"Old West Miniatures Game in a Box!" Topic

This is a pretty cool alternative if you don't have the time to lay out the scenery or paint the miniatures. I have a copy and it's a pretty cool board game.

auction

Sounds a good idea. Your comments on the basic mechanics?

martin

Martin

It's a *very* basic game. I owned, but I don't remember what I did with it. Probably sold it, because I was disappointed with the game. It's an IGOUGO game. Each character gets a couple of attributes. As you draw cards you get additional "one shot" bonuses. Like "add 2 to your dice roll". Each character is represented by a cardboard standee on a plastic base. If I remember correctly there are not many different standees. Maybe 8 or 10 different ones. One of your characters shoots at an enemy character within LOS. If you hit him, some points are removed from his health. Keep doing that until he's dead. About 16 or so scenarios. Each getting more complex as you go though them. By complex I mean more characters and additional buildings, not that the rules get more complex, as the rules are as basic as basic can be. IMHO, the best things about the game are the box art by Gary Zaboly, and the fact that even a very young child with basic reading skills can play it, so it can serve as an entry level game.

I agree with Shadow with regards to the "basic game" but with the additional rules (available in later sets and free online from Board Game Geek and Worthington Games) it becomes much more sophisticated and plays a lot like most war games. Also, there is a free Tombstone campaign available on Board Game Geek for free that works as a great coop or solitaire game.

As far as mechanics for the advanced game, players have the same choices as they might in a miniatures game (seek cover vs. fire more accurately at close range, move and shoot vs. stand still, try to pick up better weapons vs. reload, etc.). The shot and wound counters make record keeping easier and some of the optional rules like variable combat damage make the game much more unpredictable.

Thanks for the insight. Sounds good as a convention game.

Yes it would work quite well for that! Also, the boards are modular and the board spaces are about 3/4" squares so most 28mm or even 15mm mounted miniatures could be used to replace the cardboard figures with the game.

Sounds interesting.

There is another game called Deadwood that plays in a similar fashion.

link

This classic from Avalon Hill is considered by many to be the best cowboy gunfight game ever produced: