STALKER7

PART TWO OF A SCRAPJACKS TEST GAME BATTLE REPORT

Previously, Occasional Tom’s Scrapjack crew cleared the first section of a drifting bulk freighter, the ISP Kuśala. All things considered, it went well; they scrounged up some salvage and they’re still alive.

In the airlock between MHUs, they decided to press on. After all, they’ve got a hefty loan from Vaststar Recovery Group hanging over their heads. Time to get back to work.

MHU 2 BREACH

Once again the crew stacks up, cycles the airlock, and heads into the next section. This time, the Objective is to recover a damaged work drone in the small repair bay on the far side of the room, and the MHU Conditions are ‘Power Loss’ which means dark and cold. (at least the gravity is still on)

They pass their reaction roll, deduct an Aircharge for the entry, and proceed.

Again, an open layout with no interior walls or dividers. Four Points of Interest and one minor Objective.

WHO’S AFRAID OF THE DARK?

This is deep space, but no sense fumbling around the interior of a drifting space ship in the pitch black if you don’t have to. Besides, problems are inevitable out here, so it’s better to see what you’re dealing with.

The Patch moves to the nearest POI, finds an access panel, and restores the power. Fortunately, the crew found a Power Cell in the previous MHU, so they didn’t have to spend another valuable Aircharge to restart the local system.

Four down. Six remaining.

“Let there be light…“

SWEEP AND HITCH

The rest of the team fans out to the closest Points of Interest. The Torch straight ahead. The Rigger and Yard Dog to the right. The Torch and Rigger both clear their POI locations, one of which is an Emergency Aid Station containing a Med Kit, a Patch Kit, and an Aircharge. Score.

That was the good news.

Hitch roll and the bad news looks a lot like claim-jumping, air-stealing, algae-sucking pirates. Four of them with coil pistols and vibro knives.

One shoots the Patch in the back. The others zero in on the Yard Dog and the Rigger. Their shots either go wide or luckily, are deflected by the EVA’s meager armor.

Note about injuries in Scrapjacks.

EVA suits have limited self-sealing capability. Some weapons cause a wound, others a suit breach and a wound. Wounds need a Med Kit. Suit Breaches require a Patch Kit on top. And unattended Suit Breaches will drain the crew’s Aircharge supply. (this deep space work is tricky.) So stock up on Med Kits as well as Patch Kits.

GETTING PUSHY

Once again, the room is crowded. Three pirates surround the Rigger and the Yard Dog. The Yard Dog activates and drops the nearest pirate with his riot gun. The Yard Dog spends an Aircharge to Push. He fires at the second pirate. Misses. He Pushes again – two Aircharge this time – and hits. Two pirates down. Watching the Aircharge supply drop, he holds off trying a third Push. (Aircharge costs increase for each Push in the same turn.)

The Rigger draws his Coil Pistol, moves to range and takes out the third pirate. Meanwhile, the Torch clears his POI and heads to the drone bay Objective.

The Injured Patch can’t shoot and doesn’t want to risk melee with a vibro-knife, – they inflict Wound and Suit Breach – so he bounces over to the Torch, out of range of the pirate.

HITCH – SCRAPJACK’S LUCK

One pirate standing at the entry door on the far side of the room, but it’s the Hitch phase. The roll for Hazards and Hostiles comes up (drum roll, please)

CLEAR – Scrapjack’s Luck. Take it and don’t ask questions.

Cue ‘huge sigh of relief.’

The Rigger clears his POI then moves to the exit. The Torch and Patch start working the Objective. (multi-step, multi-action task) The Yard Dog goes in to the kill.

“The only good pirate…“

He drops the last enemy and heads to the exit. The crew may be pushing their actions but they don’t want to push their luck; they decide to take what they have and exit the MHU.

Tallying the salvage, they’ve hit their minimum lien repayment for a crew their size. Everything from here on is profit. But all that Pushing means their Aircharge is low.

They need to call it: do they press on, trusting the tin saints of Armstrong, Aldrin, and Collins they’ll find what they need? Or do they radio for an Extract?

Decisions, decisions…

That’s it for now. Test games and writing continues. Scrapjacks is on track to release early next year.

Thanks for stopping by.

Oh yeah…

And on a totally unrelated note, the Graveyard Encounter board is done. There’s always some do-gooders itching to clean the place up. Thankfully the residents are always dead-excited for visitors.