Six Gun SagAAR

[Syt]

Repost of my AAR from Wargamer:


Cryptic's new game Six Gun Saga is a card driven game about the Wild West. It's a bit opaque the first time to you sit down, but the gist of it is this: You pick one of seven avatars. You draw cards. You either cash them, or you buy them, or you trigger actions with them. You hire dudes (historical - Billy the Kid, Pat Garret - and fictional - Col. Wayne, Man With No Name) to form posses who go out and occupy "story cards" for VP. Also, you can buy deeds, like the general store or saloon for bonuses and generelly kill folks.

Info and screenshots are here:
http://www.crypticcomet.com/games/SGS/Six_Gun_Saga.html

This is all I say about the game mechanics; anything more would only be confusing. Playing no turn limit, four bosses, first with 30 VP wins.




This is the story of the fight for a town I like to call Painful Gulch. It's a lawless place. Hence I, Wyatt Earp will make sure that it becomes a town where everyone's safe and happy. I get extra funds from my brothers Morgan and Virgil, so any lawman I hire will cost me less upkeep. Can't hire me any Outlaws, though.



Day 1.

So this is Painful Gulch. What a rotten hovel of a town in the middle of nowhere. In dire need of a man of the law. Still, even the smallest dungheap draws the flies. In this case it's three disgusting folks. There's Boss Snead, the gambler, trying to take over. Lucien Maxwell, a gunfighter wants to turn this place into his little kingdom. And so does the Cowboy rancher Augustine Chacon.

My arrival in town didn't draw the big crowds. There's an old Cowboy called Charlie McCarty. Doesn't look like much, but I give him a star, anyways. I have no idea what the other guys have planned, so I pay off a few Guns for Hire to lay an ambush near Chacon's claim. A couple of Bad Hombres will keep an eye on Maxwell's plans.

There's talk of a jail break in town. Someone's likely to send outlaws in to do the job. I'll be prepared when they do. There's also some bounties offered. Once I find a gunfighter worth his salt this might go a long way to making an impression in town.

Boss Snead points out that Ol' Charlie has a bit of a drinking problem. The cowboy will cost me an extra buck to keep him in my employ. What he doesn't tell me to my face, though, is his hiring two unsavory characters: outlaw Red Jack Almer, and the gunfighter who's only known as Man With No Name. I don't trust men in ponchos.

Maxwell hires three guys to do his drty work: Tom O'Folliard, Col. Mortimer and someone known as the Preaching Bandit - two Outlaws and a Bandit. They ride out together but stay clear of my ambush. No worries, the Hombres will meet some of Maxwell's dudes soon enough.

Chacon also sends men out - Tuco Benedicto and Deputy John Ford. They ride into the arms of my Hired Guns. Unfortunately, Tuco and Ford escape unharmed.


Day 2.

Lawman Pat Garret has received my telegram, it seems. "Nice mess you got here," he says as I give him his badge. He can keep an eye on Chralie McCarthy and his love for drink. I can't send them out yet, though. The other gangs out there will rip them apart. We'll bide our time.

Boss Snead buys the Hotel. He'll make extra money from any gunfighter and gambler in town who's not staying at a boss' bunkhouse. At least his gang stays put.



Maxwell's posse does some surprisingly useful work: they go bounty hunting. He also hires a guy called Pete Spencer.

A cowboy called Bill Picket signs up with Chacon who doesn't do much else today.


Day 3.

Gatling GUns are still new, but they pack some punch. I hire a crew and hand them over to Pat Garret's posse. Downside: the bullets cost quite a bit. Better to use it sparingly. I send them out to see if they can't "aid" Maxwell's bounty hunters some.

Snead is a bastard. He ambushed Pat Garret while he was, uhm, attending to business. Poor Pat is the first to end up on Boot Hill. Growing confident, Jack Almer and the Nameless guy start plotting the jailbreak.

Maxwell's men collect a few bounties; his influence around town rises. Chacon's men Tuco and Ford try to get take their share but end up with lead poisoning.


Day 4.

Pat Garret may be dead, but Charlie McCarty takes the Gatling Gun and tries to get revenge. He heads for the jail and gets into a fight with Red Jack Almer and the Man With No Name. Where's your poncho now?

