Dead Mans Hand vs The Chicago Way

I picked up second hand The Chicago Way (TCW) which is a 1920’s skirmish game from Great Escape Games. Upon first reading it seemed very similar to their Western Game Dead Mans Hand(DMH), so I thought I’d do a little comparison view.

It is fair to say that both games use the same core mechanics for game play –

D20 for shooting/fighting
D10’s for moral/Nerve tests.
Cards for activation order/initiative
Gangs consist of Leader, optional No2, Core Gang members and disposable peons.
Players have a “poker” hand of cards which can be played at different times to influence the game.
Core cards 2 to 10 with identical impact on game.
Unique Gang related jack, queen, king and Aces with specific flavour.
Unique Gang rules per gang.
Multiple Gangs available. – some included in the Core book and others with rules in the box with the figures.

So you may be asking – “Why was the Chicago way not just released as an add on?”, well there are differences

Gangs and equipment in DMH is purchased with rep – in TCW these are purchased for USD values.
DMH includes rules for Horses – TCW has rules for cars and trucks; and introduces the Driver Character and Drive skill.
DMH games are normally made up of Acts consisting of 3 scenes played through by 2 gangs – TCW operates on single episodes with potentially 2-4 players involved.
DMH campaign rules, available in “The Legend of Dead Man’s Hand”, has experience rewarded after each scene and campaign events after the completion of an ACT, the core aim is to be the first gang to get 31 rep and 3 schemes – TCW campaign rules are included in the core rule book and rely on the Map included with the core set, the campaign occurs over 5-6 game sessions and revolve around the increase and decrease of influence of each gang over the course of the campaign.
TCW includes rules for Machine guns and pump action shotguns, new gangs in TCW include rules for SMG’s and BAR’s.
Civilians are an occasion incidental in DMH – in TCW they are more integral and rules to include them are core to several of the scenarios.

So yes TCW could have been released as an addon to DMH – but there is enough new and different stuff that means it also deserves to be it’s own set of rules. It could be viewed as DMH represents gang activity between 1803 ish and 1912 – and TCW represents gang activity from 1924 – 1950 ish.

So how different are the Core cards – i.e. could you use DMH cards for TCW and vice versa?

Card	DMH	TCW	Notes
2	Out of ammo – after 1st shot	Out of ammo – after 1st shot	Identical
3	Remove all aiming bonus’s from a shooting model	Civilian – add a Civilian no more than 20cm away from an armed model.	Different
4	Swap 2 of the opponents initiative cards over	1st shooting action automatically misses	Different
5	Automatically end an opponents models move action and cancels all further actions.	Automatically end an opponents models move action and cancels all further actions.	Identical
6	Adds a free move to the end of a models actions	Enable a model to interrupt play and take a free move action.	Different
7	Cancels duck back when declared.	Provides activating model with a free shoot action prior to declaring actions for the turn.	Different
8	Turns “Out of action” results to “under fire and nerve test” – lasts till end of turn.	Ignores a hit that would put a model out of action and enables it to take a free move.	Different
9	Forces opponent to fail Nerve test due to “under fire and nerve test” shooting result.	Turn under fire results against 1 target to under fire and nerve test result	Different
10	Ignore to hit penalties for cover and target movement when shooting.	Remove an under fire marker from a model prior to it taking its actions	Different
Red Joker	Swap 3 of your initiative cards with 3 of the opposing players initiative cards.	Allows each model to redraw its initiative card if it wishes	Different
Black Joker	All shots on both sides get a +1 to hit modifier for the turn.	Steals common card (2-10) from opponent and adds it to players hand to be used.	Different

Comparison of The Chicago Way and Dead Mans Hand core cards

The truth is that only 2 of the cards provide identical (2 and 5) results. But the truth is that the others could be valid in either game and can be applied with out breaking the games, with except of TCW No. 3 which would require spare civilian characters and a copy of the civilian activation rules from TCW.

So the other question would be – could I use a gang from DMH against a gang from TCW – well so long as you and your opponent are happy with the fact that the core cards will vary then I don’t see why not. You’d need to come up with a way to transfer Rep to USD or vice versa to enable creation of balanced gangs. The FBI has existed, admittedly as the BOI since 1908, so there is a historical justification that they may have faced off against Outlaws and desperados during the last years of the Wild Wes, in fact the Greer Gang – apparently the Last Western Outlaw Gang were active till 1917.

Potential Future Developments

The following are purely my own thoughts on how TCW and DMH could be further expanded –

Inclusion of a Texas Rangers gang for DMH and TCW – the rangers were created in 1823 and are still in operation.
Inclusion of a Mexican Rurales gang for DMH and TCW – the Rurales were created in 1861 and disbanded in 1914, however a part-time militia took over the nomenclature in 1926 and continues to provide support in the Mexican War on Drugs. As such they are ideal for use in both DMG and TCW
A Canadian orientated expansion include the Royal Mounted Police, Yukon Gold Diggers, Canadian Local Police, Communists, Anarchists, Irish Republicans, Royalists and potentially Inuit and First Nation gangs. Think “The Murdoch Mysteries“
A city orientated expansion including the Plug Uglies, Tammany Hall Police, Dead Rabbits and Bowery Boys – yes we are talking the “Gangs of New York“- ERA 1850’s to 1910’s
An expansion to further support the released Peaky Blinders gang, I believe it needs to include Metropolitan Police, Special Branch, Anarchists, Communists, Fascists, Irish Republicans, Irish Loyalists, Ulster Special Constabulary, Civil Guardia, Colonial Separatists, Royalists and potentially all the groups from A very british civil war.

So whilst we await the arrival of Dead Man’s Hand Redux and get to see the changes that it brings; and I have to update all my DMH related content I may do similar reviews of the Gangs from The Chicago Way and possibly consider sharing some home grown gangs for both.