Doctor Who Christmas Game 2017

Doctor Who Christmas Game 2017

Introduction

We played this Doctor Who game using the now sadly out of print Doctor Who the Miniature Game (DWMG) rules.  It was loosely inspired by the Doctor Who Episode "The Tenth Planet" (broadcast in 1966) and the film "Ice Station Zebra" (1968) plus the DWMG scenario Snow Cap Base.   This game was actually run on January 14, 2018 as inclement winter weather prevented it being run closer to Christmas.

Background:

This adventure is set in December 1968 at Snow Cap Base, an Underground radar tracking and ICBM nuclear missile launching facility at the South Pole established by the United Nations (UN) to defend earth against incoming asteroids. The base is under the Command of General Cutler who has lowered the bases tight security to host a party with special guests that include Santa Clause and his lovely Assistant Tina to celebrate Christmas.  However the new Christmas tree they have brought in turns out to be a dangerous android under the control of the Master who has formed an alliance with the Cybermen and Ice Warriors against earth.  With the help of the deadly Christmas tree the bases' defences are breached and the Master soon gains control of the base and takes General Cutler, Tina and Santa Clause (Father Christmas) hostage.  He now demands the earth surrender to him or he will start launching the deadly nuclear missiles with heir hydrogen bomb warheads at the world’s major capitals.  Any attempt to retake the base will result in the hostages being executed.  Nonetheless the UN has formed a strike force made up of troops from UNIT, the United States and the Soviet Union. The First Doctor along with his companions Ben and Polly arrive in the TARDIS just in time to help the UN forces

Objectives:

The objective of the heroic side it is Rescue Santa, Tina and General Cutler who are being held inside the bunker and prevent the launch of any of the deadly missiles. The Master's forces needs to retain the hostages or failing that launch one of the missiles in hopes of provoking World War III.




Santa, Tina and General Cutler, in happier times before they were taken prisoner

Missile armed with a nuclear warhead

The Set up

The game board measured 6' x 4' two thirds of the board represents the arctic environment and the other third on the right represents the underground base. There are three entrances to the base: the main entrance at the bunker in the centre, the service entrance in the quonset hut in the foreground and the escape exit / entrance hatch in the background pictured below.

Overview of  most of the game board

Special Rules:

The Weather is very unpredictable at the South Pole and snow storms can develop very quickly. Each turn 3d6  will be rolled and this determines the range of visibility.

The Soviet airborne forces have the option to airdrop on turn 1 to 3.

The Forces:

The UN troops

UNIT and the Doctor consisting of (from left to right): 1 UNIT trooper with SMG, 1 UNIT trooper with FN SLR, Sgt. Benton with SMG, the First Doctor, Polly, Ben, Brigadier Lethbridge Stewart with his pistol, UNIT bazooka team and a UNIT corporal with a FN SLR. The TARDIS is in the background.

The U.S. Marines (USMC) consisting of Captain Anders (foreground) and 8 troopers with M16 automatic rifles and grenades including a medic, and 1 trooper with an M60 GPMG. They also have access to a Snow plow and snowmobile.

US Marines

Soviet Airborne forces commanded by Colonel Ostrovsky (foreground), 8 troopers with SMG and grenades plus an 82mm mortar team.

Soviet Airborne troops



 The Master and his Alien alliance

The Master and 4 Yeti robots.




The Master in the foreground and 4 shaggy robot Yetis

The Cybermen: Cyber Leader and 5 Cybermen Neomorphs

Cyber Leader and 5 man Cyber Neomorph squad

The Ice Warriors: commanded by Lord Slaar (foreground) consisting of 6 Ice Warriors, I with a sonic rifle.

The Ice Warriors

Killer Christmas Tree: A robotic Christmas tree under the control of the Master armed with deadly razor sharp tinsel and grenades disguised as ornaments. It has been assigned to guard the prisoners.


Killer Christmas tree

The Game report:

The weather is initially clear and visibility excellent as the UN forces advance towards the base on foot and in snow vehicles to meet the awaiting Ice Warriors and Cybermen. 


The Doctor having spotted the well armoured Cybermen goes into the TARDIS to start inventing some way to defeat them.

The First Doctor in the TARDIS

Inside the underground base the prisoners are locked in a room adjacent to the missile control room.




The prisoners

Somewhat rashly the Master has decided to move his group of slow moving Yeti out to join the defenders in the snow leaving only the Android Christmas tree and a single Yeti to guard the prisoners.

