What a Cowboy! is a set of rules for Wild West gunfights played with miniatures. It allows multiple players to have shoot-outs or play a campaign in which they may see their characters progress.
Players roll action dice and use them for moving, spotting, aiming, shooting or reloading. Bonanza tokens allow interruptions of other players’ moves. Characters can have special traits that allow them to change action dice or do other things that give them an advantage.
We played a learning game it’s 5 players. The goal was simple – be the last one standing. Each player was a shootist with a single coat peacemaker pistol. Jim was the disbarred lawyer starting a similar career of stealing and conning. Steve was Mongo. Lee was the bank robber taking revenge on his ex-business associates. Jerry and Richard were former professors from eastern colleges who lost tenure do to an excess of wine women and gambling. The later causing them to seek their fortunes as far west as possible. And avoiding the ex-banker who wants his money back.
The game starts with Jerry trying to bushwhack Richard who was crossing the bridge into town. Jerry misses but in the ensuing gunfire was shot in the gut by Richard. Richard then turned his attention making a lead deposit into Lee the ex-banker. After missing each other with a continuous fury of firing and reloading numerous times, Lee finally caused Richard to make a hasty retreat out of town.
Meanwhile, Steve and Jim went at it on the other side of town. Jerry then started across the street trying to help Jim but with only one die out of six left was pretty ineffective. Steve then shot Jim dead in the middle of the street and caused Jerry to flee out of town with his intestines hanging out.
Steve and Lee went at it and Lee was out gunned and beat a hasty retreat. With Richard, Jerry and Lee retreating out of town and Jim’s bullet riddled boy laying dead and bleeding in street, Mongo was the last on standing and celebrated his victory by visiting the town bar and house of ill-repute.
