Elves and Ordnance: A Blog On Gaming and Miniatures

Thursday, April 23, 2026

#4 - Product Review - The Amazing Krydrufi Art Station

Elves & Ordnance: The Blog – Entry #4 – April 23, 2026:

In June of 2025 I waited, I must admit impatiently, for a package to arrive. For several months I had read through the advertisements for the compact and portable Krydrufi Art Station. I finally placed that order and eagerly awaited delivery.

I had been painting my miniature tanks from the Ogre game by Steve Jackson Games, and was starting to paint on a faction of Miniatures for Warhammer 40K. I had a set up for painting; a plastic cup for cleaning water, some paper towels, brush cleaner, and the drawer of a converted tackle box for brush storage. I needed organization.

The box arrived. I got the full set up. The dual water well with two square storage cups (that can also be used as water wells, four brush holders (holding four brushes each), two agitation pads for scrubbing the brushes clean at the bottom of a water well, and the containers that attached underneath. With the full kit, I received two wet palette containers, and two compartmentalized containers for storage of paint or small miniature parts. It also came with paper and sponges for the wet palettes. This was actually quite a bit of painting support items for the price.

Fast forward to April 2026. I have now received prototypes of their larger storage box (with adjustable dividers, their silicone palette for thin contrast paints, the glass palette, the new brush agitation pads (with a lip so they may be used outside the water wells for brush cleaning without dirtying the water), and the textured dry palette for dry brushing practice or offloading paint from your dry brushes.

I have now been using the original Krydrufi components for over nine months and have had time to thoroughly check out these soon to be new offerings.

My overall opinion? I can’t live without the Krydrufi products in my little corner of the hobby world. It all combines to be an ultra-portable, stick it your back pack, travel everywhere tool. This item has allowed me to paint miniatures in nearly every room of my house. I have moved from a fixed hobby area to a folding table when needed and the Krydrufi deploys where needed and allows me to work with almost any size work space. I have painted outside on picnic tables. It has accompanied me on business trips so I can continue my hobby work while in a distant hotel room. It even went with us on a 2,000-mile round trip driving vacation where I was able to paint from our VRBO near a beach in Ft. Lauderdale. It is simply a versatile, near indispensable, portable tool center.

With that said, I will run through each component:

The basic set up, water wells, cups, brush holders and agitation/cleaning pads: This part of the set is a dual chambered water well and square cup holder. Each of the square, deep cups fit in a corresponding water well. When being transported, the brush holders that normally hang on the outside or inside of the cups or carrier, can be taken off and stored in the cups along with the agitation pads (and any paint pots, bottles or jars you like). Even a container of brush cleaner fits in the cups. Your brushes can also be stored upright in the cups for transport. The outer water well container serves to hold all of this and has a handle across the center for easy three to four finger carrying. It is what I would consider to be fairly lightweight.

The wet palette container and regular storage box nest on the bottom of the Krydrufi, making it a modular tool kit. You can customize it how you like. Wat to have two wet palettes and two storage containers? No problem, it will take all four (although it does make it a bit tall). You can do what you like here. Just want a wet palette? Yep. Two wet palettes? Sure. Whatever combination you want to do. As the slogan under the logo says, “Your Art,

Your Way.” The wet palette compartments have removable clips on top of the lids to hold additional paper. A couple of big notes about this wet palette compared to other brands. First, these sponges last a long time. In fact, I am still using my initial one all of these months later. Secondly, I always hear miniature painters talk about how the wet palettes can start to smell hideous after a bit. I have not had an issue with that at all with the Krydrufi.

The brush holders are of two styles; open bottom for over the water in a well or cup, and a closed bottom tray style that can be used on the outer side (but you can chose to attach them as you wish). Again, they fit on the water wells or the cups. The silicone agitation cleaning pads also fit in the bottom of the wells or cups for brush cleaning and are very easy to clean with just dish soap and water. I should add here that the components of the Krydrufi do not stain easily. Mine looks brand new after months of usage. I bought mine in the original moss green color with light tan cups and lids.

Pull the Krydrufi out and deploy it with whatever components you need and when done, reassemble it and put it away for next use. It is fast and simple.

So how about the new components?

