tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74194376036158269212024-03-18T20:59:16.768-07:00The BANG! Card Game BlogMartin Pulidohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15744590692797682125noreply@blogger.comBlogger223125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7419437603615826921.post-31682446882416120272020-11-02T07:38:00.001-08:002020-11-02T07:38:00.526-08:00Robbers' Roost: Interrupts - Gameplay Changes<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaU4qPPvE9FmHHd04gvJZkzn3EkDiFSTtOy0eivJ5GTQXXD1TCWWelsdT7mbAP233HRHiq6JVzofMqlmv8S1ih31w8x0JbRKadtVSrC6aDVM0zIFY7VNqDg5Wc3onXt3sETcH8FbVVgA/s744/Interrupts.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="457" data-original-width="744" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaU4qPPvE9FmHHd04gvJZkzn3EkDiFSTtOy0eivJ5GTQXXD1TCWWelsdT7mbAP233HRHiq6JVzofMqlmv8S1ih31w8x0JbRKadtVSrC6aDVM0zIFY7VNqDg5Wc3onXt3sETcH8FbVVgA/s400/Interrupts.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
The goal behind interrupts was to make BANG! more enjoyable <i>out of turn: </i>reducing boredom and deepening strategy through increased interactivity and teamwork. Interrupts are event-triggered cards that could only be played out of turn. When you think of it, cards of the Missed! family function this way.<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE2tOMZYazSBmEKhzKGsxIQdtF9933q4HZ9IecMtdtTVPaIVUsOSlZTFVr2I-BxAeC5-_avGXtAQZvCn0VqEujtm4sYz6V113ebP_cY-zsT21lBZMI54zFqlIKVMu5xIBEgmaWPMXz9Q/s231/download.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="231" data-original-width="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE2tOMZYazSBmEKhzKGsxIQdtF9933q4HZ9IecMtdtTVPaIVUsOSlZTFVr2I-BxAeC5-_avGXtAQZvCn0VqEujtm4sYz6V113ebP_cY-zsT21lBZMI54zFqlIKVMu5xIBEgmaWPMXz9Q/s0/download.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><b>Triggering Event:</b> *You are banged!* (not necessarily out of turn, but primarily -- Julie Cutter's ability and Backfire changed this)</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Effect by playing:</b> Missed! for oneself</div><div><br /></div><div>This was an extension of that concept, except that most interrupts only indirectly help you. Mostly you further another player's goal that happens to coincide with yours. However, there problems arise by enabling this:</div><div><br /></div><div>a. Just like Missed!, your hand can get cluttered with cards you can't play, because the triggering events have not occurred. Yes, you can discard when over your card limit, but this is not great because:</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>This still clutters your hand until you are at your card limit</li><li>The point is not to discard interrupts, but to play them</li><li>It empowers Gary Looter and weakens Suzy Lafayette even moreso</li></ul></div><div>To solve for this, the first version of Robbers' Roost allowed you to store any number of interrupts, so they did not contribute to your card limit. But this negatively allowed a player to store up potentially too many interrupts. True, they did have to wait to use them, but it could allow them to do a lot out of turn. The bigger problem with storing interrupts was it combined with the substitution function below.</div><div><br /></div><div>b. Aiding other players no longer makes sense in a game where your allies are killed and in a game that can easily get down to just 2 players (player elimination). To obvious solution for this was to find a way so that interrupts do not "get in the way" when your team is eliminated. How would this be executed, however?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwKCMc4IZVqP7nbbMeueYXcjSuH5-aQ16fs1B-tEkSYtqetOjGTiACvccSIKEF3AnTTIep7NNUn7DqXSgGAWUEt04Nbtk23trMtEphQvoo6AbbeWxzdvjk2IlJjKS2Hhdp3xW04mYOBQ/s550/CardChanges2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="550" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwKCMc4IZVqP7nbbMeueYXcjSuH5-aQ16fs1B-tEkSYtqetOjGTiACvccSIKEF3AnTTIep7NNUn7DqXSgGAWUEt04Nbtk23trMtEphQvoo6AbbeWxzdvjk2IlJjKS2Hhdp3xW04mYOBQ/w400-h255/CardChanges2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>The first version of Robbers' Roost did this via a substitution function when certain conditions (state of currently roles) were met (such as for an Outlaw when the other Outlaws were dead). The interrupts could then be played as a different card. As I reflect on what I did:</div><div><br /></div><div> - This effectively revealed your role when you substituted, although I felt at the point that you could unlock the substitution function, the roles were very easily understood. That said, it could negatively impact a Renegade.</div><div><br /></div><div>- Secondly, the substitution combined with the fact that you didn't have a card limit impact on interrupts, enabled the substituting player with a significant way to do a lot on their own turn (in ways they could not before). Perhaps this was seen as a way of adjusting the game a little more in that player's favor, which isn't all bad. But I hate OP sheriffs, which this made worse. I just felt it was creating loop holes I didn't like.</div><div><br /></div><div>- I had to still create tack on rules for Suzy Lafayette. The cards became busier with the substitution function.</div><div><br /></div><div>I now propose a more elegant solution:</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Once on their turn, players during the play phase may freely discard an interrupt and draw another card from the deck. Any role may do this; roles remaining/# players has no effect on this capability. It is open to all.</li><ul><li>Note how this will help Suzy from getting blocked at least on her first interrupt. The question will be if that is enough.</li></ul><li>Players can store 2 interrupts as a card that does not contribute to their card limit.</li><li>I have also eliminated cards where the triggering event simply took too long to occur to want to store it -- I'm looking at you, Stand Off (Duels just aren't that common).</li></ul>The only risk I see here is players not valuing an interrupt enough to not just discard it for the chance of getting a card that benefits them more directly. Yes, that other card would contribute to their hand limit, but what if it's that much needed blue or equipment card? I feel like the interrupts are powerful and have enough applicable conditions now that one won't immediately do this. They are a deterrent against some player actions when they see the extra interrupts on the table, and they allow players to coordinate with others in a way they couldn't easily before. But that is the risk. Would love to hear any feedback on this approach.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />Martin Pulidohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15744590692797682125noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7419437603615826921.post-20932819210252568202020-10-28T06:30:00.001-07:002020-10-28T06:30:00.157-07:00Character Guide: Julie Cutter<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnTz5VeTfny0kSsZ0rLnZfNMZiPmgF3Llr8hQotf1MDusjmH9AKdViRjhOcNc7PMGxH2sQ1rRAlVvRRf75o1wveY1bMp1qbpUaYipgfvNGTeYCsogzqNfjP2zOBqS7RNNdPr6qw_SFwQ/s171/juliecutter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="171" data-original-width="159" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnTz5VeTfny0kSsZ0rLnZfNMZiPmgF3Llr8hQotf1MDusjmH9AKdViRjhOcNc7PMGxH2sQ1rRAlVvRRf75o1wveY1bMp1qbpUaYipgfvNGTeYCsogzqNfjP2zOBqS7RNNdPr6qw_SFwQ/s0/juliecutter.jpg" /></a></div><p><b>Character Name: </b>Julie Cutter.</p><p><b>Inspired by:</b> Unknown for now.</p><p><b>Life Points:</b> 4.</p><p><b>Ability Type:</b> Neutral (Defensive trigger, but offensive effect).</p><p><b>Ability: </b>"Each time a player makes you lose at least 1 life point, 'draw!': On reds (hearts or diamonds) they are the target of a BANG!"</p><p>Thus, if a player makes you lose more than 1 (i.e. Aim) it doesn't trigger twice. Dynamite/Rattlesnake would not trigger a BANG! at the player, because they didn't force you to lose a life point.</p><p>NOTE: Her retaliatory BANG! reaches target regardless of distance. I equate this BANG! with a BANG! card.</p><p><b>Activation:</b> When any card is played that directly forces Julie to lose a life point: not Dynamite, Rattlesnake, other indirect form of losing a life point. It would apply to Indians!, Gatling, etc.</p><p><b>Cards enhanced by Julie Cutter's ability: </b>Saved! (she takes the hit for another player, gets the card bonus, and bangs! the attacker), Shotgun/Buntline Special (retaliatory BANG! can cause them to discard a card if hit/cancelled), Bounty (play on a player, if they shoot you, you have a chance to not only BANG! them but also draw a card), Beer family cards (take hits to trigger your retaliatory infinite distance BANG! with less worry)</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><b>Controversy:</b> Can Big Fifty's special ability be used out of turn with her retaliatory BANG!?</p></blockquote><p><b>Cards weakened by Julie Cutter's ability:</b> Her retaliatory BANG! makes the need for Missed! effect cards less relevant (as well as gun cards); they're definitely still valuable, just less so for her than for many other characters</p><p><b>Cards less effective when played against Julie Cutter:</b></p><p>Any cards potentially causing immediate loss of life directly (BANG!, Springfield, etc.) or indirectly (Gatling, Indians!, etc.)</p><p>Cards removing BANG! from her hand (Bandidos, Indians!, Panic!, Cat Balou, etc.) as her ability requires no BANG!</p><p>Volcanic (you need a lot of BANG! in your hand to make the Volcanic meaningful, but then this also means you lack defensive cards in your hand -- if you happen to hit Julie, you're giving yourself a 50% chance of getting hit yourself too)</p><p>Jail (she can still bang! you out of turn)</p><p><b>Cards more effective when played against Julie Cutter:</b> Few cards truly weaken Julie Cutter (versus just being more relevant to play against her, such as Dynamite or Rattlesnake), but The Big Fifty does stand out, as it cancels the target player's character ability and cards in play (so it can cancel out her ability to retaliatory BANG!; the Armed and Dangerous rules clearly spell this out), Barrel (as she will more frequently be banging! you when you attack)</p><p><b>Ideal Roles: </b>Sheriff, but decent at other roles.</p><p><b>Characters Julie Cutter counters:</b></p><p>Characters proficient at dealing damage: Slab the Killer, Willy the Kid, Bloody Mary, Colorado Bill (she doesn't need to avoid the shot as much as others, as she can punish him back), Jackie Murieta/Mexicali Kid/Doc Holyday (BANG! conversion can be retaliated against), Evelyn Shebang, Black Flower, Der Sport-Burst Ringer</p><p>Distance manipulators: Rose Doolan/Paul Regret (she can hit them anyway with her retaliatory BANG!)</p><p>Card thiefs: Pat Brennan/Jesse Jones/Flint Westwood</p><p>Risky card converters: Chuck Wengam</p><p>"Draw!" driven: John Pain (she is less likely to feed him cards)</p><p>Big Spencer (his inability to play Missed!, and inability to use distance to protect himself from Julie's retaliatory BANG! makes her "cuts" really hurt)</p><p>Subset of Other Defenders: Mick Defender (his ability doesn't protect from BANG!), Elena Fuente (makes Elena think twice when attacking her, as it can quickly deplete her hand), Molly Stark (defending herself against a retaliatory BANG! occurs during her turn, which keeps her from gaining the benefit of her ability -- she will not get to draw a card), Immunity driven characters (her retaliatory BANG! lacks values) for Apache Kid/Ms. Abigail</p><p><b>Characters who counter Julie Cutter well:</b></p><p>Mid-Position Offense/Defense: Calamity Janet (easier time giving and receiving fire back), Don Bell (extra turn makes his hand management easier to counter her on), Sean Mallory (if he gets enough cards, he'll be a beast), Jose Delgado (extra cards can help him have the right hand mix)</p><p>Defenders: Jourdonnais (can more easily defend himself against her retaliatory BANG!), Teren Kill (survivability against her BANG!)</p><p><b>2-Player Value: </b>Great. Retaliatory attacks in a 2-player situation really helps.</p><p><b>Armed and Dangerous value: </b>The retaliatory BANG! defense might prevent you from discarding a Missed!, enabling you to more easily discard from hand at end of your turn, and thus gain load tokens.</p><p><b>Gold Rush Value: </b>Solid. Whenever your ability causes another to lose a life point, you'll draw a gold nugget.</p><p><b>General Strategy:</b> Julie Cutter is the last of the 3 lasses included in Armed and Dangerous which has universal value outside of the expansion. Whenever she takes damage, she has the guaranteed opportunity of inflicting payback. This ability provides Julie with some choices -- there may be times in which she wishes to take a hit, to create the potential for the attacker to also take a hit, especially if the attacker is her target and they are out of the range of her gun. In that case, she might choose not to play a card with a missed! effect. If the attacker is not her target, the value is substantially less, and the value of foregoing playing the card with the missed! effect is unlikely to occur. If she has Beer (or another means of increasing her life points), and is already at full health, Julie might also willingly take the hit and replenish her life point after the exchange.</p><p>Bounty can be useful on player characters targetting Julie, even if they are not her direct target. Her retaliatory BANG!, when successful, will cause her to draw a card from the Bounty.</p><p>Since you know characters will be looking to nab your gun card to keep you out of distance until they want or can deal with you, Julie will want to choose carefully when to play her gun card. Ideally, she would not do so unless he can also make use of that gun on a desired target. There's no reason to just put it into play for the sake of it, if it can be avoided (especially if you can discard over to gain some load tokens instead). </p><p><b>Playing against Julie:</b> Unless you must initially deal with Julie (she is your definite target, say the Sheriff and you are an Outlaw), you might choose to save Julie for later to deal with other threats. This can be done if you are able to restrict her gun cards and keep her out of range. As long as you do not attack her, she will not be reactively attacking you.</p><p>Once she is your target, you will need to manage your cards with missed! effects appropriately so you can avoid taken damage. While the chance is only 50% that she will retaliate, it's still likely to get you soon enough. A Barrel will be particularly helpful in providing defenses against her. You don't want to have to deplete your missed! effect cards during your turn as you deal with her, as you'll then have no defenses outside of your turn when she (or another player character) attacks you. You can predict this somewhat through the restriction of her gun cards again. You'll know she can reach you when you attack, and most likely not when it is on her turn (unless she should draw a gun card or have cleverly hid it). The same here can be said of Jail, of managing when she can attack you.</p><p>Of course, if you can get your hands upon and use the Big Fifty, this will be of big help in cancelling out her retaliations. Indians!, while causing retaliation, are nonetheless useful in depleting attacks she might otherwise initiate on her turn. Then, "indirect damage" cards such as Rattlesnake or Dynamite can also be very potent against Julie Cutter, as their initial player will not trigger any retaliation should those cards end up damaging Julie Cutter.</p><div><script type="text/javascript">
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<script src="//z-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/onejs?MarketPlace=US"></script></div><div><center><a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/p/bang-character-strategy-guides.html">Return to the BANG! Character Guides Portal</a></center></div>Martin Pulidohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15744590692797682125noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7419437603615826921.post-16544349378889680922020-10-26T05:00:00.004-07:002020-10-26T05:00:01.638-07:00Robbers' Roost: Revising Interrupt Design<p>As I've been evaluating my Robbers' Roost proof and rulebook, I've been thinking more critically about the design and rules of the cards, particularly as relates to the interrupts. The windups I consider pretty solid and easy to understand, while the interrupts have these giant walls of text, and understanding when they can be played is less immediately discerned. They also introduce multiple new gameplay concepts, which I should seek to simplify or remove the number introduced.</p><p>As a result, I've been working on redesigning the content of these cards, so that they are more intuitive, within BANG!'s pre-existing symbolic language. I will need to add a couple new symbols (as I had with the line of fire concept) to best adopt the language. Here are some of the reworks I'm envisioning:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_3pK78DaCMbj4RvqrAAwM_JT4BTqIjiPWyavonHFtHjrOt6nn5_huiuHsRv4b3TrH-QmeHKIrebI0D1z8qO5v30_vqROFMMeEpX1W6hEphjNci3W_nvubq23XrOp3k2rbWbBeGUfxZQ/s825/OffenseExamples.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="825" data-original-width="550" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_3pK78DaCMbj4RvqrAAwM_JT4BTqIjiPWyavonHFtHjrOt6nn5_huiuHsRv4b3TrH-QmeHKIrebI0D1z8qO5v30_vqROFMMeEpX1W6hEphjNci3W_nvubq23XrOp3k2rbWbBeGUfxZQ/w427-h640/OffenseExamples.jpg" width="427" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>You can see on the left the originals, and on the right hand side the modified cards. The right side cards have a top text area, which indicates the condition on which an interrupt can be played out of turn. The bottom area describes what happens by playing this card when the condition is met. I think this reads much better to the eye.</div><div><br /></div><div>Unfortunately, there are ramifications to using the symbolic language. This is because the BANG! symbol does not equate to a BANG! card. With abilities contingent on a BANG! card being played, this ability is lost when leveraging the interrupt (think Slab the Killer's). There really are only 3 options here:</div><div><br /></div><div>a. Ditch the symbols.</div><div>b. Keep the symbols and add text that clarifies these count as BANG! (adding to text clutter)</div><div>c. Modify the original intent of the cards so that they no longer are BANG! cards and so do not trigger player abilities.</div><div><br /></div><div>I'm leaning towards c, simply for the simplicity that it adds to understanding the cards.</div><div><br /></div><div>Along those lines, I am enjoying the work I did to align Join Arms with the Buffalo Rifle's discard card cost, as a way to circumvent distance. I personally think I should nix distance restraints on all other interrupts, and just include that as a cost for executing on the ability. This change would then remove the need for noting distance modifications for a card or other limited constaints. This balances the lack of distance constraint, while also furthering the original intent of the cards (team work), which is essential in larger games where distance is all the more problematic. It's frustrating, for instance, that it is harder to help a team mate with Toss because they have a Mustang.</div><div><br /></div><div>Other examples of changes:</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrX0i2YvxUAe6zw6SSwtw67pJ6tqaq5PkzMHcP4ANdaYpRhos8xhzjka5A0z85dtBUJ9JBoLTMvxKNUPO3ba9Hy1k946XFNGrF20CntavmYZXvyCij8wjrcfWh1fR3T-AweDEfyMtc2w/s825/OtherExamples.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="825" data-original-width="550" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrX0i2YvxUAe6zw6SSwtw67pJ6tqaq5PkzMHcP4ANdaYpRhos8xhzjka5A0z85dtBUJ9JBoLTMvxKNUPO3ba9Hy1k946XFNGrF20CntavmYZXvyCij8wjrcfWh1fR3T-AweDEfyMtc2w/w426-h640/OtherExamples.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>I think these are look much cleaner -- these don't show the originals, but just the modified cards. Hit Me and Bleed Out are the only cards that completely align with the prior cards. Here are some of the challenges I have with these cards:</div><div><br /></div><div>1. Bandages: Symbology is equivalent to Tequila, but there's a problem: in the original you can't play it on yourself, while Tequila you can. This reads as give 1 player a life point, while I need "give any player but yourself 1 life point." Ways to solve for this are:</div><div><br /></div><div>a. Add clarificatory text (creates extra text, which is a downside).</div><div>b. Create a new symbol (I should only do this where needed; the "anyone else but you" concept is not often used)</div><div>c. Change original intent to align with symbol clarity, so you can play it on yourself.</div><div><br /></div><div>I'm inclined, once more to side with C for simplicity.</div><div><br /></div><div>2. Confiscate: This loses the notion that you are able to put the card yourself into play upon confiscation. I'm trying to determine if that is worth it. In this case, it probably is. I'll need to add, "that player's card in play.<i> Put it into play.</i>"</div><div><br /></div><div>3. Hit Me is good.</div><div><br /></div><div>4. Bleed Out: I can't tell if I'd need to note "draw!" in the bottom area or not. I feel like it's intuitive Barrel, Jail, etc. I think I'll add just rulebook explanatory text. I added the lost health symbol (which I used for Moonshine before) that I think is clear. I'm not certain about the crown symbol for royals, as royals are not a suit, they are a subset of any suit. I probably either need to scratch any suit symbol and just create a "J-A" text, or create a pan-suit symbol to mean any type that value. I'll experiment with both.</div><div><br /></div><div>Next example of how this is evolving. Quick Draw in particularly has proven tricky. One of the problems with the original Quick Draw is the concept of "using" a card. Green cards are discarded to use their effect, which is what this was intended to block. But discarding to use is different from using in general. Would this apply to a gun card already in play (i.e. a Volcanic)? To what else? I found this "use" concept as not clear enough to really put in place. Playing a card is clearer -- it happens when a card is put in play or played from the hand and discarded, so I've made that the new condition. I recognize the conceptual difference of how this now really only hinders defensive green cards, versus offensive ones (they're already disabled until their next turn anyway), but for the gameplay clarity, I consider that sacrifice worth it.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYjLrz2vkWnKwInuTzWAM_K-zidGAcD9Rofw0duI29Gf2KDwdDg4te9jN1AN2v6g85U71evSzfSwkCw1DK3Qdl5j1xWzM59wQmdpol0TKliuj7oKDdDHaeQeAfZ_bjeQnonOSY4zomYQ/s825/QuickDraw.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="825" data-original-width="550" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYjLrz2vkWnKwInuTzWAM_K-zidGAcD9Rofw0duI29Gf2KDwdDg4te9jN1AN2v6g85U71evSzfSwkCw1DK3Qdl5j1xWzM59wQmdpol0TKliuj7oKDdDHaeQeAfZ_bjeQnonOSY4zomYQ/w426-h640/QuickDraw.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><p>Beyond the playing condition, there is the effect of playing it which could also use rebalancing. I think it was too weak before -- It at best discards a BANG!, or delays use of a card for a turn. In addition, I think the card contributing to a card limit while disable, if a hand card, is an extra layer of complication that is unnecessary to manage/explain. I've tried to simplify it in the 3 examples (top left is original). </p><p>1 - Top right is the simplest -- make it a straight discard the card played. It adds a card cost for that definitive removal. This makes the hand limit issue no consideration. However, one of the challenges for this and option 3 (bottom right) is that discarding a one-time use card may seem non-intuitive, as it is already naturally being discarded. What is really going on is a discard of a card put in play <i>or </i>a cancellation of a one-time use card played. Cancellation and discard are similar but not equivalent concepts. The discard card symbol may not carry that concept. I may need to put "<i>(or cancel)</i> that card." This is my current preferred option.</p><p>2 - Top left is closest to the original. It is more powerful in not allow a BANG! alternative; the targeted card <i>will </i>be disabled. For that, it requires a discard card cost. Frankly, this is weak enough that it should need no discard cost. The main challenge here is disabling is a new concept, and how it interacts with hand limits needs to be accounted for. It's probably best to just through disabling in a wastebin.</p><p>3 - Bottom right is a nice halfway point. It allows a BANG! to be played to avoid the discard, but if not, it's a true discard. It still has the problem with cancellation/discard, so this might end up even wordier: "They must discard a BANG!, or that card is discarded/cancelled." The symbol here is more flavor than standing in for a word, which is less stylistically consistent.</p><p>If I encounter other challenging one's, I'll note them here. I'll be tackling this as well: <i>the whole concept of substitution as relates to the roles and role revelation</i>. I received some criticism here, and I think there's some validity to the criticism, at least in going against the "spirit" of the game, even though any reasonably good BANG! player can infer roles extremely easily by the time that substitution would come into effect. I also have concerns about interrupts and impacts on the hand limit.</p>Martin Pulidohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15744590692797682125noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7419437603615826921.post-73441409601924078862020-10-22T05:00:00.000-07:002020-10-22T05:00:00.137-07:00Character Guide: Bloody Mary<p style="text-align: center;"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTJ5YWE3hkJ7i6vZhPQ1ThYQJUT20-CqcUlq8FRPmpOqgDdBEY03Y6_HsfnxmlTOot1A7__d4zaW2OzwWnjmJ4jWu-JN8MtfvWU-XSyinhfT4NvIW7aSzzcIpPAYGDbUOppRVv77LZoA/s322/bloodymary.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="175" data-original-width="322" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTJ5YWE3hkJ7i6vZhPQ1ThYQJUT20-CqcUlq8FRPmpOqgDdBEY03Y6_HsfnxmlTOot1A7__d4zaW2OzwWnjmJ4jWu-JN8MtfvWU-XSyinhfT4NvIW7aSzzcIpPAYGDbUOppRVv77LZoA/s320/bloodymary.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></div><p><b>Character Name:</b> Bloody Mary.</p><p><b>Inspired by:</b> Mary Tudor, who took the British throne in 1553, reigning as first queen regnant of England and Ireland. Seeking to return England to the Catholic Church, she persecuted hundreds of Protestants and earned the name "Bloody Mary." The term is now mostly known for the alcoholic drink.</p><p><b>Life Points:</b> 4.</p><p><b>Ability Type:</b> Offensive.</p><p><b>Ability:</b> "Each time your BANG! card is cancelled, draw 1 card from the deck."</p><p><b>Activation:</b> Playing a BANG! card against another player during Bloody Mary's turn.</p><p><b>Cards enhanced by Bloody Mary's ability:</b> BANG!, Bottle, Bandolier, guns (especially Lemat -- converts card in hand to BANG! -- Volcanic, Buntline Special, Shotgun, and Thunderer), Scope, Tornado, Bell Tower, Ace Up the Sleeve, Gun Belt, Gold Pan, Pickaxe</p><p><b>Cards weakened by Bloody Mary's ability: </b>Duel, Aim, Big Fifty</p><p><b>Cards less effective when played against Bloody Mary: </b>Any cards cancelling the BANG! (Missed! family - Missed!, Dodge, Evade, Sombrero, Cappello, Iron Plate, Bible, Duck), Barrel, Horseshoe, Crate, General Store</p><p><b>Cards more effective when played against Bloody Mary: </b>Indians!, Arrow, Duel, Bandidos, Panic!, Cat Balou, Whip, Poker, Lock Pick, Squaw, Saved! in response to her BANG!, Jail, Boots, Beer, Rucksack, Calumet</p><p><b>Ideal Roles:</b> Deputy, Outlaw, Renegade.</p><p><b>Characters Bloody Mary counters:</b></p><p>Calamity Janet (BANG! she plays as Missed! enable Bloody Mary to draw cards), Elen Fuente (cards she discards to play Missed! enable Bloody Mary to draw cards), Jourdonnais (draws cards when his ability cancels her BANG!), Lucky Duke (draws cards when a lucky "draw!" cancels her BANG!), Mick Defender (no benefits defending against BANG! with his ability), Sean Mallory (he may store up defensive cards, but they will not hold her back as much), Chuck Wengam (he may burn health to gain cards, but the canceling cards he plays will be less effective), Pixie Pete (He may draw 3 cards, but she'll be able to deplete his LP's)</p><p><b>Characters who counter Bloody Mary well:</b></p><p>"BANG!/Distance Depleters": Pat Brennan (pull her gun cards to limit her distance and ability to apply her BANG!), Big Spencer (he can take the hits), Jesse Jones (pulling cards from her hand can deplete her BANG!), Flint Westwood (trade a non-BANG! to get 2 of her cards, likely grabbing her BANG!).</p><p>"Alt-Defenders" -- Paul Regret (use distance as a defense versus Missed! cards), Bart Cassidy (more likely to just take a hit to draw a card), El Gringo (he can take the hit and then draw a card from her hand), Sid Ketchum (use discards to drink Beer instead of evading her BANG!), Tequila Joe/Lemonade Jim (use Beer as defense versus cancelling her BANG!), Molly Stark (draws a card along with Bloody Mary when she cancels a BANG! out of turn), Teren Kill (his last life point doesn't need as much protection), Julie Cutter (50% chance to make Bloody Mary target of a BANG! when she loses an LP), Ms. Abigail (she ignores the effects of royal BANG!, which is not the same as cancelling them), Madam Yto (she draws cards when Beer is played), Don Bell (more turns = more chance to gain what he needs, Beer or otherwise), Apache Kid (diamond BANG! have no effect)</p><p>"Best Defense is a Strong Offense": Slab the Killer, Willy the Kid, Greygory Deck, Lee Van Kliff</p><p><b>2-player value:</b> Good. Keeping the cards coming when your opponent cancels your BANG! helps you maintain your position.</p><p><b>General Strategy: </b>Bloody Mary is one of the 3 gals included in <i>Armed and Dangerous</i> which has universal value outside of the expansion. Her ability is "old school," sliding nicely in with the base game characters and any group of expansions you play with. It feeds her cards when her BANG! or cancelled, which means you really want to use your BANG! and get a gun with proper range so you can reach your intended target with those BANG!. You can use them more freely, as when they're cancelled you'll get to draw another card. You're less prone to Indians! than Slab.</p><p>You're still subject to the one BANG! draw limit so finding cards (Volcanic, Bandolier) that extend that BANG! limit, or that stack well with her ability (Buntline Special, Thunderer) are a great pick. Try to keep a Panic! handy as your opponents will try to control you by removing your gun cards and Scope. Use Bell Tower to close the gap if you're given the chance. Tornado and General Store can also be your friend for acquiring the right cards (guns or BANG!). Be careful when you draw a Duel card yourself; unless you can't reach the target you wish and you have lots of BANG!, they are so useful to keep that I wouldn't expend your BANG! in a Duel just to take your chances.</p><p>Your real trick will be trying to get folks to cancel your BANG! and not your non-BANG! attacks (Punch!, Tomahawk, Aim, Gatling, Quick Shot, Fanning, Flint Lock) so you still get a bonus. Don't draw attention to your green attacks in play in front of you, but the smart player will use that to determine when they should cancel a card. Of course, you could fake them out so they take the hit from your BANG! and then you don't play a secondary attack.</p><p><b>Playing against Bloody Mary: </b>Since Bloody Mary keeps her cards replenished when you cancel her BANG!, your best bet is to keep her in your range, while keeping yourself out of hers. A trusty Mustang or Hideout should do the job; just try to keep Bloody Mary from getting/keeping a gun or scope (use those steal and discard cards, and pay attention when the General Store is played). She's pretty vicious with a Volcanic or Buntline Special.</p><p>If Bloody Mary has you in range and shoots at you, judge carefully when to play cards that would cancel an attack. Since her ability only applies to BANG! cards, you'll have no penalty for cancelling a green card (which you'll be able to see if she has in play), or other brown attack card (i.e. Gatling). You might consider taking the hit from a BANG! to cancel her attack on another card and not give her an extra card. Successful "draws!" from Barrels do enable Bloody Mary, but at least they're entirely effective in cancelling her shot (say, versus Slab the Killer). Saved! is a great card to play against one of the targets of her BANG!. While you'll take the hit, you'll get the benefit of drawing 2 cards, the target won't take the hit and the BANG! isn't cancelled so she doesn't get anything out of it. Calumet is an amazing defense, as the diamond BANG! she plays against you won't be cancelled, but rather will have no effect on you. She'll likely try to discard/buy this away from you.</p><p>To keep Bloody Mary less prone to attacking you (or your ally), try using BANG!-depleters to remove fire power from his hand. Duels, Indians!, Arrow and Bandidos are especially useful. If she isn't careful with her BANG!, you can do some great damage against her this way. While Jail is always useful to play against an opponent, it is more useful to use against Bloody Mary since her ability is only activated during her turn.</p><div><script type="text/javascript">
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<script src="//z-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/onejs?MarketPlace=US"></script><br /></div>Martin Pulidohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15744590692797682125noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7419437603615826921.post-67946585669717951522020-10-19T07:00:00.001-07:002020-10-19T07:00:07.661-07:00Robbers' Roost Redux POD Proof Arrived<p>My proof for Robbers' Roost arrived last night, and I was eager to open it up and see the results. Here's my assessment, with lots of photos!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgySb6KR9MQplOn0zXhKoi99rADx_s6wnVv1TA11pCOCloUjHf8iykZKR-h7-DYa53x_6UHtAsAzlZrHJxSrkF51F3H035zNvnWN87TvvrKhBjgOn5hMU3I-uNYSSM_0vQz8cY8jteXIQ/s1008/OpenedBox.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="756" data-original-width="1008" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgySb6KR9MQplOn0zXhKoi99rADx_s6wnVv1TA11pCOCloUjHf8iykZKR-h7-DYa53x_6UHtAsAzlZrHJxSrkF51F3H035zNvnWN87TvvrKhBjgOn5hMU3I-uNYSSM_0vQz8cY8jteXIQ/w400-h300/OpenedBox.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnVColVDGsJwQFcNl1sI-LccMdcDc7EaxSK2snOQgaQG0i6UXl5DQE27gjRZbk3Yk1CRP6v186rh9SkSm644_ZbnkFx7R-1ONnxgtA5ZjhgrYYYdWhXtTLKcC_B0vsV1eQF3pfoIvTzg/s771/Cropping.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="502" data-original-width="771" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnVColVDGsJwQFcNl1sI-LccMdcDc7EaxSK2snOQgaQG0i6UXl5DQE27gjRZbk3Yk1CRP6v186rh9SkSm644_ZbnkFx7R-1ONnxgtA5ZjhgrYYYdWhXtTLKcC_B0vsV1eQF3pfoIvTzg/w400-h260/Cropping.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p><b>What worked well:</b></p><p>- The size is fantastic as I'd fully expected, but it's still super rewarding to be able to order BANG! cards that are in the card size necessary to fit into the BANG! playing deck on demand. It's a giant leap forward for modders.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZtprpeTcmoJEb4lvrnTfaG9EmCFMkuPZKcY7_Qo7FRg-LzJwWzn3bxjKNO-KwvvoxGELoNFcRChKf5iuCbWAyl4p1hhekqRHw3xHe4SrcdXxZ4OrGKVBwQswmPEE0HIELJkHiA6a40A/s435/rightsize.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="412" data-original-width="435" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZtprpeTcmoJEb4lvrnTfaG9EmCFMkuPZKcY7_Qo7FRg-LzJwWzn3bxjKNO-KwvvoxGELoNFcRChKf5iuCbWAyl4p1hhekqRHw3xHe4SrcdXxZ4OrGKVBwQswmPEE0HIELJkHiA6a40A/s320/rightsize.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p>- New border designs turned out really well.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMhcBQDmaKqlqi5L277RcuAyjb-nTW3G3qTKCDKQVuzcYRfwsCENHRao6wULKpdla9pUxyUtNtSZ7RfMdDBRKKzsjVWUwHsEJ9f3UwUxxEPlxitBHLUFgiQCpaDHMrN_koNVwONQnExg/s1008/Windups.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="756" data-original-width="1008" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMhcBQDmaKqlqi5L277RcuAyjb-nTW3G3qTKCDKQVuzcYRfwsCENHRao6wULKpdla9pUxyUtNtSZ7RfMdDBRKKzsjVWUwHsEJ9f3UwUxxEPlxitBHLUFgiQCpaDHMrN_koNVwONQnExg/w400-h300/Windups.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrU9KQ69lVbuDn6YLcImpTH9JkB6MKVmifcoS22xRy8rCISTEqzhagEB81VhNTqawPtonWtJJZaTYTUln0panlaSHw0VmAKA9Z2aA1SX2-nIbwyavZ6oIucGQuvt6NCKRjtY741XrsTg/s744/Interrupts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="457" data-original-width="744" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrU9KQ69lVbuDn6YLcImpTH9JkB6MKVmifcoS22xRy8rCISTEqzhagEB81VhNTqawPtonWtJJZaTYTUln0panlaSHw0VmAKA9Z2aA1SX2-nIbwyavZ6oIucGQuvt6NCKRjtY741XrsTg/w400-h246/Interrupts.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p>- Character design looked really crisp.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheTfGT2dq4NIxQtj1HfKpAFPKVWPHNRT7LBKVWUGUO5K2NzW5V8NGFOPJ2ZvLWWgjqUDgK1r6bhyphenhyphenP5DIIzodS3inD5kIMZgzXHsNsjhtriC2eIXkru6DS3ssnKIRqbHwg6UOPmO_Q3eg/s807/characters.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="605" data-original-width="807" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheTfGT2dq4NIxQtj1HfKpAFPKVWPHNRT7LBKVWUGUO5K2NzW5V8NGFOPJ2ZvLWWgjqUDgK1r6bhyphenhyphenP5DIIzodS3inD5kIMZgzXHsNsjhtriC2eIXkru6DS3ssnKIRqbHwg6UOPmO_Q3eg/w400-h300/characters.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p>- Cards shuffle well.</p><p>- Did well on border spacing -- which I was worried with as related to the closeness of the borders to the edge in the BANG! cards v. the game crafter's template. I exceeded their recommended area ever so slightly to limit that design variance. Turned out well.</p><p>- The rulebook from game crafter turned out really nice too. I'm happy to offer this alongside the cards that you can print out. I caught a couple typos, but that's what proofs are for, right?</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhyphenhyphen4UyommJ-vLw5YLVRenHkJWzr4OEvtonGBaZlfTis-jbGzl9A_SOsW_ZEqwhRkf7BoU5Wc827ozYJEPeQ44cRWbC6oeh_9SkyEDtBPQtW_Ks5qmsiSiTciNKO0dGMKv0fKDU5ZPzqA/s1008/rulebook1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1008" data-original-width="756" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhyphenhyphen4UyommJ-vLw5YLVRenHkJWzr4OEvtonGBaZlfTis-jbGzl9A_SOsW_ZEqwhRkf7BoU5Wc827ozYJEPeQ44cRWbC6oeh_9SkyEDtBPQtW_Ks5qmsiSiTciNKO0dGMKv0fKDU5ZPzqA/w300-h400/rulebook1.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPRj8reptx8rEHGVS7ztFRAog4hF4qcYgKKJS58pDavEl0RFUN_8_Xlez5LKRXKbDc0Sbrwkk_bYLbzutZqzWxthaqwmv3gvMDUlKobYhnssiUHeECldvKM5Q7FzBsWoncVsFFHIWU8Q/s1209/rulebook2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="593" data-original-width="1209" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPRj8reptx8rEHGVS7ztFRAog4hF4qcYgKKJS58pDavEl0RFUN_8_Xlez5LKRXKbDc0Sbrwkk_bYLbzutZqzWxthaqwmv3gvMDUlKobYhnssiUHeECldvKM5Q7FzBsWoncVsFFHIWU8Q/w400-h196/rulebook2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPHuQPJRspP1lqV07JErX9mKktf9rspN6_dITQmZ5_EkRF8dWl5hKPCvF9NfyIG9PuuieCov-Ri7x27s-iAaKLnoh_pHSXygOY1oIAvNH1aCVTeS_tb98Rdhsu61KUiIXcl7L1q5mEQQ/s1207/rulebook3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="559" data-original-width="1207" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPHuQPJRspP1lqV07JErX9mKktf9rspN6_dITQmZ5_EkRF8dWl5hKPCvF9NfyIG9PuuieCov-Ri7x27s-iAaKLnoh_pHSXygOY1oIAvNH1aCVTeS_tb98Rdhsu61KUiIXcl7L1q5mEQQ/w400-h185/rulebook3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5syFw71Htft2BXQzKd7dTO2kpJMUs2KEbQTBVvxSYCC0imV39HHyxPF5K4GKitN0RNHGTRu1qhn_i8zc7f3IhpsbZ14jhS_CFhbVdKN_fZxRM9vwy6do-Yga8ZeD6soBLdOlnf23n_Q/s1591/rulebook4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="759" data-original-width="1591" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5syFw71Htft2BXQzKd7dTO2kpJMUs2KEbQTBVvxSYCC0imV39HHyxPF5K4GKitN0RNHGTRu1qhn_i8zc7f3IhpsbZ14jhS_CFhbVdKN_fZxRM9vwy6do-Yga8ZeD6soBLdOlnf23n_Q/w400-h191/rulebook4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p><b>What needs work:</b></p><p>- Colors: These always print differently than you suspect on a monitor v. your home printer v. the POD's. And they also differ slightly on printing runs. You can notice some significant differences between the official BANG! card prints in between the expansions -- Wild West Show character borders are lighter, for instance, and their backs have a more orange hue. So I suspected differences here, and knew they would lack the linen texture that the official cards have. That said, I didn't expect the level of variation I saw in my proof. They're perfectly playable, but I'd still like to get this closer if I can. In general, the cards were darker:</p><p>- Borders too dark</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg2VXBNhOV67uwOEoVCbJrY93bQOLSpsFkr4avc5Frw7gxE3fUPXJ1aPvTaMn6hQCla_jkI0epR56h4jDAkVs28e95QvZZjT5ywkO1fQx7NA36SM_fsWqWqJk9hiv6sSpCI9BBCowaWw/s953/toodarkborder2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="387" data-original-width="953" height="163" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg2VXBNhOV67uwOEoVCbJrY93bQOLSpsFkr4avc5Frw7gxE3fUPXJ1aPvTaMn6hQCla_jkI0epR56h4jDAkVs28e95QvZZjT5ywkO1fQx7NA36SM_fsWqWqJk9hiv6sSpCI9BBCowaWw/w400-h163/toodarkborder2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijiOpyL-hyeR1vnWqH6NL5ITxIIC5Uphg3thITv7Yyl-Q7WqdHLpEoNm1EH-80WAM2MNYRjy8bfzQU4wzqzKRfffgGFXqya7laOI0qBHlp4Ax3EGV0hBky5EDKNeOpseqp7h1rxNviSg/s954/toodarkborder.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="382" data-original-width="954" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijiOpyL-hyeR1vnWqH6NL5ITxIIC5Uphg3thITv7Yyl-Q7WqdHLpEoNm1EH-80WAM2MNYRjy8bfzQU4wzqzKRfffgGFXqya7laOI0qBHlp4Ax3EGV0hBky5EDKNeOpseqp7h1rxNviSg/w400-h160/toodarkborder.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>- Card backs too dark (see far right cards):</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh97_wMiEeSPcVEY6IV6KprzCZ_jAy4BoYblbLTMo1fcH7uS6ahJcj959LqN366ZP8BIh7kr_9VpIIXMBJYfG-drdexzfDjmdzZe27pzbqcWyHjSU2gFr7bDjJvOSAqNO2OIIXgY2Dp_w/s502/darkback.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="306" data-original-width="502" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh97_wMiEeSPcVEY6IV6KprzCZ_jAy4BoYblbLTMo1fcH7uS6ahJcj959LqN366ZP8BIh7kr_9VpIIXMBJYfG-drdexzfDjmdzZe27pzbqcWyHjSU2gFr7bDjJvOSAqNO2OIIXgY2Dp_w/w400-h244/darkback.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7rZyVXYywStX4zbriP24NSnlB7svaRaKvwQYUKBYjAJn3nYMBxCyhuRl19g86EPbDwbbpN7oG-CBUFKN6lU05gR5Jxvx3qufsw43BhTYbxFzayOxNHWFeJbxLRgRKWcQc6VVikJ-0pA/s2048/MuchTooDarkChar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7rZyVXYywStX4zbriP24NSnlB7svaRaKvwQYUKBYjAJn3nYMBxCyhuRl19g86EPbDwbbpN7oG-CBUFKN6lU05gR5Jxvx3qufsw43BhTYbxFzayOxNHWFeJbxLRgRKWcQc6VVikJ-0pA/w400-h300/MuchTooDarkChar.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p>- Bullet life points too dark (and a little small; this is on the front of the character card)</p><p>- A couple pieces of card art were darker than I'd like (Q&A, Pay Day, Disarm; only Q&A was really too dark, but I should still lighten all of them up)</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6kiIvrVJRzSOOPU5e94HHbAA4SCjtJRkdBvNPUMP9N7oZmBn43Y1Xq56YUp6Zt2q_8TrXyH85MDG_WWNi33KeZNRswtm2iqSgIm9OXhvyZtWojAc11iL6rUpclzfDP5euJjoVnQgt-Q/s574/toodarkcard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="574" data-original-width="395" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6kiIvrVJRzSOOPU5e94HHbAA4SCjtJRkdBvNPUMP9N7oZmBn43Y1Xq56YUp6Zt2q_8TrXyH85MDG_WWNi33KeZNRswtm2iqSgIm9OXhvyZtWojAc11iL6rUpclzfDP5euJjoVnQgt-Q/s320/toodarkcard.jpg" /></a></div><p></p><p><br /></p><p><b>Other observations:</b></p><p>- The printing, while pretty good in the quality of the prints, is a little blurry in some print areas. It's not a result of the media files, but the printing process itself. This is a minor quibble, but something I noticed.</p><p>- Design side -- I should make my icons slightly bigger. Some of the borders of my character art should be more feathered (gradient to white). Spacing between suit and value should be a little larger.</p><p>- Tuckbox definitely needed! This will compliment the cards and rulebook really well, so you can store Robbers' Roost and cart it around easier. I'll want a divider too.</p><p>I am pretty sure I can leverage this material:</p><p><a href="https://www.thegamecrafter.com/publish/product/SmallProBox">https://www.thegamecrafter.com/publish/product/SmallProBox</a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ntkhhnqGrI4" width="320" youtube-src-id="ntkhhnqGrI4"></iframe></div><br /><p><a href="https://www.thegamecrafter.com/parts/box-insert-pro-small">https://www.thegamecrafter.com/parts/box-insert-pro-small</a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://s3.amazonaws.com/files.thegamecrafter.com/599d916377b96bfe553850d3aa3cd0e1cd7eb0ce" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="300" src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/files.thegamecrafter.com/599d916377b96bfe553850d3aa3cd0e1cd7eb0ce" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTLkJhl8DQO-1ejRN7uHarcYE7sDBkq-oVHp-skh0IMPdWSW_5Q7IfDrwhoXwQ9wD4SHvapZtVVyRxaHXAbNQrEkE-J6kN6t3D3YpNhzso93rcmZ45UJQIjN0VTVdVbpnG7FSceVyDHQ/s1008/Tuckboxready.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="756" data-original-width="1008" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTLkJhl8DQO-1ejRN7uHarcYE7sDBkq-oVHp-skh0IMPdWSW_5Q7IfDrwhoXwQ9wD4SHvapZtVVyRxaHXAbNQrEkE-J6kN6t3D3YpNhzso93rcmZ45UJQIjN0VTVdVbpnG7FSceVyDHQ/w400-h300/Tuckboxready.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>I've got 88 cards (44 to each side) plus a 20-page saddle-stitched booklet, which I think will work great. The 128 card limit for the box (64 to each side) gives me a 20-card thickness for the booklet, so I should be good. The wild card here will be how the divider works with the booklet. I'd hate for the cards to be completely loose, so divider is a must. Time to get cracking on some art. I'll make it pretty generic, but at least somewhat aesthetically pleasing.</p><p>Ideally here, you can "build your own" Robbers' Roost with all needed components, even if you have to somewhat assemble them once shipped to you.</p><p>- Curious if I can create a standardized way for the POD to print all of the "Dying Ain't Living" and then the "That'll be the Day" modules sequentially, so that no card sorting is needed.</p>Martin Pulidohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15744590692797682125noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7419437603615826921.post-19313423711849265212020-10-14T06:00:00.003-07:002020-10-15T20:53:42.376-07:00Character Guide: Ms. Abigail<div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkYUeaRmEpBz36_3B7IlX2vtbwYk65uGlRAcRbx9ZACudaUWDBKbKF_Fno1tQUMpaFBME_EMYNwui99h3qJQCgp19M8i6t6BmAbyqHt53zWX9iHDfNOkCwr_qF8lwAv5tFvVjw5daZUA/s173/MsAbigail.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="173" data-original-width="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkYUeaRmEpBz36_3B7IlX2vtbwYk65uGlRAcRbx9ZACudaUWDBKbKF_Fno1tQUMpaFBME_EMYNwui99h3qJQCgp19M8i6t6BmAbyqHt53zWX9iHDfNOkCwr_qF8lwAv5tFvVjw5daZUA/s0/MsAbigail.jpg" /></a></div><br /></div><div><b>Character Name: </b>Ms. Abigail.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Inspired by:</b> Unknown for now.</div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>Life Points:</b> 4.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Ability Type:</b> Defensive.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Ability: </b>"You may ignore he effects of brown-borders cards with values J, Q, K, and A if you are the only target." She can choose for the effects to occur if she so wishes -- she can, say choose to enter a Duel if she views it as favorable.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Activation:</b> When a brown bordered card that targets only Ms. Abigail is played.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Cards enhanced by Ms. Abigail's ability: </b>Duck (she can save and return it for when she actually needs it, which is less frequent than for other players), Crate (also save up needed Missed!)</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Cards weakened by Ms. Abigail's ability:</b> Her optional immunity makes the need for Missed! cards and Escape less relevant; they're definitely still valuable, just less so for her than for many other characters</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Cards less effective when played against Ms. Abigail:</b> Here are the list of royal brown bordered cards that target a single player:</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>BANG!: K, J, K, Q, A, Q, K, A (28.5% of base + DC game BANG!; 27.5% with A&D)</li><li>Springfield (DC): K</li><li>Backfire (VOS): Q</li><li>Tomahawk (VOS): A</li><li>Flintlock (A&D): A</li><li>Duel: Q, J (2/3; only 1 can necessarily engage her)</li><li>Cat Balou: J, K (2/5 with base + DC; 2/6 with A&D)</li><li>Panic!: J, J, Q, K (4/5 with base + DC)</li><li>Also weakened are Buntline Special (indirectly weaker; royal BANG! she does not cancel, but is rather immune to them she does not have to discard in those cases), Double Barrel (her immunity is not a cancellation, weakening Double Barrel on the diamond BANG! played, of which there are 4 royals), and Volcanic (royal BANG! have no effect); mass discards (Bandidos) are less effective against Ms. Abigail due to her natural defenses. Jail is also less relevant when played on her.</li></ul></div><div><b>Cards more effective when played against Ms. Abigail: </b>Few cards truly weaken Ms. Abigail (versus just being more relevant to play against her), but some stand out: The Big Fifty, as it cancels the target player's character ability and cards in play (so it can cancel out her optional immunity to brown royals); and the Lemat (since any card in the hand can be played as a BANG!, play non-royal cards as BANG! against her). </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Ideal Roles:</b> Sheriff.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Characters Ms. Abigail counters:</b></div><div><br /></div><div>BANG! driven offensive characters: Slab the Killer, Willy the Kid, Bloody Mary, Colorado Bill (she doesn't need to avoid the shot for her immunity to be valid)</div><div><br /></div><div>"Draw!" driven: John Pain (she is less likely to feed him cards)</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Characters who counter Ms. Abigail well:</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>"Card Depleters": Pat Brennan (pull her gun cards to limit her distance and ability to apply her BANG!), Jesse Jones (pulling cards from her hand can deplete her offenses and Beer), Flint Westwood (trade a royal card to her that you couldn't affect her anyway to get 2 of her cards, likely grabbing relevant cards she has stored), Youl Grinner (her immunity make her likely to have more cards than Youl Grinner and have to hand a card over), Gary Looter (immunity makes her likely to hold on to cards and go over her limit),</div><div><br /></div><div>"Alt-Offenders": Doc Holyday (discard BANG! have no value), Belle Star (cards she in play in front of her are irrelevant on Belle's turn; her immunity is still relevant), Suzy Lafayette (she can still play her ineffective browns to draw more cards), Lee Van Kliff (he can repeat the effect of a card by discarding a BANG!, the value is no itself repeated, nor the value of the discarded relevant, allowing him to step around her ability), Black Flower (any club she can play as an extra BANG!, so she can more easily play non-royal BANG!), Der Spot-Burst Ringer (She is not immune to Gatling, as it targets more than one player), Evelynn Shebang (draw refusal for BANG! conversion means the BANG! are valueless, and thus Ms. Abigail's immunity is not triggered), Jacky Murieta/Mexicali Kid (resource converted BANG! are valueless, which Ms. Abigail is not immune to)</div><div><br /></div><div>"Card Converters": Calamity Janet (convert your royal BANG! into Missed! and your non-royal Missed! into BANG!)</div><div><br /></div><div>"Card Acquirers" (they have a higher chance of getting cards that will affect Ms. Abigail): Black Jack, Kit Carlson, Sean Mallory, Pixie Pete, Don Bell (when he gets his second turn), Jose Delgado, Tuco Franziskaner, Raddie Snake, Pedro Ramirez (he can see if the discard pile card is a non-royal value, and then draw it if he so chooses), Chuck Wengam/Bill Noface</div><div><br /></div><div><b>2-Player Value: </b>Great. Immunity is cards in a 2-player situation really helps.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Armed and Dangerous Value: </b>Solid. Immunity allows her to hold on to cards with Missed! effects and then discard them on her turn when over her hand limit to gather load tokens.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Gold Rush Value: </b>Solid. While she's not great at gathering gold nuggets, she is good at restricting other player characters from gaining gold nuggets by attacking her.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>General Strategy: </b>Ms. Abigail is another of the few characters included in <i>Armed and Dangerous </i>which has universal value outside of the expansion. Her ability most resembles Apache Kid, who is immune to the effects of diamonds played by other players. Similarly, she may be immune to the effects of royals (J, Q, K, A) where she is the only target. The may is relevant, or she'd be immune to cards she might play that target herself, or she'd be less able to willingly enter into a Duel. Notice how Apache Kid's ability still protects him from multiple target cards like Indians!, while Ms. Abigail does not have that luxury.</div><div><br /></div><div>The net effect of this is Ms. Abigail is roughly immune to about 25% of the attack cards in the game (and her ability is easier to plan around than Jourdonnais' as it is guaranteed), and she is especially difficult to remove cards from. It's easier to discard, rather than steal from her, but they are both very difficult. Ms. Abigail should use this to her advantage, looking for blue and orange (dangerous) cards she can get out into play. Green cards are also valuable, especially as allowing her to offload her hand of defensive cards and focus more on offensive options -- she can use them only when needed, applying her immunity to any foolish player using a royal against her. General Store will be very helpful in nabbing these, as well as Tornado.</div><div><br /></div><div>Duel's are less advantage for Ms. Abigail to participate in. For one, it allows her opponents to actually use royal BANG! against her by discarding them, while prior they would have no effect. She'll also be able to more likely keep high range gun cards in play, so the distance benefits are less relevant.</div><div>She should make sure she can counter multiple target attack cards well -- grabbing them when they appear in a General Store, and keeping a BANG! in hand to ward off Indians! and Arrow.</div><div><br /></div><div>A clever Ms. Abigail player could also card count, and determine which royals have been played, as well as those that are in her hand, so she can get a greater sense of her probabilities of being affected.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Playing against Ms. Abigail:</b> In some ways, knowing that Ms. Abigail is immune to your royal browns that target only her helps orient your behavior -- you don't waste your time playing them against her, say, versus Jourdonnais' where there's just a chance they won't affect him. Use that knowledge to your advantage. Use royals to feed the activation costs for other cards or abilities (Dodge City cards, card conversion abilities). When Indians!, Duel, or Tornado is played, discard the royal. Keep your eye on non-royal browns appearing in the General Store.</div><div><br /></div><div>Since her ability only protects her for cards targeting only her, multiple target attacks that are royal are very valuable (I'm looking at you, Indians!, which has an A and K of diamonds). Note that when the game drops to 2 players, that immunity will suddenly kick in...</div><div><br /></div><div>If you're paying attention to the card distribution of royals, you'll notice that is very hard to Panic! and Cat Balou cards from Ms. Abigail. This means that you need to play the cards that do steal/discard cards from her very wisely (Whip, Squaw, Brawl, Ragtime, Bandidos). Don't waste them on a green card; use them on something really meaningful. </div><br /><div><script type="text/javascript">
