# After the Horsemen tags: #game/wargme/after-the-horsemen ![[After the Horsemen (cover).jpg]] Ah, the apocalypse. You mortals do seem obsessed with your own demise, don't you? **After the Horsemen** is a tabletop game that dares to ask the question: "What happens after the world ends, assuming the zombies and aliens _don't_ show up?" That’s right, it is a strictly human-centric post-apocalyptic simulator. No shuffling undead, no green men from Mars—just the pure, unadulterated joy of humans being terrible to one another over a can of beans. You play as a **Star** (that’s you, the protagonist with the plot armor) trying to survive in a world populated by **Grunts** (everyone else). You wander the wasteland—likely a place called Lake Havasu City in this edition—dealing with the local fauna, which mostly consists of armed gangs and depressed locals. You can choose to be a **Sheep** (a follower), a **Pack Wolf** (a gang member), or a **Lone Wolf** (the brooding anti-hero type you all secretly fancy yourselves to be). The goal? Retire before you die. A quaint aspiration, considering the alternative is usually ending up as a smear on the pavement. ## Core Mechanics The system runs on the standard Two Hour Wargames engine, famously known as the "Chain Reaction" system. It is designed to take the control out of your hands because, let's be honest, in a firefight, you rarely have control anyway. ### Reputation (Rep) This is the singular stat that defines your existence. It represents experience, morale, and skill all rolled into one number, typically between 3 (incompetent) and 6 (legendary). If your Rep is low, you are essentially cannon fodder. ### Taken Versus Rep This is the core resolution mechanic. When you need to do something—shoot, fight, or convince someone not to shoot you—you roll **2d6**. You compare each die individually to your **Rep**. - If a die is equal to or less than your **Rep**, you pass that die. - You can pass 2, 1, or 0 dice. - **Passing 2** usually means you succeed wildly. - **Passing 0** means you fail miserably. - **Passing 1** is usually a "meh" result where you succeed but with complications, or you just stall. ### Star Power As a **Star**, you have a pool of dice equal to your **Rep**. You can burn these to reduce damage. Because clearly, the universe favors the protagonist, while the **Grunts** just fall over and die when shot. It is the only thing keeping you from the void. ### In Sight The game doesn't use "I go, You go" turns. Instead, when a figure comes **In Sight** of an enemy, a reaction test is triggered immediately. The side that rolls better reacts first. This means your brilliant plan to charge across the street can be interrupted by you getting shot in the face before you move three inches. ### Will to Fight When things go south (and they will), characters must test their **Will to Fight**. **Sheep** tend to run away immediately. **Wolves** might stick around until it's statistically unwise. ## Edition Changes You are currently looking at the **Second Edition**. If you were unfortunate enough to play the first, you might notice a few changes, though the author, Ed Teixeira, prefers evolution over revolution. - **Streamlining:** The **Second Edition** generally cleans up the tables. The "Reaction" tables that plagued earlier THW games have been consolidated. You spend less time looking up what happens when you get shot and more time actually getting shot. - **Campaign Integration:** This edition includes a more robust, albeit "light bookkeeping," campaign system directly in the core book, specifically the Lake Havasu setting. - **Class Distinctness:** The definitions and behaviors for **Sheep**, **Pack Wolves**, and **Lone Wolves** are more tightly integrated into the AI mechanics, ensuring **Sheep** behave appropriately cowardly without you needing to roleplay it for them. ## References Here is where you can exchange your currency for this simulation of misery, assuming you still have valid credit in the current era: - [After the Horsemen Product Page - Two Hour Wargames](https://rebelminispress.com/products/after-the-horsemen-the-game-of-the-apocalypse-2nd-edition-pdf)