Even during the brief off-season, there’s still news to report. Read on for the latest from the Weasels.
Season Opener Scheduled
Season 10 will tip off September 10 at the Red Lion in Lincoln Square. We’re hoping for two boards. The games will begin at 6:30 and end no later than 11.
The 10th is the ninth anniversary of our club’s founding. We played our very first game on September 10 in 2005, so there’s that to celebrate. The event also will serve as our Prime Weasel’s homecoming. Nate Cockerill has been recovering from a serious illness on his family’s farm in Ohio. He’ll be back for the season opener after missing both the Moot and the Pyle, so there’s that on top of that. Plus we’re hoping to welcome some new recruits from GenCon. More on that in a moment.
So, there’s a lot to celebrate. I hope you’ll join us.
JV Game Offers Shot at Prime Time
For the sixth straight year, we’ll field an Undercard Game at the Weasel Royale. In four of the first five years, including last year, the Undercard launched a successful Royale campaign for the board-topper. Perhaps that’s why several former Royale participants have already signed on for this year’s event. Why not join them?
This year’s Royale field is set, but you just might qualify for next year’s by grabbing one of the three open spots for the Undercard, which will be held at Dan Burgess’ home in Downers Grove on November 1. The game will begin shortly after the selection ceremony for the Royale, which is scheduled for 11 a.m.
The Best Four Days in People Watching
Kevin and I drove down to Indianapolis on Thursday to spend a couple of days at GenCon and play in the first three rounds of the Diplomacy tournament there, which is the oldest tournament in North America. GenCon bills itself as the best four days in gaming, and while the tournament was the primary draw for us, the people watching was a nice bonus. While enjoying the many sights, which included grown men playing the My Little Pony collectible card game, we saw several familiar faces.
The first was Don Glass. Sporting his trademark train hat, Don was teaching choo-choo games at Mayfair’s exhibit. We visited with him briefly but didn’t have time to play a game as we were on our way to play Dip.
Next, we met Tony Prokes. He had a full schedule for GenCon and only planned to play in the first round. As fate would have it, he joined Kevin on the fifth of five boards in that round. Throughout the tournament, world champion Thomas Haver also ran intro games for beginners. He had three to manage in that morning round.
After the round, Kevin and I grabbed dinner at Rock Bottom and then drove the seven miles to our hotel to check in. GenCon is a massive convention. It takes up every hotel downtown and many outlying properties. The con itself is even too big for the giant Indiana Convention Center. There were events at several hotels adjacent to the convention center.
After checking in, we decided to nap. We had left Chicago at 4 a.m. for the three-hour drive to Indy. (The drive took a bit longer, partly due to a scheduled stop at the Bob Evans at exit 172, and party due to an unscheduled stop with a state trooper on I-65.) At the hotel, I committed a serious rookie mistake: I forgot to set my alarm, and we ended up sleeping through the start of the second round, which began at 9 p.m.
So, we headed over to the convention center late, apologized sheepishly to Thomas for messing up his numbers, and then looked for something else to do. We ended up play-testing an RPG from 11 p.m. till 1 a.m. It was good fun.
At about 1:30 a.m., while walking through one of the halls at the convention center, we bumped into 2007 world champion and friend of the Weasels Doug Moore, who was running an RPG. That was unexpected. He was too busy to chat, but we caught up with him briefly the next morning.
Eventually we wound up at the Waffle House for a late dinner. We were in bed by 2:45 a.m., and this time, I remembered to set my alarm.
We were on time for the third round, Friday morning at 9. And wouldn’t you know it, while negotiating with a couple of players in the aisle next to our table, I glanced across the way and saw Sam Bassett playing Battlestar Galactica.
After the third round, we headed for home. Had we stuck around, we would have seen Grant Smith, who worked in a Diplomacy game Saturday night.
Kevin and I had a ton of fun at GenCon and hope to return next year. If Kevin gets his way, we’ll stay at least one more night.
The Dip was fun, as was bumping into so many old friends, but for me, the best part was meeting new Diplomacy players from all over the Chicago area. I talked up the Weasels and invited five or six guys to join us for games. I’m confident that at least a few of them will.
For more coverage from GenCon, including some good pix, check out our Twitter feed at @WindyCityWeasel.
Upcoming Games
- September 10 at the Red Lion in Lincoln Square, beginning at 6:30 until no later than 11. Have three. Hoping for two boards!
- November 1, the Undercard Game at the Weasel Royale, beginning at 11 a.m. at Dan Burgess’ home in Downers Grove. Have four.
Sign up for games here, on Meetup, or by emailing me (jimthegrey1013@yahoo.com).
Important Dates
- September 10: The Season 10 Opener at the Red Lion.
- November 1: The Weasel Royale and Undercard Game at Dan Burgess’ home in Downers Grove.
Dues
Finally, a big Weasel thank you to the 29 people who paid club dues for 2014. Their support makes so much of what we do possible: The Meetup site, the website, our annual club awards, the Royale, and the Bar Room Brawl. Thanks, Guys!
That’s all for this week.
Jim
