What a Cowboy - Hog Thief Bend. Update by Snappers 22.04.24

[Mad Lord Snapcase]

There's nothing so satisfying to the forces of law and order, as the sight of the Arthritis Gang scuttling off the board in 'reverse-offensive postural defensive rear-patrolling' as Standish would have it, but the Snapcase Posse simply refer to it as 'running away'!



But now, after game four, onto pastures new...

A Chance Meeting on Hermit Peak

After the ruckus at O’Rourke’s Corriente, the Arthritis Gang had been feeling somewhat jaded and the need for some rest, from the drinking and gunfighting, over the last few weeks, had been at the forefront of their minds.

They had abandoned Doctor Archimedes Vagabond and his wagon there, after taking some hot lead at the ambush by their hated enemy, the Snapcase Posse. They had first encountered the crusty old gent at El Camello, in the Malo el Oler Saloon.

Whilst negotiating their fee for escorting the snake oil wagon to Hachcita, the wily Doc Vagabond had been enticing his erstwhile bodyguards, with the thought of his mountain cabin. According to the snake-oil salesman, this beautiful log cabin was set in a glorious high mountain valley, with views to die for, according to the Doc. Fully stocked with Old Panther Piss, Red Eye whiskey and plenty of beans, hard biscuits, dried meat, dried fruit, and coffee.

It seemed that for a few paltry dollars (as the Doc would have it) this mountain retreat could be theirs in perpetuity. Discussing it amongst themselves, outside the saloon, the gang agreed that it would be a fine thing for them to own a mountain hideout, like a proper outlaw gang.

Handing over their ill-gotten ‘tin’, the gang became the proprietors of Rocky Cabin on Hermit Peak in the Pecos. Doc Vagabond furnished them with a carefully drawn map and verbal directions. Sensible Oliver, the Kid, Loco and the Man With No Name agreed, that after their safe arrival in Hachcita, they would head for the hills and rest up for a while.

After the ambush at O’Rourke’s Corriente, which decidedly went ill for them, it was manifest that they would indeed ride for the Pecos, to take a well-earned break from the ‘owl hoot trail’.

Stocking up on mescal (in memory of their fallen comrade, Raving Jack) in Santa Fe, they rode on up, high into the Pecos mountains. A couple of days later, they arrived in the aforementioned valley, only to discover that they had been duped. Doctor Archimedes Vagabond the bunko artist, had sold them an abandoned gold mine. Derelict buildings with rotting timbers, holes in the slate rooves and a great deal of snow were their reward. Nary a sign of the promised food and whiskey stocks!

Meanwhile, the Saveloy Snapcase Posse, having fallen for the same scam, had encountered the self-same deserted and abandoned mine, having also bought the luxury log cabin and stores story from the calculating, disingenuous snake oil salesman. They had handed over their dollars after taking over the escort of the wagon, after dispatching the Arthritis Gang at O’Rourke’s Corriente.

They too, had been looking forward to a rest and recuperation session, travelling by Montezuma, rather than Santa Fe, to Hermit Peak.

One can imagine the despondency and dismay as both gangs realised that not only had they been stitched up, like a kipper, but they were now facing, once again, their hated enemies and another gunfight was about to begin.

As the snow begins to fall on Hermit Peak, once again, the fight begins….

To be continued...

[Mad Lord Snapcase]

The scenario for game five is scenario six from the 'What A Cowboy!' book.



We were to play on a 4' x 3' board. There is an old wheelhouse in the centre of the abandoned mine. Nearby a mine entrance and across the creek, two dilapidated buildings. Deployment is along a 2' edge, directly opposed to each other.

[FifteensAway]

"views to die for" and "theirs in perpetuity" foretell that one or the other, either the 'Arthritis' Gang or Snapcase Posse - maybe both, are going to be known in future as the 'hole in the ground' gang or posse.  And, no, I don't mean the shaft down into the hard rock mine.

Of course, if there are any survivors there might be a lucky find that the mine isn't played out, just abandoned.  But almost certainly, if there be survivors, they will be on the trail of that dastardly scoundrel, Vagabond - who, no doubt, once caught up with, will regale his pursuers with tales of how they didn't follow his directions properly (and perhaps they might be duped even though both groups followed the same directions to land at the same place).  And, like as not, he will tell them - once they tell him of the gold mine - that there is even more gold stashed away down the shaft they missed finding.  The Doc does have an inventive bent after all.

