SHOOTOUT IN PARADISE CITY (WHAT A COWBOY! GAME 6)

 

It's the campaign finale and the Digbeth gang have lost every game so far. However, that is in some senses irrelevant as everything hinges on this last game. So everything is set for a final showdown in the streets of Paradise City. The finale is always the High Noon scenario, so it's down to a straight forward shootout.

This was a close one and could have gone either way. It was also the longest game so far, mainly down to extreme dice that lasted all game. Everything seemed to be a 1 or a 6. Lots of missed shots on a 1, but also lots of hits on a 6. Unfortunately, the latter was invariably followed by a 6 for a successful dodge!

Most participants completely emptied their guns in the course of the game and the latter stages saw gunfighters scrabbling to get another round into their shooters.

The optimistically named Paradise City

As it was the last chance to do something cinematic, Jebidiah Springsteen took up position on the water tower, with his rifle. From here he could cover most of the table, although the opponent's dodging ability meant he didn't hit much.

Springsteen being cinematic

Kimberley Clark pinned down by rifle fire hides behind the trading post's goods

Grizzly Johnson takes the opportunity to approach
the trading post from the cover of a wagon

The Digbeth Kid circles around to the church from where he can cover the street

Scarface hides among the coffins

With a fine run of dice John Bovey sneaks up on the Kid's rear........

......who plays a Bonanza and ducks down behind the grave of Arch Stanton

A short range gun fight followed, in which neither side could hit a barn door. Until....

........the Kid produced a stick of dynamite and lobbed it at Bovey.
Unfortunately, it bounced off a headstone and blew up in the Kid's face!

Despite his wounding the Kid battles on, until Scarface arrives to help out.

......followed closely behind by Kimberley Clark.

Springsteen does his best to provide long range fire support......

....but John Bovey is now facing off the whole Digbeth gang.

Grizzly Johnson sprints down the street towards the action
but those thick furs aren't helping.

The old buffalo hunter, Kimberley Clark, gets impatient and tries to put one in Bovey's face.

.......but the gunslinger dodges back behind the church.

However, Scarface (after slipping in some horse dung) sprints around the other side of the church to outflank John Bovey. The gunslinger obviously smells him coming and makes a break for it.

Not quick enough though as he is pursued and gunned down in the cactus patch.

By now Springsteen has left his lofty perch but is too late to save Bovey.

Meanwhile, the Kid and the Buffalo Hunter head towards the action, unaware that Grizzly Johnson has come up behind them. Grizzly has one bullet left and aims at the Kid's back...

...and the Kid dodges behind the stage.

with his guns now empty the Mountain Man charges in with his fists and drives Clark back.

Meanwhile, back at the cantina, Springsteen has given up chasing Scarface who seemingly has an unnatural ability to dodge bullets. With his guns now empty, Springsteen draws his knife and charges the Kid. A handful of dice versus a single die, what could go wrong?

.........a fistful of 1s and 2s that's what. Springsteen is sent reeling with a rifle butt to the jaw.

Unluckily for the Kid, Grizzly Johnson arrives in the nick of time,
and he has one up the spout. This time it's a hit and the Kid bites the dirt

With their leader down the Digbeth gang fail their Ride or Die test and flee the field. Another win for Grizzly's boys, who also win the campaign.

Just for fun I rolled on the wound chart for both John Bovey and the Kid and they both survived their wounds. Who knows the Kid may be back........

THE BALLAD OF TEFLON BLAIR (WHAT A COWBOY! GAME 5)

 After a short break, due to real life, I decided it was time to crack on with my solo What a Cowboy! campaign.

When we last left them, the Digbeth Gang were struggling, having lost all four games against Grizzly Johnson's boys. Desperate situations call for desperate measures, and in a forlorn attempt to recapture some influence, the Digbeth Gang have kidnapped Mayor Teflon Blair. The gang have holed out in the old timber mill and the scene is set for a rescue attempt by the Johnson Gang.

The Old Timber Mill

With the death of Doc Butterworth, in the last game, the gang needed to recruit another member. The dice decreed that Kimberley Clark, a Buffalo Hunter (shootist level), would join them.

Comparing the Force Morale of the two gangs, the Digbeth Gang were way behind, thus qualifying for a roll on the game balancing table. Hence, the Unknown Gunfighter, a Legendary Bounty Hunter, would join them for this game. (Let's not pretend - it's the Man With No Name, isn't it? We'll just call him Joe.)

The Digbeth Kid, Scarface P Knutt, Kimberley Clark and 'Joe'

Half the gang were allowed to deploy in the centre of the table, so Scarface and Kimberley took guard positions, over the hostage Mayor Blair.

Scarface takes post behind the saw table.

Kimberley Clark holds the mayor captive in the site office,
whilst taking up a firing position at the window.

Jebediah Springsteen boldly moves out of the tree cover and heads straight for the mill.

Whilst Grizzzly Johnson struggles through the undergrowth with his thick furs.

Joe takes up a position behind the cart, whilst, true to form, the Kid fails to appear. 

Grizzly initiates a gunfight and pins Scarface behind the saw table.

In the distance, Armitage Shanks skirts the woodland attempting a flanking move.

Springsteen sprints for the cover of some barrels, where he is out
 of sight of Kimberley Clark at the window of the site office.

Kimberley moves to a side window, only to have Springsteen fire his rifle through
the front window (in a dangerous disregard for the safety of the Mayor, it must be said).

