An Arresting Development...
by David F Stuckey

MEGA-CITY ONE SECTOR HOUSE 4 + + +
0956 HOURS + + + +
SITUATION: Block Riot + + + +
LOCATION: John Treadaway Block + + + +
STATUS: an unemployment demonstration escalated when a CitiDefense unit joined in the destruction of a group of construction robots. Rioters are currently in possession of the lower seven floors of the new John Treadaway Block. Demands from the rioters consist so far of increasingly large quantities of 'Bloaty Boy™' Munce pizzas. Judges within forty-five kilometres radius are requested to assist in an assault. Meat wagons and Resyk Corpse-carts are on the way + + + +

What better way to demonstrate the close assault and urban combat rules in Hellfire than in the mean streets of the Mega-City? Put on your best plastic chin and let's dispense some justice!

John Treadway Block

This structure is represented by each of the separate floors being divided into six rooms, each the size of the ubiquitous beer mat or by playing cards, each separated by a stand-with corridor. Elevators are located on one edge, at the end of two corridors, and from this point the Judges enter each floor as it is approached. Each floor must be cleared before the next is entered.

Rioters

There are four stands of citizens per room; two stands of CitiDef militia troops are located in a room selected at random by die roll. Each four stand group of citizens is a detachment, as is each two stand CitiDef team. Statistics are as follows:

Citizens: no armour, improvised gas protection, two stands with mixed energy/projectile weapons (8" range), two stands melee weapons.

Reaction: 3,3,2,2,2,1,1,1 (15 points)

Citi-Def: flak armour, gas protection B, one stand energy weapons (11" range), one stand projectile weapons (7" range)

Reaction: 3,2,3,2,3,2,2,1 (18 points)

Judges

Here we have a choice: eight stands of street Judges are quite adequate from testing of winning the scenario at least fifty percent of the time. However to spice up the game for roleplayers, I suggest the use of the "Hero" system I proposed in a previous article (basically treating a hero figure as equal to several bases, X, and calculating combat strength as for firing X/2 round down and close assault X/3 round up). If using a hero, replace three stands with two heroes of three stands each. A stand or hero counts as a detachment.

All Judges use the following stats:

Judges: Flak Armour, Gas Protection 9, Lawgiver projectile weapon

Reaction: 4,3,4,2,3,2,2,2 (22 points)

Lawgiver ammunition types:

• Standard: range 10"
• HiEx: 9" range, 3" burst as per man-pack artillery
• Heat Seekers: 8" range, nearest target is hit, ignoring LOS
• Ricochet: 8" range, affects any stands touching target

Pat-Wagon support

The Judge player may use a Pat-Wagon in support; this will bring a mortar to bear upon each floor that contains at least one stand of Judges. This launches a round of Stumm Gas into any targeted room, which will spread through the floor at a rate of one room per turn in random directions. All stands affected by Stumm Gas count to the Judges tally for clearing the floor.

Clearing a floor

Each floor is considered clear when the rioters are subdued. This can mean killed, unconscious or surrendered, the latter being considered the result of a rout. Once all floors are cleared, the Judge player wins.

If the Judge player is defeated by the Rioters, the Rioters player is conceded temporary victory, until a Justice Department bomber flattens the entire structure with cluster bombs.

Further Thoughts

This selection of ammunition ranges for the Lawgiver works fairly well and the Judge Dredd stories are a rich source of ideas for scenarios, although I think the Apocalypse War would be rather too grandiose for even a long-term campaign! Let's hear from players as to how it works for them.

Ed Note: Hellfire is a 6mm (Epic) SF rules system that concentrates on the infantry based "low down and dirty" end of SF ground combat rather than mass armour actions and was reviewed in Ragnarok 8. Published by Wessex Games, further details can be obtained by sending an SSAE to them at 4 Old Old Acre Road, Whitchurch, Bristol, BS14 0HN.

Judge Dredd is probably the most famous British comic book character ever and his adventures can be found in 2000AD and Judge Dredd Megazine.