Bad Jack is loose!

Lord Edward Ronan Curr has been given an opportunity to go hunting. And to hunt a reported monster no less! How could he refuse? With his custom hunting rifle freshly cleaned he assembles a select few from his Q Division and makes for a remote laboratory where the quarry was last seen...

The scenario

The scenario for this 250 point In Her Majesty's Name game was Bad Jack with the Pea Soup scenario complication.

A mutated laboratory experiment has escaped and is stalking the table killing anyone it comes across. The Companies must hunt it down. Lord Curr cautiously leads his section towards the location of the laboratory site, with strange, muffled sounds emanating from the shifting fog; the snapping of a branch, the sudden cry of a fox. Was that the sound of masonry falling? Maybe voices can be heard?  The company were understandably edgy as they gripped their weapons and silently followed their leader.

Soon, the laboratory became visible in the shifting fog. It was devastated. Its walls torn apart, with piles of jumbled timber, brick and mangled equipment separating the shattered shells of the former complex. And in the centre was their quarry. A large, powerfully built man-thing aimlessly lumbered over the ruins, solemnly moaning in frustration and anger...

Victory Points are awarded for each enemy leader or enemy figure taken out of the game, with bonus points if either company kills Bad Jack - whom we decided to move in a random direction each turn until 'it' comes into line of sight of any company figure, where it must move directly towards the closest. The Pea Soup complication has a dense fog descending over the area, with the sum of two D10 determining the visibility and maximum firing distance each turn.

Bad Jack: Pluck 2+, FV +4, SV n/a, Speed +2, Berserker, Fearless, Terrifying, Tough, Thick hide (Armour 10)

Turn 1, visibility 20"

Both companies cautiously approached the ruins. With the visibility down to 20" on turn 1, neither side were concerned with their rivals.  Bad Jack was the prime focus. The first random movement was rolled for the monster and it lumbered its 8" towards the Lord Curr's company. Although this was an early opportunity for his fighters, Lord Curr was wary of letting the creature within melee range. Meanwhile, The Victoria Palace company quickly headed towards the ruins from the opposite side, frustrated by the limiting fog and the fading sounds of the creature - was it getting away from them?  

Turn 2, visibility 10"

Bad Jack (top) approaches!

With visibility poor, Lord Curr used the time to split his fighters into two groups with his Incorrigibles making up the bulk of each. One group organised into a ragged line and deliberately made themselves visible to Bad Jack, hoping to lure it into their volley fire, whilst the second group headed around the woods to flank the monsters and get a bead on the ruins. The Victoria Palace Company continued their steady advance.

Turn 3, visibility 10"

The Incorrigibles, encouraged by the red-coated Captain Percival Smyth - now an experienced fighter after his recent dealings with the automaton in similar circumstances - and supported by the duel-pistol wielding Lady Felicity, unleashed a volley at Bad Jack. They were stunned as It seemed to have no effect. What's more, the creature picked up its pace and charged at captain Smyth, his Pluck holding up against the Terrifying abomination, as he desperately used his Military Rifle to parry jarring blows from the monster.

Turn 4, visibility 5"

Captain Smyth was still miraculously still fending off creature as one of his fellow Incorrigibles, Fighting Frank Fendley, attempted to raise enough Pluck to join in the melee, but his nerves unfortunately failed him. Seeing this, Captain Smyth managed to extricate himself from the monster and legged it towards the nearby woods. Meanwhile the Victoria Palace Company sought strategic positions, with a section of Grenadiers holing up in the ruins - one craftily climbing the remains of one lab section to gain a nice sniping vantage point. Queen Victoria flanked around the ruined section with her remaining staff, positioning for when the visibility cleared enough to provide targets.

Turn 5, visibility 11"

Lord Curr, sensing the danger posed by the murderous monster readying for another Terrifying attack on his fighters, finally let his howling and frenzied wolf-dog Dakota off the leash. The snarling beast quickly closed the distance and with a great leap sank its jaws onto one of Bad Jack's muscled arms.

With the combatants closing in and targets becoming visible in the lifting mist, Gunnery Sgt. Hamo Curren-Saul and the closest Incorrigible used volley fire on one of the Grenadiers in the ruins but the shots went wide, sending splinters of brick an dust to join the swirling mists. A second Grenadier responded by accurately landings a grenade right at the feet of the Gunnery Sgt. There was what seemed like a long pause as all the nearby combatants s braced for the expected explosion. Nothing happened. It was a dud!

The skulking Grenadier in the remains of the labs upper floor lobbed another grenade through a glass-blown window, this time at Lord Curr. Another dud! With Lord Curr shaken by such a close call and Queen Victoria herself attempting a speculative shot as well, he quickly recovered to turn his mood to deep anger as he made ready to charge Queen Victoria herself!

In the nearby woods the one of the Incorrigibles is in serious difficulty. The pistol and sword wielding Captain Thomas Paton of the Queen Victorian company is raining blows on the unfortunate fellow. With only his cumbersome rifle to fend off the attack, he soon falls victim to the captain's swordsmanship.  2 VPs to Victoria's company!

Turn 6, visibility 15"

But Captain Paton hadn't finished, his blood was up. He spots his opposite number, Captain Smyth, who, still recovering from his close call with Bad Jack, was limping over to assist Lord Curr as he tackled Queen Victoria. Captain Paton soon intercepts and the two captains fight it out with Smyth once again having to use his rifle to parry blows, this time from Paton's sword. But his foes' expertise  soon overwhelms the forlorn Smyth, taking him out of the fight. 4 VPs to Victoria's Company and two kills for Captain Paton!

Witnessing Captain Paton's heroic deeds encourages Head Butler Mr. Bridges to taken on the Gunslinger, Lady Felicity in hand-to-hand combat. How ungentlemanly! However the Lady soon escapes the brutal butlers clutches without harm. Similarly, Lord Curr catches up with Queen Victoria, but exhausted from his run the Queen, like Lady Felicity, easily disengages.

Bad Jack was still engaged in a vicious, snarling fight with the wolf-dog Dakota, supported by a grim-faced Incorrigible. The monster was enraged, with scores of scratches and deep teeth marks, ripping the creatures leathery skin. With a sudden, desperate lunge Bad jack lands a powerful blow to Dakota's head, knocking Lord Curr's companion unconscious to the ground.

With fog-bound darkness encroaching, and all combatants battered and exhausted and Bad Jack still raging, both leaders call their fighters to withdraw. Lord Curr, with two of his Incorrigibles down and seeing his faithful Dakota fall under the blows of the monster, he retreats to the safety of the woods with the remaining Incorrigible eventually disengaging and hiding from Bad jack, hoping it will eventually move off allowing Lord Curr to recover poor Dakota.

Queen Victoria, relishing an unexpected victory over Lord Curr's company, who initially had the advantage, decided to be prudent and not risk her battle weary staff  provoking the monster further. There was always another day.