Overview

BANG! The Bullet! is a Spaghetti Western-themed card game of hidden roles. Players are secretly assigned roles – Sheriff, Deputy, Outlaw, or Renegade – each with different win conditions. Through card play involving shooting (BANG! cards), dodging (Missed! cards), and various special abilities, players try to deduce who is who and eliminate the right targets. This special edition includes the base BANG! game plus the Dodge City, High Noon, and A Fistful of Cards expansions.

Components

Base Game (BANG!):

• 7 Role cards: 1 Sheriff, 2 Deputies, 3 Outlaws, 1 Renegade
• 16 Character cards (with bullets on backs)
• 80 Playing cards (brown-bordered and blue-bordered)
• 7 Summary cards

Dodge City Expansion:

• 8 Role cards (for up to 8 players)
• 15 Character cards
• 40 Playing cards
• 1 Summary card

High Noon Expansion:

• 15 Event cards

A Fistful of Cards Expansion:

• 15 Event cards

Also includes:

• 3 Special characters (Uncle Will, Johnny Kisch, Claus “The Saint”)
• 2 New High Noon cards (New Identity, Handcuffs)
• 2 Blank cards
• Sheriff’s badge

Setup

1. Select role cards based on player count:
   • 3 players: 1 Deputy, 1 Outlaw, 1 Renegade (all face up, special rules)
   • 4 players: 1 Sheriff, 1 Renegade, 2 Outlaws
   • 5 players: 1 Sheriff, 1 Renegade, 2 Outlaws, 1 Deputy
   • 6 players: 1 Sheriff, 1 Renegade, 3 Outlaws, 1 Deputy
   • 7 players: 1 Sheriff, 1 Renegade, 3 Outlaws, 2 Deputies
   • 8 players: 1 Sheriff, 2 Renegades, 3 Outlaws, 2 Deputies
2. Shuffle and deal one role card face down to each player. The Sheriff reveals their role; all others keep roles secret.
3. Shuffle character cards and deal one face up to each player. Each player announces their character name and ability.
4. Each player takes a second character card face down (for bullet tracking), partially covered by their character card to show exactly as many bullets as depicted on their character.
5. The Sheriff gets one additional bullet (life point).
6. Shuffle playing cards and deal each player cards equal to their bullet count. Place remainder as draw pile.

Turn Structure

Play proceeds clockwise starting with the Sheriff. Each turn has three phases:

Phase 1: Draw Two Cards

Draw the top 2 cards from the draw pile. (If the draw pile is empty, shuffle the discard pile to form a new deck.)

Phase 2: Play Cards

Play any number of cards with three limitations:

• Only 1 BANG! card per turn
• Only 1 copy of any card in play in front of you
• Only 1 weapon in play at a time

Card types:

• Brown-bordered cards: Play and discard immediately; apply effect.
• Blue-bordered cards: Play face up in front of you; remain “in play” until removed. Exception: Jail is played in front of another player.
• Green-bordered cards (Dodge City): Play face up in front of you; cannot be used on the same turn played. Discard to use effect on a subsequent turn.

Phase 3: Discard Excess Cards

Discard down to your hand size limit, which equals your current number of life points (bullets showing).

Actions

BANG! and Missed!

• Play BANG! against a player within your weapon’s range.
• Target may play a Missed! card to cancel the shot (even out of turn).
• If not cancelled, target loses 1 life point.
• Limit: 1 BANG! card per turn (unless you have a Volcanic or are Willy the Kid).

Weapons and Distance

Weapon	Range	Special
Colt .45 (default)	1	No card needed; always available
Volcanic	1	Unlimited BANG! cards per turn
Schofield	2	-
Remington	3	-
Rev. Carabine	4	-
Winchester	5	-

• Distance = minimum number of seats between players (clockwise or counter-clockwise).
• Mustang (blue): Other players see you at distance +1; you see them normally.
• Scope (blue): You see other players at distance -1; they see you normally. Minimum distance is always 1.

Beer

• Regain 1 life point (cannot exceed starting amount).
• Can be played during your turn OR out of turn only when you receive a lethal hit (losing your last life point).
• Beer has no effect when only 2 players remain.

Draw! Mechanic

Cards with poker symbols (Barrel, Jail, Dynamite) require a “draw!” – flip the top deck card and check the suit/value:

• Barrel: Successful on Hearts – cancels a BANG! aimed at you.
• Jail: Draw a Heart to escape and play your turn normally; otherwise skip your turn. Cannot be played on the Sheriff.
• Dynamite: Played in front of you. At the start of your next turn, draw! – Spades 2-9 means it explodes (lose 3 life points, discard Dynamite). Otherwise pass it left. Dynamite damage is not caused by any player.

Other Key Cards

• Panic!: Draw a card from a player at distance 1 (from hand or in play).
• Cat Balou: Force any player to discard a card (from hand or in play).
• Stagecoach: Draw 2 cards from the deck.
• Wells Fargo: Draw 3 cards from the deck.
• Gatling: BANG! to all other players (not limited by the 1 BANG! rule).
• Indians!: All other players must discard a BANG! card or lose 1 life point. Missed! and Barrel do not work.
• Duel: Challenge any player regardless of distance. Alternate discarding BANG! cards; first player who cannot loses 1 life point. Missed! and Barrel do not work during duels.
• General Store: Reveal cards equal to number of surviving players. Starting with you, each player picks one.
• Saloon: All players (including you) regain 1 life point.

