Hi Everyone,
Well, yesterday was the big MWS meeting and what a meeting it was!
The first big hubabub were the elections for club officers, which are thankfully done.Don stepped down and the two Presidential candidates were Brian Fitz and Dick Mitchell. Thanks for your service, Don. Both of the candidates made speeches. Brian talked about wanting to reform the club and had some sort of secret plans to achieve some sort of unspoken goals... which he wouldn't elucidate further on with the voters. I don't know what his plans were, but they sounded like "black ops" to me so I didn't vote for him. Dick ran on a platform of "Just play games" without any secret reformation plans and...
Dick won and is the new President of the MWS club. Mazel Tov, Dick!
Rob Kent stepped down as secretary. Thanks to him for his service. Roger Mark and Joe Bianchi ran for secretary and both had very similar positive speeches about wanting to help out a club that they both have enjoyed for a long time. I'm very proud to have nominated Roger Mark as he's one of the finest men I've ever been honored to know. Roger is a former 82nd airbourne paratrooper and a fine miniatures painter to boot. Some of his artistry has appeared in several gaming magazines. In what may have been the most civil vote ever, the candidates voted for each other. However, in the end of ends, Joe pulled out victory and will become the club's new secretary.
Joe won and is the new secretary of the club. Mazel Tov, Joe!
The last position was treasurer of which the incumbent, Grace, seemed very interested in running again. However, the club bylaws prohibit anyone running for a position for more than two years in a row so that the only way she could have run would have been if there had been no challenger. Thanks to Grace for her fine service as treasurer. I like Grace for all her strengths, but I was ready for new blood so I nominated Mike O'Brien for the position, which he very generously accepted.
And as a result, Mike O'Brien will be the club's new treasurer. Mazel Tov, Mike!
I also want to point out that for all the clubs strengths and weaknesses, the voting was honest and at least one member, Brian Fitz, only came to vote and didn't play any games at all. That's a pretty active voting populance! Brian is running a huge WWII Pelilau game at ConQuest Sac and may every fortune be with him!
More information about ConQuest Sac and Brian Fitz's Pelilau game can be found here:
http://www.conquestsac.com/And now on to the good part of the meeting: THE GAMES!
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First of all, more information about the club including photos of some the games played this past meeting can be found here at this URL:
http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/M_W_S/======
Spartacus & the Gladiators!Joe Bianchi and Keith ran a Spartacus and the Gladiators Revolt game, which seemed like alot of fun. The Romans appeared to have won. As far as I know, Joe used a ruleset of his own design. It might have been a Stargrunt II derivative as he likes that rules set.
The following folks played:
- Joe
- Keith
- Brad
- Several others who I don't remember...
The above photo (taken by Mike Warde) features some Romans preparing to quash a gladiatorial uprising. Joe does amazing things with a few metal miniatures and scenery pieces.
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Blitzkrieg CommanderMeanwhile, across the room, Mike tried out a new set of rules that he was interested in and ran an Eastern Front tank brawl.
http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/15827The following folks were involved:
- Mike O'Brien (referee)
- Keith (Played the Germans and won)
- Dan (Played the Russians and lost)
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Command & Colors: AncientsRoger and Grace played two games of C&C:A and as far as I know, each won a single game. I don't know which scenario/s they played.
http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/14105
The above photo (taken by Mike Warde) shows Roger Mark, deep in thought, trying to come up with a way to keep his wife, Grace, from quashing his puny Roman forces. I've observed Grace's uncommonly good skill at playing C&C:A and can sympathize with him. She's a very capable lady and a tough opponent.
