Introduction You are a young raw lieutenant, just assigned to a marine squad. You have been ordered to recon an area of the enemy held city. Your pointman has just been hit by a sniper and lies exposed but still alive ahead of you. The remaining men and you have taken cover. What do you do now? Game set-up and layout The game is played over three areas (as shown below). These areas can be of any reasonable size (say 1 foot square each ), although their actual size is unimportant. Assorted rubble, low-walls, burnt vehicles etc. can be added to taste, although they have no effect on the game. Eight clearly different pieces (figures or counters) are needed to represent the marines. No other markers will be needed, as the sniper never shows himself. Area 1 * Area 2 Area 3** *** ** * = starting position of marines One wounded marine is placed prone in the center of area 1, the remaining seven marines are placed in area 3. All unwounded marines have a Guts score. This is basically a non-variable EDNA score, distilled from all the factors which make up normal EDNA values (morale, training, etc.). The squad has the following Guts scores: Marine : Guts Lt. (Leader) : 8 "Ice-cube" : WOUNDED "Tex" : 9 "Buster" : 8 "Reflex" : 7 "Snowball" : 7 "Legs" : 6 "Edsel" : 6 A success result occurs if the roll on 2 d6 is equal to or less than the Guts score. A total above the Guts score is a failure. Any natural double (double 1, double 2 etc.) is a critical. A marine who is wounded has no Guts value. They cannot participate in any way and exist merely to be rescued. Wounded here means seriously wounded. Turn Sequence The game progresses in a series of turns. During each turn there are a number of phases during which events may occur. These phases proceed in the order described below. Leader Action Marine Reaction Sniper Fire Bug Out Leader Action During this phase the Lt. may attempt to perform one of four actions. Only one action may be attempted per turn, and that attempt may only take place once. These actions are: Action Test / result. Lay Smoke in same or adjacent area Guts roll for leader. Success results in smoke being laid in the indicated area for d6 + 2 turns. Failure indicates no effect. Order Covering Fire from one or more marines in same or adjacent area (marines can be in either). Guts roll for leader. Success results in the sniper shooting at covering fire disadvantage. Failure results in marines indicated not providing covering fire. Order halt in Covering Fire from one or more marines in same or adjacent area (marines can be in either). Guts roll for leader. Success results in marines indicated stopping covering fire. Failure results in marines indicated not stopping covering fire. Move self or others (from either same or adjacent areas) one area in any direction. Guts roll required for each figure who tries to move. Success indicates that the figure has successfully moved into the new area. Failure indicates that the figure does not move to new area. There are no critical results for Leader Action. Marine Reaction roll Any marine who is not the Lt.; wounded; who has moved already this turn; or is supplying covering fire; or who is carrying a wounded comrade, must make a guts roll and consult the table below: Result Effects Success: Stays Frosty. Does nothing. Failure: Opens Up. Begins covering fire spontaneously. Critical Heroics: Moves one area towards nearest marine. If in the same area as a wounded marine, carries that marine back one area towards area 3. A marine who begins the turn in the same area as a wounded marine may make a Guts roll to carry that wounded marine one area (towards area 3). A success results in both the marines moving to the new area. A failure means that they do not. Any critical is treated as a success. Sniper Shooting All unwounded marines in areas 1 and 2 may be hit by the sniper. For each marine in those areas at this phase a roll of d6 is made and the table below consulted to see if the marine has been wounded. Conditions Area 1 Area 2 No Covering Fire or Smoke 4,5,6 to wound 5,6 to wound Covering Fire from at least one marine from any Area. 5,6 to wound 6 to wound Smoke in Area 6 to wound No result Marines in area 3 are not eligible target for the sniper (they are behind too much good cover). Marines gain no benefit from covering fire when they are in an area with smoke. In fact they are in danger of being accidentally shot by their own side. Each marine in an area with smoke whilst at least one marine in area 2 or 3 is providing Covering Fire must make an additional d6 roll. On a roll of 6 the marine has been wounded by friendly fire. If there are more than two wounded marines in any one area, then the sniper will kill the excess marines. No roll is needed for this. Bug out At the end of each turn, all unwounded marines and any wounded marines with at least one unwound marine to carry them (one unwound marine per wounded marine) may be withdrawn from area 3 with a successful Guts roll from the Lt. if he is still unwounded and in the same or adjacent Area, or by a successful Guts roll for each unwounded marine in Area 3. Bugging out is entirely optional, but the opportunity only arises at the end of each turn. Winning the game The player’s aim is to withdraw as many marines as possible (by Bugging Out of Area 3) without leaving wounded marines behind. Success is measured by how well the player manages this. Full Plastic Bodybag Two Solo Sci-fi Games Introduction Heroes Other Hero Back to Table of Contents -- Lone Warrior # 141 Back to Lone Warrior List of Issues Back to MagWeb Magazine List © Copyright 2003 by Solo Wargamers Association. This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. 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