Welcome to the Wild West: Your Guide to Western Legends!

Howdy, partner! Ever dreamed of living out your own Western adventure, where every choice can lead to fame, fortune, or a bullet in the gut? Well, saddle up, because Western Legends is your ticket to that dusty, thrilling world. Forget those stuffy rulebooks – we're gonna learn how to wrangle this game like a seasoned cowboy. So grab your posse, a cold drink, and let's ride!

Objective of the Game

In Western Legends, you're not just playing a game; you're forging your own legend in the untamed West! Your ultimate goal is to become the most legendary figure in the land. How do you do that? By earning Legendary Points (LP). These points represent your fame, your infamy, and your overall impact on the frontier. Whether you're a law-abiding Marshal, a notorious Wanted outlaw, or a cunning prospector, every action you take contributes to your legend. The player with the most LP at the end of the game will be crowned the true Western Legend!

Preparation (Setup)

Alright, let's get this saloon brawl started! Here’s how to set up your game:

1. The Board: Lay out the main game board. This is your canvas for adventure!
2. Character Cards: Players don't start with Goal Cards. Instead, you'll get them during the game, like taking on missions.
3. Goal Card Cubes: Place 4 wooden cubes of different colors at specific locations:
   • One at the Bank
   • One at the Theatre
   • One at Mesitos Range
   • One at Red Falls Salon
   Then, place 4 cubes of the same colors next to the board.
4. Character Goal Cards: After players receive their Character Cards, take the Goal Cards of 4 characters not in the game and place them next to the corresponding colored cubes next to the board. For example, if Wild Bill's goal cards are next to the red cube, and a red cube is at Red Falls Salon, then the red cube at the Salon represents Wild Bill.
5. Train Heist Variant (Optional): If you're using the Train Heist Variant, make sure you have the Train Deck ready. Place the Train mini on the tracks at the leftmost space on the board.
6. Dynamite Item Cube (Optional): If using the Dynamite rules, place a red game cube by the Golden Nugget counters to represent the Dynamite cube.
7. Gold Nuggets (Optional): For the Gold Nuggets variant, draw a Poker Card for each mine at the start of the game. The number drawn (J=11, Q=12, K=13, A=1) is the number of gold nuggets at that location. Any nuggets sold go into the "Vault."
8. Animal Tokens (Optional Hunting Variant): If using the Hunting Action, place 1 random Animal Token face-down on an empty space touching the edge of the board in each of the 4 quadrants.
9. Mayor & Preacher (Optional Titles): If using the Mayor or Preacher rules, set up the Event rules and Event counters, along with a tracker from 1-10 on the Victory Tracker. Create a unique game piece for the Mayor counter and the Preacher counter (e.g., a book counter). For the Preacher, also have 3 cross or similar themed counters ready to represent churches.

The Turn of Play

A round in Western Legends is a series of thrilling decisions and actions. Here's a breakdown of what you can do on your turn:

Actions You Can Take:

