic clans on Florin-9N.

Not wanting to risk being impounded the crew landed the ship a bit from a settlement but this also proved problematic as the landing of a large spaceship caused some mushroom tunnels to collapse so the crew was greeted by some local farmers demanding compensation.

They want the crew to capture the notorius fugitive Burt Reynolds!

From left to right Corporal McIntosh, Cpt Sergeant, Miss Kiss, Goon (Eggsy), Bocca, ID-10T

*Intented spelling, apparently real last name.

Sickles, game 9 - The desert town Eos Misley

Hello chaps!
So, it's been a while since last game due to... I don't know really, maybe work? Anyway, we had a game going, our 9th of the campaign, and maybe our 12th of PMC2640. We're still liking the game, very much! All games tends to become intense mind games, which gets even more interesting since there is a great portion of luck in the rolls. It is actually a good thing, as you must have a plan B, or even C. Sometimes a unit can withstand three times the numbers, sometimes, well... you get a more disappointing result, being on the other end of the deal.

Since our last game was some kind of Tier 2,5 most of our troops needed some respite. Thus, we both didn't have that many troops to choose from. Unfortunate for these troops, they are seen as less important to us! We rolled for a scenario and got 'Secure and Control' which made us battle for three positions. If any of us were able to hold all at the same turn, he will win! Otherwise, we battle until turn 20 and then check who is the winner! It seems like routing the enemy is not an option in this scenario, so it will be bloody! 2nd line, advance!

Since lieutenant Glavnyy had a very short assignment, a new sub-commander had to be chosen. Ruchka didn't really understand the phrase that Glavnyy was going to an eternal vacation... Oddly enough, since it just were mere weeks ago he got the position...

Risky business indeed ;)

The reserves of the Sickles, that were sent:

The 10 man Lhurgg squad is the nomads, the other is the Blue Bandits. 6 man 'red suits' are the engineers, 8 is recruits and the 2 man squad is the mortar. The banner holding man and the dog, you guessed it; HQ!

Tier I, Field Command, Lieutenant Ruchka.
Tier III, Combat Engineers, Razing Rushers [new unit! Most welcomed!].
Tier II, Remote Mortar Section, Ground Gagarin (broken minded... making then hard to rally).
Tier I, Recruits, Honour Holders.
Tier I, Lhurgg Irregular Troops, Blue Bandits.
Tier II, Lhurgg Nomads, Zero Zeniths.
Tier II, Lhurgg Heavy Patrol Vehicle, Crepit.

They were opposed by the Varuna Legion.

Mortar team should be two guys (Joel the cheater!). The four being prone are the rocket armed team. The blond Rambo in the back with the sidekick is the HQ. The three man squad is the LMG team. Fancy hairstyles nominates the irregulars (of course! Irregular hair does it!). The rest is, yeah, recruits.

Tier II, Field Command.
Tier III, Rocket Armed Team.
Tier II, LMG Section, Omega (bad reputation, so they can't be promoted).
Tier II, Remote Mortar Section, Alpha.
Tier I, Irregulars, 4th Colonial (shooting experts, giving them +1 Firepower).
Tier I, Recruits, 5th Colonial.
Tier I, Recruits, 3rd Assault Crew (brave, making them harder to suppress).

Onwards to the battle!
The desert (and deserted) town; Eos Misley lay before us with some new mining equipment (yes, those are toys. I will coat them and repaint them, and then it should look great!).

From nearest to farthest. Mortar, recruits, HQ, brave recruits, rocket armed team, irregulars and LMG team. And the toys (I mean mining equipment!)!

Left to right; nomads, patrol vehicle, recruits, HQ, engineers, irregulars and mortar.

Advancing! The engineers threatens any enemy units that wants to occupy the buildings, taking the center! One objective in the middle, up for grabs! Black cubes marks activated units.

The Varuna Legion advances in tight formation, as opposed to the Sickles! The machine park holds one of the objectives.

The nomads Zero Zeniths and Crepit makes an countermove. Crepit conceals itself with the woods area, and the nomads got the stealth ability. A great skill for advancing in the open!

The 4th Colonials takes the far left flank for the Varuna Legion, supported by the LMG team Omega.