The Nameless one gets a one way ticket to Boot Hill. Almer is badly wounded but survives. Yeehaw! The jailbreak is averted for now.

Snead can't let it be, though. While the dude manning the Gatling Gun is on the outhouse he tries to gun him down. But my men learned, it seems, or they got lucky: he's only scratched.

Maxwell's men clean out the final bounties around town. He also hires a reporter guy called Horace Green to his ranks.


Chacon has a spell of bad luck. Hi hires Thomas Ketchum, and sends him out with Bill Picket, Both are killed in an ambush set by Lucien Maxwell. Still, he forms a new gang with Billy Claiborne at its head.



Maxwell is by far the most influential boss in town (19 VP). I'm second (8), then comes the toad Snead (3), last is Chacon (0).


Day 5.

I talked Charlie into giving up the booze some. I'll pay $1 less per day for him from now on.

A bar maid called Goodtime Sally now "works" for Snead. Word has it, she earns extra money for him, whatever that means. At the same time, Red Jack his happy with his employer and works for $1 less. Coincidence?

Lucien Maxwell is suspiciously quiet. He sends out his posse, but that's it. Chacon bought the Mining Office. If anything, he has a sense for business.


Day 6.

Charlie McCarty has returned, the prison is safe. I let him rest.

Jim Miller is now employed by Boss Snead. And his man Jack Almer has gained some confidence, boosting his gun totin' skills.



Chacon hires Indian Scouts from the military. Claiborne offers to work for free if Chacon finally lets him do some killing.


Day 7.

Another lawman has heard about the problems in Painful Gulch. Elfego Baca will make a great addition to our band. He'll take Charlie and the Gatling gun and ride out to see what Maxwell's men are up to. They run into a gang of hired killers who are no match for our firepower, though. The Gatling Gun's ammo use rips not just holes into our enemies but also into my pockets.

Maxwell's newspaper guy Horace Green has died, falling from a horse. Snead is suspected behind it.

Snead himself has hired John B. Jones. Maxwell has sabotaged my Gatling Gun which is now less potent than it should be. He also takes over the local saloon.

The toilets just ain't safe. Charlie McCarty gets shot up by Chacon's men when he answers the call of nature. Fortunately, he survives. Chacon hires Johnny Ringo.


Day 8.

With Maxwell owning the Saloon, Charlie McCarty and Elfego Baca ride into town to start them a little brawl there. That's sure to upset Maxwell's standing with the citizens of the town.

Maxwell's men (Mortimer, Praching Bandit, Tom O'Folliard) get ready for a High Noon showdown. With my men messing up the saloon I can't stop them.

Chacon hires Diamond Lilly. The broad shows a knack for a good plan - Chacon will draw an extra card per turn.


Day 9.

The Saloon is a mess and my guys return after a job well done. I'm now ahead in the standings, before Lucien Maxwell. Frank Canton has shown up and offers his help. I'd be a fool not to accept. He joins the posse with McCarty, Baca and the Gatling Gun. Rumors are flying around that an Apache Raid might be imminent, but as far as I can see there's no Indians to be seen. The railway station is up for sale, and I snatch it - those extra $2 per day in freight fees should come in handy.



Boss Snead poses as town boss. He has only moderate success (+1VP)

Maxwell is busy. He hires a gunsmith. He also shows Chacon's gal Diamond Lilly the world of gambling - and she becomes addicted, costing an additional $2 per turn. He hires English Bob and sends out a party. However, Col. Mortimer and Tom O'Folliard are killed during the High Noon shootout by Boss Snead's men.

Chacon slanders my reputation. I better not repeat the accusations, but they cause my reputation in town to drop (-4VP). He also fires Lilly who's too expensive now. Instead he buys the bank.


Chacon's real estate.


Day 10.

Charlie McCarty's recent adventures have made him more confident, and it shows in his gunfighting skills.

Boss Snead's Red Jack Almer emerges victorious from the High Noon showdown. Snead struts again around as town boss.

Chacon tells Billy Claiborne to ride hard - he can move twice as fast per day now. He also hires Gunplay Maxwell.


Day 11.

