With my new lights in place (having been put through their paces in my latest Walking Dead comic session) and a pressing need to complete one more Batman Miniature Game before the year end for my 6 X 6 challenge, we put together our last Batman game of the year.
We were using basically the same crews we’ve been running as both of us failed to paint up any new figures. We did change up Batman’s crew to give Fat Cop his much needed promotion to Sergeant but we were otherwise using the same crews.
Joker Crew:
- Joker (Leto version)
- Panda Man
- Eyeball Man with Grappling Gun
Brave and the Bold Crew:
- Batman (Frank Miller version)
- Alpha SWAT team
- Agent Ron
- Sgt. Winslow with a Whistle
Of course, having my new lights meant that we were going to try something we’ve been wanting to try since getting into this game: playing in the dark.
Low-light photography is a challenge under normal circumstances with good equipment and prep but I didn’t want to double or triple the gameplay time composing well placed long exposure images so I sincerely apologize for the terrible iPhone shots I took. It was really not as dark as the above image projects but cameras tend to over-emphasize their limits in these situations. It also won’t help that a good portion of our fight occurred the in the darkest corner of the map (that blackhole area at the bottom of the pic).
We start this tale with the Brave and the Bold (BatB) pulling their initiative token and having the Joker crew go first. The deployment set up meant I had to choose whether to keep my mobile Eyeball Man with Joker to give him a crazy opening movement bonus or have him run solo. I chose the latter and decided since my best objective (the 3 VP ammo crate) was in the opposite corner of the Batman Beat Stick, I’d pincer attack that spot.
Eyeball Man grapple guns out to my first objective, the Ace Chemical barrel (bonus VPs to the crew that controls one of their objectives first). BatB sends Sgt. Winslow out and through the sewers but realized too late that they placed their objective too far from the sewer opening.
Batman swings out to batclaw to his first objective, a Riddle box while Agent Ron starts towards the center of the map where there is a plethora of cover and hosts both out Loot objectives (which any player can control and take for VPs).
Panda Man gets a big movement buff from Joker and hauls ass out just past the other Ace Chemical objective and has an across-the-map sniper shot on the hapless Sgt. Winslow, seen just barely past the lamp post between the buildings. I take the long-range shot and I’m able to peg Sarge in the chest but his newly upgraded bulletproof vest takes the bulk of the force. Nice upgrade, otherwise original Fat Cop would almost be dead.
The end of the round proves a brutal revelation that the Riddle box objectives are not “controlled” but are “manipulated” and go away. This means that the BatB didn’t secure and control an objective at the same time as me so I get a nice little bonus 3 VPs in the first round.
The next round sees the BatB team pull their second (and last) initiative token. This is another blow as it means nothing but my tokens are left in the initiative bag and I’ll control the pacing of the game. We start lopsided on the token count (my three to BatB’s two because of the Kaos Agent power Joker has, removing one of his tokens and always shortening our games by one round).
Sgt. Winslow is still winded from taking an assault rifle slug in the chest and gets out of the light and blows his whistle at Eyeball Man, preventing him from doing any significant movement this turn. Eyeball Man got lucky last round as Alpha moved around the corner to block my Ammo Cr
ate objective and take a pot-shot. Luckily, Eyeball Man ducked behind (thanks to the sporting reminder of my opponent) and the resulting cover blocked the shot.
Deciding not to go anywhere, Eyeball Man unloads on Alpha and hits with four shots. Alpha is caught out in the open so there are no Ping! rolls to block the hits but he is sporting a bulletproof vest as well and that knocks two of the wound counters to stun markers while the other two draw blood.
Alpha is not looking good so he retaliates against Eyeball Man and is able to land three hits but rolls horribly and only deals 4 damage. With one life remaining, Eyeball Man is still barely up.
Agent Ron, pissed that Winslow got the big promotion decides to give himself a raise and steal my loot token. The greedy SOB is in pissing distance of nabbing his own sides loot as well. With all the action happening in the dark corner, no seems to care.
Speaking of that dark corner, since I had control of initiative, I sent Joker through the sewer to pop up near Alpha (who, after peppering Eyeball Man, ran back to hide in cover). Panda Man also sauntered up so that at the beginning of round three, Joker leaps the little barricade and beats Alpha down to the ground. Unconscious but alive, Panda Man then walks his tubby-ass over and curb stomps with his, now poisoned, boots (courtesy of the Ace Chemical objective he was near earlier). The poison and curb-stomping take its toll and Alpha is no more. Eyeball man arrives in time to control my Ammo crate.
Agent Ron takes control of the other Loot objective but doesn’t pick it up while Batman takes up a strategic placement in the middle.
The BatB are hurting for points and I’m camped in a place to give me VPs that will either further my lead or keep it intact.
Batman takes to the air and batclaws up to the building my crew has congregated behind. He figures he’ll be able to reach someone and beat them down before the night is through.
I decide to make a gamble and go through the sewers to pop up right behind the greedy Agent Ron. With one last clip in the gun, I plan on mowing down the hapless Agent and take the loot we came for.
The last round begins and I open fire on the surprised Agent Ron. I need 3s to hit the SOB but roll nothing but 1s and 2s. Luckily, Panda Man gets one reroll and it does hit but it’s not enough to drop Ron. Stupid sewer water jamming up my gun!
Batman makes his hail mary play and swoops down on Joker. Having no line of sight on Batman at the beginning of the round, I knew I’d be helpless to defend against the ensuing beatdown so Joker just smiles and takes it in classic style. Batman lands five of six hits (needing 4+ to land a blow) and I start to get worried. I know he can’t arrest Joker in time but dropping me unconscious will give him a healthy 4 VPs. The hits rain down but only two deal damage (for four stun tokens) so I’m halfway up.
Joker put all his action counters in attack and decides to return the favor. After the dust settles, I also deal four stun tokens so a pretty even exchange.
Joker then runs over the Ace Chemical objective to score out some additional points. Eyeball Man takes his chances and sprays Batman but after the Ping! and Batarmor rolls, only lands two damage.
The game ends with the Joker crew keeping their lead intact to win the game.
Joker Crew: 19 VP
Brave and the Bold Crew: 11 VP
An interesting game as the spread out deployment of crew and objectives seemed to work in my favor as my opponent set up some strategies that neither of us realized would fail until it was too late.
Really enjoying the cinematic feel of this game and can’t wait to develop my full Joker, Suicide Squad, and Brave and the Bold crews to play through the Suicide Squad scenario campaign in 2018. Hopefully.
Doug
That looks soo good in the dark.