The Bucks are one of the new Dead Man’s Hand gangs released by Great Escape Games during 2023. This is a totally Afro-American gang with its own roster and rules.
The metal model set comes with 7 models – 1 with a repeater, 1 with a shotgun, 1 with 2 pistols and the rest with single pistols. As with all gangs at least half the gang must have pistols, the gang can contain upto 2 shotgun armed Gang Members and basic Gang members can have Pistol, shotgun or Repeater.
From the Store page The Bucks have the following write up.
Details
Great escape games
The hard living in these parts can throw different folks together. What binds them is sometimes more obvious than others. Whether it’s a shared identity or shared hardships folks tend to gather together to get through.
When Buck Elba and the rest of his gang came to town it was plain as the nose on your face what bound them together.
What it is they want in town is a little harder to discern.
Whether here for good or bad only time will tell.
The Bucks Faction Rules: THE HARDER THEY FALL; ROUGH JUSTICE
So the Bucks are odd amongst gangs with only having 3 Model types – these are
The Mastermind Buck Elba
The Protagonist
and then Gang Members
The Great Escape Games Gunfighters 2 has some great options to create additional Afro-American Gang Members – below are some examples I put together also using bits from the original Gunfighters plastic box set and other stuff found in my bits pile.
I also put together a Female Alternative for the Protagonist
Their 2 special rules are also interesting
- THE HARDER THEY FALL – means as members are lost each individuals Nerve test gets a +1 on their nerve rolls. This means as you lose models it becomes harder to lose further models. It is worth noting that this bonus is not applied to BIG NERVE TESTs.
- ROUGH JUSTICE – this is a ONCE PER GAME special that allows the Buck player to discard all their hand and puck a new one with the same number. This can only be triggered when one of the models goes out of action.
Their Jack, Queen, King and Aces cards also bring some interesting options
- ACE – “We ain’t no nincompoop” – must be played at the beginning of a turn after all initiative cards are revealed but before any model activates. When its played the player swaps one of their initiative cards with the ACE and takes the swapped card into their hand allowing them to play it. This means that you can grab the initiative and potentially get access to a really useful card that has been dealt for initiative.
- KING – “Cut him down” – This can be played at anytime, it has to be played against one of the oppositions models and gives a +1 to hit against it for the rest of the turn. Makes sense to play after the opposition has activated their model and declared its actions and whilst you still have models to activate.
- QUEEN – “That sounds like fear talking” – must be played at the beginning of a turn, it causes all the opponents nerve test to fail for the rest of the turn, but does not affect Big Nerve Test.
- JACK – “Your quarrel is with me” – this can be played when an opponent declares a shoot action, and allows the Bucks player to chose the target. The target chosen must be a Bucks Model within range and LOS of the character firing.
With a bit of planning I am sure you can also make some additional members for the gang from the Gunfighters Plastic Boxed Set.
Hysnaps Music and Mental Health 
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