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Review: Doomtown: Hell's Comin' With Me

March 14, 2020 by ced1106

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Introduction: Hell's Coming With Me is Pinnacle Entertainment Group's fourth expansion for the Doomtown: Reloaded card game, after the mega-expansion There Comes a Reckoning, and as the last of the three expansions in the Doomtown Tombstone trilogy. Like the other expansions in the trilogy, this expansion has four copies each of fifty-six new cards, including three new legends, and four dudes for each outfits. No new outfit cards are introduced. If you're new to Doomtown, you may wish to start off with the Quick Draw Starter Decks, or the base game set and Anarchist and Free People's Quick Draw Starter Decks. While this review suggests ways to use cards from this expansion, these aren't the only ways, nor necessarily ones that will win you the tournament. In particular, you may want to choose cards that will result in good shootout hands. Card illustrations in this review are from the Doomtown Database. Besides cards from this set, I'm including cards that work with cards from this set, as well as similar cards to compare them against. Many of the dudes in this set are based on actual people, involved in the Gunfight at OK Corral and its aftermath.

Note: A version of this review with card images will be posted on RPG.net.

Legends: Similar to an outfit, a legend starts in play at the beginning of the game, and its abilities typically stay with you throughout the game. They differ in that they are an optional card to play, and they typically have drawbacks and limitations that restrict which decks you will want to use them in. The legends in this set are Andrew Lane, Hank Ketchum, and Lacy O'Malley, all familiar figures from the Deadlands RPG mythos. Andrew Lane was also an important figure in the original Deadlands card game.

Andrew Lane, known as The Ghost in Deadlands lore, and well-known in the original Doomtown card game. Libertad writes on his RPG.net post on the Deadlands "The Last Sons" adventure, "In the world of Deadlands, John Wilkes Booth’s assassination attempt was half-successful. He certainly ensured that President Lincoln was dead, but he didn’t stay that way for long when the man came back Harrowed with a manitou spirit riding co-pilot. Naturally such a famous face could not maintain a low profile by himself for long, so he ended up back in the US government’s employ. His “civilian” identity was Andrew Lane, the owner of Union Blue railroad company, while he also acted as the Agency’s leader codenamed the Ghost. Unfortunately his manitou finds bureaucracy boring and every so often does its best to wrest control. One of Lincoln’s possessed episodes caused the Agency to bind him down and ship him out to Denver, both to use the Star Chamber to “put the right pilot in charge” and to help the beleaguered Colorado branch with some direct administration."

Andrew Lane's ability is "Shootout, Boot: Attach a Non-Unique Weapon from your hand to one of your non-token dudes." This lets you catch your opponent unawares, by playing a weapon in the middle of a gunfight as a shootout action, rather than beforehand as, say, a noon action. You also don't have to make a decision which dude needs a weapon until a shootout happens. For example, you may have a weapon that turns a draw into a stud, but have two 2-draw dudes in play. If your opponent sends one home, you can still make a stud out of the other. Andrew Lane works with a gadget weapon deck, although, obviously, your dudes unable to invent gadgets won't be able to use Andrew Lane's ability unless you have some non-gadget weapons in the deck. Note that a -1 bullet penalty doesn't really affect your supporting posse members, since only their bullet type contributes to your shootout draw hand. If you make a non-gadget weapon deck, consider Pettigrew's Pawnshop, from Faith and Fear. Play a weapon (or any other good) and the deed will gain you 1 ghost rock. Pinebox Entertainment also has an article about Andrew Lane.

Hank Ketchum appears in the Deadlands mythos in the Independence Day, Night Train, and Worms! Deadlands Dime Novels. ValhallaGH on the PEG forums describes him as, "Hank is basically the iconic Texas Ranger. He's tough, smart, a country man, a great shot, and implacable. If you can channel Jeff Bridges from the 2010 version of True Grit then you'll have done right by Hank. He fought at Gettysburg, where the Butcher took his eye. He'd been working that case for over a decade before finally solving it. Pretty much any image of a tough, one-eyed cowboy in Deadlands is an image of Hank Ketchum. He's almost as iconic to the setting as Jasper Stone, and only slightly less dangerous for a posse to encounter (because Ketchum is always found near serious trouble). He was a Lieutenant in the Rangers as of the Classic Law Dogs book. By the time Lone Stars was published, he'd been promoted to Captain. Hank's been in and around Arizona for nearly a decade, leading his company of Rangers in patrols of that troubled region. He's been an opponent of the Cowboys gang, an ally of the Earps, and a friend of Doc Holliday since he met each of them. He's been opposing and containing the schemes of Geronimo, Santa Anna (and Mexico), Baron LaCroix (Bayou Vermilion), the Cowboy gang (Tombstone), and even the snooping of Lacy O'Malley (the Tombstone Epitaph)."

Hank Ketchum lone helps out shooter shootout decks. His abiliy is "Resolution, Boot: If your posse only contains a single dude, and that dude has at least 1 printed influence, that dude gains Harrowed for this shootout round." (Per the rules, "When a dude with the Harrowed keyword is involved in a shootout, that dude can absorb more casualties than a normal dude. You can send a Harrowed dude home booted to cover one of the casualties you take in a shootout. Discarding a Harrowed dude covers two casualties, and acing a Harrowed dude covers three.") Don't get into too many fights each turn, though, since this ability works for only one shootout round.

As an alternative, Jasper Stone, from There Comes a Reckoning, also supports lone shooter decks. His ability is "Except at home, only your shooter contributes to your draw hand bonuses. ... React, Boot: After posses are formed, choose a dude in the opposing posse. Your shooter has +2 bullets while opposing that dude, and while your posse has a non-token dude." The difference is that, with Jasper Stone, you can back up your shooter with cannon fodder and still use his ability. Use the fodder for casualties, and if you have to remove a dude from the shootout.