I rarely gamble, but when I do I win: in this case $7. I also hire the Doolin Brothers for an ambush on Maxwell's men. Canton, Baca, McCarty and the trusty if somewhat less effective Gatling Gun ride into town shooting up stuff. Hopefully it will show those stupid townsfolk just who is the guy with the power to keep them safe!

Boss Snead is back to his outhouse ambushes - this time it's the Gatling Gun again that has to suffer.

The Gunsmith has become Maxwell's mastermind for plans of all kinds - Maxwell gets to draw an additional card per turn.

Chacon hired the miner they call "The Old Duchman" [sic]. Luckily he also knows a fortune teller. Chacon can hold an additional card using that foresight.


Day 12.

After Red Jack Almer's High Noon appearance it's now Maxwell's English Bob & Pete Spencer. I think now is a good time to rough them up some after my men have rested, having successfully caused havoc in town.

I hire the Long Riders to lay an ambush for Boss Snead's men. They run into another ambush, the Dos Pistoleros. The Long Riders send the Mexicans packing. If anyone messe sup Snead's men it's me!

And lo and behold, they meet Major John B. Jones (lawman) and Goodtime Sally who're obviously on their way to church. Well, they'll need to take a detour to the cemetary.

Red Jack Almer has found a quack who sold him snake oil - apparently this one works ... making him harder to kill.

Maxwell's Pete Spencer and English Bob run into the Doolin Brothers who I hired. They're lucky, though - although outgunned, Spencer and Bob come out victorious. Maxwell also hires a telegraph clerk ... and, most worryingly, leads his own posse now.

Chacon sends out his men. Billy Claiborne and Johnny Ringo take over the Hired Killers contract from Snead's Almer and Jim Miller. Gunplay Maxwell and his Indian Scouts get ready for a High Noon shootout.




Day 13.

I send out my righteous posse again. They run into an ambush of Mexicanos. When my men are done with them you can use their bodies as sieves. Painful Gulch is inches from accepting me as the one source of law and order in town.



Snead gets ready for a blaze of glory. He hires Apache Raiders and a Medicine Man and sends them after Claiborne and Ringo. Maxwell's men are killed in the gunfight, but not before taking the Apache Raiders with them.



And Snead hurts Maxwell some more - English Bob and Pete Spencer are killed in an ambush.

Chacon has hired the town barber. He decides to ride out himself with his new man Robert Wells.


Chacon's hirelings.


Day 14.

High Noon. On one side: Lucien Maxwell and the Preaching Bandit. On the Other: Frank Canton, Charlie McCarty, Efego Baca, and a Gatling Gun. This could be the one gunfight that seeals it all ...



Maxwell is extremely outgunned. He and the Preacher go down in a hail of bullets.

Unless Boss Snead has an ace up his sleeve the people of Painful Gulch will recognize me as new town boss. He poses once more as town boss, and his men have made a reputation as killers ... but the people laugh him out of town. Chacon has degraded to a hired killer himself.



It was a costly two weeks. These guys ended up on Boot Hill:
Pat Garret, Tuco Benedicto, Deputy John Ford, Man With No Name, Bill Picket, Thomas Ketchum, Horace Green, Col. Mortimer, Tom O'Folliard, Maj. John B. Jones, Goodtime Sally, Johnny Ringo, Billy Claiborne, some Apache Raiders, English Bob, Pete Spencer, Preaching Bandit, Lucien Maxwell.



My opinion of the game: a fun little diversion, but not as deep as Armageddon Empires, let alone Solium Infernum. The special actions on cards can be a bit repetitive (Outhouse Ambush!), and some special actions are "a bit" specific: "If [character class] has occupied a story card for one turn ...". Speaking of story cards - they lack immersion for me. "Bank Robbery", "Shoot Up the Town", "Apache Raid", "Hired Killers" - besides conditions to occupy the card or if there's any VP bonus rules you don't get much meat. A bit of description would have been nice. Still, for 12 bucks it's ok.

[grumbler]

I will confess that I don't know the system well enough to figure out what happened here, but it was an interesting read just for the names and for what i did understand of the game, so thanks for sharing.

[Scipio]

This game is great fun at the beta price.  The cards lack all the color commentary I expect from Magic: the Gathering cards, but for a fan of spaghetti westerns and quick card games, it's enjoyable.  Great music, great art, great style.