Thursday 30 May 2013

Dead Mans Hand

Dead Mans Hand by Great Escape Games is a set of wild west skirmish rules. I purchased these rules at Salute this year. Now having read them I thought I would offer my initial thoughts. As yet I have not played the game but I have a game planned for Sunday so on Monday I will probably give my second thoughts on the rules along with an after action report.

The Good.

Firstly let me start with the fact that I do generally like these rules. They are well written and very well presented with high production values. The initiative system to determine which figure goes first is quite simply the best I have come across in any skirmish game. It's both tactical and swift to implement and allows players some, but very limited, control of the order they will be able to carry out the battle in that turn. The rest of the mechanics are equally slick with combat being quick (and with good dice rolls) deadly. Any character can have instant death on a d20 roll of 19+. Which I feel is fair as a lucky shot can and will kill anyone. This does not appear to be the main way of dying though. Normally you will suffer a series of flesh wounds or combat fatigue which will wear away the figure until they just can't cope and are forced to leave the board. There are cut out counters (we'll all photo copy them rather than chop up the book) which not only cover these wounds but ammo and movement as well. Overall the game mechanics are well thought out simple to implement and seem, without playing to present a very good level of challenge.

One other factor of the game is that each player is dealt a hand of cards. These cards can be played as the player wants but only restocked at the rate of 1 card a turn and only in the turn a card is used. Which means that if you use 2 cards in one turn then you will only ever get one random card from the whole pack back. This adds a nice tactical element to the use of cards. each card from a standard deck of playing cards has a special rule. Some apply to the figure you are using, the others to your opponents figures. Each of the four suits (Hearts, clubs, diamonds and spades) applies to one of the 4 types of gangs/posses. But you will only be using the colour (red and black) that applies to your gang type, (sometimes just the suit that applies.) I won't go into any more detail about the fate deck just to say all the special results do fit into the Wild West Skirmish Genre.

The Bad

Despite all the good stuff there is some bad things, or should I say things I don't like (maybe you will). I feel there has been a serious number of missed opportunities. Weapon choice is very limited, Pistol,  Rifle, Repeater and Shotgun. So if you wanted a derringer or a sawn off or anything more unusual you are out of luck. 4 types of gun and that's it (5 types if you fire both barrels of the shotgun!). Maybe in the future they will charge you for a supplement that will have more in, but I really think they should have been in the core rules. Likewise melee weapons are  non existent in the rules.  The whole melee rules fit on a single A4  page. Which means an unarmed figure is just as good in hand to hand as a guy with a cavalry sabre. Draw your own conclusion from that, personally I would give the bloke with a sword a better chance of being the one who can walk away!

The Ugly.

 There are no rules for Native Americans or First Nation if you want the PC terms or Injuns if you use the Hollywood 1960's vernacular. Again another missed opportunity which given the slimness of the rules could easily have been rectified. Given the lack of hand weapons and the fact they have tied each gang type to a suit in the card deck unless they are willing double up on suits or create a whole new one they have limited themselves. I do feel the rules are overpriced, YES I AM A CHEAPSKATE! The rule book is slim with a softback cover Easily bent and creased.... mine already has been coming home from Salute. I find the playing cards unimaginative both on the face and the reverse sides. They just lack character. They will function in the game well enough, but so will unpainted figures and cardboard boxes for buildings, I bet you would paint your figures though! The scenarios are good and tie into some very popular films but there is minimal guidance for creating your own scenarios or building any form of campaign. Just that a standard game should have 21 points each side. Points are only given for figures, not weapons or cards in the fate deck or starting positions or anything else. It's very much a case of you have the same points each now fight it out! There is also no character progression so once you have a posse/gang then that's it. Legends of the old west (basically Wild west Necromunda) does this so well that it is a shame that other companies can't at least acknowledge the fact that the continuing story of your gangs might have some appeal.

Conclusion.

The game mechanics are good and do replicate the feel of a "Spaghetti Western" very well. They give a flavour of few dollars more and not High Noon. SO for a one off game of shooting cowboy against shooting cowboy in a town setting the rules are very good. If you are looking for more detail or a campaign setting  or Cowboys and Indians or anything other than the scenarios in the book hard luck it's all a missed opportunity.

Sorry if all that sounds negative. It's just that with such good game mechanics and a tactical initiative system it is disappointing, to me that they have not carried it further. If they had included more and put it in a hard back I would happily have paid £30. for the rules. When I say included more I am not saying a painting guide or history of the west or any of that filler fluff. None of us need any more of that. But greater diversity of weapons gangs and a campaign system would have turned this into a fantastic set. As it stands If they do bring out a supplement I will be "Meh!" as I think it will be another £20 and still not cover all the issues it will need to.

The rules are good but I am not sure I would have bought them if I had read them first, just too much missing for me. But a fool and his money etc..


That's it for today. Tune in Saturday for some painted figures. All the best Clint

Edit Sunday Morning Pre game: Having re-read the rules before I head down to the club I have found the rules for horses. They are very brief and in the scenarios section as opposed to the main rules. So I must apologise for misleading you earlier in the week.



20 comments:

  1. Thanks for that Clint – very interesting read. Look forward to hearing your thoughts on Monday!

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  2. Cheers Mike. I like the mechanics. The game has a huge potential. It's just there are for me some fundamental things missing.

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  3. Great review mate. Like Mike I look forward to reading your AAR and second thoughts.