Lone shooter decks typically focus on a stud with a high bullet rating (or a dude and actions that turn him into a stud or grant bullets), reducing casualties, and preventing your shooter from being removed from the shootout. The Law Dogs have two dudes who work well in a lone shooter deck. Joan McGruder starts with a high bullet rating, and "cannot be sent home from a shootout". Sister Mary Gideon, from Nightmare at Noon, receives a bullet bonus if she is "the only dude in your posse". Both are blessed, and miracles have a number of spells that reduce casualties and prevent your dude from leaving a shootout or other card effects. Hank Ketchum effectively reduces casualties, by giving them the harrowed trait (per the rules, "When a dude with the Harrowed keyword is involved in a shootout, that dude can absorb more casualties than a normal dude. You can send a Harrowed dude home booted to cover one of the casualties you take in a shootout. Discarding a Harrowed dude covers two casualties, and acing a Harrowed dude covers three.")

Sidekicks prevent your dudes from becoming casualties by being taken as casualties first. (The rules say, "Any goods with the Sidekick keyword carried by a dude in the posse can also be discarded to cover one casualty.") Mountain Lion Friend, from Ghost Town, also gives a "+1 draw bonus". Pedro, from The Showstopper, prevents card effects from moving your dude away from the shootout. Scoop Hound, from No Turning Back, prevents your dude from being sent home. Cavarly Escort, from There Comes a Reckoning, prevents an increase in casualties.

Takin' Cover's ability includes preventing one of your dudes -- such as your lone shooter -- from being "chosen as a casualty". Hiding in the Shadows, from the base set, and No Funny Stuff, from Bad Medicine, prevent your lone shooter from being forced out of a shootout. Frontier Feud forces your opponent into a one-on-one shootout. Various other action cards in the base game and previous expansions will increase your bullets or hand rank. For more cards that might keep your dudes from leaving a shootout, as well as those that reduce casualties, search on cannot and casualt in the Doomtown Database.

Finally, we have some other dudes, from other factions, who might be used in a lone shooter deck. Jackie Sanjuro is a First People's card from this set, and will be discussed later. Johnny Ringo, from Out for Blood, has an ability that is only in effect if he is the only dude in the shootout. Reverand Bob Hungate, also from Out of for Blood, has the ability, "Resolution, Boot: Choose a dude in your posse ... Your opponent chooses a dude in their posse. Both dudes cannot be chosen as casualties this shootout round." This effectively prevents him from being a casualty in a shootout round after hands are revealed when he's the lone shooter. The next round, use Hank Ketchum's ability to give him the harrowed trait. For more about Hank Ketchum, Pinebox Entertainment has an entire article on Hank Ketchum.

Lacy O'Malley, another Deadlands RPG figure, is based on the television character Kolchak, from the series, Kolchak the Night Stalker. Falkus describes him, "Born in Ireland and raised in New York, Lacy O'Malley became a figure about four years ago in the Weird West when he joined the Tombstone Epitath as a professional reporter. Not content to ride a desk, Lacy has travelled the length and breadth of the west, writing stories wherever he can find them. Unlike reporters from more eastern papers, Lacy reports on the strange and supernatural events in the Weird West whenever he can. While this has assured him scorn as a muckracker and teller of tall tales from readers on the east coat, the inhabitants of the west, who live closer to such things, see him as force for the truth."

Lacy O'Malley's ability is "Card effects cannot cause cards to leave your discard pile, and cards in your discard pile cannot be played. During Sundown, discard all cards in your hand". Veterans know that, when you construct a deck, you want cards that will help you make good shootout hands. You want these cards for your shootout hands, not stuck in your play hand. So, Lacy O'Malley's advantage is that, during sundown, you discard all of these cards, not just one, from your play hand. By cycling cards faster, you can put into play cheap cards you don't want to draw in your shooter hands. Faster cycling also allows transients and high-upkeep dudes to return to your play hand so you can play them again. (Transients tend to have low costs and high upkeep, so discourage you from keeping them in play for more than one or two rounds, causing you to discard them. Faster cycling means cards in your discard return to your play hand faster.) Search on transient and 1-cost studs in the Doomtown Database. Lacy O'Malley, then, may be a good default legend, if you're not interested in any of the other, more specialized, legends.

Lacy's drawback is that "Card effects cannot cause cards to leave your discard pile, and cards in your discard pile cannot be played." Most cards that let you play or otherwise manage cards in your discard pile are beneficial. If a dude has kung fu, he can play tao techniques from your discard pile. So you won't want to use Lacy O'Malley with these decks. Pinebox Entertainment also has an article about Lacy O'Malley.

For more information:

Anarchists: As said, none of the factions gain an outfit, but the Anarchists have four dudes. The Tombstone Haint's text reads, "The Haint has +2 influence during the Upkeep phase." This means that he effectively has an upkeep of 2 in other faction decks. (Per the rules, "Any dudes in your gang that belong to another outfit (that is, the dude’s card has an outfit symbol that doesn’t match the one on your home) have their upkeep increased by their influence."). At a cost of 2 and no upkeep, The Tombstone Haint is the second-cheapest 0-stud dude in Doomtown. Denise Brancini, from A Grand Entrance, has a cost of 1, but her upkeep may increase depending on the "number of jokers in all boot hills". She also "cannot be in a starting posse". If you are playing an Anarchist blessed deck, you may consider including The Tombstone Haint with He Feng, from Dirty Deeds, and Master Shou, from Out for Blood, because of their interaction with abominations.

Rock Woofstone's ability requires you to "Pay an opponent 1 ghost rock to move Rock to town square". When used with the Property is Theft outfit, "After you pay another player at least 1 ghost rock, draw a card". If Rock Woofstone is unbooted and not at home, you can use his ability to move him to town square without booting, then boot him to move to another deed to control it.

Arielle Moriah's ability, "After Arielle boots to use an ability on a Miracle, unboot her" works with several miracles. This includes Babble On, which allows you to "Boot this dude to boot an opposing card". However, since hers is not a repeat action, you can use her ability only once per turn.

