Davido’s Doomtown Demos
The big idea- this is a SCRIPTED demo – NOT ‘playing the game’ but a DEMO that covers most of what one needs to know to play Doomtown. Start with the basics: Lawdogs vs. Outlaws built out of ONE box of Doomtown: Weird West Edition:
https://dtdb.co/en/decklists/find?sort=date&gang=&lastpack=DT2&author=&title=starter
Pro tip: Learn Demoee’s (D) name and where from and use them throughout.
You: LawDogs (LD)
Demoee –Outlaws (OUT)
Ask D to quickly fan cards face up and notice anything different about deck
(more specifically the numbers at the top left).
à Big idea: Not their dear ol’ Pappy’s poker deck – notice stacked on 3 values
LD: 3,6,8 draw structure
OUT: 4,5,7 draw structure
‘Cheatin’ – 2 or more of the same suit/value in a poker hand
when making poker hands expect FH, 4K, 5K etc.
Introduce (standard) 4 suits and general functions w/ examples:
Spades – Dudes/characters that can move around town and do things for you
Diamonds – Deeds/Locations that Dudes can move to
Hearts – Weapons/Horses/Items/Spells - items that ATTACH to Dudes
Clubs – Actions/ played from hand as tactical surprises and abilities
à Ask D ‘what most important thing to know about DT?’
à should arrive at ‘how do you win the game.’
BIG Idea: YOU have more CP than Opponent has INF
use poker chips to visualize game state
Your CP opposite D Inf and vice versa
Setup (‘Turn 0”)
Outfits- name & special ability that also gives focus on theme/win conditions
Starting money (GR)
Income/turn
Starting Gang
up to 5 Dudes
cost (coin lower left)
upkeep (if any – lower right)
Use the standard starting posses from PBE starter decks:
LD: Philip Swinford, Rob Wilby, Tommy Harden, “Thunder Boy” Nabbe, Hattie DeLorre
(3 GR, 2 Income, 4 Inf)
OUT: Ike Clanton, Lawrence Blackwood, Miranda Clarke, Jacqueline Isham
(5GR, 2 Income, 4Inf)
(do NOT use Allie and thus only 4 dudes – demo works better w/o her)
à add costs & influence; point out 1 upkeep dudes (NOT pay upkeep now)
“keep the change”
Gang should include: 3+ INF, 1+ Stud, 1+ trait/ability, 0-1 upkeep (can overlap)
Fixed starting hands (explain normally draw 5 off top):
LD: Sun In Yer Eys, Faster on the Draw, Yan Li’s Tailoring, Mt. Moriah Cemetary, Fancy New Hat
OUT: Hunter Protections, Charlie’s Place, Belligerence, Tusk, Pinto
1 turn = 1 day in Doomtown
Demo will be 2 Days
Day 1 – basic noon actions
Day 2 – Shootouts
Turn/Day 1
Gambling – balance against ‘stacked decks’ – ‘fair decks’ or ‘cheat less’
Lowball – ante 1 GR to Town Square (center between players)
lowest poker hand wins (still have to make best hand possible)
Winner – claims Ante (both GR) & goes first in actions and shootouts.
(Assume OUTLAWS win Lowball throughout demo)
Production – Gain GR from Outfit (lower right), later - Deeds you Own and Control
T1 BOTH Players: +3 GR for outfit
Upkeep – pay GR for Dudes that require Upkeep (1+ in lower right corner)
T1 BOTH Players – pay 1GR back for their skilled 1 upkeep dudes
à occurs in this order, but usually done as one step (+3, -1, net +2 à take 2GR etc.)
T1 BOTH Players – collect NET 2GR to add to their stash.
(LD have either 6GR or 4GR; OUT have either 8GR or 6GR)
à can adjust T1 buys to reflect actual results – but leave 1 GR for T2 Ante/Lowball
High Noon - most game action occurs here
Guide the OUTlaw player through the following Noon actions:
OUT: Build a Deed à Hunter Protections (pay 3GR, gain 1CP, +1 Income)
(place adjacent to outfit, place CP opposite YOUR INF)
LD: Build a Deed à Yan Li’s Tailoring (Pay 3GR, gain 1CP, +2 Income)
(place adjacent to outfit, place CP opposite THEIR INF)
OUT: Buy a Goods à Tusk (pay 1 GR, draw card, +1 bullets) à Miranda Clarke
LD: Use a Noon ability à Boot (explain) Yan Li’s à +1 INF Philip
(place Temporary counter on Philip, return to YLT @ sundown)
OUT: Buy a Goods à Pinto (pay 2 GR) à Miranda Clarke
LD: Use a Noon ability à Boot LD outfit + Philip à 1 Bounty on Jackie
(Bounty = 1 GR “reward” if Dude discarded/aced during shootout etc.)
