How to Play Western Legends: Blood Money

Game Objective

In Western Legends: Blood Money, players take on the roles of legends of the Old West, seeking to build their reputation through actions such as duels, robberies, mining, and more. The goal is to accumulate Legend Points (LP) to become the greatest legend of the West. The game ends when a player reaches or surpasses the amount of LP set at the beginning of the game (15LP, 20LP, or 25LP). The player with the most LP at the end of the game wins.

Setup

The game setup is divided into three main phases: Pre-Setup, Game Area Setup, and Final Setup. Here is a summary of the steps:

1. Remove all components from the box and organize them as indicated.
2. Place the board in the center of the table and overlay the story board overlay on the story card space.
3. Assemble the stands for the General Store, Trading Post, and Traveling Merchant.
4. Shuffle the Legendary Items cards and place three of them on the Traveling Merchant stand.
5. Prepare the store randomization cards and distribute the items in the stores and the Traveling Merchant.
6. Separate the Deeds cards and place the corresponding tokens in the indicated locations.
7. Prepare the poker deck, shuffle the Legendary Stories cards, and organize the event, wound, and merchant movement decks.
8. Each player chooses a character, receives their starting components, and places their miniature on the indicated starting location.

Consult the manual for details on this section.

Game Flow

The game follows a turn structure, where each player performs actions to accumulate LP. Here is the basic flow:

• Start of Turn: Move the train, resolve start-of-turn abilities, and choose between earning money or poker cards.
• Action Phase: The player can move, use card actions, fight with other players, perform location actions, or interact with the Traveling Merchant.
• End of Turn: Resolve end-of-turn effects, check story card conditions, and discard poker cards above the limit.

Consult the manual for details on this section.

Actions and How to Play

Players can perform various actions during their turn. Here are the main ones:

• Move: Travel across the board to access different locations.
• Card Actions: Use special abilities from cards in your hand.
• Fight: Engage in duels, arrests, or robberies with other players.
• Location Actions: Perform specific actions at locations such as mines, ranches, or saloons.
• Merchant Action: Purchase items or legendary items from the Traveling Merchant.

Consult the manual for details on this section.

End of Game and Scoring

The game ends when a player reaches or surpasses the amount of LP set at the beginning. After the game ends, points are calculated as follows:

• Gain LP for upgraded mounts and weapons.
• Gain LP for owned legendary items.
• Gain 1 LP for every $60 in cash.
• Lose LP for wounds and wound cards.
• Gain LP for being the most wanted player or for positions on the Marshal and Gambler tracks.
• Gain LP for owned deeds.

The player with the most LP wins. In case of a tie, other criteria are used to break the tie.

Tips for Winning

Here are some tips to excel in Western Legends: Blood Money:

• Focus on multiple strategies: Diversify your actions to gain LP from different sources, such as duels, mining, and purchasing deeds.
• Interact with the Traveling Merchant: Legendary items can offer significant advantages. Be alert for purchasing opportunities.
• Manage your wounds: Avoid accumulating excessive wounds, as they can cost LP at the end of the game.

Consult the manual for details on this section.