Play Twilight Is Upon Us, from Out for Blood, to move Gabriel Prior to the shootout location. His ability, "Increase Garbriel's Blessed skill checks by the number of other dudes at this location" will increase his blessed skill checks by the number of dudes in the posse. Cast Walk the Path, from Faith and Fear, to add another dude to this location, further increasing his skill check. You can, of course, keep Gabriel Prior at home. When you play a dude, or if you keep dudes at home, this will also increase his Blessed skill checks. Since his value is a Q, his 1-upkeep will be reduced to 0 with the Huntsmen's Society, from No Turning Back. Play the Huntsmen's Society adjacent to your home so all your dudes there "with a value of 10 or higher get -1 upkeep."

Crystal Palace is a saloon that gives abominations at its location "+1 bullets and +1 influence." Anarchists have both abominations, and cards that support an abomination kung fu saloon deck (a deck that relies on abominations, saloons, and kung fu techniques for various abilities). Soul Cage, from Nightmare at Noon, may be useful to bring back abominations lost from play.


Entrepreneurs: The Entrepreneurs receive four dudes in this expansion. Mr. Baird allows you to "Discard a deed from your play hand to put an in-town deed from your discard pile into your play hand." In a gadget deck, this means he can let you retrieve the cheapest control points deed in the game, the Miasmatic Purifier, which is also a gadget. The Miasmatic Purifier's drawback is that "At the start of Sundown (before victory is checked), the controller pulls. If the pull is a club ... discard this deed". So, if your opponent controls the deed, it'll probably end up in your discard pile. This drawback also means you'll want to make a clubless deck (a deck that has few or no clubs). Meanwhile, Harlan Stanton is another dude that can be used in a ranch deck. Search on ranch in the Doomtown Database.

Dr. Delphi Wallis is a mad scientist with a shootout ability which can use a gadget to negate another dude's printed ability. You can use her with Andrew Lane to invent a weapon gadget in a shootout, then use the gadget with her ability. Cooper Grannon benefits from a clubless deck, particularly with an experimental gadget. Search on experimental gadgets in the Doomtown Database. Also, search on experimental in the Doomtown Database for dudes and other cards that can benefit from experimental gadget weapons. Note that most experimental gadgets -- including the Miasmic Purifier -- work best in a clubless deck.

Fearmongers: Fearmongers also gain four dudes. Vivene Goldsun becomes a stud with a mystical good, and can discard one to send a dude booted. Thus, she should have two mystical goods attached ot her. She works in a mystical goods deck, along with the Bayou Vermilion Railroad, from Out for Blood, which can reduce the cost of bringing in a mystical good into play. The General Store, from the base set, may be useful to give her a mystical good where she can't normally do shoppin', such as if you're in a location you don't control or if she's booted. Richard Slavin, from Double Dealin, and Doomsday Supply, from A Grand Entrance, are some cards that will retrieve mystical goods from your discard pile. A Piece of the Action will put a dude into play with a good from the discard pile. You put the dude into play at a reduced cost with a minimum of 4, so would also work with Auntie Sinister. Search on discard pile in the Doomtown Database.

Maurice Croker's ability is "Shootout: If there are no studs in your posse, choose an opposing dude. That dude becomes a draw." He can use his ability, then turn himself into a stud with the Winchester Model 1873 from Frontier Justice. Other cards can also make him a stud. Search on stud in the Doomtown Database.

Is Bogie Man really Steven Wiles? By the time Steven Wiles ends up in boot hill, you should have enough production for the Bogie Man's upkeep. Bogie Man's ability is that he "gains a bullet bonus equal to the highest printed influence in any Boot Hill." So the late Steven Wiles' influence of 3 means a 3-bullet bonus to the Bogie Man. Evan Lucas is another shootout huckster, who's even a stud. Who knows what will happen when that kid hits puberty.

First Peoples: Several cards in this set support a First Peoples town square / influence deck. This sort of deck seeks to have the most influence in the town square. Influence decks have dudes with high influence to control deeds, but tend to have low bullet ratings, so are weak in a shootout. They usually need cards which helps them win shootouts. Both the First People's Eagle Wardens, from Immovable Object, Unstoppable Force, and The Spiritual Society, from Too Tough to Die, have abilities allowing you to draw cards in the town square. Kiva of Fathomless Ranch allows you "After victory is checked during Sundown, move your dude to town square". As a result, you can move your high-influence dude to town square at sundown without fear of him being called out, then use The Spiritual Society's ability, "if you have equal or more influence in town square than each other player, draw a card." If you move Alexander Sequoia, from Too Tough To Die, you can also his abiliity, "While Alexander is in town square, you may discard an extra card from your hand at Sundown". Since Kiva of Fathomless Ranch is an in-town deed, it will be a holy ground location next to the town square. As a shootout action, Ghostly Communion, from The Showstopper, can move a shaman to the town square and turn him into a stud. Chief Stephen Seven-Eagles, from Immovable Object, Unstoppable Force, is a 4-draw 2-shaman, so will greatly benefit from Ghostly Communion turning him into a stud. Also, Noon, Boot: While at the town square, Chief Stephen is worth 1 control point for each card attached to deeds you control." Search on shamans with a high draw in the Doomtown Database. Tawodi's ability is "Noon Job, Boot: Mark the town square. If successful, choose a dude or deed in your discard pile and play it, lowering the cost by 2, to a minimum of 1." Search on town square in the Doomtown Database. Finally, Scratch is a useful sidekick in town square. His ability, "Move Scratch to another of your dudes at an adjacent location" means you can move him from a dude in town square to an in-town deed, or vice-versa. Search on town square in the Doomtown Database.