The Ice Warriors open fire on the US Marines inflicting some minor casualties and the Cybermen advance and go prone in hopes of ambushing the UN forces.

The Soviet airborne forces then try to take advantage of the Cybermen's advance and airdrop behind them. 

Soviet Airborne troops landing

 However just as the Soviet airborne troops land the weather changes and a snow storm reduces visibility preventing all but short range combat.

Soviet Airborne troops land behind the Cybermen and deploy a mortar

Soviet Airborne troops on the attack

Cybermen and the Soviet airborne troops deployed behind them

While the snow storm prevented the Soviets from launching a surprise attack on the Cybermen's rear it did allow them time to organize and set up their mortar. 

Soviet Mortar

Meanwhile back at the base the prisoners have managed to force open the locked door of their prison and engage the Yeti and robot Christmas tree in combat.  Unfortunately for the prisoners their opponents are mechanical and immune to hand to hand combat.

Santa is seriously wounded and knocked unconscious by the Christmas trees and Tina suffers a wound but is not incapacitated like her boss. The weakness the robots have is their lack of speed which allows General Culter and Tina break free and run out of the control room.

Two prisoners escape!

Meanwhile back on the surface the Master and the Yeti are unaware the prisoners they should have been guarding have escaped and lumber towards the advancing Marines.





Yeti lumber forward, Master safely in the rear.

Making use of the snow plow tractor the UNIT troops and Marines charge towards the Cybermen, as their gunfire has proven to be ineffective, other than the bazooka. 

UNIT and Marine troops advance with the snow plow.




On the other side of the board the Soviets are suffering heavy casualties at the hands of the Cybermen and Ice Warriors as their small arms seem ineffective.

 

Soviets cannot defeat the Cybermen

The Ice Warriors prove just as deadly as the Cybermen

 

The Ice Warriors thick body armour makes them almost impossible to kill

The courageous Soviet commander is engaged by three of the Ice Warriors including their Lord, but surprising the Colonel fends off their attack (rolling three 1s as an attacker in melee is never good as the Ice Warriors demonstrated)

The Soviet Colonel looked doomed surrounded by three Ice Warriors but they all rolled 1s.

The Marines traveling by snowmobile come to the aid of the Soviet commander lobbing a grenade that takes out one of the Ice Warriors moving toward the melee.

Grenades prove more effective than small arms against Ice Warriors.

The Soviet Colonel then manages to take down one of the Ice Warriors attacking him, despite being wounded, this man deserves the Order of Lenin! Meanwhile the US Marines advance in a snowmobile to attempt to rescue their one time enemy.

The  Soviet Colonel is in a tight spot but he now only faces two attackers

The Soviet Colonel takes down a second Ice Warrior but succumbs to a blow from the Ice Lord, his order of Lenin will be posthumous.  Having suffered high casualties and seeing their leader killed the remaining Soviet airborne troops retreat off the board.

The Soviet Colonel takes 2 of the enemy down before he is knocked out. The Marines arrived too late in thes snowmobile.

 The Marines continue to advance with the help of the snowmobile, snowplow  but the Ice Warriors  are surprisingly lucky and dodge the snowplow blade.

Amazingly this Ice Warrior dodged the blade

The UN advance continues towards the bunker but without the Soviets.

UN Advance continues towards the bunker entrance

 The UNIT Bazooka team blasts open the bunker door,
 



The Bunker door explodes

The Marines gain access to the base but are pursued by an Ice Warrior intent on stopping them.

US Marines enter the underground base closely pursued by and Ice Warrior

The Doctor finally succeeds with his invention research that allows the UN Troops to exploit a weakness in the Cybermen's armour. However the Cybermen having eradicated the Soviet Airborne troops take over their 82mm mortar and quickly figure out how to use it (successful intelligence roll). They manage to fire a shell at the advancing Marines, UNIT troops and vehicles causing some casualties. 

UN troops suffer casualties from mortar fire from the Cybermen

Luckily for the UN forces the Doctor arrives in the TARDIS behind the quonset hut and uses his sonic screwdriver to stun the Cyber mortar crew.

The Doctor uses his sonic screwdriver to stun the Cybermen operating the mortar

In retaliation other Cybermen open fire on the Doctor hitting him with their disruptors, initially it seemed like it was only a minor wound, but it turned out to be more serious and the First Doctor retreated into the TARDIS to begin his regeneration. He is now effectively out of the battle.


Doctor taking cover behind the Quonset hut

 

The Doctor regenerating in the TARDIS

The winter battlefield is becoming a scene of carnage, but the initial faltering advance of the UN forces seems to be succeeding as more troops enter the bunker.

