Unforgiven

I've been mapping all day and have decided to take a break and write up last nights bash at the club. We had nothing arranged so I texted Andy who normally has something going on to see if I could jump in on a game and not have to rush around with terrain and print outs at the last minute. Andy however was also looking for a game so I volunteered Dead Man's Hand as I had a three player scenario ready in the wings.

The scenario in question is one of two based loosely on the characters in the Clint Eastwood film 'Unforgiven' and unlike most scenarios it works well for three players, or at least the first one did, I hadn't played the second version so I would find out. In this version Little Bill has captured the two cowboys who 'cut up' the town whores and is taking them to the train depot and on from there to justice. Between Bill and the depot however are the cowboys friends getting tanked up in a local saloon, in a different drinking establishment are a bunch of desperate Banditos led by the infamous 'El Arana' 'The Spider' who have heard of the gold the whores are offering for the killing of the cowboys.

The Lawmen burst from the jail.

Little Bill and his posse came out of the jail into the backyards of main street to be met by some overly brave Mexicans throwing lead at them, with only a few flesh wounds between the shooters the Mexicans decided to pull back to their bar, although the Spider found himself behind a thunderbox. Little Bill and his men advanced through the hail of gunfire and closed on the Banditos, despite the number of targets and the close ranges only one Mexican bit the dust as they scurried out of the way of the Law. The Cowboys meanwhile were also making use of the backyards and alleys while taking the odd potshot at the posse with their repeaters.

Mayhem in Doc's backyard.

With the Mexicans in disarray the posse with their prisoners made for the backyard of Doc Locum's, it was only a short sprint from there to the depot. The Spider had somehow managed to get himself into the Docs and let loose into the yard from a back window, the rest of his gang were also moving on the lawmen but cautiously. The Cowboys also now closed in but were receiving fire from both Little Bill's men and the Mexicans, barkeep 'Skinny' Dubios became the target of a lot of these shots but led an extremely charmed life and escaped with only light wounds. At some point in the confusion the Spider managed to gun down one of the prisoners, Little Bill also became a casualty during the fray, however the remaining lawmen killed the Cowboy's hired gun and forced them back from the yard.

A cowboy covers the route to the Depot.

We had to pack up at this point which was a real shame, we all claimed some amount of success, and sure enough the Mexicans had gunned down one cowboy so the Spiders henchmen left him surrounded in the Doc's and went off to collect half the money. The Lawmen had one prisoner left but had to cross open ground to get to the shelter of the depot, the Cowboys had not secured the release of their friends but controlled the area between the depot and the Doc's with their rifles.

A great little game pitting all three gangs against each other and each with clearly defined victory conditions, I would like to play this again.