Speaks with Buffalo is a 2-influence dude, so will be useful in an influence deck. his ability is, "Noon Job, Boot: Mark an opposing dude. Speaks-with-Buffalo becomes a stud. When forming draw hands this shootout, all dudes use their influence instead of bullets to determine how many cards each player draws (but keep their bullet types). If successful, unboot Speaks-with-Buffalo, draw 2 cards, and then discard 2 cards." Unlike most other jobs, the job reward of drawing two cards then discarding two may not seem as noticable as other job effects, such as placing a dude into play. Additionally, your mark can be a weak opposing dude with 0-influence -- and he doesn't even have to include himself in the shootout. Also, since your dudes at the location of a job return home, Speaks with Buffalo, can help evacuate your 0-bullet influence dudes that are booted at a location where an opponent's 0-influence dude can call them out -- so long as you don't mind risking these additional dudes in the shootout. Since Speaks with Buffalo returns home unbooted, you can even push your luck and still have him control an opponent's deed later in the turn.

As said, influence decks tend to have dudes with high influence but low bullet ratings. Both Schieffelin Hall and ...It's who you know, from Double Dealin', allow you to use influence instead of bullet ratings in a shootout -- which is good, because dudes with high bullet ratings sometimes have zero or little influence. I've listed a two other Free People's cards that might work in an influence deck. For more cards involving influence, search on influence in the Doomtown Database.

Tsintah's ability is "Shootout: Boot Tsintah's Spirit or a Totem at this location to make her a stud. If this location is Holy Ground, or is a deed adjacent to Holy Ground, Tsintah gets +1 bullets." Thus, she supports decks with totem spirits and holy ground deeds, including Kiva of Fathomless Reach. Since she has a shootout ability, you will want her spirit to be a sidekick, so the sidekick is discarded as a casualty, not her, during a shootout. ("Any goods with the Sidekick keyword carried by a dude in the posse can also be discarded to cover one casualty".) Winona Rein-Breaker, a drifter shaman, also has a shootout ability, "Discard an opposing Sidekick." As with other decks with shootout spellcasters, Twilight is Upon Us, from Out for Blood, will be useful to bring them into a posse. Search on spirit sidekick in the Doomtown Database. Search on holy ground deeds and other holy ground cards cards.

Jackie Sanjuro adds to the kung fu dudes of the First Peoples. His ability, "While Jackie is the only dude in your posse, he has a +4 value and is a stud" means he's a 2-stud when he's a lone shooter. This ability alone may be useful enough that you don't need to build a kung fu deck around him. Hank Ketchum's ability, "If your posse only contains a single dude, and that dude has at least 1 printed influence, that dude gains Harrowed" grants Jackie Sanjuro the Harrowed trait. (Per the rules, "You can send a Harrowed dude home booted to cover one of the casualties you take in a shootout. Discarding a Harrowed dude covers two casualties, and acing a Harrowed dude covers three.") Two Hundred Fifty Rounds, from Blood Moon Rising, and Seizing the Pearl of Death further help Jackie Sanjuro by reducing casualties each by one. You'll still want a card that prevents him from leaving a shootout, so see the Hank Ketchum comments earlier in this review.

Aside from two drifters, the First Peoples faction is the only faction that has shamans, so I will mention the spirit spells this expansion adds. Ancestor's Reproach is the alternative to Many Speak as One, from Immovable Object, Unstoppable Force, in bringing an Ancestor Spirit into play. Acing a card from your hand can be useful for thinning your deck so you're more likely to draw good shootout hands or other cards. Secret Paths prevents your dudes from booting when moving at noon. Since, among other things, unbooted dudes can call out other dudes, this is a pretty offensive spell, especially if you or your opponent have out-of-town deeds.

Law Dogs: This faction receives a few cards that bolster a legal deck (a deck that relies on playing legal hands in a shootout, though itself may not be a legal poker deck). Virgil Earp's ability is "Cheatin' Resolution: Choose up to three bounty on dudes in the opposing posse. If your hand is legal, you may choose up to five bounty." Magnum Rounds's ability includes "If you reveal a legal draw hand this round, hand ranks can only be modified by traits and Cheatin' Resolutions." Red River Roulette's ability includes, "If your hand is legal, boot your dude at this deed to prevent all casualties this round.". The outfit, Justice In Exile, from Blood Moon Rising, has, as an ability, "Whenever an opposing player reveals an illegal hand, they must raise the bounty on one of their dudes by 1. If your hand is legal, you choose the dude." Law Dogs have the most cards which can be used in a legal deck. Search on legal in the Doomtown Database.

This outfit also received three more dudes. Judge Wells Spicer's ability works with bounty decks, which go after wanted dudes. His ability is "Noon, Boot: Send an opposing dude at this location with more bounty than influence home booted." However, trying to use his ability on an unbooted dude risks having him called out first. Also, make sure your opponent can't call Judge Wells Spicer out when he's booted. Like Judge Wells Spicer, Virgil Earp is useful in a bounty deck. His ability, "Cheatin' Resolution: Choose up to three bounty on dudes in the opposing posse. If your hand is legal, you may choose up to five bounty." can lower a cheating opponent's hand by up to three or five ranks. Marshall Caves Callarman's ability, "Caves has -1 bullets and -1 influence for each bounty he has." is a drawback, but you can always decide not to pay his upkeep and discard him. We've already discussed how Joan McGruder can be used in a lone shooter deck with Hank Ketchum.

