5150: Bugs - Bad Decision AAR

Here's a step by step AAR for 5150: Bugs - Into the Tunnels.  

Billy Pink is a recurring Character in THW stories over a variety of genres. 

"Cestus V.  Ever heard anything about it?" Sooze asked. Motioning to the waiter for  more drinks, she continued. "I heard it's pretty nice. About time we get a gravy deployment."

Billy Pink downed the shot and smiled, shaking his head. "Have we ever had a gravy deployment?"

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5150: Bugs - Into the Tunnels has quick and easy Campaign rules. Let's get started.

1 - Choose the Time in the Campaign. Not concerned about the year (we use 2220 in the rules) just the month, because you get two  Missions per month. I'm going to use February.

2 - Campaign Morale for both sides. that's an easy one. Looking at the Campaign Morale Table we see the Bugs are a 5 and Gaea Prime Star Army is a 4.

3 - Now to see who Controls the planet and who is Contesting it. Roll 1d6 for each side and add it to their Campaign Morale. Bug total is 9 (5 + 4) and the Star Army is 7 (4 +3). Bugs are invading Cestus V. 

4 - First Campaign Mission is a Patrol. By the book the 1st Mission takes place at the Space Port. 

5 - Set up the table into the normal 3 x 3 foot configuration. I choose to have Billy's Squad enter section 7, the left-hand side of the table edge.

6 - Possible Enemy Force markers are rolled for and appear in sections 2, 3 and 6.

That's it - five minutes and two dice rolls and we're good to go.

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Activation Dice are rolled and a SA 2 and Bug 5 are rolled. Bugs win but cannot move as their Rep is 4. As the 3 is equal or less than Billy's Rep (5), the unit can move. I choose to move the Squad into section 4. I pick them up and place them in cover. No measuring required.

Except the Activation dice coming up  7 with the Bugs scoring higher means a possible Bug Hole. 1d6 versus their Campaign Morale and a 3 means the hole appears. Not good!

Rolling for How Many gives me 12 Bugs plus a Puker.

As both sides have finished moving Activation Dice are rolled again.  Bugs 2 Star Army 4 and here's where the bad decision happens. With the Star Army moving first, I could withdraw one section away from the Bugs and probably exit the table next turn. Except that means I've failed the Mission and Star Army Campaign Morale could go down to 3. When a side reaches "0", it loses the Campaign. I decide to stand and fight.

The Bugs activate and they move into the section occupied by the Star Army. The Puker is allowed to fire first and luckily it misses.

Now it's time for the Star Army to fire. 4 Bugs are Out of the Fight or Obviously Dead and one Halts in place.

They continue into melee and it gets real ugly fast. in fact, only Billy survives (being a Star has its benefits) but the other 5 Squadies go Obviously Dead or Out of the Fight.

Now that the shooting and melee is finished, both sides take the Will to Fight Test. The Bugs stay and Billy leaves - he was going to anyway as 5:1 in melee with Bugs...well, there's not enough Star Power to save him.

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I underestimated how tough the Bugs were plus, after playing the game, I went to check the Campaign Morale and read...

Take this test only if you were on an Attack or Defend Mission; skip this if you were on a Patrol.

Guess two bad decisions were made.

Check out the 5150: Bugs - Into the Tunnels Kickstarter.