ScrapYard Armory

GenCon ramped up for Friday and I kept super busy as the weekend marched along.  I scheduled myself for some more non-BattleTech events during the day but stopped by to check out the Catalyst game section from time to time so keep an eye on what was going on.

Events (Grinders, Boot Camps, Tukayyid, Oh my!)

All of the Catalyst events seemed very well attended.  I was glad to have gotten the chance to enter the VR Pods on Thursday because the line to get a mission was steadily increasing over Friday.

The terrain looked great and the BattleTech tables looked busy as ever.  I am looking forward to doing some gaming Saturday night as the convention reaches its apex.

Iron Wind Metals

I plan on having a more in depth review of IWMs presence after the convention closes.  I did get a chance to chat up some of the IWM insiders and there is a lot of great stuff on tap at the booth.

Tri-Pod super heavies are in ample supply as well as certain primitive designs, LAMs, and the LE Mortis.  I do love the jumping LE variants and the dynamic poses they bring to the table.

Behind the tables you can find a cornucopia of small scale LE or online exclusive content in the form of infantry, Battle Armor, and micro aerospace.  IWM puts on a great show everywhere I see them and I could not be happier to have the chance to shop with them.

More Diorama

Because reasons.

All the Rest

I started my day playing in a DoomTown Reloaded qualifying tournament.  I went 2-3 with a Sloane Gang hex deck.  Regardless I had a lot of fun and finally had the chance to play against some really great competition.  I had a blast,  If you have not taken a look at this game you should.  It is an under appreciated gem in the gaming industry today.

I followed up my travels with a game of Giant Urbania and an hour of Two Rooms and a Boom.  I will probably have more to add to these titles after the con comes to a close.  For now here are some shots of the action today.

Day one in Indy is in the books.  What a day.  I had a lot of fun exploring the con and playing in some great games.

My day started at the Catalyst Booth where I was able to snag one of the limited Beta versions of Interstellar Operations.  I am really impressed with how big this book is.  It is a certified monster.  Flipping through the PDF is one thing but when you finally get to hold it in your hands you really appreciate the work that must have gone in creating it.

Catalyst Game Labs

The Catalyst booth was hoping all day and there were some products that were flying off the shelves.  Wrath of Dragons was down to about a dozen or so copies, The IO Beta were cleaned out, and other various product lines were being whittled down to low quantities.

Convention exclusives included faction dice, metal faction dice, pins, and T-shirts.  I was pleased to see an ample supply of dice available.  Even later in the day there seemed to be an opportunity to grab a few for those who wanted a pair.

Diorama

The crew from CamoSpecs were showing off this years diorama set in the Succession Wars.  Really great work and a few easter eggs thrown in for good measure.  The pictures speak for themselves so here you go.

What’s Up With Catalyst

The What’s Up with Catalyst was missing more than a few notable personalities.  Loren Coleman headlined the discussion and Q and A.  Randall Bills did not end up making it due to some prior commitments which I was disappointed in.

I would have taken notes but I was busy holding a video camera.  When I get a few more moments of down time I will upload the whole chat to YouTube for everyone to see for themselves.

All the Rest

Ah yes, there is all the rest.  GenCon has a lot to do besides BattleTech (not that there is anything wrong with that).  I saw a lot of cool stuff in the Exhibit hall, played in a M.E.R.Cs tournament (and lost), played a seven player BattleStar Galactica game with ALL expansions, demo’d Wrath of Dragons, and even took a ride in the Virtual Pods.

After a long hiatus I have finally found my way back to Indy for the best four days in gaming.  I have not been able to get out to conventions as much as I like lately so I am very excited about this year.

On the BattleTech front there is a lot to be excited about.  The Interstellar Operations Beta will be available in soft cover form while supplies last.  I have my eye on scoring a copy for myself.  Iron Wind Metals never dissapoints and I’m sure to drop some heard earned cash on some new miniatures to add to the collection.

And of course there is all the rest.  I will be participating in a few tournaments this year (M.E.R.Cs and Doomtown Reloaded) as well as a smattering of board games.

Here’s to a great convention and all the fun and people who will be a part of it.  Stay tuned for daily debriefs as the convention continues.

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