Back in the Ring

After my brush (!) with Covid-19, it was a delight to get another game in at home!

Its been...over 7 years since my last game of this!.  So a little overdue? 

The Scenario:

A random dialing program at Stargate Command has managed to get a lock on an address from the Abydonian Cartouche. General Hammond has authorised a standard Recon mission.

PBX2611--a stone ring becomes active...

...and then settles.

For a moment, nothing seems to happen.

A slight rippling in the puddle....

...a small vehicle pops into existence, its camera scanning the terrain.

Descending the stairs, the whining vehicle stops near a dish on a plinth.

The puddle behind it disappears in a shower of sparks. 

(as usual in these games, I am using the same Portal Marker solo system I have introduced in my Star Wars and WW2 skirmish rules)

After a break of 20 minutes, the puddle flares to life again!

Four characters emerge from its event horizon, scanning the deserted terrain with their weapons.

Col. O'Neill: ' Teal'c - can you see anything?, Daniel, does anything here seem familiar?'

Daniel: 'It looks kind of Anglo Saxon to me, late Dark Ages England.'

Teal'c: 'This place seems deserted to me, Daniel Jackson, is this normal for these Saxon villagers?'

Daniel: 'Well, the villagers could all be out at the fields as its the middle of the day, but surely a few people would still be here, you know, minding the farm?!'

O'Neill: 'Better to be safe than sorry, lets approach under cover. Major, you and Teal'c take a wide right, Daniel will come with me and check the road.'

It would have been impossible to go into the village without being seen by at least 1 Portal Marker! Unfortunately, that one is value 4!

I rolled a 2 on the D6...

-1 for no enemy engaged, and nothing nasty appears!

The Stargate disengages, and the new arrivals advance into the eerily empty settlement.

The team splits to search the village.

Suddenly, four Serpent Guards turn the corner of house on their left...

Teal'c signals four more approaching from their front.

Daniel and Jack join Carter and Teal'c.

Two of the Jaffa fell in a hail of bullets.

The Jaffa return fire...

Carter: 'Sir, we are taking fire from two sides!'

Jack: 'Keep focused on those up front Major!'

Teal'c gets his first kill!

O'Neill directs Daniel and Teal'c to check forward (and clear those Portal Markers!)

Teal'c: ' Kree tal shal mak!'  (Identify yourself)

Sam and O'Neill turn to face the flanking Jaffa.

One of the Jaffa is wounded, the Jaffa fire is threatening to overwhelm our heroes.

Jaffa: 'Surrender Tauri!'

O'Neill: ' Not likely! Eat this, snake head!'

The wounded Jaffa gets to his feet to rejoin his comrades.

The Tauri are hard asses!

Daniel checks the houses for Jaffa and the missing villagers.

Teal'c moves aggressively onto the road.

O'Neill gets one of the remaining Jaffa, Carter finishes off the one she wounded before!

The team make a dispersed sweep through the empty village...

Daniel neutralises the last Portal Marker...

...The villagers come from their hiding places (off table) and thank SG-1 for clearing the Jaffa from the village. They explain that Heru'ur regularly sends Jaffa through the Chaapa'ai to harvest townsfolk (for use as hosts, obviously).

Daniel, of course, would rather stay and learn about the transplanted culture they had found, but after explaining that burying the gate would stop any further Jaffa incursions, O'Neill directs the team back to the gate and home!

One thing I like from the Portal Markers is that you can never tell how much, or where, opposition will appear. On 2 turns where it was very likely more Jaffa would appear, I rolled a 1 on the D6, which is an auto fail!

Still, I think an easy game was in order as it was my first day without a high temperature from Covid-19!

So, that was my first game post Covid, I hope its not the last.