Various card abilities will affect dudes with a low value, including the Net Gun The Net Gun's effect is "Shootout, Boot: This dude makes a Mad Scientist skill check against an opposing dude's value. If successful, discard this card and and make that dude a draw." However, many 2- or higher studs have high values. The Stone Idol, from Double Dealin', will give a dude a "-3 value". Janosz Pratt can attach "a Gadget Weapon in your discard pile ... to "any of your dudes in the shootout. Discard it at the end of the turn." So attach the Stone Idol to Janosz Pratt, then use his ability to invent the Net Gun, and either attach it to your stud shooter for the bullet bonus, or mad scientist with the highest skill to try to turn your opponent's high stud into a draw. With Fort 51, you can also "React: After you invent a Gadget Weapon or Gadget dude, give 1 bounty to an opposing dude with influence less than the Gadget's printed cost." Legend Andrew Lane allows you to invent a gadget weapon during a shootout. So you can invent another Net Gun with a different mad scientist, especially if your opponent has a low-value stud. Legend Darius Hellstromme, from There Comes a Reckoning, has a negative ability that "your shooter has -2 bullets if they do not have a Gadget Weapon attached." If you're playing with him in a shootout, Janosz Pratt can attach a gadget weapon from the discard pile to "any of your dudes in the shootout", including your shooter. Search on value in the Doomtown Database for more cards that affect dudes with a low value.

Outlaws: This outfit, likewise, gains four dudes. Florentino "Indian Charlie" Cruz, Pete Spence, and Jonah Essex have abilities that support a wanted deck (a deck with cards that have abilities that rely on their dudes being wanted). Tomas Ramirez's ability is "Shootout: Boot Tomas's Hex to make a Huckster skill check against the value of an opposing Weapon. If successful, discard both the booted Hex and the Weapon." Most hexes require booting, though. Since Tomas Ramirez is a shootout spellcaster, Twilight Is Upon Us, from Out for Blood will be useful. This action card both brings in a spellcaster into the shootout, and gives +2 bullets to each shooter in his posse.

Both Andrew Lane and Pete Spence's abilities support a weapon deck (a deck that has several weapon goods in it, as well as cards which support weapon goods). Pete Spence's ability is "Noon Job, Boot: Mark an in-town location Pete is not at. If successful, choose an Attire or non-Unique Weapon in your discard pile and attach it to one of your dudes, booted ". While Pete's job ability risks a shootout, you can retrieve an important weapon from your discard pile. Again, Pettigrew's Pawnshop, from Faith and Fear, will give you a ghost rock when you put a good -- such as a weapon -- into play.

Jonna Essex (Exp.1) has the ability, "Discard an opponent's attached card at this location with cost equal to or less than Jonah's bounty." Since you can replace a dude with his experienced version (or vice-versa) as a noon play, you could acquire bounty on the inexperienced version, then replace it with the experienced one. Both versions of Jonah Essex and Doc Holliday, from Out for Blood, work with a spellcaster shootout deck (a deck with spellcasters involved with shootouts). Boot Doc Holliday to "Give your dude a bullet bonus equal to the spellcaster skill rating of a dude in this shootout" to raise Jonah Essex's bullet rating by his huckster skill. Alternately, the experienced Jonah Essex and Ezekiah Grimme, from There Comes a Reckoning, also work together. Both have an abiliy that relies on a deck with a variety of different spells. The experienced Jonah Essex's cost "is reduced by the number of different Hexes you control." Ezekiah Grimme has the drawback ability, "When attaching a spell to a card, increase the spell's ghost rock cost by the number of copies of that spell in play." Both Doc Holliday and Eziekia Grime are legends, so you can only have one in play with your outfit. Finally, Twilight Is Upon Us, from Out for Blood, is useful for moving a shootout spellcaster into a posse, and increasing the bullet rating of everyone in his posse.

Drifters: This expansion has three drifters and one gadget dude. Camillus S. Fly is an A-value, 2-cost, 2-upkeep, and his ability is "React: After Camillus S. Fly enters play during High Noon, one of your other dudes becomes a stud." His high upkeep means you are likely to discard him at the end of the next upkeep. However, his A-value means you can use him as part of a dead man's hand deck. This deck tries to form a dead man's hand, the highest rank in the game, during shootouts. This hand and therefore the deck consists of A-club, A-spade, 8-club, 8-spade, J-diamond. Play him normally at noon and make another dude a stud. On the next turn, do not pay upkeep and discard him.

I listed a few possible dead man's hand cards you could use. Steven Wiles is an 8-spade dude with a high upkeep. Like Camillus S. Fly, play him normally at noon this turn, and do not pay his upkeep next turn. When he is in your discard pile, play HIred Guns to place him or another "dude from your discard pile into your hand". While Nicole Sumner does not have a high upkeep, her 8-spade makes her a possible card for a dead man's hand deck. Besides as a card in a dead man's hand, she can also work with a wanted deck. This deck has cards which make your dudes wanted, and cards with abilities that benefit from wanted dudes. Search on wanted in the Doomtown Database. A dead man's hand is a legal hand and Both You Had ONE Job!, from There Comes a Reckoning, and This'll Hurt in the Mornin', from Fear and Farith, are dead man hand cards which have abilities that occur when you have a legal hand. For legal cards, search on legal in the Doomtown Database. Undertaker, from the base set, is a pretty good J-diamonds deed. For more about the dead man's hand, see these articles on Gameskinny and BoardGameGeek, as well as Doomtown Database decklists for a dead man's hand. Pinebox Entertainment forum has a post about deckbuilding, including a dead man's hand.

QUATERMAN PRIME is a gadget dude introduced in this set. QUATERMAN PRIME has several advantageous abilities, but he has a drawback that "Each time a player reveals a cheatin' hand in QUATERMAN PRIME'S shootout, that player takes an additional casualty." Addtionally, QUATERMAN PRIME has a low 4-value that may make other gadgets in the deck difficult to be invented. You can still play QUATERMAN PRIME with an illegal deck and take the additional casualty loss, especially since he's harrowed (per the rules, "When a dude with the Harrowed keyword is involved in a shootout, that dude can absorb more casualties than a normal dude. You can send a Harrowed dude home booted to cover one of the casualties you take in a shootout. Discarding a Harrowed dude covers two casualties, and acing a Harrowed dude covers three."). Search on legal for other cards which will help a legal deck (a deck that forms legal hands during shootouts). As for the card's low value, you can increase the skill of a mad scientist with Marty, from Foul Play, Wagner Memorial Ranch, from Ghost Town, or Morgan Research Institute, from the base set. Backroom Deals, from The Light Shineth, will "give one of your dudes -2 upkeep" to offset QUATERMAN PRIME's 2-upkeep cost. Alternately, have him get into a gunfight the turn you invent him. If he becomes a casualty, you won't care about his upkeep.

