Golden Die - A Secret Agents AAR

On June 16 2013 a group of us joined together at a League of Ancients meet in Melbourne for "Golden Die - A Secret Agents Game" designed and run by Jan. The game was originally planned for Little Wars Melbourne 2013.

Mission:
The stolen European rocket has been identified on surveillance photos taken recently by a navy plane flying over a remote island in the southern pacific. We assume Dr X is manufacturing atomic material with the help of a group of abducted scientist and plans to launch the rocket using his newly developed X-rocket-fuel. You will be dropped off in a native village and make your way through the jungle towards the launch site. Obtain the formula for the X-fuel, destroy the atomic manufacturing plant, gain intel on Dr X’s other lairs (most likely stored on data tapes) and free the scientists and prevent the launch of the rocket.

Cast of Characters:
Agent J (Shaft), Close combat specialist - Bruce
Diana Briggs (Diana Rigg), Kung Fu specialist - myself
006 (007), a gentleman - will never shoot a lady - Lon
Lord Smythe, tech specialist - Mark
Jason Prince (Jason King), reroll golden dice - Richard
Ian Flaming (Ian Fleming), medical knowledge - Tyler

Some of the Villians:
Dr X:

Dr X's goons:

Bikini babe:

Crocodile:

Russian henchman:

Fembot:

Rules Overview:
The rules were designed by the GM, Jan, and were a simple mechanic based on a D6 for convention play. Each player had three actions per turn (move, shoot, dodge, etc) but couldn't perform an action more than twice. In addition to the normal dice, each player also had a Golden Die which acted as a super reroll die.

Each player had a number of wounds that if you had taken too much damge, the number needed to succed at certain actions would increase to reflect the dificulty in suceeding while you were bleeding everywhere.

The beginning of the mission, with our secret agents just on the other side of the river of the evil Dr X's secret rocket lair:


The rocket waiting to be assembled:


And it won't be easy to get to, as it's heavily guarded:


By Dr X's minions who are ready for action:


Back to our secret agents, who encounter a gang of bikini babes with samurai swords and machine guns:


All, bar one, are dispatched. The survivor is taken to one of the huts to be "interrogated" for a couple of turns by 006. This is when the rest of us had a feeling we wouldn't be able to rely on him to stop Dr X. The other agents leave him behind as they punch their way on through. 006 might have had the right idea though, as the jungle and river turn out to be crawling with giant carnivorous plants, wild dogs, huge snakes and hungry crocodiles.

Eventually though, one by one, our agents make it across the river. Mr Prince is not too impressed he had to get his suit wet:


Some of the men get "that feeling" that one of the warehouses has a damsel in distress:


And call out to the Russian goons that they should come out and fight:


Mr Flaming and 006 climb the roof of one of the outhouses as it offers a clearer vantage point to shoot from... and to be shot at:


This works in 006's favour, as the elevation allows him to jump onto the Russian goons declaring "That's the problem with you Russians, always bringing guns to a foot fight."

These actions are not stopping the technicians from assembling the rocket:


The gun fight between the minions - not to mention Agent J taking the right flank and facing the flamethrower maniac ALONE (why do these things always happen to the token?!) - draws out a scientist with some lovely fembots:


"Easy!" we all think, until their friend joins the party:


006, going at it alone (AGAIN), gets to the unguarded warehouse where our damsel is tied up:


No sooner is the President's daughter untied does she quickly make a break for it, she has heard of 006 and his collection of STDs:


Mr Prince and Lord Smythe wish they were chasing a girl, instead of being chased by an angry iron man:


Mr Prince's clever ability of taking on the robots single-handily allows Lord Smythe to fire his pen missile launcher at the rocket, successfully disabling it, and allow Diana Briggs to get healed from almost certain death by Mr Flaming for a second time:


The final scene sees Lord Smythe confront Dr X (not before having the French scientist pour acid over his face), and just as he's about to kill Dr X, Agent J crashes through the back window and takes him out instead:


Was a very fun game, lots going on, plenty of bad accents and great one-liners.

Force on Force - Contracting Trouble! AAR

Afghanistan 2006.

An SUV carrying two civilian contractors has been hit by gunfire as it moved through one of the city's red zones. UAV footage indicates that the contractors are injured but alive. The contractors have held the small group of insurgent gunmen who attacked their vehicle at bay for nearly a quarter of an hour, but more armed men have been spotted converging on the disabled SUV.

French Foreign Legionnaires, entering from the south, must locate the contractors and escort them off the south or west table edge. The contractors are wounded and out of ammunition by the time the Legionnaires arrive on the table and may not fire on the insurgents.

I played my first game of Force on Force, and we played the introductory scenario to asymmetric encounters: "Contracting Trouble!". I controlled a squad of FFL (consisting of two fire teams of 4 men with FAMAS assault rifles, a Minimi LMG and an M203 grenade launcher each). A lieutenant was also along for the ride.

The view from the south to the disabled SUV and contractors:

The two contractors:

The first fire team and the lieutenant move up the main road at the double, hugging the wall:

Meanwhile the second fire team moves west to counter a group of insurgents at a hotspot:

These insurgents fall back, taking cover in a courtyard, thereby allowing the second fire team to shut down a hotspot:

This unfortunately leaves them in the open. The insurgents strike back in force, wounding three of them:

The first fire team is fairing a little better, neutralising insurgents on rooftops, but getting slowed down:

The last man standing from the second fire team doubles back to lend support to his comrades:

Having also taken heavy casualties, the first fire team has been pushed back into a compound, allowing insurgents to start to swarm around the flank:

In a last ditch effort, the Minimi gunner sprints to the SUV to grab the contractors:

Unfortunately this is too little too late, the three are gunned down and the game ends.

A fun, fast game. I made the error of getting bogged down in this mission. Will play it more (I am a fan of Flying Lead for smaller encounters), though I liked how this game has a very cinematic feel to it.