Archive for the ‘Games Workshop’ Category

Announcing Details for ‘Warhammer 40k’ Conquest Store Championships @ Plainville, MA!

40K Pic

 

We’re proud to announce details for the up-coming Warhammer 40K Conquest Store Championship! If you’re a Warhammer fan, you won’t want to miss this. We look forward to seeing you at our Plainville, MA location on March 28th!

 

Format: Standard
Date: March 28th, 2015
Time: Round 1 begins at 6:00pm
Entrance Fee: $15.00

Address:
25 Taunton Street
Plainville MA 02762
508.316.1195

The tournaments will follow the standard Fantasy Flight tournament rules.
Each round will last 65 minutes.
The number of rounds will be based on turnout.
Swiss pairings (each player will play in every round if they would like, barring byes).

Prizes will look like:

Champion: The winner receives a Store Championship plaque and a card granting one first-round bye at a Regional Championship of the player’s choice.
Top Four: The top four players each receive one Top 4 playmat.
Top Eight: The top eight players each receive one deck box.
Top Thirty-Two: The top thirty-two players each receive one alternate art card.

Additional, store credit, prizes will be awarded based on turnout. For every person beyond the 4th, $15.00 store credit will be added to the prize pool.

 

 

 

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This week in gaming: An open casting call, GPTs, Weiss, and M15

 

preacher
 

 

Calling all writers

 

If you’ve been reading my blog posts, articles, whatever you want to call them for a while now, then you may have noticed that they are centered around “Magic: The Gathering.” Now there is a perfectly good explanation for this. The main reason being is that is my area of gaming expertise.

 

I don’t think there is anything wrong with this, but it makes things a little boring if you’re not into “Magic.” That’s where you come in. Consider this an open casting call for writers of all backgrounds. One of the goals I am trying to accomplish is to help get different content on the site. That’s where you come in.

 

Is there something related to gaming that your very passionate about?Is there an awesome Dungeons and Dragons sessions you want to tell people about? Do you have experience in table top wargaming like Warmachine or Warhammer 40K? Are you really good at painting miniatures or scenery? Something that would be great is content with tips and tricks for beginner miniature players.

 

Don’t worry, I’m always open to others writing about “Magic.” Having multiple perspectives is a great thing to have. It really helps to diversify the writing on the website. So, if you’re interested in giving writing a shot, then let me know. Pitch me your ideas at Simeon.Cortezano@hotmail.com. Please include your name and keep your pitch to around 200 words.

 

If you’re idea sounds good, we’ll contact you and move from there. These writing opportunities are strictly voluntary. That should be the last thing on your mind, though. The idea is to have fun and help spread your knowledge.

 

Modern at this Friday’s FNM

 

This Friday will be the third Friday of the month. You know what that means. Modern will be offered at this Friday’s FNM in addition to Standard and Draft.

 

This would be a great time to try out any ideas you may have for the Modern season that’s now in session. In case you missed it, Battleground Games & Hobbies hosted a Grand Prix Trial on June 14. Several of the Top 8 competetors included some of the usual players from the Abington store: Ken Briscoe, James Costello, and Chris Alexander. Also in the Top 8 was Devin Malko who plays at the Plainville store. The eventual winner was Nicholas Blake who also plays at the Plainville store.

 

The deck lists for the entire Top 8 can be found by clicking on this link.

 

If you missed out on the GPT on June 14, then don’t worry. There will be another GPT hosted at the Abington store. That GPT will be held on June 29. The format is Modern and the winner will also receive a box of Modern Masters in addition to the 2-round byes. This should be a big turnout. Everyone will be gunning for that box of Modern Masters. This could be your chance to open a foil Tarmogoyf!

 

Do you play Weiss Schwarz?

 

 

weizz schwarz logo
 

If you play Weiss Schwarz, rumor has it that the store will be getting some visitors from out of town looking for some pick-up games. So if you’re tired of the usual competition and are looking for some new action and new opponents, this is your opportunity to do so.

 

The usual time for Weiss Schwarz actions is 2:00 PM on Saturday. Be there or be a four-sided object.

 

M15 prerelease dates have been set

 

Can you believe it’s time for another “Magic: The Gathering” set to be released out into the wild? The Magic 2015 core set prerelease has been scheduled for both the Abington and Plainville stores.

 

All of the information you need to know can be read here, but if you’re too lazy to click on the link then keep reading.

 

The prerelease packs will once again make their presence known. It is important to know that if you’d like to be guaranteed a specific color of your choice you’ll need to preregister for the event you want to participate in.

