Operation Getting To Know You

At Hotlead we've always thought of ourselves as the friendly convention. I gladly make the effort to help people connect after each show. So last Hotlead, a fellow approached me. He's moving to Stratford when he retires after working in the US for 30-plus years. He's coming up to visit family in June and could we get together? He'd like to meet some of the local gaming scene since he'll have to rebuild a hobby life when he moves.

We email back and forth, compare calendars, and settle on Sunday afternoon to get together for a little bit of dice rolling and meeting some of the guys. I send out an invite and gather some of the gang. Don't want it too big, but not too small either. A happy throng would be welcoming. Fortunately Sunday was cold and rainy anyway, so a good day to spend the afternoon inside wargaming.

Two brand new heros in combat? Oh dear, this will be interesting.

Then I'm overthinking; what to put on? Snorkers? Midgard? Something else? There's a time limit so it can't be too involved. Fantasy or historical? How does Ed feel about fantasy? Of course I didn't know if two of the guys were available until the day before which affected the chosen game as well.

I eventually settled on Midgard and sorted out my 3rd century Romans. Over lunch I learn that Ed is a big Roman history nerd. (Yay!) I also learn that he's a big Tolkien fan and has all the expansion sets for the War of the Ring boardgame that I've played a couple of times with the Mad Padre. (More Yay!)

So we had a furiously bloody and swift game. I helped Ed, and our Gothic feoderati overthrew the cavalry of Cohortes IX Britannarium. Who really have never done very well. I must think about how they are used and maybe buff up their leadership.

Big Pat on our other flank was meanwhile hammering the opposing infantry. My Gothic foot warriors had a big opening in front of us and wheeled to start taking the Roman infantry in the flank.

Big hole where the Roman cavalry used to be

Duplicitous leading his cohorts to crash into the enemy line.

Duplicitous won 6-0 this, my eighteenth game of the year, so his march on Rome continues.

Big fun was had. Dice were rolled. Some beers were drunk. Chins were wagged. Freindships were begun. 

Yay! New friends!