[RPGs/Wargames] Christmas at Twilight -- Mission: YULETIDE TANGO

Or how I learned to quit complaining and love my fellow man -- loudly.

Last year about this time, Eugen Systems -- creators of the very fine indeed Wargame and Steel Division -- posted a very thematic Christmas card to the community, and as I said on FB at the time, "Maybe I need to write that up as a 5150 scenario."

Now that 5150: Hammer & Anvil has been released, I'm back to thinking, "maybe I should write that up as a scenario for 5150.

So let's do that.

Inspirations

Inspired in equal measure by 5150 itself, Twilight 2000, Advanced Squad Leader, and Santa Claus Conquers the Martians.

And maybe a little Futurama.

Mission: YULETIDE TANGO

History

Unfortunately, there truly is a War on Christmas.

Not because of political factionalism or even religious diversity, but because the forces of Hell have not been receiving their due. KRAMPUS (Kraftwerk Ransom And Monstrous Providers of Underworld Servitors) has been tasked for aeons with acquiring those with moral taints, placing them in large sacks, and carrying them off to Hell.

Literal Hell, full of burning flames, screaming people, and endless suffering. It's a real place. It requires sufficient personnel in order to continue functioning.

This is where Operation Santa comes in. Established in the fourth century, Santa represents one branch of an ancient order devoted to the protection of humanity against the worst of extra dimensional scourges, often associated with national holidays. Provided with the best weapons and training available, Santa defends all good people against the depredations of KRAMPUS.

Phase One: Hunt the Krumpus

Objective

• This is a Patrol Mission.
• Your objective is to recon the table.
• To be successful you must spend one turn of activation within 6" of the edge of the table in sections 1, 2, and 3.
• Once you have accomplished this you must report back by exiting the table from the edge that you entered.

Secondary Objectives

• If a Bag of Goodies is found, the Bag must be secured by an element within 2" for one Activation, and retrieved off the southern edge of the map.
• If the Bag cannot be secured, it must be destroyed before KRAMPUS operatives can take it off the northern edge of the map.

Forces

• 1x Platoon (3 elements) of the T-75 Heavy Slay Combat Car
• Enemy forces determined by random generation

Terrain

• The board is divided into 9 sections and terrain placed as per the map.

Map

Deployment

• Your platoon will enter the board from the edge bordering sections 7, 8, and 9.
• After entering the board, PEFs are generated and deployed as outlined in the PEF section (5150: Hammer & Anvil, page 24).

Special Instructions

• When the enemy activates use the PEF Movement Table (5150: Hammer & Anvil, page 25).
• Resolve PEFs as needed using the Mission PEF Resolution Table (H&A, PEF Resolution -- Mission 1, page 30).
• Enemy forces are selected via Hunt the Krumpus Enemy Table.
• Be sure to use the Mission NP Enemy Movement Table.
• Play continues until the player has accomplished his Objective, been destroyed, or leaves the table. The Secondary Objectives may be unfinished.

Hunt the Krumpus Enemy Table

2	Hunt the Krumpus Enemy Table
	(Adding results together)
2-6	KRAMPUS Soulhauler
7-9	KRAMPUS Beastmaster
10-11	KRAMPUS Hell Lord
12	Bag of Goodies (only one 1x, thereafter Hell Lord)

Mission NP Enemy Movement Table

2	NP Enemy Movement
	(Taken vs Rep)
Num d6 Passed	Result
2	* If in cover and in range will fire. Then will move as below.
	* If not in range will move at maximum speed down a road.
1	* If in cover and in range will fire. Then will remain in place.
	* Otherwise will move at half maximum speed down a road or over open terrain towards enemy.
0	* If in range will fire. Then will remain in place.
	* Otherwise will remain in place.

In all cases, if Bag of Goodies is on the table, all KRAMPUS PEFs treat its location as the nearest Santa element. Once one KRAMPUS element remains within 1" for a full Activation, they may begin towing it north at 3/4 speed. If a KRAMPUS element is currently towing the Bag, that element will attempt to flee north off the board at all speed.

Phase Two: Down the Chimney

KRAMPUS forces in the Ukraine attempting to acquire and escape with the Bag of Goodies have been pinned down and now require direct action to dislodge. Unfortunately, there is little time to mobilize Santa support units and only you are within range to engage the enemy and disrupt their plans.

Should KRAMPUS manage to destroy local resistance, the souls of all of humanity may be imperiled for the next year.

Are you a bad enough dude to save Christmas?

Objective

• This is an Attack Mission.
• Your objective is to destroy and disrupt the KRAMPUS forces acting in the area.

