Gunfight at Adobe Wells Station

 

With the scenario laid out in the previous post (see: On The Table Today), let's take a look at the player supplied bios for the cast of characters before diving into Wednesday's gunfight.

'Careful' McMinn (Tony) - One time marshal of Hades, Nevada - it is said he never left his office, but this may be a lie.  A Pinkerton Agent.

Simon Sudbury, 'The Accountant' (Dave B.) - Originally from Sudbury, tho' he's cagey about whether that's Sudbury, Mass, or Sudbury, Suffolk.  He does the books for the Pinkerton agency, and he's been sent to do an audit on the stock held at Adobe Wells, only to find himself caught up in a gang war! Lucky for him, back on his family farm in Sudbury, he learned to shoot rats in the old barn... Them gangsters ain't going to get their hands on the Bought Ledger without a fight.

Zaccary Zebedee 'ZZ' Hood (Chris). Noted Indian fighter. Noted by him that is. May have served in HM the Empress Queen's army on the NW Frontier (where he did his Indian fighting). Possibly cashiered over a scandal in Poona, and allegedly thrown out of Brooke's Club after an incident involving a large bowl of Eton Mess, several cheroots, a young valet and Oscar Wilde. Later rumored to have left New York hurriedly for the Klondike after more unspoken misdemeanors. Said by some to be a by-blow of Colonel Sir Harry Paget Flashman.

William 'Wild Bill' Briscoe (Mark) - one of the ne'er do wells wanting to take what the Pinkertons are guarding.

'Daring Dave' McGinty (Dave C) - As he grew into manhood, Dave became known not just as Daring but legendary, a name earned through countless duels where none could match his wit or steady hand. At 56 years old now, battle-hardened yet unyielding like an ancient oak tree before the storm, he'd taken part in some of the bloodiest shootouts ever recorded from Arizona to Texas, the echoes of gunfire forming an unexpected lullaby throughout much of his life. But behind those rough hands lay wisdom gathered from each confrontation and seasoned with humility; they rendered him both feared and respected among fellow gunslingers who knew well enough never to underestimate this aging fighter. However thinly veiled by bravado was Dave's story about loss, every bullet fired hinted at buried memories, old regrets flickering within eyes that sparkled only when illuminated by tales shared during raucous nights at saloons filled with smoke, laughter and endless streams of redeye whiskey.

On to the gunfight!

As the last of the crates were unloaded from the wagon and the wagon was seen off toward its next destination, the Pinkerton agents relax and head back to the station compound.

The Pinkertons at ease.

Before the boys can settle in to relax, though, a stranger appears from behind some boulders out of the northwest with rifle in hand.  The long-bearded stranger cautiously bears down on the station with a look of determination in his eyes.  He looks like trouble!  "Careful" McMinn races across the compound to take up a position behind one of the many stacks of crates.  A shot rings out from the stranger ('ZZ' Hood) but his shot is not well-placed.  McMinn literally dodges a bullet.

'ZZ' Hood approaches the station.

Hugging the wall of the adobe shed, Simon ('The Accountant') rounds the corner of the building to see ZZ and McMinn exchanging fire.  Wasting no time, Simon opens fire on ZZ but empties his six-gun without hitting the outlaw.

Lots of gunfire but no hits!

Seeing that Simon's gun is empty, ZZ moves up to the wall to give himself some cover from McMinn.  Rather than stick to his cover behind the crates, 'Careful' dashes out from behind the boxes and makes a beeline toward the gap in the compound wall.  As he passes through the gap in the wall, McMinn blazes away at ZZ.  McMinn empties his gun without causing much harm besides a graze on the arm.  

With guns empty, the Pinkertons have found trouble!

Now both Pinkertons are caught with their guns unloaded.  Probably stunned by not receiving any more than a scratch from all of the incoming fire, ZZ stands still, stunned.  With his gun now empty, Simon whips around and heads back into the shed.  A few seconds later, Simon pops up on the shed's rooftop.  Still, he has not thought to reload his gun.  In all of the commotion at the northwest corner of the compound, neither Pinkerton has noticed that they have company coming up from the south.  ZZ may not be alone!