 

Regarding preregistration, there were some issues with the Journey Into Nyx prerelease where some people couldn’t get the color they wanted to when they showed up to the store. Unfortunately, the colors they wanted had all been spoken for through the preregistration process. If you don’t want to be denied a color, please, I urge you to preregister ahead of time so you don’t miss out on the color you want.

 

Oh yeah, I was talking about the prerelease. The event will be held the weekend of July 12-13. Here is a quick rundown of what’s happening:

 

Magic 2015 - Hunt Bigger Game resize
 

Format: Sealed Deck*

Date: July 12th Friday night / Saturday morning

Time: 12:00am (midnight)

Entrance Fee: $25.00 per person

This event will run 4 rounds.

 

Format: Sealed Deck*

Date: July 12th Saturday afternoon

Time: 12:00pm

Entrance Fee: $25.00 per person

This event will run 4 rounds.

 

Format: Sealed Deck*

Date: July 12th Saturday night

Time: 6:00pm

Entrance Fee: $25.00 per person

This event will run 4 rounds.

 

Format: Two-Headed Giant Sealed Deck**

Date: July 13th Sunday afternoon

Time: 12:00pm in PLAINVILLE, 6:00pm in ABINGTON

Entrance Fee: $20.00 per person

This event will run 4 rounds.

 

Format: Sealed Deck*

Date: July 13th Sunday night

Time: 6:00pm in PLAINVILLE, 12:00pm in ABINGTON

Entrance Fee: $25.00 per person

This event will run 4 rounds.

 

*Sealed Deck: Each player receives one Core Set 2015 Prerelease Pack corresponding to the color of their choice.

 

**Two-Headed Giant Sealed Deck:  Each TEAM will receive 2 Core Set 2015 Prerelease Packs with which to build two 40 card decks.

 

Here is also a breakdown of what you’ll get when you enter the prerelease:

 

Each Player will receive one Core Set 2015 Prerelease Pack that contains:

 

5 Core Set 2015 booster packs

1 Seeded booster pack*

1 Premium promo card

1 Activity card

1 Spindown life counter

1 Welcome Letter

For this event, players may use the promo card included with the Prerelease Pack in their tournament deck.

 

*Contains cards from the Core Set that are or have synergy with the color you chose.

 

Well that’s it for now. I hope you enjoyed this week’s version of “This week in gaming.” If you liked what you read then help us out by spreading the word. Hit the social media buttons down below and tell all your friends about this article and the store!

 

About the author

 

Simeon is now the Community Manager for Battleground Games & Hobbies. He is also an avid gamer who loves to play board games and video games. He graduated college with a degree in Political Science, and now serves the public by writing about games. You can check that out here. Don’t forget to “like” him on Facebook as well. It’ll update you on all of his newest content. Best of all, you can follow Simeon on Twitter (@SimeonCortezano) for some real time hilarity. Thanks for reading!

 

Donate to the Extra-Life fundraiser!

 

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Join the Battleground Games & Hobbies community forums!

Please don’t forget to check us out on Facebook and follow us on Twitter @battleground_gh!

 

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This week in Magic: Pick a deck, and stick with it

Thassa god of the sea
 

This past weekend, I tried my luck at the SCG Open Series in Providence. The format: Standard. How did I do? I did terrible. However, like all my failures, I learned a lot, and maybe you can learn from them as well.

 

Lesson one: Pick a deck

 

Pick a deck and learn it. Days leading up to the event, I had decided to play Mono-Black with a splash of Green for SCG Providence. However, also, leading up to the day of the tournament, I couldn’t make up my mind and stick with a deck. I was able to play test a few decks to “run the gauntlet.” While playing those decks, they seemed more and more appealing to play. Sadly, I didn’t realize I was headed for a rabbit hole I would never find myself climbing out of in time.

 

Some of the other decks I played around with included RW Burn, and a form of GB Constellation. I would eventually end up on Esper Control. It’s a deck I, technically, have been playing since the beginning of the Theros block. The early incarnations of the deck even helped me get second place at the Massachusetts TCG States tournament last fall. So, by default it was a deck I had the most experience with.

 

Unfortunately this decision had come a little too late, as it was made the night before the event. This was the one thing that I wanted to avoid the most, and it still happened. I guess I was doomed all the way through.

 

Lesson two: Play something you’re most comfortable with

 

I’ve had equal success with all the decks I previously mentioned. I’ve also had equal amounts of failure with them as well. However, I don’t think playing Esper Control was a terrible decision. Out of all the decks, it may have been the one I was most comfortable with. Well, it was probably a toss-up between that deck and RW Burn.

