Tiny Epic Western - How To Play

In this video, we're going to learn how to play Tiny Epic Western! If you have any comments or questions, please do not hesitate to post them in the KZbin comments below.
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00:51 - The Setup
02:41 - Game Play Overview
03:03 - Shuffle and Deal Phase
03:34 - Posse Placement Phase
03:53 - Placement Spots
04:30 - Benefit Symbols
06:51 - Duels
08:44 - Being Wounded
09:26 - The Wanted Card
09:38 - The Resolution Phase
10:08 - Comparing Hands At Location
11:44 - Buy Phase
13:17 - Third Posse benefit
13:46 - Advancing Industry
14:19 - End Of The Round
14:49 - Boss Abilities
14:58 - Ending The Game
15:12 - Determining The Winner
16:13 - Conclusion
#watchitplayed #boardgames #tutorial

[@josephcomings]

Wow. I don't think I have ever seen a game that has so few components be so amazingly intricate in theme and strategy. I want to play this!

[@WatchItPlayed]

Glad you enjoyed checking it out Joseph :)

[@victorgonzalez2927]

7:15 "The intruding TOKER is the attacker!" LMFAO

[@WatchItPlayed]

(you really weren't supposed to hear that :) )

[@rodrigodeus8730]

It's so, but SO good to come here and watch a video from Rodney. It's so rewarding after reading the manual. Thank you SO much for keeping this excellent work!

[@WatchItPlayed]

You're very welcome Rodrigo, glad you found this helpful!

[@Xhawk33]

Had to rewatch this today, as my KS version of this is out for delivery for today !

[@WatchItPlayed]

Hope you have a great time playing!

[@karohemd]

Mine arrived today. Looks great.

[@bartdevuyst]

Great and smooth explanation. This helps me a lot explaining the game to other people. Your video's are always very appreciated!

[@WatchItPlayed]

Thanks for taking the time to leave a kind word Bart - glad you enjoyed the video.

[@danielgallagher8713]

Wow there is a lot more to this game than I expected! Very neat game indeed! As always, thank you for a comprehensive overview of the game!

[@WatchItPlayed]

You're very welcome Daniel, thanks for checking it out.

[@imjacobyournot]

jeeze, that game is complex!

[@TylerDeLisle]

Right? I always hope that Tiny Epic games will be pocket sized games that are portable and easy to teach... I don't know if there's as much need for a full-fledged game complete with tons of rules that's also portable. This seems like a bear to teach to people.

[@jaysonolson33]

no kidding. I'm awaiting my KS copy, but now I'm a little leary. seems like way too much to remember

[@WatchItPlayed]

You may find that after a round or two, the various elements 'click'. Sometimes, even in a video, the flow of the game does not reveal itself until you're going through the motions yourself.

[@karohemd]

This was exactly our experience today. We set it up and thought, "we have no idea what we're doing" but after the second round, things started to click. Your video was a great help understanding the bits that were unclear or missing in the rules. I bet you'll be getting quite a few hits in the coming weeks as more backers receive their copies and again when it goes to retail.

[@BoardgameLiker]

Jacob moore glad it's not just me who finds this game to be complex

[@ToxDrawace]

I received my copy from KS today, so I just rewatched the video. Thanks for making it easy to jump right in!

[@WatchItPlayed]

A pleasure to help Scott!

[@Xhawk33]

Great timing Rodney ! Game is coming very soon and was hoping for a solid walkthru which of course, you always provide. Ty so much and wish you and your family the very best !!

[@WatchItPlayed]

Cheers XHawk!

[@karohemd]

Yes, same here. Looking forward to it.

[@kiachunchua9895]

Who still seeing this video on 2020?

[@anthonyrukstele4636]

Thank you! Thank you! THANK YOU! For making this awesome video. It was SO very helpful in figuring how to play this great game. Seriously, did I say thank you?!

[@WatchItPlayed]

Thank you for the kind words Anthony!

[@MZeller]

Can't wait for my Kickstarter reward to arrive! Thanks for covering!

