My girlfriend had the last laugh about my drive to Cold Wars. this April. She had been envious because we were cruising there in my friend Allen's convertible. So, what happend? It rained the whole way there!

Attendance seemed down, this year. I think shifting itback a month or so conflicted with too many other cons already scheduled in April (like Columbus' Capcon). Thankfully, next year it moves back to March. Cold Wars is still my favorite and I enjoyed Luke Warm Wars every bit as much. For the first time, we stayed in the convention hotel. This is definitely the way to go -- no worrying about jackets and so convenient for rest breaks.

The games kicked off Friday afternoon with a bloody "Matchlocks on the Warpath" skirmish. Chinese and Portuguese/Spanish allies were cutting off the escape of marauding bands of English pirates. My scalliwags were swarmed under by three times their number of Chinamen, but gave a hearty account of themselves. In the evening, I played a "beer and pretzels" WWII aerial game as a "Flying Tigers" squadron scrambling against a Japanese raid on our airfield. One of my four P-40s was shot down and two damaged, but I drove off two squadrons of Japanese bombers or fighters.

Of course, Friday's Midnite Madness is always a highlight. As usual, my friends and I lugged along our cooler of beer, our armies, and hopes of making it to the tournament finals. In the first round, I drew my friend Jason and his Seljuk Turks. My Goths slaughtered him mercilessly. A quirk in scheduling meant I faced my friend Allen, next. Knowing he was my ride home on Sunday, I cleverly lost to him (What? You don't believe me?). Allen and our friend Tom advanced to the "Elite Eight" of the field of 32. Both fell in the next round, though, which simply prompted us to finish our beers and complete the tradition with an early, early breakfast at Denney's.

Saturday, I played in Frank Chadwick and Old Glory's spectacular "Battle of Culloden." I commanded the infantry of the English left wing, which historically was mauled by the clans. History repeated, and it was only due to unlucky Jacobite dice that I survived. Sunday brought the DBA periods tournament, in which Columbus brought home a handful of laurels. Two of us won our divisions and another lost his finals. A successful morning of ancients concluded a successful weekend of gaming--even if we never had real "top down" weather for the convertible!