Checking Out the Neighbors (Part 1)

"Okay, the place is pretty well fortified now." Dawn said as she looked over the boarded up back door. "We'll use the side door from the garage to get in an out."
Tina stretched her arms and picked up a pair of gallon containers filled with water. "These are the last two for upstairs. There's at least a weeks worth of food and water for each of us up there."
"The truck is fixed up and ready to go." Jack added as he lifted his beer in a toast. "This place seems safe enough and we're ready to go if we need to. Who could ask for more?"
"Tomorrow we'll head into Somerset. There's a gas station and junkyard on the edge of town we can check out as we head into town. Maybe we can find more fuel." Dawn said and grabbed her pack, heading for the stairs.
"We'll walk to town, it will be more quiet and we won't use any gas for the truck." Tina suggested. "Once we have an idea of what's happening there, we can drive in if we need to."
Dawn looked at Tina, sighing. "Fine we'll walk. It's not like I'm going to take the truck and just drive off."
Jack shook his head. "Everyone just calm down. We'll take a walk into town and see what we can see."

Walking into town

It is morning of day 58, the group is walking into the nearby town of Somerset, following rumors of a FEMA camp and looking for supplies. The area ER is 5, there are 10 zombies and 3 PEFs. Zombies will appear on a 5+ (suburbs) for this scenario. The goal is to check the three buildings (Gas station, junkyard office and garage) and exit the side opposite the group entered from.

As part of the campaign a couple of special rules are in effect:
1. Very tight ammo rules
2. Scarce looting
3. Zombie specials: as the team explores the town there is a chance for 'special' zombies to appear in any group from a PEF and at the start of the scenario. These are zombies that may have something useful, a weapon, body armor, keys, etc. I have a chart to roll on for what each special zed may have. For example, to start there is an undead soldier zombie at the gas station -

Undead soldier

The team enters on foot, heading towards a nearby truck to get started.

Everyone is ready to go!

The PEFs move forward, but stay in cover. The team activates first and moves forward shooting at zombies as they approach the truck.

Tina and Jack kill the closest zombies

Dawn searches the yellow wrecker truck, finding it inoperable and empty. A lone zombie appears from the gunfire. Not too bad to start. The next turn is rather action-packed, two PEFs move into contact!

Here they come!

"See, they don't seem so tough." Jack said to Tina as the zombies they shot collapsed to the ground. A scraping sound from the wrecked pickup truck caught their attention.
"I don't think that's all of them." Tina said pointing at the truck.
"Aww, what is it? Don't tell me!" Jack said, taking aim with his SMG as more zombies shambled from the wreck.

Three more zombies appear

Dawn glanced at the three zombies approaching on the road. "You guys got those?" she asked. Metal clanking on the fence snapped her attention back around to in front of her. Three people were climbing over the fence, a young boy had just hit the fence with his rifle. They all paused and stared at each other for a moment.
"You okay?" Dawn asked.
"We're just trying to get away from the dead." A lean young woman with a spear offered. "Where are you headed?"
"We're checking out town, then heading back to our fortified farmhouse." Dawn replied. "We'd be happy to help you out."
They paused for a moment and looked and nodded at each other. "We'd love to join you guys. I'm Brenda, this is Joyce and Eric."

New friends!

The second PEF turns out to be three civilians. Again with civilians instead of survivors! Still, living people for allies are welcome. We meet Brenda (rep 4, spear) Joyce (Rep 4, shotgun) and Eric (rep 2, bolt action rifle). I have some temporary minis standing in for them until I can get some new figs made up. I'm hoping Brenda survives, I'd like to make a spear wielding survivor!

The survivors win initiative for the turn, and everyone fires on the undead. Dawn moves forward, just in case any survive to charge the team.

Lots of shooting

One zombie survives the fusillade and charges Dawn. Surprisingly, they tie on the first round of melee, before Dawn kills the zombie with her machete.

Dawn fights in melee

Five more zombies appear from the gunfire, shooting doesn't seem to be killing them fast enough...

More zombies arrive

The next turn, the PEF moves to contact to start things off.

PEF moves into contact

Tina watched Dawn slice the zombie in the head, slamming it to the pavement. A sound from the truck next to her made Tina look just in time to see two zombies crawling over the back of the truck. One zombie still had the tattered remains of a hazmat suit, the air tank making a metallic tinkling sound as it was dragged across the empty truck bed. "They're right here!" Tina yelled as they reached for her.

Zombies climb over the truck

The PEF resolves as two zombies, one of which is a 'special' and is represented by the zed in a hazmat outfit. Other than the chance for loot, they are handled the same as any other zombie. The zombies win initiative and they charge towards the living. Tina passes her brown pants test and shoots one before going in to hand to hand with the second.

Zombies close in on the survivors

Tina wins in melee, and I leave a marker for the potential loot.

Tina wins, the zeds get closer

Joyce, armed with the shotgun fires before moving, killing two zombies near the trees. Unfortunately, she also runs out of ammo. The civilians move to the front of the truck, where everyone else fires at the zombies as well.

Shooting works pretty well...

...until four more zombies show up

On the next turn, the survivors go first. Jack moves up and kills the nearest zombie, Tina searches the dead hazmat zombie and finds a key card. She follows that up by shooting the soldier zombie. Joyce reloads, moving up with Eric and Brenda.

The team moves forward

And the zombies close in

Zombies close in on the group, several crashing into the fence, slowly breaking it down. Gunfire attracts one more zombie, behind the group. The next turn starts with a random event.

This could be a problem.

A sudden rumble cut through the morning air, the ground shook like an earthquake. With a crash and a wet sucking sound the road ahead opened up as an underground drainage line collapsed. Shock made everyone stand and stare at the large crevasse that had just opened up.
"I guess we'll have to go around." Jack said calmly.