looks at a fast-assembly naval kit for the Age of Sail.AB One Games' latest addition to its series of historical wargames rules is an "historical" zombie survival/skirmish game. Very close to completion - it should be available next week to download as a PDF. I just thought I would take this opportunity to explain a bit more about the game.
Pike & Shot & Zombies is a game of small and frantic encounters between desperate survivors and ravenous rampaging zombies set in a post-apocalyptic world. What is different about this game is that, as the title suggests, this post-apocalyptic world is set hundreds of years ago, in a time before decent firearms had been invented and when people really believed in the Apocalypse!
Each player controls one or two survivor figures armed with perhaps a musket or pistol, sword or halberd and protected by whatever pieces of armor that can be found. The game and the forces of the Undead are controlled by the all-knowing, devious, merciless and spiteful umpire, whose job it is to make life as difficult and dangerous as possible for the survivors.
The rules are detailed, fast-moving and visceral. The survivors are quite powerful, good in close combat, tough and resourceful. The zombies by comparison are slow, stupid and generally useless - but there are a lot of them!
The survivors are constantly at risk from the "event-cards" that are played each turn. These detail the unforeseen and tricky situations that often occur. These events range from a weapon misfire (which always happens at the wrong time!) to weapons breaking, bad omens, unexpectedly powerful zombies, and even accusations of witchcraft!
The game is played in a landscape of war-torn devastation, plague, superstition, suspicion and fear. And if that wasn't bad enough, there are countless zombies trying to eat your brain, and all you have to defend yourself is a lousy musket that fires only once a turn - and a rusty sword likely to break next time you use it. Never mind! At least, you have your fellow survivors to back you up. That's what you think! One of your party has an infected wound and is likely to turn zombie any minute, and the others are looking at you suspiciously just because you got splattered with a bit of zombie goo in your last fight!!
It's not all bad, though. If the players characters survive a few scenarios (it could happen!), they will find that survival skills will improve and better quality weapons and armor can be purchased. Various "unusual" weapons can be obtained such as volley guns and grenades, even field guns and a host of lethal ammunition. The players really can bring deadly force to the Undead - albeit slow-loading and woefully inaccurate - but when those half-inch musket balls strike home, they do make a mess!
All that players will need for this game are a handful of sixteenth/seventeenth century "survivor" figures, plenty, plenty of zombies, a ruthless sense of self preservation, and the ability to distrust everyone - then you are ready to play Pike & Shot & Zombie.