Delivered from Evil: A DC Universe World War II Campaign

BACKGROUND: The place is pre-Crisis Earth-Two. The year is 1944. Dr. Albert Dekker is an American scientist working in a field that will one day be known as genetic engineering. Working in a remote laboratory in the Rocky Mountains, he develops a method of combining genetic materials taken from corpses (even long dead corpses) and using these materials to create a new life form.

Approaching the Allies, Dekker offers to use the bodies of the most famous warriors of history to create the ultimate warrior. But Allied Command doesn’t take him seriously—those few who believe he may be able to do this are concerned with the ethical ramifications. Dekker is refused funding.

Enraged, Dekker secretly travels to Switzerland and secretly contacts the Axis governments. The scientist has no concerns about right and wrong or good and evil—he simply wants to build his super-soldier.

The Axis governments take Dekker up on his offer. They build him a secret lab in the Bavarian Alps and a special German/Japanese military unit is formed to obtain the genetic materials Dekker needs and to provide security.

But Allied Intelligence soon learns of the plan. Quickly, those who aid in the fight for freedom (both human and superhuman) move to put a stop to Dekker’s madness.


TEAMS: One player will use the good guys, while the other will control the vile Axis forces. Heretofore, they will be respectively referred to as the Hero and the Villain.

The Hero will have a pool of available characters consisting of the following figures: Origin Superman, Origin Batman, Origin Wonder Woman, Sandman, Origin Starman, Origin Green Lantern, Flash (Jay Garrick), Wildcat, Hourman, Hawkman, Hawkgirl, Dr. Midnight, Black Canary (JSA version), Phantom Lady, Johnny Thunder, R/E/V Blackhawk (each of the three will represent a specific character: Blackhawk, Hendrickson, and Sven), Sgt. Rock, Easy Company Soldiers, one Easy Company medic. He may also use the Haunted Tank in certain scenarios. When there is a choice of more than one version of a character, the Hero picks which one he will use throughout the campaign.

The Villain’s pool of characters represent a variety of characters, some of which are the results of experiments by German and Japanese scientists. Various pieces are borrowed from Indy and Marvel sets to represent these characters.

He may use:

Any number of Major Maxim (Steriod-drenched SS soldiers)

Any number of Hand Ninjas (borrowed from a Japanese Secret Assassination Unit)

Any number of Dreadnaughts (an early example of battle robots being produced in secret German factories)

Any number of Hydra generics of all kinds (a military unit combining Japanese Imperial Marines and SS troopers—they wear masks to hide their nationalities from one another so they can work together smoothly.)

Any number of U-Men (another German Special Forces unit)

The Axis has also recruited several super-villains to help, promising them money and/or power. The Villain may use any one version of the Joker, Penguin, the Shade, Solomon Grundy, the Ultra-Humanite, and Vandal Savage.

Finally, the Germans have turned to Aryan mythology for more help and have summoned a number of valkerie warriors from Asgard. The Villain may use any number of generic Valkeries or Asgardian Warriors.

OPTIONAL: This takes a little work, but regular Japanese and German soldiers can be included in the pool as well. To do so, the players must either make pogs or buy WWII plastic soldier of approximately the right scale. The soldiers have 1 click and cost 6 points each. They have the following stats: Move—7 Attack—7 Defense—14 Damage—1 Range—6; Hydra Team Ability.



FEAT CARDS: Neither player may use Lazarus Pit or ICWO. Otherwise, Feat Cards may be assigned freely when building teams.

VICTORY: Keep a running total of victory points throughout the first four scenarios. Whichever player is ahead will gain an advantage in the last scenario. The winner of the last scenario is the winner of the campaign.

SCENARIOS:

Team size and length: The first four scenarios are 400 points and run 10 rounds. The last scenario is 600 points and runs 12 rounds.

Maps: A specific map is required for each scenario. If the required map is not available, the players should be able to decide on an adequate substitute. Role dice to resolve any disputes.


SCENARIO #1: Viking on Ice

The Axis forces move to steal the various corpses they need for Dekker to make his super-soldier. The first target is the body of the legendary Viking Prince, which is frozen in a glacier in northern Norway. Norwegian resistance fighters find out about the recovery effort and alert Allied Intelligence. Sgt Rock and Easy Company, reinforced by a few costumed heroes, are dispatched to put a stop to all this. They arrive too late to stop them from digging out the ancient corpse, but intercept them at their temporary HQ (an ancient Viking castle) before the corpse can be transported away.

Map: If it’s available, use the Castle Ruins map. Otherwise, use the Park map that came with the Marvel Premiere set to represent the grounds outside the castle.

Teams: The Hero must use Sgt. Rock and at least two Easy Company soldiers. He may not use the Blackhawks. Otherwise, he can pick freely from his pool of available characters. He may use the Haunted Tank.

