Mike Read
Thailand
Bangkok
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Since my last session report generated some nice responses I thought no-one would mind if I continued the story a bit further. Thanks for your kind reply Curt, your session posts on other games over the years have inspired me to go out and make some new purchases (Two Hour Wargames) and also get Insecta off the shelf and into Vassal. I'm hoping my own session reports might similarly encourage others to search out and play these neat games.
So, we last left our likely lads in the Dungeon, having polished off an enormous Damselfly and some other smaller bug. Although we could climb up a level from the Dungeon, we're sure to find tougher bugs, so Rocky and Curly decide to head west into the Parlor, looking to beef up on some smaller prey first. For the Exopterygote deck I can see there will be three hive bugs in this chamber, but I'm hoping they'll be small and the wide Parlor area will provide a big open space for my lads to jump about.
The larger Rocky runs in first to take measure of the opposition... I draw three cards from the Exopterygote pack. The back of the cards actually gives you some detail to help identify what might be in the chamber, so I know that I'd really like to avoid the order of Dictyoptera (a giant hissing cockroach which most humans would probably run from). But for my solo game I'm willing to take my chances and apply the difficulty rule that lets the cards fall randomly as they may.
Shuffling the deck I turn up the following cards:
Forcipate Diplurian - a little white crawler with large rear pincers.
Assassin Bug Nymph - a venomous little spinose, clawed blood-sucker
Plant Bug - a smelly little fanged scavenger
All three of them are smaller bugs (Instar 1) and, while the Assassin and Diplurian both look nasty, I think either of my lads should be a tough match for them. I do note that two of these hive bugs boast pheromone projectors, which we'll have to be wary of as I know not what they do.
Since my lads have the higher dexterity for the most part, I decide to go in hard and fast. Rocky leaps onto the dangerous-looking spiny Assassin Bug to give him something to think about, while Curly scuttles out of the tunnel and aims his venom projector at the weaker Plant Bug. The Plant Bug moves next, his back is to Curly but he sees the larger Rocky leaping past him so stands in place to target the grappling bugs with his pheromone projector. With the Assassin Bug too pre-occupied to maneuver, the Diplurian moves last. He's in a mean mood and charges in to join the grappling melee with his pincers raised high.
Projectors fire first, and a quick check of the rules show me that they act simultaneously, so both Curly and the Plant Bug both let loose together. Curly spews his venomous webbing but his target is just a little too small and far away to hit. Meanwhile the Plant Bug locks in a Swarm pheromone and launches it into the mass of grappling bugs. Projectors affect each bug in the target hex so I must make accuracy rolls for everybug to see if they are struck. Rocky is so large that he's automatically hit, but of the smaller two only the Diplurian escapes the pheromone spray. Now, with another rules check, it turns out that bugs hit by a Swarm pheromone go into a berserker Fight mode, attacking absolutely everything in sight and with "all" weapons... Wow! So I'm really expecting some brutal combat action now.
Rocky has the highest dexterity and he goes for the menacing Diplurian with both spinneret and mandibles then rubs his urticating setae into the Assassin Bug. The Assassin Bug dodges the dangerous spines but the Diplurian finds his legs and pincer wrapped tightly in webbing. Unfortunately Rocky is too busy with his spinning to follow through with a bite. This gives the Diplurian a chance to munch down on his abdomen but it isn't enough to penetrate Rocky's Instar 2 chitin. The Assassin Bug attacks last. Also under the effect of the Swarm pheromone he strikes out with all weapons, biting with his poison fangs at Rocky and then clawing at his Diplurian hive mate, but he must be confused as both attacks avail him nothing. The round ends with the Diplurian freeing his pincers, ready for another attack.
With Rocky in a frenzy, Curly is unwilling to risk letting the Plant Bug make another pheromone blast so leaps onto him in a grapple.
In combat, Rocky goes first once again, re-wrapping the Diplurian's pincers up more completely this time, then using his setae to properly blow off all the Assassin Bug's limbs. The violence leaves the two smaller bugs both completely stunned and ineffective. Curly meanwhile is keeping busy. He uses his big preying claws to rip off each of the Plant Bug's tiny legs, finally incapacitating the little insect.
