This scenario was based on The Magnificent Seven. John L., Mike, and Kevin each commanded a group of Mexican bandits trying to steal the food from a village. Ted, Bill, and John B. each ran a group of poorly armed villagers and two gunfighters hired to protect the town - the legendary Magnificent Seven. It was amazing that the two kids in the game had never seen the movie, but they had seen The Seven Samurai, so they had a good idea of what was going on. The rules used were modified Thunder and Plunder. The defenders took up their positions in the town and waited for the attack.

One of the Magnificent Seven (Lee) had lost his nerve. Each turn he got to roll to see if he got it back. Thanks to a good die roll by Phil, Lee activated on turn one. He strode out of the church and promptly took a siesta behind a wall (Phil took a break to eat a sandwich). Meanwhile the battle began in earnest. John and Kevin sent their bandits to assault the Sheriff's office, while Mike's men tried to work his way through the other side of the town.

They immediately came under fire from Chris, who was positioned on a rooftop. His accurate rifle fire terrified the Mexicans and they did their best to remain out of his line of sight. If Chris could see you, you were dead. Vin led a bunch of villagers on a banzai charge. Unfortunately by the time he arrived all his villagers had been shot down. He soon followed them into the afterlife. Chris sent some of the villagers to attack the bandits in the livery stable. They managed to slip into the stable and hack the bandits into pieces before withdrawing safely.

Finally Lee moved into action (John B. took control of him). He stalked down the middle of the road, looking like death incarnate. Every bandit in town tried to shoot him. The bullets buzzed around him like hornets, but he didn't even break stride, making saving rolls all over the place. He turned to his right, headed for the...outhouse? Apparently Lee was suffering from Montezuma's revenge. He was moments away from blessed relief when the bandits finally got him. The tide turned in favor of the bandits, and they managed to knock off Chris.

The only gunfighter left was Chico. He was attacked by a swarm of bandits determined to slit his throat. His only ally was the lovely Carmelita, armed with nothing but a smile. One villager did try to come to his aid, slashing his way down the road like Jason in a Friday the Thirteenth movie, but he was gunned down. Chico lasted longer than anyone expected, but soon he too was dead. It was a victory for the bandits. The destruction of the village and the massacre of the inhabitants should serve as a good lesson for the rest of Mexico - don't cross Calavera!

Special Rules

The banditos were organized into three bands of nine men, led by a lieutenant or Calavera. The villagers were poorly armed and organized into three bands of nine men and women, each led by two of the Magnificent Seven. Several villagers had muzzle-loading rifles, which took one action to reload. Each band had one card in the deck, and each leader also had an extra card. Lee begins the game cowering in a building and must recover before he can join the fight. When his card is pulled roll a D20. He needs a 1-3 on the first try to get his nerve back. The number increases by one each turn. The morale rules were ignored during this game. Players needed to roll less than or equal to their skills to succeed. The town consisted of about a dozen buildings with a street down the middle. The bandits get to start at one end of the town and the villagers can start anywhere.

Resources

Of course this scenario is based on the film "The Magnificent Seven," which was based on the film "The Seven Samurai." There have probably been a lot of wargame scenarios written about this popular movie. Stephen Lawrence wrote a Warpaint scenario, which appeared in MWAN #85. The same author also covered this topic in his article "Tiempo Caliente En La Pueblo Viejo" which appeared in MWAN #63. I located the articles on magweb (www.magweb.com).

The Magnificent Seven
Attribute	Chris	Chico	Vin	Bernardo	Brit	Harry	Lee	Peons
Shoot	13	11	13	11	13	11	11	6
Melee	9	9	9	9	13	9	9	8
Save	16	13	16	13	16	13	13	-
Weapon	Rifle	Pistol	Rifle	Pistol	Pistol/Knife	Rifle	Pistol	Various

Calavera's Gang
Attribute	Calavera	Lieutenants	Banditos
Shoot	13	13	8
Melee	9	9	6
Save	16	14	-