NICON

Don't forget about NICON folks, cheaper registration does have an end in sight so you want to get yours in now to save a couple of bucks and motivate yourself. If I can do it so can you.

Information can be found here on the Immortals website or you can download the players pack here.

Seats are filling up fast and this promises to be the best event in the north all year so you don't want to miss it. You don't have to register for the NICON event as a team so you can totally get in now and save while you work which particular awesome people you're bringing to the party.

Email for payment and registration to:
dcfisher at orcon dot net dot nz


And we'll see you there on the 4th and 5th of June.

Until next time, 

Bring the Pain to Hawkes Bay

Hi to all the followers, and fellow contributors. This will be my first post in a series following the rise of Warmachine and Hordes in the Hawkes Bay. I will start off with a little background.

I have been gaming through a number of game systems for over 25 years. I moved to Napier 3 years ago, and found 2 clubs locally. The Hawkes Bay Wargames Club based in Hastings and The Wine Country Generals based in Napier. The local game store had closed just before I moved here, and the Napier hobby shop was models and trains only. Fast fawarding to this year, the local hobby store was brought by Loiuse and renamed to Jambo Hobbies. I discussed with the options of stocking taabletop wargame figures. She decided to start with GW products and after a number of new players started emerging I approached her about stocking Warmachine and Hordes.

I showed up to the Local games club on the first Sunday of Febuary and suggested I could run a Warmachine demo for anyone interested at the following meeting. The lfgs got the first order of PP items in, at my request 2 of every starter box and some rulebooks. I headed off to the club to run what I would hope was a successful showing for PP. After alot of explaining (these are historical gamers) I ran the first game, Cygnar Vs Khador. A lot of interest was generated by the fact it was a quick in your face game (although a 15 point game did take an hour and a half). As soon as it was finished (Khador won), I had a number of members asking me to set up again.

I ran a total of 3 demo games, with the same sets. After explaining how the point systems worked, and what was avaliable in the range it was time to pack up, head off and see what the out come would be. The following week, I held another demo event, but this time instore. A member of the Napier club had purchased a Cryx box and turned out to play. Again I stepped back and answered question asked by passers-by. At the end of this demo, the store had 3 boxes out of 16 left and no rulebooks! I must have done something right.

Since the instore demo, I have been approached by the Hastings Wargames Club to run some demos for them. This will be happening next month as this coming weekend I unlease Hordes on Napier!.

So what have I learnt to date? Don't be scared to show gamers something new. There's a real buzz from promoting something you believe in, and if your having fun everyone else will as well.

So where do I plan to go from here? I will be running demo games on the third sunday of every month at my lfgs, I will be starting an escalation league based at the Napier club starting with 15 point forces and working up to 35 points. This will culmanate in a 35 point steamroller tournement near the end of the year with prize support.

If you feel there is a place in your area for Warmachine or Hordes, run a demo at your local club. You may be suprised who becomes involved. I will try and keep everyone up-to-date with how I progress in the Bay, so stay tuned. And if you have a press ganger in your area, dont be affraid to ask questions, thats what we are there for.

Monty

Natcon 2011!

It's that time of year again folks, for one of the biggest dates on the NZ wargamers calendar: Natcon!

Natcon is in Christchurch this year and takes place over the easter long weekend from April 22nd - 24th. The Warmachine will be a massive 12 rounds of 50pt, 3 list brutality, Check out the players pack here. Entries must be in by April 9th, so don't delay or you could miss out!

Shattered Grounds - Wellington

By way of a test, and an inaugural post, I thought I'd put up a quick post of thoughts and results after the First month of Privateer's Shattered Grounds league - Windless Wastes.

Well, this is how the world wide campaign map finished up:

The Boys in Blue taking the lions share of the territories (somehow!) with most other factions managing to nab a region on the map.

In Wellington we managed to get two campaign afternoons in the month - one at The Hutt Miniature Wargames club at the start and a final one - which became a bit of a fund raiser for the Christchurch Earth Quake appeal - at the Wellington warlords. The finale was very well attended - good cause and all :) - with 10 gamers in an afternoon of freeplay to get as amny league points as possible.

At the end of the afternoon, the top two placings were separated by only 2 points!

The big difference between the top and the bottom was, obviously, the number of games played. With work, family and house moves a large number of the players found it difficult to get to the "league venues", so we've decided on a bit of a change in format for the next month:

Games can be played at any venue

· Maximum 4 games a week will be counted (let me know who you’ve played, points values, factions etc.)

· play the same opponent no more than once a week

· you must use the same faction throughout the month (doesn’t have to be the same faction as the previous month if you played in it)

· I will update league record books on Tuesday lunchtimes at Wargames Supply, my place on Wednesday evenings (league games can be played here too) and at league events at either of the wargames clubs

The hope is that this will encourage more players to join in - we've already got an extra 2 over last month - and even the playing field for those who find getting "leave passes" that little bit onerous on occasion!

Happy WarmaHorde-ing!

PG-Pelarel