OUT: Move your Dude à Miranda Clarke à Hunter Protections
(explain Movin’ BOOTS dude EXCEPT for card effect & ‘3 free moves’)
(HomeàAdjacent, HomeàTown Square/Town Squre àin-town, non-home)
LD: PASS (do nothing)
OUT: Use a Noon Ability àBoot Hunter Protections:
Boot Miranda Clarke
Give Miranda 2 Bounty (2 GR)
Give Miranda 1 CP (place on her- stays w/ her and leaves if aced/discarded)
From Miranda’s card:
Give Miranda +1 INF (place on her)
Give Miranda +2 Bullets (place on her)
à These are TRAITS – not NOON or SHOOTOUT abilities.
Traits trigger IMMEDIATELY w/o being actions upon meeting ‘trigger conditions.’
LD: PASS
OUT: Move your Dude à Jackie à Town Square
LD: Pass
OUT: Use a Noon ability à Boot OUT Outfit + Jackie
(set up triggering home ability at Sundown)
LD: Pass
OUT: PASS
à Both players consecutively PASS. This ends High Noon. Begin Sundown.
Sundown
Check for traits that activate during Sundown:
Sloane Gang à Jackie gets either 1CP OR 1 GR
(neither player close to winning, so ‘take the money and run’)
Check for Victory – both players INF > CP (theirs), so game continues.
Nightfall
discard 1 card from hand (optional)
draw (sometimes discard) until reach maximum hand size (usually 5 cards)
end all Noon effects/abilities
unboot cards
END OF Turn/Day 1
review what learned – setup and pre-noon stuff, and basic High Noon actions
TURN/Day 2
Gambling: as T1 – assumes OUT wins Lowball
Production/Upkeep
Out: +4 Production: (Outfit + Hunter) -1 Upkeep (Miranda) = 3 GR net
LD: +5 Production: (Outfit + Yan Li’s) – 1 Upkeep Thunder Boy) = 4 GR net
High Noon – this turn will focus on Callouts, Shootouts, Casualties, etc.
OUT: Build a Deed à Charlie’s Place (pay 3GR, gain 1CP, +2 Income)
(place adjacent to outfit, add CP)
à TWO deeds adjacent to Outfit vs. build next to Hunter
(hard to defend deeds non-adjacent to Outfit)
LD: Buy a Goods à Fancy New Hat (1GR, +1INF) à Philip
OUT: Move your Dude à Miranda à Charlie’s Place
(Boots Miranda as moving from a deed to a location boots her)
LD: Use a Noon ability à Boot Yan Li’s à +1 INF Philip
(Philip has 3INF – card, FNH, YLT)
OUT: Use a Noon ability à Boot Charlie’s Place à Miranda +2 bullets
(Miranda swigs some liquid courage. As a Noon ability, this ‘wears off’ at Sundown.)
LD: Use a Noon ability à Boot LD outfit + Philip à 1 Bounty on Ike Clanton
(with right tech, you can put bounty on even most powerful/influential Dudes)
OUT: Use a Noon ability on a card in handàBelligerenceà Miranda +1 Bullets/+1 INF
(Miranda now has 6 Stud bullets – from Tusk, 2 bounty, Charlie’s, Belligerence)
LD: Move your Dude à Thunder Boy à Town Square
OUT: Use a Noon ability à Boot OUT Outfit + Jackie
(clearly shootout about to happen – but Jackie just has to SURVIVE until Sundown)
à Miranda (via Pinto) like a chess knight – she provides backup/protection
LD: Move your Dude à Tommy Harden à Town Square
OUT: PASS
LD: Call Out a Dude à Thunder Boy Calls out Jackie
à Call Out is the NOON action that results in a Shootout.
àWhen play resumes, it’ll be OUT turn to do a Noon action or Pass.
à Unbooted dudes can usually refuse a Call Out and go home Booted.
àBooted dudes MUST accept the Call Out
(again, Jackie knows Miranda has her back, even if Booting no longer gives her the option to run away).
OUT: Jackie ACCEPTS the Callout.
**SHOOTOUT 2 Ways (**power of Stud bullets and then power of card tech)
STUD Bullets – feat. Outlaws
Form Posses: Thunder Boy issued the Call Out, so they are the LEADER. Jackie accepted the Call Out so they are the MARK.
LEADER forms their posse first, joining Thunder Boy.