Meanwhile, Shanks has put in a stellar performance,
driving off Joe wounded, only to be shot dead by the Digbeth Kid

It's a bit late in the campaign but it seems the Kid has finally found his mojo,
after killing Shanks, he sprints to the cover of the steam donkey and takes a pot at Grizzly.

Unfortunately, it's too late for the Digbeth Gang, as Springsteen puts Clark out of action .

Using the dice changing ability of a Legend to the full,
Springsteen exits the table with the Mayor, for a win.

Yet another loss for the West's worst outlaws. It's not looking hopeful going into the grand finale. Post game, Clark recovered from his wounds and the Kid finally progressed to Gunfighter status, but the gang have nothing in the coffers.

On the other hand, Johnson's gang have amassed $215, but are down a gang member. In the hope of getting a decent replacement for Shanks, they invested $50 of the gang's stash to ensure a good outcome. As it happens they rolled high anyway, so didn't need the cash injection. John Bovey, a Gunslinger joins the gang; claims he's a Cowboy but he's wanted dead or alive!

So we're all set for the final showdown - High Noon in Paradise City. Can't wait!

BURN, BABY, BURN (WHAT A COWBOY! GAME 4)

Having recovered from wounds received in their last encounter, the Digbeth gang are still in action. Grizzly Johnson has tracked them down to another of the town's outlying areas, where the gang are known to be re-equipping. (The game should have been 'the School House', but as I didn't have a suitable building, I changed it to storehouse.) The scenario was the 'Scorched Earth' scenario, whereby the attacker attempts to burn down a nominated building. Hearing that the Digbeth Kid is receiving provisions from Arkwright's Trading Post, Grizzly's gang mean to burn the store to the ground and send a message to anyone aiding the Kid.

With the Digbeth Kid and Doc Butterfield both being armed with rifles it was always going to be difficult approaching the Trading Post. Between them, Doc and the Kid covered all the approaches, leaving Scarface Knutt to guard the store.

Doc Butterworth pins down Jebidiah Springsteen in the cactus patch.
Seemingly oblivious to the innocent Rancher in the line of fire.

Grizzly Johnson stealthily approaches the store from behind the 
funeral parlour. The game is given away somewhat by the frightened
carpenter who flees down the street.

The Kid seizes the opportunity to bushwhack Grizzly and pumps
several bullets towards the helpless trapper's back......and misses .

Meanwhile Armitage Shanks uses a Desperado card to sprint across
the open space towards the Moustacherie. 

And with a perfect run of Action Dice Shanks makes it to the rear of the barber shop and
let's loose at Doc Butterworth......who dodges behind the horse trough.

Doc spins around and returns fire and it is now Shanks that is forced to seek cover.

Unfortunately, he hasn't noticed Scarface who now has a perfect shot and fills Shanks
full of lead. Shanks flees behind the Moustacherie, but down to a single remaining
Action Dice he's, for all intents and purposes, out of the game.

Back at the funeral parlour, a close range gun fight is
playing out and Grizzly is getting the worst of it.

However, all is about to change with an epic series of actions from Jebidiah Springsteen.
From his position behind the coffins Springsteen takes out Doc Butterworth, sprints around
the corner and wounds the Kid as well. 

It's also the turn end, so the Kid must take a 'Ride or Die' test - which he fails. Grizzly's boys have failed to burn down Arkwright's store but, nevertheless, it's their fourth win in a row.

In the post game events, it is discovered that Doc Butterworth has died from his wounds. Hoss Blocker has finally been avenged!

Grizzly Johnson has progressed to Gunslinger  and Jebidiah Springsteen has made it all the way to Legend.

With only 2 games left, it's not looking good for the Kid.

SOUND OF THE SUBURBS (WHAT A COWBOY! GAME THREE)

 After the shootout at the Old Spanish Mission, the Digbeth Kid has been pursued to the suburbs of Lardville, but, once again, Grizzly Johnson has tracked him down.

This area of Lardville is still under construction and the Kid had vain hopes of hiding amongst the building workers.

Once again, it was to be the 'Vendetta' scenario, with Grizzly Johnson and Doc Butterworth being the targets of cold vengeance.

The suburbs under construction

Realising they were being pursued, the Digbeth gang took up positions amongst the buildings.

Rolling a veritable cornucopia of '1s', Doc Butterworth sprints up to the corner
of the general store and adopts a good fire position, in the cover of the building.

With the Kid's gang all deployed and ready (a bad run of cards that) Grizzly's boys cautiously enter the suburbs.

Armitage Shanks carefully approaches the building site.

The Digbeth Kid gets Grizzly Johnson in his sights

Scarface Knutt gets the drop on Armitage Shanks................

.........but is forced to Dodge, into cover, in the ensuing gun fight

Jebidiah Springsteen, late for the show (where are those '1s' when you need them?),
skirts the rear of the general store, completely unnoticed by the Digbeth gang.

The Kid takes pot shots at Grizzly, who seeks cover amongst the chickens.
What is it with this boy and poultry? I think he's some sort of chicken botherer.

Springsteen outflanks Doc Butterworth............

.........and guns him down mercilessly.

Scarface plays a Desperado card to escape but is pursued by Grizzly and Shanks.

Armitage Shanks guns down Scarface.

With all his gang out of action, the Digbeth Kid 'Rides for the Hills'.

Another great game, and another win for the Grizzly Johnson gang. All the gang have increased in reputation and skills but Jebidiah Springsteen has rocketed to the level of gunslinger.

Half way through the campaign and its not looking  good for the Kid. I suspect that he will need to hire some Henchmen for the next encounter.