The New York City Gang Of Four

[kolakoski]

Well met!

It's early days, still "bathing in success" (see lyric to Kiss of the Spider Woman - recently performed by yours truly here on Roosevelt Island) from how well Balance of Power! went, but I have already created, and submitted for chas' approval, several armies for THE ILLINOIS SMITH MEMORIAL TREASURE HUNT, A PULP ADVENTURE SUPERSCAPE SCENARIO.

ARMIES

Each player army may be composed of 800 points, and must include one C Level Super (201-240 Points) and at least one D Level Super (Up to 200 Points), one and only one Tech Squad of 100 Points (see sample card below) plus any one other Super/Classic/VC squad. It may include a further number of D Level Supers and/or Super/Classic/VC squads (only one of any Unique Squad per player as usual). Supers Cards may be of either alignment (Good or Evil); squads from any Classic General mixed together or not as desired (including the new April/May 2015 C3V release, except for Zettian Deathwings). There are no space limitations, due to an offboard entry mechanism (see below).

Armies must be submitted to the GM and duplicate Supers will not be allowed. However, duplicate squads are permissible among different players—squad members (and all Tech Squad proxies) must therefore be individually marked (usually on top or bottom of their bases) so as to be identifiable by player ownership.

Supers Game cards may be drawn for any of the approved designers on the Chas Qucik Scan Master Lists, but all cards are subject to the usual pregame review and GM approval.

The person who can guess what units (all are C3G or Classic) they contain is to be praised or pitied; I know not which. Still, it should be entertaining . . .

[chas]

*THE TRUTH WAS OUT THERE--ONLY NOW CAN IT BE REVEALED!*

So here are my own teams for the Illinois Smith game:


TEAM ONE: "KREE-TACIOUS"
"Give us our stuff back, puny Earthlings!"

Predator 240 (C3G)
Kree Colonel 130 (Drewman-chu; Uncommon Hero)
Kree Scout 40 (C3G; Common Hero)
Kree Soldiers x2 140 (Dreman-chu; Common Squad, 3 Figures each)
Tech Squad 100 (Chas)
Total: 790 Points


TEAM TWO: "US SPECIAL FORCES"
"Did the USA shoot the Kree Spaceship down? No Comment."

The Bulleteer 230 (Garada)
Lara Croft 170 (GreyOwl)
Nakita Agents 120
Gorillanators x2 180
Tech Squad 100
Total: 800 Points


COMMENTS

Team One
Those darned aliens--they always want their stuff back! These are most of the Kree cards I've used against the C3G Guardians of the Galaxy in multiple solitaire games, with other Kree heroes like Ronan (C3G), Korvath (Chas), and Nebula (Badgermaniac). Since the comic book Kree wear white uniforms with various color trims, they proxy nicely with Star Wars Clone Trooper minis.

Team Two
All Good Guys, of course. The Bulleteer is a DC character who is using the super suit invented by her mad scientist husband--who went off the deep end and is now deceased. She's worked with the Seven Soldiers of Victory, refused the Birds of Prey, but joined the JLA, where she was excited that Wonder Woman knew who she was. Lara Croft saw action on our table back in our first mixed Classic/Supers game, and charges the US government her highest rates. The Nakitas and Gorrillanators have their place in our hearts--and possibly in some X-Rated magazines!

General
This is the first playtest of my Tech Squad design, and I'm hoping they are a useful bridge between Classic and Supers games, and generally useful. There will be surprises in this game, from the C3G glyphs randomly generated, and a few other things which will only be revealed in our after action reports. For the full scenario, be sure to add the Game Master Only File For Illinois Smith, which contains these hidden spices to the scenario recipe, and will also be revealed post game.

I'm hoping to use both teams in different NYCG4 games on May 27.

Chas

[chas]

***NYCG4 COMING ATTRACTIONS***

You know us--we love to mix cards from different Scape groups and designers! Four our next game in June, Game Master Taeblewalker will be showcasing the Heroes of Fiction (HOF). This is a group that makes scape cards up for favorite heroes from books and movies that we all enjoy. Long active with most of the major design groups onsite, TW has worked on some of these as well.

I've used their Indiana Jones long ago. Coming back to their thread (see the Customs section) after several years, I now find lots of new cool cards, including at least a dozen I'd be happy to play in this new game.

If you haven't been there before, check it out!

As you can see, we've now consolidated many of our own gaming threads here, and have a unique custom Scape scenario running every month. So if you're travelling to New York City this spring or summer, and can fit an afternoon/evening of gaming into your visit, PM one of us and we'll include you and yours in our scenario for the month you've visiting! Ten different subway lines stop within a few blocks of my place here in Brooklyn Heights--which is a tourist destination in itself for--among other things--the best view of the Manhattan skyline anywhere; you've probably seen it on TV already.

Your pal,
Chas

[kolakoski]

Well met!

On 5/27, the Gang of Four will be playing chas' The Illinois Smith Memorial Treasure Hunt. Below are the armies each of us have prepared for this scenario. All armies also contain one 100 point Tech Squad (stats in scenario text). Who will win?

