Dusty's PrairieCon XLIV After Action Report Part 1 - "What a Cowboy!"

After many years of thinking about attending PrairieCon, only to have other commitment interfere, I finally got out to the event for the entire weekend. I ran a total of three games and participated in a fourth while I was there. I am splitting my AAR into three parts, one for each day of attendance.

 First up is the game of 'What a Cowboy!' with rules by TooFatLardies that I ran on Friday evening. It went quite smoothly, thanks in part to a play test held with other members of the Fawcett Avenue Conscripts a week earlier. In that game I used a lot of the Western buildings belonging to Conscript Dallas, but felt the game needed terrain that provided more cover that didn't completely block line of sight. 

Gunfight in the streets of Laramie play test game

Gunfight in the streets of Laramie play test game

Gunfight in the streets of Laramie play test game

Gunfight in the streets of Laramie play test game

 I had some 2' x 2' pieces of ½" MDF that I had cut for another terrain board project, but had decided against using it. Instead I painted one side with desert browns and the flip side with urban greys to maximize utility. I also constructed a number of sections of various types of Western fencing using some plastic pieces from the Perry farmhouse kit supplemented by some crafting dowels and large toothpicks. These would provide obstacles to cross, as well as making it more difficult to spot targets. I also made some scatter terrain using some barrels that came with the Perry kit.

Fence sections prior to painting

Layout for the PrairieCon game with a 3'x3' playing area

 I had three participants for the game, so I played as well to even up the sides. We all started with a 'Shootist', giving the character a 'Bonanza token' which could be used to interrupt an opponent's turn, and a special skill to enhance abilities. We ended up playing two games in quick succession as one of the players learned the hard way that strolling up the middle of the road is a good way to get shot. The second game lasted a little longer with players making use of the fences to close the range under cover, as well as their 'Bonanza' tokens to get off some snap shots before their opponent got a chance to shoot. All the players had fun, plus a number of people strolling around the gaming area stopped by to watch or ask questions about the game mechanics.
 

Set up at Prairiecon

Game 2 in progress

Caught in the crossfire

Shoot out at the Blacksmith's shop.

'What a Cowboy!' participants at the end of the game

I certainly enjoyed running the game as it gave me an opportunity to debut all the Western gunslingers I painted up for the last Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge. If circumstance allow, I hope to be back next year with a different board layout. Thanks for reading. Stay tuned for Part 2 of my AAR.

AHPC XV Submission #7 - Gunfighters of the Old West

 In the Spring of last year I picked up the rules for 'What A Cowboy' from TooFatLardies. The mechanics of the game has similarities with their 'What A Tanker' rules, which I enjoy playing with the local gang of Fawcett Avenue Conscripts. However I didn't have any appropriate figures to go with the rules. While on my re-enacting travels I came across two sets of multipart plastic figures from Great Escape Games to go with their Dead Man's Hand rules. Each box contains two identical sprues with five sets of legs and torsos, but with enough options of heads, arms, and weapons to build ten unique figures. They have since come out with a box of mounted gunfighters, but the heads, and torsos match those in the first of the two sets. That is definitely a future project of building mounted versions of the gunfighters I have just painted.

 All the figures came with small oval bases, so they got glued onto larger 25mm round bases, and a layer of fine sand was then added to the bases with PVA glue. They were primed black with a rattle can before being painted with a variety of Vallejo and Army Painter acrylics. All the figures were given a coat of Army Painter Soft Tone Wash. The bases were painted with craft acrylics and a few tufts of dry grass were added. Here is the final result.

21 unique gunfighters of the Old West

 Here are some closeups of the figures built from the Gunfighters box. There were two figures where I didn't like the fit of the neck to the torso, so I covered up the area with a bandana sculpted out of epoxy putty. I have arranged the figures in the two photos so that the legs match from left to right. I was able to create ten unique figures from the options available.

Gunfighters - Group A

Gunfighters - Group B

 

 Here are some closeups of the figures built from the Gunfighters II box. Again I have arranged the figures in the two photos so that the legs match from left to right. It shows the variety that can be created from the options available to once more give ten unique figures.

 

Lady Gunfighters - Group A

Lady Gunfighters - Group B

In July I attended Historicon and the theme was 'From Hollywood to Historicon". Their 40th Anniversary Mini was a figure of ‘The Outlaw Josey Wales’ sculpted by Paul Hicks. It will be a useful addition to all the other gunfighters.

"Well, you gonna pull those pistols, or whistle 'Dixie'?"

 Thanks for stopping by.