GUTSHOT rules closer to completion
A3HMG2 may playtest game up North
Sept. 20, 2002 -- Michigan

Hawgleg Publishing is pleased as a cougar in a hen house to announce that discussions are almost concluded with the Ann Arbor Area Historical Miniatures Gaming Group (A3HMG2) to review and playtest the current draft of the rules. If all goes well, A3HMG2 may use Gutshot and possibly play the rules at the University of Michigan Con, at the end of November.

"We're getting ready to do the Northfield Minn. raid by the Younger-James gang," stated A3HMG2 spokesman Bob Beattie in an e-mail when he first contacted us. "Our local group has been working on this, we have the figs painted up (new Foundry ones for the bad guys and lots of assorted ones for the townspeople) and we are working on the town itself. This should be a real good looker. The group will do some playtesting during October."

If the playtest goes well, Bob wants to do a public demo/game at one of their region's largest and best-attended Gaming Conventions.

"U*Con is an annual Gaming Convention held at the Student Union of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. It was founded in 1988, and attracts gamers not only from Southeast Michigan but from across the United States and several other countries as well," According to the Con's official Website, www.deathstar.org/~ucon.

Rules pass major milestone
The A3HMG2 will be reviewing and playtesting the current draft of the Rules, version 4b. Although incomplete, it includes major revisions and updates, missing only a few sections, inluding the rules for Dynamite and hand-to-hand Combat.

Fortunately, these omitions should not prove a problem for the A3HMG2.

"We do not need a finished product because we will not need Dynamite or Full hand-to-hand rules," Bob explained. "Rules for rock throwing would be nice; there are reports of some citizens throwing rocks at the outlaws [in the Younger-James gang scenario] as they rode past. I guess not everyone was totin' iron that day."

This should prove no problem for the playtesters because the rules are almost finished.

"This draft of the rules is about 80% complete," said co-creator Mike Mitchell. "We are taking our time and are being very thorough because we're dedicated to publishing a product that we can be proud of, and as gamers, would be happy to buy. I think we're almost there."

Rules that are "almost there" need to be examined by other gamers, he added.

"We've had numerous gamers -- our friends and people I've met at the OwlCon Game Convention in Houston -- look over the rules before," Mitchell said. "But this is the first time we've just printed up a copy of the rules and mailed it to someone and said, 'Here, go play this and tell us what you think.' I guess it's kind of like sending your kid off to school alone for the first time. You want everyone to like him and hope he doesn't come home with a black eye."

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If your gaming group is interested in playtesting Gutshot, please contact us. E-mail us some information about you and your group to: info@hawgleg.com

We will be posting a registration form soon to handle requests.

Page posted: Sept 20, 2002