Two mad scientists with 2-skill and 0-upkeep can invent QUATERMAN PRIME with a deck with a value as low as 4, Kyle Wagner, from New Town, New Rules, and Elander Boldman, from the base set. Kyle Wagner's ability is "Noon, Boot: If Kyle is at a Ranch, unboot the Ranch. Its abilities may be used an additional time this turn." So he can use his ability on the Wagner Memorial Ranch, from Ghost Town. Elander Boldman's ability is "Shootout, Pull: Choose your dude with a Weapon Gadget in this shootout. If the pull is a club, discard that dude. Otherwise, that Gadget gets +3 bullets." Twilight Is Upon Us, from Out for Blood, has the ability is "All shooters have +2 bullets while in a posse with a skilled dude. Your skilled dude joins your posse". Use Twilight Is Upon Us to bring Elander Boldman into a shootout and give your shooters +2 bullets. Then use his ability on your shooter with the gadget weapon for +3 more bullets. You'll need to build your deck as a clubless deck (a deck without clubs) to best use Elander Boldman's ability, so may only want one or two copies of the Q-club Twilight Is Upon Us in your deck. Byron Decker, from Out for Blood, while he has a gadget weapon attached, gets +1 influence.

Elander Boldman's ability works best with clubless decks, and Kyle Wagner's ability works on ranches, so add The R&D Ranch, from New Town, New Rules, to your clubless deck. The R&D Ranch has the ability, "Controller Noon, Boot: Gain 2 ghost rock and pull. If the pull is a club, discard this deed and all cards at this location." If your opponent controls the ranch and discards it and "all the cards at this location" while QUATERMAN PRIME is there, so what? Your opponent just saved you from paying QUATERMAN PRIME's 2-upkeep. The R&D Ranch is an out of town deed, so you could also add the Iron Mole to reach it. The Iron Mole has a 4-value and difficulty of 4, so can still be invented with a deck with a value as low as 4. The Iron Mole counts as a horse. So, while we're at it, how the Long Strides Ranch, from A Grand Entrance? It's a ranch that's out of town and gains production "while you have at least two Horses"? J.W. Byrne, from Frontier Justice, "gets +1 bullets" with a gadget weapon and "gets -1 upkeep" with a horse. Search on gadget for a gadget weapon of difficulty 6 or lower. Finally, with the Wagner Memorial Ranch, you can reduce an invention skill test by 2 and unboot the dude if successful. However, since you'll be able to invent everything in your deck regardless, you can use the Morgan Gadgetorium, from Faith and Fear, ability, "React, Boot: Before pulling for a skill check, increase the difficulty by 2. If successful, gain one ghost rock, and unboot the dude if they booted to use the skill or ability." So you could, in one turn at the Wagner Memorial Ranch, invent QUATERMAN PRIME and unboot his inventor by booting the ranch, invent another gadget, trade the gadgets to QUATERMAN PRIME, then send off QUATERMAN PRIME to cause some trouble.

QUATERMAN PRIME is also a mystical gadget, so both versions of Valeria Batten, from Faith and Fear and Out for Blood, with the aid of The Sanitorium, from The Light Shineth, to increase her huckster skill, could invent it, as well as Dabney Scuttlesby, from The Light Shineth. Devil's Six Gun, from There Comes a Reckoning, and Holy Wheel Gun, from Double Dealin', are two other gadgets they can invent with a 4-value card in the deck.

Deeds: This expansion has six new deeds. Red River Roulette's ability, "If your hand is legal, boot your dude at this deed to prevent all casualties this round" supports a legal deck (no illegal hands possible in a shootout). As said, Law Dogs typically have cards with abilities dependent on legal effects. This review already covered Kiva of Fathomless Reach with the First People, and Schieffelin Hall earlier. The Crystal Palace supports abomination decks, with its ability, "Abomination dudes at this location have +1 bullets and +1 influence." Rham's Readings' ability is "Controller Noon, Boot: Reveal the top card of an opponent's deck." The card is revealed, not discarded. Jonah's Retreat has the disadvantage that "The player who controls Jonah's Retreat collects its production." In other words, your opponent could collect its production. But it's a cheap card, it's currently the only 1-cost deed with 2-production, and you can play it to provoke your opponent to park one of his dudes with influence (and another dude to protect him) at an out-of-town deed. Attach a horse to your stud so you can move there unbooted then call them out or something...

Goods: The set comes with two non-gadget weapons, two gadgets, a sidekick, and a +1 bullet goods. Blue Lightnin's ability is "This dude is a stud. Repeat Shootout: Boot this dude's Hex. This dude gets +1 bullets or +1 Huckster skill." Since it's a repeat ability, it can be used as many times as you have hexes on the huckster. A similar card is Pearl Handled Revolver, from the base set, which also (but only) turns its dude into a stud. If you're going to bring a huckster into a shootout, Doc Holliday, from Out for Blood, can help out. His ability is to "Give your dude a bullet bonus equal to the spellcaster skill rating of a dude in this shootout". Twilight Is Upon Us, from Out for Blood, brings in your shootout spellcaster to your posse, then gives the shooter in the posse +2 bullets. For now, all hucksters above a 1-draw can turn themselves into stud, except for Jose Morales, from Double Dealin'. Blue Lightnin's drawback is its low value, which may mean failures when casting hexes. However, a fair number of hucksters have abilities that involve attached hexes without needing to cast them. Also, Nightmare Realm, from There Comes a Reckoning, is a "Shootout Hex 3", so your 1-hucksters will still succeed if they pull Blue Lightnin's 2-value. Your 0-hucksters can use The Sanitorium, from The Light Shineth to gain +1 huckster skill. Search on hucksters above a 1-draw in the Doomtown Database.

