With the table set-up and the gang and posse deployed it was time to start the game! I will add that I do customarily put a horse or two at hitching posts on tables I set up. This gives a little boost to characters who are able to reach them and use them. I placed two horses on main street at different hitching posts.
Solo Note: Once a game is underway the random activation mechanic helps...when I draw a character's card I simply do whatever is in that character's best interest. As with all solo games you lose the over-arching scheme and strategy you can try to pull on opposing players, but this is an almost necessary evil.
Turn One
The turn started with a bang. Literally. While the Drifter and Thief began running across the board the Bushwacker grinned, lit the fuse on his dynamite and tossed it at the door of the railway station - walking away, not bothering to look at the explosion (as all good movie stars don't!). His hair and jacket flapped wildly as the dynamite went off. He turned around heroically and...nothing.
The Bushwacker detonated his dynamite and does a bunch of nothing to the railway station.
The door was singed and some wood panels had fallen off, but it was hardly noticeable.
Across the board the Trailboss stuck his spurs in and galloped to the left, hoping to flank the town with his horse's speed. The Outlaws drew a special card they were unable to use. As the Outlaws were beginning to advance the Lawmen Bodyguard broke out a window in the saloon and fired at the Bandit, failing to strike him. The trailboss was on the move again, now galloping away from any Lawmen.
The Marshal activated and decided to trade his activation for an additional special card - this allowed them to skip the next activation card drawn for the Outlaws (this was the Crazy). In main street the Prospector hobbled out of the barber, foam shaking off his neck, heading across the street to grab his sidekick (the Sidekick only activates if his main character is within 10"!). The nearby Lawman Hired Gun crept up to the doorway, weary of Outlaws outside.
The Bandit, dodging fire from the Bodyguard had run into the woods, keeping out of sight of the Saloon and its Lawmen. Across main street the Judge was on the move, heading toward the Marshal. The Outlaws drew another special card which was wasted on them!
Then the bloodshed began.
The Drifter casually walks up and blasts the Bodyguard in half with his shotgun.
The Drifter activated, and moved into range of the Bodyguard in the window of the saloon. He struck him with all four dice from his shotgun, wounding on three - cutting the poor Bodyguard nearly in two. The Drifter then activated again and walked into cover, calmly reloading his shotgun.
The Business Tycoon moved out of the bottom of the Saloon and headed to an alleyway which would put him on an intercept course with the Drifter.
The Business Tycoon puts on his big boy pants and goes looking for the Drifter...completely oblivious to the Thief running past him in the background!
The Lawmen drew two special cards they were unable to benefit from. Despite his completely failure to damage the station, the Bushwacker entered the building. Armed with a lever action repeater he would be able to provide covering fire for his comrades.
The Bushwacker, having failed to blow up anything in the train station creeps inside.
Turn 2
The Lawmen had taken a serious shilacking in the first turn. Now with all of their activations available perhaps they could cut down some of the Outlaws. The Judge was still running toward the Marshal. The Tycoon, smelling the dirt and grit of the Drifter stepped back and leveled his carbine. The Drifter calmly stepped out and fired his shotgun, striking the Business Tycoon, wounding him. He stumbled back out of sight.
The Business Tycoon bites off more than he can chew!
Wounded, the Business Tycoon was unable to even hit the Drifter as he saddled up to the edge of the opposite building. The Drifter, ignoring the bleeding Tycoon, walked on, again reloading his lethal shotgun. With all of the shooting and explosions it's understandable that no one in town noticed the suspicious figure running full speed down mainstreet, a small bundle tucked under his arm (the Thief would activate twice this turn running a full 14"(!) both times due to lucky dice rolls).
In the railway station the Bushwacker leaned on the window sill and fired his level gun at the oblivious Prospector who was jogging across the street.
The Bushwacker takes careful aim and pops a shot into the arm of the Prospector, winging him. In the street the Thief is hustling rapidly towards his target!
The Marshal, quickly realizing the fight was moving past him stepped to the door and fired a shot at the Crazy, out of range. Across the street the Lawmen's Hired Gun was running after the Trail Boss, a futile effort. The Trail Boss calmly galloped away from the fighting and around the edge of town. The Outlaws drew "Liquid Courage" and I played it on the Crazy so there was even less chance of him failing to activate.
With no one to stop him, the Trail Boss calmly flanks around the far side of town, away from the din of battle.
Having failed completely with the Bushwacker's dynamite I was a bit concerned about the chances of actually blowing up the rail station. I chose not to involve the Trail Boss in the hopes he could gallop all the way to the station and add his dynamite. The Outlaws drew a special card; Accomplice. They added a Town Person to their gang (armed with a short sixgun!)
An accomplice in town joins the Drifter and the Outlaws.
The Lawmen drew a special card, allowing me to activate two characters. I chose the Prospector who moved into the cover and threw his dynamite into the street, letting his detonate harmlessly (I didn't want the Outlaws to kill him and take it!). The Sidekick, full of courage, ran out of The Eight and fired his shotgun nearly point blank at the Drifter.
A brave attempt. The Sidekick ran into the Drifter, blazing away with his shotgun. He struck the Drifter, wounding him, but ate a face full of shotgun in retaliation.
Morose over the death of his sidekick the Prospector wandered in The Eight, hoping to get a respite from the shooting around him. I played "Evicted" on The Eight which meant that no Outlaw could enter the building (sadly it's lined with windows!)
While the Lawmen were in complete chaos in the middle of main street (the Judge was running, the Tycoon was hiding, wounded, and the Hired Gun was trying to catch up to the action!) the Outlaws were making all speed. They had characters flanking both sides and the Thief was inches from the railway station.
The Tycoon shelters near a building while the Judge looks for the Marshal and the Hired Gun finally reaches a horse!
The Bandit and the new Town Person were both flanking The Eight where the wounded Prospector was attempting to hide.
The Thief hauls butt and reaches the railway station. (Note: the silly dust markers are meant for tanks, but I decided to use them to mark "Moving Fast" character this game!)
More to come...things are looking bad for the Lawmen!
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