If there are survivors...

[CapnJim]

Sounds to me like the 2 gangs ought put aside their differences for now, and go find and deal appropriately with one Dr. Archimedes Vagabond.  Then, they may resume their feud, should on or both choose to do so....

But I suspect that is not to be.....

[Vagabond]

A Chance Meeting on Hermit Peak

You will I hope have read the erudite introduction to this game posted by the Mad Lord but if like me you have the attention span of a goldfish, coupled with the fact that I’ve been so slow to write the AAR then maybe I should do a quick re-cap of the situation.

The Daniels/Standish gang were unlucky in their last run in with the Snapcase Posse. The hired killer who won’t reveal his name had a rocky start when he fell off the wagon in the opening phase of the fight and Oliver Standish revealed his class as a 100m sprinter and our fortunes went downhill from there. So we enter the current game level, at 2 wins to each gang and this is the last game before the final showdown in Hog Thief Bend.

The objective is simple, we have to nominate a low down snake in the grass, or snow in this case, amongst the enemy crew and kill them. I am obviously going to do for the yellow bellied snake, Cowardly Cartwright who killed Jack Daniels but Oliver Standish has the rest of the Snapcase Posse to go at. Bearing in mind that they are all low down snakes in the grass he has plenty of choice.

Snapcase on the other hand has a much more difficult choice amongst our hard working. angelic but lovable rascally rogues, however that didn’t hold him back and he went for it with gusto.


The good guy’s are coming on from the far side board and to the left of the river, and the Snapcase Posse will arrive from this side and also to the left of the river.

As you can see this is taking place around an old played out mine. There are a couple of derelict buildings across the river and the mine entrance is just behind the winding shed. The Winding Shed the largest building is pretty much in the centre of the fight and it’s construction would prove decisive in the coming fight. It looks like it’s a solid building but the lower level, from left to right as you look at it in the picture is open from both sides, a bit like a tunnel.


The rules call for activation by a card draw and Standish and Loco were first out of the pack, they both made fast advances over the hard packed snow and took shelter amongst some detritus left over from when the mine was a going concern.

The Snapcase Posse are still lurking off the board and to the right of the picture.


Soon they appear, skulking in amongst the woodland, checking for any sign of life in front of them. They might be a bunch of scoundrels but they are a hard bunch of scoundrels, Cowardly Cartwright is still in his shirt sleeves and the temperature must be below zero.


Loco took no notice of his personal safety and rushed forward from one pile of sacks to another pile of sacks, drew his revolver and looked for enemy targets, but they were all still lurking in the woodland and out of sight.

Just as an aside you will probably have noticed the snow on the steps of the winding shed, the crates and sacks. The Mad Lord had received permission from Lady Snapcase to borrow the servants icing sugar and sprinkle it liberally over the scenery to achieve the perfect result for snowy terrain. I believe there was a minor mutiny below stairs when this was returned with a mixture of plaster of paris and a little dust included with icing sugar. The mutiny was quickly quelled by the Much Piddling Yeomanry parading outside the Hall. Fixed bayonets usually have a quietening effect on the servants as the Mad Lord has stated on a number of occasions, but I digress.


However, no sooner was Loco ensconced behind his specially selected cover than Sheriff Snapcase and Deputy Meaner emerged from the woodland, they stopped lurking and opened fire with a vengeance.


Loco took the brunt of their shots and was pinned behind the sacks. You can see that he was being closely supported by the rest of the gang but he took all the lead that came flying our way. The Kid, Molly Daniels was making the best use of the limited cover offered by the winding house. Remember what I said about the fact that it’s open from her side right through the building and out the other side. So it looks good solid cover but it’s anything but that.

Oliver Standish is behind a stack of crates and the un named stranger seems to be having a difficult time getting through the snow and has taken a position at the rear of the party.


Loco dodges back from the deadly fire from Snapcase and his deputy, he’s just in time to see Molly fall wounded at his feet. She’d been shot in the back, through the opening in the building I mentioned earlier and has taken a critical wound. This calls for a d6 roll to see what effect it has, I rolled a 6 which is a Boot Hill result. You’re dead, go straight to Boot Hill, do not pass Go and do not collect £200.

This is the 2nd time in the campaign I’d had one of my characters take a critical wound and on each occasion die.

Bugger!