[@WatchItPlayed]

Happy to share!

[@GreggBolinger]

Once again, great job Rodney and co.

[@WatchItPlayed]

Thank you Gregg!

[@drwheatie]

Once again great video. Eagerly awaiting my Kickstarter copy. Looking forward to a duel between you and Pep in a gameplay video.

[@WatchItPlayed]

Thanks for checking it out Doctor!

[@bloominoctober]

Can't wait to receive my Kickstarter reward for this. I actually received my playmat a few weeks back, but the game itself isn't slated to ship until September. Kinda odd to send the mat so early, but whatever. I look forward to playing this one. Thanks for the how to play, Rodney!

[@WatchItPlayed]

You bet Bloom - the mats look sweet!

[@SilentBob1219]

Awesome video. Just got it from Kickstarter and we are playing tonight!!

[@WatchItPlayed]

Hope you have a great time Matthew!

[@SilentBob1219]

Thank you again. We absolutely loved it. We all watched your video over a couple of beers prior to playing as a refresher. Keep them coming!!!

[@bobfitzpatrick6061]

Holy cow! That is a lot more complicated than I expected. This game isn't calling out to me. But I would like to give it a try. Thanks for another informative video Rodney. Now get baclnto the cry havoc play through! =D

[@WatchItPlayed]

Next episode is releasing soon!

[@ChazAllenUK]

This video was really well produced!

[@WatchItPlayed]

Thanks Chaz.

[@michaelrodriguez3129]

Perfect timing Rodney! Not sure you know but Kickstarter backers are expected to receive this game by early next month. I'm sure many, like myself, will return here after game arrives.

[@WatchItPlayed]

I hoped I could get it out in time for the KS backers (like myself :) )

[@OGNoNameNobody]

Wow. Never thought a 3-card poker hand would be used as a conflict resolver. Neat.

[@Lachpost]

Nice video, what an amount of game in such a small box :) The only thing I would have changed from a design point is the Wild Influence signage: 3 X to mark 3 of the same type, X X to mark two influence total, distributed whatever way you want. But I guess I'll have to accept what the rules say ^^

[@WatchItPlayed]

Thanks for checking out the video Lach!

[@raymon631]

Thanks for this superb tutorial

[@WatchItPlayed]

You're very welcome Raymon!

[@Hero19093]

The best explanation of this game. Listening other explanations on my own native language and I did not get it, but your explanation is very good. #2020 Thanks for this videos!

[@WatchItPlayed]

So glad this was helpful - have fun playing!

[@Hero19093]

@@WatchItPlayed Merry Christmas!! 🌟 🌟

[@Totihno]

Great vdeo as always :). Just one comment. I think you should mention that you must pick up all dealt poker cards to deal again. Some people might think that you dont deal new cards in between buildings since you ended the video with them in play.

[@WatchItPlayed]

This is true, but I do mention in the shuffle and deal phase portion that you pick up all cards, including those in play from the previous round, so hopefully that covers it.

[@Sarah-ou4fl]

Always wonderful. Challenge, do a vid on Mage Knight the board game? :)

[@WatchItPlayed]

That would be a challenge, to be sure :)

[@jonkirk2118]

Another great tutorial! Just wondering, does a wounded meeple at the Sheriff's Office still get to use the +/-1 suit/value modifiers? They're next to an hour glass (so only apply during the resolution phase) but I'm not sure if they're considered 'benefits' like the gains in influence. Thanks!

[@WatchItPlayed]

Hey Jon, I lent this game to a friend, so I don't have the rules handy to be able to check for you. For this question, I'd suggest checking the rules forum for the game on BoardGameGeek or the publishers website. I hope you can find your answer there - have fun playing!

[@jonkirk2118]

@@WatchItPlayed Will do. Thank you!

[@lllorez]

Complicated but genius level mechanics for what they had to work with.

[@WatchItPlayed]

Thanks for checking out the video!

