Twice Upon A Time In The West

1875 in the Wild West was not a time for faint hearts or sophisticated tastes. In those days, your reputation stuck to you like the thick clay mud of Red Falls and was just as hard to shift. One man managed it, though. One man turned his back on his outlaw ways and became a legendary sheriff. We began with the unlikely ballad of Billy The Kid.

In our first game of the day, Ian took on the role of outlaw Billy The Kid, Joe was sharp-shooter Annie Oakley, I was lawman Bass Reeves and Matt (Joe’s friend, not regular Matt) was the Native American scout Bloody Knife.

Ian started by attacking a bandit and mining for gold. My early attempt at arresting him went badly awry, allowing him to get to the bank (that Joe had just robbed) for money and Legendary Points. Just after that, I managed to arrest him and then won at poker in a celebratory game.

Ian was already a long way in the lead, though. Joe was the only wanted man on the board with both Matt and I acting as marshals, Joe had difficulty finding anywhere safe so he hid out in Red Falls. His situation went from bad to worse when Ian killed a bandit and chose to become another marshal instead of an outlaw. It was three against one. It couldn’t last. While “lawman” Ian was at the “theatre” (a lot of subtext in this game) he sent the sheriff to arrest Joe. This move got him past the 15 point end-game trigger.

Once Joe had been let out of Darkrock Sheriff’s Office, he strolled across the road to try and rob the bank. The rehabilitation programs in this day and age left a lot to be desired. But he failed and ended the game hiding in an old mine. Matt, after a slow start, spent most of his later game going from gold mine to bank to brothel, while I just squeezed into third with a last round spending spree at the general store, upgrading all my goods for LPs.

Ian 22
Joe 19
Andrew 15
Matt 14

The game took two and a half hours and, after a slow start, it was a lot of fun. We felt ready to tackle it again that evening. In the meantime, Joe made food and Matt felt the need to take a break from games (?!) so Ian and I played Let’s Make A Bus Route and Las Vegas. I won one, Ian won the other and if you aggregate the scores together, Ian came out on top

Ian 350,032
Andrew 240,044

Then, after some delicious food from Joe we set off again into the dusty mesa-strewn landscape of Western Legends, but with the extra rules of cattle wrangling/rustling and personal goals. This time I was the outlaw Jesse James, Matt was the gambling lawman Wyatt Earp, Ian was the Native American scout Y.B. Rowdy and Joe was the “folk hero” Wild Bill Hicock.

The only year that these four could reasonably be in the same place at the same time was 1876 (with the proviso that Y.B. Rowdy was only fourteen years old, but people grew up fast in those days) so I guess that’s when this all happened.

This time I took an early lead. Despite starting near Darkwood and it’s lawmen, I manage to get some gold to the bank in time to profit from it. Joe went cattle rustling, while Matt started off by playing lots of poker. Everyone except me bought a hat early on, allowing them to get extra LPs for winning at poker, and Matt milked it for all it was worth. Pity you don’t get extra points for an impressive hand, since Matt won with a full house and Joe won with a flush.

Ian’s Native American senses must have deserted him, however, as he went to the “theatre” (possibly the same “theatre” opened by Wyatt Earp’s wife in 1874, thanks Wikipedia) in Red Falls where Joe was already waiting. Joe’s next turn consisted of him spending $120 on “entertainment”, robbing the conveniently-placed Ian, and then spending that money ($60) on more “entertainment”.

In Ian’s next turn, he attempted to get revenge by arresting Joe three times. Ian twice used a special card that anulls the results of a fight and instigates a new one. This attempt to drain Joe of his poker cards didn’t work and so, no doubt to cheer himself up, Ian spent his remaining cash on enjoying some “showbusiness”.

Matt’s biggest problem was not being robbed – he pretty much had half the board to himself while the rest of us were holed up in Red Falls. He was trying to work out how to maximise his full wallet and three gold nuggets. Go straight to the bank for Legendary Points only, or try and pick a way through to the “theatre” and risk losing that gold in a town as lawless as Red Falls? In the end, he avoided Red Falls entirely and went for the safer option of buying/upgrading at the general store.

But then Joe ended the game sooner than anyone was expecting, including him. He won big at the poker (beating me) and then, like an addicted fool, returned to the “theatre”where he earned enough Legendary Points to hit the twenty point mark, thus ending the game. There was some discussion about whether the rules say there should be one more round, but we decided to end it there. It had been a long day.

Joe 29
Andrew 22
Ian 19
Martin 16

Thanks all. A great evening, and a fun game. I think the cattle aspect certainly helps the game, while the personal goals bit seemed a bit unnecessary. But the game is full of nice comedy moments and well done to Joe for winning the second game more or less in the style of the character he was representing.