Wednesday 3 October 2012

My ATZ Campaign - Day 66 - Sunny's Revenge

It had taken weeks of searching but finally, Sunny, the leader of the Killer Klowns gang, had located where Team Vampifan were holed up. They were hiding in an industrial estate in the suburbs of Mayhem City. Tonight, Sunny thought, Team Vampifan would pay for slaughtering so many of his followers and Big Sil in particular, would pay for the beating he had given to Sunny. It was time for revenge.

CAST LIST - Team Vampifan
Vampifan - Rep:6 Star with Nerves of Steel and Slow attributes. Armed with Assault Rifle.
Ulysses Catweazle - Rep:5 Star with Brawler and Nerves of Steel attributes. Armed with Assault Rifle.
Wayne Connors - Rep:5 Grunt with Stone Cold attribute. Armed with Assault Rifle, BA Pistol and Body Armour.
Big Sil - Rep:5 Grunt with Knife Fighter attribute. Armed with Assault Rifle and Knife.
Gap - Rep:4 Grunt with Fear of Clowns Phobia. Armed with Assault Rifle.
Hannah Vaughn - Rep:5 Grunt with Stone Cold attribute. Armed with BA Pistol.
Jamie Vaughn - Rep:4 Grunt with Brawler attribute. Armed with BA Pistol.
Billy Vaughn - Rep:3 Grunt with Wuss attribute. Armed with Catapult.
Note that Team Vampifan are usually much better armed and equipped than listed above. However, six of them were asleep at the start of the encounter (Connors and Big Sil being the exceptions), so when the action started they could only grab one weapon - those listed above.
CAST LIST - Killer Klowns
Sunny - Rep 6 Star with Hellspawn* and Knife Fighter attributes. Armed with Knife.
Barney, Bubo, Clucky, Fred, Grosso, Yama, Zlinky and Zopov - Rep:4 Smart Zombies. Bubo was armed with a Shotgun. Yama and Zopov were armed with Impact 1 Improvised Weapons. The rest were unarmed.
*Hellspawn attribute denotes that Sunny is not human. He is a demon and as such he will not be attacked by zombies. Note that his Rep has increased since his first encounter with Team Vampifan. He has grown more powerful! I deliberately wanted him to be on a par with Vampifan.
The game was played on a 3' by 3' board, with north to the left of this photo. Note the absence of corpses on the streets. Team Vampifan had cleared them all away and burnt them.
The board was divided into nine sectors, each 1' square. Sector 1 was in the NE corner, where the three cars were parked next to the wood.
Sector 9 was in the SW corner where the hedge and grassland is situated. This encounter took place shortly after midnight on the morning of Day 66 in the suburbs of Mayhem City.
 SWAT Sergeant Wayne Connors was on guard duty at the start of this encounter and he took up position on the roof of the XLFSU (Extra Large Folding Structure Unit).
Inside the XLFSU, most of Team Vampifan slept. Big Sil was awake and sitting at the dining table, drinking a cup of coffee. He would replace Wayne Connors once he had finished his stint on guard duty.
I placed the three starting PEFs on the board and diced for their Reps. PEF:1 was Rep:4 and was placed in Sector 5 at the NW corner of the warehouse, just out of sight of Connors. PEF:2 was also Rep:4 and was placed in sector 2 behind the crimson car. Again, it was out of sight of Connors.
PEF:3 was only Rep:2 and was placed in sector 3 behind Vampifan's pick-up truck. It was also hidden from view of Connors.
I rolled for Lack of Sleep for Team Vampifan but no one was badly affected.

