Gunslinger
Theme: Man to Man Gunfights in the Old West
Company: Avalon Hill
Type: Board
# of Players: 2 - 15
Avg. Game Time: One Hour
Rating: 

Ken Says: A unique game, at least at the time it came out.  A man to man combat game set in the Old West.  Gunslinger eshewed convention by using cards, not written orders, to dictact a character's actions.
This is a fairly complex game and I cannot begin to describe all the rules, options, and whatnot, so I will limit my description to the basics.

Each player is represented by a character.  Each character has different traits, such as gun ability (one or two handed), Brawling, etc. While all characters have the same basic cards for movement, punching, aiming, and firing.  Some have extra cards that augment thier ablities.
Each turn is divided into 6 impulses.  Each card has a number in the upper right corner.  The higher the number, the more difficult or time consuming the action.   The numbers on the cards cannot add up to more than five.  Also, any delay you get will add to that number.

There are 10 two-sided boards that can be placed together in a variety of ways.  One side of a board represents a building or structure in an old west town (ex. Saloon, Jail, etc.), the other side is set out in the frontier (ex. hill, cemetary, etc.).  Each board is divided into hexes which help guide your movement.

Pros: Innovative and fairly realistic, this game still generates some excitement.  Also, there are a wide variety of games you can play.  From straightforward shootouts, to saloon brawls, to hunting down opponents over a large area.  And you can design your own games for more fun.

I paid $20 for this game back in 1983 when it came out.  Considering the number of boards, charts, and components, it may have been the best value for the money I spent that I ever got.

Cons: The system is a little clunky and has an old "wargamer" feel to it.  Also, the rules are written in Avalon Hill's trademark "Programmed Instruction Method", which helps a new player understand the game faster, but it makes it much harder to look up certain rules.  Because of that, I don't think the game would sell well today, but it does fetch a high price on ebay.

Addendum: A nifty website, The Gunslinger Saloon, hosts email games which may be the best way to enjoy this old classic.

Ken Says: