Shootout in Purgatory

This week, it was back to Purgatory for the last of our Western games, using Blood and Steel.

This time around, the two sides were the forces of Law, led by the One-Eyed Fat Marshal, versus local magnate Latham Cole and his gang of ruffians.

Purgatory in all its glory.

Rather than last week's narrative scenario, we returned to using the random missions, from the rulebook. I did, however, tweak them for a more western feel and added a couple of new bespoke missions. The objective markers were reduced to two, the jailhouse and the bank, although, in the end, neither were needed for the chosen missions.

The Law drew the 'Wrong Side of Town' mission: You must make a show of force to reassert the presence of the law on the far side of town. This is really the 'Vanguard' mission, from the book, which involves attempting to move your leader across the table towards your opponent's baseline.

The Ruffians drew 'The Fugitive' mission: Stinky Pete has stolen your secret plans to bring the railroad to Purgatory. You must recover those plans. This is one of the missions that I added. It involves searching areas of terrain, in the opponent's half of the table, until the objective (Stinky Pete) is discovered. The objective must then be carried back to your own table half and delivered to your baseline.

As usual, the first turn is deployment, with both sides trying to guess their opponent's objective, whilst looking for opportunities to fulfil their own. I deployed on a broad front, to maximise potential search areas, but noticed a gap in the Law's deployment, giving me the chance for a run at the Saloon in the centre of the table. Using double actions and command points, the O'Finnigan gang ran across the street into the Saloon.

  

The O'Finnigans race for the saloon. Last one in gets the round in!

The O'Finnigans make it inside, leaving Dravott to threaten the locals. Foolish move, as he appears to be on camera!

Across the street, Indio and his Mexicans cover the move but come under fire from a bunch of Cowpokes, lurking in the shadow of the saloon.

On the left, El Fatti, and yet more Mexicans, make a diversionary move towards the Jailhouse. 

Stinky Pete is apprehended, at the bar, and dragged into the street.

On the right, rather fittingly, a gang of Outlaws are trading shots with the Pinkertons outside the Bank.

Meanwhile, back in the centre, Costner and his Cowpokes pursue Stinky Pete, while the Fat Marshal eyes up his chances of crossing the street (not easy as he's only got one eye).

Stinky Pete is delivered safely to the baseline - putting the Law on 2 Attrition points.

As the lead flies, Miss Belle decides to leave town.

Mayhem in the streets. As the gun battle rages, casualties mount up and the Law is on three Attrition points. But they pass the resolve test and the fight continues. 
At the start of turn 5, the Fat Marshal is one move away from his objective, which will also give the Ruffians a third Attrition point. It's down to who gets the next move. We both bid 10, but I have the Initiative Edge.

Josey Wales steps into the alley and guns down the Marshal - in the back apparently!

A win for the Ruffians but it could easily have gone either way. A great game and another win for Blood and Steel.

Drivin' Miss Belle

Or Belle's End, a tale of inappropriate morality...

Howdy Partner an' welcome back to Purgatory.  Latest news around town is that the Morals Committee has decided to run Miss Belle out of town.  The Cat house is to be closed and turned into a prayer house.  Folks ain`t happy, particularly Swiss, her paramour (and some would claim pimp.)

Purgatory, waiting for the Noon stage

Miss Belle, actin` up

The Euro-trash adventurers intervene to save the shady Lady.  They don't last long.

The Mexicans also get involved.  Some of Belle's best customers.

The less than Magnificent five and the 'Pache raid the other side of town

But the Law wants Belle on that stage,  They get closer.

 

Shooting from the five turns out to be ... pretty magnificent

And Swiss leads Belle's customers in a full scale shoot out with the Law on main street

But the Law nabs Belle and rushes her up an alley.  Hope that kick landed.

The Noon stage

And they put the lady on the stage, quite literally.

The Apache are on a killing spree.  Loads of Cowpokes go down and the Natives don't lose a single man.

Swiss gets too close and Sharon guns him down.

Belle meanwhile kicks the shotgun guard aboard the stage.

The Apache have cleared their side of town, but the narrative objective is to save Miss Belle, not just to kill cowboys.  

The stage makes its turn, and the Mexicans cant stop it.  El Fatti is distraught.

A heavy price has been paid to put the lady on the stage.

And the stage leaves.  Is this the end of Miss Belle... or will she be back?

18th Century Skirmish game

The inaugural game for my new wargames room/conservatory.  Some 18th Century Gentlemanly Skirmishing.

The church at Krückeberg

Turn one, Blue aggressively race for the isolated objective, a dismounted officer

And the 3pdr cannon is less than impressive 

Leutnant Pumphosen keeps himself safe

Blue grab the Officer and drag him away.  Red come on, having the best of the fight.

Pumphosen and the captured Marquis.  "We meet again my Lord.  Any chance of some Apricot pie?"

Helped by the fat Leutnant the Korporal and his men drag the Red Officer closer to the board edge and that dastardly serving of pie.

Hauptmann Schagg fights the rearguard.

And the Marquis is taken

In a traditional battle those superb Red Musketeers were a real threat, but Victory goes to Blue in the narrative.

The Blue commander wearing a subdued orange coat, and without his periwig.

My thanks to Colonel Incontinenz and the Marquis Flatulenz.

Wild West Blood and Steel

To test our idea of using Blood and steel for a Wild West game we came up with the idea of a miners strike, being put down by forces hired by the "Company."

Parker Silver Mining Inc has been oppressing the Mexicans and local Native Americans, only to have the very people they were forcing to dig the ore be armed by gunrunners.  Mayor Wiley was suspected to be the one that sold repeating rifles to the 'Pache.

As dawn broke over main street the scene is set for a confrontation.  Miners, Mexicans and Apache, versus gunslingers, cowboys and Pinkerton's hired thugs.

Mainstreet.

Mayor Wiley, urinating on the town beer supply.

El Fatti, the Mexican gang boss demonstrates his dice rolling skills.

In a fit of enthusiasm Lord Farthingdale and the European adventurers surge forward to hide in the tumbleweed

The 'Pache creep forward building up a strong body count of enemy.

And another crises for the Mexicans as Pancho spends a penny.

Indio's men have less common sense, as they creep into pistol range and one of the peons stands astride the horse trough in a power pose.

The Mexicans face off against the gunmen, Sancho prepares his dynamite

And the gunmen are driven back

In the centre the "seven" charge forward.  McQueen is fanning that gun again!

And Sancho really wants to blow up that building.

But the Mexicans are driven back in the centre.

In the right however the Apache are quite deadly!

And the end game, it's not definitive but it seems Blood And Steel give an excellent Wild West skirmish game.  Probably the start of an enlarged Apache force for me!

Great fun and thanks to our guest Wild West gamers!