Tommy is at the same location, so he can join, even if booted.
Hattie and Rob are adjacent and unbooted, so they can Boot to join the posse.
Philip is adjacent and booted, so he can NOT join the posse.
MARK forms their posse around Jackie.
Ike and Lawrence COULD join (adjacent and unbooted), but they are INF without useful abilities, so best protect them.
Miranda can NOT join posse NOW as she is booted (Pinto is a SHOOTOUT ability).
Check for Shootout Traits:
OUT: Jackie becomes a Stud (as the Mark, de facto part of the Mark’s posse).
LD: Thunder gains +1 bullet and becomes a Stud (from Jackie’s bounty/wanted).
Shootout Plays:
Dealer/Winner has first option to play Shootout abilities
Both players can play Shootout abilities until both consecutively pass.
OUT: Use a Shootout ability à Boot Pinto to MOVE Miranda into Shootout
LD: Pass (will use their card tech in the 2nd version of this shootout)
OUT: Pass (ignore any cards acquired via Tusk or T1 redraws)
Choose Shooter
Dealer/Winner declares first.
Calculate who has most Stud bullets – everyone else is backup
OUT: Miranda: 6 Stud (+1 Tusk, +2 Bounty, +2 Charlie’s Place, +1 Belligerence)
backup: Jackie +1 Stud bullet (only ONE (1) bullet of their type)
LD: Thunder Boy: 3 Stud (2 bullets +1 from trait)
backup: Tommy +1 Stud bullet; Hattie and Rob add +1 draw bullet each
Draw!
OUT: Total - 7 Stud – draw 12 cards to form best 5 card poker hand.
LD: total - 4 stud, 2 draw – draw 9 cards, THEN redraw up to 2 cards (same time)
Reveal Draw Hands
OUT: Should have 5 of a kind, worst case 4 of a kind; can be cheatin’
LD: Go for (and max out at) legal Full House
Resolution:
LD Resolution traits (Assume OUT Cheatin’):
Philip Swinford: draw card/discard a card
Tommy Harden - boost hand rank by 2
Compare Hand Ranks à Casualties àTake Your Lumps
Normally (w/o traits) this would be 5oak (10) vs. FH (7) and 3 casualties
Tommy’s +2 means FH+2àStraight Flush (9) and 1 casualty (discard Wilby)
(discard dudes w/ 0 INF and/or lack of abilities or draws before studs)
Flight or Fight
Loser declares first (ties start w/dealer etc.)
Flee - go home booted (even if already booted)
Continue/End Shootout
Until only one posse remains
(Can no longer ‘flee’ – ‘stuck in place.’)
Tech – abilities from cards – feat. LawDogs
keep the above posses ‘as is’ through Miranda joining via Pinto, but now, The LawDogs perform the following Shootout actions/abilities:
(OUT will Pass, even if have shootout cards acquired by Tusk, discard/draw, etc.)
LD: Use a Shootout Ability à Faster on the Draw à Thunder Boy (+1 bullets) à Jackie (-2 bullets à 0 stud)
LD: Use a Shootout ability à Sun in Yer Eyes à Miranda (pay 1 GR) becomes draw & loses 2 bullets (4 draw)
LD: Use a Shootout ability à Hattie DeLorre à Miranda (-3 bullets) now 1 draw
Choose Shooter:
OUT: Miranda
LD: Thunder Boy
Draw!
OUT: Total 1 Stud, 1 draw – draw 6 cards, redraw 1
LD: draw 10 cards, redraw up to 2 cards
Reveal Draw Hands:
OUT: ??? Good luck with that – can top deck FH/4oaK etc. but 2 pair/3oaK typical or forced to cheat.
LD: Go to town! Try for 4oak/5oaK
Resolution:
Resolution Traits
LD: Philip & Tommy do their things
Compare Hand Ranks à Casualties à Take Your Lumps
(LD should wreck the OUT)
à power of abilities and action cards to level playing field
*** Point out LD had ‘God Hand’ but any one of these can swing a shootout.
*** Key OUT tech such as Hiding in the Shadows, Pistol Whip, Pinned Down, Coachwhip, etc.
What is NOT covered in this demo:
Opposing Deeds – movement, control, shootouts, etc.
Out of Town Deeds
Headlines
Jobs
Skills & Pulls – Spells & Gadgets/Totems
Kung FU
Harrowed
Sidekicks
Next Matchups (still using PBE official starter decks):
Entrepreneurs vs. Fearmongers (gadgets, spells, basic jobs, headlines)
Anarchists vs. First Peoples (Kung Fu, Totems)