HAWKs New Year's Eve Gaming Party

As has become the tradition, every NewYear's Eve, HAWKs member Buck Surdu and his family host a gaming party for the club.  This year we got to play two fun miniatures games, and a couple boxed tabletop games before the clock struck midnight.
     The first game, run by Buck, was a large 14-player Pulp free-for-all using GASLIGHT rules.  It involved Nazis, Arabs, Cultists, US and other Allied Soldiers, Duke Morrison and his gang, as well as Indiana Jones and his buddies, The Sergeants Three, Lara Croft, and a host of others!  Everyone had their own objectives they needed to accomplish in order to score points. Highest points won.

An overview of the table for the Pulp GASLIGHT game.

      A Nazi archeologist had uncovered some artifacts at a pyramid on one corner of the table, and the group of French I was commanding along with a team of Main Characters, called The Wild Bunch, had similar objectives of killing Arabs, and stealing the artifacts near the pyramid. The French also had the task of destroying the Platypus statue that stood near the pyramid.

Carnage ensues in one of the towns as several factions fight for control of a truck.

   I started at the far end of the table unfortunately, so had to hike a considerable distance.  Luckily, a another player drove a truck nearby my French unit, and they were able to waylay it and commandeer it from its lone Arab driver and Boats Morgan who was standing on the running board trying to fight the driver himself.  However, no sooner had I stolen the truck, then a second one approached and I got greedy.  I thought I remembered that this truck only had a lone Arab driving it as well, so I only sent half my French unit to grab the second truck while the rest of the unit mounted on the first truck. To my surprise however, the second truck was bristling with angry gun-toting Arabs, who made quick work of the approaching Frenchman.  At that point the rest of the unit in the first truck, sped off towards their objective, while the going was good.

US Soldiers attempt to drive off the Nazi She-Wolves from the archeological site; as a mummy, awoken from his tomb, rampages.

     My other unit, the Wild Bunch, continued to hoof it on foot, and approached a ridge where a unit of Arabs had taken up position and were taking long range potshots at the Nazi She-Wolves guarding the artifacts at the pyramid.  I was hoping I could get up behind them and open fire before they turned around, but they got the initiative snd turned and charged at my unit.  A multi-turn melee then took placed, where the Wild Bunch and the Arab unit ground each other down until only one member of the Wild Bunch was left and a couple surviving Arabs had fled off the ridge.
     At this point the game was winding down, and my French had driven their truck straight trough the archeological site, crushing one of the artifacts and a couple of the Nazi guards as well. They pulled up the truck just next to the Platypus statue and jumped out and ran to the statue. The final activation deck of the game was begun, and when the French card was called I pushed the plunger on my dynamite charge, and blew the statue and the remains of the unit as well.  Only the French Captain survived, being blown clear of the blast; and the Platypus statue was destroyed.
    The game was a blast, and everyone had a great time! I ended up coming in second place with 20 points for destroying the statue.

My French Captain looks on at the wreckage as the Platypus statue, and his command, at the game's end.

      After a dinner break, we reconvened to play the traditional Santa-themed game.  This was run by Kurt Schlegel, and used the same desert terrain the first game did.  In this scenario Santa and his forces had traveled to the desert island lair of the Goblins to rescue some prisoners that the Goblins had kidnapped during their last raid on the North Pole.  I was given command of a unit of Teddy Bears, their cannon, and Hermie the elf (of dental aspiration fame!)  I was part of the main force tasked with clearing one of the two towns and searching for prisoners.

GM Kurt Schlegel, instructs a player at the start of the Santa Claus game.

     My forces were slowly ground down by Goblin archery fire from the town as I approached, and my cannon crew was eaten by the Goblins' dragon.  As I reached the outskirts, the Goblins charged forth and a big melee ensued.

Santa, his trusty sidekick Polar Bear, a clockwork nutcracker, Giant Minion toy, and the North Pole Elf Militia enter from one end of the town.

     After a couple turns of melee, the remaining Goblins fled, but my command had been badly mauled.  Luckily my co-commanders had done better, destroying or routing most of the Goblin army, so the Santa force was declared the winners.

My Teddy Bear forces prepare to assault the other end of town, as the Goblins line up on the outskirts and prepare to meet us.

     Afterwards we played a fun game of Red Dragon Inn, and the Star Trek game Five Year Mission, until midnight, when we toasted the New Year.   It was a great evening shared with friends and a great way to usher in 2016!

Red Dragon Inn!