Dinosaur Cowboys – Tabletop Skirmish Game

Encounter Overview
This battle report chronicles the mighty struggle of Glenbrook’s Desert Triumphateers against a single mighty Tyrannosaurus Rex. The daring (yet aging) posse had one final hunt in them, and so old friends re-united and set off in search of a great t-rex south of their farm in Perico, Texas. Would five brave souls be able to overcome the raw ferocity of a veteran t-rex?
This scenario used v0.9 of the rules, so this was before the recent changes around dinosaur breed.
Although I’ve detailed the parties involved in the past let me refresh you on their statistics and equipment. This game was pretty simple to play (since the t-rex didn’t have a lot of strategy to it) but I took a bunch of cool pictures and the backstory of the posse made it feel more dramatic and cinematic.

Note on images, all of them are clickable and will open the image at the full 1280×960 size. Apologies for the fuzziness, I must be getting worse at taking photos. They do improve as the game goes on though.

Posse: Glenbrook’s Desert Triumphateers – 100 IP, $2,185, 3 Traits
Gordon Glenbrook – Gordon was once a Neotechnoist but found the adventurous lure of the outside world too much for him. He left the jungle when he was barely an adult, and slowly built up a fortune through trading, leading expeditions, farming, etc. He met Cecilia while driving some triceratops through Colorado, and they were married soon after. Now he’s getting older and a bit slower, and has settled down on a ranch in the one remaining hospitable part of Texas. The t-rex hunt is mainly a chance to relive some of his old glories and feel a little more useful around the ranch.
20 IP, $170. MV 3, AR 0, RMC 6, MMC 8, BRV 4, HP 12, Big Game Hunter. Bolt Action Rifle, 80kW Six-Shooter, S-IRP

Cecilia Glenbrook – Cecilia may seem a strange match for Gordon. She was raised in a rich family near the coast, and never really knew hardship. She married Gordon at the height of his power and influence, when he was most attractive as a suitor. Now in his older years she sometimes has doubts about their suitability, especially with how taken Gordon has been with hunting. In the interest of maintaining their marriage she has started to learn to handle a gun, ride, rope, and sleep under the stars.
20 IP, $225. MV 3, AR 0, RMC 6, MMC 8, BRV 4, HP 10. Stun Gun, Derringer, Medpack

Sir Quinton Masglou – Quinton is much younger than Gordon, and learned about the man while reading historical records inside the Neotechnoist compound. They eventually exchanged letters and met a few times for hunting expeditions. Quinton looks up to Gordon, but also finds him a bit stuffy (mainly because of their age gap). Gordon treats Quinton like the son he never had, and is very eager to entertain the youth and give him the best advantages in life. Quinton was exploring north of Haven and the Neotechnoist jungle, but flew all the way south for the chance to hunt a t-rex and see his old mentor, perhaps for the last time.
32 IP, $320. MV 4, AR 2, RMC 6, MMC 8, BRV 4, HP 8. Blunderbuss, Stick of Dynamite, Padded Armor

Walter Thunder – Walter has seen it all as a guide, and is very worldly as a result. He’s competent with a wide variety of weapons and is terrific at hunting, trapping, tracking, and getting out of trouble. His dashing good looks lead to a brief affair with Cecilia (of which Gordon never found out), so there is a tension between the two as a result. Gordon, blissfully unaware, considers Walter an upstanding young man, and sometimes compares his younger self to the life Walter has lead. Walter puts up with it in good humor because of the solid, steady pay Gordon offers. He feels the t-rex hunt will give him a lot of fame and further his reputation in the south.
8 IP, $160. MV 4, AR 0, RMC 7, MMC 8, BRV 5, HP 8, Retreat! 400kW Six Shooter, Saber

Allen – Allen is the strong silent type, and has acted as a bodyguard for Gordon in the past. Early in Gordon and Cecilia’s marriage a rival rancher tried to use violence and intimidation to get Gordon to give up some land in the west. Allen cleaned up the problem quickly and quietly, and Cecilia was never the wiser that her husband had hired such a mercenary. Allen does not have the best attitude or morals, but he is extremely competent and a legend in a duel. Gordon has kept in contact through the years for certain difficult situations where a rough hand might be needed. Allen has a strong, yet unspoken sense of loyalty to Gordon which is his main motivation for coming on the hunt.
20 IP, $510. MV 3, AR 1, RMC 6, MMC 8, BRV 4, HP 10, Speed Reload. Handcannon, Snub Pistol, Tangle Grenades, Cloth Armor

The T-Rex – 100 IP, $1,000, 3 Traits
100 IP, $1,000. MV 8, AR 3, MMC 4, BRV 3, HP 36, A-D 10-1, Runner, Inspiring Shot, Turtle.