The Villain may not use more than one Hydra medic. Otherwise, he can pick freely from his pool of available characters.

Set-up: Roll for first player and choose sides normally.

BFC Card: Carelessly digging out the nearby glacier has destabilized a nearby fault line. The Earthquake BFC card is in effect.


Victory: Calculate victory points normally.



SCENARIO #2: Island Hopping

The next body is that of a 15th Century Samurai warrior named Mifune. Mifune’s tomb is on a remote South Pacific island. This time, the Blackhawks are given the job of stopping the Axis forces.

Map: Use the Swamp map from the Hellboy starter set.

Teams: The Hero must use all three Blackhawks. He may not use Sgt. Rock and Easy Company. Otherwise, he can pick freely from his pool of available characters.

The Villain may not use more than one Hydra medic. Otherwise, he can pick freely from his pool of available characters.

Set-up: Roll for 1st player and choose sides normally.

BFC card: No BFC card is in effect this time.

Victory: Calculate victory points normally.


SCENARIO #3: Friends, Romans, Countrymen


The secret tomb of Julius Caesar is located in northern Italy. Though still exhausted from the Norway mission, Rock and Easy Company are para-dropped in to stop yet another grave robbery. The body has already been removed from the tomb and crated up for shipment to Dekker, so the Allied forces must attack a warehouse in Genoa to recover or destroy it.

Map: Use the Warehouse map from the Marvel Premiere set.

Teams: Once again, the Hero must use Sgt. Rock and at least two Easy Company soldiers. He may not use the Blackhawks. Otherwise, he can pick freely from his pool of available characters. He may use the Haunted Tank

The Villain may not use more than one Hydra medic. Otherwise, he can pick freely from his pool of available characters.

Set-up: Roll for first player and choose sides normally.

BFC card: No BFC card is in effect for this scenario.

Victory: Calculate victory points normally.


SCENARIO #4: Once and Future King


The Axis forces send a raiding party to England to recover the body of King Arthur. The Blackhawks, flying in quickly from their mission on the other side of the world, move to stop them. Since Arthur’s tomb was unknowingly paved over by urban expansion before it was discovered by archeologists, the fight takes place along the streets of Liverpool.

Map: Use any city map (exception: Don’t use the Metropolis street map. There’s no statue of Superman in Liverpool). The first player can pick maps.

Teams: The Hero uses all three Blackhawks. He may not use Sgt. Rock and Easy Company. Otherwise, he can pick freely from his pool of available characters.

The Villain may not use more than one Hydra medic. Otherwise, he can pick freely from his pool of available characters.

Set-up: Roll for first player and choose sides normally.

Special Set Up Rule: After all other set up procedures have been completed, the first player places the Lian Harper pog in one of the center 4 squares. This is little two-year-old Paul McCartney, who will one day become one of the Beatles. The pog affects LOF and forces breakaways by both players normally. Otherwise, little baby Paul simply stands there crying “I’m having a hard day’s night” until the battle is over or he’s KO’s by someone. This, of course, is the inspiration for the future Beatles hit song.

BFC card: Arthur’s tomb is infused with magic, which eventually begins to affect the environment. At the beginning of Round 6, the Astral Plane BFC card goes into effect.

Victory: Calculate victory points normally.



SCENARIO #5: Final Victory.


The Allies learn the location of Dekker’s secret lab and take the fight to him.

Map: 1st player picks either the Chemical Factory map from the Icon starter set or the Armor Wars factory map.

Teams: The Hero must use Sgt. Rock, at least 2 Easy Company soldiers and all three Blackhawks. Otherwise, he can pick freely from his pool of available characters. He may use the Haunted Tank

The Villain may not use more than one Hydra medic. Otherwise, he can pick freely from his pool of available characters. He must include the Scientist pog on his team (this is Dekker), but does not have to count his point cost towards his total build.

Set-up: Roll for first player and choose sides normally.

BFC cards: Both sides fight desperately in what they recognize to be the final battle. The Armor Wars BFC card is in effect.

SPECIAL: Whichever player is ahead on points going into this fight has an advantage going into the fight.

If the Villain is ahead, then Dekker has gotten the genetic materials he needs. The super soldier process is completed, but it is also flawed. The newly created soldier mutates into a hideous creature. But it still fights for its creator. The Villain gets any one version of Abomination OR Ultimate Abomination OR Rhino OR Juggernaut, but need only pay half the normal point cost for this figure.

If the Hero is ahead, he has delayed Dekker’s experiments. No super-soldier mutant is on hand AND the Hero gets a 10-point build advantage (he may build a 610 point team).

VICTORY: This is it. If the Hero wins, then World War II still ends in an Allied victory. If the Villain wins, then the Axis forces recover when an army of super-soldier mutants arrive on the fields of battle. They eventually conquer the world.