Dead Man’s Hand Redux: Desperados

Onto the last of the gangs from the Core rules for the Dead Man’s Hand Wild West skirmish game and also the last to have the Redux treatment, available from Great Escape Games, lets have a look as the Desperados (cue mariachi music).

The rules for them are available for in the redux rule book and their original stats can be downloaded from Great Escape Games website, and are also suitable for use with characters you can create using either Gunfighter plastics or Gunfighters 2 plastic box set.

Their gang specific cards are included in the Core Card set – which comes with the rules or can be bought separately.

So what are we told about the Desperados in redux?

When you come into town folks start feeling anxious, just the way you like it, keep ’em on edge, keeps things interesting for everybody.

Desperado cards are plain and simple, they’re all aboiut maximising the carnage! Remove modifiers to nerve tests for the whole gang? Make one of your characters that bit more deadly when shooting? Remove the negative effects on shooting caused by Under fire markers? Allow one of your characters to take up to three extra shots? These are all the ingredients you need if you’re looking to cook up some trouble.
Dead Man’s Hand Redux rules – Great escape games

As with most gangs there are 4 Desperado Character types

Boss- a gang must have 1 of these and they are armed with a pistol — Non change from original

The Killer – a gang doesn’t have to have a Killer but can take upto 1, who is then armed with two pistols. — No change from original

Hijackers – the gang can take up to 2 of these = they are armed with a Pistol and Hand weapon and cost 3 rep. They have a strong nerve. — These are new in Redux

Bandits – the gang must have at least 2 of these, they can be armed with a shotgun, pistol, rifle or repeater. Upto 2 may have shotguns. — The allowance on shotguns has increased from 1 to 2.

Greenhorns = renamed Low lifes – the gang can include upto 6 of these, they can have pistols and upto 1 may have a rifle or repeater. — Redux has increased the number available but limited the group to only 1 long range weapon.

So 2 pistols – basically this means that the only way the Killer runs out of ammo is if someone plays the “for a few bullets more” cards (no 2)

The Desperados are special – they have 3 special rules

LIFE AIN’T WORTH SPIT – desperados may shoot into hand 2 hand fights. The desperado character fires as normal for each successful shot a card is drawn on an even number (2, 4, 6 , 8 or 10) a friendly model has been hit , otherwise an opponent has been hit. So odds are in your favour :-). They also ignore the negatives associated with the outlaws hostage card. — Same as original
A HOG KILLIN’ TIME – this can only be used by a model armed with a pistol who is not benefitting from substantial cover. Once they have ended their actions the player may declare its “HOG KILLIN’ TIME” and take a further shoot action. At the end of the action the shooting character takes an under fire marker. — Same as original
CRAZY AS A LOON – this is a once per game rule. It must be declared at the start of a turn after initiative but before any model has activated. For the whole turn no desperado model takes a nerve test, this also negates the “Yellow belly” card, each model that should have takes a marker to show they have dodged a test. At the end of the turn all these dodged tests a d10 is rolled for each one on a 1-5 they count as failed and the model takes an underfire marker, otherwise they are passed. — SImilar to original, but will an added chance to not fail the test.

Their Jack, Queen, King and Aces cards also bring some interesting options

ACE – “I’ve always been lucky when it comes to killin’ folks” – this can only be played on a desperado that has announced at least 2 shooting actions. If the final shot hits, then upto 3 further shots can be taken at the same target or another target with 10cm of the first if the first goes out of action, so long as “hits” are achieved. Each of the additional shots is taken at the same modifier as the last shoot action. — Slight Change from Original requiring each of the extra shots to hit, and also locking the modifier to that of the last shoot action rather than continuing the -1 per additional shot.
KING – “We started together, we’ll end it together” – this can be played at any time during the turn, from then on all desperados ignore the negative to hit modifiers for under fire markers. — No Change from Original
QUEEN – “The Shootist” – this card is played when a desperado is activated. All non shotgun shots from this model against a single nominated target count as aimed and ignore negative modifiers for movement. This played alongside the KING and if you’re very lucky the ace would provide a deadly round of firing. — Slight Change from Original added exclusion for shotguns
JACK – “Stand like a man… and give some back” – this is a powerful card as it stays in play until one of the players gang fails a nerve test – but what does it do you ask – well it allows you to take nerve test with no negative modifiers. — No Change from Original

Summary of changes in Redux

Minor changes to the Factions cards – making them easier to use and adding a shotgun exclusion on one.
Minor change to factions special rules – making them slightly stronger.
New 3 pt character option added with great nerve and hand weapons – so evidently intended to be H2H specialist. Increased the number of shotguns from 1 to 2 and upped the limit on 1pt characters to 6.

Now thats all the gangs from the redux rules looked at. I will have a look at the New Rogue gallery additions and changes to how Rogues operate in the game.