Boardgame session: 14 July 2019

Elaine and I have played, and enjoyed, a number of games of Western Legends. I was therefore very interested in how the game would play with more players, and this Sunday we got a chance to try it out.

Firstly there is no ‘Man in Black’ chasing you around the board doing almost random damage. I really like this mechanism to allow 2-player games, but it is not required in larger player counts. There is much more direct player interaction when the player count increases, but it takes time for new players to appreciate the need to attack others. In our group there is also a tendency to follow the Marshal points pathway, rather than the more uncertain Wanted path to glory. I kept to my character (Jessie James) profile and robbed as much as possible, but being the only Wanted player, I did get the attention of the Sheriff more than I would have liked. The Story Cards are more rapidly completed compared to the 2-player version. The increased player count does slow the game, and we found the short (15 point) game took roughly 2½ hours to complete. All the various location actions were utilised, and all players realised the value of the Cabaret in turning money in to Legendary Points near the end of the game. Chris (Bloody Knife) was the clear winner by managing to find 4 gold nuggets, depositing them successfully at the bank (together with some Fools Gold) and quickly spending the money on a blow-out at the Cabaret, thereby earning a large number of Legendary Points in quick time. Unfortunately neither Elaine (YB Rowdy) nor I could intervene to stop him due to our location on the far side of the board! Val (Billy the Kid) progressed steadily, mainly focussed on stealing cattle and being a skilled poker player! Chris clearly won, but the final scores for each other player were fairly close.

I hope all enjoyed playing the game, and I think they did, but it is difficult to judge when you are  playing, explaining and running a particular ‘new’ boardgame. I’m sure further plays will be faster now all are familiar with the concepts and options. I think both 2-player and multi-player versions are equally good, but do offer different experiences. For the multi-player game to work, players have to accept the need for their characters to interact and fight frequently. The fact there is no player elimination, and that wounds are a mere inconvenience, should encourage such behaviour.