Skulking further, hoping to get the enemy mortar by surprise! The third objective on the open flank can be seen in the distance, a objective being covered by the Ground Gagarin mortar team.

Ground Gagarin overwatches an objective (out of picture) and Joels watch.

Meanwhile, the trap is set on the other flank, waiting to rip some soldiers and toys up!

The recruits tries to find cover, realizing that an attack is imminent, thus protecting mortar team Alpha. Some recruits get to think about a new line of work, as a digging crew!

In the center, the attack is set. Men and dogs alike are ready!

The Varuna Legion is spreading out!

The traps are sprung!
First turns was all about movement and maybe a pot shot or two from the Sickles mortar, other than that, all units moved in the densely packed terrain to not be seen. In PMC, getting the first shot can be very deadly, so everyone tries to get in the upper position. That, with alternative activation, and random first player each turn, minds are melted properly!

The nomads and the Lhurgg mecha pinns recruits, almost breaking them.

The advance continued, with support from the mecha and the units from the center that now were going for this flank. The Varuna Legions crack unit, the Tier III rocket team repulsed the nomads! :'(

Six engineers entered the building while captain Staya held an objective. A rocket and mortar barrage later, half of the engineer squad lay beneath the smoking paper ruins.

With the left flank broken, I successfully redeployed the mecha Crepit to the center, who was going for a LMG hunt! The paper towels of smoke was a painful remainder that I've lost 7 of my 12 compositions points (points for fielding your army) in one turn! Gee... Honour Holders took defensive positions in the forest, efficientlynegating the Varuna Legions mortar, rocket team and recruits from going to the center. Honour Holders, despite being a Tier I really had Joel in a tight spot since he didn't want to take unnecessary risk his troops, since he already had the upper hand.

This shows two things, 1) you don't want any more Trauma Points than necessaryin the campaign game, which makes you think more about your actions and the risk/reward aspect. 2) a low tier unit in a good position can be a great force multiplier! Fun fun!

The Varuna Legion made a suprise dash, placing all bets on getting the initiative, which he did (that scoundrel!) and broke my mortar. Well, it was kind of stupid of me moving the mortar team up that close (to the objective). I should've measured in beforehand. Well well, retribution came quick although I had lost 2 Compositions points to 1. So, right flank was also lost. Joel still had a LMG team behind the far house, effectively securing that flank with its massive range of 24", compared to my Lhurggs assault weapons of 12".

Blue Bandits now looked to the center, aiding captain Staya against some recruits. HQ units are almost unkillable, for your information.

The battle for the center began! On the left side, Honour Holders held back the main part of the Varuna Legion. In the center, Blue Bandets, Captain Staya and Crepit repulsed the recruits. Later, Crepit went to the right flank and after some turns of fire exchange (!) the mecha managed to cripple the LMG team. But when the threat was eliminated, I've lost Blue Bandits to rout, and had to pull back captain Staya. I couldn't force Joel from both the center and the right flank (since he already had the left flank secured, hard!).

So, with only 4 compositions points left against Joels like 7 (?) I barelystood any chance! He got two out of three objectives. Scoring a win!

Joel got a ton of levels, as usual! He got iron discipline on the 5th Colonial Recruits. His mortar section Alpha got 'last stand' and his LMG section Omega got 'adrenaline rush'. Gee. This is getting harder and harder for me!

Sickles, game 8 - En masse de la Cannon Fodder

Back again! Well, we actually played the game a week ago but you know, things happens around new years eve and so on.

We tried a Priority 1,5, which isn't in the rules but we are just in between having to many units for Priority 1 Tier 2 battles, but too few for a Tier 3 or a Priority 2. Hence, we made up a step in between! 18 Composition Points each, which is almost all our available forces. I maybe got like 26 Compositions Points in my company to deal with, to give a picture of the quantity of troops being on the battlefield this time!

We rolled for the scenario. Invasion! But this time with me as the attacker, moste times I've become the defender. My strategy was to deploy all my main infantry close, within a personal distance to the enemy while guns blazing. This is the first wave, leaving all my support and vehicles in the second wave. With that, Joel couldn't possible "snipe" my support units. Of course; Captain Staya (and Stoy, let's not forget!) was first into the fray!

