The Prospectors (54mm What a Cowboy!)
The Prospectors. Being a skirmish over a gold strike set in the Wild West c. 1879. Philip umpired a fun Western scenario using What a Cowboy! rules from Too Fat Lardies and his bespoke 54mm figures on Friday 9 January at the community centre.
The scenario for this Wild West escapade was called The Prospectors. A group of prospectors has found gold! Whilst drinking to their fortune they have hidden a map of their claim. Several groups have heard of their good fortune and are looking for the map. Only the Lawmen know where it is (and proceed to place four counters on the table, one of which is the real map).
Piotr and Phil are the lawmen – there to keep hold of the map and protect the Prospectors (non-player characters).
Doug and Jonners are the Mexicans – keen on the gold.
and Paul and myself the Indians – affronted by the Prospectors’ desecration of a sacred burial ground, they want revenge.
Initial action rolls saw all groups moving off starting positions and making towards the two buildings in the centre of the table.
The Mexicans reach the edge of the hill.
The Lawmen take up positions around building 1.
whilst the Indians move toward building 2.
The Mexicans reach the hilltop and search two of the markers trying to find the map.
Hunting Eagle and Hard Top (Indian characters) make it to building 2 (where one marker is hidden) with three henchmen in close proximity.
Having shot up and killed the prospectors, Paul’s ‘Red Bear’, the third of the Indian characters, sits atop a patch of broken ground hoping to pick off the Lawmen with his Winchester rifle.
Sherriff Neames and the Lawmen’s henchmen take some potshots at Doug’s Mexicans from building one inflicting some wounds. The Mexicans search the second marker but continue towards the buildings indicating they have not yet found the map.
At this point Phil does his usual 10 pm moment of clarity and sends ‘Deputy Dude’, on horseback, charging at Juanito (Doug’s Mexican) prompting Jonners to proclaim ‘shoot that idiot in front of us!’ As the smoke clears the charge of Deputy Dude ends with Juanito blasting him with a double barrel shotgun inflicting fatal wounds.
Meanwhile Deputy Dawes runs from cover to move on Red Bears position. From his action dice he gets one aim and one shot, hitting and wounding Red Bear. Red Bear is critically wounded.
The Indian henchmen turn and fire at Dawes but only manage to pin him.
The game ends at 10.30pm with the marker for the map still in the hands of the Lawmen… safely hidden and protected in building 1!
A great evening with some great laughs. Thanks Phil M.
