Wednesday, September 7, 2016

An Iron Snake without a Head: Part Three

Here is the table as we begin turn three...







At the beginning of turn three, the Trail Boss continued to gallop toward the railway station.  The Lawmen's Hired Gun hopped on a horse and gave chase, galloping like a mad man.

The Hired Gun gallops through the streets in hot pursuit (avoiding Main Street since there's a touch too many bullets flying there...)
 
The Outlaws surround The Eight.
 
 
Around The Eight the Town Person who'd joined up with the Outlaws fired into the saloon, missing the Prospector.  In his fury the Prospector walked up to the window and shot the Town Person in the gut, wounding him.  Near The Eight the Judge had given up on finding the Marshal and was moving in to help.  The Outlaws were now closing in on the railway station.
The Trail Boss arrived at the railway station, searching in his saddlebags for the stick of dynamite he'd brought with him.  He only had his hands off the reigns for a moment, but his trusted steed bucked and he was flung from the saddle.  As he recovered his breath he heard the galloping of a horse nearby...
 
Nearby there was a loud crump as another stick of dynamite cooked off next to the railway station.  This time it actually did a little bit of damage...(damage 1/4).
 
Despite being an expert horseman, the Trail Boss is thrown from his mount and shocked as the Hired Gun chases from behind.

 The Thief's dynamite actually damages the railway building...but only just.
 
Across the street from the ruckus at the railway station the angry bleeding Prospector clutched his stomach after fending off the Town Person nearby.  He heard the creak of the back door and before he could turn the Drifter shot him down with a muzzle loaded rifle.  He slumped to the ground, dead.
After a disappointing blast with the dynamite the Thief (now revealed) settled in behind a wagon, far from the danger.  He was a thief, not a gunslinger.

Back in the old DB Saloon, the Marshal stepped out onto the staircase, coming face to face with the Crazy.  He fired into the Crazy, wounding him...a moment later the Crazy fired back, striking the Marshal.  The Marshal activated next and put a final slug into the crazy, watching him slump down the stairs.

Both armed with heavy six guns, the Marshal and Crazy get into a gunfight on the staircase of the DB saloon.  The Marshal comes out victorious.
 
 Near the railway station the wounded Outlaw's Town Person grabbed a nearby horse and started to head over to help the Trail Boss, fearing the Hired Gun's fearsome reputation.  Nearby the wounded Drifter moved into cover, reloading.  He heard the Tycoon stumbling around inside the Undertaker's office.  As he peered through the glass, searching for him the Judge appeared, leveling his muzzle loaded pistol at the Drifter's head.  With a smack and a large puff of black powder the Drifter was thrown back, dead.

Just as the Judge was savoring his victory he heard a click behind him - the Bandit.  Luckily for the Judge I'd played the 'Jammed' card on the Bandit, forcing him to reload/fix his shotgun so he was unable to shoot down the Judge.
 
The Judge puts an end to the Drifter's shooting rampage.
 
Turn Four
Emboldened by the visage of the dead Drifter the wounded Business Tycoon snuck out the Undertaker to join the Judge who was hiding, reloading.  Just as he appeared the Bandit opened fire with his shotgun, just out of range.  A large chunk of Miss Lamb's Portrait studio scattered across the dirt.
 
I played the Horse Thief special card on the Bandit, adding a horse to him.  This would give me greater versatility since I had several characters with horses on the Outlaw side.  Just as he mounted the horse he'd stolen the Bandit was shot in the ass by the Judge.  He grabbed his butt, shouting numerous curses as he slipped into the saddle.
 
Across the way the Lawmen's Hired Gun fired wildly at the Trail Boss, hoping to kill him while he was Shocked.  He was unsuccessful.  The Trail Boss activated, removing his Shocked Status.  The nearby Town Person was galloping in, trying to save the Trail Boss, firing wildly at the Hired Gun...managing only to put a .32 caliber bullet into the flank of the horse.
 
 The Lawmen drew an Activate 2 card and the Hired Gun fired, wounding the Trail Boss, striking him in the back as he made to get back on his horse.  The Judge hid and reloaded, near the Bandit.  The Trail Boss spun around, emptying his Mare's Leg into the nearby Hired Gun...failing every single shot, not even striking the horse!  With a reload token, the Outlaws drew a Shootout card.  The only way to save the Trail Boss was to attempt to kill the Hired Gun in a Shootout.

Designer's Note: A Shootout allows all weapons to be re-loaded prior to beginning, however characters have to spend every other action reloading...this allowed the Trail Boss at least one turn of shooting before he'd be in trouble...it was a gamble.
 
It ended poorly for the Trail Boss.  Despite firing three rounds for every round the Hired Gun fired...the turn reloading meant that the Hired Gun lucked out after four actions and put a slug into the wounded Trail Boss, killing him.
 
This was disastrous as it meant that I now had no more dynamite (other than hoping for a Sabotage card).  I'd have to recover the dynamite if I had the manpower to do it.

Nope.  Drawing a bonus activation the Hired Gun spins around and puts a slug into the Town Person approaching, killing him too!
 
Suddenly the game had changed.  The Lawmen's Hired Gun was going on a blood thirsty rampage, gunning down everything in sight.  The Outlaws had just lost the Drifter, the Trail Boss and a Town Person in rapid succession...
It only got worse from there.

Hoping for some vengeance the Bandit gallops into the Judge...and totally misses.
 
The dice gods had abandoned the Outlaws.  Out of dynamite and out of luck the tables had turned in an instant.  The scrappy band of wounded Lawmen were making a stand.
Turn Five
The Outlaws begin to flee...
 
As I decided to flee with my Outlaws I drew a revive card and I grabbed my Town Person and stood him back up.  He hopped on his horse, still wounded, and started galloping away.  Unimpressed with his group's performance the Bushwacker fired down off the roof of the railway station and killed the Hired Gun...finally.
The Bushwacker gives the Lawmen a parting gift, shooting the Hired Gun dead after watching his bravado.
 
Oddly, as the Outlaws fled the battered old Prospector crawled to his knees, grabbed a bottle of whiskey from The Eight and staggered back into the street, firing wildly into the air.  They'd done it...barely.  The railway station was still in one piece more or less.
End Result: Tie
 
Judge: Alive
Marshal: Wounded
Hired Gun: Dead
Business Tycoon: Wounded
Prospector: Wounded
Sidekick: Dead
Bodyguard: Dead
 
Bushwacker: Alive
Thief: Alive
Bandit: Wounded
Town Person:Wounded
Drifter: Dead
Trail Boss: Dead
Crazy: Dead

Overall, a tie.  While the Lawmen protected the railway station more than half of the Outlaws survived the encounter, fleeing the table.  It was a roller coaster of a game.  I thought for sure the Outlaws had it down, and then in an instant the Lawmen turned the tables.  A very good and fun game.  I think I'll re-play the scenario with my brother sometime soon.


 
 





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