The Sickles brought:

• Captain Staya, Field Command Tier 2. Command Unit (2) and Inspiring Presence (much needed with a lot of troopers!).
• Ground Gagarin (Remote Mortar Section Tier 2). Broken Minded (worse at rallying from suppression).
• Valor Vintorez (Light MG Section Tier 2).
• Bullet Bullies  and Velocity Vintovkas (Rookie Rifle Teams Tier 2).
• Hard Hoofs, Brood Bloods, Swift Swords and Tribal Tribute (Lhurgg Irregular Troops Tier 1)
• Crepit and Alnico (Lhurgg Heavy Patrol Vehicles Tier 2).

The Varuna Legion brought:

• Varuna Defenders (Determined, don't lose Morale because of casualties), Whitewood Rifles (Brave, reduced incoming suppression) and two other Rookie Rifle Teams Tier 2.
• One Irregular Troops Tier 1.
• LMG Team Bravo Tier 3 (Superior Ballistic Skills, increases fire range).
• LMG Section Tier 2.
• Field Command Tier 2.
• M5 (Heavy Patrol Vehicle Tier 2).

Setup and first wave!

Joel setup his veterans, the Varuna Defenders in the middle forest and Whitewood Rifles near a house in the center, which in turn was fortified by the LMG Section.

I couldn't find any landing zones except for some near the same, fortified, building and occupied forest, so I commenced an all out attack! Three Lhurggh Irregulars alongside the Rookie Rifles was deployed, with Captain Staya and Stoy leading the way!

Right flank. With Captain Stayas "Command" ability I was able to activate two units in a row, which is very crucial when you are this close! My Lhurrgh units fired upon the LMG Section in the house, killing two members rending the last member to rout from the battle. A successful landing so far!

Bullet Bullies got pinned by the returning fire from Varuna Defenders.

Please note that I have put in droids (namely from Beeping Brawlers that I cannot field anymore, sadly) into my rifle team. It looks really nice if you ask me!

Left flank. Whitewood Rifles fend off the Lhurgghs, who effectively blocks the LOS for Velocity Vintovkas, in some kind of revenge on their masters/employers.

After the first turn! One broken unit, two suppressed and a lot of suppression on the battlefield! The Sickles was although gaining ground!

Turn 2, return of the Varuna

Joel got some luck here! And brought in everything except his irregulars and M5 Heavy Patrol Vehicle, look! That half of his forces! With a roll of 5+ for each unit, tjoho!

The Varuna (quick) reserve. 

I had to wait patiently for my second wave of support units to arrive... Things were going to get bad, fast!

The Sickles second wave. Meat wall of Lhurrghs, some mechas and fire support. The unit with the droid is the LMG Section (I find the mixed units kind of nice! PMC got a "use cool miniatures and be clear" thing going on).

Due to the randomness where reinforcements arrive during the Invasion scenario, Joel got his HQ and one Rookie Rifle Troop at the right flank, near a building (Great for him!). Another unit on the far side of the battle, with a long march in front of them... (Great for me!). On the left side he got to deploy the much mighty and terrifying LMG Team Bravo. They got increased range And are Tier 3, scary combination indeed! They were deployed with a clear LOS to almost all my forces, starting to ripping sh!* up! They fired with something about +8 or +9 modifier. To give a hint about the sheer power, most units has that in Defence, ergo; not rolling the die to see If they hit, rather than How many they hit! Scary! And they shot up to 28", were rifle units reach a lousy 18".

Right flank!

Lacking any real enemies of the state to fire upon, the Lhurggh units were ordered to fire at the enemies within the state. This time, meaning that the Bullet Bullies lost a guy and a ton of suppression. Leaving them, now unbroken, but with only 1 Morale left. The "Not a step backwards" doctrine worked for the very first time (I tend to eradicate my units with it... which is a too effective way to remove the suppression...)! Bulliet Bullies was back in the action, but very frail. The funny thing was that they didn't got suppressed or broken again during the game! They only got one suppression point at the time, which they can hold with 1 Morale. Haha, what a miracle!

On the left side, I finally broke the brave Whitewood Rifles, while LMG Team Brave was shredding me to bits!

"Hello from the other side, this is Papa Smurf to LMG Team Bravo, come in!"

