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Author Topic: Review: Dracula's America- Osprey Games  (Read 3664 times)

Offline Easy E

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Review: Dracula's America- Osprey Games
« on: April 20, 2020, 01:15:15 PM »
A long time ago, I started some preliminary work on a Weird Wild West game.  It never really came to fruition, and instead the core mechanics morphed into something else entirely.  Eventually, the mechanics did make it into a game called Turf War.  However, the itch of Weird Wild West was still sitting there in the back of my mind.



Then, along comes Osprey Games with this game.  Dracula's America: Shadows of the West.  I wanted my wild west game to take a more Mythos approach similar to Strange Aeons, but after reading those rules I know I couldn't out Mythos them.  So, then I started to think about other "Horror Tropes" to use.  Dracula's America clearly settled on applying Gothic overtones and North American themed genre tropes to the Wild West.  Good choice!

It took a bit of time, but I eventually picked up all the books.  Sadly, I have not had a chance to read them or review them.... until now!  There was always some other work just taking a bit of priority over them.  Now, with the Pandemic of 2020 going on, it seems like the perfect time to break out these rules and settle in for a read.

Let's open the casket and see what is moldering in side shall we?


https://bloodandspectacles.blogspot.com/2020/04/review-draculas-america-osprey-games.html
Support Blood and Spectacles Publishing:
https://www.patreon.com/Bloodandspectaclespublishing

Offline Mr. White

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Re: Review: Dracula's America- Osprey Games
« Reply #1 on: April 24, 2020, 04:03:14 PM »
Great review. I'm a big fan of your review style and have gone back and pretty much read them all. Keep up the great work.

I also own the Dracula's America book and have really liked what I've seen on reading of it. Unfortunately, I won't get to move on this project (buying and painting the minis) until 2021 most likely. I wished it were a more popular genre because this game looks like a lot of fun and the author has put together a nice set of rules and setting here.

I also wonder why DA talk is never in the Old West forum? DA is an Old West game first with Gothic rules optionally there for those of us that want them. Oh well, no biggie.

Offline fred

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    • Miniature Gaming
Re: Review: Dracula's America- Osprey Games
« Reply #2 on: April 24, 2020, 06:00:38 PM »
DA is a great game, we have played it loads. It handles multiplayer really well.

The activation with cards is pretty slick in operation, and gives you an option to try to go early or late in the round.

Regarding the names vs dice, we quite often end up calling then d6 guys or d8 guys. The different dice for different skill levels works well, a vet with d8s has a nice edge, but not a massive one.

The lookout mechanism can be a bit deadly, especially combined with some special rules.

The campaign system is good - but can be a bit brutal - but it is a brutal era.

Rifles seem a bit too good, in our group we can't really see any reason (other than cost) of taking any other weapon.

Offline Luisito

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Re: Review: Dracula's America- Osprey Games
« Reply #3 on: April 25, 2020, 05:22:44 PM »
Rifles seem a bit too good, in our group we can't really see any reason (other than cost) of taking any other weapon.

I limit the Rifle type weapons so we can't have more Rifle type weapons then Pistol type. No more then 2 of each weapons except pistol.

It balances the game well I think.




Offline fred

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Re: Review: Dracula's America- Osprey Games
« Reply #4 on: April 26, 2020, 08:07:59 AM »
That is probably a good house rule

Offline Easy E

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Re: Review: Dracula's America- Osprey Games
« Reply #5 on: April 28, 2020, 01:39:27 PM »
I had heard some rumors that the campaign was a bit too deadly and dangerous, but was unsure if it was true.  From the look, it didn't seem more dangerous than say.... any other skirmish game.

Offline Easy E

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Re: Review: Dracula's America- Osprey Games
« Reply #6 on: April 28, 2020, 01:41:14 PM »
Great review. I'm a big fan of your review style and have gone back and pretty much read them all. Keep up the great work.


Thank you.  I try to bring a balance as every game has parts I like, and parts I do not personally like.  I also try to be explicit about why I do not like something so others can see my own biases. 

However, I have a feeling my approach does not win friends with publishers.  LOL! 

Offline fred

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Re: Review: Dracula's America- Osprey Games
« Reply #7 on: April 28, 2020, 02:24:29 PM »
I had heard some rumors that the campaign was a bit too deadly and dangerous, but was unsure if it was true.  From the look, it didn't seem more dangerous than say.... any other skirmish game.

Most of our group like the campaign system - the odd one didn't, but he was the least interested to start with. The biggest problem is if your leader becomes very injured or killed - that can leave a big hole in your gang. Minions are much more expendable. At times you can end up with a lot of battered guys in your gang - and it may be better to retire some of them. But to me this all adds to the character of the game.

With multi-player, if there is an obvious leader, they get picked on, simples.

Offline Bloggard

  • Scatterbrained Genius
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Re: Review: Dracula's America- Osprey Games
« Reply #8 on: September 13, 2020, 11:28:23 AM »
really nice review/s.

Offline Sir_Theo

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Re: Review: Dracula's America- Osprey Games
« Reply #9 on: September 13, 2020, 02:07:50 PM »
Very good review, I missed this back in April. Im a big fan of DA. As you were looking for mythos 3lements im looking forward tonyohr thoughts on the expansions, particularly Forbidden Powers

Offline Easy E

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Re: Review: Dracula's America- Osprey Games
« Reply #10 on: September 17, 2020, 02:58:10 PM »
A solo-play version of the rules came out on Osprey's Blog recently.

https://ospreypublishing.com/blog/draculas_america_solo/

I have not fully checked them out yet. However, Solo is all the rage right now, so they are getting with the trend.

The name is a nice riff off that classic Western Bad Day at Black Rock!

Offline Sir_Theo

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Re: Review: Dracula's America- Osprey Games
« Reply #11 on: September 17, 2020, 03:32:42 PM »
A solo-play version of the rules came out on Osprey's Blog recently.

https://ospreypublishing.com/blog/draculas_america_solo/

I have not fully checked them out yet. However, Solo is all the rage right now, so they are getting with the trend.

The name is a nice riff off that classic Western Bad Day at Black Rock!

Ash from Guerilla Miniature Games has been playing through this on his YouTube channel, its good fun!

Offline mweaver

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Re: Review: Dracula's America- Osprey Games
« Reply #12 on: October 11, 2020, 12:00:58 AM »
Fred: "The biggest problem is if your leader becomes very injured or killed - that can leave a big hole in your gang."

The fantasy skirmish game Mordheim had a rule in its campaign that if a captain was killed, you had to play one game without a captain, than (if you had the $) you could recruit a replacement.  Actually, that may have only been for the undead warband if it lost its vampire captain - but we generalized it for all the warbands.  It was still a Bad Thing if you lost your captain, but recovery was possible.

-Michael


Offline LeRatierBretonnien

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Re: Review: Dracula's America- Osprey Games
« Reply #13 on: May 25, 2021, 09:57:19 PM »

Offline mweaver

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Re: Review: Dracula's America- Osprey Games
« Reply #14 on: June 13, 2021, 02:17:31 AM »
Thanks, LeRatierBretonnien.

-Michael