I observed a demo of Away Team, a classic Star Trek inspired game of 15mm space exploration and combat by Astro Miniatures. Their miniatures looked great and the game was easy to learn. I really liked the alien planet terrain they used. Some looked right out of the ST:TOS show! I then headed over to Theresa Hafer's vendor table to pick up a copy of 2 Hour Board Games Larger Than Life pulp themed rules but alas, she was sold out. Drat! The Larger Than Life rules do a great job of mimicking a silver screen movie pulp adventure. It sets up a very story driven narrative that plays out as a table miniature game, though it feels more RPG to me. Which, I think, is the point.
The Heavy Gear Blitz Tournament was small and consisted of some familiar faces, but everyone had a good time and it further raised the awareness of the game and piqued interest in more than a few people. Special thanks to Dan and Jill (BCullen and Fufu Bunbun off the DP9 forums) for running the tournament and demoing Heavy Gear Blitz in the dealer room all weekend long. They did an outstanding job of representing the DP9 community and showcasing just how awesome HGB is. While I did not play in the tournament, Year of the Gear is in full swing, and I credit Jason Rush for getting the ball rolling and for getting other people into this great game. I also have to give a shout out to Henry Shenk for demonstrating, yet again, how true sportsman and team player should act. Once the dust settled, Addison Mosley won overall, though I hear it was a hard fought win, down to the wire. Good times!Jeremy Henson ran a small Warhammer 40,000 tournament and we took advantage of the time between rounds to play a game of Incursion. This was a momentous occasion, as it was the first time he and I actually played a game together. Sadly, we didn't get to finish due some issue with the tournament, but we enjoyed the game. As the Allied player, even though he was down two APEs, he still had more than enough firepower to fend off the Sturmzombie horde and win the game (at least, that is what I saw as the outcome)!
I then took some time to watch Ken Hafer run his Colonials war game and realized, as if it were my first time doing so, just how good Ken is at running his games and immersing his players into whatever world he is operating in. His tables and miniatures are always well painted and top notch, and everyone seems to really have a great time at his table. Ken truly is inspiring to me and a fantastic guy. If you ever get the chance, sit in on one of his games!I then peeked in on Richard Allen and Company and saw them playing some Battlestar Galactica miniature game and thought "man, are those guys in their element"!
After a final sweep of the Dealer Room, hunger and my lack of sleep finally caught up with me. Abandoned by my friends for some movie called "Promiscuous", I decided to head home for the day. I will buzz by tomorrow, but Sundays at Bayou Wars is a time for winding things down. However, some folks continue to game even as the hotel staff is cleaning up and moving furniture around them.
Many thanks to all of the good folks responsible for putting on this great convention. To the many Game Masters, organizations, and volunteers who donate their time and may go unnoticed or unseen, you have my deepest thanks and appreciation.
So another great weekend of gaming was had. I am suitably tired and taxed from the experience, but I am already looking forward to doing it all over again next year.
Strength and honor,
-Wicked
Thanks for those nice comments, Scott!
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