Balls Deep

[gull2112]

Ball's Deep

Background:
All of Harold Ball's young life he had heard of the Gap. A pass in between two mountains that led the way to paradise. When he came of age he outfitted himself accordingly and explored the gap. After much searching he was at last able to penetrate the gap and discover the delights therein. Word spread of his discovery and he was forever beating off the interlopers. At long last he had enough, and he built a keep deep within the pass which came to be known as Ball's Deep. No one was ever able to penetrate Ball's Deep. Years went by and Harry was all but forgotten, nothing left but his ghost and the fortress known as Ball's Deep. Finally an army occupied the gap, but it was never able to get past Ball's Deep.
One crafty general had a secret and a plan. His secret was that of gunpowder. His plan was to get a load and drive it as far past the gap as he could get, maybe even as far as Ball's Deep, then he would blow it. Paradise would be his.
The plan was fraught with risk. The load was unstable and easy to spill or set off prematurely. It would take a steady hand to guide it in.

OBJECTIVE: This is for the attacker to get at least one unit into the Defender's deployment zone (Ball's Deep) in the third game along with the gunpowder card. At this point the game is over as the attacker blows his load in Ball's Deep and wins. Any other result is the defender's victory. If at any point the attacker is eliminated the defender wins.
The attacker gets a 2000 point force, included in this force is another card called the "load" which represents the load of gunpowder (see sudden death below). This force, minus its casualties, is used throughout the whole three game campaign. The defender gets a 1000 point army with which to defend. Game two is played with all the defender's starting units regardless of their status at the end of the previous game, but they are all in the yellow. Game three is played the same but all defending units start in the red.
Games one and two end as soon as an attacker's unit occupies the defender's deployment zone or until all defenders are eliminated. Game three ends as noted above.
Sudden death: If the defender manages to cause one wound on the gunpowder load it is assumed to blow and the attacker loses. Its stats are (0)0/0 1/1  MC  3.5". It begins each game in the attackers deployment zone (choose any spare card and mark it with 3 large X's).
The Map
Take an ordinary playing card deck or even a spare command deck, to represent the tunnels to Ball's Deep, and lay five cards length-wise down the center. Place another line of cards on each side of the first separated by 3.5".
Repeat this process one more time so you have five lines in all. Next you place the four cross cards, these cards are placed perpendicular and between the five rows of cards, one in each row. The defender rolls a die and rerolls any 5's or 6's. He counts the borders between the lengthwise cards and that is where he places the cross card. The player's deployment zone is 7.5" beyond the cards and as wide as the outside edge of the outside rows.
Special rules:
Tunnel movement: units in tunnels must draw an arrow on a narrow edge representing the "Front" of the unit ("tunnel formation"). This remains the front of the unit and the long edges the side of the unit until the unit spends the MC to change formation and it can then designate any other side as the "Front." All units may start in tunnel formation by simply drawing an arrow on the proper narrow side during set up while assigning orders. Units are assumed to snake around corners and such when moving through tunnels. What this means is that a unit in tunnel formation does not lose a die when engaged along its narrow edge, but does when engaged on its long edge.

[gull2112]

The inspiration for the title came from this movie:
http://xhamster.com/movies/354234/whore_of_the_rings_i_-_by_sabinchen.html

NWS

[RushAss]

Was that a cry for help Mike?  Do you need a hug or something?

[gull2112]

Actually, I thought of the joke first, and then came up with the back story and then came up with the actual scenario and by the end it seemed like it was too good to waste just because it started out tongue in cheek. The scenario actually has some interesting tactical problems. Also, there are some other special rules type thingies. Like Great War Elephants probably wouldn't fit in the tunnels, same as t-rexes, but what about the ancient red? Should fit.

No call for help, but maybe a call for actual opponents so I can play instead of just dream up crazy scenarios. James has been swallowed by the work monster and I sort of have also because my job now leaves me totally drained and even less coherent than normal. I've tried to set up a simple solitaire game but even that is just too much during the week. On week ends I have too much RL that I've put off all week. I know we all suffer this to some extent. I'm going to have to get away later this summer, maybe a gaming vacation out east where there are lots of BG players...

[Kevin]

Totally you should come to Boston! 

BTW, the reason I haven't posted any reports lately is that Jaime and I have been playtesting Alexander vs. Persia.  (Very mini reports.  Persia (Jaime) slaps down Alexander (me).  Carthage (me) crushes Persia (Jaime).  Alexander (me) beats up Rome (Jaime).)

[gull2112]

Thanks for the enthusiastic invite Kevin, it might happen!

I still follow the playtest posts from the Yahoo forum. I kind of deactivated myself from the main effort because Of my inability to find an opponent with whom I could playtest (poor lazyj has been buried under work  ).

[gull2112]

BTW, the reason I haven't posted any reports lately is that Jaime and I have been playtesting Alexander vs. Persia.  (Very mini reports.  Persia (Jaime) slaps down Alexander (me).  Carthage (me) crushes Persia (Jaime).  Alexander (me) beats up Rome (Jaime).)

Sorta like rock, paper, scissors, lizard, Spock!