Firefly - Harken's Folly

And so to another game of Firefly.

"The Big Damn 'Verse"

We decided firstly to "go light" and play the base game with most of the stuff from the expansions removed.

We set up and randomly chose the scenario to play; in this case Harken's Folly.  

Commander Harken: "You and you crew are bound by law. Formal charges will be transmitted to the central authority."

So we had three victory goals to do in sequence:

1. Get "solid" with the four other contacts

2. Lead Harken on a wild (juggled) goose chase

3. Get into the VIP party and gather the intel to become a big player in the information trade.

We also randomised the captains we'd be playing and my wife got the powerful Nandi...

Everyone likes Nandi, they'll work for her for nothing!

"I appreciate your coming."

I got the gun runner Marco (who made the mistake of only paying Jayne 7%)...

He's a solid character, able to buy weapons at half price but also counts as "Transport".

"7% is standard"

Kicking off and needing to get solid with all the contacts (except the Alliance's Harken), Nandi began on Persephone working a job for Badger.  Marko began at the Space Bazaar on a milk-run for Amon Duul.

Early game saw us both working the Red Sun lanes, harrassed by Reavers.

"Reavers? Ain't logical. Cuttin' on his own face, rapin' and murdering - Hell, I'll kill a man in a fair fight... or if I think he's gonna start a fair fight, or if he bothers me, or if there's a woman, or if I'm gettin' paid - mostly only when I'm gettin' paid. But these Reavers... last ten years they show up like the bogeyman from stories. Eating people alive? Where's that get fun?"

And as we worked our jobs, Nandi headed across Alliance Space to Georgia - still pursued by the dreaded Reavers.

Meanwhile Marko worked Alliance Space itself, a dangerous situation as he'd picked up a Warrant for his arrest early on.  This would become a feature for both crews as throughout the game we struggled with the "Aim to Misbehave" tasks.

The inevitable happened (more than once) and Marko got boarded by the Alliance.  Paying the fines seriously dented his funds, but at least the jobs were getting done.

"Is there any reason you don't wish to discuss your activities?"
"Don't see as its any of your business is all; we're very private people".

Mid-game saw us both risking life and limb in the outer territories around Georgia, working Dung Runs for Patience and struggling with the "Aim to Misbehave" tasks.

Marko continued to accrue Warrants and get hit by the Alliance, while Nandi suffered terribly from the Reavers.  Twice she picked up figitives from the Space Bazarre, transported them all the way to Georgia, only to be hit by Reavers and having the fugitives eaten by these space devils.

We'd both accrued shiny crews, although Nandi's were disgruntled at working for Niska!

"This is how it is. Anybody doesn't wanna fly with me any more, this is your port of harbor. There's a lot of fine ways to die. I ain't waiting for the Alliance to choose mine."

Niska, "When you die, I can't hurt you any more. And I want two days at least, minimum."

Marko's crew is better behaved, probably because Emma was "keeping everyone happy".  Ass ever though, he's carrying a Warrant, a stash full of fugitives, and he's running low on fuel and spare parts.

"Come a day there won't be room for naughty men like us to slip about at all. This job goes south, there well may not be another. So here is us, on the raggedy edge. Don't push me, and I won't push you. Dong le ma?"

 Marko carried on the risk of meeting the Alliance in central space while Nandi got locked in some tough times trying to complete some jobs around Silverhold, heavily harassed by Reavers again.

And then Inara joined Marko's crew!  Because nothing says "respectable" like a Companion.

"And what exactly was our net profit on the famous wobbly-headed doll caper?"

Shortly after Marko slipped ahead by gaining the first Goal - becoming solid with the four contacts.  It cost him a lot though and he was now carrying three Warrants!  If the Alliance caught him now, it'd wipe out his funds.

Shortly after, Nandi caught up and the chase was now on to complete the two remaining goals...

As with every game of Firefly we've played, just as the mid-game seems to be dragging, the end game comes on quickly and someone wins, almost unexpectedly.  Marko was able to keep his lead (but only just) and finished the last two Goals to take the win.

Another excellent game of Firefly, which is a good solid boardgame made all the better for us as we're huge Firefly/Serenity fans.

Great fun was had as always with this fun game.