Desperate Desperados - ATC Game Review

Our final game for Saturday night was a Wild West game using the third edition Desperados rules.  The game was put on by Homer Bradford and was a blast.  Lissa and I played the Pinkerton agents who were tasked to retrieve a key to a stolen safe from some Mexican banditos.  The infamous Dirt brothers gang were on the other side of town with the same thing on their mind.

Figure 1: Game setup

My two guys separated, Buckskin Bill with the rifle going to a nearby rooftop, with Dick Harvey moving towards the entrance.  My approach was covered by one of the Banditos, Rosa.  As Dick leaned out to take a shot at her she shot the pistol out of his hand.  He went back and borrowed another six-shooter from another Pinkerton and again tried to ease around the corner only to have Rosa yet again shoot the pistol from his hand.  Dick proceeded to make a run for the lower windows, diving inside as Buckskin Bill gutshot poor Rosa.

Figure 2: Dick preparing to approach the Bandito stronghold

Figure 3: Buckskin Bill looking for a good sniper post

Figure 4: Rosa, the Amazing Mexican sniper!

Figure 5: Character sheet showing poor Dick weaponless

Once safely inside, Dick espied an armed Bandito inside and rushed in to grapple with him and take his weapon.  Once Dick managed to pull himself out of his bath he again charged the Bandito to exactly the same effect - back in the drink!

Figure 6: The interior of the bandito stronghold from above

Figure 7: The Bandito calmly tosses Dick across the courtyard and into the fountain

Figure 8: Meanwhile, one of Lissa's agents dispatches a bandito

Figure 9: While the other removes one of the Dirt Brothers from the fray

Figure 10: Midgame overview

Once Dick again found his feet and dried off a bit he discovered that he had assistance with the Bandito.  Another agent had the bandito in a hold.  Dick, who was a bit peeved at being thrown into the wash twice, ran over and placed a well aimed booted into the bandito's cahoonies.  The blow rendered him unconscious.

Figure 11: Dick and another agent stand over the fallen bandito

Figure 12: Taco Bob rides away with the key as Pinkertons and Dirt Brothers give chase

This was a great game and the Desperado system ran very well for a convention game.  I still intend to use Gutshot for our games but Desperado is also a solid, fun system.  After the game I was awarded the player award in large part for the comic relief that my loss of weapons and repeated drenchings brought to the game.  The award was a pewter pin in the shape of the number '140'.  GM Bradford and his local gaming group had 140 of the pins made up and are giving them to folks at cons.  If I ever play in another game ran by their group and am wearing the pin I get a free reroll at one time in the game.  

   

Other Games from Advance the Colors

     As much fun as the games we were able to play were, there were so many great ones that we were unable to play.  We were only even able to take pics of a few of these games.  Chief among the games we missed was Dave Zecchini's fantastic Assault on Vault 51 game using the Mutants and Death Ray Guns.  The game was a featured game and was setup in the registration area.  Jeff and I played the Vault 34 game at last year's ATC with my last trooper turning traitor and dropping "The King" in order to show my new loyalty to the Brotherhood of Steel.  

Game Description from the catalog:
 
     After successfully breaching Vault 34 last year, the Brotherhood of Steel found evidence of an even more highly classified Vault-Tec facility in the heart of the Nevada. Official Vault-Tec databases and U.S. Government records deny it exists, but the Vault 34 files give it a number ... Vault 51. Last year's Fallout 3 inspired apocalyptic mayhem was such a hit, it's back this year! Don powered armor to fight in the assault, or grab a rifle and throw back the defenders.

Figure 1: Vault overview showing lit up power plant

Figure 2: View of setup showing the power plant and a spaceship

Figure 3: Slightly blurry view but a good pic showing Zeke's use of Hirst Arts molds

Figure 4: Medlab

     The other game that most attracted my interest that I was unable to play was John Patrick's Aristotle Down game.  The game was set on Edgar Rice Burroughs' Barsoom. 

Game Description from the catalog:


Mars, 1884:  The H.M.S.S. Aristotle, a British transport expected from Earth, went off course and came down in Syrtis Major.   A relief column from the M.E.F. (Martian Expeditionary Force) has been dispatched. Imperial Red Martian forces are converging.  But what other threats may exist in that forbidding wasteland?

Figure 5: Aristotle Down Overview Shot

Figure 6: The Aristotle herself

Figure 7: Red Martian Airboat

Figure 8: An airship

Figure 9: Great use of native creatures to pull limbers

Figure 10: Mounted Tharks

Figure 11: Red Martian infantry

Figure 12: Red Martian Artillery

Figure 13: Red Martian cavalry

Figure 14: Martian tripod walker and steam tank

     Other games that caught our eyes include: DOUGHBOYS TAKE THE VILLAGE  (WWI Land) by John Wright.



Game Description from the catalog:

WW1 - A company of American Doughboys attempt to take a heavily fortified village from it's German defenders.

Figure 15: Doughboys Assault the Town

Figure 16: The cratered field

Figure 17: Bud in green and Jack in maroon, two military masterminds

THE OLD FRENCH PLANTATION  (Vietnam) by Jim Wonacott.

Game Description from the catalog:

August 1969.  1st Cav units chopper in to clear the old French plantation at Quan Loi.  Of course, the VC and NVA may have something to say about that…

Figure 18: The jungle and rice patties

Figure 19: The plantation itself

 And, IN DEFENSE OF DELPHI  (Ancient Greece(Mythos)) by Tom Oxley.


Game Description from the catalog:

The oracle of Delphi is seeking heroes to take over the duty of guarding the temple. Sacred bands must battle each other as well as obstacles placed by the Gods of Olympus in order to be given the honor.

Figure 20: The Temple of Delphi awaits the heroes in Tom Oxley's "In Defense of Delphi" game.

 
There were many other great games that we either did not see or were in too much of a hurry to get good pics of and are only excluded here because of those reasons.  HMGS-GL GMs consistently put on some of the highest quality games that I have had the privilege to play in.  Thank you all.

Advance the Colors Posts

We made it home from Advance the Colors last night and I have a ton of pictures to post as well as recaps of games and the like to post.  Advance the Colors is the flagship convention for the HMGS-Great Lakes organization of which I am a long time member and ex-member of the board of directors.  I will be posting these over the next week or so and expect to have separate posts for two of the three different games I played in, a general overview of various other games that I saw at the con, and a post about my experience in general and the figures that I picked up.  Advance the Colors is a great little con.  I try to get to this convention every year and am never disappointed.  The best thing about the con is that each year we are able to go up to Springfield and visit with a great group of old friends.  It was awesome to see everyone!  Thank you to John Lawitzke and to everyone else (GMs, staff, other attendees) who made ATC such a great con.