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Character Guides Portal</a></center></div>Martin Pulidohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15744590692797682125noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7419437603615826921.post-5752572363573925272020-10-05T13:22:00.008-07:002020-10-05T13:22:01.238-07:00October 2020 Updates<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGR_Age4VBgOvxsuYhGLmY2bbMUt4B159-mYWFh0nYDNgo3qA_HOfg6r05a6NPDWe5yFNH6XwpdAkj_PrsrJoKnpRePCIuoDyvcDwKl5te38zgZfJbaHKbG5Kf7fKpdK9ohOs02pHcsw/s550/webart4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="220" data-original-width="550" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGR_Age4VBgOvxsuYhGLmY2bbMUt4B159-mYWFh0nYDNgo3qA_HOfg6r05a6NPDWe5yFNH6XwpdAkj_PrsrJoKnpRePCIuoDyvcDwKl5te38zgZfJbaHKbG5Kf7fKpdK9ohOs02pHcsw/s16000/webart4.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div>I've been working on a new version of Robbers' Roost, which you can print off using the Game Crafter. It will take me over a month to get my copy, so in the meantime I've been cleaning up this website. There's been a lot of cobwebs to dust off, as I'm sure well you know. A list of updates I've done:<div><br /></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div>- I've re-enabled the forum</div><div>- Removed spam from blog and forum</div><div>- Updated Fan Expansions section (more to be done here)</div><div>- Added more on Director's Cuts, including characters, updated abilities, and event cards</div><div>- Updated Community links</div><div>- Fixing broken links and images (thanks Google for breaking my images)</div><div>- Updated Downloads section (files for many languages, including much needed files for Valley of Shadows, Gold Rush, and Armed & Dangerous)</div><div>- Added images for characters and cards from Valley of Shadows, Gold Rush, and Armed & Dangerous in the strategy section.</div></blockquote><div><br /></div><div>Work I'll be doing over this next month:</div><div><br /></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div>- Continuing to fix broken links and images</div><div>- Adding variants that have come out in the past several years</div><div>- Examining other fan expansions that have come out</div><div>- Looking at new BANG! resources to add to community page</div><div>- Give more consideration to digital sources for BANG!</div><div>- Review modding tools</div></blockquote>Martin Pulidohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15744590692797682125noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7419437603615826921.post-42063768942751189532020-09-29T13:21:00.001-07:002020-09-30T05:38:28.757-07:00Robbers' Roost Redux<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh11h1oS9drkFgU16visBNgsd8fzrY9m_jAwh4khim3EEnu9htPAZ-Cci-Z-IMbgcHr41ge8HLMGybDDw-lMzIoJH1W3JHovNAetOyeZNcqPenFjktZRznju4b1rDoPQikQ8wWRKi-oGw/s550/Flavor.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="309" data-original-width="550" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh11h1oS9drkFgU16visBNgsd8fzrY9m_jAwh4khim3EEnu9htPAZ-Cci-Z-IMbgcHr41ge8HLMGybDDw-lMzIoJH1W3JHovNAetOyeZNcqPenFjktZRznju4b1rDoPQikQ8wWRKi-oGw/s16000/Flavor.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p>It's been 9 years since Robbers' Roost released. BANG! has added new expansions (and spin offs, dice games), forcing a revision of Robbers' Roost if it's to remain compatible and distinct. Some cards are too similar to official expansion cards (Tomahawk), orange borders conflict with the orange borders of Armed and Dangerous cards, other cards or abilities are too devastating when put in conjunction with Gold Rush rules (Bulldog).</p><p>Integration elements aside, I've evaluated flaws in Robbers' Roost, both imbalances and confusing aspects of it. This has forced a rehaul of Robbers' Roost.</p><p>One positive is that years later we have printer on demand (POD) providers that can print the BANG! card size. Before you had to (a) sleeve extra BANG! cards, and slide the paper print outs inside the sleeves, or (b) arduously get a custom print deck and cut off excess length. Now, I can provide updated files and you can print them off at thegamecrafter.com in the BANG! card format. Yes, the colors won't match 100%, but it shouldn't be much of a problem as you cannot infer much from it (frankly, official BANG!'s own cards between the different expansions have color variances too, and that doesn't make me detect elements unfairly). I consider this an exciting development.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBZDpr_NmAwqw9iAqrtJAXO1qRLKCxxs9utYSPlvE45j8o2vk310mc5CDm6TtIlgze38vzMubWkUgW3lOU6EDYQv9bp7sLF4tdLoNjMLi_xmDet4uPbKD4XGMGsh-LeyJzcgIgoXZ38w/s550/tgcstep8.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="219" data-original-width="550" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBZDpr_NmAwqw9iAqrtJAXO1qRLKCxxs9utYSPlvE45j8o2vk310mc5CDm6TtIlgze38vzMubWkUgW3lOU6EDYQv9bp7sLF4tdLoNjMLi_xmDet4uPbKD4XGMGsh-LeyJzcgIgoXZ38w/s16000/tgcstep8.jpg" /></a></div><p><b>I put my order in today with rehauled Robber's Roost </b>-- it just ships in 1 month (such is wait during COVID-19). I want to see the production quality of it, and see how I did on the borders with the edge of the cards. If all is well, I'll provide a step by step guide with files to create your own project and order a copy.</p><p>Here I'll break down the updates in the following order: (1) aesthetic updates, (2) general gameplay updates, and (3) card updates (which includes 2 new cards -- Flee and Duke Out). These updates will carry over into the cards and rulebook.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrHsGQ4KbVD16j2cqEUAMnqVTYRWhc5gVGFkp93DjCYcIkGlPJUpiTapU3bosAevmsOf4IN18Ugzq_v8X31ZBysjlirWIoAuTO3spnadIOI_ej8MoZtcLYdkmmFugOqN-rLm_XTV8ADQ/s550/AestheticChanges.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="340" data-original-width="550" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrHsGQ4KbVD16j2cqEUAMnqVTYRWhc5gVGFkp93DjCYcIkGlPJUpiTapU3bosAevmsOf4IN18Ugzq_v8X31ZBysjlirWIoAuTO3spnadIOI_ej8MoZtcLYdkmmFugOqN-rLm_XTV8ADQ/s16000/AestheticChanges.jpg" /></a></div><p>1. AESTHETIC ADJUSTMENTS</p><p>To update and future proof Robbers' Roost, I've reworked the borders of the new card types. Prior orange cards are now called "interrupts", and adopt a gun metal color with the streaks cut through the border to distinguish them. This should keep them from getting confused with Armed and Dangerous cards. Purple cards are now "windups", retain their purple color but have a barbed wire overlay. I'm tempted to make these colorless so I won't have to revisit color again in the future... I updated the icons on the 2 modules, adopting a pocket watch for the windup module ("That'll be the Day"), and a masked bandit for the interrupts module ("Dying Ain't Living"). The pocket watch divider for the windups was also reworked. On many cards, I updated the art and/or the name of the card (if it was used in a different expansion).</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirnz9ofa-XUcYqfgjwVH2cgPVd6RDSQytb-svQ4Cfefgl4EuhUAdlVcmjK06t-HpJJtSDUQ5LGEmb_GvlNYb-BgAgjFyDSNlnlNcucPUZhxF2N-GOSnPTn0AlKtZB_4iX0vW1LAWNULg/s550/BaseGameImpact.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="287" data-original-width="550" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirnz9ofa-XUcYqfgjwVH2cgPVd6RDSQytb-svQ4Cfefgl4EuhUAdlVcmjK06t-HpJJtSDUQ5LGEmb_GvlNYb-BgAgjFyDSNlnlNcucPUZhxF2N-GOSnPTn0AlKtZB_4iX0vW1LAWNULg/s16000/BaseGameImpact.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p>2. GENERAL GAMEPLAY UPDATES</p><p>a. Windup ("That'll be the Day") module:</p><p>No adjustments, but clarifications for windups for existing official characters and cards:</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p><i>Vulture Sam: </i>If a player is eliminated with windups in play, those cards are drawn into his hand.</p><p><i>Pedro Ramirez: </i>Windups are resolved immediately after the drawing phase, so he cannot pick up his own expired windups with his ability.</p><p><i>Pat Brennan:</i> Can pick up windups before the latent effect is resolved.</p><p><i>Mick Defender:</i> his ability extends to windups, but to their initial effects only. Once in play, he cannot avoid the latent effects.</p><p><i>Ms. Abigail:</i> can ignore the effects of windups with values J, Q, K, and A (royals) if she is the only target.</p><p><i>Lee Van Kliff: </i>May play BANG! to repeat initial effect of a windup. The latent effect is not repeated</p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><i>Cat Balou/Panic! style cards (inc. Whip/Squaw):</i> Can steal and discard windups.</p></blockquote><p>b. Interrupt ("Dying Ain't Living") module:</p><p>Clarifications for interrupt cards for existing official characters and cards:</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p><i>Jesse Jones/Flint Westwood</i>: Jesse/Flint cannot directly target an extra interrupt card. It is taken into hand, shuffled and randomly selected.</p><p><i>Molly Stark</i>: She gains a card for playing interrupts out of turn. Substitutions used in turn provide no such gain.</p><p><i>Black Flower</i>: Can use interrupts of clubs as extra BANG!.</p><p><i>Elena Fuente/Doc Holyday/Sid Ketchum/Porter Rockwall</i>: Interrupts can fulfill card discard requirements.</p><p><i>Belle Star: </i>Interrupts are not considered in play and so are not affected by her ability.</p><p><i>Suzy Lafayette:</i> So that interrupts do not overly handicap Suzy, she may always use an interrupt’s substitution function. Thus, if she had a Volcanic in play, an interrupt’s BANG! substition could be leveraged.</p></blockquote><p>Gameplay changes:</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p>Interrupts adjust hand size limit rules, so that every player is allowed 1 extra card to their limit, as long as that card is an interrupt. This is indicated by an interrupt card (and only 1) being stored face down in the “in play” area, although still considered part of one’s hand. Once face down, this card is locked until used or discarded, when it is revealed. To consult the card, set the rest of your hand down before reading the interrupt.</p><p>The interrupt cannot re-enter the rest of your hand except when your hand is targeted for stealing (Panic!) or discarding (Cat Balou). In that case, add it to your hand, shuffle your cards, and let a card be chosen. If not stolen or discarded, set the interrupt back down.</p></blockquote><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi27Yx6A0A0DfPBrQcdIm3Xuk4iLsMYPZe53StQ_RJwRL42RQTugSut9N1u_aCqM7ye8NsylmKkVu48uGStM447EMNni8uPbGR9XFoTIv0lLzTLgqtuOI_Y4uOc7tqfN51A5giftAHScw/s550/HandDemoInterrupts.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="331" data-original-width="550" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi27Yx6A0A0DfPBrQcdIm3Xuk4iLsMYPZe53StQ_RJwRL42RQTugSut9N1u_aCqM7ye8NsylmKkVu48uGStM447EMNni8uPbGR9XFoTIv0lLzTLgqtuOI_Y4uOc7tqfN51A5giftAHScw/s16000/HandDemoInterrupts.jpg" /></a></div><br /><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">Substitutions <i>may </i>be used (but are not required) for the following roles at the following times:</p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>An Outlaw when he is the last of his team remaining.</li><li>A Sheriff when there are no Deputies or Renegades remaining.</li><li>A Renegade when there are no more Outlaws or other Renegades, or only 2 players are remaining.</li></ul><p></p></blockquote><p>3. Specific Card Changes </p><p>PLAYING CARDS</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEism6mnCE1ISTQINKsZaUCGgfSQs7S0Iygqqo0KPx4sVdVuRyMz1utgAc3w6QpCvIXF187qHfq4ByvNA3nqKzFxed53JXodgKxyq1Ll-NmSFK7dSFmXcWTTfws3FpCui0SDunYS6gOycg/s550/CardChanges1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="550" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEism6mnCE1ISTQINKsZaUCGgfSQs7S0Iygqqo0KPx4sVdVuRyMz1utgAc3w6QpCvIXF187qHfq4ByvNA3nqKzFxed53JXodgKxyq1Ll-NmSFK7dSFmXcWTTfws3FpCui0SDunYS6gOycg/s16000/CardChanges1.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p><i>Ambush: </i>Reworded and changed requirement to play.</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p>Prior: "When a player attacks someone besides yourself, play this card to bang! the attacker."</p><p>Now: "When another player bangs! any other player but you, play this card and discard another to bang! the attacker."</p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">Notes: "Besides yourself" could be confused as adjacent to, which was not the intent. Added activation cost for Ambush to align with the activation cost for Buffalo Rifle for the infinite reach of Ambush.</p></blockquote><p><i>Artillery: </i>Updated art.</p><p><i>Back Up: </i>Tightened text, same meaning.</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p>Prior: "When another player uses a card or ability to avoid an attack aimed at himself, you may play this card to fire a <b>BANG!</b> at that player if he is in range."</p><p>Now: "When another player cancels a bang!, play to fire a <b>BANG!</b> at that player if they're in range. For this card, they're seen at a distance -1."</p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">Notes: Aligned it with current "cancellation" language of BANG!. Made it easier for team mates to work together with slight sight modification. </p></blockquote><p><i>Bandage:</i> No change. Added symbol for the card to discard to play it.</p><p><i>Bronco:</i> Slight immaterial rewording and art clean up.</p><p><i>Bulldog:</i> Rebalanced. </p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p>Prior: "You may discard a <b>BANG!</b> and another card to Gatling."</p><p>Now: "Once a turn, you can discard <b>BANG!</b> and another card <i>to bang! all players in range</i>."</p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">Notes: "Once a turn" so not too many hits are delivered per turn. With Gold Rush rules, this was getting obscene. "All players in range" further limits it. It's a weaker <b>Gatling</b>, only able to hit by default players seen in distance 2.</p></blockquote><p><i>Cannon:</i> No change.</p><p><i>Confiscate:</i> Updated art.</p><p><i>Disarm:</i> Rebalanced.</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p>Prior: Initial. Provides a missed! Latent. Discard a card from your attacker.</p><p>Now: Initial. Provides a missed! Latent. Discard a random card from the attacker's hand.</p><p>Notes: "Random card from the attacker's hand" makes it a more limited, but responsive Cat Balou. It was too powerful before.</p></blockquote><p><i>**Duke Out:</i> New Card. This card is similar to Duel, but the result is not loss of a life point, but a card in play (which is gained by the victor). The cards discarded are non-BANG! cards (you don't duke it out with gun shots!).</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p>Text: "A target player discards a non-BANG! card, then you, etc. First player failing to discard loses a card they have in play to the victor, victor’s choice."</p><p>NOTE: Removed a Panic! from the RR deck as a result of this.</p></blockquote><p><i>**Flee:</i> New Card. This is a "run away" card; a temporary sight modifier. It gives the <b>Missed!</b> and increases your distance so that subsequent attacks in the round you may be harder to hit. However, as a result on your turn you will find it harder to shoot others as well.</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">Text: Initial. Provides a Missed!. Others see you at a distance +1 (unit your next turn). Latent. This turn you see all other players at a distance +1.</p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">NOTE: Removed a Missed! from the RR deck as a result of this. </p></blockquote><p><i>Fur Trade: </i>Added clearer text, so that there was no question of who would draw the cards.</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p>Prior: Initial. Swap a card in play in front of you for a card in play in front of another. Latent. Both of you draw 1 card.</p><p>Now: Initial. Swap a card in play in front of you for a card in play in front of another. Latent. You and that player traded with draw a card.</p></blockquote><p><i>Gaping Wound: </i>Slight wording change. Now titled "Bleed Out."</p><p><i>Hit Me:</i> No change.</p><p><i>Investment:</i> Changed symbol in initial effect to remove confusion.</p><p><i>James Dougall:</i> No change. This card is still sufficiently differentiated from other shotgun type cards that have come out since in Valley of Shadows and Armed and Dangerous.</p><p><i>Join Arms:</i> Reworded.</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p>Prior. "When a player fires a <b>BANG!</b>, play this card and discard another to shoot a <b>BANG!</b> at his target if he is in range. If you kill that player, split the potential spoils: both draw 2 cards."</p><p>Now. "If a player plays a BANG!, and their target’s in range, play this card and discard another to shoot a <b>BANG!</b> at the target. If you kill that player, split any spoils: both draw 2 cards."</p></blockquote><p><i>Loan:</i> Added clarificatory text.</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p>Prior: Initial. Give a card from your hand to another player. Latent. Take 2 cards from that player's hand.</p><p>Now: Initial. Give a card from your hand to another player. Latent. Take 2 cards at random from that player's hand.</p></blockquote><p><i>Molotov Cocktail: </i>Renamed as Molotov.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMUBQYH6XWWp5vIJKC_e_nH1FdtYeqcCKqOEsGrY5pnmq96pzcH4WG2AegZFZC-JxHHbVulEy1bYJmd5LNZhw4ogKxoyOMONFa4b_oasrMAcd6NT0bqSweqRhABhVFvl-e-xYY6zxsUQ/s550/CardChanges2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="550" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMUBQYH6XWWp5vIJKC_e_nH1FdtYeqcCKqOEsGrY5pnmq96pzcH4WG2AegZFZC-JxHHbVulEy1bYJmd5LNZhw4ogKxoyOMONFa4b_oasrMAcd6NT0bqSweqRhABhVFvl-e-xYY6zxsUQ/s16000/CardChanges2.jpg" /></a></div><p><i>Moonshine:</i> Rebalanced.</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p>Prior: Initial. Lose a life point. Latent. Gain 2 life points and draw a card.</p><p>Now: Initial. Lose a life point and draw a card. Latent. Gain 2 life points.</p><p>Notes: Offset the initial sacrifice and risk one took while one could have the card swapped/stolen/discarded by having the player draw the extra card in the initial phase.</p></blockquote><p><i>On the House: </i>Updated art.</p><p><i>Pay Day: </i>Convert symbols in latent effect to text to clearly mean, "All other players draw a card" (It's not a mass Panic!).</p><p><i>Push: </i>Significantly reworked. Defensive or offensive card depending on context.</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p>Prior: When a player seen within distance 2 is about to take a hit, you may play this card to push him out of harm’s way.</p><p>Now: When another player is banged!, play <b>Push </b>to draw a card and either provide a missed! if they're adjacent; or have a player to you and them get banged! instead.</p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">NOTES: In the latter case, this means the original bang! is redirected to hit the pushed play (you pushed them into the way of the bullet). Adjacency and next to was meant to circumvent some of the distance constraint impacts from Hideout, Mustang and Bronco.</p></blockquote><p><i>Q&A:</i> Rebalanced.</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p>Prior: Initial. Provides a missed!. Latent. Your attacker is banged!.</p><p>Now: Initial. Provides a missed!. Latent. If the attacker is in range, they are banged!.</p><p>NOTE: The attack is still affected by sight constraints.</p></blockquote><p><i>Quick Draw:</i> Reworded to clarify what does contribute to the hand limit.</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p>Prior: Play after a player uses a card. Unless he discards a <b>BANG!</b>, he must place the card sideways in front of him and cannot use it until his next turn. It does contribute to his card limit.</p><p>Now: Play when a player uses a card. Unless he discards a <b>BANG!</b>, he must set the card aside, unable to use it until his next turn. If a hand card, it still contributes to his card limit.</p><p>NOTE: The intent was not for cards in play to suddenly contribute to a hand limit.</p></blockquote><p><i>Rob:</i> Clarified to original intent.</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p>Prior: Steal a card from a player's hand.</p><p>Now: Steal a card at random from a player’s hand.</p><p>NOTE: Intent was not for card to be of robber's choice.</p></blockquote><p><i>Dive:</i> Renamed as Get Down! with new art. Didn't make sense to me that you could dive distance 2, so rethemed it to you warning someone of danger with no distance constraints. That no longer made sense for taking a hit, so that function was moved to the Push card instead.</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p>Prior: "When a player you see within distance 2 is going to take a hit, play Dive to take the hit for him. Draw a card from the deck."</p><p>Now: "When a player is about to take a hit, you may play this card and discard another as a Missed! on their behalf."</p><p>NOTE: Functions as a Missed! for another player.</p></blockquote><p><i>Standoff:</i> No change.</p><p><i>Taunt:</i> Reworked to restrict cheating possibilities.</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p>Prior: "Force the player whose turn it is to attack you if he can."</p><p>Now: "Force the player whose turn it is to attack you if he can. If he cannot, retain <b>Taunt</b>."</p><p>NOTE: Taunt as written before led itself too much to cheating to waste the Taunt. While I recognize all board gaming has some reliance on an honor system, it's good to reduce the reliance on it. Now the player can retain Taunt, and if the target draws a card in the middle of the turn, he can play it again, so he can't "claim he had no BANG!, but does have it now" and so shoots another player. </p></blockquote><p><i>Tomahawk:</i> Renamed as Kick with new art. Tomahawk exists as its own card in Valley of Shadows.</p><p><i>Toss:</i> Slight changes.</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p>Prior: Give a card you have in play or in your hand to a player seen within distance 2.</p><p>Now: Give a card you have in play or in your hand to a player <i>seen within distance 3</i>. <i>You cannot toss a <b>Jail </b>in play</i>.</p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">NOTE: Cannot use Toss to put someone else in Jail when it has been placed on you. Lengthened distance of Toss. </p></blockquote><p><i>Track Down: </i>Added clarificatory text.</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p>Prior: "Play on top of a player’s Mustang, Hideout, or other defensive sight modifier. Its effect is negated until that player discards 2 cards during his turn to remove Track Down."</p><p>Now: "Play in front of any player to decrease the distance by which they are seen by 1. The target may discard 2 cards during their turn to remove <b>Track Down</b>."</p><p>NOTE: Sight modification was intended regardless of whether or not a sight modifier was in play. Now it's an inverse of <b>Bronco</b>.</p></blockquote><p>Warpath: No change.</p><p>CHARACTER CARDS</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4KZvTDDqdFvptXgOVqfuJlQS7WsiJlJcSWA0KAMVF4nA6hRUR0rJdIiOeryFRUfWthcU1Nt2eDwXeLK6w5QpIWeiwUzZpam0RWQQ3_50iP9TvCOCjsruJl8zCYrstMgHX1OSb6aCx3w/s550/CharChanges.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="550" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4KZvTDDqdFvptXgOVqfuJlQS7WsiJlJcSWA0KAMVF4nA6hRUR0rJdIiOeryFRUfWthcU1Nt2eDwXeLK6w5QpIWeiwUzZpam0RWQQ3_50iP9TvCOCjsruJl8zCYrstMgHX1OSb6aCx3w/s16000/CharChanges.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p><i>Anne Rogers:</i> Reworded.</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p>Original: "At the start of her turn, Anne can copy the effect of a blue card in front of another player, so that it is as if she possesses its benefit. At the start of her next turn, this benefit disappears."</p><p>Now: "At the start of her turn, Anne copies the effect of a blue or orange card in front of another player, as if she now has it in play. This lasts until her next turn."</p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p>NOTE: Broadened to incorporate Dangerous cards.</p></blockquote><p><i>Crazy Wolf.</i> Changed to Crazy Bull -- nothing wolf-like about the ox mask. Slightly nerfed.</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p>Original: "When attacked he may discard a card from his hand to avoid the hit. Add the value of the card played against him with the value of the card he discards. If this value is greater or equal to 13, it counts as a <b>Missed!</b>; 17, a <b>Dodge</b>; 20, a Missed! and a <b>BANG!</b> against his attacker."</p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p>Now: "When attacked he may discard a card from his hand. Add the card’s value played against him with the card’s value he discarded. If ≥ 13, it counts as a Missed!; 17, a Dodge; 20, a Missed! and a BANG! against his attacker (if in range)."</p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">NOTE: Rulebook clarifies values are blackjack rules -- K, Q, J = 10; A = 11. BANG! against attacker requires attacker be in range.