DEPARTMENTS

Friday, September 20, 2013

Pulp Alley AAR - The Rescue of Captain Journey

My ten year old daughter and I had a chance to get a game of Pulp Alley in, today. This will mark her second game and the first time playing her own league "Crimson Tiger and the Danger Cats". Her trio of feline heroines would venture into a cast lost world to rescue the famed Captain Journey - explorer, scientist, and adventurer. Little did they know that the Captain was being stalked by the dreaded Kro-Ak, amphibian lord of the Gtungi (lizardmen) and that he had set his mind on devouring the lost explorer.

The scenario we played was a Trail of Clues type. The board was divided by a river that we agreed would be extremely perilous. The rocky cliffs would be perilous, as would be the dense jungle bases and the sandy bogs at the riverside. My daughter set up her league in the ruins, requiring me to set up in the opposing corner. We each placed our starting plot points on our respective sides of the river but I placed mine in a slightly perilous position up on the rocks.



My girl won initiative and, by the end of turn one, had already scored her first plot point. The Danger Cats', Tabby, had recovered a crate of supplies and pulled the reward card that allowed her to draw an extra fortune card each turn. She placed her second plot point at her side of the cliff top bridge, hoping to keep it accessible to herself and away from my league.


Gtungi bowmen move into the reeds at the riverside. Unleashing their arrows at Crimson Tiger, they force her away from the riverside to seek cover alongside Calico.


Meanwhile, another of Kro-ak's minions clamber up the rocks, making their way toward another cache of supplies, left behind by the ill-fated Journey expedition. 


Gtungi are not the most adept, however, and one of them found the rocky escarpment too much for him. 

"Aaaaiiiieeeeeee!!" 

The hapless lizardman fell dead into the tangled vegetation below.


Some things must be done by oneself...


While the Danger Cats were maneuvering, dodging poisoned darts, and trying to figure out their next move, a lone Gtungi made his way through the sandy bog at the riverside and started across the rushing river. 


The current proved too much for him and the Gtungi soon learned he was not as mighty as the savage land he called home.

The young one is pleased...


The Gtungi sputtered and bobbed in the water. Even though he went down but not out, he would ultimately succumb to the raging waters.


Having claimed one plot point, the swamp lord charges over the bridge, dodging and defeating peril. Mastering his second plot point, the clues become clear and the location of Captain Journey is determined...



...atop the highest point on the board.


The sheer rock pillar made capturing or rescuing Journey a near impossibility and a decisive victory seemed unlikely (5th turn).


Having found his quarry, but seeing that Journey meat would remain out of his grasp for the moment, the angry frog god rushed down the natural steps of the rocky outcropping. Calico could only look on in horror, spraying the amphibian monstrosity with her tommy gun. But she and Kro-ak delivered hits but neither gave into the other's attack.


"Rrrrooooaaaarrr!" The savage she cat, Crimson Tiger raced up the cliff side, chasing Kro-ak as he retreated back into the rocks from Calico's gunfire. Razor claws and brutish blows were traded but ultimately primordial might proved too great for feline fury. Crimson tiger felt her ribs crack under one too many scaly green fists.


In the end, no clear victor stood out.

Captain Journey, seeing that the Danger cats had been too late, began a hasty retreat down the towering cliffs that were on the other side of the rock spire atop which he stood. Kro-ak bellowed as he watched his sacrifice slip away and the Danger Cats collected their wounded leader to return to their autogryro extraction point. Hopefully, Journey would be able to get to another extraction point before this primitive place became the end of him.

My daughter forced me into a draw in this game. By the time the major plot point came into play, We were both guaranteed to have two minor plot points. When my time came to place the major plot point, I put it out of reach of either of us.

Well played my girl....well played.

-Eli

12 comments:

  1. Nice game report sounds like you had fun!

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  2. Sounds great! When's the next PA game?

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  3. Great game... And one should beware of the young ones, lest they kick our behinds in these games ;)

    I love the rocks - are they homemade???

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  4. Yup! Those are my own design - both the rocks an my opponent :)

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  5. Lol, I figured as much regarding the opponent ;-). How did you do the rocks?

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    1. I tell the tale of these rocks in four posts, starting with this one http://leadpeople.blogspot.com/2013/02/rock-terrain-madness.html

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  6. Nice AAR and it looks like you both had fun. You're an enviable man when your kids are sharing your hobby.
    ;-)

    Have fun and enjoy those precious moments!

    Cheers
    Stefan

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    1. I really am. My youngest really seems to have been bitten by the Pulp bug. She even wants to read some of my Pulp adventure books for her school reading requirements.

      The key here was to pander to her just a little bit and not adhere to the strictest of style points. She has two league so far - The Danger Cats and the Mystery Ranch (cowboy themed). The minis selected for the Danger Cats are more Spyfi and superhero than 1930s Pulp and the Mystery Ranch is really a bunch of cowboys. However, by letting her flex more of her own creativity, I really have her invested in her characters and the game.

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