Day 66 - Sunny's Revenge
This was a Defend: Raid scenario, details of which can be found in the After The Horsemen or Final Fade Out books. It takes place at Night, so all visibility is limited to 12". Note that any references to the Better Dead Than Zed rulebook will use the abbreviation BDTZ and any references to the I, Zombie supplement will use the abbreviation IZ.
TURN 1   Activation - Vampifan = 3, PEFs = 4
PEF:1 passed 2d6 on the PEF Movement Table and moved into sector 8 at the NW corner of the XLFSU. PEF:2 passed 1d6 on the PEF Movement Table and moved towards the closest PEF, which was PEF:1. It ended up at the NE corner of the XLFSU. Both PEFs were now in sight of Wayne Connors and so, had to be revealed.The first two PEFs to be revealed were predetermined by me, meaning I didn't have to roll to see what they were. PEF:3 would be determined normally.
PEF:1 was Hostile NPCs - Sunny and a group of Smart Zombie Killer Klowns. There were nine Killer Klowns in total (see Cast List above for details). They disembarked from their van. Sunny deliberately left the engine running in order to attract more zombies. It was a tactic that had worked well at the Precinct 13 Police Station.
Two of the Klowns, Fred and Yama, emerged from a hatch in the van roof and charged at the SWAT Sergeant. Wayne took the Being Charged Test and passed 2d6. He fired his Assault Rifle at the Klowns. He hit Yama and knocked him down, but he missed Fred.
Smart Zombies use 2d6 in melee combat instead of the 1d6 used by normal zombies. However, Wayne rolled 5d6 (for his Rep)  and should have easily defeated Fred. He didn't. Fred beat him 1-0 after three rounds of combat. Wayne Connors keeled over with a bite wound and was Out Of the Fight. First blood to the Killer Klowns. Was this an omen of things to come?
Zombies do not cause an unrevealed PEF to show what it is, but Sunny wasn't a zombie and he was in sight of PEF:2, so I had to reveal what it was. It was more Hostile NPCs, only this time it was 12 zombies.
Big Sil shouted for everyone to wake up, but most of the team had heard the gunfire from above them and were already awake. Each member of the team grabbed one weapon (see cast List above for what they chose) and they stood ready to repel any intruders. The front and back doors of the building were closed but unlocked.
I rolled 9d6 for zombie reinforcements (6d6 for the van's engine running and 3d6 for Wayne's gunfire). Just three zombies arrived on the board. They appeared by the large rock in the woods across the street from the XLFSU.
TURN 2.   Activation - Vampifan = 2, Klowns = 3, Zombies = 4, PEF = 6.
Eight of the horde of twelve zombies entered the XLFSU but none of them were able to make contact with any of the members of Team Vampifan. This triggered In Sight Tests for the seven defenders. Vampifan, Catweazle and Billy passed 2d6 and could fire normally. Big Sil and Jamie passed 1d6 and were allowed to Snapfire. Hannah and Gap passed 0d6 and couldn't fire at all.
Team Vampifan's shooting was appalingly bad! Vampifan and Catweazle hit and killed one zombie apiece. Everyone else missed. I guess they weren't fully awake yet.
Sunny led Zlinko, Grosso, Bubo, Zopov and Clucky from the Killer Klown zombies inside and he immediately set eyes on Big Sil. (Remember that Smart Zombies can move further than normal zombies indoors, so they were able to leapfrog ahead of the zombies already inside.)
"Sillito, you're going to die, you fucker!" Sunny screamed as he charged at the hairy biker.
"I don't think so, asshole!" Big Sil retorted. He passed the Being Charged Test with 2d6 and fired three shots at Sunny. He hit once but could only score a Knock Down result. Sunny passed 2d6 on the Recover From Knock Down Test and was just momentarily stunned.
Even though he was OOF, Wayne Connors may have survived this encounter but his fate was sealed when Fred kicked him off the roof. The fall caused a second OOF result, but they don't stack. He lay on the pavement just a few yards away from two groups of ravenous zombies. Yama stood back up and he and Fred jumped back onto the roof of their van. Smart Zombies are allowed to move 3" after they stand up from being Knocked Down (see p.41 of IZ).
The sight of so many clowns entering the XLFSU caused Gap to have a panic attack due to his phobia. Fortunately, he passed 2d6 on the Panic Attack Test (see p.14 of IZ) and he was able to carry on as normal.
"Billy, Jamie, get over here behind me!" Hannah shouted in alarm. She wanted to shield her children from the horde of invaders. Both children complied immediately and took up position at the back door behind her.
Catweazle and Gap took a few steps forward to close in on Vampifan and Big Sil.
"Let 'em have it!" Vampifan ordered as he fired a burst from his G3 Assault Rifle. He hit twice and killed Clucky the Killer Klown and a normal zombie.
Catweazle shot and killed two normal zombies.
Big Sil killed a normal zombie. He also hit Zopov the Killer Klown but only knocked him down.
Gap killed just one normal zombie.
Hannah killed Grosso the Killer Klown and a normal zombie.
They had done fairly well with their shooting but they hadn't cleared the room and there were still a lot more zombies outside.
I rolled a total of 34d6 for zombie reinforcements. Nasty! I expected 11 to arrive and that's exactly what happened. Six emerged from the darkness at the NE corner of the XLFSU.
Another five emerged at the SE corner of the XLFSU at the junction to the warehouse loading bays.
TURN 3.   Activation - Vampifan = (5) 2, Klowns = (5) 6, Zombies = 4, PEF = 3