</p></blockquote><p><i>Eva Place:</i> Rebalanced.</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p>Prior: 4 LP. "She may lay a trap once on her turn: put a brown or green card face down in front of Eva and turn it sideways. If a player acts against Eva, she must flip a trap over and the card immediately affects that player. She may have 2 traps out, but only 1 trap activates at a time, her choice."</p><p>Now: <span><i>3 LP. </i></span>"She may lay a trap once on her turn, placing a brown or green <i>attack card</i> face down in front of her and turning it sideways. 2 traps can be out at a time. If a player acts against Eva, she <i>may reveal 1 trap</i>. Use and discard it."</p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">NOTE: Several nerfs occurred here as she was a brutal Sheriff. Notably, her health dropped and only attack cards can be laid as traps (more in line with the nature of a trap). BANG! no longer can affect at any distance. However, her trap activation is now her decision, versus necessarily occurring. </p></blockquote><p><i>Flint Dixon:</i> added clarificatory language.</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p>Original: "Whenever Flint plays a <b>BANG!</b>, he chooses whether his target must discard a <b>BANG!</b> or a missed! to avoid it. <b>Barrel</b> still may be utilized to avoid his shot."</p><p>Now: "Whenever he plays a <b>BANG!</b>, he chooses whether his target must discard cards with bang! or missed! to cancel it."</p><p><span>NOTE: Barrel/Jourdonnais' ability can still cancel it; I just didn't put it on the text. Saved for rulebook.</span></p></blockquote><p><i>Job Musgrove. </i>Clarified values of royal cards.</p><p><i>Johnny Pope. </i>Reworded.</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p>Original: "Once per turn, he may lose a life point and either give it to a player or make a player “draw!” On reds, Johnny steals a card from him. On blacks, that player must use 2 cards with missed symbols or lose a life point."</p><p>Now: "Once a turn, he may lose a life point and either give it to a player or make a player “draw!” On reds, Johnny steals a card from him. On blacks, that player must supply 2 missed! or lose a life point."</p></blockquote><p><i>Josey Bassett:</i> adjusted to make her slightly more interesting.</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p>Original: "If Josey does not play any cards during her turn, she can draw 2 extra cards at the end of her playing phase. She can always hold as many cards in her hand as her max health."</p><p>Now: "If Josey plays no cards, or only puts cards in play (blue, green, etc.), she can draw 2 extra cards at the end of her playing phase. Her hand size limit always equals her max health."</p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">NOTE: Josey can create a really efficient hand, but it was brutal for her to do nothing and be subject to targeted attacks, cat balous, etc. She was simply too boring to play. This offsets that some. It is a passive turn, but not a necessarily ineffectual one. </p></blockquote><p><i>Julie Bulette</i>. Changed slightly.</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p>Original: "Once on her turn, Julie may discard a card that she has in play or in her hand to draw a card. If it is a diamond, she may do so again, but Julie must show the card as proof."</p><p>Now: "Once on her turn, Julie may discard a card she has in play or in her hand to draw a card. If a diamond, she may reveal the drawn card to discard and draw 1 more card."</p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><span>NOTE: S</span>econd draw also involves a discard. Her ability is all about hand efficiency. Her diamond bonus only occurs once on a turn.</p></blockquote><p><i>Laura Billion: </i>Changed when she draws the bonus cards.</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p>Prior: "After she uses a green or brown card, or her purple card expires, place the card in a stack in front of her. At the end of her turn, she bids on a color: red or black. “Draw!” If correct, she selects 2 and draws them into her hand at her next drawing phase."</p><p>Now: "<i>Instead of discarding her used green, brown, or purple cards, stack them by her. During her next draw phase,</i> she bids on red or black. “Draw!” If correct, she selects 2 to draw, <i>and discards the rest."</i></p></blockquote><p>Lela Devere: Slight nerf.</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p>Original: Whenever she would hit a player (except with Indians!), Lela may choose to steal a card from that player instead. The card may either be in that player’s hand or in play.</p><p>Now: "When she bangs! and would hit a player(s), she may draw a card from them instead of them taking the hit(s). The drawn card may be from the hard or in play."</p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">NOTE: Doesn't apply with Arrow, Bleed Out, etc.</p></blockquote><p><i>Lil' Sure Shot: </i>Reworded.</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p>Original: She carries 2 guns by default (2 Colt .45), and can fire both on her turn. She can play 2 gun cards, even if they are duplicates. Once she has 2 gun cards in play, only 1 BANG! is needed to fire both.</p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">Now: She carries 2 guns by default, and can fire both on her turn. She can play 2 gun cards, even duplicates. Once she has 2 gun cards in play, she only needs to play 1 BANG! to fire both.</p></blockquote><p><i>Maggie Mae. </i>No change. </p><p><i>Pat Barrett: </i>Changed name and art to "Bill Hickmann", my gunslinger ancestor. Reworded ability:</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p>Original: "Whenever a card is played or used against Pat that targets him alone, and resolved, he may immediately discard a card of the same color to draw that card from the discard pile."</p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">Now: "After a card played exclusively against Bill is discarded, he may immediately swap 1 of his cards of the same color with the card in the discard pile."</p></blockquote><p><i>Porter Rockwall: </i>Reworded due to confusions.</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p>Original: "He may discard 2 cards to produce a defensive or offensive <b>BANG!</b> directed at any player, regardless of distance. When he creates an offensive <b>BANG!</b>, it does contribute to his BANG! limit."</p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">Now: "He may discard 2 cards to <i>discard a <b>BANG!</b> or play a <b>BANG!</b></i> at any player, regardless of distance. This <b>BANG! </b>contributes to his <b>BANG! </b>limit."</p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">NOTE: Made it more clear this can be used in Duel or Indians! if he lacks a <b>BANG!</b> card. Offensive/defensive language was confusing to some. </p></blockquote><p><i>Turd Ferguson:</i> Slight changes to ease tracking. Adjusted wording.</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p>Prior: "Once per round, Turd has a free <b>Missed!</b> that does not add to his card limit. Turn Turd sideways to indicate when he has this <b>Missed!.</b> When it is used, turn him back to the normal vertical position. These <b>Missed!</b> do not stockpile."</p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">Now: "<i>At the start of his turn, he gains </i>a free <b>Missed!</b> that doesn’t add to his hand size limit. Turn Turd sideways to track <i>if this <b>Missed!</b> is used. On his next turn, orient him vertically to refresh this Missed!. </i>These <b>Missed!</b><i> do not stack.</i> </p></blockquote><p><i>Queen Anne.</i> Rebalanced.</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p>Prior: She may discard a BANG! with another card to discard a card from any player at distance 2.</p><p>Now: <i>Once on her turn</i>, she may discard <i>2 of her cards (in play or in hand)</i> to <i>discard a card from any player.</i></p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">NOTE: Her ability is now more efficient and in line with Pat Brennan's.</p></blockquote><p>____</p><p>These are a lot of changes to soak in. I'm wrapping up a rulebook that you can enjoy soon.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpQw1k6nEaJhnElLtW4Kj8U_pwt0xPsve34GVPxWTP_gC-ugmmydQzFvg-sxcmrUlf2PHvSHu_06nihe8MAnAVuJLBi9rWKHMKn_SmcyPlgmNM1xTwxT-mkARxeEPpZOmgIebHg6tqYQ/s500/rulebook.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpQw1k6nEaJhnElLtW4Kj8U_pwt0xPsve34GVPxWTP_gC-ugmmydQzFvg-sxcmrUlf2PHvSHu_06nihe8MAnAVuJLBi9rWKHMKn_SmcyPlgmNM1xTwxT-mkARxeEPpZOmgIebHg6tqYQ/s16000/rulebook.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Martin Pulidohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15744590692797682125noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7419437603615826921.post-25572513009395429712012-06-11T14:11:00.000-07:002012-06-11T14:11:21.657-07:00Robbers' Roost News: POD Finally ArrivingI was recently contacted by Superior POD, who due to the success of Death Mesa, are willing to custom cut the Robbers' Roost deck cards for free! This means that much of the hang up on these cards will no longer be a problem. They will also be setting up a Web2Print store online to help with simplifying the POD process. Let me quote from the e-mail I received:<br />
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"We have several DM orders that have had to be canceled and refunded because the cards are not set up to our templates and customers are either unable to format the cards properly or unwilling to pay us the design/setup fee to do so. So if you'd like, I would be happy to put all of the decks together so that they are print-ready on our end, and then set up a W2P store for the entire Death Mesa/Robber's Roost/etc lineup for you to direct people to. Again, they will have to upload the matching sets of 'print and play' cards, but this way the players who aren't design savvy enough to set up the cards to our sheets can still get professionally printed high-quality decks. <i>We can even work out your custom sized card deck that isn't part of our standard dimension options. The best part is that we would be happy to set this up for you free of charge.</i> We get so many DM orders ... that everyone here agrees that making the decks more obtainable to the community is the best course of action."<br />
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So this will help with both Robbers' Roost and Death Mesa in the end. There are some issues still with color-matching, and Superior POD is going to work with me to get the best that POD printing can get. They problem still won't match perfectly, but I am hoping this won't be too problematic. For one, the Dodge City expansion cards are somewhat "off" in their color in comparison to the original game cards, so this is a bit of a problem across the board. Two, several Robbers' Roost cards come from the original game to help with balancing, so you wouldn't be able to tell which card was in a player's hand by noting the color difference. Third, with the orange module, since the orange cards have to be placed in front of you anyway, there isn't much of a card color tip off. We'll have to see how problematic it is once the card prototypes arrive.<br />
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So as for getting the POD in place, I will probably need to design the cards in a custom template for the cutting, and then I will try to get a prototype to review and correct. Anyway, I am pretty excited that this will finally be happening.<br />
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For a bit more of a news tidbit, I am sorry that I have been away from this blog for so long. I have been busily working away on my own board game, and this has taken a lot of time away from my BANG! projects. I plan on getting back to BANG!, but my own project has in the past few months had priority. Perhaps when I have the instructions book up and some prototypes available, I can get some of you to playtest my game. Finally, I want to keep this blog alive. I think it has some excellent content, and I want to continue building on top of that. Anyone interested in becoming a co-author on this blog? I would like to see some of the content you have written on other sites before I sign you up, but having others to post might be a good transition for this site given how new projects have taken up so much of my time. Thoughts?Martin Pulidohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15744590692797682125noreply@blogger.com42tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7419437603615826921.post-83571407005993688672012-03-26T11:03:00.001-07:002020-09-29T13:20:44.643-07:00Character Guide: Gary Looter<div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;">
<center><img alt="Gary Looter BANG! card game character" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6p6OFkLiXBXjpM5avsBVNKLSlwAFNa5teJuhoIUnoIS0Je2toOB-5RXeGDOTdh40oXvtytHkUTDl9jmq80vVNH4ii8M4XM3uZNlw1lHALRLQACmLX4kYAX8BxymRAn7zCdWKQAiJtpA/w211-h220-rw/" /></center>
<b><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><b><br /></b></div>Character Name</b>: Gary Looter. </div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><b>Inspired by</b>: Gary Cooper, who starred in numerous famous western, such as when he played as Marshall Will Jane in <i>High Noon</i>. </div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><b>Life Points</b>: 5. </div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><b>Ability Type</b>: Neutral. </div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><b>Ability</b>: "He draws all excess cards discarded by other players at the end of their turn." </div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><b>Activation</b>: During other players' discard phases. </div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><b>Cards enhanced by Gary Looter's ability</b>: <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/06/card-explanations-draw-cards.html#wellsfargo">Wells Fargo</a>/<a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/06/card-explanations-draw-cards.html#stagecoach">Stagecoach</a>/<a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/06/card-explanations-draw-cards.html#ponyexpress">Pony Express</a> (higher card limit makes it easier for him to hold on cards drawn from playing these cards), Duel (higher card limit gives him a greater capacity to hold BANG! to use during Duels), <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/06/card-explanations-draw-cards.html#generalstore">General Store</a> (besides causing greater card selection, it also causes all other players to draw an extra card, making it more likely for them to exceed card limits by their discard phases), and <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/06/card-explanations-life-point-modifiers.html#tequila">Tequila</a>/<a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/06/card-explanations-life-point-modifiers.html#whisky">Whisky</a>/Springfield/Brawl/Rag Time (higher card limit makes it easier to discard a card from his hand to play these cards). </div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><b>Cards less effective when played against Gary Looter:</b> <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/06/card-explanations-draw-cards.html#wellsfargo">Wells Fargo</a> and <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/06/card-explanations-draw-cards.html#ponyexpress">Pony Express</a> (extra cards drawn make it more likely that you will exceed your card limit), <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/07/card-explanations-dynamite.html">Dynamite</a> (base 5 life points make Dynamite less likely to eliminate him), Indians! (higher card limit gives him a greater capacity to hold BANG! to respond to Indians!), Duel (higher card limit gives him a greater capacity to hold BANG! to use during Duels), and <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/06/card-explanations-draw-cards.html#generalstore">General Store</a> (card causes all other players to draw an extra card, making it more likely for them to exceed card limits by their discard phases).</div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><b>Ideal role for Gary Looter</b>: Sheriff (especially in larger games). </div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><b>Characters that counter Gary Looter well:</b> Sean Mallory (he is very unlikely to exceed his card limit), <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/01/character-guide-willy-kid.html">Willy the Kid</a> (lack of BANG! limit makes it easier for him to not have to discard during phase 3), <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/01/character-strategy-guide-calamity-janet.html">Calamity Janet</a> (able to use Missed! and BANG! interchangeably allows her to better manage her hand so that she does not exceed her limit), <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/02/character-guide-sid-ketchum.html">Sid Ketchum</a>/<a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/03/character-guide-doc-holyday.html">Doc Holyday</a> (Their abilities allow them to voluntary discard cards during their playing phases to create effects, undercutting Gary Looter's ability to draw cards from them), <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/08/character-guide-lee-van-kliff.html">Lee Van Kliff</a> (BANG! replication ability makes it unlikely that Gary Looter will be able to get cards from him), to some extent <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/08/character-guide-big-spencer.html">Big Spencer</a> (while his life points are high, his high card limit makes him incredibly resistant to phase 3 discards), and <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/10/character-guide-youl-grinner.html">Youl Grinner</a> (syphoning off cards from other players makes it less likely that Gary Looter will get cards from those other players). </div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><b>Characters that Gary Looter counters well:</b> <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/06/character-guide-claus-saint.html">Clause the Saint</a>/<a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/05/character-guide-uncle-will.html">Uncle Will</a> (abilities cause all other players to draw an extra card, making it more likely for them to exceed card limits by their discard phases), <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/05/character-guide-pixie-pete.html">Pixie Pete</a> (base 3 card limit in combination with drawing 3 cards a turn makes it difficult for him not exceed his card limit), defensive 3 life point character such as <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/02/character-guide-paul-regret.html">Paul Regret</a>/<a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/02/character-name-el-gringo-inspired-by.html">El Gringo</a>/<a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/05/character-guide-elena-fuente.html">Elena Fuente</a>/<a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/04/character-guide-apache-kid.html">Apache Kid</a>/<a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2012/02/character-guide-teren-kill.html">Teren Kill</a> (defensive stance with 3 life points make it more likely that they will exceed their card limits), <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/03/character-guide-bill-noface.html">Bill Noface</a> (he draws more cards when his life points--and therefore card limit--are lower, making it very difficult not to exceed his card limit), and to some extent <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/03/character-guide-chuck-wengam.html">Chuck Wengam</a> (dropping life points to gain cards lowers his card limit, creating a greater risk of having to discard during phase 3). </div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><b>2-player value</b>: Depends on the amount of life points he enters in with, but all things being equal, his life points give him a nice advantage. Nonetheless, with only 1 opponent it will be difficult to gain cards since they will likely make sure to expend their cards so that Gary Looter cannot get any extras.</div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><b>General Strategy as Gary Looter</b>: To other players Gary Looter is an annoying character, and depending on his role, also an intimidating character. Players always have to think about whether or not they will go over their card limits. New players will not immediately recognize this, and even seasoned players will forget from time to time. Since Gary Looter is a nuisance, he is more likely to be a target. It is very important that Gary Looter's team mates recognize their ability to almost freely give him cards whenever they are over their limits. This can be used to aid Gary Looter when he is in trouble or to help him achieve strategic objectives, such as eliminating a player that Gary Looter can see but his team mate cannot. One could pass him a <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/06/card-explanations-guns-volcanic.html#volcanic">Volcanic</a> to use to annihilate one of his adjacent players. </div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;">At the beginning of the game, it is also a useful means of securing a decent card base for Gary Looter if he is having trouble. Gary Looter should try to keep valuable card-feeding allies alive. Of course, if Gary Looter is a Renegade, the chances of him getting high power cards from other players is slim.
Gary Looter can play in such a way as to try to maximize his ability to gather other players' cards. For instance, playing <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/06/card-explanations-draw-cards.html#generalstore">General Store</a> has the added benefit of increasing the amount of cards in all players' hands, on top of the better card selection for him. This can help allies pass cards and make it hard for rivals not to discard cards at the ends of their turns. </div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;">Gary Looter should also be mindful of playing/using cards that require discards from all other players, such as is the case with Indians!, Gatling, and Howitzer. Since these cards can create many players to drop in their life points, and therefore card limits, Gary Looter can gain many cards within a round as a result. Of course, there is the possibility that the other players will have the right discards, making it therefore less likely for Gary Looter to draw cards from them during their discard phases. Gary Looter should pay attention to the number of cards in his rival's hands, as well as their playing styles, to judge whether or not playing such cards is momentarily worth it.</div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;">Gary Looter can also make it difficult for other players not to discard cards. This can be done by increase his distance from other players, so that unusable BANG! build up in their hands. It can also be done through who Gary Looter chooses to attack. If he has 2 rivals, and 1 is more defensive, ignore that rival and focus on the other. The build up <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/07/card-explanations-defensive-cards.html#missed">Missed!</a> and other defensive cards in that player's hand will make it hard for him not to exceed his card limit. The same goes with players who only have 3 life points. Finally, if there is clear evidence of a player having far more cards than his card limit, Gary Looter may not want to put that player in <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/07/card-explanations-jail.html">Jail</a>, as he will then have no discard phase to pass the excess cards on to him.
Besides this, Gary Looter can use his higher number of life points to his advantage to play <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/07/card-explanations-dynamite.html">Dynamite</a> (it exploding on him is far less devastating) and also build strong offensive combos to take out a rival in one turn if possible. If he has a more defensive objective, he should try to make sure he has decent defensive cards in play before he does so. </div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><b>Playing against Gary Looter</b>: Always remember how Gary Looter impinges on you. Whenever your discard phase arises, if you have to discard a card because you are over your alotted limit, Gary Looter picks it up. Try, therefore, to use as many cards as are necessary to get you below your card limit before your discard phase. Of course, you will always want to try to have a Missed! and a BANG! in your hand for defensive reasons, but try to make sure your hand is not getting bogged up with cards you can't play.</div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;">Make sure you can play many cards before playing a <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/06/card-explanations-draw-cards.html#wellsfargo">Wells Fargo</a> or <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/06/card-explanations-draw-cards.html#stagecoach">Stagecoach</a>. Otherwise, Gary Looter might inherit many of your cards. If you are too defensive, you will start having defensive cards in your hand that you cannot play since (perhaps) no one is attacking you; you will soon have no option but to hand cards over to Gary Looter. Be more offensive, so that your rivals cannot ignore you. Also, make sure that your BANG! are playable. If you cannot see a rival, you will only be able to play BANG! on your allies or likely have to pass a card(s) to Gary Looter on your discard phase. Try to secure a gun or <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/06/card-explanations-sight-modifiers-scope.html#scopeappaloosa">offensive sight modifier</a>, so that does not become an issue. Replace guns, so that gun cards do not get stuck in your hand, unless it very adversely affects your gameplay. Be wary of duplicate cards that can also get stuck in your hand.</div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;">If you are playing with Dodge City, you may be able to play a card that requires discarding another to get rid of the duplicate. If you have any abilities that allow you to freely discard cards, use these to circumvent the card limit problem as well.
Besides being cautious of your hand, also be careful when playing General Store, and cards that either reduce the card limit or increase the amount of cards in all other players' hands. These could potentially greatly benefit Gary Looter. Gary Looter is rarely a solo opponent. Be aware of his team mates and how they are feeding cards to him. If one ally is feeding him a lot of cards, focus fire on him, and try to play cards that could greatly reduce the amount of cards in his hand. Duel is the best example of that, but many other cards are useful for this (Panic! and Cat Balou when they target his hand). It may be to your advantage to eliminate Gary Looter's team mates before moving on to him, so consider it.
All you have left to worry about is Gary Looter's greater number of life points. This is a problem, but not unsurmountable if you play carefully as outlined above. Just put the pressure on Gary Looter and use offensive combos where possible. <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/07/card-explanations-dynamite.html">Dynamite</a> can work to your disadvantage depending on the number of life points Gary Looter has.
