"Rules suggestions for all things Old West" Topic

I'm (re)starting an Old West project that has been dormant for a long time. The plan is to have a bunch of different factions in a fairly small region (not necessarily historical) that can interact with each other. I'm looking for some suggestions on rules that have the appropriate period feel while being able to handle everything from 6-8 guys pulling a bank robbery up to cavalry vs indian battles of 30-50 figures a side.

The rules I own and have been considering are Yellow Ribbon, Warpaint, and The Tomahawk & the Flame. I'm curious if any/all/none of those would work in people's opinions and what other rules might they suggest.

The factions are:
US cavalry
Townspeople/lawmen
Outlaw gang
Mountain men
Sioux
Cheyenne
Apache
Mexican villagers
Maximillian French

Regards,
Tom V.

Tom,
I suggest taking a look at the following rules, all made specifcially for Old West games and factions/gangs -

Shoot and Skeedaddle
Fistful of Lead
Six Gun Sound – Blaze of Glory (Two Hour Wargames).
The first two are card controlled, independent publications, the third is basic Two Hour Wargames mechanics.

Nick

Blackwater gulch is fast and fun , the gangs have lots of character and the rules were free for download too.
link

We use "Long Knives" mostly.

"Desperado" is pretty good too.

Do consider Peter Pig's "Hey, you in the jail!).It just about matches your factions perfectly. the game works with most figures being in groups and a few single figures

martin

The Rules with No Name I personally feel would meet your needs. It is a great system with lots of character and is able to handle everything from small to large encounters. There is a game master that is at Historicon every year who runs a HUGE Wild West game using TRWNN and it is a gigantic panoramic of all of the Wild West tropes. It is always well attended and runs smoothly.

Tombstones and Tumbleweeds
The Rules With No Name
Gutshot!
GASLIGHT
TSaTF
Id avoid LOtOW unless you like bullets being deflected by tumbleweeds.

In my opinion there are more EXCELLENT Wild West rules out there than any other period. What I liked about WARPAINT are the scenario's (which you could actually use with any of the rules mentionned allready). Especially the "Big Valley" one wich could be played with up to 18 players ! Each with his own "warband" and different goals. All the factions, with exception of Maximilian French are available.
Is that also a possiblity with te Rules with no Name ? If yes, I'll be getting my hands on them too.

Shoot N' Skedaddle would only work on the smaller side of your endeavors. It is not suitable for 30-50 minis for battles unfortunately. Your project sounds like fun though.

Sounds like you're lookin' to have a heap of fun this summer, pardner!

Based on your requirements, I don't think GUTSHOT will fit your bill. Right now we don't have the rules out for Cavalry vs Indians. Everything else on your list is covered, especially for 6-8 guys running 1-2 characters each.

Still, if you're interested in taking a peak at GUTSHOT, you can download Character Sheets and handouts here:
hawgleg.com/downloads.asp

And, if you're looking for adventure ideas (with fully developed NPCs, town maps, etc.), we have 12 FREE downloads that could easily be adapted to another game system: link
(Our one request is that you don't post adaptations online)
BTW: These are currently being collected into a book, but the free versions will remain online.

GOOD LUCK finding what you're looking for. The guys above have recommended some great rules, and I strongly suggest you pay special attention to these three:
- Six Gun Sound – Blaze of Glory (Two Hour Wargames).
- Blackwater Gulch
- The Rules With No Name

Mike Mitchell
Hawgleg Publishing

I have tried several rule sets and they all offer different styles of play:

Rules with No Name – 1-3 miniatures per player, light RPG play or quick and simple shootouts, easy to come up with characters quickly

Gutshot – Light RPG, more detailed than TRWNN but not quit as in depth as Deadlands

Six Gun Sound – Feels like a lot of other 2HWG rules and has some nice campaign elements but actual fights can get repetitive

Blackwater Gulch – Nice rule set, more like LoToW only better.

LoToW – Have heard mostly bad things about it, never tried it but like a lot of other GW games, has its devotees, more points based like Warhammer than anything.

TRWNN book has some expanded rules for larger cavalry engagements also, forgot to mention. IMHO your best all around choice.