It's Monday night, I am back from Gencon, worn out as all heck, but had a great time.

First up on the personal front, our Hotel was great, while it was a 20 minute drive from the convention hall it cost us about 1/3 the price. They made a mistake with the room and we got upgraded to a suite accross the street at the hotel with the Pool, and breakfast buffet. To make up for this “mistake” they gave us free breakfast every morning…suasage, waffles, potatoes, bacon, juice…mmm. We found parking every morning on the first try (so no driving around to find an open garage).

The games were awsome, lots of new stuff being shown off. I picked up the rulebook for Malifaux a card driven skirmish game. Got various minis and a few other things. Spent about 300 on toys. I also got a game I will review when I download it. Ex Illis is a Hybrid Computer Game/Mini game. I bought it for the nice figures, and the best play mat around. You do not roll dice, the computer and your own reflexes determine who wins the battles. WOTC made the announcment that Dark Sun will be the next campaign setting. I am interested and plan to give it a try.

The games I played in where fun. WOTC was putting on Delves all week, you had 1 hour to get through 2 encounters with a group of 6 pregen characters. I got to play a Barbarian, Warden, Druid, and Artificer for the first time. Want to give a few of those a chance. When you play you win tokens that can be spent on advantage cards for LFR, alt paints of D&D minis, as well as a Dice box. Got a few minis, card, and kept the tokens for action points. Colt my LFR character got some use in a special Gencon only LFR adventure. It was in interesting expereince as I gamed with a faction of “Gay Gamers” who meet every Gencon to play. I am pretty sure I was the only striat guy in the group, however I must say it was one of the best groups I gamed with ever (ok 2nd best). I kid you not, one guy played a Sorcerrer who marked his spell efects with sparkly Purple Pipe Cleaners. The Bard (yes I know gay and bard are redundant, but I digress) was a flute player!

I competed in my first Gencon Painting contest and took 2nd in Dark Age, won 40 bucks in minis and a hat. Also won best painted Helldorado army, however the army that won was not mine, I had painted them for someone else. He gave me his prize as I was the artist after all. Took 3rd in that contest.

Here are some of the highlights

http://s90.photobucket.com/alb…..encon2009/