The most visually impressive is the new color available for the water well carrier potion. It comes in a woodgrain-colored plastic. I really like that for fitting in with my hobby area. I know that I am eventually going to end up with at least three of these setups. I may put my oldest one in a “ready to go” portable, backpack situation, and keep the woodgrain one on my work desk. That will leave a third to be used by a guest as my oldest daughter often comes over to paint her miniatures and I am teaching my middle son to paint (as he just got
into Warhammer).

Next is the silicone palette. This is like other ones on the market with the small concave places for paint, but it has two unique properties that make it different. First, it is square and one will fit in one of the cups for transport (or two will fit in the standard compartment for a wet palette), so it is modular like everything else with the Krydrufi. Second it can be inserted in one of the cups over top of your paint tainted water in case you have a pet who may want to sample the water while you aren’t watching (cool feature). These are VERY easy to clean as well.

Since we are talking silicone, let’s discuss the new brush agitation/cleaning pad. It has the raised surfaces in lines needed for brush cleaning, but this is a bit thinner silicone than the original and has a nice lip feature around it. This could still be used under water in one of the cups or wells, but… it can also be used just sitting on your work surface with a small amount of water and brush cleaner to deep clean the brushes. This would allow you to do the primary brush scrubbing outside of your primary water well and keep that water cleaner longer. And like all other components, it will fit within the Krydrufi for storage, in this case at the bottom of the cup like its predecessor. This has rapidly become one of my favorites of the new release components.

Next, let’s talk about the other two new palettes, and both are worth talking about!

The first is the glass palette. A lot of miniature painters have yet to use these, but it is growing on me rapidly. It allows you to get a proper amount of paint and thinning medium in one place and NOT have it continue to thin more like you see with a wet palette. The paint beads up a bit on the glass and does not really flow anywhere, so it stays wet for a bit; long enough to do detail work, and remain at one consistency. For me, who always thins base paints, this is an amazing tool. Cleans easily. This is only a few millimeters thick, and once again… you guessed it, modular. The glass palette will store between the module layers under the Krydrufi, like the wet palette paper, or you can also place it in the same style container normally used for the wet palette if you would like it better

connected. I really enjoy using the glass palette.

The second palette is the dry palette which is much as you

would think it would be with planks, bricks, skulls and vents for dry brushing. It too is modular and will fit inside a wet palette module. So now it is easy to take a dry palette on the go. This is sectioned for four different primary textures Once again, packable and convenient.

Lastly, I have a prototype of the new, deeper well storage compartment (the test one is white and just for evaluation). It fits on the bottom like the other flat modules. This one is about 1-3/8” deep and has adjustable partitions, so you can use it to store the parts of several minis for assembly, materials to add to bases like debris or skulls, steel balls for paint mixing, or just about anything that would fit. It will also fit several Army Painter

or Vallejo style paint bottles as well (on their sides). The lid is also recessed so it can carry wet palette paper or the glass palette. It also connects to the bottom of the water well main carrier or any other module. The colors shown do not reflect production colors on the storage box as it is a prototype.

The Krydrufi art station is a grand and versatile tool. I am at the point where I do not want to paint without it. I hope that you will give it a try. I find it to be my number one tool. It is fairly priced, solidly thought out by those who make it (they ask opinions of their users very frequently), and very innovative. The Krydrufi lives up to the tag line below the logo, “Your art. Your way.”

I really hope that you will give one a try. I doubt you will be disappointed. I have been using the first edition for over nine months and am overjoyed with how well it has supported my hobby.

More views below:

Wednesday, October 1, 2025

#3 - Four Crowdfunded Games to Look at NOW!

Elves & Ordnance: The Blog – Entry #3 – October 2, 2025:

Here is the third offering of the Elves and Ordnance blog. SJG Ogre/GEV, Warhammer 40K, and other games will be prevalent topics from a miniatures and tabletop gaming perspective in future written diatribes (as promised... as well as adventures to interview game store owners, attend Gen Con 2026 and who knows what else). At some point I really need to talk about just how kind the members of the gaming world are to their kin. I have been shown A LOT of friendship as I have re-entered this hobby after an absence of nearly 40 years.

But today, there are four games on two crowdfunding platforms that are very much worth taking a look at, and... if you agree and like the topic nature or game dynamics, well worth backing. I wanted to get this out quickly as the clock is ticking on three of the four campaigns (so this blog entry kind of has an expiration date!). I intend to steal a few minutes of your time and talk about each and give you some links to check them out.