With his friend maddened by the effects of the Swarm pheromone, Curly decides to hop off back to the Dungeon and let Rocky finish off the hive bugs alone. Rocky won't come to his senses until everyone is dead, so if Curly doesn't leave soon the frenzied Rocky will eventually turn and attack him. With the Assassin Bug permanently incapacitated Rocky turns his attention to the entangled Diplurian, biting a huge hole through his abdomen. The next round sees Curly struggling down the tunnel while Rocky finally incapacitates the Diplurian with another bite. As Curly makes his instinct roll and manages to escape, Rocky only takes a few more seconds to kill the Diplurian, then the Assassin and finally hop over to finish off the incapacitated Plant Bug.
Aftermath - Ecdysis
With Curly escaping to avoid the frenzied Rocky, the rules state that he cannot now participate in Ecdysis phase. So when Rocky finally calms down he finds a feast of all three food markers before him. He eats two of them right away which allows him to molt one time (he's Instar 2) and keeps one in his Crop for later. I raise his Instinct to 11 but decide to keep him at Instar 2. Once the Ecdysis phase is over, Curly makes a safe return to the Parlor and the lads are once again ready to continue their adventure through the Rainforest Hive.
Parting Shots
It's important to remember that incapacitated bugs (generally) can't attack, so in round two the limbless Plant and Assassin Bugs were both denied retaliatory strikes with their dangerous poison fangs. In retrospect I was really lucky to incapacitate both opponents so quickly here, as a venom hit could have been potentially disastrous, especially to the smaller Curly.
Clarification Question: If a bug's movement cards are fully entangled does this count as being temporarily incapacitated while the entanglement lasts?
I'd assumed 'no' in my first session where I saw no advantage for Rocky to try and fully entangle the Damselfly, but I think I've been playing it incorrectly. Rules state incapacitation occurs when either Dexterity is zero, or the bug has no usable movement cards. My reasoning is that entangled limbs are essentially not usable until disentangled.
I also decided that, while the rules state that incapacitated bugs are ignored as targets, a predator like Rocky would take the opportunity to finish off the struggling Diplurian, rather than chase after the escaping Curly.
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Curt Ligot
United States
seattle
Washington
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I dont know wether I like playing more or reading your session reports...lol. The visual aids are great. How long did it take you to do the Vassal Module?
Im glad you mention rule references. I tend to plunge into games and forget rules as I go. For instance I totally forgot that projector attacks effect all buge locked in a grapple. That would have changed the outcome of most of my sessions (either for or against me).
I also think I need to take some combat notes. I played 3 more times yesterday. I cleared the first room every time and then keep getting stuck on the 2nd. I even included rules to make it easier (eggs to use as food and re-spawn).
Keep up the session reports. They are a ton of fun to read and my 0-7 ego can live vicariously through your bug-a$$-kicking adventures.
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Mike Read
Thailand
Bangkok
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Thanks Curt, the Vassal mod was something I put together over a few weekends. Theres's an exhaustive amount of scanning and messing about with paint programs to compile all the graphics for the maps and every little counter, but then it's fairly quick to pull something together once you have all that ready.
I haven't tried to Vassalize it fully (no scans of the hive cards for example) as it's nice to keep some of the portable components out to play with. I also find it more immersive to make the die rolls myself rather than just clicking buttons.
I'll keep up the adventures of Rocky and Curly but will probably only summarize further session reports or it'll get too samey. Once these lads are done, and I've got a handle on the rules, I'm thinking to try either a Pixie Party and/or the Trilobite expansion. A massive drunken hive brawl also might be fun... So now who's the baddest bug in the Root Cellar?!
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Matthew Eklund
United States
Tucson
Arizona
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you interpreted correctly
paralysis can cause temporary incapacitation
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Crusher Crancko
Spain
Granollers
Barcelona
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Wow Where do i getthat vassal mod for Insecta? Thanks.
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