9th February 2025

Five Parsecs From Home: Tactics

Morning and afternoon, there were sessions for Five Parsecs From Home (5PFH): Tactics, the skirmish wargame spin-off from the popular 5PFH solo ruleset. Each scenario saw the players manager a platoon of mercenaries charged with neutralising a rebel leader on a obscure world in the Vilis Subsector. 

Game one saw the players storm the outskirts of the rebel held town where the target was known to be hiding. Armoured Personnel Carriers(APCs) pushed quickly into the town, with a sniper and infantry providing covering fire. The rebel reaction was slow, a couple of perimeter guards falling quickly to the mercenaries. As the players converged on their objective, the rebels attempted a breakout using a vehicle with a mounted heavy weapon. Rocket propelled grenades also sought to neutralise the mercenary APCs. However, the attackers dealt with these threats swiftly. A latecomer was brought into the game taking over an assault lander full of mercenary reinforcements. In the end, these were not needed with the players neutralising their target without losing a man.

Game two followed a similar pattern but with the assault lander going in earlier. The mercenaries disembarking here professionally laid down a smoke screen which served to telegraph their presence and conceal their target. The APC borne mercs broke through the rebel perimeter guards without much difficulty. Heavy weapons suppressed the rebel headquarters with the dazed rebel leader being knocked out as he sought to find a back exit! Again, a relatively swift win for the attacking side.

Both groups reported enjoying the experience. Although neither group lost any troops in either game, nobody indicated it was a walkover. In fact, the general consensus was that it felt quite like a contemporary Counter Insurgency (COIN) operation; nails were bit and seat of the pants moments were de rigeur! 

Arena

Those not playing 5PFH:Tactics were engaged in playing Arena, a player versus player versus player deathmatch with everyone out for themselves (or, at least, against Tom). The gameplay is very similar to computer game classics such as Doom and Quake. Portals threw players hither and thither as they sought to end their opponents. Pace was good for a multiplayer game with  lots of positioning to get flank shots.  Tom said "Everyone seemed engaged by the epic bantz and focus on trying to kill (opposing players - or, at least, the figures representing them)." In all, fast paced, furious and underscored with laughter!

Pictures of the games below!