 

I’m not a very strong Pack Rat player, and thus why Mono-Black would have been a bad choice for me. I know I put on the early work, but I’m sure I would have been worse off with that deck. In retrospect, I think I should have gone with RW Burn. I know I talked about having the most experience with Esper, though. So, which is more important? Comfort level or experience level. I think they go hand-in-hand. Given the situation though, Esper is a much more complicated deck. At least, it’s more complicated than RW Burn.

 

Final verdict: it should have been RW Burn from the very beginning. I’ve always had a knack for that deck ever since I started playing it. However, I got discouraged after one poor FNM performance. I gave up too easily, and that’s my fault. I can’t remember if I’ve mentioned it in the blogs, but I know I’ve probably said it to other people. I wanted to play it at the Boxborough 5K a couple of months ago, and I joked about making an audible to it the night before SCG Providence. Next time I have a gut feeling, maybe I should go with it, especially if it comes to playing RW Burn.

 

I’ve been having the same inclination in modern as well. I’ve been wanting to play Mono Red Burn. However, I’m worried about how it will do in the later rounds. I guess I’ll never know until I take it to a tournament and run with it.

 

Looking back at SCG Providence

 

If the results of last week could speak, they would say that the state of the Standard format is very alive and healthy. Remember the days of Caw Blade?  Out of the Top 8 decks, only two were the same. In the end, Ross Merriam and his Mono-Blue Devotion deck took the top prize.

 

Some people say that Mono-Blue was well positioned to win, but who even remembered that this was a deck? I didn’t. In fact, it wasn’t even part of the “gauntlet” I had put together in my failed play testing sessions.

 

For those of you who are interested, Ross has written a wonderful primer on the deck based on his run at this past SCG Open. In the article he wonderfully states, “Sometimes, you just have to accept your limitations and play to your strengths.” Here he’s referring to the fact that a lot of his success has come from only playing “cheap blue creatures and mana elves.”

 

I remember looking at the results and thinking to myself how great of an example Ross is to the lessons I wrote about above. Now, I don’t know what his play testing was like or his preparations were heading in the SCG Open in Providence. Just from the first two paragraphs he wrote in his article, it’s obvious he went with a deck he knows best and not a deck he thought would be the best out there. “I tried playing Sphinx’s Revelation once in Theros Standard and turned a 4-0 performance in Legacy into a 4-4 day 1 at the Indianapolis Invitational and a pile of frustration.”

 

A small announcement

 

If you know me personally, you’d know that I’m pretty much glued to Twitter and Facebook, and all other sorts of social media. Well, since I’m always online, I figured I’d do Battleground Games a solid and offer some of my social media services. For whatever reason, they were crazy enough to accept my offer. So, I guess this is my little formal announcement letting you all know that I’ll be taking on the role of “Community Manager.”

 

What does this mean? Aside from “word-of-mouth,” social media is a huge means of communication. So, if you’re not on Facebook or Twitter, or anything else, you may want to consider getting on board. One of the things I’m hoping to improve upon is getting the word out about in-store events. For example, did you know that this Saturday, June 14th, there is a Grand Prix Trial for GP Worcester/Boston? It’ll be held at the Plainville location. It’ll be a Modern format event, and the top prize will be a two-round bye at GP Worcester/Boston in July. Other prizes will include store credit based on attendance. For more information make sure to click here.

 

See? That wasn’t too bad right? I’m going to try my best to make sure that people know what’s going on at both stores. I’m not talking just about “Magic: The Gathering” either (although, forgive me if you see a focus there). I’m going to do my best to get the word out about Warhammer 40K, Warmachine, DnD, Weiss Schwarz, Board Game Night, etc.

 

Hopefully I’ll eventually become a centralized point where you can ask me something and I can get you an answer. That way you’re not chasing numerous people down to get a single question answered. So, if you haven’t already, make sure you follow Battleground Games & Hobbies on Twitter (@Battleground_GH) and on Facebook (click here for a link to their page).

 

That’s it for now. Let me know what you think of this post, of my new role, or what’s on your mind. If you want, you can also follow me on Twitter @SimeonCortezano. Make sure you say hello!

 

About the author

 

Simeon is now the Community Manager for Battleground Games & Hobbies. He is also an avid gamer who loves to play board games and video games. He graduated college with a degree in Political Science, and now serves the public by writing about games. You can check that out here. Don’t forget to “like” him on Facebook as well. It’ll update you on all of his newest content. Best of all, you can follow Simeon on Twitter (@SimeonCortezano) for some real time hilarity. Thanks for reading!