Forces

• Whatever was left of the forces involved in Hunt the Krumpus or 1x platoon (3x elements) of T-75 Heavy Slay Combat Car.
• Enemy forces determined by random generation.

Terrain

• The board is divided into 9 sections and terrain placed as per the map.
• (1-2) mission takes place at night.

Map

Deployment

• Your platoon will enter the board from the edge bordering sections 7, 8, and 9.
• After entering the board, PEFs are generated and deployed as outlined in the PEF section (5150: Hammer & Anvil, page 24).

Special Instructions

• When the enemy activates use the PEF Movement Table (5150: Hammer & Anvil, page 25).
• Resolve PEFs as needed using the Mission PEF Resolution Table (H&A, PEF Resolution -- Mission 1, page 30).
• Enemy forces are selected via Down the Chimney Enemy Table.
• Be sure to use the standard PEF and NP Enemy Movement Table.
• If the Bag of Goodies was found in Hunt the Krumpus, all Civilian forces found will be both friendly and treated as friendly AT teams.
• If the Bag was not secured, Civilian forces are terrified civilians and should not be fired on but still may trigger In Sight Tests like enemy combatants and may be killed! A failed In Sight Test versus a terrified Civilian target will receive a Machine Gun attack resolved as usual.
• Play continues until the player has accomplished his Objective, been destroyed, or leaves the table. The Secondary Objectives may be unfinished.

Down the Chimney Enemy Table

2	Hunt the Krumpus Enemy Table
	(Adding results together)
2-4	KRAMPUS Soulhauler
4-6	KRAMPUS Soulhauler w/ 1x Burner AT Team
7-9	KRAMPUS Beastmaster
10-11	KRAMPUS Hell Lord
12	Civilians

Vehicles and Tokens

Operation Santa T-75 Heavy Slay Combat Car

The T-75 Heavy Slay Combat Car use the product of hundreds of years of weapons development. The literal descendent of northern combat sleighs rigged with early firearms in order to combat the initial push of KRAMPUS down from the Arctic, it is equipped with a weapon which balances power with mass and manages a respectable speed for a traded vehicle. Capable of firing armor piercing, high explosive, and mounted with an LMG beneath the main gun, it is prepared to deal with all comers. Moderately armored, a shot to the rear or to the top is a hasty adios and something much to be avoided.

Name	Front	Side	Rear	APR	HE	MG-C	MG-H	Speed	Crew
T-75 Heavy Slay	10	5	2	12	GL	LMG	-	18/12T	4

KRAMPUS Soulhauler

One cannot carry souls off to hell without a vehicle to carry them off with. The Soulhauler is a marginally armed and armored "APC" which is extremely quick in good conditions but whose wheelbase is insufficient for serious rough terrain. The large indentation to the rear is often mounted with "the sack," a monofilament mesh net which is stuffed with those being transported to Hell. Terribly armored and armed only with a fixed machine gun, the Soulhauler is no challenge to a real armored vehicle.

(1-4) the vehicle has 1d6 terrified civilians in the sack. If destroyed, each civilian is killed on (1-3).

Name	Front	Side	Rear	APR	HE	MG-C	MG-H	Speed	Crew
Soulhauler	2	2	1	-	-	-	LMG	24/16G	3

KRAMPUS Beastmaster

Significantly tougher than its transport counterpart, the Beastmaster provides real teeth to the KRAMPUS forces. The short-barreled howitzer-style main gun can pack a mean punch, while the midrange frontal armor keeps alive long enough to deliver that punch. High explosive rounds make sure that even dismounted troops hate to see this treaded monstrosity come over the hill, especially at speed.

Name	Front	Side	Rear	APR	HE	MG-C	MG-H	Speed	Crew
Beastmaster	8	4	2	12	GL	-	-	18/12T	4

KRAMPUS Hell Lord

Monstrous on the defense but slow to get stuck in on the attack, the Hell Lord is the lumbering behemoth of firepower in the frontline KRAMPUS assault. Packing an enormous fan drive which can lift it to treetop height, this metallic nightmare carries one of the largest guns on the battlefield, a coaxial machine gun, and a fixed forward LMG just in case the infantry forgot it was there. The front armor is truly obscene, necessitating a good flank maneuver for most vehicles to do any damage at all. Luckily, because of its slow speed, outmaneuvering the Hell Lord is more common than you might expect.

Name	Front	Side	Rear	APR	HE	MG-C	MG-H	Speed	Crew
Hell Lord	14	6	2	17	GL	LMG	LMG	9/6G	4

References

Two-Hour Wargames

5150

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There you go, two linked scenarios to help you ring in Yuletime with the threat of war crimes!

Look, my Christmas might be a little more exciting than some.

Until next, keep your puck in the muck!