Well, pardner, welcome back to Gomorra, the town where you ain't dead until...well, sometimes you just plain ain't ever dead.
Doomtown is becoming one of the most popular games in a long time in the area. Boldo's now holds Doomtown on both Thursday nights and Sunday afternoons. At the recent Rudicon convention, there was both a sanctioned tournament and an all-convention skirmish. New players are entering the game all the time.
This month, the Texas Rangers have come into town to try and get their man (or woman), but there real intentions may not be totally pure. This is the first of three fairly dark releases that will finish up the first cycle of nine episodes in January.
The Texas Rangers are represented by six new dudes to add to the previously released Danny Hamilton. Katie Karl leads the group with her three-stud, three-influence (and, unfortunately, three-upkeep) statistics. Her special ability allows you to reduce the cost of any dude you are bringing into play by their bullet rating.
Dudes from past releases also get help this episode as "experienced" versions of Nicodemus Whateley and Little Running Bear and others are added to the set. These new versions add new abilities and improve the statistics over the originals. As a Noon action, you are allowed to switch between the original and experienced version of a dude.
The Colegium gets a boost from the new Chrono Accelerator, a common with a Gadget Difficulty of 8. One more way to get control points easily and cheaply.
The Huckster ability also gets some boosts. Stoker's Saber gives anyone the skill, along with +1 on bullet and influence. Hoyle's Book, 1769 Edition will become a copy of any other Hex that is in play. Finally, the hex Puppet allows you to take control of another player's dude until nightfall if you successfully pull.
A few rules have also been added or changed with Episode Seven.
A dude may carry several weapons, but only one can be ready and used at a time. This changes Gordo Andrade who can have two weapons in use
The Blackjacks outfit ability (boot a dude and make him wanted for two ghost rock) can now be used multiple times per turn. A new outfit card with the change is included in Episode 7.
In a clarification, you always control your home and no one controls the Town Square.
The Flamethrower activation is now a Shootout action.
How the Texas Rangers will affect the Doomtown scene will not be known for a number of weeks. Nationally, tournaments have been dominated by the Law Dogs, Sioux Union and Collegium. With the monthly changes in the outfits and sets, anything is possible.
