Pyrate Captain | 28 Dec 2023 7:10 a.m. PST |
Written by Steve Curtis, Mike Blake and Ian Colwill, copyright 1974. Has anyone ever played this pioneer of old west wargames? |
MajorB | 28 Dec 2023 7:13 a.m. PST |
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Pyrate Captain | 28 Dec 2023 8:21 a.m. PST |
What was your impression, B? |
MajorB | 28 Dec 2023 9:08 a.m. PST |
It was one of the earliest skirmish (i.e. 1 figure is 1 man) wargames set in the Old West. A turn represents a very short period of time (IIRC about 6 seconds?) so it was a very detailed set of rules where you had to keep track of how much ammunition each figure had used and some weapons required a multi-turn loading and firing sequence. It was fun at the time because it was different to most other wargames of the time. We played it with 54mm toy cowboy figures. |
Pyrate Captain | 28 Dec 2023 10:11 a.m. PST |
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advocate ![Supporting Member of TMP Supporting Member of TMP](boards/icons/sp.gif) | 28 Dec 2023 11:08 a.m. PST |
Major B has described it well. There was a reaction system linked to a character's experience, and individual abilities with gun and hand-to-hand as well. A single modified percentage to hit translated into a kill, or a serious or light wound in a specific location. Loads of detail on different weapons. Pretty intense, but we played it a lot and knew most of the modifiers from memory. |
Pyrate Captain | 28 Dec 2023 11:10 a.m. PST |
Thanks Advocate, I need to try these rules. |
martin goddard ![Sponsoring Member of TMP Sponsoring Member of TMP](boards/icons/sponsor.gif) | 28 Dec 2023 3:01 p.m. PST |
Ground breaking. I played it a lot in the 1970s. Most modifiers in multiples of 5% Very very slow. But interesting I think they did a second and simpler edition after the 1974 one. martin |
gamertom ![Supporting Member of TMP Supporting Member of TMP](boards/icons/sp.gif) | 28 Dec 2023 5:05 p.m. PST |
I used it as a reference source for Old West small arms. First I had heard of a Vulcan revolver (fired a minie ball with the powder packed into the base of the round making it into a tiny rocket – wasn't very successful). |
Darrell B D Day | 29 Dec 2023 6:36 a.m. PST |
Played in the same way as Major B, also with 54's (which I've still got). We tried it using only a single, blue light-bulb for illumination – I think we were trying for hidden movement or fog-of-war or something. It was memorable, not least because I spent many, many turns building up plusses by aiming for a long time at a head poking up over a fence. My shot, when I took it, was a clean hit. Unfortunately I'd been duped because the hat had been taken of the miniature (a Swoppets), and placed in position to lure a foolish person. I was that foolish person. So, the fog-of-war worked and so did the rules, which I still have, along with the Colonial rules from the same stable. DBDD |
SpuriousMilius | 30 Dec 2023 1:08 p.m. PST |
My group played it a few times, but a turn took too long so we took up "Boot Hill" instead which was a lot more fun & we could play 2 or 3 games in a session. |
Pyrate Captain | 31 Dec 2023 1:59 a.m. PST |
TSR's Boot Hill? Isn't that more of an RPG? |
Grattan54 ![Supporting Member of TMP Supporting Member of TMP](boards/icons/sp.gif) | 31 Dec 2023 11:37 a.m. PST |
It is called a RPG but really the rules are mainly about doing a gunfight or brawl. They are the rules I use when doing gunfights. |