WHEN NIGHTMARES COME - Egypt 1920s Case - Game 1

 Got to play the first game in my initial When Nightmares Come campaign/case.

The table at the start of Turn 1, viewed from Emmett's starting position.

Onur Turkay makes his entrance, the ex-Ottoman policeman's tommy gun would dominate the game.

Turn 1: All the Hunters moved forward, Onur and Emmett both successfully searched a POI (Point of Interest) and found a clue. Two Minions of Anubis entered from different portals and moved towards the Hunters.

Turn 2: Onur easily cuts down the nearest vermin Dawn Spawn with his Thompson. Emmett despatches another then moves up to another POI. Akil Malik searches a POI with no effect and Doctor Ogley slowly moves to join the rest of the group (3" move and failed two activations!).

Two pairs of Dark Spawn enter through Portals and rush towards the Hunters.

Turn 3: Onur guns down another two Minions of Anubis with ease. Akil is almost over-run by the other two vermin, so drops a Repellent contraption at their feet, forcing them back, then uses his free movement to re-join Emmett. In the meantime, Emmett has found another clue, with three POIs searched, the Nexus appears., right next to Doctor Ogley. The good Doctor rushed into contact and immediately starts collecting Arcana for conversion into useful amulets for future use.

Two more Minions of Anubis make their appearance.

 

Turn 4: The good Doctor rushed into contact with the Nexus and immediately starts collecting Arcana for conversion into useful amulets for future use. Onur bags another two vermin Dark Spawn then moves to join the Doctor. Emmet takes out a Minion of Anubis with ease on his way to link up with the rest of the group. Akil also reaches the Nexus and collects some Arcana. Four more Minions of Anubis show up and rush into contact with the Hunters. In the ensuing fracas both Emmett and Akil are wounded (Akil twice!).

Turn 5; The Doctor casts two Healing spells, one each on Emmett and Akil, then starts closing the Nexus. Akil drops a Dazzler which knocks the Minions of Anubis to the ground, then starts helping the Doctor with the Nexus. Onur blasts down the two Dark Spawn rushing towards the party, then helps Emmett to finish off the stunned foes.

Two Mumified Priests (Horde class, tougher than the Minions of Anubis) now appear and one gets into contact but does no damage.

Turn 6: Onur and Emmett fight off the Mummified Priest, eventually killing it (re-killing it? Is a dead mummy dead, or de-undeaded??). The Doctor closes the Nexus, Game over before any more Dark Spawn arrive via the portals.

Thoughts on the first game? We had fun and enjoyed it. We will certainly be playing it again, whether it will prove to be a regular favourite, or something we just play on an occasional basis will wait until we have completed this first case. We did really like the dice pool mechanism. With a d6, d8 and d10 to activate, do you save your d10 for combat and perhaps not even get into place to take the shot, or use the good die to move and set the shot up, but have less chance of success when you fire?

This scenario seems quite easy at first, the first two turns were a walk in the park, easily finding clues and taking out the Dark Spawn with ease. But then in the early games you face up to the weakest opponents, the tommy gun will not be quite so deadly against the Terror class Dark Spawn. There was a feeling of jeopardy towards the end, when two Hunters took 3 wounds in a single round of combat!

Apart from that one combat we were very lucky with dice, we quickly found the clues, we grabbed loads of Arcana (36 points! but at one point three Hunters were harvesting the Nexus), and it only took 4 rolls to close the Nexus in the end.