Huzzah is the Maine Historical War gamer Association’s annual spring convention. This event though focused primarily on miniature wargames of all types, has over the last few years attempted to expand the venue to include board games as well.
I must say they are doing a pretty good job of it.
I spent the weekend of the 15th through 17th at this convention in South Portland Maine , and had a grand time of it. I met some very nice people, played a bunch of different games and even put on a game of Wizard’s Quest on Saturday night for some younger folks.
I have been struggling to write up a good recap for this convention, this is due to a couple of factors. First, I am out of practice and my poor mind needs to get back into writing mode, and Second, whenever I think about my personal time at Huzzah I get a bit overwhelmed. There were so many positive experiences that I wanted to fit them all into one article. Alas I know that won’t work, so I’ll just highlight some of my best moments at this great little gaming convention and break it up into pieces for easier reading.
I must say they are doing a pretty good job of it.
I spent the weekend of the 15th through 17th at this convention in South Portland Maine , and had a grand time of it. I met some very nice people, played a bunch of different games and even put on a game of Wizard’s Quest on Saturday night for some younger folks.
I have been struggling to write up a good recap for this convention, this is due to a couple of factors. First, I am out of practice and my poor mind needs to get back into writing mode, and Second, whenever I think about my personal time at Huzzah I get a bit overwhelmed. There were so many positive experiences that I wanted to fit them all into one article. Alas I know that won’t work, so I’ll just highlight some of my best moments at this great little gaming convention and break it up into pieces for easier reading.
Friday May 15th.
I decided that for this year’s Huzzah I would book a room at the Hotel. Last year I simply drove down for the day and felt time constrained. (not to mention my alcohol intake was hindered considerably). Getting an OUI coming home from a game convention would be rather difficult to live down with my wife.
I arrived around 3:00pm and registered at the desk and got my shiny badge with the title “Game Master” on it. That’s right, "yours truly" was asked to run a retro board game session of Wizard’s Quest during the weekend. I still have no idea why I was chosen but hey, I got the badge and it made me feel special for a few moments.
I poked my head into the main game room to see what was going on. This was the first year that Huzzah was starting on Friday afternoon rather than evening, and I wanted to see how that was working out. Some tables were still being laid out and the vendors weren’t fully up and running yet, but I did spy a few Miniature games going on about the room.
Being obnoxious I wandered over to one of the tables that were playing in the Impetus tournament. What caught my eye were the armies on the table. Beautifully painted Roman legions on one side and what appeared to be Normans? on the other. I watched for a bit then asked about the rule set and why there were two very distinct eras represented on the table.
I decided that for this year’s Huzzah I would book a room at the Hotel. Last year I simply drove down for the day and felt time constrained. (not to mention my alcohol intake was hindered considerably). Getting an OUI coming home from a game convention would be rather difficult to live down with my wife.
I arrived around 3:00pm and registered at the desk and got my shiny badge with the title “Game Master” on it. That’s right, "yours truly" was asked to run a retro board game session of Wizard’s Quest during the weekend. I still have no idea why I was chosen but hey, I got the badge and it made me feel special for a few moments.
I poked my head into the main game room to see what was going on. This was the first year that Huzzah was starting on Friday afternoon rather than evening, and I wanted to see how that was working out. Some tables were still being laid out and the vendors weren’t fully up and running yet, but I did spy a few Miniature games going on about the room.
Being obnoxious I wandered over to one of the tables that were playing in the Impetus tournament. What caught my eye were the armies on the table. Beautifully painted Roman legions on one side and what appeared to be Normans? on the other. I watched for a bit then asked about the rule set and why there were two very distinct eras represented on the table.
The two gentlemen who were playing happily handed me a rule book and explained that the armies were what each of them had brought and the rules worked with all ancient and medieval sets. I was absolutely enthralled by the energy, and excitement these men showed with each move of a piece. They were polite and engaging in their conversation with me, the interloper, and I walked away making a mental note to look into Impetus more closely.
Whiskey/dinner/Whiskey break.
Whiskey/dinner/Whiskey break.
With a couple of drinks in me I waltzed over to Mike Paine's epic game Hanghai Raiders and chatted with him a bit. Mike's huge game which he runs at most of the New England conventions is always a big hit with the younger crowd. That's because he makes it fun. The rules are there as guides only and can be broken by creative minds at any time. He encourages creativity through which kids not only get to have loads of fun but they also might just get to learn a thing or too as well. He wasn't fully set up yet but he took a few minutes to chat and joke around with me. It's nice seeing some familiar faces and friends at various conventions and events. It helps to negate the nervous "I don't know anybody here" feeling you get when walking into a room full of folks.
Not that I have that phobia I drink too much to be worried about such things, but many do, so my point is it's good to make friends. And the friendly inviting people of Huzzah are easy to get along with.
Later on I got to play in a game of Robinson Crusoe : Voyage of the Beagle. Mike showed up for this one and we had a great time. Crusoe is one of those games in which having the right group of people makes all the difference. All the players, (even myself) interacted in a fun and engaging way which made the time pass quickly. Rob Marden who put on the game did a great job of explaining the rules and pushing game play along when things got a little static. There were lots of laughs and new friends made. Well worth the time. The beauty of this game rests in how tough it is. Death waits behind every encounter and the damnable weather portion of a turn can be really tense. We managed to win two scenarios, though just barely.
By then the hour had gotten late and I decided to call it a night. Up to my suite I went anticipating what games I'd see and play knowing I'd be having fun the next day.
End part 1
Cheers
AL
By then the hour had gotten late and I decided to call it a night. Up to my suite I went anticipating what games I'd see and play knowing I'd be having fun the next day.
End part 1
Cheers
AL