Table Setup
Ye olde kitchen table was once again transformed into a wicked looking stretch of hilly desert. I had just reorganized my terrain box so I dug up a lot more trees and greenery than I normally have access to. All in all I’m really happy with how the table turned out, especially with the little volcano and the rock field surrounding it. Note that to stop the match from being the t-rex slogging across the entire map I cut the playable area down to 3′ by 3′.

Deployment
Both sides could deploy up to 4″ in from each short table edge. Glenbrook had to deploy first and chose the east side, followed by the t-rex on the west side.

Glenbrook: “We have travelled south for two days before finding the trail. Cecilia was complaining about the heat and I felt quite bothered myself. After consulting our map our guide Walter informed me that we had but twelve miles to go before the temperatures would be dangerous. As we set down for the night – perhaps our last night – morale was low around the campfire.
But I write now with a glad heart for Allen saw signs of our quarry when he arose this morning. Eagerly we checked our rifles and followed the trail east. Eventually the ground hardened into cracked lava rock and we saw a volcano in the distant, quiet in it’s repose. With luck the fiendish t-rex will have nested at the base of the volcano.
I advance with Cecilia at my side and Allen not far from her. To my right noble Sir Quinton and Walter cut through the bushes and keep a wary eye open for movement. By splitting our line I hope to encircle the t-rex and fire at it from all sides.”
*Gordon looks up from his travel log as Allen signals him*
Whispering softly, Allen motions ahead, “Gordon…I hear something.”

T-Rex: Rooooooooar! (Translation: I deployed on the south west side since there was more cover for my massive bulk. The gigantic prehistoric tree helped cut down line of sight too. Also the men and women hunting me were clumped closely on the hill ahead, so if I could reach them I could eat my fill).

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Turn 1 – There It Is!

Glenbrook and his allies ran forward, taking up defensive positions amidst the hills and sparse shrubs. Walter swung closer to Gordon, grabbing tree trunks and loose dirt as he scrambled up a nearby hill. Unfortunately their array of high powered rifles were out of range of the beast. But they could see the menacing T-Rex in the distance; tall and intimidating as it loped towards them. The T-Rex ran into the rubble near the volcano, it’s massive strides powering it forward. Nervously they glanced at each other and mumbled prayers.

- Glenbrook wins Initiative. Everyone Runs forward except Walter who cut up a hill towards Gordon. All out of range.
- T-Rex Runs 8"+5" forward, ends right near volcano.

Turn 2 – Shoot Her! Shoot Her!

The T-Rex continued it’s steady advance, apparently uncaring about the weapons prepared against it. With scraping claws crushing rocks underfoot the T-Rex cleared the rubble near the volcano and was at the edge of the incline the humans were hiding on. At this point all hell broke loose. Gordon let out a triumphant Yeehaw! as Allen heaved a Tangle Grenade at the T-Rex before retreating slightly. The cannister exploded in midair, raining toxic chemicals onto the advancing dinosaur. The green globs starting to dry as soon as they were exposed to the air, and soon the T-Rex was trapped in a stringy cage of hardened chemicals. Seeing the beast was Stopped, Cecilia recovered her wits and drew the Derringer and aimed exactly how Gordon had shown her on the farm. She exuberantly yanked the trigger until the weapon let out an empty wheeze. The wild barrage of shots went wide as Cecilia backed up and fumbled for a recharge pack. Comfortably raising his rifle Gordon fired a single high powered blast of energy. With a brilliant flash the beam flew past the T-Rex. Gordon’s cursing only increased as a thin trail of smoke bled from the side of the rifle. He hastily moved backwards and tried to fix the weapon. Finally Walter crept towards a clump of overgrowth and lined up his shot which flew true and struck the T-Rex in the side. Momentary excitement turned to anger as the attack simply glanced off the tough hide leaving the T-Rex unhurt. Hearing gunfire Quinton shouldered his weapon and Ran down the steep incline to try to get into range.