[@GammaTheGreat]

My copy of the game just arrived and my friends and I love it! It was a ton of fun to play, but we were confused by the dueling mechanic and a few other rules. 1)Can you duel at every space including porches and the Sherriff's Leftover space? There's no mention of what happens if you're wounded on a buy space (I mean a space that has a $ symbol allowing an action in round 4) when that event occurs. 2)What happens when you're on a porch location that for some reason (like the auction house) changes it's building during round 2 to a building that has an instantaneous effect? Do you get it because you're already there? Or does it only activate for new posse members who go there after it is built? 3)Can you have more than 6 of any resource?

[@WatchItPlayed]

1) You can duel on any spot. Wounded posse figures can still buy (You'll find this mentioned here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bYnUmXdqeKh1n9Um6s). 2) My understanding is that you gain instantaneous effects at the moment a figure is placed there (so you wouldn't gain the benefit if the location changed, and you're already standing there). 3) 6 is the maximum for each.

[@michiel6789]

Rodney ma boi !

[@MrYJGS]

Will you be doing a Game Play out of this one? Would help at understanding the game a bit better.

[@WatchItPlayed]

I'm thinking we may do a game play sampler. Not a full game, but an example of a round of play, to help show how the game comes together.

[@RulebooksForYou]

Awesome looking game!

[@WatchItPlayed]

Thanks for checking out the video!

[@RulebooksForYou]

You do a great job, thanks for making it easier for me to learn and play games!

[@EntropyGuardian]

If a posse member attempts to go to a space with a posse member already on it, and one that has an immediate effect, do they collect the immediate effect first and then duel? I believe whoever got there first gets the instant reward, then only if you invade and win the duel do you get to take advantage of the instant ability for the space.

[@WatchItPlayed]

Correct, instant rewards are only gained if you win the duel.

[@garybrahm9516]

How many buildings can you buy during the buy phase? Can you buy a second building if you are on the sheriff's left over box? Can you still buy a building if you bought one on an earlier placement phase?

[@WatchItPlayed]

+Gary Brahm Players may buy a single building, unless another effect lets you buy more, like the Sheriffs office.

[@MrJustintreat]

will you be doing a play through of this, or just the rules?

[@WatchItPlayed]

We'll see!

[@bog03]

i tried reading the rules that came with this game and they are hopeless. Thank you so much for this video.

[@WatchItPlayed]

You're very welcome - glad they were helpful!

[@Lanseroowee]

Do standing players have to leave the area if they did not win the pot for that area? (Meaning can they stay there and possibly buy the building from that area during the buy phase?)

[@WatchItPlayed]

They do not leave the area until the end of the round, so you could possibly buy the building in that area!

[@locutus9956]

Are you 100% sure on the Wildcard resource icons the Number X vs XX notation would seem logically the other way round to me for being able to take a mix or all the same....?

[@WatchItPlayed]

The Wildcard resources are resolved as shown in the video. Three wild symbols side by side mean you gain 3 of the same resource type of your choice. A number 3 beside a single wildcard symbol means you gain 3 resources of your choice, not necessarily all of the same type.

[@PauloRenato23]

Hi Rodney, at 4:55 you say that when a location shows X X you gain 2 Influence but they must be of the same type and when it says 2X you can mix and match as you want... I'm still waiting for my copy to arrive so I don't have the rules and haven't read them but I have to say if that is correct it makes little sense, it should be the other way around... when you have X and X you should have to choose 2 different types of Influence and when you have 2X you should get 2 Influence of the type you choose... Do you agree? Thanks

[@WatchItPlayed]

Paulo Renato I'm not sure why they chose that particular use of the icons, but the way I've presented it is how they are explained in the rules.

[@PauloRenato23]

Thanks for the very fast confirmation Rodney :)

[@choffma6]

I felt exactly the same way about the iconography! Glad to know I'm not the only one.

[@speljester]

Couple Rules questions about buying: Can you only buy 1 card a turn? Seems you get a chance at 1 and only 1 when you get the option of buying at a place your meeple is. Then if you are on the 'Left Over' spot on the Sheriff's Office do you then get the chance to buy any 1 left over building? Or can you only buy a left over if you didn't already buy a building? Many cards refer to the first building you buy in the buy phase making me think you could get a second, but I can't figure it out. Also the Building 'Central Bank' lets you buy a building during the round. If you use this can you then buy a building as normal during the buy phase? Thanks for you help.

