It's Sunday morning, 5-Oct-08, and my first ASLOK experience: meeting, playing (and losing to) Mark Pitcavage, who it turns out really is a nice guy. Scenario ESG36 "Havoc in Shanghai".
Frenzied gaming action at ASLOK early on Sunday. Don't worry, those empty spaces would soon fill up. In the foreground are Mike Faulkner, a Clevelander, and Nigel Blair, token Englishman. (No relation, or so he says.)
More Sunday action. Wearing the baggy green is Daryl Lundy, stealth New Zealander. Standing up in the blue shirt is Clayton Queen. In the background on the left is Wal. I can't identify the others, sorry.
It's advertised where people on the street can see it! Have they no shame??
The Grill (and Bar) was quite nice, actually. All the gaming action took place at the top of the Barad-Dur tower in the background.
Ooh that's a bit dark. What happened to my flash? Mark Pitcavage and (I think) Jeff Waldon playing in the foreground, Mike and Nigel still going in the background, don't ask me who the rest are.
"Wild Bill" on the left, Wal on the right -- his first game of the week, I think, which is why he's looking so cheerful. The soul-crushing would come later.
Game 2, Sunday 5-Oct-08. My opponent, Clayton Queen, from Oregon, who endured more punishment than anyone should reasonably expect to bear. Scenario ITR-2 "Factory in Flix".
Day 2, Mon 6-Oct-08. My opponent is Rich Domovic, the scenario is FrF32 "The Hellenic Expedition". Rich won, but it was quite close.
My t-shirt was very popular. Not sure how many people got the "Top Gear" reference, though. (Scenario is "The Hellenic Expedition" vs Rich Domovic, who took this shot for me.)
Doug Sheppard of North Carolina, ready to add me to his list of victims -- he was unbeaten at this stage. I certainly didn't change that status (it would take Wal to do that). SP36 "Desantniki".
Day 3, Tuesday 7-Oct-08. Ken Mioduski about to kick my arse in FrF27 "Cocktails for Molotov". Ouch, it still hurts to sit down.
I think this is Jeff de Young, and his collection of pre-made 3D scenario boards is just awesome. Enlarged hexes, 3D layers, with scenario SSR etc. printed along the sides. Totally impractical, but nevertheless unbelievably cool.
More of Jeff's pre-made scenario boards
And still more. Did I mention how cool these are?
Day 3, Game 6. Dave Ginnard appears confident as we prepare to play FrF28 "Luftlandekommando Hedderich". Fortunately for me my dice overcame his skills.
Day 4, Wed 8-Oct. Mini-tournament "Flame On!", round 1. Jim Bishop smiles, not yet aware of the horrors he's about to experience. The scenario is J103 "Lenin's Sons".
Day 4, game 8. "Flame-on" mini round 2. My opponent is Neil Stanhagen, the scenario is FrF23 "Elephants Unleashed". Neil looks confident, as well he should.
Day 4, Game 9. Sam Belcher, ever good-humoured, which is just as well given the crushing defeat I'm about to lay on him in VotG9 "Eviction Notice".
Thursday 9-Oct: Day 5, game 10. "Deluxe" mini round 1, J65 "Brave Little Emchas". Dan Janezick, from Wisconsin, getting ready to deliver me a whoopin'.
Compared to earlier views, it can be seen that by Thursday things were getting busy. Lots of games going on all the time. I love the smell of ASL in the morning!
More action. I have to say that I can't remember who most of these folk are. Add a comment if you recognise yourself (or anyone else, for that matter).
The Front Desk of Doom. Bret Hildebran (ASLOK TD) standing in the corner with the cap. Hugh Dowding (of Schwerpunkt fame) standing in the red shirt. Mark Pitcavage hiding behind the black thing on the table. The rest I don't know.
Bret Hildebran, as TD, standing over some smug bastard sitting in his chair. Do I look like I care? No, no I don't. Just keep feeding me ASL and I'll be happy.
Day 5, Game 11. Fresh from my loss in the "Deluxe" mini I dive into my first actual Grofaz game. My opponent is Joe Celebuski, the scenario is OST1 "Stalin's Shadow". I won! Woo, off to a flying start!
Day 6, Friday 10-Oct. Game 12. It's the first round of the "Industrial Revolution" mini, AP13 "Shielding Moscow". Jeff Waldon is preparing to receive my Human Wave. It was a great plan on my part; shame it didn't work.
This is a portion of a huge map that someone (I'm not sure who) had pinned up on the wall. Very nicely done, I thought. The map depicts the Carpiquet airport region (in Normandy, near Caen), which in June 1944 was the scene of savage fighting between Canadians and SS Hitler Youth.
Another portion of the Carpiquet map.
Well there you go. I guess Ronald Schatz did this!
New Zealander Daryl Lundy, who's been hiding from the authorities by living in Boston for the last year. Daryl is of course a regular visitor to many Australian tournaments as well as being an ASLOK veteran of long standing. It's Day 6, game 13, and we're about to play RPT22 "Convente Beato Sante" which I think is Italian for "Poor German setup saved by crap Canadian dice." Daryl was Canadian, hee hee.
Game 14. This is Dave Wardzala, of Michigan. We're about to play SP157 "Edge of Extinction", where I handily dice myself out of Grofaz contention. Boxcars!! Why must it always be Boxcars!!
The trophy. Looks nice, hey?
Alex Key and his little shop o' stuff. Buy games from him!
Day 7, Saturday 11-Oct. Ed Fritz, from SC, in round 1 of Pete Shelling's "Shell-Shocked" mini, Shellshock #4 "Least of their Worries". An interesting game that I managed to save from near disaster in my setup thanks to several strokes of good fortune.
Game 16, the final of the "Shell-Shocked" mine: and it's Tom Jazbutis, the Jazz himself. Scenario Shellshocked #3 "After the Disaster". After this particular disaster, Jazz had the trophy.
Day 8, Sunday 12-Oct, and it's all starting to wind up. By this time Steve Pleva has won the Grofaz and only people who have no home to go to are still here.
The various mini-tournament results.
More mini-tournament results.
And still more mini results.
Game 17, Bob Bendis agrees to sacrifice his reputation by losing to me in SP166 "Blue Jacket Attack". Trust me, it was the dice, not his tactics (or mine).
Nigel Blair, token Englishman and good sport who, like the English in most Ashes test matches, put up a plucky fight and was soundly thrashed as a reward. Game 18, ESG44 "Testis Megalos". Yes, we're pretty sure it means what you think it means.
