Neutral Units: Unsung Heroes

As cities are met with the destructive encounters of the gigantic opposing forces of the Monsterpocalypse, many civilians are caught in the crossfire. Most of these unfortunate souls do what is only natural in the face of such horror—run! But there are some who find the strength within to become the heroes their cities desperately need. Here are a few stories of these unsung heroes.

A Hard Day’s Night

Shirley Johnson drives trucks for a living. Her motto has always been that hard work puts the best food on the table. She took the hazmat truck assignment for the extra pay. She did not realize exactly how hazardous the assignment would turn out to be, nor did she imagine that taking it on would put her in the position to become a hero.

Shirley’s drive through the forest road just outside the city was cut short by what looked to be a huge crab crawling from out of the trees ahead. Then, in her rearview mirror, she saw a strange-looking giant fish-monster coming her way. Scared, totally weirded out, and knowing she couldn’t go forward or turn around, Shirley chose to shut off her engine, raise the volume of her radio, and close her eyes. “It’s been a harrrd day’s night . . .”

Her escape from this unreal reality was broken by a loud shriek. She looked out the side window and saw a flying, orange-glowing, dinosaur-like creature equal in size to the strange fish. The great dinosaur flew straight at the giant fish to strike it with its claws, then immediately grappled it in a swift motion. The dinosaur hurled the fish right over Shirley’s truck and onto the huge crab creature in front of her.

As the fish made it back up onto its legs, the strange bulb protruding from its head began to glow. Seemingly in sync with the fish’s glowing bulb, more crusty crabs began to gather, along with alien-style machines shooting laser beams at the flying dinosaur.

Shirley thought of her kids at her sister’s house in the city and restarted her truck. Flooring the gas pedal, she headed straight toward the giant sea creatures. Halfway to impact, with the radio still blasting, “. . . will make me fe-eel all right,” Shirley leapt from the truck. Just as she completed her tumble, she looked up to see the explosion.

The laser-blasting machines were destroyed, the crabs were blown to their backs, and the giant fish was taken down. Shirley heard another shriek and looked to see the winged dinosaur-creature fly away. She then noticed a strong and distinct smell. “I guess it’s fried fish and crab cakes on the table tonight,” she murmured.

The Hazmat Truck is the most destructive of the three neutral units in the Monsterpocalypse: Big in Japan set. With its Explosion and Radial Attack brawl triggers, you can run a Hazmat Truck right into a group of enemy units to take them out. Of course, Self Destruct means the Hazmat Truck will be taken out as well, but since the neutral units have no agenda, no extra action dice beyond the unit’s cost are required to spawn another one.

After School Special

Classes came to an abrupt end as fire alarms went off in buildings all across the campus. Despite the clamoring bells, the students spilling out of classrooms and lecture halls moved at a normal class-ending pace until the sound of a giant robot smashing into the pavement outside drowned out the alarms. Mass hysteria ensued.

Oblivious to the tumult, a preoccupied Dr. Gregory Platt collected his teaching materials. As he exited the classroom, he looked back at an extremely long, unfinished equation on the whiteboard and mumbled something only a physicist could interpret. He slowly walked through the university halls, stroking his beard in deep thought. All the while, students and teachers ran frantically about, knowing the Monsterpocalypse was now invading their city.

Dr. Platt stepped out of the front doors of the physics building and saw the fallen robot, which he recognized as the G.U.A.R.D. protector Defender X. He gave it a quick once-over and continued to walk absently toward his car. He then noticed an impressive G.U.A.R.D. vehicle beginning to glow next to a power generator. This stopped him in his tracks. “Very interesting,” he said aloud. Briefly looking up, then counting on his fingers, he began to walk again, but in a new direction—toward an abandoned tanker truck.

Without any sense of urgency, Dr. Platt made his way to the tanker, still mumbling. Bystanders looked on in awe as Defender X started to get back up. The giant mech protector began to glow dimly as the glow of the G.U.A.R.D. vehicle faded. Not at all surprised at this, the professor continued his conversation with himself as he climbed into the tanker truck.

Shouts of alarm added to the tumult as the subterran monster that caused the great robot’s fall ran full-force through the city. As the behemoth of flesh and drills advanced relentlessly toward the weakened Defender X, Dr. Platt calmly crashed the tanker truck straight through a fence to park next to another power generator. He exited the cab, then the truck began to pulsate with power. Defender X glowed even more intensely.

The glowing seemed to empower the robot greatly: glowing brightly, the massive guardian took full- speed flight, then shot out its mechanical fists right at the fiendish drill monster’s chest. With a loud boom, the powerful impact sent the monster flying back into an unmanned construction site. The monster would not get up from this fall.

Cheers began to ring through the streets as the still-mumbling Dr. Platt reached his car. He tossed his briefcase onto the passenger seat and suddenly paused as if startled. ”Eureka!” he exclaimed with great excitement. “I think I’ve got it!” Then, as if awakening from a dream, he noticed the jubilant crowds around him, the glowing Defender X, and the huge chunk of asphalt embedded in the hood of his car.

Looking for an enhancement on your power base? Park one of these Tanker Trucks on a power zone to get that power up boost your force needs. Along with Amplify, the Tanker Truck has the Hazardous ability, making it a nice unit to pull out of your reserves whenever you want to set up a more damaging power attack against the enemy monster.

Disaster Control

The Brooks brothers had been a part of their community’s volunteer fire department for over a year. William, the eldest and wealthiest of the three, even purchased a fleet of new emergency response vehicles for the city’s fire department. Having dreamed as a child of taking the wheel of a shiny red ladder truck, William also made sure a fire engine was in his driveway. This made it easy for him and his brothers, Robert and Daniel, to get to emergency scenes quickly. And the greatest emergency they would ever know would test their response time as well as their resolve.

The brothers’ bantering over the half-time report of the local college football game was cut short by an emergency call. With the home team down by a field goal, William shut off the television, and the three quickly got equipped and on the road.

As William drove, chilling reports came over the radio of giant creatures from underground, super-sized insects, sea monsters walking on land, and a very mean ape wielding a train as a weapon. The monsters all seemed to be at odds with one another, but that didn’t mean the innocent bystanders of the city were safe from their attacks. The reports were broken by a new, clear voice saying, ”This is UCI Control calling all emergency response vehicles. You are needed in the university district. Make your way to the stadium. Our robotic protection vehicles are dealing with the rampaging monsters, but we could use your help keeping customers . . . er, civilians safe. We have secured the stadium and created a garrison. Over and out.” Only blocks away, William kept up the fire truck’s speed as he squinted his eyes and focused on navigating through the small fires and rubble all over the roads.

When they arrived at the stadium, William parked the engine and a ready team of firefighters ran to get its attack hose started to tend to fires in the surrounding buildings.

A familiar voice sounded from a nearby UCI RPV, “All air units, this is UCI Control. Mechathugrosh is online. Prepare for screening maneuvers.” The building-sized Mechathugrosh rocketed through the air over the stadium, trailed by many smaller RPVs. William looked around at the many firefighters, police officers, and other emergency response workers assisting civilians, and although the stadium’s scoreboard read otherwise, he knew this was a win for the home team.

Fire Engines can easily get to hazards to use their Extinguish action with the help of All Terrain. That utility alone will be enough for players to want one or two in their force, but being the only unit in the game with Deflector Shield (Buildings adjacent to this figure gain +1 DEF from enemy attacks.), you may want a full five Fire Engines to help protect your secured buildings.

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