Team Vampifan and the Killer Klowns tied for Activation and had to reroll. Unfortunately, the Klowns won the roll off and went first. Sunny and Zopov stood back up. What happened next was probably the turning point of the game. Vampifan thought that Bubo the Klown was holding a trumpet. He was wrong. It was actually a disguised Shotgun! Bubo pointed it at Vampifan and fired. Normally, it is very difficult for a Smart Zombie to hit a target with a firearm. They need to roll a 6 on 1d6 followed by a second roll scoring 1-3. I felt confident that Vampifan would survive this attack, even though Bubo had 6d6 to roll to hit. Not only was I wrong, but Bubo made matters infinitely worse by scoring an Obviously Dead result on the Damage Table! Fortunately, because Vampifan was a Star, he could use the Larger Than Life advantage, which meant that any OD result by anyone with a lower Rep than the Star was converted to an OOF result. It also stated that this result did not apply if killed by a zombie. I may be wrong, but my view is this only applies when bitten by a zombie. Being shot by a Smart Zombie seemed wrong to the spirit of the game, so I decided that Vampifan was merely OOF. Even so, it was a major blow to Team Vampifan. The other members of the team took the Leader Lost Test and passed 2d6, meaning that Lieutenant Ulysses Catweazle was automatically nominated as new team leader.
Outside, Fred and Yama dropped down to the ground from atop their van. Back inside, Barney entered the room to stand alongside Sunny, whilst Bubo, Zlinky and Zopov charged Big Sil. He passed 2d6 on the Being Charged Test and fired his Assault Rifle at the trio. He only scored one hit on Zlinky but it was a fatal hit. By the way, I forgot to place a bullet marker next to Big Sil, but I did remember to count his shots when totting up the shots fired at the end of this turn, so no harm done.
Two to one odds were better than three to one odds in melee combat but Big Sill still had to split his 5d6 attack dice. He had not drawn his knife so he couldn't use his Knife Fighter attribute. He split his attack to 3d6 against Zopov and 2d6 against Bubo. He won 2-0 against Zopov and smashed the Killer Klown's brains in. Alas, against Bubo he lost 1-0 and the hairy biker fell to the floor OOF.
Now it was the zombies' turn to move. The five zeds at the SE corner of the XLFSU moved to the back door of the building.
The two groups of zombies crossing the main road moved closer to the front of the XLFSU. The four zombies standing at the front door suddenly surrounded the unconscious Wayne Connors and began to feast upon his warm flesh. Their feasting would last for four turns, as denoted by the red die in the photo above.
Catweazle fired three times at Bubo. he hit once but only scored a Knock Down. Bubo was living a charmed life! Then Catweazle's Assault Rifle went CLICK! CLICK! He was out of ammo.
"Oh, bugger!" he cursed.
Hannah fired twice at Sunny but missed with both shots.
Gap fired three times at the two zombies closing in on Vampifan. He and killed the leading one but missed the second one.
However, Jamie dealt with the second zombie as one of her two shots hit the zed in the side of the head.
Young Billy fired his catapult at Sunny but he also missed the Killer Klown leader.
I rolled 25d6 for zombie reinforcements and ten appeared in two groups of five. The first five appeared at the SW corner of the XLFSU by the stack of container units.
The second group of five appeared at the NE corner of the XLFSU in exactly the same place as the five zombies who were now at the back door.
TURN 4.   Activation = Vampifan = 1, Klowns = 3, Zombies = 4, Pef = 2.
The zombies at the back door opened it and charged Billy and Jamie in the rear. The kids each passed 1d6 on the Being Charged Test. They could not fire but they could fight, albeit with a -2d6 penalty each. One zombie attacked Billy, whilst two attacked Jamie. Billy only had one attack die, the same as his zombie attacker. The way things were going for Team Vampifan it was almost inevitable that he lost his combat. He fell down OOF. Jamie split her 3d6 into a 2/1 combo. She easily killed the first zombie attacker, winning 2-0 but she tied with the second one. I was very grateful she didn't lose!
Three zombies by the front door moved inside the XLFSU. The other zombies at the front of the building joined in on the feasting of Wayne Connors.
The two groups of five zombies at the rear of the building joined forces with the four at the back door to form a horde of 14 zombies.
The Killer Klowns moved next with Sunny charging Gap and Barney and Bubo charging Catweazle. Gap passed 1d6 on the Being Charged Test . He could melee normally but he could not fire beforehand. Catweazle passed 2d6 on the same Test and he too, was able to melee normally. If he hadn't have run out of ammo he could have fired at the two Klowns before they reached him. Sunny rolled 7d6 against Gap's 4d6 and he slaughtered him, winning 3-0. One sweep of Sunny's large knife decapitated Gap. Catweazle dropped his Assault Rifle and sensibly decided to take on the two Killer Klowns bare-handed. He naturally split his 6d6 into two 3d6 attacks, giving him a 1d6 advantage over both opponents. However, he rolled incredibly badly and both Klowns beat him 1-0. He fell Out Of the Fight, bleeding from two bite wounds. Hannah and Jamie passed 2d6 on the Leader Lost Test and now Hannah became team leader.
PEF:3 passed 1d6 on the PEF Movement Table and moved into sector 6 at the side of Hannah's parked white car. It was in sight and in cover of Jamie. I rolled on the PEF Resolution Table to see what it was and scored a False Alarm result.
Hannah made the only wise decision left to her. She grabbed hold of Billy and lifted him in her arms. She fired at the two zombies standing at the back door, blocking her way. Her aim was true and she hit and killed both of them with accurate head shots.
"Come on, Jamie!" she cried, fighting back tears that were ready to spring forth. "We have to get out of here. Run, dear, run!"
Because she was holding Billy, I reduced the distance that Hannah could run making a Fast Move by 1d6, but she was still able to exit the board. Jamie broke off her combat with the zombie and sprinted after her mother with a Fast Move of her own.
It was all over. Team Vampifan had lost and were no more. There was no point in rolling for zombie reinforcements as the game was well and truly over at this point.

