Overview

Deadwood is a Wild West worker-placement game where players send cowboys into town to annex businesses and collect money. The railroad is coming to Deadwood, and when it arrives, the richest player wins. Players fight over buildings through shootouts, manage their gang’s wanted level, and navigate the Sheriff’s protection. The game ends when the Train Station is built, the Crime Pool runs out of wanted posters, or any player loses all cowboys.

Components

• 1 game board (town of Deadwood with plots, railroad route, Abandoned Mine, Boot Hill)
• 45 Cowboy tokens (9 per player in 5 colors): Greenhorns (strength 1), Gunslingers (strength 2), Trail Bosses (strength 3)
• 20 Cartridge tokens
• 10 Pony tokens
• 29 Wanted Poster tokens
• 4 Railroad tiles + 1 Train Station tile
• 1 Sheriff token
• 8 Dice
• 50 Money tokens (15x$1, 15x$2, 20x$5)
• 26 Building tiles (sorted into starting “X” stack and stacks 1, 2, 3)

Setup

1. Place game board in the center.
2. Place Town Hall, Sheriff’s Office, and Church on matching top-row plots.
3. Shuffle each building stack separately; place near board.
4. Draw 4 tiles from stack “1”, shuffle with the “X” Saloon, place randomly on 5 starred plots.
5. Set railroad tiles and Train Station near the board.
6. Place Sheriff token at intersection of Sheriff’s Office and two tiles below.
7. Create Crime Pool: 5 wanted posters per player. Return extras to box.
8. Form supply with money, cartridges, ponies, and dice.
9. Each player takes: cowboys in chosen color, $5, 1 cartridge, 1 pony. Place 1 of each cowboy type (strength 1, 2, 3) in their Ranch faceup.
10. Highest die roll = starting player.

Turn Structure

On your turn, perform exactly 1 of 2 actions:

1. Head Back to the Ranch — Remove 1+ of your cowboys from buildings/Abandoned Mine and return them to your Ranch.
2. Hit the Town — Place 1 cowboy from your Ranch at any building on the board. May trigger a shootout.

A player cannot pass. After completing an action, play passes left.

Actions

Head Back to the Ranch

Remove one or more of your cowboys from any building(s) and/or the Abandoned Mine. Cannot remove “zero” cowboys.

Hit the Town

Place exactly 1 cowboy from your Ranch at any building. Cannot place at: Abandoned Mine, open plots, railroad tiles, or a building already occupied by your own cowboy.

• If another player’s cowboy is there: Shootout occurs.
• If empty: The cowboy can annex the building (use its ability).

Shootouts

1. Attacker takes 1 wanted poster from the Crime Pool.
2. Defender may skedaddle: discard 1 pony, move to Abandoned Mine. Shootout ends.
3. If defender stays, attacker declares cartridge use (max 1). Then defender declares.
4. Each player takes dice = cowboy strength (+1 if using cartridge).
5. Player with more dice rolls the difference first.
6. Then both roll 1 die simultaneously, repeating until one is killed or both run out of dice.
7. Die results: Skull = kill; Crossed guns or star = wound. First wound has no effect; second wound kills.
8. After shootout, all wounds are healed.

Outcomes:

• Defender killed, attacker survives → attacker annexes building
• Both survive (out of dice) → attacker goes to Abandoned Mine; defender stays
• Both killed → building is empty

The Sheriff

Protects 3 plots at his intersection. No shootouts can occur at Sheriff-protected buildings. Placing a cowboy at a protected building costs $1 to the Sheriff’s Office controller. Sheriff moves when someone annexes the Sheriff’s Office.

Annexing Buildings

When alone at a building, a cowboy may annex it and use its ability:

Starting Buildings: | Building | Annex Effect | |———-|————-| | Church | Return 1 wanted poster to box. Special: no shootouts; multiple players’ cowboys can be here | | Saloon | Hire 1 cowboy: Greenhorn=free, Gunslinger=$1, Trail Boss=$3. Goes to Abandoned Mine | | Sheriff’s Office | Move Sheriff token to any 3-plot intersection (must touch a building). Control: collect $1 when others enter protected buildings | | Town Hall | Return 1 wanted poster; place 1 railroad tile; draw tiles from all 3 stacks and place on adjacent open plots |

Stack 1 Buildings: | Building | Annex Effect | |———-|————-| | Bank | $5 + 1 wanted poster | | Gunsmith | $1 + 2 cartridges | | Blacksmith | $1 + 1 pony | | Casino | Steal $1 from any player | | General Store | $1 + move 1 other cowboy to a different building (may trigger shootout) | | Hotel | $2. Control: $2 per railroad tile placed; $4 when Train Station placed | | Laundry | $1. Control: Church returns 2 wanted posters (3 with both Laundries) | | Stage Depot | $2 + draw 1 building tile and place it. Control: $10 if game ends before Train Station | | Undertaker | $1. Control: $1 each time a cowboy is killed |

Stack 2: Duplicate Gunsmith, Blacksmith, General Store, Laundry, Saloon, plus Gold Mine ($0-$5 based on die roll).

Stack 3: Fortune Teller ($1 + examine/rearrange a building stack), Courthouse ($1 fine per wanted poster for all players), Grifter ($1 + move 2 opponent cowboys to Abandoned Mine), Newspaper ($1 + give 1 wanted poster to any player), Dance Hall ($1 + return 1-2 of your cowboys to Ranch), Telegraph Office ($1 + add or remove 2 wanted posters from Crime Pool).

The Railroad

When annexing Town Hall, place 1 railroad tile extending the route into town. If the tile goes on a plot with a building, that building is destroyed (returned to bottom of its stack) and cowboys there go to Abandoned Mine. After all 4 railroad tiles are placed, the Train Station can be built.

Scoring / Victory Conditions

Game End Triggers (any one):

1. Train Station built: After all 4 railroad tiles placed, next Town Hall annex builds it on a red-row plot. Builder earns $5 per building adjacent to the Train Station.
2. Crime Pool empty: No wanted posters remain in Crime Pool.
3. Player eliminated: Any player has no living cowboys.

Final Scoring:

Each player pays a fine of $1 per wanted poster they hold. The player with the most money wins. Ties: fewer wanted posters wins. Still tied: player with fewer cowboys on Boot Hill.

Special Rules & Edge Cases

• Cowboys at the Abandoned Mine can only return to Ranch via “Head Back to the Ranch” action.
• The Church allows multiple players’ cowboys simultaneously; never has shootouts.
• Boot Hill is permanent — dead cowboys cannot return.
• Cartridges and ponies are limited to supply.
• Players’ Ranches (cash, cowboys, cartridges, ponies, wanted posters) are always visible.
• The Sheriff is unaffected when buildings are destroyed by railroad.
• A player cannot place a cowboy on a building already occupied by their own cowboy.

Player Reference

Cowboy Strengths:

Type	Strength (dice)	Hire Cost
Greenhorn	1	Free
Gunslinger	2	$1
Trail Boss	3	$3

Shootout Die Results:

• Skull: Kill
• Crossed guns/Star: Wound (2nd wound = kill)
• Blank: Miss

Turn: Head Back to Ranch OR Hit the Town (place 1 cowboy)

End Game Triggers: Train Station built / Crime Pool empty / Player eliminated Final: Pay $1 per wanted poster → most money wins