THEME DECK #2: "Moonshine Mile"
OUTFIT: Sweetrock (Classic)
STARTING DUDES
AS Charlie Landers (Exp.)
2S Tucker Hastings
2S Cassidy Greene
8S Max Baine
10S Billy No-Neck
DUDES
6S Buster Madison
5S Lillith Vandekamp
6S Charity
7S Byron St. James
7S Deputy John Templeton
7S Montana Holland
8S Abel Owens
8S Killer Kerry
QS Mr. Slate
QS Vampiric Dance Hall Girl (Exp.)
DEEDS
AD No-Tell Hotel
AD The Perch
2D Buffalo Chip Saloon
4D LAD Saloon
4D Watering Hole
7D Buster's Gambling Hall
7D Lyndon Station
7D Old Moon Saloon
8D Faro Table (x2)
8D Glassmaker
8D Nick's Never Closes
JD Whiskey Nick's Joint
QD Brewery (x2)
QD Scared Stiff Saloon
ACTIONS
AC No Mint Juleps Here
3C Brawl
7C Bad Tequila (x2)
7C Drinks on the House
7C Life fo the Party
8C Jackelope Stampede (x2)
8C Sheriff's Watchin'
10C Cup of Joe
QC Good Stiff Drink (x2)
QC Sauce For the Gander
GOODS & EVENTS
7H Spit and Vingegar
7H Statute 32 of the Penal Code
8H Still
8H Whiskey Flask
QH Saloon's On Fire (x4)
JOKERS
Death's Head Joker (x2)
SUMMARY
It's a Charlie Landers vision of Gomorra... all that's left after the reconstruction? Saloons, saloons, and more saloons. With Tucker Hastings and Billy No Neck patrolling the various drinking stations, Charlie keeps watch behind the counter while Cassidy, um, services the clientelle. Special guest appearances include boucner-for-hire Mr. Slate, the drunken lawman Deputy John Templeton and even a stop in by Killer Kerry (hmmm,,,, anyone know how well she holds her liquor?) Just about every card in the deck has something to with drinking, and with a tried-and-true three-value poker strategy and a maximum potential for over 50 control points, the deck's pretty darned competetive too.
POKER STRATEGY
With twelves 7s, eleven 8s and twelve Qs, this deck plays some pretty sharp full-house-five-of-a-kind pokerm even when you don't get to draw that many cards. This deck generally isn't afraid of an early shootout -- that's what Billy No Neck is there for. But never overcommit too many Dudes... Tucker and Charlie should never be involved in a shootout if you can avoid it.
VICTORY CONDITIONS
The big card, of course, is Saloon's on Fire, and playing classic Sweetrock lets you control when it resolves (most of the time). Try to get four or five saloons into play before you burn one down - Whiskey Nick's Joint is usually the best choice for the first go around. With the right timing, you can even win if you are vastly out-numbered on influence... Case in point, I once managed to win a three-player game when I only had one influence and one of my opponents had 10. There were so many control points in play that he couldn't squat on enough to get ahead of me, and there are plenty of cards in the deck to limit your opponent's mobility.
DEFENSE
The deck has 17 influence, which is solid if nothing else. But the real defense comes from the many cards that can boot opposing dudes. Tucker Hastings, Bad Tequila, No Mint Juleps, the Still & Brawl. The key is keeping your opponent's options limited if he tries to take advantage of the many control points you will be dropping into play.
INDIVIDUAL CARD NOTES
* Tucker Hastings. Now my favorite card in all of Doomtown, his ability to toss people out of your saloons is amazing. Early on, it is a great deterrent to prevent your opponent from trying to start a shootout. Later on, if Tucker manages to survive to the end-game, this can be invaluable in rendering some of your opponent's influence useless (booted in the town square). Oh, and the +1 production don't hurt either!
* Deputy John Templeton/Mr. Slate. Don't be shy about bringing him into play for short spurts, to go after opposing dudes. His purpose is offense, not defense, and remember, you can only have either John or Mr. Slate in play at one time, so at some point one of the two will have to die.
* Whiskey Nick's Joint. A great place to camp out with Tucker and crew... don't forget to use the special ability each turn, if nothing else, then to prevent your opponent from using it if he takes control of the deed that turn.
* Life of the Party. This card has a ton of uses... Moving your dudes to out-of-town saloons like The Perch or Lyndon Station, limiting an opposing Dude's mobility by getting him out of the town square...It combos nice with the Watering Hole (assuming that works) forcing the dude to boot when he arrives.
* Good Stiff Drink. The only thing better than having Tucker in this deck is being able to use him twice. Or, you can play it on Cassiday to let you really get Billy No Neck pumped for a shootout.
* Still. Tucker and Charlie are extremely vulnerable value-wise, and they are very important to this deck... Increase their values as quickly as possible, and then use one of them to shut down threatening opposing Dudes.
PAGE OWNER's COMMENT:
Just kind of makes me scratch my head in wonder... Where is Whiskey Nick? Doesn't he fit well into a saloon theme deck?
