I would like to start here a series of scenarios, which are optional rules to be implemented into games of Doomtown to give new ways of playing our beloved game. These scenarios are purely fan made content.
Election Day Slaughter:
A Hustings starts in place of the Town Square. All cards and rules referring to the Town Square apply to Hustings instead. The controller of Hustings gains its production. Hustings cannot have cards attached to it or be discarded from play.
If there is not already an Elected dude the player who controls Hustings may Elect a dude they control there. Elected dudes are +1 Influence at Hustings. An Elected dude cannot be called out or join a posse. An Elected dude must be the dude chosen by Election Day Slaughter if it succeeds.
Players without an Elected dude may take a noon action once per turn to discard a card and Search their Deck or Discard Pile for Election Day Slaughter, add it to their hand, and reshuffle.
How about a neutral copy of Election Day Slaughter that you can just play by discarding a card, so players don’t need to have it in their decks?
If you wanted to make this scenario even crazier, you could add “voting” in addition to the Elected mechanic. Maybe allow players to boot dudes with influence at the Hustings to put more control points on it, or to put control points on their Elected dude? You could also let each player have a Candidate instead of a single Elected dude, that might be more interesting in multiplayer.
I thought a lot about these rules, and allowed some room for shenanigans with a mad scientist being elected that couldn’t be called out, or a puppeting an opponents Elected. There’s some crazy that can happen with Sentinel and Amazing Grace, but the moment a dude is elected they are unable to defend EDS. Unsure if Lay on Hand would need addressing.
Building off the original idea plus Doomdog’s comment. The theory is that Influence can be Weaponized by accepting additional Risk.
Election Day Slaughter (Doomtown Alternate Play Format)
There are four additional rules that compose this format. It works equally well for a heads up match or for multiplayer, and importantly, you do not necessarily need to create a “new special” deck to participate competitively.
1) Hustings
Hustings (the deed card) starts play in the Townsquare. It is no longer considered a deed. (It is still a location). All cards and rules referring to the Town Square apply to Hustings instead. The player who controls a dude with the Mayor keyword (if any) gains it’s production during the Upkeep phase if they are tied for and/or have the most Influence at Hustings. Hustings cannot be discarded or removed from play. If a player plays a different Hustings deed from their deck (normally), these rules do not apply to this second (or third, etc.) copy of Hustings.
2) Election Day Slaughter
Election Day Slaughter (the action card) starts each morning in the Townsquare. It is not “in play”: Rather, it is considered to “be” in every players’s play hand. Once it is played (normally, by any player), flip it over, and it is considered “out of play” until Sundown. At Sundown, when players unboot their cards, flip Election Day Slaughter back over (to be used by any player again the next day).
3) Votin’
There is a sixth Actin’ play called Votin’. As a noon action, you may boot one of your dudes to choose and “vote for” another dude (controlled by any player). If both dudes are in the Townsquare (at Hustings), the chosen dude gains a number of Votes equal to the Influence of the dude you booted. (Use chips to keep track of Votes - they are cumulative throughout the Noon phase). At the beginning of Sundown (before victory is checked), a dude still in Townsquare with more Votes than every other dude (individually) permanently (but, see below) gains the Mayor keyword, and all dudes’ number of Votes resets to 0.
4) Mayor
The dude with the Mayor keyword does not unboot at Sundown, cannot move via card effects, and cannot flee a shootout. The player who controls the dude with the Mayor keyword (if any) gains the production of Hustings during the Upkeep phase if they are tied for and/or have the most Influence there. If at any time a new dude gains the Mayor keyword (as a result of Votin’), this dude loses the keyword. (There can only be one Mayor).
