Before I get into my Championship report and general Gen Con experience overall - I need to start with thank-yous.


Thank you to James W for running the whole show. Words cannot express how much work he puts in, all for the good of the community. He is organized, logical, and tireless. I have no idea how he still always had a smile on his face and had a few minutes for friendly chat no matter how many things he was juggling. He really gets great prize support (Jason K was a big help in that too) which is the icing on the cake. One of the most entertaining small moments at Gen Con for me was seeing his eyes light up when he discovered after the sealed event that there is now a FRINGE character with FORCE PUSH 4!!! (James was the first ever to win 2 regionals {2 in one season no less} and double Force push 4 was his jam.)

Thank you to Stephen Hole for judging the championship. It is a whole day and a big responsibility, and he shouldered it brilliantly (even when faced with very tough predicaments!)

Thank you to all the volunteers who helped run/organize/judge all the events. It really is hard to explain to those who haven't been how much there is to do at Gen Con. These volunteers give up large large chunks of their personal Gen Con experience in service to the community, and deserve our gratitude.

Thank you to all the customizers who provided their time, talent and materials to make the awesome custom character sculpts for the sealed tournament. It is an event that many players get even more excited about than anything else, and with the quality minis that get produced, it's no wonder!

Thank you to Richard and Zak Allen for flying halfway across the world (literally) to be at Gen Con. You were both a blast to have there (instant celebrities) and made the experience better for us all. Of course also a huge thanks to Richard for his amazing apps: Minicron, SkirmishTracker and TourneyTracker! All three were used at various times at Gen Con, with TourneyTracker being used for several of the tournaments including the Championship.

Thank you to all the attendees of Gen Con, and specifically those who participated in the SWM events. Without you - there would be no SWM at Gen Con

Thank you to my Chicago crew that I bunk with, it's always a blast hanging out and gaming with you guys!

Thank you to the Bryan Hole and the Sith Holonews Network crew for what you do week in and week out, and especially for providing commentary for the championship game. You had some folks who had no clue about the game (some family and friends of mine to name a few) able to follow along and understand what was going on, despite the poor video set up (my fault).

Thank you to everyone who watched the feed and/or listened to the commentary. It was great having such an audience, and the excitement was tangible. I really appreciated not only the support on a personal level - but also the support of the event in general. It really did feel like a positive thing for the community and I was happy for that.

Thank you to Deri "fingersandteeth" Morgan for volunteering to be the live in person judge for the championship match and offering his dining room table to play it on. Your colorful commentary was welcome entertainment.

A giant thank you to the best of the best - Jason Kiernan. We could be considered to have a bitter rivalry if either of us was bitter. Not only inarguably one of the best players in the history of the game, but also a rock solid pillar of the community in general. Even in an immensely difficult scenario - he showed unwavering integrity and sportsmanship, and strove to find the most fair solution with additional concern for the state of the game and the effect on the community. Proud to count him amongst my friends.


Finally a whole hearted thank you to the community at large. The whole Gen Con experience, and specifically the championship finals was a reminder of the fact that we really do have an amazing community. Every single person who attended Gen Con was sympathetic to the predicament of the Gen Con finals, and ultimately supportive of the not-perfect, but fairest remaining option of re-playing the game. By in large it seemed to turn what could have been a giant nasty mess into an overall positive for the game. We had the (as far as I know) biggest spectator audience of a SWM game in history - promoting our game and re-stoking excitement. It was a heartening reminder that overall it is NOT a cut-throat, back-stabbing, trash talking community after all. My opponent, the judges, the other players at the tournament - all acted like grown adults, trying to be honest and fair. It surpassed having a decision on a technicality, and an arbitrary ruling leading to fighting and contempt - into a classy mature resolution with no animosity - which actually is more important than the result of the match.

We really do have an awesome community. Despite our passion for the game and love of Star Wars causing some of us to get a bit too worked up at times (I am fully calling myself out here), in the end it is about a game we love and our that has coalesced around it. This year proved, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that the heart of our game shines bigger and brighter than any bickering online can overshadow.

My squad was Old Ben, Old Maul, Old Jaina (lol), Keshiri Temple Guard, F.O. RA-7 Protocol Droid, Faleen Spy and a Sith Ordnance Specialist.

I don't think any of those were yours, but I traded/drafted Vongerella and the Clone Shadow Trooper (which I think were yours)

Well said Tim! I really enjoyed meeting everyone and competing / playing the events
And the customs are awesome! Just packaged some to take over to Nick who I play back home...

Great times, yours in minis !
Rich

Ps. Thanks Tim for putting us up in Chicago, feeding us pizza and butter cake and taking us to gencon!
PPS. Bryan . If you need Zakky to roll yr dice on vassal next time let us know ;)