I can't remember who backshot Molly but I expect everyone in the Snapcase crew will claim the credit for shooting down a poor innocent child.


Standish made a run for cover in the mine but it was all over when we took the Ride or Die test and our brave and courageous gang members decided to honour Molly’s sacrifice by making a fighting withdrawal, or running away, as it’s more normally known.

Well I’ve tried to pad this out as best I can but it’s the shortest game report so far and the Daniels/Standish Gang are entering the final gunfight 3 to 2 down and only Oliver Standish is still alive from the original gang of four.

The gunfighter hired by Molly to avenge her father foul murder doesn’t get paid until Cowardly Cartwright is dead and he’s just received a telegram to say that Proud Mary Daniels is waiting in Hogg Thief Bend, to help him finish the job.

He’s going to really have to earn his money because with all this skulking, back shooting, and downright murder the Snapcase Posse are building a reputation as murdering, back shooting, skulkers but in addition most of them have graduated to backshooting Gunslinger level, which appears to give them an unholy edge in the coming shootout.

Not that the Daniels/Standish gang are worried by long odds, even if they should be.

Cheers

[Doug ex-em4]

I’m getting an early night tonight so I can be fresh to face the formidable group of Snapcase gunslingers tomorrow. As the neutral reader will have deduced from Vagabonds excellent report above, the last confrontation didn’t last too long. We were undone by a combination of cover not being what it appeared to bev(when viewed from above) and Snapcase sneakily using something he called "tactics" (I think he’d stolen a book off someone). He claims he "executed a perfect flanking manoeuvre". Notwithstanding our many disadvantages, we are confident of giving the scoundrel a sound thrashing tomorrow.

Can you keep a secret? Well, I’ve been shopping at the Hog Thief Bend gun emporium. I say no more.

Doug

[Mad Lord Snapcase]

All I can say is that they got what was coming to them, a bellyful of lead!

I’ve been shopping at the Hog Thief Bend gun emporium.

Roland Deschain (proprietor of the aforementioned gunsmiths), will give you a discount, if you mention my name.

The usual muddle of malign mangling, misconstruction, misinterpretation, misinformation and misrepresentation of matters material to the recent punch-up, it has ever been my misfortune to meditate upon! Suffice to say that the notorious spin-doctor, my esteemed and much-loved colleague has again regally entertained us with his fictional version of events.

Just to clarify events surrounding the demise of the Kid, Deputy Misty Meaner was intending to polish off Loco Maine from her flanking position. However, said Loco was lying down and bleeding all over the place, right next to the Kid, so she laid her vengeance onto the standing target. (Deputy Sheriffs, Otero County, Code of Conduct, Volume II, Page 1097, Paragraph 3, Subsection 4b refers)

(Back with set-up photos of the last game in the campaign shortly)

[Mad Lord Snapcase]

So this is the last game of a six game campaign and the Gentlemen of Much-Piddling have had a lot of fun with this one. We are playing Scenario 1, High Noon from 'What A Cowboy!' from TooFatLardies.



To quote directly from the book:

The Grand Finale

Game Six is usually the final game in the campaign; the Grand Finale. This is always played in the Town at the centre of the map and the scenario is always Scenario One, High Noon. The winner of this game will be the winner of the campaign, having vanquished their rivals and taken control of the Town.

Success in the previous five games will help in the final showdown as Characters will develop Skills, obtain additional equipment and potentially move from a Greenhorn to a Shootist, Gunslinger or even a Legend. It is possible to lose all the previous games and still win the final High Noon showdown.

Fate can be a harsh mistress in the West!

[Mad Lord Snapcase]

High Noon at El Cerdo Ladrón Doblar

But on this most auspicious of nights, permit me then, in lieu of the more commonplace sobriquet, to suggest the character of this dramatis persona:

Voilà! In view, a humble vaudevillian veteran, cast vicariously as both victim and villain by the vicissitudes of Fate. This visage, no mere veneer of vanity, is a vestige of the vox populi now vacant, vanished.

However, this valorous visitation of a by-gone vexation stands vivified and has vowed to vanquish these venal and virulent vermin van-guarding vice and vouchsafing the violently vicious and voracious violation of volition.

The only verdict is vengeance—a vendetta, held as a votive, not in vain, for the value and veracity of such shall one day vindicate the vigilant and the virtuous.