AFTERMATH
Sunny beheaded Vampifan and Catweazle to add to his collection of severed heads. The zombies literally tore apart the bodies of Vampifan, Gap, Catweazle and Connors. Sunny took Big Sil and his surviving Smart Zombies, Barney, Bubo, Fred and Yama back to his Circus Big Top HQ. Big Sil died a most excruciatingly painful and prolonged death as Sunny tortured him repeatedly for days and days. Sunny's revenge was complete!
Billy recovered from his wound but it was short lived. He succumbed to the zombie virus and died. Hannah shot him in the head just as he transformed. Even though she knew it was the right thing to do, it broke her heart. Despite losing this encounter, neither Hannah nor Jamie lost a Rep point for their failure.
Before I began this encounter, my friend Joe/Zabadak asked me if this was going to end up like the Alamo or Rorke's Drift? Both are excellent historical analogies. I had no idea how it would end due to the vagaries of dice rolling. One thing I did know was that there would be no quarter asked by either side. This was all out war and there could only be one winner. Well, the dice gods decided it was going to be Sunny and the Killer Klowns. Team Vampifan had some appallingly bad luck with the dice. Note that they never once won Activation. I'm not blaming that wholly for their defeat but it was certainly a factor. Looking back on it with the advantage of hindsight, I should have employed different tactics by Team Vampifan. Instead of staying inside they should have left by the back door, split up and employed hit and run tactics against the enemy. Special mention must go the Bubo the Smart Zombie, who put Vampifan, Big Sil and Catweazle Out Of the Fight. And he survived a few hits as well. Truly, he was the "Man of the Match!"
Despite the result not being what I wanted at least I can say that my ATZ-BDTZ campaign came to a natural conclusion. I have learnt a lot from this campaign, which will stand me in good stead when I start my ATZ-FFO campaign. But most of all, this campaign has been a hell of a lot of fun. I've thoroughly enjoyed it and I hope you have too. Thanks to you all for your enthusiastic support and comments. I'm sorry it didn't have a happy ending but sometimes shit happens!

