Designer: Chris Engle
Publisher: Matrix Games
Tommy Guns Blazing is a miniatures game (using the Matrix system) set in the 1920s (Prohibition in the USA). Players take on the role of rival gang members and try to gain control of the illegal speakeasies. Players must provide their own equipment (dice, map or miniature buildings, counters or miniature figures, etc.). The game consists of a single 8-page rulebook, including two pages of tables.
The game requires a referee to assess the difficulty of any proposed action. Success is stated in a number of "6s." An easy task may require only one 6 to be rolled, but a difficult one might require six 6s. Likewise, movement is 2" per 6 rolled, and combat is also resolved comparing 6s rolled.
As in most Matrix games, the player chooses how many dice to roll at any given time, which can vary at his whim. For an easy task, a player may opt to roll only one die, or two dice, or a dozen. The catch is that while 6s succeed, every "1" that is rolled causes something bad to happen to the character of the die roller! The more 1s you roll, the worse it gets.