Post GenCon: I'm human again...

I had all kinds of plans of writing about my time a GenCon 2013 when I got home last week.  Then I promptly came down with my 4th respiratory infection this year (YAY!).  So this is a little later then I wanted.  First off GenCon was amazing this year.  Last year was my first time, and I didn't realize until this year how much I didn't do last year.  I imagine there are tons of things I didn't do this year as well.

I dedicated this year to playing/demoing games that were either new or at least new to me.  This started out with a demo game of Malifaux 2.0.  I had read the quick start rules for mad last edition, so I had a basic understanding of the game.  What I discovered was that the changes made to the game have made it very accessible if you've never played.  The man who ran my demo was very enthusiastic, and after my opponent had to leave, we had a very good c who raonversation about the changes from 1 to 2, and where the issues might still lie going forward.  There were two things that came out of this demo.  I'm really excited to actually play this game, the models are awesome (especially the new plastics) and the mechanics are refreshingly unique.  The second thing that will stick with me, my demo instructor quite clearly said he prefers 1st edition, but also that he admitted he would love second if he hadn't played first.  I'm going to write a fuller coverage of this conversation soon, but suffice it to say his issues had a lot more to do with what wasn't changed then what was.

2CE did a small blurb on Gale Force Nine's Firefly Game, and I made it a mission to play it.  Yes it's a board game, and not a miniture war game, but it's Firefly 'Gorram it!'.  My impression, I wish they hadn't sold out of the the first 500 in 'about an horur' nor the second shipment in 'about 5 minutes'.  Both of those quotes from the guy who ran my demo.

Dark Age.  I have a few things to say here.  The first is a direct complaint to the airlines that lost all of my tournament cards and paperwork.  I had intended to play in the March to Immortality Tournament and couldn't because I didn't have my tournament materials.  I packed them, but when I got to the hotel they were lost, and I wasn't able to find a way to reprint them.  Ah well, next year I'll make sure to UPS everything to the hotel ahead of time, and bring backups in my carry on. That should be enough redundancy I think.  The book trade in could not have been easier.  In fact my entire time in the Cool Mini or Not booth was one of the smoothest in my time at GenCon. The new book is top notch quality, and thank all that is holy, they seem to have done a better job with proof reading and editing.  I've found a few small things like COORINATED instead or COORDINATED but nothing compared to the last edition.  There was a big deal made about the back cover of the new rule book saying 'nine factions', well it seems this was a misprint in the image, as the actual book says 'eight factions'.  One other small thing, they made the claim that every faction got 2 new units in Conflagration, but I see only one for Core.  Maybe I'm missing something.

Dropzone Commander.  WOW!  Really it's all I can say in this short blurb.  WOW!   I was stunned by there models, there booth staff, and there new stuff.  Expect a full article about this, including an interview.

Last thing, my friend and part time contributor here, Odinfellhammer came out with me, and he plays a good bit of Warmachine.  Though he only really started playing within the last year, he went out there and did manage to win a game against some of the best players in North America. For someone relatively newer to the game, I think that deserves some mention.  I also learned that there are some things I might like about that game, despite my initial dislike for the players in my area.  Maybe I'll eventually give it a look.  Until next time, when I talk more in depth about the changes to Dark Age, my conversation about Malifaux 2.0, oh and my conversation with Dropzone Commander creator Dave and an interview...

Belgarath97