• Getting Goal Cards: To get a Goal Card from a character (represented by a colored cube on the board), you must perform an action at that character's location. You don't have to USE an action for it; simply playing poker or working at the Red Falls Salon (in our example for Wild Bill) would allow you to get his goal card. You can't have two goal cards from the same character until you fulfill the first one.
• Train Heist (Optional): If you're on the same space as the Train mini, you can perform a Train Heist action.
  1. Lay out 5 Train Car Cards face down (caboose, 3 random passenger cars, engine).
  2. Take 3 Train Heist dice (6-sided with 2 hit faces).
  3. Start a 1-minute timer.
  4. Starting with the caboose, flip over a card and roll all 3 dice once.
  5. If your roll results in hits greater than or equal to the number of guards on the car, you've cleared it! You get the reward listed on the card (e.g., $20, 1 gold nugget).
  6. You can discard a Poker Card to re-roll any dice that didn't result in a success once.
  7. After clearing a car, you can choose to end your heist and claim all unlocked rewards (indicated by a small star), or continue to the next car. Some rewards are gained immediately ([!]) or persist throughout the heist (timer icon).
  8. If you fail to clear a car, your action immediately ends, you forfeit all unlocked rewards, and you take wounds equal to the number of threats you failed to cancel with the dice. If you take any wounds, you also draw a Poker Card.
  9. If the timer runs out before you end your heist, you are immediately arrested and follow all arrest rules.
  10. The caboose gives 1 Wanted Point (WP) on success, and the engine gives 1 Legendary Point (LP) on success.
• Mining (Optional):
  • In the Dangerous Mining Option, if you roll an 'X' while mining, you take a wound. Double 'X's mean a cave-in, resulting in 2 wounds and no more mining for the turn.
  • A Mining Map can be used to re-roll an 'X' to avoid a wound (discarding the map) or re-roll double 'X's (discarding the map). If the new result is an 'X', you still take the wound.
  • A player with 2 or 3 wounds cannot prospect.
  • Dynamite can be picked up at the mine. If you possess a Dynamite cube, you must roll the risk dice when moving. On a double blood roll, it explodes, and you take 2 wounds.
  • You can spend a Dynamite cube as an action to:
    • Help a prisoned wanted player escape (like a hacksaw).
    • Explode a building to a ruin (gain 1 WP).
    • Close a tunnel entrance.
    • Throw it at an outlaw hideout (roll risk dice, blood sign takes outlaw, double blood also gives a wound).
    • Close a mountain pass for one round.
  • For the Gold Nuggets variant, each mine has a limited amount of gold nuggets (1x gold nugget per player). Mines never replenish. You draw 2 nuggets per action.
• Prospecting (Optional): To prospect, you must discard a Poker Card for each die you wish to roll (max two dice). If you roll gravel, you take one wound.
• Cattle Rustling / Wrangling (Optional): At a ranch, you can either take a cattle token (rustle) or purchase one for $10 (wrangle). Rustling immediately moves you up 1 space on the Wanted Track. You still need to deliver the token to the destination for the reward.
• Hunting (Optional): Spend an action to flip an Animal Token in your space and choose to hunt.
  • Take 3 Hunting Dice. Discard cards to add more dice (1 die/card).
  • Roll all dice once. Re-roll [TRACKS] results.
  • If hunting a predator, gain 1 LP for every [ATTACK] [DODGE] pair (max animal's level). Remaining [DODGE] results are wounds (max animal's level).
  • If hunting prey, draw 1 card for every re-rolled [TRACKS] result (max animal's level).
  • If [HIT] results meet or exceed the animal's level, you successfully hunt it. Take the Animal Token and place a new random one face-down in the opposite quadrant.
  • If you fail, the token remains face-up. You can travel through prey tokens, but must stop and engage predator tokens.
  • Sell Animal Tokens at the General Store for $20 * animal level. You can hold tokens with a combined level up to 5.
  • Animal Tokens take one item slot and can be stolen or discarded if arrested.
  • Prayer Action (Optional Preacher Rules): If the Preacher rules are in play, players can go to a church or chapel to make a Prayer Action once per round. Pay 1 gold nugget or $20 to the congregation fund (bank) first, then choose one benefit:
    • Salvation: Wanted player jumps to the same spot level on the lawful tracker without getting lower benefits.
    • Redemption: Lawful player jumps to the same spot level on the wanted tracker without getting lower benefits.
    • Remission of Sins: Wanted players gain -1 on their Wanted tracker.
    • Gospel choir singer: Marshal players gain 1 on their Marshal tracker.
  • Grand Duel (Optional): An active player in the main street of a city (Darkrock and Red Falls only) can initiate a Grand Duel with any other player in that city.
    • If the challenged player refuses, the active player gains 1 LP, and the refusing player loses 1 LP.
    • If the challenged player accepts, both players place their miniature in the Grand Duel area. The winner gains 2 LP, and the loser loses 2 LP, takes a wound, and draws a card.
    • In Grand Duels, ties do not exist; both players draw a card, and the duel goes to the next round.
  • Sniper Action (Optional): Players with an upgraded/named Legendary rifle item card, standing one space away from an opponent, can take a Sniper Action. Roll risk dice; the target player takes one wound for each blood mark. On a 'SP' roll, the sniper is seen and raises their Wanted tracker by 1.
  • Robbing:
    • The defending player can surrender if they have no Poker Cards, taking no damage and getting no Poker Card. The active player still plays a card.
    • If the active player wins a robbery, they gain 1 Wanted Point and either half of the opponent’s money or half of their gold, plus their cattle token.
    • If the inactive player wins, they gain 1 LP.
    • If the active player loses, they take 1 wound and 1 Wanted Point.
    • If the inactive player loses, they take 1 wound and 1 Poker Card.
  • Arresting / Ambushing:
    • If a Marshal Player wins an arrest, they gain 1 Marshal Point. The Wanted Player loses all Wanted Points, takes 1 wound, loses half their money and gold plus any cattle token, moves immediately to the Sheriff’s Office, and gains 1 Poker Card.
    • If a Wanted Player wins an ambush against a Marshal Player, they gain 1 LP, and the Marshal takes 1 wound and moves to the Sheriff’s Office. The Marshal gains no Poker Card.
    • If a Marshal Player loses a fight, they lose half their money (rounded down) and all gold, and go down one space on the Marshal Track.
    • If a Wanted Player beats the Sheriff, they gain 1 point on the Wanted Track.
    • On a successful arrest, the arresting player receives Marshal Points equal to the Wanted Track level of the arrested player (e.g., 1, 2, or 3 MP for level 1, 2, or 3).
  • Escape Prison Action: If a wanted player is a gang member, they may get a hacksaw (or own a dynamite cube) from another gang member by paying $40 or 2 gold. The card effects work as a normal action.
  • Moving Sheriff Option: If you are a Marshal, you can move the Sheriff (by one space) by discarding a card.
  • Preacher Actions (Optional): If you are the Preacher, you can perform one of these unique Preaching Actions once per round:
    • Gaining Alms: Get $10 extra each round for each town where you have a church.
    • Build New Church/Chapel: Build a new church in another city on a ruin space, or a chapel (cross marker) by train stations and ranches.
    • Holding Mass: Swap a "New Sheriff in Town" or "Title" card with a new one.
    • Deed of Atonement: Choose a player you've been in conflict with; that player loses one of their Poker Cards.
  • Mayor Actions (Optional): If you are the Mayor, you get one of these benefits as long as you hold the title:
    • Get $10 in interest when a bank action is taken.
    • Get -$10 discounts when buying deeds.
    • Get bribed by illegal gambling ($10 during gambling events).
    • Introduce New Local Laws: Draw top 2 cards from either new sheriff deck or title deck, play one, or remove active titles/new sheriff cards.
    • Extra Tax: Draw $30 if you choose to draw $20 at the beginning of your round. Other players get -$10 at their turn start (if they choose to pick money).
    • Corrupt Mayor: If a wanted player holds the Mayor token, they can stop a prisoned player from being imprisoned by being bribed for $30. The wanted player escapes jail and doesn't lose Wanted Points; the mayor gains 1 Wanted Point.

