Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Atlantean Escape

I played a solo game of Pulp Alley the other evening just to try out one of my new Leagues.

I used the "Dangerous Delivery" scenario to represent a party of explorers trying to escape from a partially ruined Atlantean city with my Atlantean Guards league trying to stop them.

The guards consist of Polemarchos (leader) and ten (follower) guardsmen, five with tridents and five with flameguns.

Polemarchos and his guards emerge from the jungle. 

Up against them was a hastily assembled exploring party theoretically under the leadership of Professor Protherroe but in fact led by the American explorer Rock O'Connor.

Front row (l to r) Rock O'Connor, Don Luis and Javier
Rear row (l to r) Juan, Jose, Sarah Protheroe, Professor Protheroe
Juan, Jose and Javier were all followers.  Sarah was a sidekick and the Prof and Don Luis were allies.

The terrain was intended to cover the edge of the ruined city and the start of the jungle beyond.  The Protheroe party were to enter bottom right and leave top left:


O'Connor started with control of the Major Plot Point (the Atlantean Princess) and Javier was leading the second (a mule-load of treasure).

As Javier leads forward the mule, Don Luis goes down
under flame-gun fire.
Don Luis fails a Health roll and drops below 1d6 Health
The Guards advance!

A little singed, Don Luis climbs to his feet and takes aim at the
Guardsman who targeted him.
End of Turn One - Don Luis makes his recovery roll
Turn Two saw the exchange of fire at long range with Followers going down on both sides.

Looking round from the recalcitrant mule, Javier
locked eyes with an advancing guard.  Moments later
a ball of flame slammed into his chest and the
Mexican fell to the floor and lay motionless.
Javier fails a Dodge check and then a Health check. 

Jose is also lost whilst Don Luis fights with a Guard.
Don Luis defeats his latest opponent whilst Rock and the Princess
take control of the mule.
Distracted by a cry of delighted discovery from the Prof, O'Connor feels
the razor-sharp steel of a guardman's trident bite into the flesh of his thigh.
Don Luis went down again to long distance shot.  This allowed
another guardsman to charge Rock O'Connor. Despite rolling 3d10
to his opponent's 1d6, Rock loses and the initiative switches to the
Atlanteans (having just swung the other way after the Prof discovered
the secret of the Bronze Spear).
Turn Four focussed on a confused melee in the centre of the board.

Polemarchos moves in between altar and firepit to
ensure that Professor Protheroe will take the secret
of the Bronze Spear to his grave.
Got the girl, got the treasure - Rock O'Connor runs!
Turns five through seven (Rock used a reward card to extend the scenario) saw Don Luis recover again but the Prof go down and out having failed too many Health checks.  Rock, the Princess and the treasure disappeared through the rock arch with Sarah just behind them.  Rock will have some explaining to do and will doubtless be persuaded to go back and rescue the Prof.


O'Connor, I'm coming for you!
Overall I was pleased with how the scenario went but it brought home how relatively difficult it is to play Pulp Alley solo.  You have to keep track of Fortune Cards and special abilities across multiple characters on both sides and that's not always easy to do.

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