Hordes Of The Thing Skirmish Zombie Game

Hordes Of The Thing Skirmish Zombie Game

I have done large HOTT games such as the Great War version -- Hordes of the Kaiser -- with 15mm figures on 25mm scale bases, as well as giant 25mm games. I had an idea of doing a "zombie" game in 25mm. I first thought doing with standard 25mm bases would work, but to do a mass game with zombies as hordes would take just too many figures. Then I thought of trying a HOTT "skirmish" game. Each element represents a single (or 2) entity. To this end I mounted 1 or 2 25mm figures on 15mm scale bases. The setting was 1950's-1960's. Zombies were put 2 to a horde size base (30mm by 40mm wide). I also had zombie dogs, so these were done as beasts, 2 to a base. The game had 50 zombie hordes and 25 undead beasts. This is 100 points. We had 3 players per side so went with 25 AP each

To combat these, I made up 100 points of the following, one figure to an element. Three players selected 25 AP with no limit as to types.

The terrain was laid out with my interlocking carpet tiles, back side flocked, facing up. Some were painted black to represent "strange areas." In these, 2 Zombies could be brought in with all other rules as for Lurkers, each Zombie bound. The Zombies were defenders with a factory from whence they came as their stronghold. If a living human were destroyed by a Zombie, there was a 50/50 chance it would change into a Zombie and be added to that player's roster. Roll die after human was destroyed, 1-2-3 = conversion. Once these were destroyed by humans, they could not come back; they were represented by a single figure zombie element.

The overall layout

Third Bound. The Humans advance into the Dark areas.

Close up of human right: Soldiers and State Police, with Tank and Copter advance through Strange Area with no surprise attack (yet).

On the left, my command, faces a column of undead beasts. I just destroyed some zombies that jumped us in the strange area.

This command is led by Einstein, on his left is a squad of police, on his right soldiers, a police car and his dog (live beast). Airboat plane about to attack the feasts in the flank.

My command is broken up. The plane destroyed and our dog. Zombies have arrived and are fighting the soldiers.

Soldiers lose but Einstein has a trick up his sleeve.

He takes out some beasts but more zombies come.

The Human center command is getting thinned out.

Most center combats were like this. 10 year old Caleb Fox was a vicious player!

Center broken: Losses = 2 state police (4 AP), and 2 soldier-heroes (8 AP) and a Cleric (3AP)

Einstein and his Dog take on 2 Hordes. I love this figure from the Murch Pulp Figures set: PHP 6 - Scientific Masterminds (with Victory Force left hand Tommy gun)

http://www.pulpfigures.com/catalog/php6.jpg

State Police ( Brigade Games) and City Police (Murch) arrive to help.

More support, but where is the chief? Out getting a donut.

In the end, the Human Center and Left commands broke, the Zombie Left was destroyed, but that Human group was one AP above breaking. The Zombies won this time, but the Humans are regrouping for another attack.

The game played well as a skirmish style affair. I would do this again.