 

Donate to the Extra-Life fundraiser!

 

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Join the Battleground Games & Hobbies community forums!

Please don’t forget to check us out on Facebook and follow us on Twitter @battleground_gh!

 

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Fantasy Flight Games Announces ‘Dark Heresy 2nd Edition’

 

Fantasy Flight Games has released more details about the upcoming release of Dark Heresy Second Edition.  This updated version of its rolep-laying game set in the grim dystopian future of the Warhammer 40,000 universe is scheduled to release in the third quarter of 2014.


 
Like the previous edition, this new version casts the players in the role of “acolytes” who serve a mysterious and powerful Inquisitor.  The acolytes are tasked with uncovering and investigating plots in a secret war against the Imperium.  The Second Edition introduces a new sector of the Imperium, called the “Askellon Sector,” providing an entirely new area of mystery and conspiracy for fans of the game as well as continuing to flesh out the ever-growing Warhammer 40,000 setting.


 
The 448-page, full-color hardcover rulebook includes complete rules for stand-alone adventures and on-going campaigns, a short introductory story written by Dan Abnett (Guant’s Ghost series), background information about the Askellon Sector and the Imperium of Man, and an introductory adventure, Dark Pursuits.


 
The new edition was developed based on feedback from the earlier edition’s thousands of fans, including a public beta program run by Fantasy Flight in 2013.  Rules changes include new player classes, integrated vehicle combat rules, a streamlined character creation system, and an NPC “threat rating” system to help gamemasters design encounters.


 
Dark Heresy Second Edition  will be supported by the release of a Dark Heresy Second Edition Game Master’s Kit, also scheduled to release in the third quarter with a suggested retail price of $24.95.

 

 

 

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Would you rather go to PAX East 2014 or to your Prom?

T-Minus 29 DAYS, 09 HRS, 36 MINS, 41 SECS

 

We are now less than a month away from PAX East 2014. Even better, they released the schedule of panels and tournaments moments ago. There is a slight catch, though. I’m actually not sure if it’s complete. One reason is that they don’t have the “Magic: The Gathering” tournaments listed on there. Also, from the persons themselves, there are panels I was told were going to be there that are not. Finally, usually the official PAX twitter handle tweets out big announcements like this. We’ll have to see in the next few days, I guess. However, for now we can get excited about what IS on the schedule.

 

Friday, April 11th

 

If you’re a miniatures player then you’ll be interested in this. As soon as the doors open there will be “Warhammer” and “Warmachine” tournaments in the Tabletop area. Keep in mind though, a lot of these tournaments are set up for new and casual players. However, there is a 500-point, 10-player tournament. There is no word if there are prizes for this. The other tournaments they have listed do have prizes you can earn throughout the entire weekend.

 

Something that may give a shot (if my schedule allows me) is the “Star Wars: X-Wing” miniatures tournament. These are 100-point tournaments and are hosted by Fantasy Flight Games. The cool part is that they will be awarding promotional prizes  to the participants. Which means I don’t think I have to worry about being bad at the game!

 

Later that afternoon, Battleground Games & Hobbies owner, Derek Lloyd, will be participating on a panel titled “What is Happening to Tabletop Roleplaying Games?” Here is the official description from the PAX East website:

 

“The past 20 years have been a roller-coaster ride for RPGs. The release of ‘Magic: The Gathering’ in 1993 changed the fundamental nature of the hobby gaming industry and forever altered the business of making and selling RPGs.  Explore the recent history of the category through the lens of Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder, and hear predictions for the future of the hobby.”

 

So, if you’ve got the time, go support him. Don’t forget to bring some underwear to throw at him while he’s on stage. Maybe we can make some signs as well. If you have any ideas, then leave a comment below.

 

Another event I may give a shot are the “My Little Pony CCG” tournaments. If you’re a Brony or Pegasister at heart, or are obsessed with card games in general like I am, then you may want to give these tournaments a shot. This tournament will be a sealed tournament. Don’t worry if you can’t make it to this one, they have other tournaments listed throughout the weekend.

 

Saturday, April  12th

 

Get ready for another fun filled day. Hopefully your feet won’t be hurting you as much as mine will be.

 

To kick things off, there will be an “Android: Netrunner” tournament. You’re required to bring your own decks for this one. It will be run by Fantasy Flight Games and they will have promotional prizes to give out to the participants. I haven’t played this in a more-than-casual setting, so, I am looking forward to this one. I hope I can make it.