Magnum Rounds's ability, "If you reveal a legal draw hand this round, hand ranks can only be modified by traits and Cheatin' Resolutions" supports a legal deck, as discussed with the Law Dogs dudes earlier. As said, the sidekick Scratch can be moved from one adjacent dude to another, including from a dude in the town square, to a dude anywhere in-town, since all in-town locations are adjacent to town square. Battered Banjo's ability, "After a Hymn is successfully cast at this location, this dude gains +1 influence" works with Stevie Lyndon, from Blood Moon Rising, who has a +4 blessed skills for hymns. Pete Venters, as earlier mentioned, allows you to retrieve weapons from the discard pile, though I don't know about risking an entire job for a 1-cost banjo...

As for gadgets, the Net Gun's ability is "Shootout, Boot: This dude makes a Mad Scientist skill check against an opposing dude's value. If successful, discard this card and and make that dude a draw." See the Law Dogs discussion for some ideas on using this gadget. Also, Pete Venters, as earlier mentioned, allows you to retrieve weapons from the discard pile, though I don't know about risking an entire job for Net Gun. The Iron Mole increases an out of town deed's production by one, and improves movement to and fron out of town deeds. This gadget is also a horse, so may work with Long Strides Ranch, from A Grand Entrance. This out of town ranch gains production if you have at least two Horses, and reduces the cost of bringing a horse into play. Search on out of town.

Spells: This set adds three hexes, one miracle, and two spirits. Bolts of Doom is another hex to use in a shootout. Its ability is "Shootout Hex 7, Boot: Reduce an opposing dude's bullets by this dude's influence. If that dude has 0 bullets, this dude gets +1 bullets." Bolts of Doom might work with Auntie Sinister, a huckster with 2-influence and 0-upkeep. Sanitarium, from The Light Shineth, will add one influence or skill to a huckster (and you don't necessarily have to get into a shootout with the other dude who gets -1 bullets). Doc Holliday, from Out for Blood, can "Give your dude a bullet bonus equal to the spellcaster skill rating of a dude in this shootout. That dude has a maximum bullet rating of 4." Auntie Sinister is a 0-stud with 2-influence. "While Auntie Sinister has a Mystical goods and is in a posse, she gets a bonus to her Huckster skill equal to her influence." Nightmare Realm, from There Comes a Reckoning, has a difficulty of 3. Tlaloc's Furies, from Dirty Deeds, gives a dude "+1 bullets and +1 to their skills for each Tlaloc’s Furies you control." A Piece of the Action's, from Ghost Town, ability is "Noon: Play a dude from your hand, reducing their cost by 4, to a minimum of 4; the cost cannot be reduced further. You may search your discard pile for a non-Gadget goods and attach it to that dude, reducing its cost by the amount this card reduced the dude's cost."

Play A Piece of the Action, from Ghost Town, to bring Auntie Sinister into play at a reduced cost with a good -- such as Tlacloc's Furies -- from the discard pile. If you have two Tlaloc's Furies in play (the previous one went to The Flying Popescus, from Frontier Justice, to make them a stud), then Auntie Sinister starts as a 4-huckster 2-influence 2-stud. Boot the Sanitarium, to increase her influence by one. With her ability, this makes her a 5-huckster 3-influence 2-stud. Boot Doc Holliday, to increase her bullet rating by her huckster skill, to a maximum of a bullet rank to 4. She's now a 5-huckster 3-influence 4-stud. Cast Nightmare Realm, with difficulty 3, to give an opposing "dude -1 bullets and -1 value. Give your dude +1 bullets." Make a pull of 4 or higher, so Auntie Sinister "passes a Huckster skill check by 6 or more during a shootout, she gains +2 bullets." This giver her +3 bullets, to make her the equivalent of a 5-huckster 3-influence 7-stud. (The opposing dude has -1 bullets.) Cast Bolts of Doom which may give her another +1 bullet bonus. So now she's a 8-stud and some poor dude in the other posse has taken as a -4 bullet penalty.

You're going to want some hucksters to start the game with, so maybe start with The Flying Popescus and Funtime Freddy, from Frontier Justice. Equip The Flying Popescus with either Tlaloc's Furies or a Soul Cage to make them a stud. The Soul Cage will bring back Funtime Freddy and The Brute from boot hill or your discard after someone cheats (including at lowball). Auntie Sinister can benefit from the Soul Cage as well for her special ability, as well as place an abomination in her location so she'll be in a posse. The Undertaker, the base set, will give you "2 ghost rock each time an in-play dude is aced" -- and that includes your abominations. If you discarded an abomination (or need to trim down your deck), you can play Buried Treasure, from Nightmare at Noon, to "Ace a card in your discard pile to gain 3 ghost rock and draw a card." Both the Undertaker and Buried Treasure have high values, so you can succeed on making your huckster pulls.

Did I forget Idol of Tlazolteotl, from Immovable Object, Unstoppable Force? I absolutely did. As a +2 influence mystical good, it will further improve Bolts O'Doom, make The Flying Poepscus a stud, and raise Auntie Sinister to a 4-influence 4-huckster 4-stud dude with Doc Holliday and no Tlaloc's Furies. You can use the Idol of Tlazolteotl on Ol'Howard, from Ghost Town, to move him to a deed you own. Use Ol'Howard at the beginning of the game to start with the General Store, from the base set. Not only does the General Store reduce the cost of a goods or spell by two ghost rock, but it allows you to play the card outside of normal shoppin' rules. So you can attach the card at a location you don't control, and/or to a booted dude. Later in the game, maybe move Ol'Howard to the Five Aces Gambling Hall when your dudes are all wanted. Oh, and don't forget to add Twilight Is Upon Us, from Out for Blood to your deck. As said earlier, that card will bring a shootout spellcaster to your posse, and give all shooters in your posse +2 bullets. Now, this is a fair number of cards in the deck, and you're going to want multiple 8-heart Tlaloc's Furies in your deck, since the ability is "for each Tlaloc's Furies you control". You may also want multiple Q-club Twilight Is Upon Us cards, as well. (Soul Cage and General Store are also Q-values, if you want to keep the General Store in your deck instead of starting with it in play.) This deck might fit the commonly used 16x3 Doomtown deck, which has sixteen cards of each of three values, in this case 8 and Q and another value, possibly J or 7. See this post on the Pinebox forums about the 16x3 deck.

