Fistful of Lead video review

[grubman]

Yes...when I get into a game I get a bit obsessive!  Here is my video review for YouTube if you want a glimps of the game...or if you're just bored.

[Comsquare]

Nice review, enjoyed it

[Bugsda]

That sounds like my kind of game 

[virginiayankee]

Nice review.  Your town looks great.  Was it all scratch built?

[grubman]

Nice review.  Your town looks great.  Was it all scratch built?

Yeah, there are a couple of threads I did on it.  Looks like they are on the linked threads on the bottom.

[Stavros Banjo]

Great review 

I love Fistful of Lead. It's great for a quick fun-filled knockabout game & doesn't take itself too seriously. From what I can recall the PDF download is cheap as chips & well worth getting for anybody looking for an easy to learn, cinematic set of western rules.

I seem to recall the author mentioning something about working on a campaign system too. Would be interested to know if anything ever came of it.

[grubman]

Great review 

I seem to recall the author mentioning something about working on a campaign system too. Would be interested to know if anything ever came of it.

Thanks 

Lots of people seem to want a campaign system.  Myself, I'm fine with just linking scenarios by story.  Like I said over on YouTube, it's enough for me just to grant a bonus to the winner of a battle during a linked story, like giving a re-roll, allowing them to pull an extra initiative card, or granting some other minor bonus (like making anoth card wild just for them).

I think games that allow figures to get more powerfull (like leveling up in a RPG) adds complexity and messes with the game balance.

I do really like the traits page that you can download at the Yahoo group.  This, along wi the optional greenhorn and gunslinger rules can change up the game a lot without adding a lot of unnecessary complications.

You could also use the trait list as an advancement.  Maybe if a figure survives a battle he gets 5 points.  Points can be used as re-rolls, to "buy" an extra initiative card, or you can exchange 10 points for a positive trait?

That is one of the things I love about simple systems...you can come up with house rules like this in seconds, and they probably won't break the game.

[Galland]

Thanks for the review, I actually enjoyed it, in all its glorious geekiness!   But then, we are all in the same little boat in the same little lead sea here.

What I dont like about this game, is the actually sales pitches; ie. easy to learn, quick, fast and only 13 pages. "even people that normally dont play miniature wargames will like this".
Well, I couldent care less if they will like it or not, I want my gaming friends to like it, and most of them are just like me, they want more rules, more complicated systems, more details, good looking books full of nice fluff and shiny stuff. I like hard cover books that also look good when I am sitting in a café drinking my cappuccino.

I seriously dont understand the thing about selling rules systems to dedicated gamers, full of crap about people who dont wargame? I am done preaching, if people want to play, they are more than welcome to come to my home, borrow miniatures, borrow rules, use my hobby room, build and paint, and be part of the micro community that we have nurtured for over 20 years.

But then, it seems to be the melody of todays gaming world, beer and pretzel type of games, wich I really do not like what so ever. It really sucks.

On the other hand, after seeing your video, I would be willing to try the game out, since I like testing new systems. So one scored point for you, even if the game it self didnt win me over.

[grubman]

"even people that normally dont play miniature wargames will like this"

I don't know if it's a good thing or a bad thing, but any review is going to be from the point of view or the reviewer. 

I try to be unbiased, but enthusiasm is hard to contain...and I don't bother reviewing things I think suck.

I used to belong to an exclusively miniature war gaming group.  It was incredible when everyone in the groupwas on the same page.  Every week people came with new painted figures, new modeled terrain pieces, and new ideas for scenarios and adventures.

Unfortunatley all good things come to an end as people move or fall out.  My "new" group is made up of role players and board gamers.  They think my miniature games are cool, but have no obsessive interest in miniature games like I do.  So when I find a miniature game I want to play, it's up to me to do everything for it and then "sell it" to them.

They are great guys, and I enjoy my time with them, but when it comes to miniature games I have to balance time, effort, and cost with something I'm going to be able to get them to play (usually as a large group). This game cost me about $200 USD to get up an running.  A worthwhile investment for the fun I got out of building and painting so far, and a good play to cost ratio.  Something more "involved" like 40K would cost me way too much to get several factions collected, would take way to long to get up and running, and teaching those rules to a group that would probably be futile considering the number of playes I would get.

Something like FoL I can play with them multiple times.  It's also simple and compact enough that I can bring it to the local game store on open game night and simply yell for any available people and get a game up and running in no time.

[Stavros Banjo]

...more rules, more complicated systems, more details, good looking books full of nice fluff and shiny stuff. I like hard cover books that also look good when I am sitting in a café drinking my cappuccino.

Yep, I have to agree with you there. I've spent a fortune over the years on books full of ridiculously complicated rules, fluff & pretty pictures, often never having any intention of playing the game. I just enjoy reading through them & find the more complicated rules & mechanics fascinating.

There will always be a place for lighter games like FFL, and rightly so. They are great for quick, impulse sessions when the emphasis is aimed purely at some light-hearted fun. By preference, I will always lean towards heavy, indepth rule sets with lots of tables & number crunching but, having said that, it's a bit like eating prime steak every night - every once in a while you really fancy a burger 

[BaronVonJ]

I seem to recall the author mentioning something about working on a campaign system too. Would be interested to know if anything ever came of it.
[/quote]
Yeah, yeah. I'm working on it. I just have a general revulsion towards skirmish campaigns.
-J

[BaronVonJ]

Thanks for the great review Grubman. The rules have been out there in one form or another for years, but just now seem to be catching on. Maybe people are tired of the other stuff?
I'm thinking of getting FfoL onto WargameVault, or Drive Thru RPG or one of the bigger sites to get broader distribution, but I never set out to make money off this, and wargamesdownload where the rules are available now, is owned by a friend, and the little money he does make off these rules would drop if I took them somewhere else.
For those interested, the Yahoo Group has some extra rules including the beginnings of my take on post apoc wargaming. Also I have Traits, which a clever gamer could wind into a Campaign system.
-J

[Galland]

I seem to recall the author mentioning something about working on a campaign system too. Would be interested to know if anything ever came of it.

Yeah, yeah. I'm working on it. I just have a general revulsion towards skirmish campaigns.
-J

Oh, well I am quite the opposite. I very much so prefer campaign games, or actually, I almost refuse to play otherwise. I can enjoy smaller skirmish games for the fun of it, but absolutey enjoy campaigns soo much more, when the game have a story, some continuity.

[thebinmann]

I'm gonna get it!

Just because I like card activation and deadlands GRW can be a little heavy to prepare sometimes

[grubman]

Thanks for the great review Grubman. The rules have been out there in one form or another for years, but just now seem to be catching on. Maybe people are tired of the other stuff?

No problem  .  I'm not that we'll known in mini circles, but role players (and some board gamers) know that when I find something I think is top notch I love to promote it so others can enjoy the experience.

I don't want to call it a movement, but I think that right now there is a sort of an awakening awareness that all miniature games aren't made for grognards or for the deap pocket fans of GW games.

I think it started with clix and collectible games, and suddenly those people are starting to realize that there is more to the mini hobby..and there were rules systems out there that were a lot more gamish, fun, and much more manageable than those of the last generation.

A while back I started promoting Songs of Blades and Heroes to An audience that didn't normally play mini games and the response was awsome.  I had tons of people telling me I turned them on to an all new hobby.

I think FoL is very much the same kind of game.  Simple, fast, gamish, and fun!  Wild West isn't as popular as fantasy, but I hope a lot of people who do love the genre see the video and give it a try.

I also think that my modest RPG following who are fans of the west will see the crossover possibilities, as FoL rules are ideal for injecting some free form role playing IMHO.