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The Battle of The AlmaKeith also brought an old GDW classic board game, which he and one other person played and had a good time. I can't remember who else played.
http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/6940======
HOTT Campaign!The highlight of the meeting was the triumphant launching a the HOTT campaign, of which no fewer than ten people arrived and played! We eventually acquired an eleventh player when Tony showed up late.
http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/5369The following people played that I remember:
- 1. Joe Biddle, playing the Undead Hordes! (Northeastern)
- 2. Mark Carper, playing the One-Pip Ork Klan! (Southern)
- 3. Charles Gomez, playing the Knights of Goodie Two-Shoes! (Southwestern)
- 4. Anthony Gomez, Playing The Mystery Marauders! (Central Eastern)
- 5. Kurt Lambert, Playing the Really Evil Fantasy Egyptians! (Northeastern)
- 6. Stephen (stepson) of the Lambert Clan, playing The Reptilian Destroyers! (Central Northern)
- 7. Tony Mark, playing Guido's Clerical Protection Racket! (Central Eastern)
- 8. Dick Mitchell, playing the Wolfwere Clan! (Southeastern)
- 9. Maksim-Smelchak, playing th High Elves of Smelchak! (Southwestern)
- 10. Mike Warde, playing the Brown Ore Dwarves! (Central Western)
- 11. Connor Warde, Playing the Golden Dwarves! (Southwestern)
I'm not sure how many of the names I got right, but I had fun with the ones I couldn't remember. I am always happy to see fathers and sons out together as well. We had three father and son pairs at the HOTT campaign. And Tony brought his grandson, who didn't play in the HOTT campaign, but still had a good time... chomping on the doughnuts that were generously provided by Joe Biddle for the benefit of all.
The above photo (taken by Mike Warde) shows Dick Mitchell's Wolfwere HOTT army facing off against Tony's Clerical HOTT army. Tony pulled off victory, but Dick's skill made it a costly one.
And what a layout, Kurt had ready, a huge map for us to fill, action cards, random terrain cards for each empty spot on the map and plenty of opponents.
I fought in two battles, both against Connor's Dwarves who decided to land his two 12 AP boats right next to mine. Our first battle was fought in one of my wonderful desert locations and my hordes helped my to outmaneauver Connor's tough Spear and Blade Dwarven army, which spelled its doom in short order.
My second battle was pursuing the remnants of Connor's army and driving it into the ground. I felt bad about destroying Connor's army, but such are the spoils of war and I only barely pulled off victory. Connor is a tough general and I fear him... not bad for a kid who's only barely into a double-digit age range!
Oh, that and he's very generous with his beef jerky! All hail, Connor the Great!
I later shared my Hot Tamales candy with him.
There were quite a few other battles of which I recall a few:
- Tony Mark vs. Dick Mitchell of which Tony carried the day.
- Kurt vs. his stepson, Stephen of which Kurt carried the day.
- Mark Carper vs. Connor Warde of which Mark carried the day.
- Some other battles that I forgot because I was too busy playing my own.
I also want to give Connor and Mark Carper accolades for being such a good sports as they both took beatings on the HOTT battlefields as far as I could tell at the time. Mark seemed to be winning some battles but Charle's Gomez's forces kept taking the Orky conquests, leaving Mark with very little in the way of territory. Both Connor and Mark are some of the best, most good-natured gamers I know.
The Southern area of the "New World" was far more crowded than the Northern end, which meant that players in the South have already been bloodied far more than the Northerners. Two armies are already perilously attritted, the One-Pip Ork Clan of Mark Carper and the Golden Dwarves of Connor Warde.
Quite a few players expanded without battle, conquering virgin territory left and right. I wasn't so lucky. My forces were in tight contact with Connor so I had to fight my way through enemies to acquire fresh land. Connor had originally offered me a treaty, but I didn't want to leave my few territories intermingled with his as I know for a fact, that dwarves are ornery and none too loyal to those without beards.
It was a very fun game and I can't wait to see where else the campaign will lead the next time we play it.
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Shalom,
Maksim-Smelchak.
Labels: 28mm, Blitzkrieg Commander, ConQuest Sac, Dick, HOTT, Joe Bianchi, Kurt, MWS, Roger, Tony
Keith and Mike O. socializing before a game of Iliad.
In this shot, the ever generous Joe Riddle explains the game of HOTT to Austin and Paul.
Happy Father's Day again!