Overview of the battle.

The Cybermen are down to just their leader who faces off against UNIT troops including a wounded Sargent Benton and the Brigadier. Polly's scream helps gain some added fire power for UNIT plus the Doctor's discovery of how to defeat the cyber armour proves helpful.

Cyber Leader in trouble

The Snow Plow continues its advance carrying forward the bazooka team and pushing aside resistance from the Ice Warriors.  Some of the snow plow crew are hit by fire from the enemy but this does not stop the plow. The Cyber leader is soon surrounded and cut down by rifle fire and grenades thrown by the UN troops.








Ben observes the carnage including the dead Cyber Leader

The centre of attention now switches to the Underground base. General Cutler and Tina (who are both wounded) are able to outrun the slow Yeti and Killer Christmas tree,

Wounded and on the run

However the mechanical tree can throw grenades and one of which wounds the base commander and  a second ornament / grenade kills General Cutler. 

General Cutler, is mortally wounded after taking 2 hits

 Tina (a monster magnet) runs for her life but is trapped in a passageway where she is unable to open a locked door and is captured by the Yeti.

General Cutler is cut down by the Christmas tree and Tina runs for her life

Meanwhile the US Marines entering the base having suffered some casualties at the hands of the pursuing Ice Warrior but they  finally manage to kill their pursuer and after some hesitation (morale roll)  the survivors advance into the underground base towards the control room.




US Marines advance deeper into the underground base having disposed of an pursing Ice Warrior.



The Master realizes his mistake in leading the Yeti outside and races back inside the base with the three Yeti and heads toward the control room trying to get to it before the Marines.  However the Yeti are too slow and the Master decides he must abandon the cumbersome robots and let them advance on their own. 

The Master leaves his Yeti Robots behind as they are too slow

The Master will have to face the Marines in the control room on his own. He succeeds in reaching the control room first and starts the countdown to launch the missile carrying the hydrogen bomb. 

The Master starts the countdown for the missile launch.

The first two Marines quickly arrive in the control room and they wrestle with the Master to gain control of the missile computer. More Marine reinforcements enter the bunker and the Yeti and the Killer Christmas tree are also on the way to the control room but none will arrive in time to influence the fight to stop the countdown -  it will depend on what happens in front of the controls in the next few seconds!   The Marines manage to stun the Master but can they now figure out how to stop the countdown without the Doctors help?

The Marines manage to stun the Master but he has already started the launch countdown to launch

Either by luck or inspiration one of the Marine privates hits the correct sequence of buttons aborting the missile launch countdown with one second left (successful intelligence roll of 7 or less).  The Marines arrest the Master and take him away.

Having shut down the missile control the Marines arrest the Master.

 There is a scene of devastation above on the snow covered battlefield.

overview of the battlefield at the end of the battle

The bunker was the centre of much of the combat as it was the main entrance to the base.  The sacrifice of the Soviet airborne troops helped the other UN Troops breach the bunker.

The bunker was the centre of much of the combat

The UN forces have achieved marginal victory, they have stopped the missile launch, recaptured the base, arrested the Master and rescued Tina However  General Cutler is dead and Santa is seriously wounded, (but he will recover in time for next Christmas).






The Master is sent to prison, but how long will it be before he escapes again?



Jail Bird aka the Master

The Killer Christmas tree mysteriously escapes not to be seen again until another Christmas!




Killer Christmas Tree

 

Post-Game Thoughts:

We had six players (including the GM) and the game lasted 8 turns and went down to the wire as they usually do when we play DWMG.  Everyone had a great time and we look forward to the next adventure.



This was the first time I tried the optional point system, since I was expanding an existing scenario I wanted to make sure it was balanced.  Generally speaking I think the sides were balanced.  However a critical factor is how many troops the Alien side leaves in the base to guard the prisoner. The UN side was lucky the Master was impatient and left the prisoners guarded by only two robots. The game may not have been as close if all the Yeti had stayed to guard the prisoners. 

The Doctor's invent ability certainly helped the UN side, and although the Soviet airborne drop suffered heavy casualties it did draw off some of the Alien attack allowing UNIT and the Marines to break into the bunker

One idea that was suggested for the next time this scenario is run is to enlarge the snow area by about 24" by moving the underground base area further back, this would give the soviet airborne troops more options as to where to land and force the Aliens to spread out their defences more.



The figures used were a mix of: Wargames Supply Dump, Black Tree Design, Regiment Games, FASA, Citadel and Copplestone Castings. 

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