Rocketman 4 conclusion

Player One: Rocketman and allies

Rocketman (SMG) George McArthur (Revolver) ’Mad Dog’ Mitchell (BAR) Sancho Gutiérrez (.45 auto) Captain Ortiz (Revolver) 10 x militia infantry (9 rifles +1 LMG) (Marcel Messnier if freed) (Rifle) + 1 d6 grenades

Player Two: Moros

Moros (9mm Auto) Angelica (SMG) Marco (pistol) Ernesto (SMG) 10 x River rats (Rifles) 3 x Indian scouts (Blow pipes) 1 truck 2 d6 grenades

Player Three: Helga und die Schwartze Pfele

Helga (SMG's) 8 x Schwartze pfele paratroopers (rifles) 2 x Schwartze pfele paratroopers (SMG) +12 grenades

We played the game as a three way skirmish, which with hindsight might have been a bit too ambitious given Peter’s lack of experience. We started too late and we just didn’t have the time to finish the game to my satisfaction.

Rocketman and his companions (as played by Peter) approached the camp of Moros (played by Oleg) from across the swamp. Already here we got bogged down because although Peter was the only player moving, he was moving at combat speed which meant it took him almost an hour to get into position. Moros and his goons naturally opened fire and Oleg had put his three native trackers out in the forest (where they were pretty good). This meant Peter got into hot water as soon as contact was made. Helga and the Germans (played by me) arrived in round eight (just as Peter had gotten to the tree line) and immediately engaged the four guards Moros had placed in the watch tower. These were soon eliminated (one ran away, the rest were gunned down) and under a normal game this would have been the prelude to Helga’s advance into the base moving along the rear of the buildings to where I suspected Moros and the Golden Anaconda were concealed (and I was right). Unfortunately, that never happened. Moros’s trackers were almost in my path and slowed me down to a standstill as they were very difficult to kill. Rocketman and his allies were scattered all over and largely suppressed by Moro’s people hiding in the buildings. The good guys had a Machine gun and a Browning Automatic Rifle, but these were out in the open, thus drawing heavy fire and utterly useless as a consequence.

Rocketman made a desperate dash with his rockets. He flew out over the river, using the buildings and tree’s as cover when he could have been hit, and bring himself to the rear of the building where in Moros was hiding. Everything went well and Peter might have won the game if only he’d been less rushed for time. He made a classic mistake of not checking the upstairs window and Moros dropped two grenades on him as he approached the back door. Thus ended the game.

It was a short affair and some what unsatisfactory. We should have started earlier and I should have played along side Peter against Oleg. I was seduced by the thought of bringing back Helga and the game suffered as a consequence of my weakness for that character. Poor Peter never really had a chance, but he did well with what he had. If we’d had more time, and he hadn’t rushed to enter the last building, I think he might have won. Oleg had spotters covering most angles so it was impossible for Rocketman (two great jets of fire erupting from his back) to sneak up on the bad guys. Had we been playing together, I could have warned him.

I decided afterwards (and with a hint or two from Peter) that Rocketman himself isn’t quite ‘up to the job’. Looking at his stats, I have to agree. RM is the hero of the piece and thus should be better than most every one else. So I’ve upgraded him, I’m adding an armoured suit and giving him a more powerful weapon; a Czech Zk 383 Heavy SMG (instead of the fake ‘prototype Lanchester‘ he had before). This will mean RM is tougher, hits harder and can absorb more damage in future games.