- T-Rex wins Initiative. Runs 6" through Difficult Terrain of the rocks. Now only 8" from nearest human.
- Allen throws Tangle Grenade, needs 10+ to hit, miss with 7. Gordon uses Yeehaw! and the re-roll is a 10. T-Rex takes 1 damage and is Stopped. Then Allen moves 3" back.
- Cecilia fires Derringer at medium range, misses (with a 1 and 3). Needs to Reload. Moves back 3".
- Gordon shoots rifle at Short Range, needs 9+ to hit but misses with a 1 and needs to Reload. Moves back.
- Walter edges forward to hedge and shoots at Long Range, misses
- Quinton out of range so Runs around hill

Turn 3 – Quick Breather

Ripping and tearing at the strands the enraged T-Rex could still not free itself. Roaring it hunkered down and prepared to receive the onslaught. Unfortunately for the humans, most of their weapons were empty or jammed. Allen and Cecilia continued to move backwards before quickly Reloading their weapons. Gordon stood where he was and poked and prodded the rifle and finally getting the ready light to flick to green. Walter stayed behind the hedge and doubted if his weapon would even hurt the towering titan. Quinton finally reached the action and instantly snapped off an eager shot which sailed wide of the T-Rex. As the humans watched in horror the Tangle Grenade strands started to break down and decompose, freeing the T-Rex.

- T-Rex wins Initiative, but is Stopped from Tangle Grenade. Uses "Turtle" Trait, boosting AR from 3 to 6.
- Allen, Cecilia, Gordon all Reload. Allen and Cecilia move backwards
- Walter stays and doesn't shoot (too hard to hit)
- Quinton moves up, misses at 12+

Turn 4 – Dynamite!

With a cold eye Quinton drew a Stick of Dynamite and rapidly lit the fuse in a single fluid motion. Many hunts allowed him to judge the distance well and the thrown projectile landed right at the foot of the T-Rex before exploding. The force of the blow bruised the dinosaur’s ribcage and cracked long gashes in it’s hide. Quinton gave a satisfied nod to Gordon before moving up the nearest hill. Not to be outdone, the guide Walter stood up from behind the row of thirsty desert plants and fired. Although he was far away the shot was again true, and this time it blasted through the T-Rex’s thick skin. Pleased with himself he stayed in cover. After finally unjamming his gun Gordon tucked the weapon against his cheek for another shot, but his bad luck continued and the blast barely grazed the T-Rex. From further back Allen and Cecilia both fired. Cecilia again emptied her weapon in a rapid blaze, but succeeded only in hitting the intervening tree instead of the T-Rex. Allen had more luck as his Stub Pistol cracked off a shot in a cloud of smoke. The bullet struck the T-Rex in the neck, easily ripping apart the skin and fragmenting inside. Shaking free of the last tangling strands the T-Rex Ran through the rest of the rocks and got close enough to nearly charge the humans.

- Glenbrook wins Initiative
- Quinton throws Dynamite, hits with a 10 on 9+ for 8 damage. Moves up hill.
- Walter fires long range, hits 1 on 11+ for 5 damage. Stays.
- Gordon shoots and misses on 9+. Stays.
- Allen shoots Stub Pistol at long range at 10+, hits 1 crit for 6 damage. Stays.
- Cecilia shoots Derringer just at medium range through cover. Misses (one 1), needs to Reload. Stays.
- T-Rex Runs forward and clear of rocks

Turn 5 – Taking a Bite

Smelling blood the T-Rex hungrily lunged forward before anyone could react. It reached Allen and Cecilia and starting biting and snapping at them. With a mighty swing of it’s tail the T-Rex crushed Cecilia to her knees. Bones splintered in her arms from the force of the blow and she coughed a great gout of blood. Desperately she looked for somewhere to escape to but was backed by thick jungle. Instead she stayed crumpled on the ground, dazed and Stunned. With Cecilia so close Allen didn’t dare use his grenades, so instead he fired with the Stub Gun and again struck the T-Rex in the neck. Crying out for his wife Gordon recklessly fired and missed. The old hunter felt helpless against such a beast. Walter also fired but his luck had run out and the long shot went astray. Quinton clambered down the hill and unrolled another bundle of dynamite in preparation for using it.

