Last week I had a chance to play a quick game of Strange Aeons v2 with Uncle Mike. I didn't have a Threshold list, so I quickly put one together and we rolled off a scenario, "Escape...Into Danger!" I had forgotten my phone so all I can provide is a briefly play-by-play of the action:
- Mike's cultists (high priest, shotgun, mad midget and pistol cultists) set up near mid-table for good positions to shoot / attack from. My agents first move was to bring everyone all up into cover. My female agent tried to activate her psychic powers. I hit my psychic guess and had her clairvoyance unlocked for the game. She used it on my boss to get give him an extra action to shoot at the midget...he missed.
- The high priest casts barrier on the shotgun cultist, who lands a minor injury on Jackson. The resulting morale checks are passed by everyone except my boss, who goes face down. The cleaver-wielding midget charges him and causes a major injury. Two rounds in and I'm already down to half strength. My chances to make it off the opposite table edge aren't looking good.
- Luckily one of my two remaining agents has lieutenant so I can still nominate all of my models. They make a run to the east table edge, away from the cultists and into some cover. The cultists follow in a move to cut them off.
- Mad midget moves over from the centre of the table and gets blasted in the face. The nearby pistol cultist who is blocking the Threshold's path goes face up after failing his morale check.
- Both agent's guns jam in the next round, and the lieutenant is left exposed after failing his shot. The psychic agent is smart enough to stay in cover while the high priest tries to fry Loamy with eldritch energy. I taunt Mike's dice saying he'll fail the roll, which he does.
- I nominate again and Loamy runs in to finish off the pistol cultist rolling on the ground. Psychic girl moves up to stay within range and mind controls Loamy so that he can clear his weapon. The shotgun cultist moves into range from behind, but misses. The high priest moves to cut the agents off and casts final spell to compel my psychic agent, but has no actions left to make her do anything.
- Loamy makes a dash for the table edge and is able to escape. My psychic agent fails her next activation and can't move, but overcomes the compel on her second. With only that one move she ends up about a half inch shy of the table edge. The high priest charges her and causes another major injury.
When I created my new list I tried to make them similar to my v1 Threshold list. Starting out with only 15 points I wasn't able to include my dynamite-carrying agent, but he's waiting in reserve should anyone die and I get to re-equip.
One new thing in this version of the game is rolling psychic powers when you create your agents. I was lucky enough to not only get one, but also get to choose which power to take. Pyrokinesis was the obvious choice, but felt too much like 'Liz Sherman' from Hellboy so I went with clairvoyance instead.
During the game you only have a 20% chance of guessing which psychic card your opponent has selected. I (amazingly) guessed the correct card and was able to use the power twice. That was good, thematic fun and the power actually turned out to be quite useful. I would have loved to make that hit with my leader early in the game. It would have swung the odds much more in my favour.
Remember how I said I was trying to match my v1 Threshold list? Those two major injuries I ended up with after the game turn into crippled for for my leader (which is exactly what he had before). My psychic female agent ended up with "poor health." After only a single game and I ended up with pretty much two of the worst injuries I could have rolled without the agents dying, and my list is pretty much right back to where I was in v1.
Good times, lots of fun. I can't wait for the next game!
- Mike's cultists (high priest, shotgun, mad midget and pistol cultists) set up near mid-table for good positions to shoot / attack from. My agents first move was to bring everyone all up into cover. My female agent tried to activate her psychic powers. I hit my psychic guess and had her clairvoyance unlocked for the game. She used it on my boss to get give him an extra action to shoot at the midget...he missed.
- The high priest casts barrier on the shotgun cultist, who lands a minor injury on Jackson. The resulting morale checks are passed by everyone except my boss, who goes face down. The cleaver-wielding midget charges him and causes a major injury. Two rounds in and I'm already down to half strength. My chances to make it off the opposite table edge aren't looking good.
- Luckily one of my two remaining agents has lieutenant so I can still nominate all of my models. They make a run to the east table edge, away from the cultists and into some cover. The cultists follow in a move to cut them off.
- Mad midget moves over from the centre of the table and gets blasted in the face. The nearby pistol cultist who is blocking the Threshold's path goes face up after failing his morale check.
- Both agent's guns jam in the next round, and the lieutenant is left exposed after failing his shot. The psychic agent is smart enough to stay in cover while the high priest tries to fry Loamy with eldritch energy. I taunt Mike's dice saying he'll fail the roll, which he does.
- I nominate again and Loamy runs in to finish off the pistol cultist rolling on the ground. Psychic girl moves up to stay within range and mind controls Loamy so that he can clear his weapon. The shotgun cultist moves into range from behind, but misses. The high priest moves to cut the agents off and casts final spell to compel my psychic agent, but has no actions left to make her do anything.
- Loamy makes a dash for the table edge and is able to escape. My psychic agent fails her next activation and can't move, but overcomes the compel on her second. With only that one move she ends up about a half inch shy of the table edge. The high priest charges her and causes another major injury.
When I created my new list I tried to make them similar to my v1 Threshold list. Starting out with only 15 points I wasn't able to include my dynamite-carrying agent, but he's waiting in reserve should anyone die and I get to re-equip.
One new thing in this version of the game is rolling psychic powers when you create your agents. I was lucky enough to not only get one, but also get to choose which power to take. Pyrokinesis was the obvious choice, but felt too much like 'Liz Sherman' from Hellboy so I went with clairvoyance instead.
During the game you only have a 20% chance of guessing which psychic card your opponent has selected. I (amazingly) guessed the correct card and was able to use the power twice. That was good, thematic fun and the power actually turned out to be quite useful. I would have loved to make that hit with my leader early in the game. It would have swung the odds much more in my favour.
Remember how I said I was trying to match my v1 Threshold list? Those two major injuries I ended up with after the game turn into crippled for for my leader (which is exactly what he had before). My psychic female agent ended up with "poor health." After only a single game and I ended up with pretty much two of the worst injuries I could have rolled without the agents dying, and my list is pretty much right back to where I was in v1.
Good times, lots of fun. I can't wait for the next game!
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