[@garybrahm9516]

I was wondering exactly the same thing

[@nealgillett6385]

You can only buy a single building per round unless you have a worker on a location that gives you an extra buy. Some buildings have those but most times the only option for getting a second building is to use the sheriffs 'leftover' slot.

[@WatchItPlayed]

Thanks to Neal for the assist!

[@boardgames9950]

Rodney, your rules explanations are always stellar and a real resource when it comes to clarifying a point, but I'm stumped on something. The rules gloss over it, and apparently, so do you. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm still unsure of when hourglass actions are resolved during the resolution phase. In the video you quote the rulebook which talks about how if you win the "hand" you get the benefit of both the hourglass action and the "pot". You also cite that you don't get the hourglass action if you're laying down. I'm pretty sure you don't have to win the hand to get the hourglass action (it would just be in the "pot", otherwise). I assume you activate the hourglass action during the resolution of the location if you have a standing meeple on the action. But, seemingly, the Sheriff's Office is the exception to this inference I've made, as all videos I've seen have the adjustment to the suit/value of your poker card be active the moment the resolution phase starts...where is that in the rules? Is there a FAQ I'm missing?

[@WatchItPlayed]

You will not see it clearly stated in the rules that the Sheriffs effect (of adjusting values) is active right away, but it is (you'll notice it doesn't have a 'pot' symbol in addition to the hourglass, which I believe is meant to help be a visual reminder of this) - that said, like you, this wasn't clear to me initially, and had it clarified with the publisher during the creation of this video. If you go there and are standing, it is in affect for you for the entire phase 3 and 4. In all locations where you can place a figure that shows an hourglass and the pot symbol, you DO have to be standing up AND need to win the hand to gain that benefit. However, the separate pot at a location (the one in a square shaped border, that is separate from where you can physically place a figure) can be won by anyone, as long as they have a figure there, even if it is wounded - again, you just need to win the hand.

[@boardgames9950]

Oh alright..that makes sense graphically. I just wished it was spelled out in the rules. Weird that it was left out as the rules are quite exhaustive in places. What about hourglass effects that don't have the pot symbol other than the sheriff's office? Like those on cards that are taken by porch actions?

[@WatchItPlayed]

Right, those activate according to their printed timings (not as you go sequentially around the ring). Apologies for my earlier answer. I was multi-tasking and didn't have the box open in front of me.

[@boardgames9950]

Oh my goodness, no need to apologize. I think it's amazing that you actually create your own little rules thread outside of BGG. KZbin isn't the greatest forum for discussion but kudos for taking the time and effort. Keep up the great work, Rodney!

[@WatchItPlayed]

Thanks for your patience :) Appreciated!

[@justinhamm9819]

Starting at 4:00 when explaining placement. I can't place a meeple on the same place but that location as two side by side (One changing suit, the other the Number) could I place one meeple on one modifier then another on the other at the same time? Or is this considered the same "Placement" spot? Changing both Suit and Number? Or just one? I know im a bit late into this but I just bought the game today and it looks fun!

[@WatchItPlayed]

Hey Justin, unfortunately I lent my copy out, so I don't have it handy to check!

[@justinhamm9819]

@@WatchItPlayed Youre good! I'm honestly surprised that you saw my comment and I thank you for responding!

[@anthonymodak2957]

Just a quick rule clarification; how many buildings can a player buy in the buy phase?

[@WatchItPlayed]

One building per round.

[@miguelsantana8357]

Some of the building cards such as the “general store, fort, gunsmith” have the action “convert any number of influence to influence +2” Im confused on what the “+2” means

[@WatchItPlayed]

It means that you can convert one type of influence into another, but gain an extra two. So for example, if I covered 1 money into force, I would gain 3 force. If I converted 4 money into force instead, I'd get 6 force.

