Old west solo rules

[hubbabubba]

Can anyone recommend some good Spaghetti western style solo rules?

Preferably with character progression and a campaign system would be good.

[Juan]

"Fistful of Lead". They are wonderful, and there is a solo module.

[Elbows]

Deleted.

[ichwillauch]

Maybe Boot Hill solitaire module Mad Mesa

[hubbabubba]

Thanks, I'll check them all out.

[Harry Faversham]

I've used 'Fistful of Lead' solo rules for bigger battles several times, they work really well.

[has.been]

Plus one for Fistful of Lead.

[CapnJim]

Another vote for Fistful of Lead...

[terrement]

Can anyone recommend some good Spaghetti western style solo rules?

Preferably with character progression and a campaign system would be good.

I have two that I can recommend.
1.  The Rules With No Name - easy to play solo, been around for many years.  You can likely find discussions and comparisons online.  Additional unofficial sites with house rules, addendum, etc. like this exist:

FB presence
https://www.facebook.com/WargamesFoundry/posts/the-rules-with-no-nameor-a-fistful-of-dicea-straightforward-set-of-rules-for-tri/2299642946721069/

with a free download link of the game.  As in "free."  Not as "gussied up" as the version sold by Foundry (hardback book, in color, nice pictures) but certainly worth a look.

https://www.angelfire.com/mech/ironclad/RWNN.pdf

AARs
https://www.farfaraway.org/blog/2021/11/12/what-a-shanker-the-rules-with-no-name-directors-cut/

Now, all of the games mentioned thus far are, AFAIK, easy enough to play solo, but aren't designed to be played solo.  Enter Two Hour Wargames rules for the old west: Six Gun Sound.  There's good and bad news.
The Good:  It is designed to work either as a multiplayer game or solo game with a different sort of mechanism to control the opponent.  It also has a number of careers available, each with different likely encounters to have the characters progress.  Some of the choices are Cowboy (as in cattle drives, ranch work) Bounty Hunter (gunfights, posses), Tenderfoot, Indian Brave, Townfolks, and about a dozen other.  THW has always had great support from its founder, an active site of its own:
https://www.twohourwargames.com/
and a Facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/page/353637818033632/search/?q=six%20gun%20sound

The Bad? It looks like they no longer offer it for sale, though I've messaged them.

You can get one of the earliest versions free here:
http://www.eastridingminiatures.co.uk/downloads/SixGunSoundFinal.pdf

but it lacks many of the worthwhile updates of the later versions.

Worst case you can probably get a copy from internet sellers

Cheers,

John

[Hummster]

It looks like Rebel Minis have got the rights to Six Gun Sound at the moment - it is available at Wargames Vault
https://www.wargamevault.com/product/204994/Six-Gun-Sound?manufacturers_id=2664

[terrement]

It looks like Rebel Minis have got the rights to Six Gun Sound at the moment - it is available at Wargames Vault
https://www.wargamevault.com/product/204994/Six-Gun-Sound?manufacturers_id=2664

Thanks for that.  It looks like the last version that was put out.  I think there was a follow-on scenario sort of supplement

https://www.wargamevault.com/images/2562/348129.jpg

And WV does not have that, but that final version of the game would be all that you needed.  It is the best in terms of content and clarity with lessons learned/suggestions from previous versions incorporated.

[hubbabubba]

All good suggestions, both 6gs and ffl look promising, seeming to be at opposed extremes of complication, but I find both to be atractive options.

I read on Vampifan's blog that he considered the blaze of glory version  of 6gs to be superior in general, due to the added detail. Any thoughts on that?

[terrement]

Could have sworn I had replied to that post, but as it isn't there either (1) I'm imagining things again, or, (2) I did submit it but for some reason the trons from my computer to theirs hiccupped, or, (3) it was due to the nefarious working of that pulp villain "The Craw"

(imagine if you will a nefarious stereotypical oriental villain with metal artificial hands shaped like claws jumping out and yelling:  "Not The Craw, stupid foreigner, THE CRAW!!!  (since he can't pronounce "l"s like any other stereotypical oriental pulp villain)  Pics of the covers are referenced below but in preview I couldn't get them to display.  Here's a link where you can see images of all of them as described in a web search for "Two Hour Wargames - Six Gun Sound"

https://www.google.com/search?q=two+hour+wargames+six+gun+sound&rlz=1C1GCEA_enUS956US956&sxsrf=APq-WBsRfmBqaqcdSrWNjSB6GdPtuqxr6g:1643745585158&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj-2NC9pd_1AhWcmHIEHWFfCn4Q_AUoA3oECAEQBQ&biw=1264&bih=503&dpr=1.5

6GS, the original, was useable but left a lot to be desired in terms of clarity of explanations and depth of coverage.  Has a rectangular yellow background with a photo in the middle.


6GS-BoG was a quantum leap beyond that adding better examples, extensive character types you could play, random events keyed to the type of character you were playing (a ranch cowhand's experiences would be different from that of a lawman, gunslinger, bounty hunter, Indian brave, Town merchant, etc.) and a campaign system.  It was quite the step up from the original.  It has a (pretender) Clint Eastwood looking guy shooting down an opponent.


I could be wrong, but pretty sure that there was a follow-on release again called 6GS with some additional updates but minor in comparison to the previous jump.  The cover illustration is sort of an abstract rendering of cowboys on and orange-yellow background


The final version, Six Gun Sound - Devil's Elbow which I mistakenly thought was just a scenario type book was a final update.
It has a blue background cover again featuring shadow-drawn western characters.
 
I exchanged a few emails with Ed and I'll copy you via PM.

If you are playing solo, you can certainly do a series of unrelated, one-time scenarios.  You might want to play a campaign for  a character, using the time period discussed in the rules.  If you want to really get involved, using the campaign map, you might want to have multiple characters, perhaps two different types (lawman vs outlaw, Indian brave vs settlers, outlaw vs outlaw) running at the same time, or even more starting off not necessarily in the same place, where their respective paths may or may not cross.  Soloist doing these sorts of campaigns sometimes enjoy keeping track of things by AARs, writing them up like a newspaper report from whatever town is involved, or even in more detail like scenes from a movie.

The caution with campaigns is that they can take on a life of their own and end up being more trouble than they are worth, leading to a loss of interest in play.  Start small and build with what works for you.  When it stops being fun, quit doing that part.

Happy to chat with you (or anyone) about solo gaming or Old West rules either via posts here or message me

[hubbabubba]

Excellent, thanks for all the helpful insight.

I'm up to my ears with exam correction and tutorials at the minute, but I mean to try and track down a copy/pdf of 6gs Blaze of glory and when I do I may well get in touch and pick your brains over a few things.