I love games which harken back to an early time in either design, or in their aesthetics.
Cannon is an example of game with that old time design feel. It reminds of the simplicity of checkers, a game which evolved centuries earlier, yet cannon is a recent release in game terms, and it arrived with a classic 'feel'.
Then there is a game such as Revolver.
This game stands out on a store shelf. It comes in a tin. While a half century earlier that might not have been unusual, today it is.
With the game title and a screaming gunfighter, his two six-guns clutched in his hands and smoking from being recently fired, both in raised relief, and having a bright red background, the tin is striking.
As the gunfighter motive suggests, Revolver in a western themed game. It was released in 2011 from British designer Mark Chaplin.
Revolver is a two-player card game.
"The year is 1892. The bank at Repentance Springs has been robbed. Many good citizens, including Sheriff Anton Dreyfus and school-marm Sue Daggett, were brutally slain as the gang shot its way, whooping and hollering out of town.
Colonel Ned McReady and his men are tasked with bringing Jack Colty - a man so mean he'd steal a fly from a blind spider, or a coin off a dead man's eyes - and his gang to justice," begins the rule book.
"Revolver is a two-player card game set in the Old West, in which one player takes the role of Colonel Ned McReady and his god-fearing lawmen, and the other player is controlling of the notorious and deadly Colty gang.
To win the game, a player must meet one of the following conditions;
*The Colonel McReady player wins if every member of the Colty gang is killed.
*The Colty gang wins if Jack "The Crow" Colty reaches and survives the 3:15 Express from Rattlesnake Station battlefield turn space "4".
*The Colty gang player wins if he manages to remove all twelve tokens from the Mexican Border card."
There are three types of cards; firepower, row-blocking and one-shot effect cards. Each has a different mechanic effect on the game.
With each player representing a gang (each gang deck is 62-cards), battles are fought over a series of five 'location card' which also work as a progressing timeline in the game.
The card artwork has an older style to it, with good character looks. The cards are a high quality, although I might think card sleeves are a good idea if you want to keep the cards pristine. White Goblin actually offers game-specific card sleeves that are awesome for Revolver.
The rules take a couple of reads to get a handle on, but they are pretty easily grasped once you get to dealing cards.
Revolver also has seen two expansions made widely available, 'Ambush on Gunshot Trail' and 'Hunt the Man Down'. These of course add new locations and characters and game options which do nicely in keeping the game fresh. Both were released in 2012.
"This expansion comes in two separate modules; A) Ambush cards: an addition to the base game giving the Colonel McReady player greater strategic options by preparing ambushes on each battlefield, and B) Deck building: new cards making it possible for both players to construct their own deck and explore new tactics ," explains the 'Ambush on Gunshot Trail' rules.
It's similar with the 'Hunt the Man Down' expansion. "This expansion comes with two separate modules; A) Ambush card and prison card: the Ambush card is an addition to the base game giving the Colonel McReady player greater strategic options. The Prison is an unusual new battlefield with its own set of rules, and B) Deck Building: new cards making it possible for both players to construct their own deck and explore new tactics."
'Vengeance on the Frontier', a third expansion with broad release has been announced from White Goblin Games in 2013.
But back to the tin from the original game. There is a plastic insert that has areas to hold the cards and pawns. It easily holds the first two expansions, and as more cards are released, the insert could come out and leave tons of rooms for new expansions - another major plus.
I like that as a two-player game you do not need a gathering of friends to play.
Card game aficionados, western theme lovers, and those looking for a great two-player option, should certainly look to add Revolver to their collections.
Check it out at http://www.whitegoblingames.com/game/70/Revolver-English-only
If anyone is interested in this game, or other board games feel free to contact [email protected]
