20,000 Leagues Under The Sea - The Wargame

I found this picture in my Flickr photostream - a game I played one evening back in February 2007. I have posted it here for sheer nostalgia value.

This is the original caption:

"Trying out a scenario for 'Monster Island' that I found on the web. Nemo's Nautilus and three bases of divers take on a single giant octopus. Nemo started off well until the octopus got a good hold on the submarine and, resisting the electrically charged hull, crushed it. With nowhere to run the diver squads were picked off one by one.

Special effects from the Sydney Aquarium gift-shop (Octopus), Games Workshop (the Epic Imperial Guard masquerading as divers) and, of course, Lego (The Nautilus)."

I can't remember who wrote the original scenario. It used the octopus monster in the sample creatures in the 'Monster Island' rules book, against three stands of infantry from 'Escape From Monster Island'. I can't remember what the Nautilus was - I think it may have been based on a UFO from 'Invasion of Monster Island', with flight replaced by swimming and the ranged attack replaced by an electrified hull.

It might be quite fun to try it with 'Giant Monster Rampage', treating the sea-surface as ground movement, but giving everything the Burrow ability to represent diving. There was a note in the comments on the original photo that the scenario included an option for a third player (the US Navy); this would give a player some 1860-70s steam/sail ships - plenty of guns but little protection and no dive capability.

I actually found some more pictures I took at the time, but they aren't really any different to the one posted above. However here's one just for the sheer hell of posting a picture I haven't seen in over six years.

I should note that the Imperial Guard have since been repainted, and are now regularly fighting (and dying) in games of HOTT. The Lego is in a big box (a big, BIG, box), but I think I ditched the octopus as part of the clear-out we had when we emigrated.