CapnJim's Pulp Stuff (2nd Matewan Convention Game AAR - Pg 15...08 Nov 23)

[CapnJim]

Looking great, Jim! Who knows? Maybe the central Ohio crew can drive north for a playtest in August? I know Jenny didn't get to come last time, and Stelzer was talking about wanting to go up and see your gaming clubhouse in person...

Thanks, Mike.  And I meant to ask yous guys about that at Drums. Maybe we can figure something out...

Looking very good Jim!

Thanks, Carlos!

[CapnJim]

Okay.  Playtest for Matewan is this Friday.  1100 hrs.  AAR to follow...

[FramFramson]

Mother Jones sends her regards: Give 'em hell boys! 

[mikedemana]

Okay.  Playtest for Matewan is this Friday.  1100 hrs.  AAR to follow...

Woo-hoo! Sorry we weren't able to come up with a date for the Ohio crew to invade Blissfield and do a playtest. We're still working on a weekend later in August, maybe. Maybe we could do the second playtest?? 

Mike Demana

[CapnJim]

Thanks, fellas.  And, Mike - we'll figure something out...

[CapnJim]

Like I said, 1st playtest for Matewan is tomorrow (Friday).  It'll be Ted, gene, and me.  Here are the scenario sheets I plan to use.  Subject to tweaking after tomorrow, if needed...

An AAR will follow, so stay tuned!

[carlos marighela]

That looks like it's going to be a fun game. Love the work you have done on the layout to.

[CapnJim]

Thanks, Carlos.  And it was fun to play out today. 

Gun Battle in Matewan!
6 Dead, 16 Wounded.  Felts Brothers in Custody!

...was the above-the-fold banner headline in the papers the next day...

There, that's the teaser. 

Gene and Ted played the Coal Miners/Townsfolk. And I played the Baldwin-Felts guys.  10 turns took about 2 hours.  And we actually used Fistful of Lead: Bigger Battles, which worked just fine.  In our next playtest, which might be if/when mikedemana and Co. come up later this month.  I'll act as umpire and play the civilians, while the players will play both the Coal Miners/Townsfolk and the Baldwin-Felts Detective Agents.

We also made a house rule, which I will add to the Scenario Rules Sheet.  Since some of the Objectives include arresting somebody, we decided that if a figure/group won a melee, then they can declare the defeated figure "in custody", and that figure would move with the "arresting" figure/unit.  Of course, they can try to get away by winning a separate melee in a future turn when their card comes up...

The set-up at the beginning of the game is shown below.  Pics 1-3 are Matewan.  Pics 4-6 are the starting positions of both sides.  And I really do need to make up some backdrops...

Matewan, It Begins will be in the next post.  Matewan, the Finale will come after that...

[Cat]

Looks great!
 
I showed this thread to one of our regulars, a good lefty who as expected, really wants to play — but Ohio is a long ways away...

[FifteensAway]

Like the arresting idea - thought it could be a simple die role for a 'difficult task' check.  Might go that way.


And glad to hear you are using FFOL:BB.  I might have started a modest trend out this way (California) by hosting a game at a recent convention.  Seems two games have been 'spawned' from that.

Will read more when I have more time. 

[CapnJim]

Looks great!
 
I showed this thread to one of our regulars, a good lefty who as expected, really wants to play — but Ohio is a long ways away...

Thanks!  And, actually, I'm in Michigan.  But I reckon the same thing about the distance applies...

Like the arresting idea - thought it could be a simple die role for a 'difficult task' check.  Might go that way.

And glad to hear you are using FFOL:BB.  I might have started a modest trend out this way (California) by hosting a game at a recent convention.  Seems two games have been 'spawned' from that.

Will read more when I have more time. 

Thanks.  Yeah, we love the Fistful of Lead stable of products.  They are one of our go-to rule sets...

And now, on with the show...

Matewan:  It begins...

Matewan, WV.  19 May 1920, about 4:00 in the afternoon.  It was quiet.  Too quiet.  There was a nervous energy in the air, and the overcast skies didn't help.  Chief Hatfleld and Mayor Testerman were standing in front of Chambers Hardware along with 3 armed coal miners.  They were waiting for those Baldwin-Felts guys to come down to the train station from the Buskirk Building, where they were having dinner.  Chief Hatfield had arrest warrants for the Felts Brothers from a local Justice-of-the-Peace, and he aimed to serve them before they took the train out of town.  There were 3 more armed miners at the northeast corner of the train station, and another three up on the roof of the station.  Everyone was waiting for the Baldwin-Felts fellas.  More armed miners were headed this way, too.  There were too many unarmed townsfolk around though....

Something was about to happen, but nobody quite knew what.  But they were about to find out, as the Felts Brothers and another 11 Baldwin-Felts Agent came around the corner of the building at the far east end of Railroad street, heading west.  Hatfield didn't know it, but the Felts Brothers had a warrant for his arrest, and the 13 of them were headed his way....

As the Baldwin Felts-Agents turned up Railroad Street and headed toward where Hatfield and Testerman were standing, 3 miners moved from the back corner of the railroad station toward a car that was parked at the side of the station.  They took aim at the Agents, and pulled the triggers.  Nothing.  Sh*t, they all thought together, and then chambered rounds into their weapons...but the guys on the roof had already done that, and gunfire rang out from the train station's roof.  A Detective Agent dropped by the railroad tracks.  What was gonna happen had begun...

The civilians, both those on the sidewalk along Railroad Street and those at the train station waiting for the 5:00 train, just stood there, not sure what to do...but the guys with guns knew what to do.  Chief Hatfield moved to intercept the Felts Brothers at the railroad tracks, while the Felts Brothers and 4 Agents moved toward him.  Several Baldwin-Felts men returned fire toward the train station roof, and those 3 miners went down.  And the 3 miners at the car by the station fired at the Baldwin-Felts men near the tracks, and missed.

Things got confusing now.  All the unarmed civilians scurried into their nearest buildings to them, doing their best to get out of the way.  Chief Hatfield and the Felts brothers met at the tracks, and a back-and-forth struggle ensued as they each tried to subdue the other.  The 4 Agents who had followed the Felts Brothers exchanged fire with the 3 miners near Testerman.   The miners lost that exchange, as well, but Testerman came out unscathed.  But by now, more miners were coming onto the scene from the direction of the City Hall and Jail, north of the train station.

The Baldwin-Felts men at the tracks had dropped 2 of the miners at the car, but more were coming.  The Felts Brothers had gotten away from Chief Hatfield, and Hatfield retreated into the train station.  3 more miners came up the east side of the station to that car, while 3 more the west side.  And Mayor Testerman ducked inside a building and made his way to the rooftop....

At this point, things didn't look good for the miners.  But then things started to swing in their favor.  The miners at the car shot down 2 more Agents at the tracks, and the miners who came up the west side of the station were able to shoot and wound both Felts Brothers.  The miners at the west end of the station were able to grab one of the Felts Brothers on the station platform, while the other Felts Brother lay nearby, wounded.  And Chief Hatfield was just inside the doorway nearby.   

But it wasn't over yet.  4 Agents were crossing the tracks to try to rescue the Felts Brothers, while 3 more were advancing across the tracks toward the miners at the car.  Things could still go either way...

Stay tuned for Matewan: The Finale, to be posted soon... 

[has.been]

Very nice.

[FramFramson]

Ayyyy! Can't wait for the 2nd part!

[Elk101]

Great to see something different. Good idea on using FFOL BB too, I can see how that would work.

[FifteensAway]

Caught up on my reading of the play test.  Looks good, reads good.  Looking forward to the Finale.