  Ending Your Turn:

  • In Town: If you don't own a deed in the town, you must end your turn with $10 to rent a room. If you can't pay, you lose a space on the Wanted Track (only down to 1 Wanted Point, not removed) and are placed outside of town. If on the Marshal Track, you don't have to pay in Dark Rock or Buzzard Gulch, but other towns require payment. Failure to pay moves you down on the Marshal Track and can lead to removal.
  • Out of Town (Optional Event Chart): If you end your turn out of town, roll 2d6 and consult the Out of Town Event Chart for various encounters like snake bites, injured horses, Indian attacks, bandit attacks, dysentery, or finding saddle bags.
  • Story Card Resolution: Always check to see if a Story Card has been resolved at the end of your turn.

  End of Game and Scoring

  The game ends when a certain condition is met (often when a player reaches a certain number of Legendary Points, though the exact trigger isn't specified in the provided text). Once the game ends, players tally their Legendary Points (LP). The player with the most LP is the winner!

  • Character Development (Optional): If a player manages to get 3 Goal Cards, when they get their 3rd LP token, they draw two Character Cards. They choose one character's legendary attributes and place it under their character card, making both legendary attributes visible and active for their character.
  • I Am Legend Variant (Optional): Once per game, when a player takes a 1 LP token, they may choose to place it face up on their character sheet to obtain a legendary item randomly. They must keep this token until the end of the game.
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