Positively Stellar Experience With Heroscapers In Savage Mill, Maryland

Today I took the opportunity to bring my three boys to a Heroscapers Tournament,  and it was one of the most fantastic experiences I have ever had at a public gaming event.

You all know what it's like going to an open gaming event where you don't know the people prior to arriving -- you're rolling the dice to say the least.  But today I rolled sevens and elevens all afternoon, meeting the nicest people and having one great gaming experience.  This is how it's supposed to work -- this is what you close your eyes and hope for before you enter the room.  This event was nothing short of magnificent.  Thirty people, every one of them an absolute pleasure to game with.

With three boys in tow it had been my intention to not participate so that I could run interference, but there was a late drop-out and I threw together an army on short notice and jumped in.  Ben the organizer told me that there was no problem if I needed to get up mid-game to help one of the kids so I took him up on the offer to get in on the fun.  I'll be honest with you -- I've had bad experiences with adults around my kids at events like this.  But today I had a dozen deputy parents in the room and my boys were welcomed and treated as equals.  They were completely immersed in the action and treated as equals deserving of respect. 

I may not have had the best army on the tables, but I had one HELL of a good time.  Everyone was well behaved, well bathed, and brought the kind of passion and positive mental attitude that you hope and pray for when showing up at an open gaming event.  The place was raucous and full of hell, but every bit of it was perfect for the kids scattered in amongst the tables.  If this is what Heroscape events are like, I'm a lifetime convert.  During my second game we had a rules question and couldn't find the organizer to get clarification, so I just shouted the question over the noise in the room -- "what's the ruling on the crusted lava?  Roll a die at the end of your movement or at the end of the entire turn?"  The answer came from a qualified voice across the room and we were back in the game.  The whole place was humming like a machine.

I now have three boys that saw a dozen figures (each) that they want me to buy, and they  asked to go straight to the garage to start playing again after five uninterrupted hours at the tables in the tournament.  I have to admit I'll be looking to get a set of Gorillanators for myself.  Gorillas in body armor with shotguns . . . you can't pass that up.  Don't tell me young boys have short attention spans -- they'd have gone another five hours if they could have.

Family Game Store, the venue for this tournament is the epitome of positive game store experience, so I suppose it shouldn't surprise me that the event was so much fun.  We play Pokemon TCG there on a regular basis and that is a great experience as well.  But it lacks the energy that was present today and it may simply be due to the game on the table.  Heroscape calls you to throw your heart into the play, and that's what I saw at the tables this afternoon.

The plan is to do this again in May.  If you're within 100 miles of Savage Mill, Maryland I'd keep an eye out for it, and sign up early -- every single person there today said they're planning to come back.

S.

"THESE DICE ARE DEFECTIVE!!  BRING ME REPLACEMENTS!!!"

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