81 comments:

  1. Good bye Vampifan and gang! We will miss you! RIP!

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  2. Blimey. Just had to break my blog silence for this. I feel flat now. The bad guys won! Oh Justice! Why did you forsake Team Vampifan?

    Still, with that outburst over, another great battle report. One thing I've enjoyed throughout all of your reports is that you always accept the results of dice rolls, good and bad. It makes the story unfold in a much more organic and surprising way that is great to read.

    I'm still shaking my head and tutting in disbelief. Poor old Sil. He really went through the wringer in this campaign, didn't he? Hope he has better luck in the FFO campaign.

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    1. I love the fact that you felt compelled to break your silence on this, Jon. Welcome on board.

      This could only have ended in total victory for Vampifan or Sunny. The dice gods decreed it would be Sunny who would emerge victorious. Naturally, I wanted the happy ending for Team Vampifan but I certainly had no intention of cheating to make that happen. They got beaten fair and square and that's all I can say.

      Big Sil certainly suffered more than any other character in this campaign. I agree with you, I hope he has better luck in the FFO campaign.

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  3. that was an end like few. Usually people want to keep their heroes alive, but they didn't this case.
    Good report as usual, and very much in media res, with little time to respite. We could sense the panic and the urgency.

    Looking forward to reading the new story

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    1. Cheers, Cedric. I'm looking forward to the new campaign.

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  4. A shocking end! More 'Dawn of the Dead' than 'Zombieland'!

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    1. Or indeed the original "Night of the Living Dead" Frank.

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  5. A great end for a great campaign, i have to say i enjoyed it more than any other batreps iv read, cant wait for the new campaign

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    1. Many thanks for the kind words, Shintokamikaze. They mean a lot to me.

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  6. Bloody hell, it was a slaughter!! Team Vampifan are no more....until the next campaign that is!! Extra bonus points have got to go to Hannah and Jamie, for just surviving the hell hole!!

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    1. It was a slaughter, Ray. As for Hannah and Jamie, sometimes the best tactic is to run away.

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  7. Ouch, indeed! Sorry to see Team Vampifan wiped out so dramatically. Certainly fits the genre though... Wondering if Hannah and Jamie will reappear in the new campaign?

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    1. Thanks, Ironmonk. I see no reason why Hannah, Jamie and Billy won't appear in my next campaign. After all, I'm starting with a clean slate.

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  8. Superb campaign, thank you so much for sharing your scenery, games, vitories and heartbreak with us!

    I'd like to see the ongoing adventures of Hannah and Jamie...

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    1. Many thanks, Barks. I have grown very fond of Hannah and her family, so it seems certain that I will bring them back in my new campaign.

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  9. Truly a spectacular end and only one survivor more than Little Big Horn (on the good guy's side at least).
    I'd like to see Hannah and Jamie as leading figures in your next campaign.

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    1. Thanks, Joe. The answer to the question you asked me a week or so ago is now patently obvious - this was more akin to the Alamo than Rorke's Drift. The Battle of the Little Big Horn is also a very good historical analogy.

      There seems to be a lot of love for Hannah and Jamie, and rightly so. I will bring them back in my next campaign as soon as I can.

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  10. WOW

    More than any historical scenario I can think of, this felt like the end of a zombie movie. As you mentioned, it's certainly appropriate for the genre, and I found it to be fantastic, albeit really rough.

    When you end a campaign you END a campaign sir.

    I can't wait for the FFO campaign to start!

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    1. Varangian, I think it only fair to say that you have been one of my most enthusiastic supporters and I truly appreciate all of the comments you have left. We all like to see and read about happy endings but in the zombie apocalypse genre that is never guaranteed.

      I am so stoked up for the FFO Campaign that I can't wait to get started. Come on, Ed, get the book released, already!

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    2. I'm looking forward to seeing where you take the next campaign, especially with an eye towards stopping the zombie mega-hordes before they start! It'll be interesting to see how much of Mr Page's work you'll be able to incorporate into the game.

      There's a book called Zone One: A Novel. It deals with, oddly enough, a post-apocalyptic zombie pop culture. It's full of little things that make complete sense when you think about how people would handle this sort of bizarre, horrific situation. The main character is an outrageous cynic, and I think you might find some of his axioms interesting... After the disaster of my last recommendation I'm leery of even mentioning it of course!

