As you may or may not know, we have been using Warhorn.net to handle our game schedule. If you haven’t seen it yet, the (nearly finished) schedule is here: http://warhorn.net/quincon27/schedule/day.php

Brand new to Quincon this year is a separate collectable card game track! You can play CCG’s all day long if you want or just sneak in a few games in between regularly scheduled events. CCG players will be able to play all day for only $5 admission.

Yeti Gaming (from St. Louis) is coming up to run all these events from Friday night until Sunday. Here is their schedule:

[YuGiOh Duel Terminal will be onsite All weekend!]

FRIDAY

7:00pm  Friday Night Magic
Format: Draft
Cost: $12.00, 3 packs to Draft
Prizes:  Booster Packs- Prizes based on Attendance

9:00pm  Yugioh Runners
Format:  Runners are 3 Round, 6-8 person tournaments
Cost: $5.00 to enter
Prizes: A booster pack of your choice after each win. If you go 0-3,
you still receive a pack!

SATURDAY

11:00am Yugioh Tournament
Format: Constructed
Cost: $5.00, Pack for Entering
Prizes:  Booster Packs- Prizes based on Attendance

12:00pm  Magic Runner
Format:  Unlimited, Constructed – Runners are 3 Round, 6-8 person tournaments
Cost: $5.00 to enter
Prizes: A booster pack of your choice after each win. If you go 0-3,
you still receive a pack!

1:00pm  Pokemon Draft
Format: Draft, Pass Draft. 3 Rounds
Cost: $20.00, 5 Packs to Draft-Dark Explorers
Prizes: 1 Pack in Prize pool per player

2:00pm  Magic Runner
Format:  Unlimited,Constructed – Runners are 3 Round, 6-8 person tournaments
Cost: $5.00 to enter
Prizes: A booster pack of your choice after each win. If you go 0-3,
you still receive a pack!

4:00pm YuGiOh Runner
Format:  Constructed – Runners are 3 Round, 6-8 person tournaments
Cost: $5.00 to enter
Prizes: A booster pack of your choice after each win. If you go 0-3,
you still receive a pack

5:00pm WoW tcg – Learn to Play, Tournament
Format: Learn to Play, then a 3 Round tournament to follow (Tournament
to start ~5:30)
Cost: $10.00- Cost of Class Starter Deck OR $5.00 to enter if you have a deck
Prizes: Booster Packs- Prizes based on Attendance

7:00pm CardFight!! Vanguard- Learn to Play, tournament
Format:  Learn to play, followed by 3 Round tournament (Tournament to
start ~7:30)
Cost: $17.00 for the cost of a Starter deck OR $5.00 to enter if you have a deck
Prizes: Booster Packs- Prizes based on Attendanc

7:30pm Magic Tournament
Format: Constructed Unlimited
Cost: $5.00, Pack for Entering
Prizes:  Booster Packs- Prizes based on Attendance

SUNDAY
11:30am  YuGiOh Tournament
Format: Constructed
Cost: $5.00, Pack for Entering
Prizes:  Booster Packs- Prizes based on Attendance

1:00pm  Magic Tournament
Format: Constructed
Cost: $5.00, Pack for Entering
Prizes:  Booster Packs- Prizes based on Attendance

3:00pm  Cardfight!! Vanguard Tournament
Format: Constructed
Cost: $5.00, Pack for Entering
Prizes:  Booster Packs- Prizes based on Attendance

Another one of the Guild’s favorite boardgames is Formula D. It was first published in 1991 as Formula De. I’ve played both and they are great.

Formula D is a formula-style racing game; each player has a car and the winner is the first one around the track. Each person has a miniature car on the track and a dashboard to keep track of control data. The basic gist of it it is the movement mechanic. You move according to the gear that your car is in. Each of the six gears uses a different die. The lowest gear has a 4 sided die, second gear has a 6 sided die, and so on. Each die does not just have each side numbered, they have a range of numbers on it. For example, the fourth gear die is a d12. However, it is only numbered from 7 to 12 (each number twice). So for much of the game you have to decide which gear to be in.

Why not just get into 6th gear and stay there? Just like in real racing, you have to slow down for corners. And some of these tracks have lots of corners! To avoid damaging your car, you must stop in each curve, sometimes more than once. So the main skill you need to play this is to count the spaces that you need to go, and choose the appropriate gear.

You can go up or down one gear per turn. Any more than that and you damage your car. If you miss a turn, you damage your car, If you impact another driver, you damage your car. If you slam on the brakes, you damage your car. Each car has a few damage points that you can take, any more than that and you are out. If you play with a pit stop, you can repair some damage.

In the basic game, damage points are generic and you get a large pool. In the advance game, your damage points are specific: brakes, tires, transmission, engine. The total loss of any of which will kill your car.

This game is popular with us because it is visually interesting, easy to pick up, plays in a reasonable time, and can take up to 10 players. There are also dozens of tracks that you can buy. Highly recommended. On Boardgamegeek Here. Here is the publisher: Asmodee.

Formula D is being run twice at Quincon. Give it a try!

This game is a Guild favorite and judging by the sheer number of versions of the game, it must be very popular with gamers in general.

A&A was published in 1981 as part of Milton Bradley’s Gamemaster series. The other games were “Broadsides and Boarding Parties”, “Conquest of the Empire”, “Fortress America”, and “Shogun”. These games were popular as light wargames with cool plastic miniatures and great maps. Fortress America was just reprinted. Shogun was reprinted as “Ikusa”. Both of these games are available at Down the Playce at the mall.