<center><br /></center><center><a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/p/bang-character-strategy-guides.html">Return to the BANG! Character Guides Portal</a></center></div>Martin Pulidohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15744590692797682125noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7419437603615826921.post-33720657498044753442012-03-14T10:15:00.002-07:002012-03-14T10:24:14.733-07:00Adjustments to Accomplice Abilities<strong>Accomplice Ability Adjustments:</strong><br /><br />Big Nose Nick: Removed Duel Immunity. Now, "You may discard any card from your hand as a BANG! during a Duel." Thus, cards are still depleted during the Duel, even though the person possessing Big Nose Nick has a high probability of winning the Duel.<br /><br />Ellie Cashman: Simple indicator adjustment, as well as shift from "next turn" to "next draw phase" activation to avoid possible Jail confusion. Now, "If you do not play or use any cards during your turn, you may draw an extra card at your next draw phase. Rotate this card vertically to indicate you will draw an extra card."<br /><br /><strong>Debating over Adjustments:</strong><br /><br />Albert Boothwell: His ability has read thus, "Once on your turn, you may discard a card to disable a card in play. Flip it face down to show it is disabled. While disabled, the card cannot be used or utilized. On his turn, that card's owner may discard a card to enable it." With more thought, this ability appears to be very powerful, especially depending on turn order. The card disabled is out of play until the affected player's next turn, in which he can get pummelled by you and your allies if it was an essential defensive card (Mustang, for instance). I think this is far too powerful an ability for an accomplice, but how to adjust it for greater balance? Should the cost for disabling be 2 cards? Or should the disabled card's owner not have to pay any card to enable it? Or should the disabled card's owner be able to enable the card by discarding a card at any time? Or should only 1 action be able to be carried out against the disabled card's owner before the card is re-enabled? What do you think?<br /><br />Lilian Smythe: Her ability reads, "Give up your draw phase to discard 1 card from the hands of 2 separate players." I don't know how often a player would want to do this; he would have to be pretty secure to give up his draw phase, and what if he draw 2.5+ cards a turn? The chances of him using Smythe's ability is quite low. The 2 separate player stipulation also makes it difficult once only 2-3 players are left alive. Thoughts? Perhaps she could forego drawing a card during her draw phase to discard 1 card from another player's hand? That way if Black Jack succeeded on his guess for his second card, he could discard instead of draw a third card, and Pixie Pete/Bill Noface wouldn't be negatively affected.<br /><br />Jay Bryant: His ability reads, "At the start of your draw phase, call a suit. If any cards drawn are that suit, you may pass 1 with that suit to another player. You must show the card to verify it is of the called suit." My question is whether or not Jay's owner should have to show the card to verify the suit, or simply show the card's suit (masking the rest of the card with his hand/another card if he wanted)? What do you think?<br /><br />Grue Duck: His ability reads, "If you play a BANG! at a player whose gun range is less than yours, that player cannot play, use, or "draw!" any spades or hearts to avoid your attack." I like using the gun range numbers against each other, but is his ability too powerful or too useless? Should a scope/binoculars augment "gun range," since technically the cards only refer to sight?<br /><br />Sally Skull: Her ability reads, "Once a turn, you may lose a life point to negate the effect of a card just played or used." Must Sally do her negation immediately when the card is played, or can she witness what its outcome would be and then negate it? We could imagine her seeing what a played Indians! would do, and then choose to negate it, or simply negating it the moment it came into play. Losing a life point is a big deal, so I thought the "foresight" might make the ability more useful. But would it be too useful?<br /><br /><strong>2 New Ideas:</strong><br /><br />(1) You may discard any card as a BANG! when Indians! is played.<br /><br />(2) At the end of your discard phase, you set aside the card on top of the deck. This will be the first card you will draw at the beginning of your next turn, but you may look at it at any time before then. NOTE: If this is too weak, perhaps the player at the end of his discard phase could look at the card on top of the deck and choose whether it will be the first card he draw on his next turn. If he chooses that it is not, it returns to the top of the deck. But that seems perhaps too powerful.Martin Pulidohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15744590692797682125noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7419437603615826921.post-31540437804956719732012-02-14T09:26:00.001-08:002020-08-26T14:35:02.722-07:00Character Guide: Teren Kill<div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;">
<center><img alt="Teren Kill BANG! card game character" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOShtd2QAtP-at7I5LJ65gxKkkgykFzHxXs4B4tx-qF5oJPe7uhdDF79QkZdhgpTETsDqOffIUCN1ZMFV8eWyu7bnNwlHKQo1tlduZHtHs9TNqPgF3_xvuawTFxU4U3r5bqlinvz6mQg/w209-h220-rw/" /></center>
<b><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><b><br /></b></div>Character Name</b>: Teren Kill.</div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><b>Inspired by</b>: Terrence Hill, an Italian action who starred in many spaghetti westerns.</div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><b>Life Points</b>: 3.</div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><b>Ability Type</b>: Defensive.</div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><b>Ability</b>: "Each time he would be eliminated 'draw!': if it is not Spades, Teren stays at 1 life point, and draws 1 card." It should be clarified that this moment is upon his "would be elimination," so a player can choose to play a last chance <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/06/card-explanations-life-point-modifiers.html#beer">Beer</a> and not undergo the "draw!" (see WWS FAQ Q18). However, the instruction cards explain that if a person voluntary foregoes playing the last chance <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/06/card-explanations-life-point-modifiers.html#beer">Beer</a> and "draws!" for Teren Kill's ability instead, he cannot afterwards play the last chance <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/06/card-explanations-life-point-modifiers.html#beer">Beer</a> if it is unsuccessful.</div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><b>Activation</b>: When he would otherwise be eliminated.</div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><b>Cards less effective when played against by Teren Kill</b>: <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/07/card-explanations-dynamite.html">Dynamite</a>, and all damaging cards to some extent.</div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><b>Cards more effective when played by Teren Kill</b> <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/07/card-explanations-dynamite.html"> Dynamite</a> (he is less likely to be eliminated by its random mechanism than his peers).</div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><b>Good role for Teren Kill</b>: Renegade.</div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><b>Characters that counter Teren Kill well:</b> <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/09/character-guide-john-pain.html">John Pain</a> (for everyone of Teren's "draws!," he has a good chance of picking up a card too), <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/08/character-guide-lee-van-kliff.html">Lee Van Kliff</a>/<a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/01/character-guide-willy-kid.html">Willy the Kid</a>/<a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/03/character-guide-doc-holyday.html">Doc Holyday</a> (they can easily make 2+ attacks during their turns, and so have a good chance of eliminating Teren Kill when he is down to his last life point), and most importantly <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/02/character-guide-kit-carlson.html">Kit Carlson</a> (he has a fair chance of stacking a spade against Teren Kill when he is at his last life point, and then attack him; if Teren has to "draw!" he is guaranteed to die).</div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><b>Characters that Teren Kill counters well:</b> <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/03/character-guide-greg-digger.html">Greg Digger</a>/<a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/04/character-guide-herb-hunter.html">Herb Hunter</a>/<a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/02/character-guide-vulture-sam.html">Vulture Sam</a> (these characters' abilities activate upon player elimination; since Teren Kill will tend to not be eliminated easily, it makes it more difficult upon them), to some extent <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/03/character-guide-pat-brennan.html">Pat Brennan</a>/<a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/05/character-guide-belle-star.html">Belle Star</a> (They can ignore (on Star's turn)/remove cards in play in front of Teren Kill, but it won't affect his native defensive ability, not to mention the card he draws into his hand if his "draw!" succeeds), and <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/01/character-guide-slab-killer.html">Slab the Killer</a> (Slab's attack still only adds up to 1 life point lost, and so while it might blunt Teren Kill's defensive cards, it doesn't affect his ability).</div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><b>2-player value</b>: Excellent. His life retention ability will be very helpful when his opponent can no longer utilize <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/06/card-explanations-life-point-modifiers.html#beer">Beer</a> to regain life points.</div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><b>General Strategy as Teren Kill</b>: Teren Kill's ability gives him a 75% chance of remaining alive and drawing a card when he would be eliminated. The "drawing!" for this outcome does interact with event cards (Curse causing his immediate demise) and characters abilities (John Pain's, for instance). Of course, when Teren Kill is attacked in succession during another player's turn, his chances of survival are above 75% on the whole. The "draws!" probabilities remain relatively the same (the "drawing!" mechanism never gives a perfect a priori probability due to it only applying to the values of the cards remaining in the deck, so it is different from rolling a 4-sided die; cards in play are not reshuffled back into the deck until discarded, also changing probabilities), but the card drawn by Teren Kill upon a successful "draw!" increases his chances of survival. Thus, he could gain a card that can ward off BANG! or Indians!, or gain a <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/06/card-explanations-life-point-modifiers.html#beer">Beer</a> to play in a last chance sense. If a card takes off 2+ life points, Teren Kill does not have to "draw!" for each life point, just once. See Q12 of the Wild West Show FAQ: <blockquote>Q12. If Teren Kill is eliminated by <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/07/card-explanations-dynamite.html">Dynamite</a>, how many times does he have to "draw!" to stay alive? A. Just one time; if it is a card of Spades he is out, otherwise he stays at 1 life point (and draws a card from the deck).</blockquote> While this defensive ability is quite powerful, it does have an irritating side to it: it only activates as a "last resort" before elimination. Any moment before then, his ability has almost no application. And he doesn't want to intentionally lose life points to use the ability since this move affects his card limit. He, of course, will try to build a hand and get cards in front of him that don't require him to use his ability. This, in essence, makes his ability pretty boring until he gets to his last breath, and it could still be boring if on his first "draw!" he gets a spade. If he survives, he has a fair chance of recovering another life point with likely having 3-4 cards in his hand at the beginning of his next turn. This make the card limit issue slightly less problematic.
There is one exception to the Teren Kill's rather bland gameplay: <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/07/card-explanations-dynamite.html">Dynamite</a>. Teren Kill should try to play it whenever possible. Since the chance of it exploding on him and eliminating him is quite low in proportion to the other players, and the damage it inflicts on others is so great, <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/07/card-explanations-dynamite.html">Dynamite</a> is Teren Kill's best friend. Of course, this works far less effectively if Teren has to worry about blowing up his team mates, so he should consider the mix of player roles.</div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><b>Playing against Teren Kill</b>: Teren Kill is not a powerful character in an offensive sense. With a defensive ability that only activates upon his nigh elimination, and a 3 card limit, it is relatively easy to knock down his life points/card limit. But that shouldn't make you suppose that Teren Kill is weak. His stubborn persistence to live makes the battle with him one of attrition. His weaker offensive edge can still take you in the end if you do not put him down. However, since he is weaker offensively, you might consider ignoring him until you can eliminate one of his easier-to-off allies. If Teren Kill is Sheriff and you are an Outlaw, this does lead to a bit of a conundrum: do I still try to make a strong offensive burst at Teren Kill with my fellow outlaws, or do we try to knock out the Deputies/Renegades first? This is a toss up, but the tide of the battle is seriously against you in 7-8 player games (with 3-4 other non-Outlaws). The burst may be the only viable option, even though it would be extremely lucky for it to succeed. In a 6 player game, things are different. However, if Teren Kill is not the Sheriff (say, an Outlaw), eliminating his allies first makes far more sense.
Whether or not you ignore Teren Kill momentarily, watch out for when <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/07/card-explanations-dynamite.html">Dynamite</a> is in play. This card has a lot higher chance of doing damage to you/your allies than it does to Teren Kill. In most cases, you will want to steal, discard, or otherwise remove it from play, so that your team's position isn't compromised.
Once you focus on Teren Kill, apply the same general offensive strategy until he gets to his last life point. Teren Kill will try to compensate during early-mid game by building up some defensive cards in his hand and in play (<a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/06/card-explanations-sight-modifiers-scope.html#mustang">Mustang</a>, <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/07/card-explanations-barrel.html">Barrel</a>, etc.). Use steal/discard abilities and cards to remove the defensive stronghold and pummel him down to his last life point to decrease his card limit. To finally eliminate him, chances are that a strategically orchestrated attack is necessary. This means either that you and your teammates attack him in succession before he has a turn, or that you can hit Teren Kill with an offensive combo, so that he has to "draw!" to keep his life multiple times. Of course, desperate times call for desperate measures, so this ideal orchestration may not be a feasible reality. Just keep shooting, then! Odds should require you to only make him "draw!" 4 times, but you can never tell. The battle with Teren Kill could be epic, or laughable (he "draws!" a spade the first time).</div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><br />
<center><a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/p/bang-character-strategy-guides.html">Return to the BANG! Character Guides Portal</a></center></div>Martin Pulidohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15744590692797682125noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7419437603615826921.post-64982203288856039472011-11-21T19:59:00.000-08:002011-11-21T20:15:32.723-08:00More Accomplice IdeasI have finished a few more ideas for accomplices. This is just the initial phase where I try to only strike down ideas that clearly don't work. General balancing of them will take some time.<br /><br />As for production, I am tempted to make it an 18 card deck, but have another accomplice on the card backs. This maximizes the printing value. Thoughts? Can you see any problems with doing it this way? Will someone try to cheat and switch their accomplice mid-game? But someone call always try to cheat if they wish and this seems like a less plausible way of doing it (more likely to get caught). Anyway, here the new ideas are below:<br /><br /><center><img src="http://img809.imageshack.us/img809/4674/accomplicessample2.jpg" /></center>Martin Pulidohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15744590692797682125noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7419437603615826921.post-23298108701044534822011-11-20T15:45:00.001-08:002012-03-14T10:19:23.057-07:00Valley of Shadows: Group Shipping Order to the USAEDIT (03/14/2012): Order has still been stalled due to Martin Blazsko (Valley of Shadow's designer) not giving me a correction of my translation and not giving me information on possible group deal pricing with ALBI. Sorry, this has been out of my hands.<br /><br />EDIT (02/15/2012): To receive your own deck, e-mail me at martinpulido2@gmail.com with your physical addresses. That will allow me to calculate the cost of shipping to your address from my location after I receive the decks from Martin Blazko, and thus the total cost. Thus, your cost is: Cost of Deck(s) + (# of Decks you want)/20 of international shipping cost + local US shipping to your house + any additional optional fees (stickers, sticker placements). Payment can be done 1 of 2 ways: via money order, or by "donating" to me via PayPal (bottom near the top of the right hand column of this website). Of course, do not pay until you know the total cost. Thanks!<br /><br />The official Czech expansion to BANG!, Valley of Shadows, has been out for a couple of months now. Unfortunately, the publisher only ships to the Slovakia and the Czech Republic. I have been talking with the expansion designer, Martin Blasko, to ship some over to me in the United States. The expansion costs $7+shipping, which will be determined by the amount of decks shipped. I am hoping to get a group order on this; it will help cut down on the costs of international shipping. The plan will basically be to get a bunch of people committed to get decks of Valley of Shadows. We will divide the costs of shipping. I will pay for the whole order and have them all shipped to my address, but only after people have donated their share of the cost to me via Paypal (look at the Donate button on the right hand column of the site). After the decks are shipped to me, I will ship them on to the rest of the group.<br /><br />I have <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/08/valley-of-shadows-new-czech-expansion.html">revised the English translation of Valley of Shadows</a> with Martin Blasko. I plan to have this translation printed on stickers that can be applied to the Czech cards. You can do this yourself when you get your deck, or if you donate an extra buck or so, I will apply the stickers to the cards for you before I ship them to you. Any interested parties?Martin Pulidohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15744590692797682125noreply@blogger.com59tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7419437603615826921.post-66653423137759825402011-11-19T16:11:00.000-08:002011-11-22T15:17:03.601-08:00Accomplices Expansion<div style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #c3d9a1;"><b>News (11/21/11)</b>: Rewrote character drafting rules, hoping to bring more clarity. Diagrams will be provided later.<br /><br /><b>News (11/20/11)</b>: Revised how the extra cards are stored up in the character drafting; they now are put into play before the game has even begun. Blue cards are self-explanatory. Brown, purple, and orange cards will function like green cards for simplicity's sake.</div><br /><br />I have been working on another short expansion to BANG!. My first expansion, Death Mesa, worked on the player elimination aspect to the game. My second, Robbers' Roost, worked on player interaction and increased gameplay out of turn. This third expansion has a simpler goal: increasing the variety of the game and changing the way characters are distributed at the beginning of the game.<br /><br />The main way that I hope to do this is through introducing "accomplices" to the game. An "accomplice" is like a character in having a special ability. However, this ability is far weaker, and the accomplice also has no life points. Each player receives an accomplice paired with a character, the accomplice's ability compounding with the main character. This allows for many interesting combinations of abilities that will provide players with no ways of experiencing the game. I have decided what I want to call these "accomplices": accomplices (of course), helpers, followers, partners, companions, henchmen, or cohorts. You will have to tell me your thoughts.<br /><br />I have created a more unique look for the accomplices. Their cards are oriented horizontally, and the art flows over the card, instead of being in a box in the top center. I haven't nailed down exactly how I want them to look, but this is what I am working with so far. Below is 10 accomplice examples, with some abilities I am considering to include. <br /><br /><center><img src="http://img404.imageshack.us/img404/2881/accomplicessample.jpg" alt="Accomplices in BANG!" /></center><br /><br />The difficulty has been of course to identify abilities that are useful, but not <i>too</i> useful. Also, I have to make sure that no combinations are too powerful, contradictory, or superfluous. For instance, it would be stupid to have an accomplice that allows you to play an Ace as a Missed! If that accomplice was paired with Elena Fuente, she would have no extra bonus. To help balance the fact that some pairings will work better than others, I have created a new character drafting method, which is largely based upon the method of picking races in <i>Small World</i>. <br /><br />(1) The appropriate roles for the number of players are randomly dealt. The Sheriff reveals his role; the others remain hidden. The playing card deck is shuffled.<br /><br />(2) The character and accomplice decks are both shuffled. Reveal 4 characters at random and lay them face up in a single column. Place the remaining characters face down, in a single stack, at the bottom of the column. Do the same with the accomplices, placing one to the left of each revealed character. Stack the rest of the accomplices in a pile face down to the left of the character stack. You should now have 4 character and accomplice combos face up on the table.<br /><br />(3) A player is selected to go first. Have all players guess a card's alphanumeric value (2-10, J, K, Q, or A), but not a card's suit. "Draw!" the card on top of the playing deck. Whichever player is closest to the "drawn!" value goes first. Put the "drawn!" card in the discard pile.<br /><br />(4) That player selects one character and accomplice combo, from among the 4 visible on the table. The cost of each combo is determined by its position in the column. The first combo, located at the top of the column, is free. Each of the other combos, as you move in succession down the column, cost 1 additional playing card. That cost is paid by the player dropping 1 of the playing cards (that he would typically start the game with) face down to the left of each of the combos situated above the combo he wishes to pick. These cards are provided from the playing deck.<br /><br />If the combo a player selects contains some playing cards (dropped by players who previously passed up this combo), the player pockets these cards. He must still drop 1 of his own playing cards on each of the combos located above the one he selects (if any), however.<br /><br />(5) The player places his combo selection in front of him. Any cards he gained through the combo selection are put into play in front of him. Since these cards may be brown, orange, or purple cards, such card colors when put into play are considered green cards. Their effects may be stored up to be used in or out of turn as the effects dictate.<br /><br />(6) The player draws playing cards from the deck equivalent to his life points minus any cards he expended on character and accomplice combo selection.<br /><br />(7) Finally, the player replenishes the column of combos available to others. He slides existing combos (and the playing cards to the left of them, if any) up one position in the column, so as to fill the void, and reveals a new combo from the top of the stack, if appropriate. There should thus always be 4 combos visible to all players, on the table.<br /><br />When every player has selected a character and accomplice combo, remove all remaining characters and accomplices. Remaining playing cards spent for combos are put into the discard pile for playing cards. The game then begins with the Sheriff's turn, and proceeds like usual.<br /><br />One thing I also like about this expansion is that it is easily made with a POD. The unusual size of the accomplices won't matter since they are their own set of cards, much like the Dead Men's Deck in Death Mesa. Any feedback on this accomplice idea?Martin Pulidohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15744590692797682125noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7419437603615826921.post-51728314221254396342011-11-16T21:48:00.001-08:002011-11-16T21:56:18.232-08:00Revised Robbers' Roost Guidebook Available<center><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFq4AVJ4USkyxhAmu6NUbLyaRb6-X3ZjgAggHlkEkI1DzQcox0qv32aWOHLvb78D17Kt7VJx5DoiwFY5hGrx3LhhWenM7k5I6IkSBSY-BmAtNyeir7MDwvJLnVFi8jpM-4hW141iaoxQ/s500/RRguidebookNew.jpg"></center><br /><br />I completely recreated the Robbers' Roost Guidebook. It now has the most up to date information on the rules for the orange and purple modules. I have added several examples of how orange cards are resolved and played in different situations. The Guidebook also contains detailed explanations of the new and revised playing cards and characters. I have addressed questions about how to play certain Robbers' Roost cards in specific scenarios, as have been asked in the forums. Besides this, I have added a new method of production. Finally, there have been a few tweeks to some playing cards and characters (Jack West--now named Pat Barrett, Laura Billion, Lela Devere, Porter Rockwall, and Confiscate). The 8.5" x 11" playing card sheets have been reuploaded with these adjustments.<br /><br />Now that I believe I have adjusted a little more to being a new parent, I should be able to dedicate some more time to the BANG! Blog. I am excited to get the RR POD out, as well as write more on Gold Rush, Valley of Shadows, and the multiplayer, multicross-enabled BANG! video game. Expect more posts soon!<br /><br /><center><a href="http://bit.ly/vdsg7s">Download the new Robbers' Roost Guidebook here</a>.</center>Martin Pulidohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15744590692797682125noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7419437603615826921.post-89312455969528323062011-11-11T17:08:00.001-08:002011-11-17T19:37:47.446-08:00Gold Rush: BGG Interview with Roberto Corbelli @ Essen Spiel 2011<center><iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/V7sHrruKgeA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></center><br /><br />The following interview with Roberto Corbelli lets you see a lot of the pieces inside the upcoming Gold Rush expansion. Corbelli explains how Gold Rush adds economics to BANG! with the gold nuggets and equipment cards they card purchase. He runs through the rules that are in the expansion, as well as the Shadow Gunslinger Variant. At the end of the interview he reveals that <i>Gold Rush will be available in the United States at the beginning of next year.</i> Just a 1000 printing run had been made for the conference. Of interest, he shows all of the character cards. I zoomed in on the video, and have the English for all of the character abilities:<br /><br /><b>Simeon Picos</b>: Each time he loses 1 life point, he takes 1 gold nugget.<br /><br /><b>Raddie Snake</b>: During his turn, he may discard 1 gold nugget to draw 1 card up to 3 times.<br /><br /><b>John McCloud</b>: He may draw the top equipment card from the deck by discarding 2 gold nuggets.<br /><br /><b>Jacky Murieta</b>: During his turn, he may pay 2 gold nuggets to play an extra BANG!<br /><br /><b>Madam Yto</b>: Each time a Beer card is played, she draws 1 card from the deck.<br /><br /><b>Don Bell</b>: At the end of his turn, "draw!" If Hearts or Diamonds, he plays an extra turn.<br /><br /><b>Dutch Will</b>: He draws 2 cards, discards 1, and takes 1 gold nugget.<br /><br /><b>Pretty Luzena</b>: Once per turn, she may buy any 1 equipment at a cost reduced by 1 gold nugget.Martin Pulidohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15744590692797682125noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7419437603615826921.post-14237807987791961422011-10-21T16:26:00.000-07:002011-10-21T16:32:10.368-07:00Character Guide: Youl Grinner<div style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffcc66; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-RIGHT: 5px"><br /><center><img alt="Youl Grinner BANG! card game character" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglpq9soxysBXRrai-d0UqLeGsLa-8u3zNhjqacu4b1wYlF4sT005v5hmtNsNTf5yjsPnqBRjgMjWsaREt0MU0UCHx23R54PLNZ0yiKnnRYk_x8Q5MIKtBjfLH1eqFAm-hkw5F5j7f64w/s230/YoulGrinner.jpg" /></center><br /><b>Character Name</b>: Youl Grinner.