It is important to note that I am not sponsored by, nor have I received any payment to endorse these games. I just think they are awesome and want to show others: Hey! Look at this!

I’m going to list them in “time remaining on the crowdfunding” order. This does not mean I like any one of the concepts more than the other, it just means the higher up they are in the list, the less time you have to join in on backing the game. As with any crowdfunding there is some minor risk proportionate to what you pledge, but these all seem to have stable concepts and project owners.

So, let’s jump in!

The first entry has only 6 DAYS LEFT to back it:

Platform: Kickstarter

Game: Battle Frenzy

Project Owner: Goliath Coins (no stranger to the gaming world)

Funding Status at time of this entry: 297% Funded

Link: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/goliathcoins/battle-frenzy

Test Copy Received at Gen Con 2025

NOTES: I had the opportunity to be selected to receive an early draft copy of six of the seven characters for this game and play it myself. This is such a unique concept. The game consists of a single character card and a single page of rules. Both are 8 1/2 by 11 high quality thick paper. The warrior/character card is inside of a hard page protector for each player. The only dice used are up to 2D6 (four if you don’t want to share with your opponent). There are seven characters available in the Kickstarter project (my test version had six), and you can choose the quantity of characters you wish to purchase at your level of backing. I state this game is unique because the rules character statistics attacks and game dynamics are all on a single sheet of paper in front of the player inside of the page protector. Dry erase markers are used on the page protector to mark the attrition of character stats during the two-character battles. The game has extremely fair and balanced gameplay even with the randomness of dice. The primary differentiation is in the statistics of the characters. Each character has four statistics: attack, defense, injury, and resistance. The neat part of this is that it is almost like a two-person melee role play. Play of the game is quick and two people can do several rounds in a fairly short period of time. I found it also to be good for solo play controlling both characters that are fighting. Definitely more exciting than Solitaire During those times when a person finds themselves alone. Bluntly... This game is fast, easy to learn, rapidly exciting, and would even be a great intro game for pulling more people into gaming in general. I really like the uniqueness. And here's another great reality about it: you could have the entire game and keep it in an extra-large folder stored flat, which is a true bonus for any game room. You Would simply be storing something equivalent to 8 sheets of paper in hard page protectors, 2 dry erase markers, and 2D6 that could be shared from a dice bag. Again, fast, dynamic, and fun! This game is for 2 to 6 players with seven character choices as mentioned above. Those character choices are almost battles across time as well. You want to have a fight between a Werewolf and a dragon? Go for it. A killer robot and a ninja lord? No problem. I have only had the chance to play a two-player game and solo, but a six person game? That could be a battle across eternity! Now for another bonus point. Backing at the lowest award level with two warriors is only $16 plus $8 shipping. All seven warriors are $50 and $12 shipping. Do yourself a favor and look at this one. Picture of my early release copy shown. UPDATE 11/21/2025: Successful and already received. An awesome game and such a unique, simple form of game play.

The next one to look at entry has only 7 DAYS LEFT to jump in on the crowdfunding:

Platform: Gamefound

Game: Dukes of Nukes V2

Project Owner: Falling Whale Games

Funding Status at time of this entry: 170% Funded

Link: https://gamefound.com/en/projects/dukes-of-nukes-gaming/dukes-of-nukes-v2

NOTES: They had me at “nukes.” Dystopian games that are either based on nuclear conflict, or after, have always caught my attention. I backed this one right before it reached full funding. This offering looks like it will have you on the edge of your seat during a card game apocalypse. The goal is to be the one holding the single nuclear codes card after the five Defcon cards have been placed on the table. He who holds the codes card wins at that point. But there is thievery, spying, trade deals, and a myriad of other cards in play that can throw the game in many directions. This could be very well suited for use as a drinking game as well. The art on the box and cards is a hilarious take on a dark subject. Backing ranges from $20 to $240 (that final level gets your name as a backer on the box). They also offer a playmat for organizing the world’s destruction in an orderly fashion ($45 add on). All stretch goals have been met (at this time), which means it will come with some stickers, a better box, and linen touch card surfaces. This one is going to be a limited run keeper. Don’t waste any time checking this one out. I can’t wait to get my copy... Looks like a megaton of fun!

