More pulp!

OK, maybe not this pulp.😝

However, I have been playing a heck of a lot of Pulp Alley lately, testing out the game system as well as the Leagues I’ve created.

I did 3 games of the Dangerous Delivery scenario (using the 42nd Special Forces and the Obscura Korps from my last batrep) where my league starts with 3 plot points in my possession and I have to make it off the table while the rival league prevents me. They can’t grab any plot points BUT any plot points left on the table at the end of the game belongs to them.

I have to exit the table directly opposite my deployment zone with all 3 plot points in my hand… or attempt to grab more plot points before I exit.

I basically only ended all the games holding 2 plot points. Either because 1 of my guys carrying one had gone out of action, dropping the plot point, or both of my non-leaders carrying the plot points went down while my leader managed to pick up a plot point before exiting the table.

I also think I made the rival league (the Obscura Korps) too tough. Which may not be a bad thing for a solo game.

After that I played a home brewed Lost World scenario which I’m in the process of making up the background fluff as I go along.

Here, my league (the Society for the Collection of Antiquities and Monuments) led by Lady Amelia Ponsonby have to find clues (minor plot points) that will lead to the entrance to the Lost World (major plot point). You can’t attempt the major plot point until you have 2 of the correct minor ones in your hand.

So in my first game the minor plot points were too far apart, not giving me enough time to grab 2 of the correct clues before attempting the major plot point. I plain ran out of time, even though I got a Reward that let me extend the game by 1 turn.

Hampering my league wasn’t another league but the scenario… various Lost World monsters (raptors, Axebeaks and primitive tribesmen) that will spawn randomly when any of my characters reach a trigger area.

The second game went down the wire. Down to the last dice roll of the last turn of the game. Lady Amelia successfully passed the peril… but failed the plot point challenge: a measly 1 success on Might. So I had it as it was an electrically charged trap that needed some strength to overcome. 

Jeeves (Lady Amelia’s sidekick) totally failed the peril before he could even attempt the challenge as he was wounded and also went down. Lastly, “Mad Hatter” Curran passed the peril AND the challenge, which was apt as he was the league’s tinker.

AAR: More and more I'm realising Pulp League does most of what I want in a skirmish game. It's PvP, co-op and solo-able. While you can activate who you want, it's not certain they can do what you want them to do (like THW's Chain Reaction sans the dice rolling). It's got opposed combat, where even though you're the attacker... it's not certain you can win the fight (again like THW's Chain Reaction system). The only thing I'm missing is the uncertain activation afforded by games like Strontium Dog/Star Breach with the dice/chit pull from a bag. 

A solo game runs quite fast, and I have some guys in my gaming group interested in PvP Pulp Alley so let's see how that goes later down the line.

Watch this space.