PrezCon was an outstanding venue for boardgamers (and miniatures gamers and. card players) again this Year -- especially in the wake of the, big blizzard: Although my husband couldn't attend the event, held Feb.19-23, I drove south to Charlottesville to game 'til I dropped. I arrived a bit late on Wednesday evening, but still managed to get into games of Puerto Ricos Princes of Florence, and Ra. The last two functioned primarily to remind me of the rules. It is always refreshing to find tournament-level players who are willing to take the time to initiate newbies (or just dog memory cells). I hadn't remembered liking Ra much, but Michelle Goldman's enthusiasm made the game enjoyable enough that I played several heats and made it into the final.

Perhaps it was the new track scheduling,, but I managed to find.:few breaks long enough to grab a bite to eat. With around 400 people registered for the convention, I had enough players for a good Galaxy tournament, the final was very competitive. The junior's tournaments: early in the week were lightly attended-we had to postpone Titan: The Arena Junior for an hour or two until we could recruit a few more players. However, as time went on, more Juniors showed up, and regardless,. the ones Who attended had fun playing the adult versions of the tournaments. (Two of them. were runners-up amongst the adults.) Juniors tournaments are an outstanding way to involve the next generation in our hobby. I encourage 'gainers of every genre to involve youngsters. Not only will such efforts keep our hobby alive, but also they may yield new strategies for. your favorite games. (Youth isn't hindered by standard strategies.

Of course, experience yields its own advantages. Harold Siegehnan, the Puerto Rico winner played the game on-line more than 800 times as his warm-up for the tournament. I played against him in the semi-finals and watched the master at work. It didn't seem to matter quite what we did--we always played into his hands. I'll need. a few more games under my :belt before I feel anywhere near his league. Anyone interested in getting in some extra experience playing .Euro Games with players from around the world should visit www.beettspielwelt.de. There is an English interface, though it isn't always easy to get started. Boardgame Geek (wpvw.boardgamegeek.com) offers some tips if you don't have a friend to give you the inside track.

Anyone who, loves World War II air games and model airplanes missed out on Ed Wagamon's Table Top Aces game, which is based on Avalon Hill's Mustangs' rides: Participation was outstanding again this year. He always puts a lot of effort into making things look fabulous and creating: fun interaction. Players can walk in late, with no experience, and still end up deeply enthralled by the air-to-air combat. It's true, I like this game so much I've driven clear to Charlottesville just for a chance to fly a Yak 9 on a Sunday afternoon! If you haven't seen the game at PrezCon (or at out Game Day), and you like the genre, you should keep in mind that Ed's gaining group is only 2 hours away. :

Another big hit was Star Wars: Queen's Gambit. Bruno and Bud Sinigaglio came from Fairbanks and Denver, respectively, to run the tournament. They ensured that Jedis and Siths and palace guards and Gungans and Battle Droids were in full flavor.