Scoring / Victory Conditions

Win Conditions by Role

| Role | Goal | |——|——| | Sheriff | Eliminate all Outlaws and the Renegade | | Deputies | Same as Sheriff – protect the Sheriff | | Outlaws | Kill the Sheriff | | Renegade | Be the last player alive |

Game End

• Sheriff is killed: If the Renegade is the only survivor, the Renegade wins. Otherwise, the Outlaws win (even dead Outlaws).
• All Outlaws and Renegade eliminated: Sheriff and Deputies win.

Penalties and Rewards

• If the Sheriff eliminates a Deputy, the Sheriff must discard all cards (hand and in play).
• Any player who eliminates an Outlaw draws 3 cards as a reward (even if the eliminator is an Outlaw).

Special Rules & Edge Cases

Elimination

• When eliminated, reveal your role card and discard all cards (hand and in play).
• You may play Beer to survive a lethal hit, but only when losing your last life point. You cannot use Saloon, Canteen, Tequila, or Whisky out of turn to survive.

3-Player Rules (Special)

• Use Deputy, Outlaw, and Renegade roles – all face up.
• Deputy must kill the Renegade; Renegade must kill the Outlaw; Outlaw must kill the Deputy.
• You win if you personally deal the final hit to your target.
• If someone else kills your target, both survivors must eliminate each other.
• Any player who kills another draws 3 cards. Jail can be played on anyone. Beer has no effect with 2 players left.

8-Player Rules (Dodge City)

• Uses 2 Renegades. Each Renegade plays independently and wins only as the last player alive.
• If the Sheriff dies while 2 Renegades survive, the Outlaws win.

Dodge City Green-Bordered Cards

• Played face up; cannot be used the same turn they are played.
• Cards with Missed! symbols can be used out of turn.
• If taken via Panic! or similar, you must add it to your hand, play it in front of you, then wait a turn.

High Noon / A Fistful of Cards

• Sheriff chooses one expansion, sets aside the title card, shuffles the rest, places the title card on top, and flips the stack face up.
• Starting with the Sheriff’s second turn, before playing, the Sheriff removes the top card revealing the next event.
• The revealed event card affects all players until replaced by the next event.
• Can combine both expansions: shuffle together, draw 12 random cards, place one title card on top.

Dynamite + Jail

• If you have both Dynamite and Jail in play, check Dynamite first.
• Dynamite passes to the first player to the left who does not already have a Dynamite.

Player Reference

Base Game Characters

Character	Life	Ability
Bart Cassidy	4	Draws a card each time he loses a life point
Black Jack	4	Shows 2nd drawn card; if Heart/Diamond, draws a 3rd
Calamity Janet	4	Can use BANG! as Missed! and vice versa
El Gringo	3	Draws from the hand of the player who hits him
Jesse Jones	4	May draw 1st card from any player’s hand instead of deck
Jourdonnais	4	Built-in Barrel (draw! on Heart to dodge)
Kit Carlson	4	Looks at top 3 cards, keeps 2, returns 1 to top
Lucky Duke	4	Flips 2 cards for any draw!, chooses the better one
Paul Regret	3	Built-in Mustang (distance to him +1)
Pedro Ramirez	4	May draw 1st card from discard pile instead of deck
Rose Doolan	4	Built-in Scope (distance to others -1)
Sid Ketchum	4	Discard 2 cards anytime to regain 1 life point
Slab the Killer	4	Requires 2 Missed! cards to cancel his BANG!
Suzy Lafayette	4	Draws a card when her hand is empty
Vulture Sam	4	Takes all cards from eliminated players
Willy the Kid	4	Can play unlimited BANG! cards per turn

Dodge City Characters

Character	Life	Ability
Apache Kid	3	Unaffected by Diamond-suit cards from other players
Belle Star	4	During her turn, no cards in front of others have effect
Bill Noface	4	Draws 1 card + 1 per lost life point in phase 1
Chuck Wengam	4	Lose 1 life to draw 2 cards (not last life point)
Doc Holyday	4	Discard 2 cards for a BANG! (doesn’t count toward limit)
Elena Fuente	3	Any card in hand can be used as Missed!
Greg Digger	4	Regains 2 life when another character is eliminated
Herb Hunter	4	Draws 2 extra cards when another character is eliminated
Jose Delgado	4	Discard blue-bordered card to draw 2 (twice per turn)
Molly Stark	4	Draws a card each time she voluntarily plays/discards out of turn
Pat Brennan	4	May draw 1 card from in play instead of normal 2 from deck
Pixie Pete	3	Draws 3 cards in phase 1 instead of 2
Sean Mallory	3	Hand limit of 10 cards
Tequila Joe	4	Beer restores 2 life instead of 1
Vera Custer	3	Copies any other living character’s ability each turn

Turn Phase Checklist

1. Check Dynamite (if in play) – draw!
2. Check Jail (if in play) – draw!
3. Draw 2 cards
4. Play cards (1 BANG! max, 1 copy per card, 1 weapon)
5. Discard to hand limit (= current life points)