Ah! It is June, so it must be UK Games Expo. 3 days of gaming fun with a slant on board games and RPG's rather than full on table top miniatures gaming. I arrived at the Strathallen hotel on the Friday 3rd at about 1230, and had a liquid lunch, played some solo Death Angel, then booked in to my room, and sorted out my convention tickets. I then had some games with players in the games library room. After dinner, and more drinks, Maurice and Niel, my partners in crime arrived, and after a few drinks (this is getting to be a theme, I hear you say!) we tried some of the games in the Games library.Firstly Zombie Close. The blurb in the con magazine made the game sound interesting, however, after we had played for 10 minutes, we were not too impressed with it. A little simplistic, and the rules were not very good at conveying thier meaning from the one page rules card. If it wasn't for one of the developers friends noticing our deliberations and interjecting we probably would have been in ignorance now! So obviously not good as you will not have the game designer on hand to tell you what he meant . talking of game designers, we started talking to a couple of chaps who had a plain looking white box, in which wa thier board game Milton Keynes.
This was a fun game, if not very PC! you can build Chav estates, and pikey camps in an attempt to be the top developer in the new city, bidding on plots and bribing polaticians to get your new buildings in to the Buckinghamshire skyline. Check out the website, or look it up on boardgame geek http://alnstar.com/miltonkeynes/
The Saturday started the Con proper, and it was a glorious sunny morning, as well breakfasted we awaited the doors to open.
Once inside I wandered around the many traders, and picked up my first purchase, Sid Miers Civilisation, the Board Game. There were plenty of the usual mix of miniatures and boardgames/rpg games, as I said with the emphasis on the Board RPG side, so there are more people in costume than maybe at a Wargame show.
From Steam punk to the Doctor, Starwars to Danes it certainly is an eclectic mix.
after looking round the show, we sat in on a seminar by the UK Games Media Network. Basically a group of Podcasters and bloggers.After a Subway lunch the afternoon saw more shopping, and drinking, with my second game purchase, Tinners Trail...and you thought tin mining was boring...no!
then some Malifaux purchases from Simple Miniature Games, the Dreamer box set, and a couple of Teddy's..well you just have to!
Battle of Towton game in 28mm on a massive teddybear fur winter scene, great!
Starship combat, lovely painted minis here.
Closer view of one of the models.
In the afternoon maurice and I played some Magic the gathering, and later we all retired to the gaming room in the Strathallen for a try out of my new Tinners Trail game, with a fellow gamer who dropped in to our table to play, nice to meet you sean! This is part of the ambience of the show that I like, the easy way gamers who don't know each other can just get together to play a game.
The main board game room in the Strathallen
Maurice plotting his next move on Tinners Trail
Next to Akbars for a curry, and no the good admiral was not there...."its a trap!"
Maurice has made a new friend...a giant naan!
Back to the Strathallen for a game of Descent Journies in the dark, which took us to past midnight.
Next morning, another lovely full English Breakfast, and over to the Clarendon Suites for the last day of the con.
More games being played in the Clarendon Suites. I purchased a supliment for Descent,Well of Darkness from Games Lore. Then we decided to go upstairs to the malifaux free play area with my crews for a game. maurice decided to play with my Gremlons, Hog Whisperer, Ophelia, Raphael, and four hogs, whilst I opted for the Cult of December crew.
Maurice moves on to the great looking malifaux terrain.
Rasputina , Ice Golem, and Ice Gamin
Raphael takes cover!
After our game, this inspired me to make the last purchases of the day, a few more Malifaux bits. Then a cup of coffee a last wonder round, and we finally left the con. A great great weekend, can't wait till next year!
Sounds like a bloody good time was had by all, good stuff.
ReplyDeleteNice read Dave, and a good insight into the event, its one i have yet to attend.
ReplyDeleteAs a matter of interest the red NSD Dalek is owned by mate Richard from Chesterfield who would have been parading round dressed as either the 10th Doctor or in his Doctor Who space suit, or knowing Richard both.