Simon, up on the rooftop!

Finally snapping out of his stupor, ZZ fires off a couple of rounds from his Winchester.  McMinn is struck in his left arm.  Simon looks on from above.

'Careful' is hit!

While McMinn tries to shake off the effects of the wound to his arm, shouting and shots ring out from across the compound.  Simon yells out, "I've been hit bad!"  Yes, Simon has been hit but not too bad.  What Simon figured was a fatal shot in the chest turned out to be only a flesh wound.  The blaze of fire came from behind Simon.  As Simon ducked down, he spotted two more gunmen bearing down upon his position.  The shots striking Simon came from 'Wild Bill' Briscoe's pair of six-shooters as he carpeted the shed with bullets.  At long range many of the shots missed but one found its mark.    

Hearing Simon's screams above the sound of gunfire and with his gun still unloaded, McMinn charges ZZ with his pistol clubbed.

With gun empty, McMinn rushes ZZ.

With a roundhouse swing, McMinn slices through the air but misses ZZ altogether.  Slightly annoyed, ZZ turns his rifle around and with butt first, pops McMinn in the face!  With a bloody face, McMinn is stunned and he has lost his nerve.

Having had time to recover from his flesh wound and reload his six-gun, Simon, still positioned on the roof, takes aim at ZZ from above and fires away.  The first shot hits ZZ in the head.  Before ZZ can hit the ground, a second shot drills ZZ right between the eyes.  ZZ falls dead, only a few feet away from McMinn.  McMinn turns around looking up to see Simon smiling.  Simon, the Accountant, shouts down to McMinn, "that's how you do double entry!"  McMinn picks himself off of the ground, brushes himself off, and retreats to the relative safety of the nearest large stack of crates.    

Fistfight turns deadly!

Preoccupied by saving McMinn, Simon fails to notice that the two gunmen are now within the compound walls.  'Wild Bill' rushes across the compound, enters the shed, and then climbs onto the roof.  As Wild Bill emerges from below, Simon spins around and empties his gun in Wild Bill's direction.  No bullet finds its mark.  With his gun empty, Simon takes a swing at Wild Bill but misses.  Wild Bill lunges at Simon and they wrestle on the rooftop.  'Daring Dave' McGinty tries to get a clear shot on Simon but his position on the ground below and the uncertainty of hitting Wild Bill in error forces Daring Dave to hold his fire.   

Wrestling around on the roof.

After a minute of fighting to gain control, Wild Bill pistol whips Simon along the side of his head.  The force of the blow puts Simon onto the ground.  With Simon writhing on the ground in pain, Wild Bill pulls his second pistol from its holster and plugs Simon in the leg.  The pain is enough for Simon to lose consciousness.  With Simon lying motionless on the roof, Wild Bill puts a final round into Simon's head.  "I never much cared for accountants", Briscoe murmured. 

Wild Bill takes out Simon!

After seeing Wild Bill prevail on the rooftop, McGinty turns his attention to McMinn crouching behind the pile of crates.  With McMinn, now shaken from wounds and from Simon's loss, falls into a predictable habit of popping up to take a shot and then ducking back.  Watching Careful's routine, Daring Dave takes steady aim and when McMinn next peers out to fire, Daring Dave pops him with a couple of holes in his shooting arm!  With his nerve already shaken and his body riddled with bullet holes, that is enough.  'Careful' McMinn surrenders.   

'Daring Dave' plugs McMinn a time or two more...

before McMinn surrenders.

This gunfight is over and the outlaws can lay claim to the spoils of victory.

What a fun and exciting little action!  We played 14 turns in a little under two hours.  There was drama and tension with each draw of an activation card.  I was rusty with the rules but all players helped to keep me on the right track.  This was a good introduction for all.  All four players picked up the rules quickly and we had many a good laugh.  

Looking forward to giving these fellas a rematch soon.

Thank you for a fun session!