Shoot-Out in Adamsville

A group of the Jackson Gamers met at Jay's abode on Saturday for a Wild West game, run by John Switzer.  We all had a fun time, even though most of us couldn't seem to hit the broadside of a barn at close range.  Plus we must have purchased some of our weapons from Bongolesia as they were jamming with unpleasant frequency (and then falling apart as we tried to un-jam them!).  We were using The Rules with No-Name.  All the figures and most of the buildings were provided by John with a few of the buildings being provided by Jay.

Clicking on the pictures will reveal a larger image for your viewing pleasure.

The Game Master ponders the set-up of Adamsville.

Situation:  The sleepy village of Adamsville is soon to be awoken from its slumber by blazing guns.  Strongarm Jack's brother Darryl is locked in Sheriff Pusser's jail.  With a newly recruited gang, Jack is out to rescue his brother and to rob the bank before the Army escorted stagecoach can arrive to take the money to Fort Hamilton.  Sheriff Pusser and his deputies are scattered around town, having heard that Jack might make an appearance.  Some Pinkertons are in the bank protecting the Army payroll.  And to top everything off, Jack has a price on his head, $1000 dead or alive.  Every two-bit cowpoke will be gunning for him.

The stage is set, the lights are on, the cameras are rolling.  ACTION!!!

Main Street of Adamsville.  A couple of buildings were switched around after this picture was taken.

The Forces of Law and Order:

Sheriff and Deputies were played by Phil Young (Sheriff Pusser), Sean Pitts (Deputy Two-Gun Tom Thompson), and Ed Sansing (Deputy "Gentleman" Jim Edwards).

The Pinkertons outside the bank:  Mr. Mitchell, Mr. Smith, Mr. Peters, Mr. James.

The Pinkertons were played by Bill Hamilton (Mr. Mitchell, a "man in black")

The Outlaws:

Taco Smith, Bill Green, Strongarm Jack, Big-Eyed Bill, and ZZ Bottom

 Strongarm Jack was played by Jay Stribling.

Pecos Kid, Dandy Don, Seamus Campbell, and "Red" Green

Seamus Campbell was played by Jim Pitts

Handy, Indian Joe, Buck, and Red

Indian Joe from Buffalo was played by Dan Wentland (a new gamer).

Deputy "Gentleman" Jim Edwards patrols the boardwalk by the Edwards Hotel, in which he has a majority interest.

New faces start to drift into Adamsville.  Several are seen at the stable across the street from the Edwarrds Hotel.  Deputy Mike crosses to ask them their business in Adamsville.  They don't like the tone of his questions and bullets start to fly.

Dandy Don, Handy, and Red Green are clustered around Deputy Mike, while Big-Eyed Bill keeps his eyes on the crowd across the street by the hotel.  Deputy "Curley Red" Fife runs out into the street as he frantically searches his long-johns for his bullet.  Sheriff Pusser is standing in the door of the jail (dark green building) taking an aimed shot at the outlaws who just gunned down his deputy.

Another view of the above scene.

Pecos Kid and Seamus Campbell mosey along behind the Main Street buildings, headed towards the bank.  But a deputy (Pops) has come out of the back door of the bank having heard shots.  They all start shooting at each other.  A cowpoke in hiding guns down Seamus, but Dandy Don comes along later and shoots both the deputy and the cowboy.

Indian Joe and Buck saunter down the alley towards the front of the bank.  The only thing they can see is Cowboy Pat, dead in the street, shot by an unseen assassin.  Where are the Pinkertons?  The are hiding, cowardly, in the bank.

On Main Street, Strongarm Jack (black coat in alley) faces off against Deputy Two-Gun Tom Thompson while Deputy "Bow-Legs" Bill Hanes tries to sneak up behind him.  But outlaw Bill Green, coming out of the alley sees him.  In the background, Sheriff Pusser is still taking his aimed shot on the outlaws across the street.

While Green protects his boss' back against Deputy Hanes, Strongarm and Two-Gun face off with pistols blazing.  In the background, outlaw Buck is coming out of the alley but his attention is riveted on the bank across the street.

Strongarm and Two-Gun trade shots, with Strongarm falling down severely wounded.  He is later shot repeatedly by the cowardly Pinkertons and killed.  Green and Deputy Hanes shoot at each other with Green getting the worse of the exchange of lead.

Another view of the above scene.  Indian Joe has moved up beside Buck and they both shoot at the cowardly Pinkertons in te bank across the street (out of picture to left).

Strongarm Jack lies dead in the mouth of the alley.  Buck rounds the corner and back-shoots Deputy Two-Gun Tom, putting him down (with a jammed pistol - red bead).  Indian Joe continues to shoot at the cowardly Pinkertons in the bank.

Indian Joe and Buck cross the street towards the bank (brown building) but Buck is gunned down by the Pinkertons and Cowboy Sloan (yellow hat in upper left of picture).  Deputy Hanes and Bill Green continue their close range duel in the background.  Hanes was armed with a shotgun but apparently had grabbed birdshot instead of buckshot and was only inflicting grazes.  Cowboy Sloan later helped Hanes in finally severely wounding Bill Green.

Taco Smith (foreground) finally got some action by chasing down and killing Deputy Fife (who lost his nerve and fled from the shooting).  Then Taco saw Deputy "Gentleman" Jim Edwards shooting at ZZ Bottom (out of picture to right, behind hotel).  Taco shot at Edwards, but ZZ came out the better in their exchange, killing Edwards with a fatal gut-shot.  There were a number of fatal gut-shots in this game, mainly inflicted by the outlaws on the deputies!

One of the Pinkertons, Mr. Peters, finally screws up enough courage and comes out of the bank to trade shots with Indian Joe, severely wounding him in the right arm.  But both men are now out of ammunition (yellow beads).

So, who won?

Well, the Pinkertons held the bank until the Army escorted stage arrived and carried the money away to Fort Hamilton.

Although Strongarm Jack was killed and Seamus Campbell severely wounded, ZZ Bottom rescued Brother Darryl from "durance vile" after Sheriff Pusser was shot and knocked out in the doorway of the jail.  With the sheriff and most of his deputies out of action, the outlaws ransacked the town and rode away with Brother Darryl at their head.

And now for some period pictures of some of the players:

Deputy "Gentleman" Jim Edwards

The Pinkertons

Strongarm Jack and his men

Seamus Campbell and his men

Indian Joe from Buffalo and his me

The pictures were taken by Jim Pitts and Ed Sansing.  The dialogue is solely the product of Jim Pitts, including the comments about the "cowardly" Pinkertons who stayed in the bank, under cover, the entire game.