<br /><br /><b>Inspired by</b>: Yul Brynner, famous actor best known for his role as Mongkut in <i>The King and I</i>. However, he acted in numerous westerns, such as when he portrayed Chris Adams in <i>The Magnificent Seven.</i><br /><br /><b>Life Points</b>: 4.<br /><br /><b>Ability Type</b>: Neutral, although its power offensively/defensively will depend on his playing style and those of other players.<br /><br /><b>Ability</b>: "Before drawing, players with more hand cards [cards in their hand] than him must give him one card of their choice."<br /><br /><b>Activation</b>: Before other players' drawing phases, after they resolve Dynamite, Prison, and event cards.<br /><br /><b>Cards enhanced by Youl Grinner's ability</b>: non-BANG! attacks besides Indians!/Duel (as he can quickly play them during his turn to drop the amount of cards in his hand), green defensive cards (Sombrero, Iron Plate, Bible, Ten Gallon Hat), Canteen, Barrel, Mustang, and Hideout. General Store can be great in helping increase the amount of cards in others' hands.<br /><br /><b>Cards weakened by Youl Grinner's ability</b>: Duplicates of cards in play and defensive cards that remain in the hand (Missed!, Dodge), as he cannot voluntary play them to drop the amount of cards in his hand. Gatling and Indians! can still be powerful attacks, but by often lowering the amount of cards in all other players' hands, he may be weakening his leaching ability.<br /><br /><b>Cards less effective when played against Youl Grinner</b>: Steal and discard cards targeting his hand (Panic!, Cat Balou, Can Can, Brawl, Rag Time, Conestoga).<br /><br /><b>Ideal role for Youl Grinner</b>: All. As a Renegade it doesn't often matter whose cards he steals, as a Sheriff he can get hooked up from his Deputy with great cards, and as an Outlaw he will almost always being syphoning off cards from the Sheriff who tends to have more cards in his hand (5 life point character usually).<br /><br /><b>Characters that counter Youl Grinner well:</b> <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/03/character-guide-pat-brennan.html">Pat Brennan</a> (he can steal cards Youl Grinner and others have in play instead of drawing cards, allowing him to control his the amount of cards in his hand well), <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/03/character-guide-suzy-lafayette.html">Suzy Lafayette</a> (she can pass on cards creating hiccups in her chain-drawing ability--typically, Missed!, to draw many more cards during her turn), <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/03/character-guide-bill-noface.html">Bill Noface</a> (his ability is maximized by starting his turn with fewer cards in his hand due to card/life point constraints and then picking up a lot during his drawing phase; he may be able to mostly avoid giving cards to Youl Grinner), <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/01/character-guide-willy-kid.html">Willy the Kid</a> (ability to dispose of BANG! makes it hard for Youl Grinner to have fewer cards in his hand than Willy the Kid; however, it does make it hard for Willy the Kid to store up BANG!), <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/02/character-guide-sid-ketchum.html">Sid Ketchum</a>/<a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/03/character-guide-doc-holyday.html">Doc Holyday</a> (transmutable abilities allow them to drop down the amount of cards in their hands), <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/08/character-guide-lee-van-kliff.html">Lee Van Kliff</a> (depleting BANG! to replicate cards in his hand helps drop the amount of cards in his hand), and Teren Kill (living on the edge ability makes it unlikely for Youl Grinner to steal cards from him).<br /><br /><b>Characters that Youl Grinner counters well:</b> <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/04/character-guide-sean-mallory.html">Sean Mallory</a> (storing up cards for his card limit benefit makes it so that he will likely always have to hand cards over to Youl Grinner), <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/08/character-guide-big-spencer.html">Big Spencer</a> (if he can store up cards due to his amount of life points, chances are he will always have to give cards to Youl Grinner while his life points are high; however, since Missed! are worthless to him, Big Spencer can pass those on easily in some occasions), <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/02/character-guide-jesse-jones.html">Jesse Jones</a> (if he uses his ability against Youl Grinner, Grinner has fewer cards in his hand, making it easier for Grinner to nab cards from others), <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/02/character-name-el-gringo-inspired-by.html">El Gringo</a>/<a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/02/character-guide-bart-cassidy.html">Bart Cassidy</a> (while losing life points makes them gain cards, they will likely have to hand the gained card to Youl Grinner at the beginning of their turns), <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/01/character-guide-slab-killer.html">Slab the Killer</a> (who will draw Missed! from other players, and so playing 2 to avoid Slab the Killer's BANG! is both doable and beneficial for his ability), <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/09/character-guide-flint-westwood_20.html">Flint Westwood</a> (card swapping ability increases the amount of cards in his hand, making it easier for Youl Grinner to steal cards), <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/09/character-guide-john-pain.html">John Pain</a> (drawing on "draws!" makes it likely he will hand cards to Youl Grinner at the beginning of his turn), <br /><br /><b>2-player value</b>: Excellent; the card pressure will force his opponent to use cards or pass them to him. However, his rival would be wise to pass non-efficacious Beer in their hand to Youl Grinner.<br /><br /><b>General Strategy as Youl Grinner</b>: Youl Grinner's ability has a stronger effect on the players whose turns follow closely after his. Since he only gains cards when players have more cards in their hand than him, he will (all things being equal) be at his lowest card amount at the end of his own turn. Then, during the next couple of turns, he will pick up cards from players to his left. In larger games, players to his right may hardly feel the impact of his ability until later on in the game. This can be really good or bad for Youl Grinner depending on whether or not his allies (if he has any) are on his left or right sides. If his allies are to his left, then his team should work on making Youl Grinner their main attack force. As the store up defensive cards, they can pass on their most powerful offensive cards to Youl Grinner. Grinner can use them to deal out damage and deplete his cards to pick up more from his allies. Of course, when needed, defensive cards may also be passed.<br /><br />If his rivals are to his left, he is in great position to drain them if he lowers the amount of cards in his hand. However, defensive cards may be necessary as they will hate his constant leaching. This can be best compensated by getting green defensive cards, a Barrel, and defensive sight modifiers in play. That way if he plays several offensive cards, he still has a defense if they want to quickly retaliate. Fortunately, as long as they have more cards than him, he will always get at least 1 additional card before he is attacked. He should be careful with expending all of his BANG!, though. All the cards he puts in play will do little to deflect Duel or Indians! played against him. Ideally, he should try to get down to a BANG! and a Missed! (or have a defensive card in play) by the end of his turn. This will maximize his leaching ability, while still protecting him.<br /><br />With his discard/steal cards, he should likely make sure not to waste them on players with more cards than him (as he will likely steal from them anyway). Otherwise, he may end up losing the card he would have stolen from them anyway. This danger is increased when the discard/steal cards are Conestoga or Can Can. He should try to use them on players that already have fewer cards than him to compound their weaker situation.<br /><br /><b>Playing against Youl Grinner</b>: Youl Grinner is another one of the irritating characters in Wild West Show that affects the way all other players play and manage their hands. With Gary Looter, most players could make sure that they did not exceed their cards limits, so Gary Looter tended to only benefit when people wanted to hand him cards (which works obscenely well when he is Sheriff). Of course, with both Gary Looter and Youl Grinner, players had to be somewhat careful when playing draw cards like Wells Fargo and Stagecoach. However, Youl Grinner is more irritating because you are not only monitoring the amount of cards in your hand more closely, but also the amount of cards in Youl Grinner's hand. Generally speaking, you will not want to have more cards in your hand by the end of your turn than Youl Grinner <i>if it appears that you will have more cards in your hand them him by your next turn</i> (turn order, as explained in the previous section affects this quite a bit). <br /><br />When you do end up giving cards to Youl Grinner, look at the cards he has in play and those that you have seen him pick up/play to try to give him a less advantageous card. Also consider the card(s) you will be playing during your turn. If you are going to play an Indians! or Duel against Youl Grinner, you will probably not want to hand him a BANG! to defend against them.<br /><br />In some ways, Youl Grinner's ability can be exploited. If you want a player to your left to lose a card if he has the same amount of cards in his hand and Youl Grinner, see if shooting at or discarding/stealing a card from Youl Grinner might remove a card from his hand. He may opt to take a hit instead of drop a card (or deflect it with a green defensive card or Barrel), but maybe not. Then, at the next player's turn, he will have to give a card to Youl Grinner. This could be used advantageously both as a rival or an ally of Youl Grinner.<br /><br />Often with Youl Grinner, killing him is about prioritizing. Since he is leaching cards from players close to his left, think about whether or not those players are his allies. If he is a Sheriff, those other players will be of huge benefit to him, and so you may not be able to ignore them if you are an Outlaw. You might want to kill them first. Even if he is not the Sheriff, killing off his allies can be a great move. Since defensive cards will tend to sit in his hand, this can increase the amount of cards in his hand if Youl Grinner is not targetted. While a smart Youl Grinner will try to use more offensive cards to compensate, this will still make his ability activate less often. This will work even better if you adjust his sight constraints, so that he cannot easily use BANG! against his rivals. Your steal/discard cards will work well against the cards he has in play as they will not modify the amount of cards in his hand. Using a Jail on Youl Grinner when his card limit is maxed out (or the amount of cards in his hand is higher than others) can also help. After nuking out his allies, you will have to focus on Youl Grinner.<br /><br />Once Youl Grinner is your direct target, you can avoid his ability in some ways. Get defensive green cards, defensive sight modifiers, and a Barrel in play, and then become more free with depleting your hand (made easier with a Volcanic). Offensive combos can also be powerful, but they have the difficulty of being stored up. If played correctly (and luckily), as Youl Grinner's life points drop, you will still tend to have in your hand less than or equal to the amount of cards in his hand.<br /><br /><center><a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/p/bang-character-strategy-guides.html">Return to the BANG! Character Guides Portal</a></center></div>Martin Pulidohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15744590692797682125noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7419437603615826921.post-26418307289670903082011-09-25T22:16:00.000-07:002011-09-25T22:20:23.869-07:00Design: Playing Card StatsFollowing up on the OO/Excel <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/07/design-character-ability-stats.html">spreadsheets I created for character abilities</a>, I have created spreadsheets for the playing cards in BANG!. This should be useful for modders, who want to think about what card types/values are used (and for balancing), as well as players of BANG!, helping them recognize card type trends and card count. As with the previous spreadsheets, I have tried to be very meticulous in my descriptions of the cards. The statistics include BANG!, Dodge City, Robbers' Roost orange module (RRO), Robbers' Roost purple module (RRP), and Robbers' Roost complete (RR). It does not cover any of the event cards, such as those is A Fistful of Cards, High Noon, and Wild West Show.<br /><br />The spreadsheet contains the following information on playing cards:<br /><ul><li><b>Card Names.</b></li><br /><li><b>Expansion included in.</b></li><br /><li><b>Color.</b></li><br /><li><b>Card Type.</b> There are 19 types that I broken the cards into: Basic Attacks, Special Attacks (like Duel, Indians!), Defensive, Life Point Modifiers, Discard, Steal, Draw, Gun, Offensive Sight Modifiers, Defensive Sight Modifiers, Random Damage (Dynamite), Turn Skipper (Jail), Perma-Defensive (Barrel), Duel Modifier (Standoff), Special Defensive, Disabler, Special Steal, Passer, and Swapper.</li><br /><li><b>Value Trend.</b> This tales you if cards with a specific name tend to have a certain suit, color, and/or number value. For instance, "Cat Balou" tend to be higher-valued diamonds. With some cards I note percentages where suits are heavily split. So I note BANG! are 38% clubs/45% diamonds, and Missed! are 38% clubs/54% spades. This can be useful for a modder in the following ways: (1) When adding cards to balance the new cards he introduces to BANG!, he can be given a good idea of what values he should assign; (2) When adding new cards that are a similar type to cards in BANG!, he is given a starting point for assigning a value them. For players this can be useful in considering, for instance, what cards Apache Kid is immune to.</li><br /><li><b>Values.</b> This column provides in an itemized manner the values of cards with the same name. NOTE: BANG! and Dodge City values are not separated here. If this is desired, I can split them into another column.</li><br /><li><b>RR Values.</b> This column provides in an itemized manner the values of cards with the same name in the RR expansion. I recognized that many modders would not want these values included in the BANG!+DC values. This would help them create their own modules. On the other hand, I wanted to include the values to (1) show how RR integrates into BANG!, and also (2) provide the resources for making modules compatible with RR. I hope the BANG! Community will aim at compatibility amongst its modding projects.</li><br /><li><b>Range.</b> This column explains at what distance seen a card can be played. When it is played on one's self specifically, I give it a value of "N/A." When it applies to any player seen at distance 1, I give it "1." If it can reach within a distance (such as with Toss, Dive, or Push), I put "within [insert distance seen]." When it depends on the gun in play, I put down "Gun-based" (although it is of course modified by the offensive/defensive sight modifiers as well; gun-based is simply a lazy way of putting it). If it reaches all players, all players, or any player at any distance, I put down "Any."</li><br /><li><b>Impacts.</b> This column notes whom the played card impacts. This typically involves one of the following values: self, 1 player (which could include one self), 1 other player, 1 random player (for Dynamite), all other players, other players in a line of fire (for Cannon and Artillery), and all players. Sometimes it is a combination. For the orange and purple cards the impact value is more specific: attacking player, attacker, defending player, 1 other hit player (for Gaping Wound), player whose turn it is (Confiscate, Hit Me), and player with defensive sight modifier (for Track Down).</li><br /><li><b>Activator.</b> This column notes which agent makes the card playable: one self (like in Gatling), another (like in Missed!), or both (like in Beer: playable on your turn, or when you lose your last life point due to another player's attack).</li><br /><li><b>Activating Event.</b> The column describes the specific event that makes this card playable. Often, this is as simple as it being one's playing phase or one being the target of a basic attack. However, this can be more complicated, such as for last chance Beers. This is especially for orange cards, which can only be played at many specific events: when another player takes a hit, when a player targets another player with a basic or special attack, when a player plays a card to avoid an attack, when a player plays any card, another player's drawing phase, and so forth.</li><br /><li><b>Extra Details</b>. Several cards have extra details about them that are important to note. For instance, only 1 BANG! can be played during a playing phase by default. Beer have no effect if played when only 2 players remain. Jail cannot be played on the Sheriff. Some cards in both Dodge City and Robbers' Roost require discarding a card to play them (Springfield, Rag Time, Brawl, Bandage, Warpath, etc.). Wells Fargo, Stagecoach, Pay Day, and Hit Me activate Wild West Show event cards. In this column, I put in these extra details for playing cards. I also place the benefits of having a specific blue card in play here.</li><br /><li><b>Outcome of Playing</b>. This column explains what happens when the card is played. This is often just a breakdown of the text or symbols on the cards. Some other items are noted, such as when a gun comes into play it replaces any non-duplicate gun card already in play (if a duplicate, it could not come into play in the first place). I note the initial/latent effects for the purple cards here.</li><br /><li><b>% Columns</b>. The card data concludes with 6 columns breaking down the probability of drawing a specific card from a specific deck setup. For instance, there are 25 BANG! in the base game, so there is a 31.25% chance of drawing it from a complete 80-card base deck. These deck set ups can vary; hence, the 6 columns. However, in BANG! + Dodge City there are 29 BANG!, so there is a 24.20% chance of drawing a BANG! from a complete 120-card BANG! + Dodge City deck. Quite a difference, no? Since there are several deck setups, I created columns showing drawing probabilities for drawing a specific card in a deck setups for BANG!, BANG! + Dodge City, BANG! + Dodge City + Robbers' Roost orange module, BANG! + Dodge City + Robbers' Roost purple module, and BANG! + Dodge City + Robbers' Roost complete. The last column explains the reason for certain shifts of drawing probabilities in Robbers' Roost.</li></ul><br />After the Card Data, I provided another tab for a little "Meta Card Data." This tab only provides 1 sources of information. First, it notes how many cards belong to specific types in the different deck setups. So in BANG!, there are 5 cards with unique names belonging to the gun card type. In BANG! + Dodge City + Robbers' Roost there are 7. Secondly, I note the probability of randomly drawing a certain type from a complete deck setup. The earlier card data probabilities only noted the chances of drawing a card with a specific name, like BANG!. This data notes the chances of drawing the type (like "basic attacks") from a complete deck. It explores the probabilities in the 5 different deck setups like before.<br /><br />The hope is that this spreadsheet will enable you to both mod and play BANG! better. As with the character ability stats, I would love to get some feedback on this spreadsheet. It has taken a good chunk of time to put together, but I am sure there are typos, inconsistencies, and some poor labels. Feel free to post comments here.<br /><br />Like before, I have made the spreadsheet available in both <a href="http://bit.ly/owxCLZ">Open Office Calc</a> and <a href="http://bit.ly/nY23bV">Microsoft Excel</a> formats.Martin Pulidohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15744590692797682125noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7419437603615826921.post-51860828826782344452011-09-21T15:49:00.000-07:002011-11-16T22:00:55.673-08:00Robbers' Roost: Updated 8.5" x 11" Card Sheets Available<center><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9AjTGxDXfTyfLT5Rlrno8n3eamNzjPdKF4jxiAvgL6FHuWbRiiOuQfY99YYoNuojRt3evKB-aIzINAIC0Ln8EfWhRb5pSCDvshf2UJfK5AcXuzOIaSeFLQKImd4MD9jMgltTvU7PuLw/s512/8half11set.jpg" "BANG! Robbers' Roost Cards" /></center><br /><br />Gearing up for the POD-ready print-and-play files for Robbers' Roost, I have updated and <a href="http://bit.ly/vVIuv8">provided for download</a> new 8.5" x 11" card sheets. These updates include:<br /><ul><li>The new purple cards. All of the values have been changed across the board to help with modularity. The "orange" expansion can be played separately from the "purple," or together with it, with no significant imbalance to BANG!. The orange expansion is identified by the horseshoe symbols (characters were given this symbol too), while the purple expansion is identified by the oxhead symbols.</li><br /><li>All the latest adjustments to the playing cards.</li><br /><li>All the latest adjustments to the characters.</li></ul><br /><br />Furthermore, certain character abilities have been adjusted once again:<br /><br /><ul><li><b>Jack West</b>. I noted before how his ability was too similar to "Colorado Bill" in the upcoming Czech expansion, <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/08/valley-of-shadows-new-czech-expansion.html">Valley of Shadows</a>. My general opinion is that modders should strive for compatibility and novelty across the expansions. I will be working very hard to make RR compatible with Death Mesa, Gold Rush, Wild West Show, Valley of Shadows, and even Directors' Cuts. I also want RR to provide something new in all of its new cards. Jack West's ability has thus been changed to the following: "Whenever a card is played or used against Jack, and resolved, he may immediately discard a card of the same color to draw that card from the discard pile." I thank those that helped me consider a new ability for Jack.</li><br /><li><b>Flint Dixon</b>. Due to player feedback, Flint's ability has become slightly more complex: "Whenever Flint plays a <b>BANG!</b>, he chooses whether his target must discard a <b>BANG!</b> or a <b>Missed!</b> to avoid it. <b>Barrel</b> still may be utilized to avoid his shot.</li><br /><li><b>Crazy Wolf</b>. The change of values in the cards made me adjust his ability somewhat. Now, a sum 13+ provides a <b>Missed!</b>, 17 a <b>Dodge</b>, and 20 a <b>Missed!</b> + <b>BANG!</b> against his attacker.</li><br /><li><b>Queen Anne</b>. To balance her more with Pat Brennan, her ability has been modified: "Once on her turn, she may discard a BANG! and another card to discard any card in play."</li><br /><li><b>Josey Bassett</b>. Josey can now use cards (green) during her turn and still get her bonus. Latent effects of purple cards will also not impede the bonus: "If Josey does not play any cards during her turn, she can draw 2 extra cards at the end of her playing phase. She can always hold as many cards in her hand as her max health."</li><br /><li><b>Laura Billion</b>. If the "draw!" is successful, she draws the cards during her next drawing phase. This was changed so as to not create any problems with dynamite explosions, Jail, etc.</li><br /><li><b>Lela Devere</b>. Wording changed to be clearer: "Whenever she would directly hit 1 player, Lela may choose to steal a card from that player instead. The card may either be in that player’s hand or in play."</li></ul><br /><br />You may <a href="http://bit.ly/vVIuv8">download the zip file containing all Robbers' Roost PDFs here</a>. I would appreciate if any blog readers might print out the RR characters (even in black and white) and play test them during some games. RR characters could be played with alone, selection being done out of a bag that the print outs were thrown into. Thanks! I hope this is enjoyed by some.<br /><br />As a final note, I have finally updated the <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/p/robbers-roost-expansion.html">Robbers' Roost</a> page to have the most current information on the expansion.Martin Pulidohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15744590692797682125noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7419437603615826921.post-12606682225399908112011-09-20T18:41:00.000-07:002011-09-20T20:15:22.269-07:00Death Mesa: Traducción en Español<style type="text/css">.nobrtable img { padding:0px; border:none; }</style><br /><div class="nobrtable">He estado trabajando con muchos aficionados españoles de BANG! para crear una traducción española de Death Mesa. He recibido mucho trabajo por Pani, slab, Jack Nolddor, y Cénaro. Yo he combinado sus esfuerzos para hacer una traducción que incluye todos los cambios más recientes introducidos en la nueva edición en Inglés. Hasta ahora, los nombres de las cartas y sus descripciones son completas. Se puede ver los resultados aquí. Voy a actualizar este puesto en el futuro para incluir a todas las materiales españolas de Death Mesa.<br /><br /><h2 style="text-align:center">18" x 12" Cardsheets (Hojas de Cartas)</h2><br /><center><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWBZcJ4MxAzvLZkIzx_8e8KWmouhVWeAwrBEx_UCyWC4V8rg3JJqQQkVKtwB5kUXo6IIbajody-huAq9UCV8_8-nTGY90elsE5ieIjln2FehCWHWALjFTC8lVSHKtR9qyL9pe2lzMTuA//" alt="Death Mesa Spanish" /></center><br /><br /><center><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiktMY_M-JlLiHV3QhMgOJklw_7z-DOdLljPJ9Ua3xlHwySBI0OUwybr5BvXCpg0MxidCy8jICVLMYRLTuqk_nUn0lOnARrLpYbQidznii14asM3CM2aXEog0NvpJn9RPFH1hl2z1RUeQ//" alt="Death Mesa Spanish" /></center><br /><br /><center><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrbboZuE4UszKnhQLy-fFuncG7MDBLj_vWVqgIN3zzw0ygJWvzGnSopbirCdUi2yw8K1pYWZqJfsAEJq8cUs4SuXODVm0M0AA5xSN_5-vrzIGMGFd9LaNfURu911llRXQkT-aW61C0qA//" alt="Death Mesa Spanish" /></center><br /><h2 style="text-align:center">Cartas en <em>Death Mesa</em></h2><table width="626" border="0" cellpadding="4" style="font-size:70%; text-align:justify;" ><tr><td style="vertical-align:top;" width="150"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjBsZjqtPuWs-wrEqEnyjxrm4Jf3Y02c_2uLotY8o4Ljr-6diVwBgEc1IInhcqX_7YSO1EhD07T_eAsCb4EyObaOFACeR-aKyK_EU287GMVSw6s1lYwHCGNCj1JLhaOvFguenbfhjUGQ/s1600/curse.jpg" border="0" alt="Maldición" /><b>Maldición</b>. Un jugador vivo de tu elección debe descartar 1 carta más al final de su fase de descarte. Añádela a tu “herencia del difunto.”</td><td style="vertical-align:top;" width="150"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwIN4lnZjzc_j1e1K2nMa3ErP0cuvlEuJ9_Ero4YEdycGWvXDktRNUBhKyUBEIAOk2-OimVIngH54XKQDsfScxKCX3Pfbh5DcSAnfseCiHsfX_a6J1jQGgL4qBlgtXDHOSlbsUmsvRUQ/s1600/cemetary.jpg" border="0" alt="Cementerio" /><b>Cementerio</b>. Todos los fantasmas muestran sus cartas “herencia del difunto.” Elige a un jugador vivo. Este robará 2 cartas y cada jugador a la izquierda de este robará 1 también.</td><td style="vertical-align:top;" width="150"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZRRHDxTqX5Go0SjLqO-xR4wP3Dy5YXV4NEI3Mffvzoz1UrDBBvWDgM5-mw8XMhiZ98NVkMoYAiSEZhEoDhermV9LK8tO9UkUp0kTCNmeLyJlXkfeVOwwe76LHaHs8fzqWyRs-saGpMg/s1600/bloodjuice.jpg" border="0" alt="Zumo de Sangre" /><b>Zumo de Sangre</b>. Elige un jugador vivo para que el recupera una vida.</td><td style="vertical-align:top;" width="150"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5d2LNvpldR41N7amUfE66RxlcCfqyoBTLv5aB0r2yD1kOzhE4bOSJbvHQfVKx_QQy3ywDEbQ5W6IWGo0egh1JHwFoKhL31evc8J1B4Vh7_6joFUfh5kSqiOBU9F_PPnhCR4Q4V98N-Q/s1600/badmoonrising.jpg" border="0" alt="Luna Oscura" /><b>Luna Oscura</b>. “¡Desenfunda!” Picas: los jugadores vivos deben descartar 2 cartas o perder una vida. Tréboles: deben descartar 1 carta o perder una vida. Corazónes: deben robar una carta.</td></tr><tr><td style="vertical-align:top;" width=150"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCeusPb8YxEoZfW5QZb3WezHTxKfyOqIwxJMiiqWWrDPiANdrghswrolDXjeJnlDyaOlqsU0RLWXcQy8KS8zOqgzPcg1yyOu1egr83XHvXoIGn6ZbXWuN3qd-_UNpqgMxXbUPW12JblQ/s1600/deathandtaxes.jpg" border="0" alt="Muerte e Impuestos" /><b>Muerte e Impuestos</b>. Elige un jugador vivo para que en su próximo turno robe 1 carta menos. Después, roba 1 carta y ponla en tu “herencia del difunto.”</td><td style="vertical-align:top;" width=150"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTB55B8UMG1W7Ho2pPk7fUatBbyqGDtRuMJkgpVJAC5pflLEhCHqrFUZdSuo2cxQ-bfLvU8utczEJ4qFyFQmULrnq9F919rgNkrAhOaHEK8tDjLNhJ4_tQbqcKbN0__0_OHRgLIdw48A/s1600/eastwind.gif" border="0" alt="Viento del Este" /><b>Viento del Este</b>. Elige 2 jugadores vivos. Cuando ellos intenten atacarse hasta tu próximo turno, deberán usar 2 cartas con el símbolo de ¡bang!. Ellos eligen cuál de los efectos de las 2 cartas se produce.</td><td style="vertical-align:top;" width=150"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQdmEEZFHBUxA2Zh0wn2pl06Sn6iWZguTryQFMtWBXKa0MwcQr1VsTBUgb4R153SE3ajExRzUnFQzy7ldb6CDjX0UnjHOyQi8YVUm4nvjKjrwthy2jLrKHHtD-QUbX3jZjpulgkTi0Sg/s1600/dryspell.jpg" border="0" alt="Sequía" /><b>Sequía</b>. El jugador objetivo no puede recuperar vidas con bebidas alcohólicas (incluido <b>Salón</b>) hasta tu próximo turno.