'Ruthless' Wild West Skirmish

 With the weekly Call of Cthulhu game cancelled due to busy times, remaining players gathered for a game of the 'Ruthless' rules. (free online)

Have toyed with these a few times, but not with the experienced (older?) chaps.

A great two page system, with activation and interruption handled via a poker hand, and two actions allowed per turn from the usual move, shoot, aim, recover, overwatch etc.

 Cards can be used to 'snapshot', but uniquely, only if you can beat the player's initiative activation card, hence playing aces is always good, if you simply NEED to go first.

Miniatures used were purchased some time between 1979 and 1981, and painted shortly thereafter (though may have been a few years after, since i remember using early 'citadel acrylics', before they became the norm...the 'purple worm' colour is still with me).

"I bet my D10 misses even at this durn range!"

 Character cards record ammo, any special talents (which really make the game once you know how to use them since -1 to your opponents roll can have dramatic effects). Hits are 6+ on a d10 at short range and 8+ at long, and hitting and wounding are not easy, but, the game-play is excellent. 

 

Great two page system

'Fat Pedro' - from 1979 TTG, who was likened to 'something you get in a Christmas Cracker'. He was actually called fat Pedro in the 1979 TTG catalogue. Now of course, the Blog HR team tell me that he is 'carbohydrate challenged' rather than fat, is on treatment for his anger issues and proclivity to rob small town Wild West banks, his new name is Peter, and he is on multiple benefits. 

 

Three players, each with a team of four cowpokes...and hell followed with them

Gonna shoot you at close range and miss boah!

It's hard to argue with the Ace of Spade on initiative (Spade, Heart, Diamond, Club - sequence - settles any ties)

These two shot at each other for most of the game. The chap on the right would have been scared, though he had the 'drunk' trait, and can scarcely remember the fight.

A brawl in the wood ( you roll two dice damage for fist fights, which seems odd, but is incredibly funny).

Wyatt Burp and Sneaky Pete

Clint Westwood on overwatch

Great little set of rules, with simply cohesive rules for activation, lots of choice (and potential for bad choices) and great tension.