Next up is one that I have been following the pre-launch on for a bit. “Into The Wild Alaska” launched yesterday and is taking off quickly. It appeals to the hiker/camper in me (as well as tugging at my Wilderness First Aid instructor card...). 28 DAYS LEFT to back it:

Platform: Kickstarter

Game: Into The Wild Alaska

Project Owner: Irving Galarza

Funding Status at time of this entry: 43% Funded (here’s your chance to help!)

Link: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/intothewildalaska/into-the-wild-alaska

NOTES: Not to sound repetitive, but they had me at “Alaska.” This is an outdoor survival game with a setting in Alaska. It features six unique “Voyagers” that players choose to from (seven with an expansion). The game balances the Voyagers against set-back events, vital resources (tools and food), survival equipment, tactical assets, and a goal of getting through the wilderness to the island. The Voyager characters (which are figurines in likeness of the art of each Voyager) have very interesting backgrounds and appearances (shown on the project site along with all of the various cards of the game). There will be an expansion and a mini expansion as well. A unique add-on that is available is a replica of an Alaska State Trooper badge that can be used to designate the “game marshal” who is responsible for “keeping the game running smoothly.” We must talk about the art involved... the game boards at standard and deluxe levels are both stunning. The box art draws you in to want to play the game. The game pieces and cards are very well designed and in good quantity enough to make the game look expensive and complex, yet it is billed as, “rules so simple, anyone can jump in.” Not kidding, the game is beautifully designed (a lot like the aesthetic beauty of Fire Tower). There are multiple options (I backed at the level for the Deluxe Edition with expansions and the badge). On this one, at least go look and admire the work that Mr. Galarza has put into leading this project. Impressive. Backing starts at $39 and goes up to $110 (plus shipping). I asked about stretch goals and they replied that they were going to focus on production as soon as this hits fully funded and did not want to be delayed by additions that could cause delays (good thinking!).

Lastly, but not least, we have one that is in the pre-launch phase. So you can mark it as a favorite and watch it for details. I joined the “early herd” on this one which gets you some extra, unique game tokens. This must become a hit just looking at first glance. It hasn’t launched yet, so follow it:

Platform: Kickstarter

Game: Uh oh, Dino!

Project Owner: Sabrina C @ Ludoliminal

Link: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ludoliminal/uh-oh-dino

Funding Status at time of this entry: In pre-launch phase

NOTES: This is just plain cute. I do not know any other way to describe it. Not only does it look good with vibrant colors and art, but the game dynamic is also unusual and not something I have encountered in game play. It intrigues me. Brightly colored stegosaurus (at least I think that is correct... what is the plural for Stegosaurus?) and dino egg game pieces are utilized on board pieces that are moved back and forth to create gaps in the dinosaur’s path. Lava flows are mentioned as well. There appear to be unique D6 as well. A storage bag for the pieces is shown on the site. Billed as a “completely accurate cooperative dinosaur game.” The game goal is to rescue your dinosaur eggs before the ground is gone beneath you. The pre-launch site states there will be a “Meteors & Meat-Eaters” expansion available as well. It looks like they are trying to make this available for holiday shipping yet this year which is a fast timeline so it may launch very soon. No info yet on backing levels or stretch goals. The yellow and purple box motif is eye catching. It looks like this one could easily end up being a family favorite. I plan to back it. Take a good look at it and if you like it, join the “early herd” for $1 and get on the list for the extra game pieces. A moving board with dinosaurs and an expansion with meteors. How can I pass this up? UPDATE 11/29/2025: Greatly crowdfunded and I have already received my base copy. Absolutely beautiful game. The wooden dinos are bigger than I expected and so awesome. Can't wait till spring when the expansion, wooden tokens, and two additional game pieces arrive!

Anyway... I thought these were well worth passing on. Take a look and let me know what you think.

Standard, silly filter pic of me below to add to the collection along with a few pictures of recent miniature work...