 

The biggest thing I hope to be in is the “Magic: The Gathering” panel. That will be held at 1:30 PM in the Albatross Theatre. I plan on live-blogging from inside. So, if you can’t make it for some reason, I suggest to subscribing to my Examiner feed so you can keep up-to-date with all the news coming out of there. Here is the official description of the panel from the PAX website:

 

“Gods, heroes and monsters! What challenges will Planeswalker Elspeth Tirel face next? Learn more about this Hero’s Path as we Journey Into Nyx in the third set of the Theros block. Do you have what it takes to complete the Hero’s Path? Come by the Magic: The Gathering panel to get a glimpse of the Journey Into Nyx, get the inside track on the Prerelease and talk to some of the key R&D and Program leaders from Wizards of the Coast.”

 

The panel will be hosted by Mark Purvis who is the Brand Director for Wizards of the Coast. I wonder if other people will join him though. There were quite a few people last year on the panel.

 

Sunday, April 13th

 

This is usually just a day for me to enjoy the rest of the convention. I remember last year it was a little annoying because I had to drag all my bags to the convention center because I had to check out of my hotel.

 

Now I know I only live about 30 minutes outside of the city, but getting a hotel during the convention is really worth it, I think. It’s convenient because I feel I can come and go whenever I want to. If I wasn’t staying close in the city, I’d feel stuck. I want to be able to enjoy myself and not have that thought worrying over my head. It also allows me to be able to meet more people and hang out with them over the course of the weekend. Also, I’m staying on the edge of Chinatown in the Theatre district this year. With that said, I definitely plan on getting dinner at one of my favorite spots “The Gourmet Dumpling House.” This place is always packed, but well worth the wait. Let me know if you’d like to join.

 

Time permitting, there is something that you all may want to check out. The creators of “Penny Arcade,” Mike Krahulik and Jerry Holkins (along with Scott Kurtz and a special guest), get together and play a live game of “Dungeons & Dragons.” If you’ve never seen it, I highly recommend checking it out on YouTube. There are clips of their entire playthroughs from PAX Prime. They are extremely entertaining.

 

About the author

 

Simeon is an avid gamer who loves to play board games and video games. He graduated college with a degree in Political Science, and now serves the public by writing about games. You can check that out here. Don’t forget to “like” him on Facebook as well. It’ll update you on all of his newest content. Best of all, you can follow Simeon on Twitter (@SimeonCortezano) for some real time hilarity. Thanks for reading!

 

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Join the Battleground Games & Hobbies community forums!

Please don’t forget to check us out on Facebook and follow us on Twitter @battleground_gh!

 

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This Weekend at Battleground Games & Hobbies

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Check out what super fun events are happening this weekend at our conveniently located stores. Whether you enjoy Magic the Gathering, Warhammer, Yu-Gi-Oh and more, we have something for everyone. In addition, don’t forget that our tables are always open for play! Gather some friends, your favorite game, and stop by your favorite Battleground Games & Hobbies for a fun-filled evening! Not sure what game to play or try? No problem! Our friendly, knowledgeable staff can help or ask for a demo!

 

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Battleground Games & Hobbies

1423 Bedford Street, Abington, MA

Friday:

Friday Night Magic – Standard

Entry: $5.00. Start time: 7:30 PM

Friday Night Magic – Booster Draft

Entry: $15.00. Start time: 7:30 PM

Prizes are awarded to top finishers and feature the exclusive FNM Warleader’s Helix promo card!

Saturday:

Warhammer 40K Open Play

Open to close – play all day!

 

Sunday:

Yu-Gi-Oh Sundays – Advanced Constructed

Entry: $5.00. Start time: Noon (12:00 PM)

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Battleground Games & Hobbies

25 Taunton Street, Plainville, MA

Friday:

Friday Night Magic – Standard

Entry: $5.00. Start time:  7:30 PM

Friday Night Magic – Modern

Entry: $5.00. Start time: 7:30 PM

Saturday:

Yu-Gi-Oh Advanced Constructed

Entry: $5.00. Start Time: 7:30 PM

Sunday:

Pokemon League

Entry: FREE! Start time: Noon (12:00 PM)

To learn more about upcoming events at Battleground Games & Hobbies, please visit our event calendar and check out the forums!

 

Didn’t see an event for your favorite game? Is there something you wish for us to host? No problem! Contact us and let us know what events you would like to see in the future at your favorite local Battleground Games & Hobbies! We look forward to hearing your feedback and likewise, look forward to seeing you at our next exciting event!

 

Join the Battleground Games & Hobbies community!

Please don’t forget to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter @battleground_gh!

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