On this page:
FAQ: General gameplay
Answers to frequently asked questions about gameplay.
How do I know which cards fit in which deck?
Check the design on the back of the cards; Colonel McReady deck cards have a sheriff's badge , Colty Gang deck cards have a spread of dollar coins and 'Wanted' text.
Does removing a True Grit token from a Bandit Character count as a kill?
Yes.
Can either player willingly discard played Firepower cards from the current battlefield to allow more powerful cards to be played?
Yes.
When the Colonel McReady player kills a gang member, who chooses which Bandit Character is killed?
The Colty Gang player — in Survival Rating order.
When the Colonel McReady player kills a Firepower card, who chooses which card is discarded?
The Colonel McReady player.
When the Colty Gang player kills a Firepower card, who chooses which card is discarded?
The Colty Gang player.
If a player is forced to discard a card when his hand is empty, what happens?
Nothing — there is simply no discard.
Does the game end the moment the Turn Marker reaches the last space of the 3:15 Express from Rattlesnake Creek Station battlefield, or do both players still get to play their turns at this space?
Both players get to complete their turns.
When you get to a draw card as a special action, for instance with Bounty Hunter, are you allowed to immediately play the drawn card?
Yes.
Can True Grit tokens save cards from death when derailing the train?
No, and even cards bearing the Impervious icon 
are discarded.
After we’ve completed a battlefield are the cards there discarded?
No. The cards remain in play — and may still be moved by other cards.
When the Colty Gang player derails the train, does this cause all cards to be discarded — even those from previous battlefields?
No. Only those cards at the 3:15 Express from Rattlesnake Creek Station battlefield are removed (except Sandstorm, if it is in play). To be clear, the Colty Gang player may only derail the train during his turn — and if he does, any detrimental effects of losing bandits he doesn’t save must still be resolved.
If I move a card using an ability or another card, do I have to pay the card’s cost again?
No — the costs and 'Come into play effects' only apply when actually playing the card from your hand, not when moving between battlefields.
When you move a card to a different battlefield, its 'Come into play effect' will not resolve.
When you bring a card into play straight from your hand or a discard pile, its 'Come into play effect' will resolve.
You move the Buffalo Stampede card using "You didn’t see this coming". You don't have to discard two cards to move the buffalo card, but you don't get to remove another of your opponent's firepower cards either.
What is the point of the small icons in the bottom left of each card?
They are there for deck building purposes — they have no bearing during play.
Clarify killing, destroying and True Grit
In general, if a card effect tells you to 'kill' or 'destroy' one or more cards, you pick the target card(s) and make your opponent discard them.
Killed Bandit Characters are chosen by the Colty Gang player, within the limits of Survival Rating, and removed from play instead.
If the target card has a True Grit token on it, the token is removed but the card remains in play. For game purposes (like Mexican Border or extra turn from "Skinny" Landell), this however still counts as 'killed'. Effectively, the character can be 'killed' twice.
In some instances the True Grit token is ignored and the card is discarded (or removed from play) anyway. Cards that ignore True Grit in the base game are:
- Derail the Train
- "Adios Amigo!"
- "I only came along fer the ride!" — none of the cards killed or sacrificed can be saved.
A card that has the Impervious icon on it cannot be killed any way other than by derailing the train.
Sandstorm cannot be destroyed by any means except the Clear Skies card from Promotional Set: By the Gun They Died .
Clarify discarding cards
If a card effect forces you to discard a certain number of cards, and you don’t have that many cards in your hand, you simply discard whatever you can. If you are empty-handed, you don’t discard anything. Then again, if you have to pay a card cost, and you don’t have that many cards in your hand to discard, you cannot play that card.
Any Firepower card in the current battlefield can be willingly discarded by its owner during his turn — this can be used for tactical reasons through use of other cards, such as to bring a card back and resolve its nasty card effect again.
Clarify the discard pile
Cards are put into the discard pile face up. 'One-shot effect' cards are discarded right after you have played them. Firepower and Row-Blocking cards are discarded after having been killed, destroyed, or willingly discarded by their owner. You may look through your opponent’s discard pile at any time.
Clarify the extra turns gained when certain Bandit Characters are killed
If "Kittens" Mackenzie is killed before you reachRattlesnake Creek then you will play two extra turns there.
If "Skinny" Landell is killed before you leaveRattlesnake Creek then you will play one extra turn there.
Other important stuff to remember
A card effect on some Bandit Characters force discarding a card. It is the Colty Gang player who is forced to do so.
Card effects target cards in the current battlefield only, unless the card clearly states otherwise.
A Bandit Character must be killed during the Colonel McReady player's turn to prevent the removal of Mexican Border cube tokens.
True Grit tokens soak a kill; however the kill attempt still prevents the removal of Mexican Border cube tokens.
The 'One-shot effect' cards that let you draw after another action will let you draw despite the target of the action not being in play.