"Bravo team here!"

"We can see that you are shredding troopers and Lhurgghs alike from here, nice going! Papa Smurf out!"

Rookie Rifles on the right takes up position on a high vantage point, threatening the Sickles flank.

Reinforcements are arriving, after a long run!

Battle for the Bloody Forest

With only the Varuna Defenders left in the center of the table, the Sickles enforced the Lhurrghs forward, charging once again with guns wildly and inaccurately firing!

"Who are we?! We are the Varuna Defenders, we won't break! Choose your targets men! Fight them off!"

The assault wasn't going that great, but the good thing was that neither did the returning fire of the defenders.

An tactical, yet war scarred veteran owl gets an glimpse of the battlefield, on the right side the owl can se troopers and Lhurrghs running from the hail of bullets from the LMG Team Bravo. The owls applause, silently but resolute.

Second wave incoming!

You guessed it! Now's the time for payback, and sure it is dear and costly! Concentrating my mechas to fend off the LMG Team Bravo and their newly arrived irregular comrades. Aiding the mechas was the "voluntary" Lhurrgh unit that shielded the mechas from the firestorm of LMG Team Bravo. Funny thing was that they got like 9 suppression without anyone died! They must have gone scared by a combination of the storm of bullets and that they actually survived! Joel rolled with a D10+2 HITS! I can't believe that they survived! Well, except for routing with their guns and swords between their legs.

The sacrifice in operation Lhurrgh shield (got the casualties later, importantly enough, not from the LMG Team Bravo! ha!). Crepit and Alnico got into cover and made the payback come hot, smoking hot!

Ah, the look of white cubes (broken) that isn't your own, what a feeling!

A collage of the heroes of Operation Lhurggh Shield (listen to soundtrack at the same time, of course!):

No need to be afraid anymore, the threat is gone! Later, Velocity Vintovkas rallied! Thanks to Captain Staya (Stoy was... wounded) on the... erm... other side of the building... showing his Inspiring Presence, even through the concrete house!

Right flank, showing where Captain Staya lost Stoy this time. Also showing Ground Gagarin and Valor Vintorez. The latter almost got pinned by the desperate enemy, seeing that a LMG Section in the center house could give some serious trouble, locking down two out of three landing sites. But he failed with one suppression, so close!

"Getting coordinates. Corpral... light 'em up! *dakka dakka dakka*"

The assault of the bloody forest continues. The Varuna Defenders sure are Determined! With the blue sword, the heroic Hard Hoofs (they got a fan down the community! Cheering for them! Huzzah!). They didn't even got broken this game, first Lhurggh unit ever! All (surviving) members received the Medal of Questionable Honor for their services.

May I add that Hard Hoofs formed a circle around Ground Gagarin, protecting them the very last round from any reckless move from Joel, to his disappointment!

Flanking mechas, strolling in the woodlands, just out of sight. And Joels watch, I must be in these AAR:s.

The remaining forces of the Varuna Legion. HQ, Rookie Rifle and the Varuna Defenders (that has been fighting since round 1, without any KIA:s! Damn! That's over 10 rounds!

With concentrated fire I was able to break the last unit needed to rout the Varuna Legion, this time! You need to break more than half of the enemies units.

Bonus picture of the flanking mechas, pouring in some good old 30mm shells into the "community service" obliged men of the Varuna Legion. A welcome tradition in Lhurggh culture.

My second win! Gee. The Sickles got 14 kUC, that's more than they ever had! Wow! In total, casualties start to even out. I've lost 63 troopers and Joel has lost 48. Getting close! Yes, I keep track, on everything! In the beginning the ratio was like 1-3 in Joels favour.

Did we forgot the M5 Heavy Patrol Vehicle? Nope! It must have broken down or something, arriving the last round, round 13 or something, doing nothing. Yay.

I bought some engineers, both Tier 2 and 3 and a new HQ Tier 1 since the last failed me... so I welcome Lieutenant Ruchka! May his service be longer than one battle! I really do hope that the engineers don't let me down, although I really seem to be able to find their main strength, compared to other units... Hmm, we will see.

I got no levels this time either, but I got like six units with 8 experience points. Joel really showed me that levels do matter, a lot! Can't wait!

Well, za Sickles!