Holidays in Gomorra #2 - in which Robo-elves and Morgan Cattle Company bring Christmas cheer to Gomorra

Originally published at: http://gomorragazette.com/2015/12/19/holidays-in-gomorra-2-in-which-robo-elves-and-morgan-cattle-company-bring-christmas-cheer-to-gomorra/
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by David Lapp

Merry Christmas pardners! Bayushi Jinn-Ja here again for another installment of Bullets & Brews: Holiday Edition. For this next pairing, I celebrate Doomtown: Reloaded’s growth from the original 4 outfits that put down roots in Gomorra to the 16 currently available different outfits. With such growth and variety, I expect next Sheriff season fewer pesky clowns from the Fourth Ring putting on their shows. I nevertheless want to revisit one of the original homes, and outwitting an opponent by turning an existing concept on its side.

For those who haven’t seen it, let’s start by taking a gander at the deck that David Hammond won the 2015 Marshal Event at Gencon with. We all know that Fourth Ring control has dominated events since the first saddlebag dropped Paralysis Mark. Top players learned new tactics for handling these spell slingers. Law Dogs started the Judge for a strong blitz against key starting hucksters such as Leon and Valeria. Sloane players relied on good ole Kidnappins to keep the clowns in check. With a play style generally emphasizing control and influence reduction, Fourth Ring opponents often assume that they can go in with six shooters half cocked and still come out on top. Hammond played off of that assumption by keeping the core aspects of the deck in line; while tweaking it to be a superior shooter, running plenty of anti-cheatin’ cards, and safe measures to resist those tactics.

Let us look at how Hammond’s ‘looser’ draw structure (15 x 3) can be used for another deck type (by way of comparison BnB #1 was a 14/13/12 with an 8 off-suit structure). I’ve always been partial to my Quaterman deck. It’s evolved over the course of the saddlebags, originally built around 3s, 6s, Ks and now 3s, 4s, and 9s. Since the robots are non-starters, I play hoping that the appearance of a Landslide deck throws opponents off guard.

Pulling out the base Morgan outfit and 5 facedown dudes, opponents might assume you’ve got a slide deck and respond by swapping out some of the heavy shooters for some mobile influence. Sure, Rico Rodegain counters this, but even so they will have to out draw you quite a bit if they want to keep pace. This deck has a straightforward concept - win through your machines. 3s give you the Quatermans, with Dusters for added Influence. Bikes (née Mechanical Horses) let you run about and take deeds. Don’t forget to give Irving a coat to make the outfit ability work harder for you (and that 1 Stakes Just Rose in case he needs to get in for a ghost rock). The 4s access the new and amazing Disgenuine Currency Press which makes more ghost rock and allows you to shoot out more deeds, or bankroll the Cheatin’ Varmint reaction if need be. Discard the Press to the on value Professor. Brute and Aces are more fun friends to throw at your opponent. On 9s you get your bikes for an added starting influence on your Motorcycle gal, plus some more amazing dudes. Spit out deeds, and use your bikes to defend. Soul Blasts and Shotguns are problematic, so the deck runs two Unprepareds - never leave home without ‘em!

Robo-slide

Morgan Cattle Company 18 GR, 3 Production, 6 wealth, 1 upkeep, 2 income, 3+2 Influence

Starting Posse:

A: Irving Patterson

A: Jake Smiley

5: Travis Moone (Rico is also a great choice, more influence and you’ve got the money for him)

5: Chuan "Jen" Qi

2: Kyle Wagner

Off value:

2x 10: Unprepared

2 Jokers

3s

4x Quaterman

3x Sun in Yer Eyes

1x Stakes Just Rose

1x Yan Li’s Tailoring

1x Hustings

1x 1st Baptist Church

4x Dog’s Duster (alternatively this used to be Telepathy Helmets, and still a great choice)

4s

1x Prof. Eustace True

1x The Brute

1x John "Aces" Radcliffe

4x Disgenuine Currency Press

4x Coachwhip!

