Gunplay in Serenity - battle report

Game time again - so here is the scenario.
 
There are rumours in town of a “secret” gold shipment due in from the Wilmott mine at Buffalo Falls to meet the 3.10 train to Hope Springs.  Members of the “Cowboys” and the “Outlaws” have been whoopin it up the towns saloons and the town lawmen are seriously outnumbered.

However the town Marshal is non other than the Legendary - Wyatt Earp who has a “Terrifiying” reputation well earned across the west , who will stand no nonsense in his efforts to keep the peace with Sheriff Steele and Deputy Daniels.

The “Cowboys” and the “Outlaws” are rivals in notoriety and “Hate” each other. Marshal Earp “Hates” the "Outlaws"

Note a bag of gold is heavy and a man can only carry one bag at a time (thanks for the idea Colgar6).

So I had this set up with 3 players and myself doing GM duties - and with a card up my sleeve to help out the law if they really struggled. The two gangs of 5 bad guys each were randomly generated for a couple of new players to the game and were made up of a mix of gunman and higher level shootists. Both gangs managing to dice having had a few members who had had too many drinks in the saloon. Wyatt was the only Legend in play, but I had added an extra couple of higher action cards and had picked some pertinant skills such as Charmed , Nerves of Steel and Hard as Nails to give some options for the law. A random set up of bad guys was completed by drawing cards and then I allowed the law to position themselves. 

 Wyatt started at one end of town and spied some of his enemy "Outlaws" at the livery and moved towards them. As he started shooting one them immediately decided to run rather than face the famous law man, Bart held his nerve only to be riddled with some fine close range shooting from Wyatt, being seriously wounded and knocked out. 

At the other end of town a stage had turned up (random entry point) near members of the Cowboys, who decided to intercept it, and Frank found 4 bags of gold , however he of course could only carry one on his own. Frank played an action card and legged it away with his booty as other gang members looked on suddenly realising there was quick profit to be made. 

 Sherrif Steele emerged from the Dry Goods store to intervene. As Curly from the Cowboys approached the stash a  rifle shot rang out wounding Curly in the right arm. He recovered and traded shots with Steele leaving the lawman's legs shot to bits and the unconcious figure slumped over the railroad tracks. Curly was left with the problem - gun or gold. The train was seen heading into town.

 Meanwhile Wyatt had worked his way from the other end of town on a series of action cards,a couple of drunken Outlaws had trouble staying upright. Wyatt wounded & pinned down other members of the Oulaws on the way, he snuck up on Curly who turning to face him recieved further wounds in the other arm. Wyatt seeing the defenceless bad guy decided to take him into custody and escort him to the jail where Deputy Daniels was still sitting (his card seemed to always be at the bottom of the pack!).

At this point the Outlaws playing a series of action cards took advantage to steal a horse from outside of the Grand hotel and make off with a couple of bags of gold. Both lawmen left the Sheriff's office in pursuit. Deputy Daniels blasted away with the shotgun winging an Cowboy before taking a Fatal Gutshot. This only seemed to serve to make Wyatt very angry! He was leading a charmed life with bad guys running away from him rather than fight or if they did the bullets just whistled past him.

Sheriff Steele was attended to by the town Doctor and came too just in time to crawl off the railroad tracks and put a rifle shot into another Cowboy attempting to sneak up on Wyatt for a dirty rotten backshot. A Cowboy snuck into the unmanned jail and shot the lock off the cell freeing Curly and the gang decided to make their getaway.

Frank from the Cowboys who had made off with the original bag of gold had snuck into a stock pen at the end of town , seeing an opportunity to cause mayhem and secure his escape slipped open the gate and started herding the cattle out toward the Outlaws and Wyatt - STAMPEDE!. The train came to a halt in town.

 

 Wyatt was able to get out of the way of the frightened steers as an  Outlaw mounted the stolen horse and with two bags of gold galloped away. Wyatt put paid to Frank's attempt to get away with a fine long range shot, retrieving the gold.

Doc Holliday had stayed in the Grand hotel - it seemed Wyatt had not needed the help after all.

 he was unwounded , and had accounted for several members of both gangs.  It was a profitable day for the two escaping Outlaws as the random draw proved very lucrative at over $80,000 dollars. So there will be a price on thier heads next time in town.

The Cowboys faired worse not managing to keep any of the gold they liberated and having a number of members seriously wounded. 

There was some fine imagination from the players in this game, and all thoroughly enjoyed it, it surfaced a few other tweaks i want to make and some things to write down and clarify in the rules. The rules used are my mix of things from Rules With No Name , Dusty Trails and personal tweakes.