Axis and Allies was the most popular of the five; maybe due to the World War 2 theme. Look at the incredible number of versions that have been released since the original:

Axis and Allies Revised edition

Axis and Allies Anniversary edition

Axis and Allies: Spring 1942

Axis and Allies: Europe

Axis and Allies: Pacific

Axis and Allies: D-Day

Axis and Allies: Battle of the Bulge

Axis and Allies: Guadalcanal

Axis and Allies: Miniatures

Axis and Allies: Naval Miniatures

Axis and Allies: Pacific 1940

Axis and Allies: Europe 1940

If that weren’t enough they have more in the works: Axis and Allies: 1941

Also, my favorite version (Spring 1942) is being updated with a 2nd edition: Here

Here is the (massive) entry on Boardgamegeek: Axis and Allies

If you like the idea of playing wargames, but don’t really have the time or energy to learn them (and know anyone else who will play as well), you should really try this game out. There are several places to play online if you can’t find an opponent.

There have been a lot of superhero-themed RPG’s over the years. Just last night we were talking about Villains and Vigilantes, which was one of the first. I used to play a lot of Champions, as has been discussed earlier. But at Quincon this year, we are offering several sessions of what may be the most popular current superhero RPG; ‘Mutants and Masterminds’ published by Green Ronin. .

M&M is actually a d20-based RPG, which may explain it’s popularity. Although it is based on the Open Game License, it is very different than Dungeons and Dragons. There are no classes, different skills and feats, and no hit points. Like Champions, you can make just about any hero that you can imagine with a near-unlimited list of powers which can be customized to fit your vision.

Here is where the game lives on the internet: Mutants and Masterminds

Here is a good video review from someone who really likes the game:

Rubout is one of the most popular games that runs at Quincon. No other boardgame will fill up as quickly as this one. If you saw the game itself, you would never believe it.

Rubout was published in 1989 by the Australia Design Group (ADG). It includes a paper map and cardboard chits, just like a wargame. But the theme is different. In Rubout, you play a famous 1930s gangster. The goal is to make money and avoid being “ventilated” by the other players. First player to $250,000 is the winner.

There is very little information about it on Boardgamegeek: Rubout

There is also very little information about it from the publisher: Rubout

The owner of the game, Steve, has taken this game and really made it shine by replacing the components. He printed the map on four big poster boards which makes it a very visual game and easier for lots of people to play. He replaced the cardboard chits with metal cars and miniatures. And he plays it with an enthusiasm that is infectious.

I encourage you to try to get into play Rubout.

Arguably the most popular game being run at Quincon this year is the Pathfinder RPG. It started off as an evolution of Dungeons and Dragons edition 3.5, but has maybe become more popular than 3rd edition D&D ever was. In addition to a RPG line, they have an expansive line of adventures, fiction, miniatures, setting material, and an organized play system. Quincon has many of these organized play modules on the schedule if you are interested in trying it.

To me, the  most interesting thing about Pathfinder is the history of the game. When Dungeons and Dragons 4th edition came out, lots of people who enjoyed the 3rd edition were quite put out. The publisher of Pathfinder, Paizo, decided to stick with the 3rd edition basics and make their own game with a few tweaks. Thus Pathfinder was born. It was in open playtest for over a year, where they gave away free copies of the beta version and took in all the comments and fine tuned the game. This had the side effect of flooding the market with Pathfinder interested roleplayers.

The end result is a very well run, very well supported roleplaying game with a pre-existing fan base. It has really taken off, and I have heard rumors that it is more popular that the 4th edition of Dungeons and Dragons.

Come to Quincon for all the Pathfinder RPG you would ever want!

p.s. Not to be outdone, a 5th edition of Dungeons and Dragons is on the horizon. Hopefully someone will run a game of that with their free beta rules.

Here is the link to the publishers website: Pathfinder

Another out-of-print game that you might not get a chance to play (except at Quincon) is Crimson Skies. It is a dogfighting game set in an imaginary 1930′s. The miniatures are excellent and the gameplay is not complicated.

Every player has a manuever sheet which has several things that you can do. Everyone chooses secretly and then reveals their decision at the same time. All the planes are moved and then you check to see if anyone has an enemy plane in their line of fire.

Each plane has unique characteristics; like manuevers, armament, speed, and pilot skill. As your plane takes hits, you may lose abilities or you may get blown out of the sky. Lots of fun!

Here’s a link to the fictional universe on wikipedia: Crimson Skies

Here is a link to the miniatures game on Boardgamegeek: Crimson Skies

I recommend that you sign up for this one fast. It is a perennial Quincon favorite!

Temple of the Beastmen is a Quincon favorite, but it has been out-of-print for a while, so I think it would be a good idea to introduce it. It was designed by Frank Chadwick and Lester Smith (a Quincon guest two years ago) in 1989 for GDW.

It is set in Chadwick’s Space 1889 universe which is an early steampunk setting. Each player controls a unique character through a randomly determined temple to rescue slaves and steal some loot. The random tiles can be rooms teeming with beastmen, hidden passages, traps, stairs, etc… So in a way it is like a light SciFi version of a dungeon crawl.

This is a very cool game and fairly expensive, so you should do yourself a favor and play at Quincon next month.

Here is the game page on BoardgameGeek: Temple of the Beastmen