We're goin' on a Lhurgg hunt, Oh, lookie...

It's been quite a while since I was able to do an AAR.  The nature of my job requires quick reaction on a phone call, so I didn't have a way to set up a game without upsetting the house, either using the dining table, or setting up a large table in the living room.  I went to Sam's Wholesale Club and got a 4' round folding table that I am able to set up in the computer room, and leave set up if I am called out.

So here we go.

Captain Gauche: "Lt. Newman, we need to get out to that farm and find out what the situation is.  Police Lt. Marn, a retired Star Army soldier, gave me to understand that there's been a Lhurgg attack in his jurisdiction.  Follow me so far?"

Lt. Newman: "Yessir!"

Captain Gauche sighs: "I need you to take a squad and do a recon of the area.  RECON!  I need to know what's out there so I can send appropriate force.  You'll hear that two women have been kidnapped by the Lhurgg.  You know what the Lhurgg do to women, but this is not a search and rescue.  I need info on the Lhurgg infestation.  We have to wipe them out!  You understand? RECON!"

Lt. Newman: "Yes Sir!"

Captain Gauche: "Take your support squad and a full squad.  Dismissed."

Captain Gauche puts his head in his hands, and mumbles to no one in particular: "That young jackass is going to get someone killed."

Lt. Newman is a Rep 4, as are the 3 squaddies who tag along with him.  The squad is lead by Sgt. Masters, Rep 5, with a Rep 4 assistant leader, and a Rep 4 squad.  Sgt Masters got rid of his sub-machine gun long ago, and packs the same assault rifle as the rest of the squad, as does the Lt.

The farm buildings have been burned down.  There are no remains, either human or Lhurgg, to be found.

The farm land is off the bottom of the table.  Badlands with some ruins that have never been investigated cover the area behind what used to be the farm.  There are 3 PEF's Reps 6, 4, and 3.

                                    

Turn 1:  PDF 2, PEF 1

The Lt. moves to the edge of the heavy undergrowth to the right of the farmhouse, and the Sgt. leads the squad to the left.  The PEF move as far toward the soldiers as the cover will allow.

Turn 2: PDF 4, PEF 6

The squad moves to the PEF's cover behind the farmhouse, revealing it to be breeze in the leaves.  The Lt. moves forward.  The PEF 4 moves towards the soldiers.  The PEF 3 can move no farther without exposing itself.

Turn 3: PDF 4, PEF 1

The squad is only able to make a half move due to going through the heavy undergrowth, but it allows them to reveal the PEF 3, off to their right, which also turns out to be nothing.  The Lt. moves forward. PEF 4 splits, and anew Rep 5 PEF is formed.

Turn 4:  PDF 2, PEF 3

The PEF's cling to their cover.  The Sgt.'s squad moves forward, and reveals the PEF 4 to be nothing, but the PEF 5 is a small Lhurgg herd, consisting of Rep 5 leader with a Rep 3 herd of 3, and a mutant Rep 2.  Since it is the human's activation, they take the In Sight Test and pass with flying colors, gunning down the entire herd, though one squaddie goes Our Of Ammo, all out of action under the hail of bullets.  Two are OOF, one OD, and the leader is KD, as is the mutant.  The Lhurgg are Hard as Nails, and so roll 3D6 on the Recover From Knock Down, the leader is merely stunned, but the mutant is OOF.

Turn 5:  PDF 3, PEF 2

There are no PEF's on the table.  The squad caps the prone Lhurgg, and the Lt. yells, "Let's save the women." and sends the squad up the left while he takes the right.

Nothing of any consequence happens on Turns 6 through 8, so I'll just add the pictures.

Turn 9:  PDF 5, PEF 4 (no PEF's)

The Sgt. is making better time than the Lt., who isn't too happy about it, so he gives the Sgt. hell.

And this breaks up the squads formation, since each figure rolls its own Fast Move.

Turn 10: PDF 2, PEF 4

The Sgt. slows down to regroup the squad, and the Lt. having seen all there is to see ahead, turns around and heads back down the board.

Turns 11 to 13 consist of more fruitless searching, with the result that the squad is back where it began, and the Lt. is in the heavy overgrowth to the right of the farmhouse.

Turn 14:  I CHEAT  PDF 5, PEF 2

Deus ex machina, another herd appears behind the Lt.  Rep 4 leader, Rep 4 herd, and Rep 3 mutant.  Following the NP Movement chart, half stay to shoot and the other half attempts to flank the Lt. on the right. Those who stood fire on the back of the Lt. and his group with no effect.

The left-most soldier is out gunned by the mutant's heavy machine gun, and goes to cover.  The rest turn and fire with better effect than the Lhurgg, taking out 2 of the firers.

                                     

In the ensuing firefight, one soldier goes down OOF.  But then the firefight dies down as no one standing has anyone to return fire to.

Turn 15: PDF 3, Lhurgg 4

The Lhurgg group flanking the Lt. charge, and due to the fearsomeness of the Lhurgg, the 3 soldiers get off a single shot each, all missing, and the Lhurgg charge home!  In this uneven contest, the soldiers go down OOF.

However, the squad under the Sgt. hasn't activated yet.  They come up behind the Lhurgg, and blast them very effectively, even though all can't fire.

The Lhurgg fail their Man Down test, and their Cohesion Test, and leave the board.  This was critical, since the Lhurgg would have chopped the downed soldiers into mincemeat, since they want to kill all downed male enemy.

Turn 16:  PDF 4, Lhurgg 3

Even had the squad not been able to save the downed soldiers last turn, their activating first this turn would have allowed them to attempt it before the Lhurgg could activate.  As it is, they move forward and cap all the OOF Lhurgg.  A subsequent search found the women, who had been hiding in the undergrowth nearby.  They then took the Captive Recovery Test, resulting in one recovering completely, and the other recovering physically, but incurably insane.  The only good thing about being captured by Lhurgg is that they do not intentionally kill females, but leave them behind when they move on.

Captain Gauche: "Well, Sgt. Masters, this didn't go exactly like I planned.  But at least we know the Lhurgg are moving around in the country.  Lt. Newman will not recover.  The enlisted men will.  Thanks for getting everyone back, oh, and rescuing the women. Now I'll have to write a letter, and find someone to replace him.  Have you considered officer's training, Sgt.?"

Sgt. Masters:  "Yessir, but I don't think its for me.  Pardon my saying, sir, but someone's gotta protect them from wet-behind-the-ears Lt.s"

Captain Gauche: "Hmmm. Dismissed."

The Lt. did not survive the after battle roll, but the 3 enlisted men did.

I cheated because the first encounter with the Lhurgg didn't give me a chance to use them at all.  They are a vicious and headstrong foe.  In the first encounter, I had no chance to use the Scent Of A Woman Test, and I forgot it in the second.  Oh well.   Two Hour Wargames will have the Lhurgg sheets up pretty soon.

The PDF figures are by Rebel Minis, the Lhurgg by Khurassan, and the two women, by Astro Miniatures.  Alack, I have no nude 15mm females.  Sigh.