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Hello everyone, I'm new to Wild West gaming and I was hoping to get some input. I just bought a bunch of western figures and several buildings from game craft miniatures and am really excited to get an old west game started. I heard about Blackwater Gulch and was hoping I could find out some more information. How is the gameplay? Is the turn style the classic "I go you go"? What are the miniature amounts required for each side? Is the game based on points? Is the game merely for small skirmish shoot outs with a handful of miniatures and is there an option for larger battles if so desired? I'm sorry if I have asked too many questions with this being my first post but I was hoping to glean some information and perhaps there are questions I haven't thought of as well. Any additional information you could share would be most helpful, thank you!

Jg

Welcome The games are generally pretty fast and brutal, like a gunfight should be The rules are pretty easy, it's a laid back kind of game. The format is "I go you go" but it's 1 model at a time. You activate one of your guys and move and shoot with him, then your opponent activates one of his, then you activate another one of yours and back and forth until every model has been activated. Then the next game turn begins and you can activate everyone again. Just keep going like that until everyone on one side is in the ground

The starter sets have 5 guys in em, and that's the minimum you need for a gang. But, you don't have to just use your 1 starter set, you can mix and match people from any set if you want. I prefer games of around 10 or so models per side. You can balance your gang with Fame points, so if both sides have a gang of equal value or very close, then it will be balanced. Or you can just go by model types and count. So, say you have 2 starter sets together for a 10 man gang with both the Secret Fist and Clancy Gang fighting together, you can have an evenly matched game against someone playing the Vigilance Committee and Bloodwolf Tribe. Or, you can even just use the figures and design your own gang from scratch, that's usually when you'll have to pay more attention to your gang's fame levels.

One thing though is the game works best when you have a lot of cover to hide behind. Just 2 buildings on a 4x4 board would be a pretty fast and deadly game. You want to have several buildings, carts, crates, fences, trees, etc, especially if you are using more melee oriented guys. You get a bonus to your defense if you're in cover, so don't leave your guys out in the open if you can help it

I bought six buildings from gamecraft mniatures in various styles and signs to start my western town. Next i plan to get some interior furnishings and items like corrals, fences, crates and barrels to make ground cover.

I'm glad you responded that the game is fast paced and the model count isn't required to be high.

Hoping to start building my table this weekend as I await my buildings.

Thanks for the info!

If I can also recommend you check out Sarissa Precision buildings, they seriously rock. The price is fair too.

I have friends who cannot wrap their minds around wargames, and they enjoy "that cowboy game" I showed them at Halloween, they ask for a game whenever we get the chance.

With a little luck, they'll also eventually buy their own gang :(

I have the same problem whenever I try to get the gang into a new game. I'd have to bring all the stuff and 2 different armies or no one will play. I think it took my club about 10 years to finally get into Warmachine

Just keep at it, and don't forget Blackwater Gulch starter sets make great gifts