[@miguelsantana8357]

Watch It Played thank you so much for the quick response! Keep up the videos. Your definitely my go to when it comes to game play and clarifications

[@AzraelSilent]

Jeeeez, TEW seems offputting to teach. I like the pedigree so I'm confident it's enjoyable once you get flow of the game but I can imagine pulling my hair out trying to teach my group this. Seems like there's everything and the kitchen sink, and just case, "the wild card depends on what day of the week you're playing TEW." Serenity now!

[@WatchItPlayed]

It's got quite a bit going on!

[@richarddevonshire8252]

1. When a player loses a gunfight and his token is considered wounded, when placed back on the players mat for the next round, is that token considered still wounded and laid down, making two wounded tokens for the remainder of the game, or is it placed upright to be used as normal? 2. just to make sure I'm getting this right. In a two player game, scoring the industry rankings, the player with the most symbols (shares) gets the points while the other player does not score? He only scores 1,2 or 3 points depending on the position of the symbols on the industry ranking? Been playing it that both players score based on how many symbols of each type he has. So, if the symbol was in the number three spot and he had two symbols of that type he would score 6. This is apparently not the case.

[@WatchItPlayed]

1. It starts the next round upright again. 2. Right, you only score 1, 2 or 3 points (based on the industry you are scoring), if you have the most. Having the second most scores you nothing (in a two player game) and you only score 1, 2 or 3, not 1, 2 or 3 "per symbol". Hope that helps.

[@bloodnumber13]

sold!

[@WatchItPlayed]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@bloodnumber13]

+Watch It Played I did, I got in on a pre order deadline just in time.... I've heard some reviewers complian about poker hand luck. They say that if you get bum cards, you are essentially forced out of the better actions. I disagree with this critique. But I did have an intresting idea/ house rule I wanted to share to fix this issue.... assign each location a number 1-6, roll the dice each round. the number/location rolled will have reverse poker hand rankings for determining the best hand. So the worst hand wins.. this allows players that feel they have a poor card some power, it increases the amount of bluffing in the game, and it mixes up your strategy every round sense the obvious path is changed when a location changes its poker hand rules.... love to know what you think of the idea. . thanks for doing your show by the way, you do an awesome job! :D

[@WatchItPlayed]

Very kind of you to say :)

[@kennyng9684]

how do we resolve the conflict in phase 3 if 1) blue is standing with yellow wounded. 2) blue at the right benefits (with hourglass on top instead of the winner pots) - does it work as if blue is alone in the location and poker with townhall rival? or still play poker with wounded yellow?

[@WatchItPlayed]

I'm a little uncertain of what you're asking (sorry about this, this game can be a little tricky to describe just through words, without the game in front of us).

[@kennyng9684]

for example, in Hideout, the posse slot allows us to gain 2 gold influence during phase 3: - blue and yellow duel at that posse slot during phase 2, blue win. - during phase 3, who does blue need to play poker with in order to determine if blue can get the 2 gold influence?

[@WatchItPlayed]

Sorry, I answered that incorrectly, the first time. Blue will play Poker with Yellow only. If Blue wins, it gets The placement reward AND the Winners Pot (the breakout spot). If yellow wins, it can't take the placement spot (because it is wounded, but it prevents blue from getting it) but it will get the Winners Pot.

[@kennyng9684]

thanks, got it. it is quite confusing sometimes. thanks for the clarification

[@gee3161]

Thanks for the how to Rodney - interested to know your thoughts compared to the other Tiny Epic games Also, are you guys going to do a gameplay?

[@WatchItPlayed]

Not sure on the game play yet. Pep and I will be doing a play through of something soon.

[@egyptfreaka]

This looks like the most complicated Tiny Epic game and like it would be a pain to try to teach/explain.

[@WatchItPlayed]

Thanks for checking the video out, it's my hope it can help people make their own assessments like that (one way or the other) for their particular groups.