Adepta Sororitas
Order of the Sacred Rose
Palatine, 28mm
Warhammer 40K

A couple of completed Ogre Mk V's
with homemade decals, 6mm scale
Steve Jackson Games Ogre

A carried standard for an Adepta Sororitas
Imagifier, 28mm scale
Warhammer 40K

Completed decaling on an Ogre Mk VI
and Ogre Mk V
Steve Jackson Games Ogre

Wednesday, August 6, 2025

#2 - One Day at Gen Con (2025)

The 2025 Gen Con black light
dice tray from Fanroll

First let me start by saying that this is the largest convention I have ever been to in my life.

Attendance is said to have topped 71,000 people. Gen Con sold out for the second year in a row. I used to go to gaming and science fiction conventions back in the 1980s, and I still go to a lot of large annual meetings and conventions for my career and for my church each year... but this one was simply huge on a mind boggling scale.

A little history certainly is in order for those unaware of the great gathering of which I speak. Gary Gygax, of Dungeons & Dragons fame, founded Gen Con in 1967 This Gen Con 0 (as it is called now) was held in Gygax's Lake Geneva, Wisconsin home as several in his area could not travel to an International Federation of Wargaming meet in Chicago. The convention was moved around Wisconsin, then eventually to Indianapolis due to sheer growth in attendance. Now, many years later, we have a convention with a staggering attendance that covers nearly all types of gaming. You can find tabletop games, wargames, pinball machines and role playing games all under one roof.

Buying a one day badge was simply inadequate to be able to take it all in, or really, to take even 20% of what was available to see, buy, do, and enjoy.

I must emphasize the magnitude of the event. Gen Con 2025 (also known as Gen Con 58) took up the entire first two floors of the Indiana Convention Center which has a huge downtown footprint in Indianapolis (exhibit halls that were used for vendors and gaming space in this building alone equated to over 556,000 square feet). It also took up the whole of Lucas Oil stadium, a venue used for NFL events with the Indianapolis Colts, including lower level, field area, and concourses for gaming areas. Food trucks made up a Gen Con Block party that closed down the street between the ICC and the stadium. Then, even with the massive number of gaming halls, event rooms and gargantuan vendor hall, the event overflows to encompass the complete conference room capacity of six downtown Indianapolis hotels; the Crowne Plaza, the Hyatt Regency, JW Marriott, the Marriott, the Omni Severin, and the Westin. And that is not all... it also uses two floors of the Indianapolis Union Station including its' Great Hall.

The program book had 18 pages of floor maps to help registered attendees find locations and events.

As I said, the event was 100% sold out. In a Facebook group called "Friends of Gen Con," which I would have been lost without in seeking first-timer guidance, there were many persons trying to get last minute entry badges to no avail.

Even though I was a first time Gen Con attendee, I was an acolyte of wargaming and RPGs for over a decade and owned a game store in the early 1980's. My career lessened my involvement until just recently. I have always wanted to go to Gen Con. My rekindled interest in gaming along with a desire from my oldest adult son Michael to attend a Dungeons and Dragons Online player meeting, drove me to say yes to his request to go to Indianapolis for Gen Con. We purchased single day badges for Friday (Day 2) and decided to make the most of what would be a packed day. We were able to purchase a parking pass for $20 about eight blocks from the ICC. Luckily we only live about two and a half hours away from Indy as every downtown hotel was at max capacity. We arrived with mostly empty backpacks (ready to receive merchandise) and water bottles with "Liquid IV" powder for hydration. We were greeted by huge balloon sculptures and people building a giant house of cards type display for future destruction. If I understand correctly, money will be thrown at the card houses to cause collapse and the funds then donated to charity.

Waiting for the Vendor Hall to open
(crowd in front and behind us)

The experience was overwhelming. As deciding to go was a late decision for us, we had to get our badges at "will call" which was surprisingly fast (and the entire event sold out about a week after we purchased our badges). Immediately I was reminded of the fact that gamers, as a group, are very polite, kind, and helpful people. If you needed directions, people were more than happy to oblige. We had decided that the best use of our time would be to explore the vendor hall.

In trying to find the vendor hall, we went to the first large exhibitor type hall we could find. This ended up being the most massive room filled with gaming tables that I have ever seen. People were attending game demos, doing playtesting, and simply using table space to play a plethora of games, many of which I have never seen before. After checking the map again, we found our way to the hall leading into the Vendor hall that would open in about an hour. I remember thinking that the crowd of about 200 waiting was not that bad. However in the next 30 minutes that crowd became thousands.

