In the bad old days of second edition, I wrote a series of three linked games that formed a sort of mini-campaign centered around an abortive zombie apocalypse. The games were a lot of fun, but some people didn't like that they weren't competitive - either it was cooperative vs. the zombies or one player played the zombies and didn't play an infinity army at all. Now I'm running a new N3 campaign with a halloween flavor, and I'm breaking my zombies back out of their graves. The new scenarios are competitive, with both players playing Infinity armies against each other. Here's my first scenario, which my players just played last Thursday. Spoiler: Z-Day Scenario Z-DAY Defender Briefing: Our colony is under sudden, violent attack from its own members. Something has induced extreme psychotic episodes in many of the colony's citizens. Although there are no contamination alarms, we want to test the colony's water and air. Your team is tasked to escort two civil scientists, Dr. Wesker and Dr. Romero, to the colony's water filtration units and protect them while they gather samples. Defender Objectives 1-4 points: Control a sample from each water filter (1 point for each sample from a different filter) 2 points: Each geek synced with one of your troopers at the end of the game -1 point: Each geek in dead state at the end of the game 1 point: Each attacker captured (max 2 points) Attacker Briefing A rival power's colony is experiencing some kind of sudden violent civil unrest, and our spy there is calling for rescue. The spy is an expert on exoplanet civil engineering, and is working in the colony's water and power complex. You and your team are nearby – we need you to locate and recover the good doctor. Do not leave evidence of your operation. The colony security teams should have their hands full with the riots, but it will be a dangerous environment to operate in. Good luck. Attacker Objectives: 1 point: Identify the spy (see Geeks, below) 2 point: Sync with the spy 3 points: Bring the spy to the escape vehicle in a non-null state 2 points: Bring the spy to the escape vehicle in a null state 2 points: Capture one of the creatures attacking the colony (zombie is immobilized/unconscious and you have a trooper in base contact with it at the end of the game) 2 points: Hack the security console and delete security footage -1 point: Any number of friendly troopers captured by the enemy at the end of the game Scenario Special Rules: Capture, Zombies, Confused Deployment, Zombie Zone, Geeks, Water Filters, Water Samples, Security Console, Escape Vehicle Setup and Deployment Attacker chooses a side and deploys the Escape Vehicle anywhere in that side. Defender deploys first in 12” deep zone on his side of the board, and deploys five zombies in the attacker's table half, but outside the attacker's deployment zone. Attacker deploys within 12” of the escape vehicle (see Escape Vehicle, below) and deploys five zombies in the defender's table half, but outside his deployment zone. Reserves may be deployed as normal. Defender gets first turn. Capture: The attacker may CasEvac a defender's trooper who is unconscious or immobilized. If the game ends while the defender's trooper is in the CasEvac state, the trooper is Captured by the attacker. If the game ends and the attacker's trooper is Engaged by the defender's trooper, he is Captured by the defender. Zombies: Zombies are hostile to both players. In players' active turns, zombies will ARO to any active model. At the end of each game turn, zombies will act according to the zombie AI script. Spoiler: Zombie Stats Zombie Irregular, Impetuous, Remote Presence Skills: Headshot, Bloodsplatter, Regeneration, Bioimmunity MOV 4-2, CC 11, PH 13, WP 8, STR 1, ARM 0, BTS 3 Weapons: Viral CCW Headshot: The nanites animating the zombies’ dead flesh can ignore most damage and repair what they can’t ignore. Damage exceeding a zombie’s STR is simply ignored, so if a zombie is struck twice by HMG fire and fails both saves it is Unconscious, not Dead. Zombies failing a Regeneration roll pass to the Dead state. Zombies suffering a Coup de Gras attack or a Critical hit from any attack pass to the Dead state, their brainstems destroyed. Bloodsplatter: When a zombie suffers a wound, any non-zombie in base contact suffers a hit from nanite ammunition, damage 9. Zombie AI: In ARO: if no LOF exists, change facing to point directly toward the active trooper. If LOF exists, always dodge or engage toward the nearest non-zombie, even if the target is unconscious. If engaged, close combat. Active: if unconscious, regenerate. If conscious, move toward nearest non-zombie, even if the target is unconscious. If engaged, close combat. Zombies don't dodge