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  4. a handy and well timed review mate, nice. I read the game report in one of the mags and then i wondered then if it was meant more as participation game for an show or mini event.

    That you noted the limitations I wondered if these could not be added in, in a house rules style, but then you say that certain gang types are fixed and use specific suits of cards; that makes any tweeking very difficult. And none of these things are cheape either, I begrudge tweeking after paying so much.

    Unless you play and then tell us it was fantastic fun I may have to stick to the old set we use at the club, still uses cards but at least they are flexible. I have to say that I am now far more inclined to write up a western version of Op Squad.....unless you have a great game over the weekend!!!!

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    1. Although each gang is tied to a designated suit all the suits of cards have the same special functions. Which makes me wonder how important the suits actually are. I don't think very.

      I think they would make a very good show game or participation game. I don't see Op Squad being any better and requiring a lot of work and as I know you use them for WW1 as well as WW2 I can see all the games getting very similar.

      I am sure it will play well, but I can't see it having to much longevity as it stands. To grow it will need more add ons supplements and scenario packs. But as you are local to me if you want to borrow it you are more than welcome.

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  5. It's a bit disappointing that the rules seem to have plenty of potential but ultimately fail to deliver.
    If I were to buy a "Wild West" set of rules I'd expect them to have a lot more detail (not the history) for varied playability.
    Most revolvers were much of a much-ness, but there were as you mentioned many other firearms, which do require their own rules - pepperboxes, derringers, and shoulder arms other than the famous Winchester carbine spring readil to mind.
    With no rules for the native populations I wondered if there were also any rules for Horses, wagons and all the other sundry things that make the genre what it is.

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    1. I have got to be honest, no wagons or horses, yet another ball dropped by the rules. I forgot all about them. No dogs or donkeys and mules either.

      I agree they don't need to include every gun but as you say Le Matt revolver shotguns, heavy pistols, light pistols, ducks feet and pepperboxes as well as earlier weapons from the black powder era could also be included as could Indian bows and thrown weapons.

      What the rules do they do very well, but there are a lot of holes.

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  6. looking forward to the review.

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    1. It will be more of a detailed AAR than a review I think. But it should give you the idea of game play. (I hope)

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  7. Not that I have any need for more distractions, but I have to confess that I was tempted by these rules; I'll hold on for your games review.

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    1. Please bear in mind it will be my very personnel view. I have thought of doing comparative rules reviews of all the wild west gun fight rules listing the good and bad of each one, for none of them are perfect.

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  8. That's a shame mate, I quite fancy grabbing a few Western figures maybe up to a dozen and have been looking at possible rules have not quite made my mind up yet and this would only be a small project.

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    1. I have 4-5 sets of western gunfight rules. These are not the worst. In fact they do have much to commend them. It is just that they seem to have dropped the ball and only allowed for one type of encounter.

      As you like "Necromunda" I would suggest "Legends of the old West" (Lotow) by warhammer historical. It is a necromunda re- write. Now out of print, but pops up on eBay regularly.

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  9. Try blackwater gulch, It's available free! The kids and I have played it twice , although it too is a bit slim! Did I mention free!?
    I'm checking out six gun and gut shot for further western mayhem.

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    1. I am currently reading through "Gut shot" and hope to get a copy of "The rules with no Name" . I will look up "Blackwater Gulch!" Thanks.

      Western skirmish games really do come down to personnel choice.

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  10. Nice review Clint, as you know I am in the process of doing the wild west in 15/18mm scale and am on the lookout for a set of rules to use, this review was handy thanks for posting, shame about all the holes in the rules...

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    1. I am also about to re-start my wild west games.

      I keep trying to stress the rules are good in what they cover. It's just that there are a number of holes. What the rules do cover is the feel of a gunfight. They just don't seem to stretch beyond the gun play.

      As mentioned above no rules are perfect in this genre. These are better than some.

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  11. Campaign rules and other gangs (inc. Renegeade Injuns) are in "The Legend of Dead Man's Hand" out next April. It will be less than £20 so I hope we can get close to your £30 target mentioned!

    The criticisms are fair, though we didn't miss the things we missed; we considered the possibilities for extra weapons but for this game it was better to settle simple firearms. I've seen rules with two dozen different guns and I've even seen one with 6 or 7 different types of horses (and it was a miniatures game, not an RPG) so you could go the whole hog if you wanted. We wanted it to be about the man and not the size of his gun!

    Extra things like hand weapons (the 7th Cavalry troop officer in the next book gets a sword) can be covered by additions to the gang rules and/or the cards (One correction: the suits are different. Each 2-10 is the same but the J, Q, K and Ace are unique to the suit. There are also two different jokers).

    Any questions, I am at stuart@greatescapegames.co.uk

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    1. Thank you for the input and clarifications. Some rules like "Once apon a time in the West" by Tabletop games do have too many guns, (about 70 from memory) while this set has only 4. Obviously 70+ is too many but I might suggest 4 too few.

      As for horses I did put an edited correction in light blue. They are in the rules, not in the main rules but in a scenario, perhaps not the first place one might look for them.

      Overall I do like these rules there is much to commend them. Personally I do not think I will spend an additional £20 on them though.

      I do prefer them to "The rules with no name" and the mechanics are better than "Legends of the Old west" in my opinion. And having played them they do play well and if the upcoming supplement had been included in the basic set I surely would have been a massive fan.

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