We waited in this ever growing crowd of attendees for the remainder of the hour for the doors of the vendor area to open. While we waited, a good portion of those waiting sat on the floor and played card games. One of the neat things about Gen Con is that it encompasses a very large span of gaming.

Plotting a route through
the vendor hall

Needless to say, the vendor area was worth the wait. There were over 500 vendor booths, some small and some very large representing various table top games, wargaming, role playing games, gaming tables, dice, miniatures, paint, and every accessory you can imagine. I had heard there were concerns that the recent tariff's might decrease the number of vendors, or the number of available items to purchase. If this was the case, you really could not tell as a first time visitor to this land of wonder. The aisles between the booths were jam packed with people, most of whom had backpacks in which to carry their purchased treasures. There were also multiple booths for all range of costumes and cosplay.

And there was a lot of cosplay. This ranged from the simple (live music bands and gamemasters wearing elaborate hats and kilts) to the amazingly detailed (full animal costumes complete with fur). This brought back memories for me of late 70's and early 80's science fiction conventions and my Alien (Captain Dallas), Battlestar Galactica (Viper Pilot), and elven fighter mage costumes. This has also directly affected my planning for next Gen Con. I must get involved in this aspect as well. Yes, I am in my sixties, but have finally found something that I can define as "fun." The nerd in me has been resuscitated.

I had worn one of my Ogre t-shirts, as my plan was to visit the Steve Jackson Games booth first. Even though Ogre is not really produced any more, those working the booth smiled at the homage. It was great talking with them about Ogre, Munchkin, Illuminati, Car Wars, and back to Ogre and my wish list from Warehouse 23 for more miniatures. They suggested we visit the booth behind them (TurboDork Paint) to look at their line of metallic paints. Their metallic colors were indeed like nothing I had ever seen and I ended up buying "Fahrenheit" red and "Cool Ranch" blue.

TurboDork & Colour Forge

From there, I went on my second mission, hoping to score some primer/base spray paint from Colour Forge. Colour Forge is a UK based paint company which can be ordered online, but I prefer the in-person shopping experience. I had been told the Monument Hobbies booth would have these, which was correct. So after maneuvering through the crowds, I left that booth with three abnormally large cans of spray paint and a Velcro patch for my hat that says "HBY NRD." The rest of the day kind of went on like this with us looking for some specific booths that either my son or I wished to visit, or being pulled in by the massive number of booths selling dice, dice bags, costume components, games, and art.

I ended up getting the 2025 Gen Con black light dice tray with mini glow dice (I simply could not resist this as my take home souvenir of this adventure). While discussing dice it is important to note that the number of vendors and manufacturers of dice that were present were more than one could canvas in a day. I tried to find the Nuclear Fallout 11 dice set from DND Dice, but was unable to locate a set. I am sure there was a vendor that had them, but I did not get to even half of the booths selling dice. Luckily, they can be purchased from the company online or from Amazon. After a lot of walking, hunger began to call, We headed outside to the block party to find food.

This was a designated area with food and drink trucks. Sun King had even hatched a special
event beer for Gen Con. We had planned to have a beer, but the line was far too long at several hundred people for us to attempt this. We ended up having short rib tacos with pickled beets that were absolutely wonderful, washed down by free energy drinks from the Red Bull booth (it was essentially roll the dice till you win a Red Bull in the spirit of the event). My son bought a stainless steel flagon that got him refills of craft soda. Once fed and hydrated we headed back inside the ICC, passing a row of maybe 20 pinball machines. We passed a remote control robot game as well as two large groups of people painting miniatures for Warhammer. One group was a painting class and the other a competition.

We milled around for a bit visiting some booths that my son wanted to visit and he purchased a just released part game with multiple decks of card expansions. One of the neat things here is the many vendors and game companies that have special deals on complete games with expansions. This was one such deal where he was able to get a core card game and all of the

expansions along with two free gifts for a special, lower price. I had wanted to visit the Runaway Parade Games booth to explore the Fire Tower Game and its' expansion, Rising Flames. Again, and amazing experience being shown the demo on the game by a passionate game designer who was very proud of their creation. We ended up buying the deluxe edition with the full expansion. Saving about $25 off of the price of the regular edition and base expansion.

