High Noon at the KO Coral

For our final scheduled monthly game in GHQ Paul had requested something light-hearted and fun. My thoughts naturally turned to a game not often seen out on the tabletop battlefield here in GHQ, namely  a Western Gunfight game set in New Paddock City. 

I thought a few of you might enjoy seeing the collection of buildings, figures and ephemera out on show and so without more ado here we go ~

Even western town feel the need of a name board delineating the civic boundary, so I scratch built this one back in the day. The skulls are from Dixon Miniatures and the cacti I brought back from my first Historicon. For any interested folk I painted them green and then it coated them in PVA and immersed them in static grass so they look the part.

Let's take a look then, starting with a view down Main Street, New Paddock City, 1884 towards the infamous bordello known to all as Madame Moustache's.

My figure collection is a mix mostly of Dixon Miniatures and Wargames Foundry - showing my age there I guess. The buildings bar one were from Battleflag, not sure who has them now though. I washed the frontages with various inks and made some signs while downloading others. The odd one out is an original HGWalls building I received as a Christmas gift from Dave.

All the buildings have lift off roofs so I added interiors using the resin sets from Frontline and papered some walls with downloads of Doll's House papers resized to look right.

As in this example showing the interior of the Aces High saloon, though it's obviously not papered.

Every western town needs a stagecoach and New Paddock City is no exception. 

Less attractive is the need for a seemingly ever expanding Boot Hill to keep up with all the carnage on the streets! The stage is from Dixon Miniatures while Boot Hill is made using Frontline graves set and MDF bases.

A new piano is delivered to the Aces High saloon! Let's hope the pianist lasts longer than the last one.

The Reverend Jeremiah Bykleigh rails against the sins of the flesh! Of which there is plenty on show it seems courtesy of the girls of Madame Moustache's bordello. Madame herself looks anything but impressed by his words!!

The peace will soon be disturbed though as the Dusst gang come into town aiming to rob the bank. They dismount on the outskirts and encouraged by the patriarch of the clan, Jed Dusst, they head on up Main Street.

They find their path towards the bank blocked by the forces of law and order, Sheriff Watson and his doughty deputies supported by Judge Paddock, the Hangin' Judge! Mind, with two wounds in the early exchanges he may not live to see them swing!

Ol' Stumpy MacFarlane, Watson's most loyal deputy,  has worked his way around behind the gang. He has the drop on Jeremiah Dusst and gives him both barrels at close range. One Dusst bites the dust you might say!

Further up Main Street the lead is flying thick ' n fast. Judge Paddock has three wounds, Deputy Aston has two and Sheriff Watson one. More Deputies hurry to their aid lest the remaining members of the Dusst gang reach the bank.

It may all be down now to the draw of the cards for activation as to who gets off the decisive shots as wounds have mounted on both sides.

Stumpy has to reload his shotgun having loosed off both barrels to account for Jeremiah Dusst. Darn it, he misses the opportunity to get Jed.

No worries though as Sheriff Watson guns down Jed Dusst despite being wounded himself. Stumpy has reloaded quickly and the remaining bandit  Obadiah Dusst gets both barrels. He will not rise again!

It's all over, the Dusst gang are all accounted for and on their way to Boot Hill. Sheriff Watson and his Deputies can get their wounds dressed. Leaving just Judge Paddock to ruminate on the lead robbing him of watching them swing...

Still he thinks, there's always another day and another low life to swing on his gallows. But, to finish on a more genteel note so you don't have nightmares a few more general shots of the collection.

Plenty of business no doubt for the town's undertaker and never a slack moment at Madame Moustache's!

Business is usually pretty brisk in Byk Li's Chop House too. A gunfight sure seems to whet a man's appetites.

Meanwhile back to more mundane matters, even Home on the Range a man needs to eat. Beans...again? Now, which way is the wind blowing I ask?

Madame and her Girls just hope it's not in their direction!