Pike & Shot & Zombie AAR

Sunday finally saw the role out of my first PS&Z game, I decided on using the starting scenario at the back of the rule book, but also liknk it to the previous encounter based upon the landing of the Armada.

The survivors are being pursued by Spanish forces when they reach a deserted village if the survivors are to have a chance of survival if they reach the ferry and cross the river.
The path that leads down to the river crossing, passes through a deserted village. Which has the stench of death about it. Who knows what the Pope has sent to this land to drive out our good Queen.

 

The Southern end of the Village

 

View from the Ferry and safety

Stephen Danes rules have some excellant mechanisms such as the firing rules which force players to decide between distance and impact, the incident cards give a great feel for the game as they pit the survivors against the undead hordes.

6 Survivors means 6 Arrival points, what is refreshing as the umpire is you decide where to place the Zombie arrival points to hinder the survivors.

Deployment
The survivor figures will begin the game at one end of the table (on the opposite side to the ferry). A small group of undead will be placed in a blocking position along the path, in a location where the survivors have line-of-sight.  I selected right in front of the village.

On with the game....

 

Turn one and the players appear to be an easy match for the sambling horde, although their pot shots appear to be having little impact on the bodies of the undead. What is a reassurance is that the Zombie movement is some what limited compared to the human survivors.
The players split and each head in separate routes each attempting to reach the ferry first.

  

William Cornish breaks through the hedge row and unearths the first burial ground, drawing 5 Zombies from the evil ground. He lets off a quick round and rounds for the West of the Village with the Zombies in tow.

To the East of the village Daniel Fanshaw a rich land owner from the Dover area, stubbles into the second arrival point, he is set upon by two zombies but fights them off. Without a scratch.

Ernisto Cortez a spaniard recently captured by the English by passes the arrival point as the zombies begin to mass as they breakground. But he is free and having no armour is able to out run the walking dead.

 

Mean while back in the West, William Cornish and John Miller are cornered faced with Zombies to their front and rear. They are able to shot several but the dead just keep on coming and the noise and smoke bring more zombies to their position.

 

Daniel Fanshaw and Ernisto Cortez rush down the main road, triggering two further arrival points, they evade the grabbing hands of the dead and head for the Jetty. The ferry is only fit for 4 of the survivors any more and the vessel might capsize.

 

Daniel Fanshaw holds his ground on the jetty as he stands ready to face the undead horde as the others hack at the rope attempting to free the vessel.

 

The ferry drifts to safety as the undead gather on the shore line, but what of Cornish and Miller?