Somewhat similar to increasing upkeep, Lethargy requires your opponent to pay 1 ghost rock to unboot the affected dude at sundown -- before they receive production. This will force him to discard the dude if he has no ghost rock. This is a Holdup!, from the base set, allows you to "Boot your dude at a deed you don't own to take ghost rock from the owner up to the production of that deed." This should help make sure your opponent has no ghost rock. Mind Twist can also set one of your 0-influence dudes to 1-influence, so you can control a key deed. The set also adds two spirits, Ancestor's Reproach, and Secret Paths, which I discussed with the Free Peoples.

Dies Irae is a A-value miracle, whose ability is "up to four dudes in your Boot Hill contribute bullets to your draw and stud bonus (as back-up dudes)". Dies Irae may work with Agent Provocateur, from There Comes a Reckoning, or with Steve Wiles, from the base set, if you expect to ace them early in the game. However, the card's low value makes it a risky pull for spellcasters. But Stevie Lyndon, from Blood Moon Rising has "+4 Blessed skill" while casting hymns, so can successfully cast Dies Irae's difficulty 8 with a pull whose value is as low as 3. Meanwhile, Guiding Light, from Out for Blood, has a difficulty of 5, so Stevie Lyndon can still cast it successfully if he draws the A-value Dies Irae. Guiding Light's ability, "Pay another player 1 ghost rock to send your dude at this or an adjacent location home" allows you to use Property is Theft's, from Too Tough to Die, ability, "After you pay another player at least 1 ghost rock, draw a card." Both Rock Woofstone, and Reverend Bob Hungate, pay your opponent to use their abilities, so may be useful in a deck with Property is Theft. Since both Stevie Lyndon and Reverend Bob Hungate may get involved in shootouts, you may want to use Twilight Is Upon Us, from Out for Blood, in your deck.

Actions: Hell's Coming With Me ends with four actions, one condition, and one technique. Fannin' The Hammer's ability, "Shootout: Boot your dude to choose a number of opposing dudes equal to your dude's bullet rating. Each chosen dude with 0 printed bullets becomes a draw. Each chosen dude gets -1 bullets." can turn those supporting 0-studs into 0-draws, and give -1 bullets to their best shooter. Note that its effect depends only on your dude's bullet rating, so you can put that 3-draw to good use, such as John "Aces" Radcliffe, from Nightmare at Noon. You can also use War Paint from the base set or even Legendary Holster, from the base set, to increase a dude's bullet rating. Interestingly, many weapons that give a +2 bullet bonus are gadgets and melee weapons. Search on weapons with +2 or more bullets in the Doomtown Database.

Think your abominations can hold the town square? With Oddities of Nature, from the base set, "Your Abomination dudes get +1 influence while in the town square." Tumblebleeds! is a noon condition whose ability is "the losing posse takes an additional casualty. ... Noon: Boot your Huckster to attach this card to town square." Use Jia Mein (Exp.1), from Bad Medicine, or another huckster, to attach Tumblebleeds! to the town square. When you play Tumblebleeds!, or any noon condition, Jia Mein becomes a stud. Jia Mein can also "take a Condition from your discard pile into your hand." As dudes get aced in the town square, the Undertaker, from the base set, "gains 2 ghost rock each time an in-play dude is aced." Buried Treasure, from Nightmare at Noon, allows you to "Ace a card in your discard pile to gain 3 ghost rock and draw a card." Ace any abominations in your discard, then bring them back with Soul Cage, from Nightmare at Noon. The review already discussed how Soul Cage works with Funtime Freddy, himself a huckster, and The Brute. Take a look at a search on Oddities of Nature in the Doomtown Database for more ideas.

As said earlier, a lone shooter deck needs cards that reduce casualties. Takin' Cover's ability is "Shootout: Give one of your dudes -1 bullets. That dude cannot be chosen as a casualty this round unless you lose this shootout round by 3 or more ranks." So your lone shooter cannot be a casualty unless you lose by at least three ranks. Frontier Feud also supports lone shooter decks. Its ability is "Noon: Move your unbooted in-town dude to town square and boot them. Your opponent must either give that dude 1 permanent control point, or move one of their in-town dudes to town square and call out that dude. No other dudes may join this shootout."

The ability of Hell's Comin' With Me! is "Shootout: One of your dudes joins your posse (moving if necessary). If that dude has a Sidekick, you may make another shootout play with one of that dude's attached cards." Several sidekicks have shootout abilities. Search on sidekicks with shootout abilities in the Doomtown Database. Seizing the Pearl of Death is another technique your Free Peoples and Anarchist kung fu dudes can use. Its ability includes "If your hand is legal, this dude gets +1 bullets and +1 influence until Sundown", so you may want to use it in a legal deck (as said earlier, a legal deck is a deck that tends to play legal hands during shootouts). Note that you want a pull that is lower than the total value and kung-fu of your dude performing the skill test, and Seizing the Pearl of Death has a high Q-value. If your opponent cheats during lowball, at the beginning of the turn, during the gambling phase, this technique allows you to send home booted one of his dudes at the same location as one of yours. That may be worth the high value of this card. Search on legal in the Doomtown Database.

Conclusion: Hell's Comin' With Me is a well-rounded set, with dudes for each faction, three legends, and a variety of others to try out. New players will still want cards for each faction before picking up this set. Veterans will find good, solid, cards to reinforce their existing decks.

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