Sherman Davies:

235 Yellowjacket (Sherman Davies)
195 Dreadgul Raiders x 3 (VC)
160 Nightwing (Sherman Davies)
110 Man Bat (Sherman Davies)

Taeblewalker:

250 Fire Demons (C3G)
215 Quicksilver (C3G)
120 Firestar (C3G)
110 Kid Flash (C3G)

chas:


Team I

240 Predator (C3G)
280 Kree Soldiers x 2 (Drewman-chu)
130 Kree Colonel (Drewman-chu)
40 Kree Scout (C3G)

chas:

Team II

230 Bulleteer (Garada)
180 Gorillinators x 2 (Classic)
170 Lara Croft (Grey Owl)
120 Nakita Agents (Classic)













kolakoski:

Team I

330 S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents x 3 (C3G)
220 Nick Fury (C3G)
150 Hawkeye (C3G)









kolakoski:

Team II

240 Hydra Agents x 3 (C3G)
220 Red Skull (C3G)
140 Madame Hydra (C3G)
100 Weather Wizard (C3G)











kolakoski:

Team III

240 Judge Dredd (C3G)
210 A.I.M. Agents x 3 (C3G)
160 Scientist Supreme (C3G)
90 Vertigo (C3G)

[Taeblewalker]

Here's the link to the Heroes of Fiction thread. Just scroll down past the Blob cards and you'll see the index in the first post.

For my game, each player will have to take at least two cards from Heroes of Fiction. Army totals will be 500 points.

[kolakoski]

Well met!

Interesting army building by the Gang for this one. Theoretically, it's all about Equipment Glyph grabbing, with the fillip of Tech Squad analyses of the Glyphs before they can be used, and for additional Victory Points. As this is a Free for All, I expect the usual alliances and another version of Taeblewalker's Charge.

Sherman
235 Yellowjacket (Sherman Davies)
195 Dreadgul Raiders x 3 (VC)
160 Nightwing (Sherman Davies)
110 Man Bat (Sherman Davies)
700

Sherman's Raiders Bond with his Man Bat. Nightwing's Natural Leader allows free movement of Yellowjacket into Insect Swarm range. Cute.

Taeblewalker
250 Fire Demons (C3G)
215 Quicksilver (C3G)
120 Firestar (C3G)
110 Kid Flash (C3G)
695

Taeblewalker's army is perfect for a rush to the Glyphs. The Fire Demons are take the Relentless Personality to a whole nother level. They scare the bejeezus out of me! Firestar having had a few moments of luck for Taeblewalker in recent games must be the reason for her reappearance here.

chas' Team I
240 Predator (C3G)
280 Kree Soldiers x 2 (Drewman-chu)
130 Kree Colonel (Drewman-chu)
40 Kree Scout (C3G)
690

Thematic I expect, but Bonding from chas!? I'm shocked! Shocked, I tell you! I'm also shocked at 140 points per squad for Kree Soldiers. Their Cloaking Technology reminds me of the Mohican River Tribe's Concealment 19.

P.S.: chas is 10 points short; I suggest this guy:

chas' Team II
230 Bulleteer (Garada)
180 Gorillinators x 2 (Classic)
170 Lara Croft (Grey Owl)
120 Nakita Agents (Classic)
700

Classic Movement Bonding and Lara Croft's Artifact Expert I get, but what's Bulleteer doing here?

kolakoski's Team I
330 S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents x 3 (C3G)
220 Nick Fury (C3G)
150 Hawkeye (C3G)
700

Fury's Helicarrier Drop Team should get me to the Crash Site first. After that . . .

kolakoski's Team II
240 Hydra Agents x 3 (C3G)
220 Red Skull (C3G)
140 Madame Hydra (C3G)
100 Weather Wizard (C3G)
700

A classic Hydra Bonding army, with Weather Wizard as Cheerleader. Was Team I before I watched that Marvel Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. finale chas suggested, and realized that S.H.I.E.L.D. was at least as ruthless, in its own way, as Hydra - and should get first crack at the alien technology.

kolakoski's Team III
240 Judge Dredd (C3G)
210 A.I.M. Agents x 3 (C3G)
160 Scientist Supreme (C3G)
90 Vertigo (C3G)
700

Was Team II. Scientist Supreme's Leader of A.I.M. controls her A.I.M. Agents and Judge Dredd, with Vertigo as Cheerleader.

[chas]

Theme In Team Building, and Etc.

K.,

Add 100 points to everyone's team for their mandatory Tech Squad (by Chas) to reach the 800 total allowed. Since protecting your 3 techies could be a major part of the game saith the Game Master, anyone who works well with them is a big deal for team composition. For example, my Nakita Agents can help them out with Smoke Powder 13. Has anyone else seemed to have considered this? (Cinematically its the old 'Protect Your Scientists on the Expedition' theme.)

