The Chicago Way - "Rob the bank and escape" and "Chasing the bank robbers" - Wargaming in the days of Al Capone

Hi again,

last monday we met to play at least two scenarios of "TheChicagoWay", a ruleset placed in the days of Al Capone, Mafiosi fighting against the Police.

This ruleset comes from GreatEscapeGames and is similar to the rules of "DeadMan´sHand". It has rules for driving cars and weapons are more effective, especially the TommyGun.

https://www.greatescapegames.co.uk/the-chicago-way

 

Just a short explanation of the rules for driving cars if you should not know "ChicagoWay":

- You can "place" your figures into a car and drive it 

- Any figure can be used as a driver, but a figure with the ability "Driver" gets +2 on his rolls to check if the manouvre fails or not.

- The figrure driving the car can use his normal three actions to drive the car

- Every manouvre of the driving action has to be checked. The more difficult the manouvre or the higher the speed of the vehicle the more likely it is that the manouvre fails and the car gets damaged. The more manouvres the driving figure takes during his action phase the higher the speed of the vehicle.

- If a the manouvre fails you have to check for the result of the damage on the vehicle. The more damage on a vehicle the harder it gets to be controlled by the driver.

- A vehicle could even roll over and after this the passengers have to check for injuries

- Passengers can get out of a car in their action phase. If  the vehicle is not driving this is no problem. As soon as the car is driving the passenger trying to get out of the vehicle has to jump off the car. Again the higher the speed the more likely it is that the jumping figures gets hurt.

For this evening Walter and Franz decided to be the Policemen while Oliver and I joined the bad guys.

The scenarios had been worked out by Walter and he had put some special elements into them that will be explained later on.

The first game was a simple "Rob the bank and escape"-scenario.

The Gangsters had to reach the bank, get the money and escape. They had two cars to support them.

The Police was already in the streets on patrol with at least one car. The second car would appear in a random turn of the game. But Walter and Franz (cheaters as always :)) had been lucky and the second car was determined by a dice roll already to appear in the second turn.

After each completed activation turn the other civilian vehicles had to be moved randomly. So it could be that the drivers of the players´ vehicles had to execute wild manouvres to get through the busy streets.

The civilians also had to be moved. A simple dice roll decided if the civilians would be moved by the Mafiosi or the Police.

Walter´s special elements had been two special characters.

- One shady guy who was searching for members for his own gang. Every time one of the gamers´ figures would be within 10cm to this guy he would contact the figure and try to poach him. If this figure would  fail its morale test he would join the guy´s company.

- A reporter was looking for a good story and would also contact a figure as soon as it was within 10cm. He would annoy the figure by asking silly questions and the figure´s actions would be reduced from three to one. 

The abilities of the Gangsters

The same for the Policemen

And this is how the scenario developed while gaming.

The setting with the bank on the left side.

It could have been a peaceful day.

Civilians running through the streest and a reporter waiting for a big story.

Everbody´s doing his business.

Dense traffic on the streets.

Just another day in Chicago.

The bank takes profit of good business, too.

Suddenly a white limousine is driving very fast through the streets.
Disregarding every traffic rules.

Right in the middle of the crossroad it stops. It has been followed by a
second limousine. This silver car with a black roof managed to drive into
the oher street.

Its plan is to crash into the black police car in front of it in order to make as
many injuries on the passengers as possible.

A view from the opposite side.

Crash - but no effect.

The driver pulls back and takes another start-up.

Another hit - but again no effect. The speed was too slow for causing a 
severe damage.

The Policemen drive their car to the sidewalk and open fire on the
Gangsters´ car using a shotgun. They hit the engine and the vehicle can´t be 
moved anymore.

One gangster is getting out of the car firing at the policeman.
Again - no effect. Lousy shooters.

A further policeman gets out of the car.

Before the reporter even gets a chance to annoy the gangsters they simply
decide to kill him. He won´t be able to ask silly questions.
What a heinous riffraff.