      Will you consider running this next one in the UK?

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    3. Vampifan's goal of amassing a large enough army to take the fight back to the zombies remains intact for the new campaign. It just makes so much sense to prevent the zombies forming mega-hordes.

      I haven't heard of "Zone One" before but you have intrigued me enough with it to order it from Amazon. Hey, I'm always happy to go off other people's recommendations. Even if I don't like the book (it very rarely happens) I'll give you an honest opinion and tell you why I didn't like it.

      The new FFO campaign will still be set in Mayhem City in the USA. The number one reason for this is to do with my collection of buildings and road tiles, which are very much American based. I have thought about running ATZ in the UK but it would involve far too much work making and/or converting scenery.

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    4. I'm not sure where else to put all of this...

      I picked up FFO! I picked up the rest of the PAW stuff as well, I'm pretty excited to get some gaming in. Thanks for keeping so many of us excited about it!

      Did you see Sean T. Page's new book, Meta-horde: A Ministry of Zombies Novel? He appears to have partnered with another writer to bring it out. The brief on it makes it appear pretty interesting.

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    5. Whoa, you're ahead of me there, Varangian! I had no idea that Sean Page had brought out a novel. The title alone suggests to me that this is a "must have" book. I'm off to Amazon now to check it out. Many thanks for the heads up.

      I hope you enjoy FFO and get many hours of happy gaming out of it.

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  11. Wow! I have to say it one more time, Bryan...youre campaign is a huge enjoyment. I was just thinking today, that I'd like to start my campaign, even if not everything is really ready, and this report is just what i needed to "tip my scale".

    I also feel the need to mention how cool all the clowns look. I must say they were my favorite, although they ended your campaign. Then again, it all ended very cinematic and thats what counts the most!

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    1. Thanks, Mathyoo. It really heartens me that my batreps can have such an influence on others.

      I was quite surprised at everyon's reaction to the Killer Klowns when I first introduced them. They just took on a life of their own and for a storyteller that is pure magic.

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  12. Yet more splendiferousness form VtG! Well done sir!

    As has been said before, I'm looking forward to the next incarnation!

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    1. "Splendiferousness" has now become my word of the day, Colin! I'll have to see how many ways I can use it in everyday conversation.

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  13. Well now you can reboot with Son of Vampifan or Vampifan 2. Bummer the way it went down but in zombieland it seems like the inevitable. You just get swarmed. Waiting with interest on the new campaign.

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    1. Yes, the ATZ campaign will be rebooted with the FFO rules, so this is only a temporary farewell to Team Vampifan. A new and different version will appear soon.

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  14. Oh dear poor old Team Vampifan. I'm susre Jamie has a musical bent and'll write the 'Ballad of Team Vampifan' that they'll sing in their new base when the wine and beer flows freely again!

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  15. So many smart zombies...A daemon....LOTS of zombies.....

    They will be missed and they will be remembered!!!

    Damn that was a hard fight!! Uphill struggle all the way as they were cornered from the start and then surrounded!

    Looking forward to the next campaign. As my own is still just starting I am going to transfer the characters to the new one.

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    1. Team Vampifan went down fighting but on this occasion the odds were against them.

      In your case, Johnny, it probably is a good idea to transfer your characters to your new campaign.

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  16. Team Vampifan is no more sob sniff sniff...... What a game. Cracking report Bryan and a sad end to this campaign of yours.

    Look forward to the next one when the new rules arrive.

    Hannah will we see her again.............who knows.......

    FIN

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    1. To quote a line from Mike Oldfield's "Amarok" album, "But as we all know, endings are just beginnings." And so it is. As one campaign ends, a new one will begin. Let's not be too sad at the death of this Team Vampifan. A newly reincarnated Team Vampifan is on the way.

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  17. I thought the same about staying indoor : bad idea. Nice last stand though and as long as there is survivors, there is hope !

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    1. Hindsight is a wonderful thing, Ulu. Staying indoors was a bad idea. Yes, I was glad that Hannah and Jamie survived so that someone could tell the tale of Team Vampifan.