</td><td style="vertical-align:top;" width=150"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzcjs1qQUIsbJDFbCHlf5Rx2bWAxQaNBzUEevlHgck9O3doyzkPo6Fyl-gOIP6y_EJYcp0dro7Ft6A5tKxIU6_lCebJrPsbIBbcocHsIaPZ0w8D3wiXup3fIVuSSlaxMSqli9Ru0zDNA/s1600/desicrategrave.jpg" border="0" alt="Profanación" /><b>Profanación</b>. Descarta 2 cartas de un fantasma. Las cartas pueden estar en su “herencia del difunto" o en su mano (cartas del mazo de los hombres muertos).</td></tr><tr><td style="vertical-align:top;" width=150"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYZnMHrqL6xnYD64yuU3p2aj84EQthKavLZgX312vHL1AffdLY0CGy2r9Z1SH1vt2gYYS41IRCOZ18xCvHSZKYQTF98EYioT65NWnb6lXl5Z2PoPlLk8gOs_Ivc-6Vr1Y0HyGKARruNw/s1600/decay.jpg" border="0" alt="Decadencia" /><b>Decadencia</b>. Descarta 1 carta en frente a cualquier jugador vivo, a menos que juegue un <b>¡Fallaste!</b>.</td><td style="vertical-align:top;" width=150"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl82ILf8XXkk3rEQQvsjxjNtJEaVPlNZDEz9m6h8MV5oCoUMB518AsoNW0vYLtH8DVHtqo5SR6eZufaRBjMqeXI121pPij5Et-7mpGFFzWndDGNX9nAQVltlsjIq6-QnbWISiSb7geWw/s1600/ghoststories.jpg" border="0" alt="Historias de Miedo" /><br /><b>Historias de Miedo</b>. El jugador de tu elección solo podrá utilizar 1 carta en su próximo turno.</td><td style="vertical-align:top;" width=150"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1yHJX0Ldc-LslauogVnKaeXd6fjJ-KeKnXacBYirvCwz3ZRvaHrspHi8s8JV5JbGctNOr-jq-Ygku32tmbFt2AGEP-kRJZmjS4DXFtBcIqBMmdpPRBjfgV8ywPphgpsn2UL69TbmQzw/s1600/lastestament.jpg" border="0" alt="Voluntad" /><b>Voluntad</b>. Juega esta carta para darle a un jugador vivo 1 carta a tu elección de tu “herencia del difunto.” Después, roba 1 carta del mazo normal y ponla en tu “herencia del difunto.”</td><td style="vertical-align:top;" width=150"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBOM2_0FdxvFQ7cuKW8r2OeHdqpxF8jDaSxq2oQLk-Vbl3kv_0TCKnYBDrdyIzSog-acD6nHwwWGdzNL2Flgp4fcSfh-TJPZmk7tDzqa_CsL0iYviFSqECnG0cETuDv14V62nwlhyphenhyphen_jw/s1600/inmemoriam.jpg" border="0" alt="In Memoriam" /><b>In Memoriam</b>. Elige un jugador. El puede jugar en su próximo turno tantos <b>¡BANG!</b> como quiera, si el objetivo es tu asesino. Si tu asesino está muerto, el jugador puede jugar 1 <b>¡BANG!</b> extra.</td></tr><tr><td style="vertical-align:top;" width=150"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzCxCrwFywoxik1U7S1VWIL0VRvrVDI1WPGSGWe6OcXN5b1crFXCz8qsnhFq5b1AIufRueO1F55v7Mhz2-m-B6k55eQtN_eR-1sI5zSrJHty2AUds2C6NTw17QPOIbGkkpdPCmS-uwnA/s1600/hiddenstash.jpg" border="0" alt="Merci Nascoste" /><b>Merci Nascoste</b>. 1 giocatore in vita a tua scelta pesca 1 carta dal deck normale o da un tesoro sepolto a sua scelta.</td><td style="vertical-align:top;" width=150"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXg0YgUinMGA06cWpcpclFo3P8kW1Y5e5lLAQykLN0GTJrPtGWpgUpfo9s3GXm3dSn5Sw2htnsefTfYFc8t4kiDMD_Z_oRJ66Q4CL3dEN3v55dMJpj5ToZ9jJF74WFu-aJocApDQfkAw/s1600/guiltyconscience.jpg" border="0" alt="Tesoro Oculto" /><b>Tesoro Oculto</b>. Elige un jugador vivo para que robe 1 carta del mazo o de tu “herencia del difunto.” Si la carta robada de tu “herencia del difunto” es negra, el jugador roba 1 de nuevo.</td><td style="vertical-align:top;" width=150"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgucvRFuyHrb2F25d0OHETPiplqSurRkNfYMNc9cYwSmpi0oYsZEwmO6tuiw_X5SmvDLFG0gkjX0OLHNCsXY9ueid8PmiTmr2gdMoGENz1IKJZyLLs3dEstFHqjWYmNoAPLKksV91f9Ng/s1600/mirage.jpg" border="0" alt="Espejismo" /><br /><b>Espejismo</b>. Cuando un jugador sea objetivo de un ataque directo usa esta carta para desviar el ataque a 1 de los 2 jugadores adyacentes al atacante.</td><td style="vertical-align:top;" width=150"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbYDbK4oaaTRMy6oH-ZpvlSzOsHjNM15ShP5-tlMIbxUs1IR1KED4ROr9FfzBW_qJvAZyT43JWGxcaTEXS-towfxaANI9R_rwXog8ulqd4E2y4BnGt5i8dBCbH9vI_CLJtzW-7K7u-PA/s1600/properburial.jpg" border="0" alt="Entierro Digno" /><b>Entierro Digno</b>. Elige un jugador vivo. Si no juega o usa ninguna carta en su próximo turno, robará 2 cartas al final de la fase de descarte.</td></tr><tr><td style="vertical-align:top;" width=150"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Gxy76Z9taqZ9aqIL7RLSGhr418AibKMT2p0mm6gA4-f1m8OmwZJW5uzITY7PYS4-HmIFAvjoJLy9z2z7_X8R5Yt_SeN9oR_3syUrchPKyv7yoQWrrEAzhtIUIF2bxpfeAWF8bCpJXQ/s1600/possess.jpg" border="0" alt="Poseido" /><br /><b>Poseido</b>. Elige 1 carta de la mano de un vivo. Juegála, teniendo en cuenta las distancias del jugador poseído. La carta puede usarse contra el propio jugador poseído. Puedes jugar cartas azules y verdes en frente de otros. Si la carta no puede ser jugada, ha de devolverse al dueño.</td><td style="vertical-align:top;" width=150"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSDeEj84l9wBv5oWtB83MjcsVDe2JEpZaQe5qfF2zz-YLwDCtpW59BF46KYnEmbzEMoXI2saIjjePh7af5gsbnKdxy30XAogatajyCOe2E27vBBc5hmKdwjmgG2q3jeFgp-WA54Z1s-A/s1600/poltergeist.jpg" border="0" alt="Poltergeist" /><b>Poltergeist</b>. Todos los jugadores vivos deben descartar 1 carta que jugaron en frente de sí mismos (excluyendo la <b>Dinamita</b> activada). Si no pueden, pierden 1 vida.</td><td style="vertical-align:top;" width=150"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUmgnzt3hBDdNIojq6Wbz_xwB-fVK8cM6kz13Fy0ZJVJ_bQX17-d-bHP0xLD77tUJFvbixWe38l2bh-h9ULYa9Btg-6nXO8ws4WyJNvKgpb9fel_cfjJPj_1-V1zPqTSHoblbocNxmJg/s1600/nightmare.jpg" border="0" alt="Pesadilla" /><br /><b>Pesadilla</b>. Elige un jugador. Este perderá su habilidad hasta tu próximo turno.</td> <td style="vertical-align:top;" width=150"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGVYT9TvLfScLmqxg5MYnkcsos77_y_1q_RBVUsWBG_vXk2wjE-jTuqV_YqE3V3qti-2te_v69bmlrV7dDXi4rqJvsqLs9cUjONhxkasX4xUCQGJpsQWONjrQTHn50e0f0jJGigsn_Yg/s1600/robgrave.jpg" border="0" alt="Pillaje" /><b>Pillaje</b>. Roba una carta de la herencia del difunto de otro jugador muerto y entrégasela a un jugador vivo. Después, roba 1 carta y ponla en tu “herencia del difunto.”</td></tr><tr><td style="vertical-align:top;" width=150"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEsvZde6FDkk9IHnpVcZW7rfMR2MTyx1Xj7KEcLa5KXfRhQ0wn4u2eGP0-xHOeGziVZ2yq6oHJ6_u2VUELQ-QE3pjW37JZwFa6vy5B1huRrg9BRY2Qd7zbRpY2UWuOonqsonLTGOhkRQ/s1600/spook.gif" border="0" alt="¡Asustar!" /><b>¡Asustar!</b>. Bang! un jugador vivo.</td><td style="vertical-align:top;" width=150"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZIy7rAG_le8lLEdiNugGtpK1-I1OGLfZlN4ZbT5SOkwuSuvijM2F8B6QwvZkSYBqRrKTpXBWYHEaBk9vm8QA2vCGGUK7RfiYRhWATfO6fXLrgAYPGyvQDpNDNprUOzqpwc4uebwf_DA/s1600/warn.gif" border="0" alt="Advertencia" /><b>Monito</b>. Ofrece un ¡fallaste! para un jugador vivo. Esta carta puede ser jugada durante el turno de otro jugador.</td><td style="vertical-align:top;" width=150"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdPXYcKq3FzI_p5pf_Fze2UyOZfxaGzSwhkj-kP-OCTlh82QVECe27vebOp0xe8-vcy2PtwHrJ7FH5Z3HDSMTYLlsqjlVKLfg3wjyY6UOUdP403MGGD5sYekbGQH5Ccm7hirXwsOPcKQ/s1600/terrify.jpg" border="0" alt="Terror" /><b>Terror</b>. Elige 1 carta en frente de o en la mano de un jugador vivo. Ponla bocarriba en horizontal y en frente a él. No podraá usarla hasta su próximo turno.</td><td style="vertical-align:top;" width=150"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAG_370060zyBUv6rbUwyfVlNvRayYQmMXp15K6TWGQOxrAHifrEbSXzUVDQAkWsP6vN_0C6gDYIGJlypTDF2a8I9qo_6THy0vS9BFO-41qWmxF7qnhq8EDAXaY6_fzqfGS5ixF5tz2A/s1600/syphon.gif" border="0" alt="Espiritismo" /><b>Espiritismo</b>. Roba una carta de un fantasma. No puede negarse.</td></tr><tr><td style="vertical-align:top;" width=150"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxb6Yoc_-3cZGUDQq4zHPU7K6_k1xPA-2NBMF4LipvjOH__GlnQenEQRnHcYnyx9AOFTN31mWpLYV045RVoH8TaHbDAWbj2chDxCPpZLprv-VtwpvAfgJL183sCgDsjFTcaEFoJz-awA/s1600/seance.gif" border="0" alt="Tabla Ouija" /><b>Tabla Ouija</b>. Elige 2 cartas en la mano de un jugador vivo. Secretamente, Míralas y muéstraselas a otro jugador. Ninguna acción puede ocurrir hasta que las cartas se devuelven.</td><td style="vertical-align:top;" width=150"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg82jk_F66JfqWYmA5AGBAtjlSmBbUSAeKnLqa0m4nsL7rCrFnJwoE4xV29y6QVvg69qC9uunU7ETXZJUtil_ox_QQO9nU9mZAZJemfUBsAZNCGs8_cnIoBXZDFBrsTCVSsvSAqElu6Fw/s1600/unfinishedbusiness.jpg" border="0" alt="Asuntos Pendientes" /><b>Asuntos Pendientes</b>. Elige un jugador que atacaste vivo. El debe "¡desenfundar!" Rojo: roba 1 carta de su mano y añádela a tu "herencia del difunto." Negro: Será objetivo de un bang! Si los jugador que atacaste están muertos, elige a otro que necesitas matar para que "¡desenfunde!"</td><td style="vertical-align:top;" width=150"></td><td style="vertical-align:top;" width=150"></td></tr></table><br /></div>Martin Pulidohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15744590692797682125noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7419437603615826921.post-3215989233798556472011-09-20T09:13:00.000-07:002011-11-21T20:17:28.680-08:00Gold Rush: Expansion Details and Commentary<center><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-YqXO6lYN-QK0dEpYIgBEP6FXLlUWuW9dGcHVz3uhnJ5iYfBLIc2L4qJsgTVVlyYTegrEs-kui0WstEhFy5CHpUfx_uNsEtKkv9Pu9cD_NBiDam2G1jI_k_4aku0asrhuXbZF-OT3Qw//" alt="BANG! Gold Rush Expansion" /></center><br /><br />Over a week ago, I noted <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/09/gold-rush-release-date-announcement.html">the release of Gold Rush</a>, the new official expansion to BANG!. I compared the expansion as incorporating elements of my Death Mesa, BANG! Tactics, and the accessory cards in Robbers' Roost beta. Today, I wanted to share some of the exciting details of the expansion.<br /><br /><center><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKsb_8u1Mm3AXpSV0hLmpGyd9HKphqVPib4HGATIpI0DqXW6O4Wj9SzGgFPcNLyYJbZeMh4AkNg-zA3tpIrhq_qC9uuMUN3vsDxfJm48rp2K8v616ewtRGEmSVs8ZgTvMPySJtzutL8Q//" alt="BANG! Gold Rush Expansion Equipment Cards 2" /></center><br /><br /><b>The Equipment Cards</b>. All of the new playing cards in Gold Rush are equipment cards. These equipment cards have a variety of border colors (the borders look like the event card borders at a glance); some being played once and then used (like brown-bordered cards), others played in front of you for future use (green/blue-bordered cards). For instance, "Pardner" is one of the brown colored equipment cards that he can be purchased. Upon playing it, a player can copy the effect of another brown-bordered card. Then it is discarded. Reminds you of Lee Van Kliff's ability, doesn't it? The "Horseshoe" card, on the other hand, is black-bordered, and so is played in front of you and used during "draws!". Equipment cards are not drawn from the normal playing deck. They instead constitute there own separate deck, much like in BANG! Tactics. 3 cards from this equipment deck are revealed at all times. During a player's playing phase (typically phase 2), the equipment cards that are revealed may be purchased. The moment one of them is purchased, a new equipment card is revealed.<br /><br />Equipment cards must be purchased by spending golden nuggets. 30 of these nuggets are included in the game, but if you need more than 30, you are instructed to provide an equivalent (use pennies). They are earned 2 different ways. First, a golden nugget can be gained for each Beer card you play. Second, golden nuggets are earned by making other players take hits. Thus, if I hit a player with a BANG!, I immediately gain a golden nugget. If I hit 3 players with an Indians!, I immediately gain 3 golden nuggets. The accrued golden nuggets are placed in front of the players who earned them for all others to see.<br /><br /><center><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKRV5EaqZcU2B3w0MYSCcOqq7PIh0lgAtYal5NLnrl0682bw31ovoZUDJS-diGpfuBTVrS8LZM6XozFLoTlP-jXcVPZg6PgBrOgFS_QqtMhS8SaDaeUISNKwC_UcWEkB_mw9KFpKB-Iw//" alt="BANG! Gold Rush Expansion Equipment Cards 1" /></center><br /><br />Equipment cards cost a certain number of golden nuggets. This is displayed in the bottom right corner of the equipment card. To purchase an equipment card during a playing phase, a player only needs to expend the amount of golden nuggets described in the bottom right corner of the card. He then gains the card. If the equipment card is brown-bordered, it cannot be saved in one's hand. Rather, it is played immediately and then discarded. If it is black-bordered it is immediately put into play for its purchaser. As with other cards in play, a player cannot buy a duplicate black-bordered card. Any number of equipment cards may be purchased during his turn, and any number of types of black-bordered cards may be had in play.<br /><br />Besides purchasing equipment cards during your playing phase, you may also discard equipment cards during your playing phase. This cannot be done through the typical use of a steal/discard card. Rather, you can only do so by expending 1 more than the number of golden nuggets that an equipment card costs. The owner of the equipment card cannot prevent its discard. Obviously, only black-bordered equipment cards can be discarded since the brown-bordered ones are played immediately during the purchaser's turn. It isn't clear at the moment whether or not one can discard their own equipment cards this way. For instance, I might want to discard a black-bordered card in front of me, and then purchase a duplicate of that card revealed in the equipment pile to prevent someone else from getting it.<br /><br />When an equipment card is used or discarded, place it <i>face up</i> at the bottom of the equipment deck. When a face up card is revealed this signals that the equipment deck needs to be reshuffled. Interestingly, upon player elimination the equipment cards are discarded, but Vulture Sam does not get to pick them up (bummer for him; I can easily see a house rule made to change this).<br /><br /><center><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWg8aZHyG7d6oKAede86EQb1JL6xm264PEnCLDT05aznJEZXudFY_y7bLi0Udjn1Zg49JtrRP56daQWzpdNph5nrq5pQk6s20OuP1Q_BhjM8586j-uudPH7fXp6U-4xX0nPWC1GO0cTw//" alt="BANG! Gold Rush Characters" /></center><br /><br /><b>Character Cards</b>. Gold Rush adds 8 new characters to BANG!: Don Bell, Dutch Will, Jacky Murieta, Josh McCloud, Madam Yto, Pretty Luzena, Raddie Snake, and Simeon Picos. Some of these abilities are pretty neat, such as the ability to "draw!" for an additional turn, to pay golden nuggets to fire a BANG!, to gain golden nuggets when any player plays a Beer, and to have all the costs of equipment cards lowered by 1. Most of the abilities look like they depend on using equipment cards or golden nuggets, so they do have the disadvantage of being less modular. In other words, they wouldn't work well with incorporating them with just the base game. The Dodge City and Wild West Show characters, on the other hand, worked quite will with this incorporation. However, these 8 characters in Gold Rush were designed with the Shadow Gunslinger variant in mind.<br /><br /><center><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZWGoAMVEmcJ6Rju_Ks06-42LmYqglgYGfMddsOCp7gakGwOgRK62T-ox-lJUlRY6EbN1bA2AMQubsGVTxbKYz8j2cduUCX9wJwx6CrZU-GwFuMwK9dUjnlSqM_sFrLH2SqqZwrh-WBA//" alt="BANG! Gold Rush Shadow Gunslingers" /></center><br /><br /><b>Shadow Gunslinger Variant</b>. In this variant, eliminated players can still affect the game. When a player is eliminated, he discards all of his cards like usual, but keeps his golden nuggets. On all of his future turns, he temporarily re-enters play as a shadow version of his previous role (shadow-renegade, shadow-outlaw, shadow-deputy). He draws 2 cards, uses them if he can, and then disappears from the game again at the end of his turn. Since he cannot gain/lose life points, he is not really eliminated at the end of his turn, and so player elimination abilities (Herb Hunter, Vulture Sam, Greg Digger) do not get any benefits from this. As someone has already pointed out, this variant is basically like a permanent Ghost Town. The only difference is that the shadow players can gain gold nuggets from turn to turn. This allows them to save up to purchase equipment cards, which I imagine only the brown-bordered ones would be of any use to buy. However, you could discard others' black-bordered equipment cards. One other specification is made for shadow gameplay: Dynamite skips the shadow players for "draws!".<br /><br />There are also special rules for Shadow Renegade. Death Mesa tried to keep the Renegade aspect of the Renegade through the Zombie Renegade. Gold Rush throws in the towel in trying to balance him and just appropriates him into the Sheriff or Outlaw team. While his allegiance to these teams changes, it is never his choice. On his turn, he sides with the weakest team (the team with the least amount of living players). The calculation for his allegiance is simple: Whatever team has the most face up roles cards, he joins. The "face up roles card" specification is so that it includes all shadow players, <i>plus the Sheriff</i>, whose role card is always revealed. If there is a tie between the two teams, he sides with the Outlaws. The Renegade has a 2-sided shadow role card to indicate which team he is currently aligned with.<br /><br /><b>Initial Thoughts.</b> There is a lot about the Gold Rush expansion that looks good. I think accruing the golden nuggets will be a lot of fun, and the shop mechanic with it looks pretty smooth and great. I hope this will create a lot of what I envisioned in BANG! Tactics. How useful the equipment cards will be depends a lot upon their specific effects, which have not been fully disclosed at the moment. I hope they will allow for a lot more strategic gameplay. It will be interesting to see how they balance out between the more defensive versus offensive characters. Big Spencer looks like a living gold mine for accruing golden nuggets. I really enjoy the idea of accruing golden nuggets by playing Beer too.<br /><br />As for concerns, I am a little disappointed that the characters are so gold nugget focused, but it may really help with the Shadow Gunslinger variant, so I will try to give it some slack. I prefer expansions that are more modular. The Shadow Gunslinger variant I am not completely sold on. It seems to give the Outlaws a better advantage as shadow gunmen, but perhaps the Renegade's switching allegiance will help? From face value, it doesn't look sufficient. Also, it seems to favor certain characters as shadow players. What good are defensive characters, life point sacrificing/regaining characters (Chuck Wengam, Bill Noface, Sid Ketchum), and card limit characters (Sean Mallory, Big Sepncer) as shadow players? Offensive characters (Slab the Killer) and card drawing/transmuting characters (Jose Delgado, Pixie Pete, Black Jack) have a huge advantage over them. While this is why the Gold Rush characters have been more specifically designed with the variant in mind, who wants to play with only the 8 Gold Rush characters? It would seem to make more sense to simply eliminate all character abilities for shadow players. <br /><br />But this the designers do not want to do, because while the Shadow Gunslinger saves BANG! from many of the problems of player elimination, it sacrifices a lot of hand building continuity and planning. Some of this is made up by the accrual and usage of the golden nuggets, and the Gold Rush characters' abilities especially interact with the golden nuggets to help with that. Unfortunately, this brings us back to the favoring of certain characters problem. I think some house rules will have to be invented to sort this out. And even with these fixes, I don't know if the golden nuggets will deliver enough continuity and strategy for the shadow players.<br /><br />The next problem, which really bugs me, is how much the gunslingers break up character ability gameplay since they draw from the normal deck. Kit Carlson can no longer stack up dynamite "draws!" to explode, since the shadow player in between the living player will pick it up. Similarly, an ally of Pedro Ramirez cannot stack a card on the discard pile for him to pick up if a shadow player is in the way. His jail gauntlet ability will also be completely destroyed. I tried to avoid many of these problems in Death Mesa by incorporating the Dead Men's Deck instead.<br /><br />Fortunately, I think Death Mesa and Gold Rush are easily compatible. Gold nuggets will remain with ghosts upon death, and they will be able to accrue/use them just like the shadow players. Equipment cards can be purchased and discarded, but as with the shadow players, they will not be able to keep black-bordered cards at the ends of their turns. This, I hope, may provide a more satisfying solution to the player elimination problem while also incorporating the benefits of Gold Rush.<br /><br />As for the Shadow Renegade solution, I do not know what to think of it. It sure makes the Renegade's life easier, and maybe that is best, instead of trying to find a way to revamp him as I do with the Zombie Renegade. On the other hand, I think the Renegade is a fun player in the game, and it is sort of sad to throw in the towel on his "last man standing" victory conditions. The verdict is out on this one.<br /><br />Anyway, on the whole I am quite excited about Gold Rush, and expect it to be at least as good an addition to BANG! as Dodge City. You can check out the <a href="http://bit.ly/oA5EmF">Gold Rush rulebook that was put online here</a>. If you are interested in Gold Rush, check out my post on the <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/11/gold-rush-bgg-interview-with-roberto.html">Board Game Geek interview with Roberto Corbelli about Gold Rush</a>. I have posted all of the characters and their abilities there.Martin Pulidohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15744590692797682125noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7419437603615826921.post-46640771905752795692011-09-20T08:44:00.000-07:002011-11-22T15:47:37.893-08:00Character Guide: Flint Westwood<div style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffcc66; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-RIGHT: 5px"><br /><center><img alt="Flint Westwood BANG! card game character" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBBfCGGPHHBqPz4Lo-l4VGmwRwOpaeZq2-XN9oCFNyVdZFpQbjLydSTvP17IAU3MhyCMgMyW_9XwTdip6pq2q3hrzuv49ADkB6TgUNfOuTji0fykv07bT6JvFSZfQtobQwu4GpzJ5VmA//" /></center><br /><b>Character Name</b>: Flint Westwood.<br /><br /><b>Inspired by</b>: Clint Eastwood, who played in famous roles such as Joe (the man with no name) in <i>The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.</i><br /><br /><b>Life Points</b>: 4.<br /><br /><b>Ability Type</b>: Neutral, although more powerful in an Offensive sense.<br /><br /><b>Ability</b>: "During his turn, he may trade 1 card from hand with 2 cards at random from the hand of another player." The card from his hand is not at random. As the Notes card provided in the expansion explains, "The card from your hand is your choice, not at random."<br /><br /><b>Activation</b>: During his phase 2, whenever he has at least 1 card in his hand. <i>This ability may only be used once during his turn.</i> This is only cleared up in the FAQ:<blockquote>Q27. How many times can Flint Westwood use his ability during his turn?<br />A. Only once.</blockquote><br /><b>Cards enhanced by Flint Westwood's ability</b>: BANG!, Indians!, Buffalo Rifle, Derringer, Knife, Pepperbox, Howitzer, Springfield, Punch, Gatling, Duel, Cat Balou, Brawl, Panic!, Rag Time, Can Can, Conestoga, and <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/06/card-explanations-draw-cards.html#generalstore">General Store</a>.<br /><br /><b>Good roles for Flint Westwood</b>: All.<br /><br /><b>Characters that counter Flint Westwood well:</b> <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/01/character-guide-jourdonnais.html">Jourdonnais</a> (native defensive ability built in against Flint Westwood), somewhat <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/02/character-name-el-gringo-inspired-by.html">El Gringo</a> (after having cards stolen and taking a hit, he will steal a card back Flint Westwood), somewhat <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/01/character-guide-slab-killer.html">Slab the Killer</a> (he only needs 1 BANG! to dish out damage), <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/01/character-strategy-guide-calamity-janet.html">Calamity Janet</a> (losing a BANG!/Missed! to Flint Westwood is less problematic when you can use them interchangeably), to some extent <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/03/character-guide-pat-brennan.html">Pat Brennan</a> (he can gather defensive cards to have in play, and remove Flint Westwood's offensive sight modifiers), at times <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/03/character-guide-bill-noface.html">Bill Noface</a> (losing health to Flint Westwood can help his card drawing, which he can expend all mostly during his turn), <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/10/character-guide-youl-grinner.html">Youl Grinner</a> (Flint Westwood's card swapping ability won't work well against Youl, as forcing him to have fewer cards will just make Youl accumulate more until his turn), Teren Kill (native defense makes it difficult for Flint Westwood to finish him off, and less important for Teren Kill to have cards in his hand to be stolen), and <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/09/character-guide-john-pain.html">John Pain</a> (card swapping with him won't hurt him much if "draw!" cards are in play).<br /><br /><b>Characters that Flint Westwood counters well:</b> <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/05/character-guide-elena-fuente.html">Elena Fuente</a> (His ability will remove at least 1 card she can use as a Missed!), <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/03/character-guide-suzy-lafayette.html">Suzy Lafayette</a> (He can stack in her hand a card that she cannot use during her turn--cards from the Missed! family), <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/01/character-guide-willy-kid.html">Willy the Kid</a> (Flint Westwood can pillage his built up BANG! supply), <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/05/character-guide-pixie-pete.html">Pixie Pete</a> (destroys his card bonus ability, and weakens his defensive hand), <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/02/character-guide-sid-ketchum.html">Sid Ketchum</a>/<a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/03/character-guide-doc-holyday.html">Doc Holyday</a> (removes cards they can use to convert to regain life points/play BANG!), <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/03/character-guide-tequila-joe.html">Tequila Joe</a> (can steal his stored up Beer quite easily), <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/03/character-guide-molly-stark.html">Molly Stark</a> (he can steal a majority of the cards that she would play out of turn for a bonus), <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/05/character-guide-uncle-will.html">Uncle Will</a> (General Stores played point out to Flint Westwood who to steal from), <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/08/character-guide-big-spencer.html">Big Spencer</a> (can remove any stored up life point modifiers/efficacious defensive cards from his hand), and <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/08/character-guide-lee-van-kliff.html">Lee Van Kliff</a> (deplete BANG! and replicatable cards from his hand).<br /><br /><b>2-player value</b>: Excellent. Card advantage will help him a lot here. However, his rival would be wise to store non-efficacious Beer in their hand for Flint Westwood to pick up.<br /><br /><b>General Strategy as Flint Westwood</b>: Flint Westwood is another very OP character added in Wild West Show. Think of him as a better version of Jesse Jones meeting a better version of Pixie Pete. Flint Westwood can always draw 3 cards a turn like Pixie Pete: 2 from the deck and another from another player (the 1 card for 2 balances out a 1 card gain). This works well in providing him the additional card cost for cards like Springfield, Brawl, and Rag Time. However, unlike Pixie Pete he has 4 life points. Secondly, his third card bonus significantly hurts another player. Like Jesse Jones, he steals from a player's hand. He steals 2 at random instead of 1, and while he must give 1 card from his hand to that player, that card is of his choice. This means he can pass a card that will not be that advantageous to that player (or to himself) for 2 that that player has been storing up. In essence, Flint Westwood is quite the hooker.<br /><br />Due to being OP, Flint Westwood should expect that he will be a greater target. If Flint Westwood is on a team, it will likely be to his advantage to declare his allegiances through his actions earlier on, so that his own allies do not try to weaken him out of fear. Of course, he may still wish to wait somewhat before revealing his role through his actions, so that his allies have some time to build a hand/card base, but it should be quick. When using his ability in the early game, Flint Westwood needs to recognize that it will make enemies. Try to swap cards with those who cannot reach Flint Westwood with BANG!, and swap with multiple players so that the pilfering is equally balanced. Flint Westwood doesn't want to hurt your allies too much, after all. When swapping, Flint Westwood should always have 2 things in mind: (1) Do I need this card? (2) Is this card very useful for the target player's setup? The answers to these questions should typically be "no" if Flint Westwood is going to swap out a card for 2 of another player's. <br /><br />While role revelations are still getting sorted out, Flint Westwood should try to get some defensive cards in play. General Store can be useful to gather powerful cards. He can first pick up a useful card for himself, then use his swapping ability to have a good chance to steal a powerful card picked up by another player. Defensive cards in the hand are less important to focus on gathering. Flint Westwood tends to pick up Missed! with your card swapping abilities since those cards are defensive, played out of turn, and cannot easily be discarded. So gathering those is actually not that difficult. If Flint Westwood needs a Missed!, he should swap with someone he hasn't swapped with in a while. If he wants to get rid of a Missed!, he shouldn't swap up with a player he is trying to kill. Otherwise, Flint Westwood knows that firing a BANG! at him will immediately be ineffective.