We are in the great American West as we know it from westerns and we are on board a train that comes from... that goes to... in short, we don't care because what interests us they are the bags of gold coins, the jewels and other values which are there.
Go on ! Everything in my pocket!
Only here we are not alone, other outlaws also come to do their shopping and a marshal walks the train to protect honest people (pfff!) and load us with lead (repffff!).
It all starts with a cast of characters. Each will receive the sheet of the bandit that he will play. Small customization because each of them has a particular advantage in game.
We can crush the pif of the competitors by emptying their pockets, another can shoot through the ceiling of the wagons, the Doc will benefit from a card more in hand which gives him more latitude to act, etc...
Depending on the number of players, we will then place the pawns of our characters who, still wise at this time, will stand cushy in one of the train carriages. Rest assured, it won't last long.
Loot tokens have been placed in this train beforehand. Some have a fixed value but the bags can contain different values and we will only find out by picking them up.
Each player has a set of Action cards representing the actions his character can perform. We will draw 6 for each round.
And since we are talking about rounds, it is also time to turn over a Round card which will tell us how many cards we will be able to play and under what conditions.
The train can, indeed, sometimes enter a tunnel and as it is completely dark, we will then play our Action cards face down. Surprise ! Other times the game turn will change direction or we can even play two Action cards in one turn.
Taking into account the travel conditions, the first player will choose his first Action card which he places face up to everyone (except special power or tunnel).
The second player will do the same and so on. Be careful, at this stage, we are not resolving actions! We will see the result of our intentions at the end of the round.
It is indeed a question here of programming and what makes the salt of the game is to try to follow as well as possible what each one does or what one imagines that it will do to optimize at best the plundering of this good old train . Inevitably, with the tunnels and other character powers, things will not always go as planned, which is as hilarious as it is infuriating at times.
The dirty tricks are going to rain!