1x The Extra Bet

1 B&B Attorneys

1x Dead Dog Saloon

1x The Town Council (great with the outfit ability, use Varmint to help win lowball too)

9s

4x Cheatin' Varmint (this can be one or two Back Room Deals to snag those pesky Stevens)

1x Bunkhouse

1x Surveyor’s Office

1x Morgan Research Institute (allow Motorcycle not to fail if made by that extra inventor)

1x Angélica Espinosa

1x Elander Boldman (another scientist for y’all)

1x Arvid Mardh (Wendy and Mario are also great choices)

1x Jarrett Blake

4x Mechanical Horse

For our beer, with the amount of variety I’ve had with different values with this deck and how easily it accomodates different values (Quatermans with Telepathy Helmets and New Hats doing Election Day Slaughters is nice), I went with something in the Perennial Artisan Ales Dealer’s Choice series: Jack Rose (named for the brewery in DC they collaborated with). This hybrid beer and cider mimics our mix of dudes and robots. Fermented with apple juice, pomegranate, and key lime juice, plus a twist of citrus and bit of spicy rye makes it truly unique. I discovered Perennial brewery on my trip to Kansas City for the first Sheriff event of 2015 and found their 'off the wall' beers. I recommend anything in their line if you find yourself out in the St. Louis area. Have a safe and happy holidays everyone!

Bonus List:

Since most of y'all somehow managed to find yourselves on the 'nice list', here is an extra-special bonus deck. I'll throw in my two ghost rock and take a different approach than what you might expect with the newly-arrived Den of Thieves. I’ve seen quite a few options of how to play this gang, so I’d like to provide a different approach than the all-out cheatin’ variety. Let’s take a look at a Grifter Swarm that aims to misbehave.

Grifter Swarm

Den of Thieves

17 GR, 3 Production, 1 GR, 1 Income, 4 Influence

Starting Posse:

5: Barton Everest

5: Travis Moone

6: Makaio Kaleo, Esq.

8: Milt Clemons

Q: Rico Rodegain

Off-suit :

1x 2: Bottom Dealin’

1x 4: Coachwhip!

1x Q: It’s Not What You Know…

1x 6: Bobo

1x 8: Steven Wiles

2x Jokers

Aces

4x Hustled

1x Bank of Gomorra

1x Pony Express

1x Mayor’s Office

4x Outlaw Mask

1x Allie Hensman

1x The Fixer

1x Butch Deuces

1x Benjamin Washington (free dudes are the best dudes)

3s

1x Funtime Freddy

1x Lawrence Blackwood

1x Buford Hurley

3x Shotgun

1x 1st Baptist Church

1x Hustings

1x Yan Li’s Tailoring

4x The Stakes Just Rose

7s

4x Kidnappin’

4x Monte Bank

1x Blake Ranch

1x Hunter Protections

1x Quarantine Tent

1x Ulysses Marks

1x Androcles Brocklehurst

1x Samantha “Sammy” Cooke

While I know those new jokers seem mighty fine, there’s times where I just don’t want to cheat. Regular jokers are powerful as is, and the deck has the potential to still win lowball. If it doesn’t, feel free to use the outfit ability to give Rico or Travis a bounty, then have Makaio transfer it over to Milt, essentially still winning that money. Monte Banks and Hustled help make up for the 2 starting ghost rock. I initially saw Rico as a means to start Barton if my opponent doesn’t open with a cheating hand. I figure why not line him up with Milt and he can always go back into the deck if need be. Rico provides quite a bit of versatility, so feel free to throw Ulysses, Androcles, Allie, or anyone else you want in there for the ideal start. The deck has a fairly tight draw structure (15/14/13 with 5 off-value cards in the deck.) the same as my Turkey Day special. The looser structure allows for some off suit anti-cheatin’ cards (since we have nothing on value), and a couple more cheap dudes to fit the swarm theme. Like the Quaterman deck, it lacks some proactivity, but it should be able to overwhelm opponents via sending expendable dudes to run Kidnappins. Then set someone up with a Mask in the town square to keep your influence afloat. Allie, Lawrence, and your deeds help set up dominance after Kidnappins remove your opponent’s influence.

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