Verily, this vichyssoise of verbiage veers most verbose, so let me simply add that it's my very good honour to meet you and you may call me Saveloy Snapcase.

This is the story of a vendetta that came to rule our lives over several years and resulted in the death of many an outlaw and also, some good men.

After the fiasco at Hermit Peak, Sheriff Saveloy Snapcase, Deputy Misty Meaner, Deputy Granville Arkwright and Deputy Melon los Cojones rode back to their hometown, Hog Thief Bend, or to give it its original name, El Cerdo Ladrón Doblar.

If you had been following this thread closely (and there will be a test later, so watch out!), you will have seen how the beginnings of Hog Thief Bend were alluded to in game four, ‘Wagons Ho at O’Rourke’s Corriente’.

Sergio O’Rourke was the man who originally built the bridge across the creek, at the bend in the river. Ma O‘Rourke always said that Sergio was bitten by a rattler and was buried in the homestead. Others, less gullible, believe that Ma poisoned him after Sergio stole, butchered and ate her favourite hog, Perky. It was known locally, that he had done the same to Ma’s second-favourite hog, Pinky in the year before his untimely death. Some speculate that Ma butchered and ate Sergio, in revenge for the hog thievery, greed and killing, at that haunted bend in the creek!

However, we digress from the main events of our story of lust, greed, hate, violence, drink, drugs and all the other good stuff!

With the Snapcase Posse back in Hog Thief Bend, things quietened down for a while. The Arthritis Gang had been holed up, out in the hills near Las Cruces. Now down to three compadres, they had been looking for a fourth, before going up against the Sherriff, one more time (and what they hoped, was the last time). Their old friend from the Owl Hoot Trail, California Diggins Johnny "Tough as a Rail" W. Hardup, had joined them for a while, bringing them much needed supplies of beans and his homemade sarsaparilla. Johnny was known as ‘Fifteens’ to the gang, for the sake of brevity. Fifteens had also brought news. Down in Las Cruces, was a girl causing one hell of a ruckus. Drinkin’, fightin’, shootin’ and all before breakfast, she seemed to be a one-woman whirlwind of a shootist.

This sounded like a sure-fire recruit for the gang. Sensible Standish, Loco Maine and the Man Who Couldn’t Remember His Name, saddled up and rode down into the town, to ensnare this proud beauty into their evil clutches. Her name was Proud Mary and she was only too willing to join the Arthritis Gang for a share of the spoils and a couple of tins of their beans.

In the early spring of that fateful year, the gang set out for Hog Thief Bend and revenge, with murder in their hearts. Replete and quorate in their quaternity, they felt ready for the showdown. They offered to let Fifteens come along for the ride, but he declined, saying that he and the missus were setting out for Scotland soon, and he must get back home and iron his kilt. Bidding farewell to his friends at the parting of the ways near Socorro, Fifteens wondered if he would see any of them, ever again.

So, the stage is set, no one knows what fate awaits them, they must be brave and face the posse that hates them or lie craven cowards in their grave.

Look at that big hand move along, nearin', high noon…..

[Mad Lord Snapcase]

This is the set-up for the big finish. As it's the finale, I thought I'd go all out and we are playing on a 6' x 4' table. Here is an overview of El Cerdo Ladrón Doblar, or Hog Thief Bend, as it's now known.



I intend shortly to publish a few photos of the various locations in the town, but here is the official, labelled map for the Arthritis gang, who are playing on-line.

[Mad Lord Snapcase]

'Tis said, that up on Ghost Hill, outside town, the spirits of the departed can sometimes be seen, roaming the hills!

[Mad Lord Snapcase]

I spent a bit of time setting up the town, so I'm featuring a few vignette photos, before it gets packed away again, to make way for our next campaign.

[Mad Lord Snapcase]

...and a few more, if you will indulge me?

[Doug ex-em4]

First things first, Snapcase. You made a mistake playing the High Noon song - if anything stirs the blood and does some general stiffening for that fighter for justice, Oliver Standish, it’s that song. You’ve been warned.

Second, you’ve just been awarded the Gold Medal with Ribbon by the August Assembly for Artful Alliteration.

Third, some gorgeous vignettes - you do produce a wonderful table.

See you over the gunsmoke in 20 minutes.

Doug

[Mad Lord Snapcase]

...and the last of them, I promise!





















Yes, I must log on now. Part II of Game VI is about to start at 13.00 GMT.