Kickback

A goblin mine. Above the shaft hangs a great lifting wheel, and six carts of gold swing from its chains: three facing you, three facing your rival. Below, two crews sit behind their cannons. Every round you both fire at the same time.

Only the shot that topples a cart takes the gold. Not the one who did the most damage to it — the one who finishes it. Soften a cart and walk away, and you have simply paid for someone else's payday.

THE CATCH IS THE RECOIL
A heavy shot only reaches the cart in the centre, and its kickback turns the whole wheel one notch. Your wounded target slides toward the exit — and on the next notch it swings over to your rival, who takes it down with a single hit and keeps everything. To take a lot, you must hit hard. Hitting hard hands your work to your neighbour.

THREE SHOTS, ONE DECISION
- Straight shot — solid damage, centre only, turns the wheel. Always free.
- Angled shot — weaker, but reaches any of your three carts and turns nothing.
- Armour-piercing — brutal, centre only, a few charges per match.

The wheel is a ratchet: it only ever turns one way, and nothing cancels it out. Both players commit their shots in secret, then the round resolves at once. No reflexes, no timing bars — just reading the board and guessing what the other crew is about to do.

BETWEEN MATCHES
Three cards, one of them free forever. Upgrade the angled shot, or trade damage for extra armour-piercing charges. Climb the trophy ladder and meet crews who have built their deck the other way around.

Short matches. No filler. One question every round: is this cart worth the turn it costs you?