The second police car has appeared and the officers (green markers) are
getting out of their vehicles to fight the Mafiosi (yellow markers).
The one with the TommyGun is getting into good firing position.

Ok, Oliver and I have thought about the reporter who could annoy our gang.
But we didn´t think about the other special character trying to corrupt figures 
to join his own gang.

We don´t know about the amount he gave to our TommyGunner. But he 
was successful and takes our best weapon out of the game.
Luigi, you are a damned traitor. STRONZO!

The Hitman in the white vehicle is firing from the car and manages to kill
one officer.

The gangster with the shotgun takes aim and kills one officer, too.

In revenge the gangster is killed himself by a second officer.

What a bloody spectacle.

Another officer comes closer to the white vehicle to shoot at point blank.
But the weapons jams.

And it is getting more turbulent. The Mafia boss, who was still sitting in the
car, is killed by a lucky shot.

After this turn the gangsters are lucky to move the civilians. They place
them next to the policemen to block their way.

The last gangster of the silver car is taking cover behind the stairs to the 
subway followed by an officer who manages to hit him once.

The two guys in the white car reach the bank...

...and one of them enters the hall.

The cashier and his customers.

Meanwhile the guy at the subway station takes another two wounds.

The end of this scenario:

The Gangsters had lost the game. As soon as the gang has lost half of its strength there has to be taken a morale test. This test is automatically failed if there are at least as many hit markers on the figures as members left. Three members left and three hit markers on the guy at the subway station - so the game is ended.

Victory for the officers.

Conclusion:  Oliver and I did not really concentrate on the mission. We could not resist to use the funny rules for crashing cars and had also been unlucky to loose our best weapon to the corrupting guy. Again - "Luigi, you bloody bastard!"

Playing the second scenario - "Chasing the bank robbers"

Ok, normally the second scenario wouldn´t have taken place after the gangsters had failed in the first scenario. But we still had time and also the mood to do another scenario. So, after a very quick change of the setting we started the second game.

The gangsters had been successful in robbing the bank and are now trying to escape. They are followed by one police car and a second one tries to block their way The gangsters have to reach the other side of the table. Instead of civilians we decided to place some cows and sheep.

Maybe Oliver and I will do better this time.

The setting of the second scenario. A road through the countryside.

On the left the second police car to block the gangsters´ way. And Franz enjoying the game.

The gangsters appear on the table. In the second car the TommyGunner is
placed on the rear seat. Luigi, you are a good guy to join us again. But be
sure to rehabilitate in a good way.

The police is taking position at the bridge awaiting the Mafiosi to come
closer.

The chasing police car appears at the scenario...

...and is immediately taken under fire by the TommyGunner. Luigi does 
everything for his reputation and kills the police car´s driver.

Without control the police car rolls over and the passengers are catapulted 
out of the car. And they all fail their morale test and each of them
immediately gets three hit markers. They will die if they get another one.

Now the driver of the white vehicle decides to pull back. The Hitman inside
the car prepares for shooting...

...and kills two officers. The Captain is still alive and manages to take cover.

But there´s another guy in the car, who is getting out of the car.
This has been a real execution like in the movies.

The killer simply gets back into the car without any emotions. It is just a job.

The gangsters are splitting their forces while the second police car tries to ram one of their vehicles.

Bad manouvre. Because of bad roads and too high speed the police car gets off the track and misses
the gangsters´ car. The police car also gets three damage markers.

Second chance for Luigi, the TommyGunner, to rehabilitate.
He gets off the car and fires his weapon at point blank. No chance for survival.

The police now has lost more than half of its force and has to take a morale
test.They fail and the Gangsters win the scenario.

Definitely one of the funniest rulesystems I have ever played. I like skirmish games very much and this one convinces because of its elements like cars, civilians, sudden events and all that stuff. And this is what a game should be - funny.

This won´t have been the last game using these rules. And I hope that there will be a next scenario very soon.

Cheers

Mike