Favorite Rule Set?

[maroonldr]

My group has been wanting to get into Western games for a while now.  In fact we've been playing for a while but haven't been happy with the rules.  We have been using Gutshot! and find it isn't to our liking.  Before investing in another set of rules we won't like I figured I'd ask here.  Pro's/Con's of your favorite set of rules? 

As an aside I was thinking of getting the Rules With No Name as they are currently 1/2 off.

[Tom Reed]

well, there are certainly plenty rule sets around. LOTOW are nice and simple, and include rules for advancement. Rules With No name are cool, but I can't comment as i haven't played them for years. I really like Desperado, great fr convention games, but no rules for advancement.

[BaronVonJ]

Here's a bunch of ideas:
http://www.erichotz.com/game_rules1.html

[Mindenbrush]

have a look at http://www.freewargamesrules.co.uk/ and see if there is anything in there you might like.

[Hombre]

I use Legends of the Old West and Shootout from freewaregamesrules.
Both works well for me,Shootout for little fun skirmish games and LotoW
for skirmish and campaign!

cheers

Hombre

[Skrapwelder]

Gunfight! from Flagship games. A great game engine and campaign system.

[VoodooInk]

I have a Wild West expansion coming out for my game HAVOC later this year. I know that doesn't help you right now, but later...

Keep an eye out for it!

A link to the Core Edition of the rules on Amazon.com...
http://www.amazon.com/Havoc-Tactical-Miniature-Brent-Spivey/dp/0984303707/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1258386710&sr=8-1

[workerBee]

Maybe if you specified what you didn't like about Gutshot it would allow people to recommend specific rules that meet your goals/style.

Gracias,

Glenn

[Smokeyrone]

Maybe if you specified what you didn't like about Gutshot it would allow people to recommend specific rules that meet your goals/style.

Gracias,

Glenn

yeppers.  I was gonna say "Gutshot rocks" when I read the thread title.

You don't like it much?  How come?

[Aaron]

If you already play any of the Chaos in... games (Cairo, Carpathia, etc) there is a free old west add on on the Blue Moon site. It plays well without any of the supernatural stuff.

[BaronVonJ]

"Fistful of Lead" has a small but loyal following.
Pros, fast, innovative, I wrote 'em.
Cons: not meant for campaign play.

[warrenpeace]

Avalon Hill's old "Gunslinger" boardgame is the one set of rules that I've ever played that seems to capture the tension and drama of a role-playing scale gunfight.  It included 7 sets of action cards, so only 7 characters could be in the gunfight as player characters at any given time.  Each turn represented 2 seconds of actual time, and the time increments on the action cards represented 0.4 seconds.  There are player sheets that have boxes for placing weapons in either hand, in both hands (for rifles and shotguns), or in holsters.  Picking the action cards to lay down every two seconds, and making decisions on whether or not to fire or add more aim time are tense decisions.  The games played out like the slow motion gunfight at the end of the movie "The Long Riders."  This is by far the most fun western gunfight game I have ever played.

Cons: 1. may be hard to find, as it has been out of print for a couple of decades, 2. was originally a boardgame with hexes, so would need to be adapted for use on tables without hexes, and 3. play required people to actually think a little bit about their tactical moves, which is more than what many players want to do.

[mraaker]

I played gunslinger a couple of times and I think my gaming group would have killed me if I brought it out again.  Like ASL, it's simulation, pure and simple and while the actual basic mechanic is fairly elegant there is enormous amounts of fiddly rules about everything-- getting to a point where you're comfortable (and your players are comfortable) with actually sitting down and playing the game is a long hard slough through many games and constant references to the rules: and that's with the hexes.  Modifying it to work on the tabletop, while not impossible, may be a labor of love that a lot of people wouldn't stick around to have for this game.  I would absolutely try this before dropping the 100$ or so to buy it.

[elysium64]

I would thoroughly recomend The Rules With No Name as it has a really elegant and characterful system and provides plenty of options for campaign play. This is currently one of my favourite rules engines, I am currently adapting their Horse and musket rules to include supernatural/horror elements.

[BaronVonJ]

Mine are only $6 for a pdf.
http://wargamedownloads.com/item.php?item=756&pics=