d10 Gunfight is a skirmish game meant to capture the dynamics of small-scale gunfights. Two things that define gunfights are: (1) the balance between shooting fast and shooting accurately; and (2) shot placement serves as the chief determinant of a bullet's effectiveness. In detail:
1. "Fast is fine, but accuracy is final." - attributed to Wyatt Earp
Shooting a firearm, particularly a handgun, requires a balancing act between shooting fast and shooting accurately. The Shoot statistic that each model uses represents the ability to shoot at combat speed, under stress, in a two-way live fire. Accuracy can, however, be sacrificed for speed. Whenever a model engages in combat, an opposed reaction roll determines the order in which actions occur, higher roll wins. A model can, however, trade accuracy for speed. To do this, a player declares that the model is trading up to 2 points of accuracy for speed, and adds 2 to the model's reaction roll. The same model, however, whether it wins or loses the reaction roll, will subtract 2 from its to-hit roll against a range-dependent Target Number. In other words, a model can shoot up to 20% faster for a 20% loss in accuracy.
2. Shot placement is king.
The placement of a shot, more than caliber, determines the damage that it delivers. The bullet is going to do what it is going to do; the only thing that makes it effective is where it hits.
In d10 Gunfight, to-hit rolls are made against a range-dependent Target Number. Damage is constant for a weapon; if a shot hits, the Damage value for the weapon is added, but no additional damage roll will be made. Damage is determined based on the Modified To-Hit Roll (MoTHR), created by the rolled d10 value as modified by the shooting model's Shoot value as well as reaction, cover, and movement modifiers. If the to-hit roll is equal to or greater than the range-dependent Target Number, the Damage value of the weapon is added to the successful shot.
Example: Dirk shoots his 9mm pistol (Damage 2) at a target 12" away, which is at Medium range. The Target Number is 7. Dirk has a Shoot value of 3. Dirk does not trade any of his Shoot value for increased reaction speed, and wins the opposed reaction roll. Dirk rolls a 5, and adds 3 to the roll for a MoTHR of 8, one above the required 7. Dirk then adds the pistol's Damage of 2 for a total damage of 3 (1 over Target Number plus 2 Damage value of the weapon).