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  18. Fantastic finally. I had a feeling things would go bad after the first PEFs were revealed, with so little space to fight. The Team did have bad rolls though, which was unfortunate. However, with you knowing this was the end of the campaign, at least it went out with a bang.

    Can't wait until FFO starts.

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    1. I think that everyone will agree that this campaign went out with a bang, Adam. Indeed, at one point I was going to call the scenario "Going Out With a Bang!"

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  19. Way to put the big bow on this excellent package. I enjoyed your whole campaign sir. The zeds having a boss is an excellent idea. That they won is.... disturbing, yet realistic. Well done!

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    1. Thanks, Charles. I thought long and hard about Sunny's character and reading the entry about Evil Clowns in the GURPS Horror supplement inspired me to make him a demon. Making him non-human just made so much sense.

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  20. Thank you for sharing your ATZ campaign all the way to the bitter end! It's been a blast following Team Vampifan one scenario after another, and your narration have been excellent. Thank you! =)

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    1. And thank you for being such a fervent follower.

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  21. Damn that was grim reading. Entertaining (hugely so) but grim. I agree with you're call r/e Vampifan being just OOF rather than obviously death by way. Very much adhering to the spirit (and intentions) of the law rather than the letter.

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    1. Technically, it would have been correct for Vampifan to die when shot by Bubo, but it felt so wrong to me. I'm sure that Stars should not die if shot by a Smart Zombie. I'm glad you agree with me, LL.

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  22. R.I.P. Team Vampifan (v1)!

    Now, that was quite unsuspected and I seem to be missing the words right now. Great batrep and very true to the genre, but bitter, very bitter... And was it just me or was that the most fast-paced batrep so far? I was expecting Vampifan to rise back up and fight to the end or have the place booby-trapped or something all the time and when it was over, I really could not believe it.
    Seems the dice gods weren't on their side this time. Curses!

    Well let's hope Team Vampifan v2 fares better :)
    So looking forward to the FFO-Version.

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    1. Many thanks, Stefan. Despite me having to take time out to take photos and write notes, this was a fast-paced game. I was very surprised that it was all over in just four turns. Damn, but that was quick! The dice gods were not on Team Vampifan's side in this scenario. So many dice rolls worked against them.

      Team Vampifan version 2.0 should fare better, as I have all this experience to draw upon.

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  23. Great battle report, Team Vampifan will be missed..... :'(
    I'm really looking forward for your new campaign, I nearly can't wait!! ;)
    Will you play from day 1 or do you have different plans?? :)
    ciao

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    1. I think it is almost compulsory to start any zombie campaign from Day One, Gnotta, so the answer to your question is yes. I will start off my new campaign with the events of Day One.

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  24. I feel shock and sadness! Having grown to think of Vampifan et al as being indestructible I am deeply traumatised to learn he is a mere mortal! Still, at least the campaign ended as all good zombie stories must. On a downer, but with a glimmer of hope as the girl gets away.

    Thank you for a very entertaining series of reports.

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    1. When your Star gets to Rep:6, Rob, you do feel indestructible. But zombies are the great levellers and they don't play by human rules.

      By the way, I am now publicly following your own blog and I've added your blog to my list of ones that I follow. Apologies for taking me so long to getting round to it.

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  25. Great AAR, many thanks fro posting. I look forward to the exploits of the 'new' Team Vampifan under the FFO rules (Wish ED would hurry up and release them).

    Keep the dice rolling!
    Steve

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    1. Thanks, Steve. No need to wait for the release of FFO. It is out now. Yay!

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  26. Another great AAR. Thanks for sharing it with us.

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    1. I see Ed just released ATZ:FFO...

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    2. I just got a heads up from Ed himself, David, confirming that FFO is now on sale. REJOICE!

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  27. Wow, what a shocker this was! Really wasn't expecting that. Kudos on not chickening out despite Team Vampifan taking a brutal beating! I've really enjoyed reading these reports, great job Bryan.

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    1. It's always good to hear from you, Mikko. I'll freely admit that I wanted the happy ending but it wasn't to be and as so many others have said, this particular ending is so in keeping with the genre. Mayne the dice gods knew what they were doing after all. Go figure!

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  28. Bryan, I'm another long time fan who has forced to break blog silence by this fantastic finale to the Vampifan series - a shocking but appropriate ending. Thank you for one of the best sites this hobby has to offer and good luck with the new version!