The backpacks were starting to fill up. I went back to the Steve Jackson Games booth and purchased Munchkin Shadowrun. I have always loved Shadowrun as one of my favored RPGs and the thought of mixing it with the Munchkin card game sounds appealing. Plus... anything from Steve Jackson Games is pure gold. This is obviously another plug for my fav, Ogre.

We passed the large booth for Catan and resisted the urge to stop (I have already played this, like it, and plan to buy it... and it is readily available locally. I then spent some time just looking through the Warhammer booth, again, a very large offering. I am really considering getting into Warhammer 40,000 as my son and his co-worker play this weekly. I spent some time looking at the specific miniatures for the one of the key groups of the Imperium, Adepta Sororitas, which are essentially warrior nuns, or "Battle Sisters." I am not yet fluent even as a beginner in Warhammer, so I have a lot to acquire and a lot to learn. With this will also come a lot more miniature painting. I plan to start with a single miniature (Palatine) and see if have the skill to create these, then move on to game play.

While at the Warhammer display, I purchased some Citadel shade paint in an odd green that I need to simulate Sinai Gray on my Israeli faction Ogre cybertank miniatures. I then tried to leave, but was drawn back in by a t-shirt displaying my favorite Citadel paint color, Mephiston Red. Purchased and into the backpack it went.

We took some time looking at very expensive gaming tables that were made to order complete with LED-lit glowing runes in the support posts.

Battle Frenzy

I had a 4pm appointment at the Goliath Coins booth as I had been selected in a pre-Gen Con drawing to receive a free copy of an unpublished game called "Battle Frenzy" for play testing and feedback. We went and received my copy. It is has six separate characters available to select from and the game is played using record cards in plastic dry erase sleeves and dice used for determining battle results against the attributes of the characters. I received all six characters and dry erase markers. It looks like a ton of quick play fun. The family is travelling next weekend so I plan to take it along for play testing with my middle son who is a heavy online gamer (and see if I can pull him into a different gaming genre).

We spent the rest of our time looking at various booths. I spent some time examining some of the costume vendors and am now convinced that as part of my rekindled joy in this hobby that I will probably be the owner of a kilt and accoutrements in the near future. It was getting close to 5pm so Michael filled his flagon with craft soda brew one last time and we snagged a shuttle bus back to the parking lot. I dropped him off at the Punchbowl venue for his D&D player meeting and I went and found some dinner at a local place.

My haul

While waiting for him in the car after dinner, I took stock of the day. I then took a picture of my Gen Con "haul" for posting in "The Board Game Geek" Facebook group. Not bad for being on a budget and a on a one day trip. I kept my spending moderate and managed to get the majority of what I wanted and some other stuff that looks like it will be extreme fun. I then realized I had missed one vendor that I really wanted to stop at... Army Painter. Will have to make that first on the list for next year.

So... tips from a first timer at Gen Con?

1. Make sure you keep that water bottle full and use electrolytes. It is mostly in air conditioning, but the ICC is huge and the parking is not close. Bring snacks.

2. Make sure your backpack has open volume big enough for games, comfortable straps, and hugs your body. The vendor hall is crowded and you could easily knock someone over with your backpack.

3. Be friendly and talk. There are a lot of cool, unique people at Gen Con.

4. Bring cash and card. Some vendors are cashless.

5. Buy the parking pass in advance and use the free shuttles.

6. Don't do what we did. Instead, buy a four day pass and take it slower. Build in time to sit and talk and explore games. Play games with others. We really missed out on seeing the entire football filed of Lucas Oil Stadium covered with gaming tables.

7. Watch the cosplayers. Compliment their costumes. A lot of work goes into those.

8. Take the time to disconnect from the world and enjoy the world of gaming. Practice a chunk of work-life balance.

9. Age doesn't matter. Sure my knees hurt as a sixty plus year old, borderline ancient, but it was worth it.

10. Lastly, collect the ribbons. These come from interactions. I didn't get a ton, but I will try harder next year. Pins can go on your badge lanyard or badge wallet.

For next year, I already have plans to help someone run a game of Steve Jackson's Ogre (we players refuse to let the game die... Ogre is now 48 years old!).

I hope this was a helpful overview of a day at Gen Con. My ribbons are below along with a few more pictures.