Dracula's America.

[Fenrir]

@Saucy Jack: There are actually quite a few ways to build your Posses, depending on the type of game you are playing!

For one-off games, you have two ways of building a Posse- a basic WYSIWYG-driven system that is great for learning the rules and playing quick friendly games (it's probably my personal favourite way to play!); and a more granular 'points' (dollar)-based system that allows you to 'list build' and fine-tune your models and equipment.

In Campaigns, everybody starts with the same basic Posse of a Veteran Boss and 5 Novices (though obviously your choice of Faction will tweak this basic set-up), plus 22 dollars to spend on equipping them- you will find that after even one game the Posses will start to diverge due to Skills and Injuries...

In general though, your Posse will be made up primarily of humans of one sort or another (be they die-hard Confederate guerrillas, cultists, vampire thralls or new recruits to the Order) and will have a single Boss (the model with the best Grit) to lead it and around 5-9 other models to make up the remainder. If you are using the full-on Supernatural rules and affiliate your Posse to a Faction, you will also gain certain Faction Benefits (such as the ability to upgrade 2 models to Broodkin vampires in the Red Hand Coven, or make your Boss a Master Necromancer and field 2-4 Revenants in the Dark Confederacy).

...And that's not even mentioning the various Hired-Guns and Summoned Creatures available...

Probably not the most precise answer to your questions I'm afraid, but there is a lot of variety to cover! 

[Fenrir]

@Shookerdoo:
There are 7 Scenarios in the book, each with different win-conditions (though shooting at the enemy until they fall over is always a safe bet!). So I guess you could say it is a straight-up Skirmish- though loot also plays quite a big role- you will often be hunting for loot, escaping the Table with loot, and so-on.
Some Scenarios also use escalating reinforcements, some have you securing important terrain elements and some have your Bosses facing-off in the centre of the Table!
By their nature they are designed to work well in multiplayer (ie, with 3-8 competing Posses) situations- however I have plans for more specific Scenarios such as stagecoach robberies, jail-breaks and so-on that are better suited to 2 players!

By the way, terrain is very important- especially tactically interesting, multi-level stuff such as buildings to give good vantage points and windows to crash through! To give an example, in one game I had a vampire leap across an alley (narrowly avoiding a shot from an enemy on Lookout in the process), smash through the window of the building opposite and straight into combat with an enemy- he promptly won the Fight and shoved his unfortunate victim out the window and down into the street below! 

[dinohunterpoa]

Sounds GREAT! 

[Saucy Jack]

Thank you for answering my questions. It really is great to have this "hotline" to you, so I have a few more questions:

1) in terms of terrain is the setting for all of the US or a particular state/area?

2) ... and is a typical gaming board for the game a wild west boomtown?

3) how much is there in the rules about mounted figures?

[Fenrir]

@Dinohunterpoa: Thank you kindly!

@Saucy Jack: No problem; SOTW is my 'baby' so even after a year and a bit I'm more than happy to talk about it at length! As for your questions...

1) The setting covers all of the US in a general sort of way- however (and though I obviously can't say too much right now!), supplements will 'focus-in' on specific areas; beginning with the Indian Territory (including Deadwood City and the Black Hills) in Hunting Grounds...

2) I guess you could say that a town (either boom or ghost!) is the 'standard' board set-up, simply because it gives the most options for dynamic movement. Much of the play-testing was done on a town board with 4ground/Sarissa buildings, though we've played it on a badlands ranch and a New England forest... And I have a dream of making a Mississippi River board complete with docked paddle-steamer!

3) Mounted figures are covered in the game, with rules for mounting (including leaping into the saddle from above!), dismounting (including being dragged from the saddle by your enemy in combat) and carrying a passenger- there are also a couple of different horse 'types' available, with a third in the pipeline... Expect a new set of Riding Skills in Hunting Grounds as well- you'll be able to make leaping mounts/dismounts, whistle for your horse and so-on...

[dinohunterpoa]

Mounted figures are covered in the game, with rules for mounting (including leaping into the saddle from above!), dismounting (including being dragged from the saddle by your enemy in combat) and carrying a passenger- there are also a couple of different horse 'types' available, with a third in the pipeline... Expect a new set of Riding Skills in Hunting Grounds as well- you'll be able to make leaping mounts/dismounts, whistle for your horse and so-on...

It seems that you've managed to capture some of the classic Western Tropes very well! Maybe a version of this ruleset without the Gothic Horror elements would sell very well to Old West gamers!

I guess you could say that a town (either boom or ghost!) is the 'standard' board set-up, simply because it gives the most options for dynamic movement.

Mate, everybody needs an old-fashioned Western Town! 

[Fenrir]

@Dinohunterpoa: Actually, the book is split into 3 sections- the Rules, Campaigns and Dracula's America. I intentionally wanted the rules to be modular, so if you wanted to play a straight-up Old West game then it's entirely possible (there's even a full set of Campaign Encounters for this so you can play a full Old West Campaign without any of the weirdness)! All the Arcane Powers, Supernatural Creatures and Factions, Silver Bullets, weird Encounters etc are in the Dracula's America section, and can be 'plugged-in' to your games as you wish.

[Saucy Jack]

Once again thanks.

What is the Hunting Grounds you refer to - a supplement book or....

[dinohunterpoa]

@Dinohunterpoa: Actually, the book is split into 3 sections- the Rules, Campaigns and Dracula's America. I intentionally wanted the rules to be modular, so if you wanted to play a straight-up Old West game then it's entirely possible (there's even a full set of Campaign Encounters for this so you can play a full Old West Campaign without any of the weirdness)! All the Arcane Powers, Supernatural Creatures and Factions, Silver Bullets, weird Encounters etc are in the Dracula's America section, and can be 'plugged-in' to your games as you wish.

Very clever! 

[Fenrir]

@Saucy Jack: Yeah, Hunting Grounds will be the first supplement for Dracula's America! All being well, this will ultimately be a 'trilogy' of books...

@Dinohunterpoa: Cheers- I have my moments every now and then!.. 

[Grimjack]

And one thing that I can say - it's a quick, fun set of rules, with some great miniatures to come from North Star this year.

But, I want Jonah Hex and Django, so get them sorted, Mr. Haythornthwaite!

[Manchu]

Have my orders in for the core and supplement. I would love to see some better pics of the upcoming models. I have not been able to find many good pics of them from Salute. Anyone seen any?

Here is the best (and only) one I have found

[dinohunterpoa]

For subscribers of Wargames Illustrated: http://www.wargamesillustrated.net/draculas-america-shadows-of-the-west/



 

[Vampifan]

Many thanks for sharing those pictures, mate. 
I feel this is a game I could really get into. I'm liking all that I've seen and read so far. 

[dinohunterpoa]

Many thanks for sharing those pictures, mate. 
I feel this is a game I could really get into. I'm liking all that I've seen and read so far. 

Dear Vampifan, you've just stolen my words, mate!   

A mix of Gothic Horror and Old/Weird West sounds very appealing to me, and since I've grown with a big 40mm scale Old West sandbox in the basement, I am a strong believer that everyone must have his own old-fashioned western town at some point of life!  

I am just waiting to see the minis to figure out their scale in order to start planning my town's buildings!   

Concerning Dracula's America, from what the author himself kindly revealed in advance in this thread, I think that we'll have a very nice set of tools to have great gothic western adventures in the not so far future!