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    1. It is always great to hear from those who have remained silent for so long, so I certainly appreciate you taking the time out to leave a comment, Chris. Thanks!

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  29. What a massacre! Just in time for FFO, but I guess this wasn't the kind of retirement you had planned for Team Vampifan. Old zombiehunters don't die, they shuffle away...

    The escape of Hannah and Jamie is a very nice detail, storywise. I am looking forward to your FFO campaign!

    Whiteface / Oliver

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    1. I knew that FFO was going to be released soon but what fantastic timing by Ed to release it now.

      As I've said before, Oliver, this was not the ending I was hoping for but I, too, am glad that Hannah and Jamie escaped.

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  30. Great! I already said: "I don't like Killer Klowns". R.I.P Team Vampifan.

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  31. Brutal end to a great series. It has been very enjoyable following the adventures of Vampifan. I am sorry to see them go.

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  32. Drained - I'm just drained after reading that. I was really hoping Big Sil would be Vampifan's avenger, but that was dashed.

    Of course, now I'm looking forward to the next adventure!

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    1. Big Sil being the hero of the hour would have been a good ending, Russ, but alas, it wasn't to be.

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  33. Fantastic Vampifan, its been very fun reading the adventures, sad to see the team go down but I look forward to seeing the new team.

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    1. Many thanks, The Extraordinarii. I can't wait to get started on the new campaign.

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  34. There is nothing I can add that has not been covered already. I roll dice like Conners as well. More often than one would think humanly possible, its a gift!

    As I have now started readding FFO It was great that you put some of the rule mechanics in the AAR as it took them from boring text to tabletop reality. And that has aided my understanding. I can see why you were selected to playtest. (Thumbs up).

    Inspired by you (and others of the ZBA) I shall be starting a FFO campaign as well (all this you already know of course). I anticipate a 2 week delay in starting, due to club dates, so expect to hear more on this subject in the near future. And it's great to know I can pick your brains (pun well intended) about rules etc.

    Thanks for a great AAR I am already looking forward to the next one!

    Post Script: I shall run my campaign from a new blog! (yes more things for you to join!!!)

    All the best, and keep up the GREAT aars Clint!

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    1. Many thanks, Clint. I have always tried to make my batreps instructional as well as entertaining. I am more than happy to help anyone out with rule queries, so if ever you do want help, just drop me a an e-mail, or leave a comment on my blog or get in touch with me on the Board of the Living Lead forum.

      It is probably a good idea to start a new blog for your FFO campaign. Of course you can count on me being a follower and I'll add your blog to my current list of favourites.

      I wish you the best of luck, Clint, and I hope you get as much enjoyment out of ATZ as I have.

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  35. What a entertaining campaign. Sad to see Team Vampifan go down like that but what a Zombie movie style ending! I have recently purchased FFO plus figures and buildings and look forward to reading your new FFO campaign.

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    1. Thank you, David. I wish you all the best with your own campaign. Just remember the most important rule of all - have fun!

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  36. I have really enjoyed reading all your Bat Reps Bryan. I am so looking forward to your new campaign using the new FFO rules. It is your blog, and others, and the various forums that I am a member of, that have inspired me to do my own zombie project. Your blog is my favorite and I really enjoy reading your reports and reviews and seeing all the work you do! I hope you will start again explaining the new rules as you begin the new campaign. I plan to start my campaign too and it will be a big help to work out the kinks in the rules and learn them. I plan to also start a blog about my progress with this project. Thank you so much for all the inspiration!

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    1. Oh and I forgot to say how exciting and sad this last battle report was! I really felt the loss of team Vampifan! It was like how I feel when survivors get killed on The Walking Dead! Oh well at least Hannah and her daughter got away! And I am happy that Team Vampifan will be back in the new FFO campaign! How soon will you start your new campaign? Really looking forward to that!

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    2. Many thanks for your comments, Darkoath. I'm glad that you like my blog so much. I am hoping to start my new campaign in a week or two's time. Not long now. I will be starting off with the Day One scenario. Ive had a few requests to keep the instructional elements to my batreps so I will continue in a similar vein to my BDTZ batreps.

      I wish you the very best of luck with your own blog and FFO campaign. Do let me know when you get started and if you have any questions you want answering just drop me a line.

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