- T-Rex wins Initiative, is in Charge range now. Moves into melee combat with Allen and Cecilia. Attacks Cecilia at 4+, hits 8 times for 8 damage, she has 1 HP left. She Flees, but can't flee off the board, so will be Stunned.
- Cecilia is Stunned. Stays.
- Allen at minimum range for Tangle Grenade, uses Stub Gun instead for 1 crit and 6 damage.
- Gordon shoots and misses.
- Walter shoots and misses.
- Quinton Reloads his Stick of Dynamite and drops hill down.

Turn 6 – Blood Frenzy

Now that the T-Rex had reached the human line chaos reigned. The hunters became disorganized in their panic while the T-Rex busied itself with killing and feasting. Ignoring the wounded Cecilia the dinosaur grabbed Allen in it’s jaws and bit down, snapping his spine and rupturing his internal organs. With a strangled groan Allen blacked out from the pain before being swallowed whole. Opening it’s blood flecked jaws the T-Rex roared victoriously, and to the humans eyes seemed to gain strength from the kill. Meanwhile Cecilia limply pulled a Medpack from her waist pouch and started applying the various bandages and salves to her shattered frame. After tying off the worst wounds she tried to crawl away from the towering T-Rex, hoping to clear the way for her friends to shoot. Although the T-Rex appeared distracted, it’s predatory instincts meant it instantly stomped one heavy foot down on Cecilia as she crawled. When the clawed foot was raised her dead body was barely recognizable. Again crying his wife’s name Gordon fired at the T-Rex, but his aim was hopelessly spoiled by his anger. Quinton lit the Stick of Dynamite he had prepared and threw it towards the beast, but it detonated early and harmlessly showered the ground with shrapnel. Thinking he might have better luck if he got closer, Quinton advanced towards the slaughterhouse of the hill. Finally Walter squinted at Long Range and fired, but missed as his hands shook upon seeing Cecilia’s crumpled body.

- T-Rex wins Initiative. Uses Inspiring Shot, and goes for Allen instead of Cecilia. Hits 3 crits plus 4 normal for 11 damage. Kills Allen outright and gains 7 HP.
- Cecilia uses Medpack on herself. Tries to move out of combat so everyone can hit without modifiers. Snap Attack from T-Rex hits her 8 times, she is dead.
- Gordon shoots and misses at 8+ with a 7. Can't move down cliff (not enough MV).
- Quinton moves forward and throws Stick of Dynamite, misses.
- Walter stays and shoots Long Range, misses all.

Turn 7 – Victory
From his elevated position Gordon was practically looking the T-Rex in the eye. Filled with despair at his dead wife Gordon raised his rifle in steady, tired hands. Firing he struck the dinosaur directly in the eye, scorching the beast and causing it to reel in agony. Taking heart from his friends efforts Quinton moved to the edge of the volcanic rocks and fired his Blunderbuss upwards at the T-Rex. Shards and scraps pelted the dinosaur, opening numerous small lacerations. Still behind the hedge Walter fired again, this time his shot struck home and tore open the T-Rex’s small arm. Bleeding and broken the T-Rex looked ready to slump to the ground, but defiantly surged forward and tore at Gordon. The jagged teeth sank into his arms and shoulder, but the T-Rex was too weak to hold the bite so he escaped with his life. Defeated and broken, the dinosaur slumped to the ground.

- Glenbrook wins Initiative
- Gordon shoots Short Range hits with crit for 8 damage, moves to the left.
- Quinton moves to edge of the rocks, shoots Blunderbuss and hits on 9+ for 6.
- Walter stays and shoots Long Range, hit 1 crit for 6 damage
- T-Rex is technically dead
- Still attacks Gordon, hits 2 crits and 6 normal for 11 damage, fails to kill

And with that, victory for the hunters…but at such a high cost.