[@egyptfreaka]

@@WatchItPlayed Oh, your videos are always great, and they definitely help me decide whether the game is a good fit for me or not :) :) Thanks for your work

[@josephhii4922]

At sheriff's office, there's 4 placement spots. Can the location contains 4 posse tokens? Or just 1 posse token for each location?

[@WatchItPlayed]

It can have a figure on each spot within a location.

[@josephhii4922]

Another question, can we buy extra building? Because from what I understand, i can only buy 1 building. Do we use the sheriff's office leftover location to buy extra building?

[@WatchItPlayed]

1 Building, unless another effect (like the sheriff's office, lets you buy more).

[@jonjcc2014]

I bought this because of that community episode 😂

[@WatchItPlayed]

A great show!

[@res2e483]

I'm excited to play this game but couldn't find it in any local stores so managed to buy from Amazon. I received it today but the box says 2-4 players, is this right? I bought wanting the solo aspect too. Does anyone think I received a counterfeit game? Or are the solo rules a later edition?

[@WatchItPlayed]

The solo rules are on Page 18 of my version of the rule book.

[@res2e483]

@@WatchItPlayed oh great. I will open up mine. I hadn't yet opened in case I needed to return. Thank you for taking the time to respond me.

[@vincennesfaronto5249]

what happened to our poker card in hands and in board after each round?

[@WatchItPlayed]

Hey Vincennes, you'll find that addressed here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bYnUmXdqeKh1n9Um3s

[@TheCart54321]

1:59 recently saw a HORSE😕?

[@SamKimpton]

It's just one of those things a lot of games have been including to choose who is the first player. The game manual says that the First Player token should go to the player who most recently saw a horse.

[@jezz2k]

Lords of Waterdeep has something similar. Personally, I prefer a simple d6 to determine the first player.

[@WatchItPlayed]

Always feel free to just choose a first player randomly :)

[@FishofMuu]

1:46 Okay, I'm a bit colorblind, but isn't the player on the right blue? And the building in front of them green? And you flipped the blue building instead?

[@corvus418]

You're right

[@WatchItPlayed]

Those are actually the green pieces. They are a very light green, so I can see how, on camera, in that lighting, they might have appeared to be blue.

[@WatchItPlayed]

Actually, see my answer above.

[@ByloBand]

About how long would you estimate a single game would last on average?

[@WatchItPlayed]

I gave up trying to estimate that sort of thing awhile ago :) Game groups are all so different, it really comes down to the players and how long they take to make turn decisions.

[@ByloBand]

That is very true. We have actually downloaded a bell ringing app that we have to use for one guy in our group to get him to speed up his turns!

[@msolec2000]

Are you sure those are the green meeples, or have you been possessed by Pep?

[@WatchItPlayed]

I assure you :) They are just a very light green, and the video is likely making them look even lighter.

[@BoardgameLiker]

Read through the rules 4 times. Watched the video twice. Yet I still haven't been able to start making moves. I feel like I'm forgetting something and just can't get started. I end up going back to the book ONE MORE TIME just to be sure. Then I get confused/frustrated. Really want to play this but I freeze up every time. ARGH!

[@BoardgameLiker]

I'll set it up again tonight, make a move and see how it goes. I think it'll help to keep the following in mind regarding flow: 1) Supply the buildings and players. 2) Send out meeples and duel as needed. 3) Resolve poker hands for pots. 4) Buy buildings (Repeat 5 more times)

[@WatchItPlayed]

You can do it!

[@WyvernSSS_]

Where can I buy this ?

[@WatchItPlayed]

This is going out to kickstarter backers soon and then will be in retail stores.

[@karohemd]

It's rolling out to KS backers at the moment (pretty much on time). The website says it'll be in retail in October. You can pre-order already. www.gamelyngames.com/games/tiny-epic-western/

[@WyvernSSS_]

thank both of you

[@apollonia6656]

How can this game he played solo , please ?

[@WatchItPlayed]

Hey there, I don't typically cover solo rules to games, so I'm sorry I can't help you with this.

[@kimmyedd4950]

2nd

[@shadowscribe]

I can't wait to show us how to lose this one

[@WatchItPlayed]

Ha!! :)