in their active turns. Confused Deployment: The colony is under widespread attack from unknown assailants, and the pandemonium makes command and control more difficult. Any trooper using a Special Skill to deploy outside their Deployment Zone must make a PH-3 Roll. If the player fails the roll, the trooper will suffer dispersion. Special Skills, pieces of Equipment, or rules that apply any PH or WIP Roll to deploy must replace it with this roll. Any MOD applied to the Deployment by a Special Skill, piece of Equipment, or rule will be added to this roll. Geeks: The defender deploys two Geeks with his force, represented by civilian profiles. Geeks are neutral to the defender and hostile to the attacker. Each Geek should be synched to a trooper who meets the requirements for declaring Synchronize Civilian. One Geek is Dr. Wesker, and one is Dr. Romero. The defender should secretly note which Geek is which, but this is closed information. The attacker should secretly note which Geek is the spy. This is closed information. If the attacker succeeds at a Discover roll against the Geek, or if the Geek is inside the attacker's sensor area when the attacker succeeds in a Sensor roll, the Geek is identified and his identity becomes open information. If the identified Geek is the spy, he becomes unsynched, hostile to the defender, and neutral to the attacker. Note that the defender can still re-sync at -3 for the hostile state. Zombie Zone: The entire board is a zombie zone. When a model rolls a 20 on any order or ARO (but not on a save), his controller's opponent may place a zombie inside that model's ZOC during order resolution. Zombies may not be placed in base to base contact with another model or marker. If the trooper rolled multiple 20s in a single order or ARO, only one zombie is placed. Water Filters: Place four water filter units on the board as shown. Water Samples: Water samples are represented by markers. A model may carry any number of water samples. If a model is killed, water samples he was carrying remain on the table. Spoiler: Obtain Sample (Short Skill) Labels: Attack Requirements: Only Geeks in the CivEvac state can declare this skill. A Geek must be in base contact with a water filter to declare this skill. The trooper linked to the Geek will Idle. Effects: Allows the Geek to make a normal WIP+3 roll. If successful, the Geek produces a Sample and is carrying it. Place a Sample marker beside the Geek. Spoiler: Pick Up Sample (Short Skill) Labels: Attack Requirements: Be in base contact with a Sample marker, a friendly trooper carrying a Sample marker, or a trooper in a null state with a Sample marker. Effects: the active trooper takes possession of any or all the Sample markers he meets the requirements for. Keep the Sample markers with the trooper. Security Console: Place a security console on the board as shown. Spoiler: Delete the Security Footage (Short Skill) Labels: Attack Requirements: Only specialists in base contact with the security console may declare Delete the Security Footage. Effect: by succeeding at a normal WIP roll, the specialist may delete security footage of the attack. Hackers receive +3 to this check. Escape Vehicle The Escape Vehicle can be a truck, helicopter, spaceship, etc. The attacker's deployment zone is anywhere within 12” of any part of the escape vehicle, but only within his own half of the table. At the beginning of every attacker turn starting with the third turn, the Escape Vehicle will attempt to leave. The attacker's lieutenant, if he is not in Loss of Lieutenant, may attempt a WIP roll to prevent the Escape Vehicle from leaving. He may spend a command token to reroll if he fails. If the lieutenant is unable or unwilling to prevent the Escape Vehicle from leaving, it will depart at the end of the attacker's turn. Any attacker who is not in a null state, engaged, or immobilized is assumed to rush back to the vehicle as it leaves. The scenario ends when the Escape Vehicle departs. Two pairs of players played Z-Day on Thursday. I added a complication where the spy turned out to be a Speculo Killer who had replaced the attacker's spy and introduced a nano-agent to the colony's water supply. There were certain triggers that would reveal the Speculo Killer during the game. The attacker won one game. He managed to nab Dr. Romero and run off with him all the way back to the Escape Vehicle. In the end Romero revealed as a speculo killer, downed his Lieutenant and stole his VTOL, but he had fun and won by points. The defender won the other game. The attacker did a bucketload of killing but didn't manage to sync with the spy. The defender captured one attacker and held on to one geek with a water sample for the win.