Notice too that indeed almost all of my cards have some kind of stealthy defense--hence the Predator alien working for the Kree, especially in a jungle environment. There will be lots of water and swamp water too--its the Amazon rain forest, after all--so I'm surprised no one took any of the many available "Water Bourne" characters. There is a whole list of them as such on my Team Rosters with the Chas Superscape Quickscan Master Lists posted onsite. I certainly considered this, since many of them can grab a glyph and swim away with it!

A good thought for my missing 10 points old chap, but I'm too thematic to allow a Skrull to ever work with a Kree! Like the Shi'ar, the three major Marvel alien races would never work with each other. Which is part of the reason why the Marvel Universe off Earth is a mess. Independent designers (especially Drewman-chu) have therefore worked also to provide them with their own soldier squad, an officer, and heroes--The Shi'ar Imperial Guard--as well, like the other two. Perhaps this will be a future direction for the C3G. Many other Kree heroes are available, but most are A or B Level Characters disallowed by the scenario (Various Captain Marvels and Mar-vels, Ms. Marvel, Quasar, and the Inhumans).

Bulleteer is simply my heavy hitter for her team. Also, note that Team 2 is all women and gorillas! Go figure... I considered using Gorilla Man (C3G; 140 points) too!

[kolakoski]

Well met!

Without seeing the map, regardless of description, I'd be surprised of anyone did draft a water-based army.

[Taeblewalker]

Here's my second army:
Tech squad 100
5x Anubian Wolves 375
Doctor Octopus 215
Heat Wave 110

[chas]

TW's second army is approved, bringing the total to 9 armies for tomorrow's game. Good luck to all players.

[chas]

A CHAS PRODUCTION: THE ILLINOIS SMITH MEMORIAL TREASURE HUNT


The jungle is ready for its players! I've even got a Rainforest Sounds tape ready to play in the background, and my two trusty stuffed souvenir birds from Costa Rica, Tiko the cockatoo and Max the toucan, hanging above the tree canopy!

Assembling seven of the nine armies (Sherman brings his own, and some extra figures I'll need too) for this Super Squad Scape (and Pulp Adventure) game took a while, but now the other three players have their own tray full of cards and figures ready for a series of games for Illinois Smith (Indiana Jones' non copyrighted cousin), including my new Tech Squad card and one for Kree Zee Dees!


*Which of the nine armies will face each other on the battlefield?

*Who will win each game?

*When will Kolakoski make the Nick Fury airdrop?

*Will Taeblewalker make his usual berserker charge?

*Will Sherman Davies continue to modify his usual play style for the weird Chas scenario environment?

*Will the Kree Team (Chas) ever get their stuff back?

*How will the 'neutral' Kree Zee Dees (Zettian Deathwings) fly?

*In what way will the scenario reflect TV's Marvel's Agents of SHIELD?

*What other secret dangers lurk deep in the Amazon rain forest today?

***

Stay tuned to this thread for the answers...

...same NYCG4 Time; same NYCG4 Channel

(Cue Theme Music!)

[chas]

Illinois Smith: Postgame Standings

We played two games yesterday, using eight of the nine armies approved for the scenario (all but K.'s AIM army). Scenario design is my specialty in gaming, so I was pretty happy with how it ran, given all the new elements being put into use for the first time, which make it a real test bed for a number of concepts that will probably appear in future games. There were a few tweaks that I'll put into the scenario description (here and in Marvelscape Maps and Scenarios). Hopefully it will be as complete as possible for anyone who wants to run the scenario themselves.

All kinds of photos and commentary will follow on these games. I'll also edit and add the Illinois Smith Game Master Only File with its three big surprises, which is also needed to run the scenario. But for right now, on the morning after, here are the basic standings and the armies that earned them:

GAME ONE

10 VP Taeblewalker (2 Analysed Glyphs exited) Doc Ock army

7 VP Sherman Davies (2 Unanlysed Glyphs exited and one Unanalysed Glyph Carried) Yellowjacket army (*+ Animal Man)

2 VP Chas (1 Analysed Glyph Carried) Kree Army

1 VP Kolakoski (1 Unanylysed Glyph Carried) SHIELD Army (*+ The Lizard)


GAME TWO

15 VP Kolakoski (3 Analysed Glyphs exited) Hydra Army (*+ Avalanche)

6 VP Taeblewalker (2 Unanalysed Glyphs exited) Speedster Army (*+Animal Man)

5 VP Sherman Davies (1 Analysed Glyph Exited) Enchantress Army (*+ Mantis)

2 VP Chas (Lara's Gal Squad/US Government Army)


These are the final scores, but they don't begin to tell the story of how different players rose and fell, had victory in their grasp and lost it, or came back from low or no score. More on that later, and on the Kree Zee Dees, The Radiation Zone, and Kree Glyph Mutations of some Non Tech Squad squad members into random 'Inhumans'--as on current TV's Marvel's Agents of Shield!

*Non Tech Squad squad member mutated into random Class D "Inhuman" by Glyph: see GM Only File. (More complete data to follow on Inhumans entering the games.)