Legends of the Old West

Today, our club opened again after a looooong break, but sadly I had arranged for a new fridge to be delivered so could not make it down....Yaaaaagh!

Phil and Rhys from our club were able to make it down, and Phil wrote this account of their games, and took pictures!

So, without more ado, over to Phil!

First game

Colorado, 1876: A lonesome trading post known as Spanish Crossing, on the ‘Picketwire’ (that’d be the Purgatoire River, fer them as got book larnin’.)

El Notorio and his gang of hell-raising bandidos head south after their latest depredations.  But their journey will not be straightforward: the forces of law and order are hot on their trail!

Lonnegan’s rangers! Gentleman Jim Lonnegan and his trusty deputies: Buffalo Melville, Milo Prentice, Scout McCoy, and Methuselah Jones.

The bandits have deployed in and around the trading post in an attempt to ambush their pursuers. Their positions are marked by counters which will be revealed by spotting rolls. Once revealed, I’ll dice for what’s there: 1-2 = nothing, 3-5= 1-3 henchmen, 6= El Notorio, or his formidable segundo, ‘Monstro’.

Knowing this country like the back of his hand, and being savvy to the prospect of an ambush, Sheriff Lonnegan may select his approach point.  Rhys chooses to have his posse cross the river upstream and approach from the woods Southeast of the trading post.

(This is Rhys’ first game of LOTOW, and on this initial run-through we’ll be using basic rules only.)

Things couldn’t get off to a worse start! As soon as the posse reach the treeline, they’re spotted by Monstro!

Fortunately Scout McCoy & Methuselah Jones spot the hulking bandido at the same time.

None of the other bandit markers activate at all - Monstro uses his first move to chivvy along some reluctant lurkers utilising advanced motivational techniques.

Grasping the nettle, the posse run (or in Methuselah’s case, hobble rapidly) across the open ground to cover at the rear of the buildings.  Had more bandits activated, this open ground might have been a death trap.

The villains deploy around the near side of the barn...

...and the far side.

Only for Monstro to run slap bang into a buckshot facial!...

...Administered by Methuselah Jones!

Scout McCoy blazes away ineffectually...

...But his opponent does no better.

The round’s shooting activates the marker in the wagon-shed - which proves to be two ne’er-do-wells.

Little do they know that their intended victims are already in position.

They burst from the shed with murderous intent.

A flurry of close range shots results in nothing but near misses!

Look out behind you, Methuselah!  Fortunately, Sheriff Lonnegan has his deputy’s back...

...While Methuselah’s attention remains on blowing away everything in front of him!

But Methuselah’s luck had to run out sometime...

Finally, some of the other bandit ambush markers activate.

Disaster! Gentleman Jim, perforated by a no-good Varmint! Fortunately he’s only winged.

A ‘pluck’ test follows, and Jim is forced to duck back. Buffalo moves up to engage the men fording the river.

While Scout McCoy makes use of the Big Fifty’s advantageous reach.

I hear Missus Prentice’ boy done caught lead poisoning.

Undeterred by the loss of his amigo, the remaining bandit at the riverbank decides to close in.

The good guys just can’t catch a break - Buffalo goes down to a cheap shot.

At 50%+ casualties, the posse must take a ‘Head for the Hills’ check. Rhys wisely elects to voluntarily bale rather than roll for it, and Gentleman Jim lives - barely - to fight another day.

The Second Game

For our second game of the day, we reversed the positions: Sheriff Lonnegan and his (happily resurrected) posse would hold Spanish Crossing against Notorio, until reinforced by Territorial Marshals.  The outlaws would be represented by markers which would advance in the crossing and be revealed when spotted.  For this game, we brought the special abilities rules into play, which would prove crucial.

Back up a little Milo, I can still see you!

Very poor spotting rolls meant that quite a few markers reached the crossing unrevealed, with a luckless couple of chumps catching all the lead.

The bridge proving a deathtrap, the bandits concentrated on trying to rush the wagon ford.

A very fortuitous roll had the Territorial Marshals turn up nice & early.

Two varmints with one load of double-aught buck. Methuselah Jones is a mean ol' man.

Judicious use of the posse’s skills - particular Sheriff Lonnegan’s ‘quickdraw’ and Milo’s ‘rifleman’ - forced a ‘head for the hills’ check before long and with a dismal roll of 1, the owlhoots skedaddled.

Notorio, however... remains at large!  Can anyone stop him?