<br /><br />Once a defensive base is established, Flint Westwood can shift towards using his swapping ability in a very offensively powerful way. Upon picking his target, Flint Westwood can look at what attack cards he has in his hand that he wants to use against his rival. Then, he can swap out a card that cannot defend against his attack cards for 2 that potentially could. A good card for Flint Westwood to swap out would be a weaker gun card if his opponent already has a stronger gun card in play. If he has other discard/steal cards in his hand, then he can deplete his opponent's hand even further. After this, he can now play his offensive cards. This should likely make his target take significant damage. For instance, say Flint Westwood had a Duel, BANG!, Indians!, and Missed! in his hand. He could swap out the Missed! for 2 cards from his rival. He picks up a Missed! and a BANG!. Then, he plays an Indians! and the Duel. With no BANG! in his hand, the rival takes 2 hits. Flint Westwood also knows afterwards that his opponent has a Missed! in his hand; he should use this knowledge for future decisions. He should be able to finish off opponents pretty quickly this way. When he needs Missed! to cover himself, simply swap from other players' hands as needed.<br /><br /><b>Playing against Flint Westwood</b>: Flint Westwood is a very strong rival, but there are some things you can do to play well against him. First, recognize that Flint Westwood's ability only targets cards that are in your hand. As a result, it will be key for you to have cards in play to combat him. This means gathering green offensive and defensive cards, so that you can prepare against his attack after swapping with you. If he grabs your BANG! and plays Indians! or Duel you are out of luck, but you can protect yourself against his other attacks through green defensive cards, Barrel, and defensive sight modifiers (Mustang, Hideout). <br /><br />Also, since he tends to grab half of your out of turn hand (potentially more if you have a 3 card limit, potentially less if you have 5+ card limit), do not store up cards that you typically would. For instance, there is sometimes a desire to store up Beer for "last chance" opportunities. Since Flint Westwood has such a good chance of nabbing that away, use the Beer as soon as it can be efficacious. That way he will not be stealing it from you. Other powerful cards such as Panic! and Cat Balou you should not store up. Use them on your turn, or expect Flint Westwood to steal them from you and then use them immediately on you again to further devastate your hand or the cards you have in play. <br /><br />You may try to build a hand that is more resistant to the Flint Westwood's card swapping. For instance, you could try to keep duplicates of cards in play in front of Flint Westwood in your hand, so that Flint Westwood grabs them but cannot use them. The difficulty with this is that he could steal the other cards in your hand and leave you with just the duplicates: then you are wide open. So that strategy is risky at best. What of other hands to build? Since he grabs about 50% of your cards, the most resistant hand would consist of 2 Missed! and 2 BANG! if you are a 4 card limit character. However, it will be rare for you to be able to have such a hand. Building up the Missed! cards may or may not be that difficult. Upon drawing them, you cannot get rid of them easily. This means they will tend to build up in your hand. As a result, you will have to expect Flint Westwood to steal them. This isn't too problematic if Flint Westwood is not being attacked himself, since he will likely be swapping Missed! from his hand to gather cards. When he is being attacked, he will be less likely to hand out the Missed!, so then you need to be more concerned. This is where your defensive cards in play will be very useful. BANG! are more frequently drawn than Missed!, and with them you will have to decide whether to expend them so Flint Westwood does not pick them up, or keep them in your hand as a defense. If you have 2 BANG!, I recommend keeping them in your hand defensively. If you have 1, I recommend expending it. Of course, part of that decision will depend on the other characters and rivals that are in the game. Not having BANG! in your hand does open you up to special attacks.<br /><br />Some last considerations will be obvious: since Flint Westwood's card swapping ability applies during his turn, placing him in Jail can give your reprieve from his ability for a round. When Flint Westwood (or anyone else) plays a General Store, be careful what you pick up. Flint Westwood will be examining the cards drawn by other players, and if they are powerful he will probably try to use his card swapping ability on them. If you are before him in the order, there is nothing to worry about as long as you play or put into play that card on your turn. If you are after him in the order, all bets are off. If you have what he wants, you may be his target.<br /><br /><div style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ccc; margin-left: 2px; margin-right:2px;"><br /><b>Character Rebalance</b>: If you think Flint Westwood is too OP (he is), try out some of these rebalances:<ul><li>Once during his turn, he may select 2 cards at random from a player's hand. He may exchange a card from his hand for 1 of the selected cards. Otherwise, the selected cards are returned to their owner.</li><br /><li>Once during his turn, he may discard a card from his hand to draw 1 card at random from the hand of another player.</li><br /><li>Once during his turn, he may give 1 card from his hand to another player. Then, he selects 2 cards at random from that player's hand. He keeps all brown cards; all others are returned.</li></ul></div><br /><br /><center><a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/p/bang-character-strategy-guides.html">Return to the BANG! Character Guides Portal</a></center></div>Martin Pulidohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15744590692797682125noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7419437603615826921.post-2643541264154039782011-09-18T22:11:00.000-07:002020-10-01T06:41:09.453-07:00Character Guide: Greygory Deck<div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;">
<center><img alt="Greygory Deck BANG! card game character" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy-yYyDL9wqpOYTXH_uHXYpA9mKVNDfbhoL9F7PmmJ-RGqurQ7DUp7hAiG9nc9RzZWwiFCcwuAzeGpynG3Hv5DREJv90IKPXRf52699H67VFjdobOe7WpMrIrKNkD6p_IjFxRx5QXVzw/w210-h220-rw/" /></center>
<b><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><b><br /></b></div>Character Name</b>: Greygory Deck. </div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><b>Inspired by</b>: Gregory Peck, western actor who starred in films like <i>Big Country</i>. </div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><b>Life Points</b>: 4. </div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><b>Ability Type</b>: Neutral. </div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><b>Ability</b>: "At the start of his turn, he may draw 2 characters at random. He has all the abilities of the drawn characters." However, the Notes card included in Wild West Show specifies (as well as the WWS FAQ) that "The only valid characters are those from the basic game" [i.e. Dodge City, The Bullet, Wild West Show, Gold Rush, Valley of Shadows, and Armed & Dangerous characters are excluded]. The amount of abilities Greygory Deck has do not compound (2 more a turn), but rather the 2 he possesses can be swapped out for another 2 at the beginning of his turn. The Notes card states, "At the beginning of your next turn, you decide whether to keep the characters or to change them. If you choose to change them, you must change both of them." So Greygory Deck first opts whether or not to keep his current 2 abilities at the beginning of his turn. If he opts to swap them, he must swap them both out. However, he does have the opportunity to draw them both again, as the Wild West Show FAQ states: <blockquote>Q1. When Gregory Deck opts to change the characters whose abilities he is using, does he set aside the character cards whose abilities he was using, or does he shuffle these cards back with the rest of the others so that he might potentially draw them again?
A. Gregory Deck must mix these character cards in with the others, and then randomly draw 2 (which could also be those he just discarded).</blockquote>
<b>Activation</b>: At the beginning of his turn, before his drawing phase, but after resolving Jail and Dynamite. It also activates at the beginning of the game (regardless of whether it is his turn or not), as the Notes card explains: "This ability also applies at the beginning of the game."
<b>Special Considerations for the Combinations drawn from the Basic Game Characters</b>: The Wild West Show FAQ specifies how to resolve certain ability combinations that might throw you off when it comes to Gregory Deck: <blockquote>Q31. What happens if the abilities of original game characters drawn by Gregory Deck contradict one another or influence a similar aspect of the game, such as how to draw during a drawing phase?
A. If the two skills are in absolute conflict, Gregory Deck picks only 1 of them to use (he does not get to draw another character). If the conflict is not absolute, then combine the abilities. For example:
1) If the 2 characters drawn are Jesse Jones and Kit Carlson: You can take a card from the hand of a player (using Jesse Jones' ability) and then see the first 3 cards from the deck and choose the second card that you wish to draw.
2) If the 2 characters drawn are Jesse Jones and Pedro Ramirez: You have the choice of drawing your first card from the deck, a player's hand, or from the top of the discard pile.
3) If the 2 characters drawn are Kit Carlson and Black Jack: Look at the top 3 cards of the deck, select 2, and show the second one you selected. If it is red, draw a third card from the deck.</blockquote>
<b>Cards enhanced by Greygory Deck's ability</b>: Depends on the abilities he copies. </div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><b>Cards less powerful when played against Greygory Deck</b>: Depends on the abilities he copies.</div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><b>Cards more powerful when played against Greygory Deck</b>: Jail; besides this, it depends on the ability he copies. </div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><b>Good roles for Greygory Deck</b>: All. </div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><b>Characters that counter Greygory Deck well:</b> It depends on the abilities he copies. </div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><b>Characters that Greygory Deck counters well:</b> It depends on the abilities he copies, but on the whole he will always be better than his copycating partner, <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/03/character-guide-vera-custer.html">Vera Custer</a>. </div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><b>2-player value</b>: Excellent; he does not have the copycatting constraints that <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/03/character-guide-vera-custer.html">Vera Custer</a> has in being only able to copy from the living characters in play, nor does he have the 3 life point disadvantage. He can swap out his 2 character abilities for ones that are more valuable during 2 player (get rid of <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/02/character-guide-vulture-sam.html">Vulture Sam</a>'s for instance). </div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><b>General Strategy as Greygory Deck</b>: Greygory Deck is the most OP of the Wild West Show bunch, gaining a distinctive advantage over other BANG! characters by always possessing 2 character abilities. While these are from the basic game alone, there are still very powerful abilities and combinations that he can be dealt. Furthermore, when he is in a scenario where his current set of abilities is not particularly useful, he swap out those abilities for 2 random ones. Pretty crazy! </div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;">He also lacks a lot of the downsides of Vera Custer. He has 4 life points, making him far less defensively weak, and giving him a strong advantage when copying 3 life point character's abilities (Paul Regret, El Gringo). Second, he doesn't have to copy abilities from those living in play. Thus, he doesn't have to worry about the 2-player showdown. He doesn't have as good an ability to choose the ability he copies (Vera Custer can directly select one), but he does have a bigger pool to choose from than Vera Custer. He gets 2 abilities; she gets 1. When Greygory Deck is put in Jail, he retains his 2 character abilities. When Vera Custer is in Jail, she lacks an ability until her next turn. Vera Custer has no ability at the beginning of the game making her an easy target for early game aggression; Greygory Deck starts with 2 character abilities at the beginning of the game. Vera Custer's only real benefit is being able to copy non-basic game character abilities if non-basic game characters happen to be in play. Doesn't sound fair, does it? Well, it's not. It's wild. </div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;">Strategy for Gregory Deck is more sporadic due to not only the abilities he copies, but also by the fact that the abilities dealt are random. Of course, at the beginning of the game he will want to try to gamble and get defensive abilities (Paul Regret, El Gringo, Jourdonnais, Lucky Duke, Sid Ketchum, Bart Cassidy; Calamity Janet's is also useful) or neutral abilities granting greater card accrual or selection (Black Jack, Kit Carlson, Pedro Ramirez). Abilities of these types will give Greygory Deck some time to build a hand and get good offensive and defensive blue/green cards in play before bullets start flying. </div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;">Whether or not to transition from the character abilities he currently has depends much on his role and the position of his allies. Typically, once the defensive base is in place, he should try to transition to more offensive and offensively capable abilities (Slab the Killer, Suzy Lafayette, Willy the Kid, Rose Doolan, Calamity Janet, Jesse Jones). The player elimination bonus of Vulture Sam would be particularly useful at this time as well. If he has expended a lot of cards or is hurting, making a gamble in hopes to transition back to defensive abilities isn't a bad idea either. Try to remember your gambling probabilities: 4/16 original game characters are clearly offensive, 6/16 clearly defensive, and 6/16 neutral. Of course, these probabilities change when there are characters from the base game already in play. He should pay very close attention to how that can affect his chances of getting a nice setup. </div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><b>Playing against Greygory Deck</b>: One obvious strategy for handling Greygory Deck is "meta" -- the fewer characters you allow to be drafted by players (say you removed the Dodge City, Bullet, etc. characters), the more likelihood you'll hand them out original game characters, and as life point counters, which may impede Greygory Deck's character choices, especially if you nab the strongest ones. House rules for getting to pick from 2, enables you to restrict him from getting the strongest ones.</div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;">Since Greygory Deck's abilities are randomly dealt to him, he is a difficult character to anticipate. He may choose to swap out his abilities and end up with a far better or far worse combination when it comes to helping him complete his goals. Despite his sporadic nature, since he possesses 2 abilities at all times he will be a very powerful ally or enemy. Make sure that you do not weaken him too much at the beginning of the game (he could be your ally), but do give him some pressure to reveal his role. That way you can no if you should be spending any of your time on him. Once he is determined to be your rival, play close attention to the abilities he possesses at any given time, and form your strategy against him based on those abilities. This requires a lot of familiarity with the base game characters, so make sure to read those character cards, and the character guides I have written about them if you have the chance.
Jail can always be a useful card to play against Greygory Deck, in making it likely for him to be unable to swap out his abilities for a round. This hang up can work out somewhat nicely when Greygory Deck needs to transition to a new set of abilities to accomplish his goals (or stay alive), or if he has been randomly dealt a very non-complimentary setup.</div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><br /><center><a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/p/bang-character-strategy-guides.html">Return to the BANG! Character Guides Portal</a></center></div>Martin Pulidohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15744590692797682125noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7419437603615826921.post-57781148476715555282011-09-18T21:13:00.000-07:002020-10-01T06:31:09.804-07:00Character Guide: John Pain<div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;">
<center><img alt="John Pain BANG! card game character" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAeCeLcbOHLEVbuNNpsH0wMm7d9kpaPXanP9ZVDmiAv8bbgBJzS8cBnxzCwSMIoglhJonB7U6Hw4hbXx_tLWGhGRedpfuIkNjDnwVoQFbveCel6WUkaEeAtsqqW0tQdBhhujdIDZcOVw/w205-h220-rw/" /></center>
<b><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><b><br /></b></div>Character Name</b>: John Pain. </div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><b>Inspired by</b>: John Wayne, enough said. </div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><b>Life Points</b>: 4. </div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><b>Ability Type</b>: Neutral. </div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><b>Ability</b>: "If he has less than 6 cards in hand, each time any player "draws!", John adds the card just drawn to his hand." </div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><b>Activation</b>: When any player causes a "draw!" or resolves a "draw!" due to a card a player played (event cards excluded). </div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><b>Cards enhanced by John Pain's ability</b>: <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/07/card-explanations-barrel.html">Barrel</a>, <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/07/card-explanations-jail.html">Jail</a>, and <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/07/card-explanations-dynamite.html">Dynamite</a>. </div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><b>Good roles for John Pain</b>: All. </div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><b>Characters that counter John Pain well:</b> <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/03/character-guide-pat-brennan.html">Pat Brennan</a> (he can remove heavy "drawing!" Barrels and Dynamite), characters with defensive abilities not dependent upon "draws!" (<a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/03/character-guide-molly-stark.html">Molly Stark</a>, <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/02/character-name-el-gringo-inspired-by.html">El Gringo</a>, and <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/05/character-guide-elena-fuente.html">Elena Fuente</a>), most card transmutation characters that can discard Barrel and Dynamite in useful ways (<a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/04/character-guide-jose-delgado.html">Jose Delgado</a>, <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/02/character-guide-sid-ketchum.html">Sid Ketchum</a>, <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/03/character-guide-doc-holyday.html">Doc Holyday</a>; not Uncle Will), characters that constrain the number of cards in hands (<a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/10/character-guide-youl-grinner.html">Youl Grinner</a> and Gary Looter), and <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/03/character-guide-vera-custer.html" style="background-color: transparent;">Vera Custer</a> (she can copy his ability and if closer in a clockwise direction from the player with the "draw!" triggering card or ability, she nabs the cards instead -- see WWS FAQ Q11).</div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; text-align: left;"><b>Robbers' Roost:</b> Queen Anne/Lela Devere (they can remove heavy "drawing!" Barrels and Dynamite), Turd Ferguson (inherent Missed! makes him less dependent on Barrel), Josey Bassett/Julie Bulette (hand efficiency abilities makes them less dependent on Barrel), Crazy Bull/Eva Place (strong defense outside of "draws!")</div></blockquote></div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><b>Characters that John Pain counters well:</b> <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/01/character-guide-jourdonnais.html">Jourdonnais</a> (anytime he "draws!" for a BANG!, John Pain will likely draw the card), <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje8q5nhAAa8tY_Nq1LhiGwlIOZ_nKMjYWq8mVhl7zvCyMHCKolHnhvuzhlaFRt_9XPG2NU3lASpyHhq7LT-ICgyum0wgkbjatL-EmNrHiMhrVO2jeZ7vFgBymgTNQ6RWoaUWFXbP5g-w//">Lucky Duke</a> (John Pain draws both cards that Lucky Duke "draws!"), Teren Kill (picks up the "drawn!" card when resolving whether Teren lives or not), <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/05/character-guide-belle-star.html">Belle Star</a> (see explanation below), <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/05/character-guide-uncle-will.html">Uncle Will</a> (General Store will reveal too many "draw!" cards), 3 life point characters that desperately need Barrel (<a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/04/character-guide-sean-mallory.html">Sean Mallory</a>, <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/05/character-guide-pixie-pete.html">Pixie Pete</a>, and <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/06/character-guide-claus-saint.html">Claus the Saint</a>), <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/08/character-guide-big-spencer.html">Big Spencer</a> (needing a Barrel for defense, John Pain can draw many cards as a result), and characters that depend on Dynamite strategies (this often goes with player elimination abilities, like with <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/02/character-guide-vulture-sam.html">Vulture Sam</a>, <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/03/character-guide-greg-digger.html">Greg Digger</a>, and <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/04/character-guide-herb-hunter.html">Herb Hunter</a>).</div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; text-align: left;"><b>Robbers' Roost:</b> Job Musgrove (anytime he "draws!" in response to an attack, John Pain will likely draw the card), Anne Rogers (copying cards with "draw!" trigger only empowers John Pain further), Maggie Mae (swapping Barrel around doesn't get rid of the "draw!" trigger), Laura Billion (her "draws!" will occur on every next turn where she has used a card, significantly empowering John Pain)</div></blockquote></div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><b>Special Consideration with Belle Star</b>: <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/05/character-guide-belle-star.html">Belle Star</a>'s ability makes card in play in front of other players have no effect on her turn. However, this does not mean that cards in play in front of other players cannot be utilized on her turn. Why would this be useful? Because John Pain can still "draw!" cards from his and other players' ineffective Barrel "draws!" -- in other words, while a heart "drawn!" from a Barrel will not provide a missed! when Belle Star attacks someone, John Pain can still gain the "drawn!" card. </div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><b>2-player value</b>: Okay. Depends on the "draw!" cards he has and and can get into play. </div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><b>General Strategy as John Pain</b>: John Pain is a nuisance like many of the Wild West Show characters in altering how the rest of the other BANG! players play. Youl Grinner often makes players expend more cards, while Gary Looter encourages players to insure they use cards so that they do not have cards over their limit during their discard phases. John Pain makes players be concerned whether or not they have cards affecting "draws!" in play--namely <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/07/card-explanations-barrel.html">Barrel</a>, <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/07/card-explanations-jail.html">Jail</a>, and <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/07/card-explanations-dynamite.html">Dynamite</a>. This is very difficult on characters that need the extra defenses a Barrel provides, or the havoc that Dynamite creates. It also constrains abilities that are dependent upon "draws!" such as Jourdonnais, Lucky Duke, and Teren Kill. John Pain's goal should be for him (and his allies) to get high "drawing!" cards in play: Dynamite and Barrel. This, of course, means that John Pain should try to gain steal cards and use them whenever necessary to steal those from an enemy. <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/06/card-explanations-draw-cards.html#generalstore">General Store</a> can be especially useful in getting 1 of these "draw!" cards for himself or one of his allies. </div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;">With Dynamite, John Pain needs to remember that 2 Dynamites can be in play simultaneously, as the Dodge City rules specify (see specific <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/07/card-explanations-dynamite.html">Dynamite rules</a>). 2 Dynamite are never in play in front of 1 player; rather, 1 Dynamite hops over the player with a Dynamite already in front of him. Dynamite is the best time for John Pain to draw cards because players have no choice but to "draw!" in an attempt to resolve it. Since he will be racking up tons of cards, he should try to use as many cards as possible during his turn to gather more. This is because he has a 6 card limit for this drawing bonus, and so he should try to maximize the amount of cards he can get from it. A <a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/2011/06/card-explanations-guns-volcanic.html#volcanic">Volcanic</a> will be very useful here, in helping both get rid of BANG!, while also helping John Pain accrue tons of ammo to fire at his rivals.
</div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;">When rivals have Barrels (or a "draw!" ability), John Pain could try to shoot at them and see if they are willing to "draw!" on his shots. Smart ones will decline the opportunity. There may also be situations where John Pain could shoot at a well defended ally who possesses a Barrel. If John Pain really needs to get a better card, he could expend the BANG!, have his ally "draw!" and then hope to get a better card with the "drawn!" card. Of course, the ally might have to still expend a defensive card, but it could be useful depending on John Pain's needs and sight constraints. The Barrels in front of John Pain and his allies also create a diversion for John Pain's rivals. Each time they shoot at one of them who has a Barrel, John Pain will draw a card. Fire will likely be directed to the ally without the Barrel as a consequence, so John Pain should prepare for that. </div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><b>Playing against John Pain</b>: Tread carefully when playing against John Pain. Consider the situation very carefully before playing a Barrel, and do not automatically use it as you are prone to do. Weigh how a "drawn!" card could benefit John Pain before you utilize the Barrel. The same goes with "draw!" abilities like Jourdonnais and Lucky Duke. Look at the consequences before using their abilities. Teren Kill doesn't have a choice with his, so he is simply out of luck when "drawing!" for his last life point. You must also be concerned about firing at John Pain or his allies when they have Barrels in play. Since they are guaranteed to use the Barrel, so that John Pain can gain the card, decide whether you should shoot at that player and not another lacking the Barrel instead. Using a Volcanic+BANG! on a player with a Barrel seems like an especially bad idea in most scenarios. Try to remove those Barrels wherever possible. </div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: #ffcc66; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;">When it comes to Dynamite, I would recommend never playing it when John Pain is your rival. If you have a card transmutation abilities (like Sid Ketchum's), discard it for the extra benefit. If another player puts a Dynamite into play, try to discard it immediately, or steal it, and discard it during a discard phase. You fortunately have 1 round before the Dynamite activates and the "drawing!" begins, but hurry up since John Pain will about to become a demon. Remember that you cannot knock out 1 Dynamite by putting another Dynamite into play.
While Jail activates a "draw!", it is only a 1 time occurrence, so I would not fret too much. It can be a good means of silencing a John Pain who has already racked up 6 cards. Throw him in Jail, and he cannot gain the "draw!" benefit. He will have to sit in Jail for the following round unable to gain any new cards either.
<center><br /></center><center><a href="http://bangcardgame.blogspot.com/p/bang-character-strategy-guides.html">Return to the BANG! Character Guides Portal</a></center></div>Martin Pulidohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15744590692797682125noreply@blogger.com8