A blog about tabletop hobby and or strategy games, with a side order of electronic turn based goodness here and there. Now with tons of retro gaming content both electronic and tabletop. Also with 20% more self loathing douchebaggery!

Monday, November 18, 2013

Ellis Con 2013: A Quick Report

Saturday in one of the middle weeks of November as it usually is there is a small one day gaming convention in Ellis Tech up in Northeastern Connecticut.

ELLIS CON.

Put on by the school's Simulation Club to fund some activities for it, this convention has been occuring for a good 25+ or so years now.  This is only the second time I have gone, thanks to my work and sleep schedule.

(This year I was also gonna be hanging out with a friend from IRC who was even gonna hook me up with extra old computer gear and I was going to cover entrance fee.  Plus possibly booze afterwards.)

As the convention closes at 9pm and its about 45 minutes from where I work and I had a late start that night I could go provided I was willing to forego 3 odd hours of sleep.

Well.. I have money so.. let's rock!

(As always click pictures for larger if you wish.)
Approaching the school I wondered if I had the right place.  The last time I was here it was.. kind of a run down looking "Votech" school like the one I went to in Norwich CT.  Now it looks more like something Umbrella Incorporated would be creating new bioweapons out of!

Nope.  I am at the right place.  Last time the con was in their Aircraft classroom/hangar thingie.  I wonder where it is this year?

A REALLY great looking gymnasium!  The tables looked super new and ultra classy.  There was even a nice floor covering, probably to keep the basketball court from getting scuffed up.

With the 10 dollar entrance fee you got a nice little event booklet with the various scheduled games and a quite amusing cover.  (Entering there is also a little concession stand that seemed to be doing quite a brisk business.)

A setup for an event happening about the time I showed up.  I think.

A game of Dust Tactics going on.  The first time I have ever seen this game actually being played. Looks cool.

A game of the sadly out of print Heroscape going on.  The last time I was able to attend it I got to play this.  

A ticket for one of the door prizes.  I didn't win but someone with a number 3 digits less did.  Talk about being CLOSE.  It might have been me if my friend actually had showed up instead of me calling them a couple times before leaving.  

Some of the items up to be previewed for the auction!  Money for both the seller and the club.  My eyes were on the central object of this picture.

A different view of the gym.  I didn't get a shot of the two vendors who by this point seemed to be closing up shop.

And it got dark while I got in a game of Ogre !  My copy is still being organized but thankfully someone else has gotten his all ready to go.  (Good work Seth!)  I had brought my miniatures with me so our forces got to be all metal.  If colored opposite to "canon" colors.  

A train was coming in.  We had to stop it.  I had command of the armor and infantry.  

Following basic orders from Seth commanding the Fencer I sent my GEVs on an intercept course for the train and did my best to both cover said Cybertank and get some damage on the Combine's.  

The train is coming in!  My GEVs skim through the city for cover, Combine GEVs on my tail.

Savage fighting by the other city.

The Combine GEVs try to guard the train but one of them gets blasted!  A heroic Paneuropean GEV driver decides to ram the train.  The mission is ALL.  HE (or she) SUCCEEDS.  The engine is scragged and the entire train is destroyed given how fast it was going.  MISSION SUCCESS.  But we are outgunned.  

The heavily damaged Combine Ogre Mk3 does a heavy amount of damage to my conventional forces, while the Fencer is hammered.

The Fencer having lost all of it's weapons goes to escape to the south via the road while my remaining forces try to keep themselves from completely collapsing to the superior numbers.

My surviving infantry squads get into the city as does a single Missile Carrier.  Can we hold on and keep the city?

One Combine squad is eliminated before they could enter the city, and my missiles do more damage to the Ogre.

One squad sadly gets into the city and eliminates the carrier.  Given the benefits to infantry in cities the battle could go on for quite some time.  We call it there as the auction is about to begin!

To make the auction more efficient you register your name and get a lettered paddle.  Some folks gamed while taking part.

We even got this neat little promo card for an upcoming card game.

And the card back.  

My winnings!  A sealed 100 dollar game for 35! Ablaze! sealed for 5!  Platoon for 4!  Sadly Platoon was missing it's scenario book.  Guess its off to the internet for that.  Must be Charlie Sheen's TIGER BLOOD.

Ablaze! looks like a fun little portable board game in the Eurogame tradition.

Platoon is an Avalon Hill hex and chit game.  A lighter set of rules ala the Gettysburg Anniversary Edition I have.  A quite nice map board in there too.

And Horus Heresy!  I was VERY happy to get this!  Someone noted my enthusiasm and offered me his sealed 1st edition Space Hulk for 150 since he didn't think to put it up at the auction.  I.. declined.  I have 2nd and 3rd edition Space Hulk for one, don't have that kind of spare cash for second, and probably wouldn't pay 150 for it regardless for third.  Even if I do love the original derpy looking plastic Space Marine Terminators...

As it is getting late and I want to run an errand before going to get ready to work like a responsible adult I check out, skipping on playing a horse racing game and the infamously funny Cards Against Humanity.

I had a pretty good time!  I only wished I could have been capable of getting there earlier to play more games.

If you live in the region I do recommend Ellis Con.  If you don't?  Find out if there are any similar smaller conventions in your region.  This one benefits the school's club.  There may be a local one doing something similar for either a school or just to help a general charity.






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Southeastern CT, United States
I like to play nerd games! I am a nerd! Join our nerd ways at https://www.facebook.com/groups/112040385527428/