CSRA Gamers Association Newsletter May 2010, Volume 3 Issue 5
Card and Collectible Miniature
Games!
By Mike Baker
CSRA Gamers Association
It seems that there are card games for almost every
subject. First up, lets discuss the new Warhammer
Invasion which is a Living Card Game (LCG). The
best description of this is type of game is a
Collectible Card Game (CCG) which is sold in non
random expansion packs. Everyone will get the same
cards in each expansion, thus eliminating the “grab
bag” nature that sets the tone for CCG’s. These
games and CCG’s are often great games in their own
right, but also make great opening or closing games
for a gaming session which is starting or ending. To
date, Fantasy Flight Games seems to have the market
on this type of game.
Collectible Card Game’s (CCG) include such
venerable classics as Magic and Yugioh. Board
Game Geek has the best description of this card game
genre.
“This type of game uses a basic rule
structure and a large assortment of cards which each
have characteristics that contradict or supplement
the basic rules. Each player selects a number of
cards that they own to create a deck which they use
in the game. This allows players to predetermine
their strategies. The game rules define how many
cards must be used and how many copies of each
single card are allowed. Cards are sold in "booster
packs". Packs contain a fixed number of cards and
usually include one "rare" card, some "uncommon"
cards, and the bulk of the pack contains "common"
cards. Rare cards are generally more powerful or
efficient than uncommons or commons, which can
lead to the problem that the person who has spent the
most money on cards wins. The original collectible
card game was Magic: The Gathering. Its incredible
success spawned dozens of copycat games. Some
were good; many were awful. Other examples are
Middle-earth CCG, Pokemon and Netrunner”.
RPG spoof games. There have been at least a couple
card games that pick fun at role playing games
(RPG’s). The best example of this game is
Munchkin by Steve Jackson Games. Below is a
description from Steve Jackson Games…
“Go down in the dungeon. Kill everything you meet.
Backstab your friends and steal their stuff. Grab the
treasure and run.
Admit it. You love it.
This award-winning card game, designed by Steve
Jackson, captures the essence of the dungeon
experience... with none of that stupid roleplaying
stuff. You and your friends compete to kill monsters
and grab magic items. And what magic items! Don
the Horny Helmet and the Boots of Butt-Kicking.
Wield the Staff of Napalm... or maybe the Chainsaw
of Bloody Dismemberment. Start by slaughtering the
Potted Plant and the Drooling Slime, and work your
way up to the Plutonium Dragon...
And it's illustrated by John Kovalic! Fast-playing and
silly, Munchkin can reduce any roleplaying group to
hysteria. And, while they're laughing, you can steal
their stuff.”
These games provide many good laughs and fun
times and also make good games to play at the
beginning and end of game sessions.
Finally, there are such classics as hearts, spades, and
canasta which provide hours of fun using the classic
playing cards. So, card games are a great game and
deserve an honest place in every gamers’ closet.
Collectible Miniature Games come in a variety of
styles and genres. Board Game Geek provides an
interesting description of this genre.
“Collectible Components games are ones where the
components required to play the game are purchased
incrementally, rather than all at once.
Collectible Components games can be some of the
most interesting games because they can be expanded
as far as your budget allows. However, this often
makes them quite costly to play.
These games have a transitory nature as reprints
really aren't possible. Collecting a "complete set" for
many of these games could be considered a hobby.
The most popular Collectible Components games
come in the form of Collectible Card Games (CCG)
or Miniatures games.”
The most popular collectible miniatures games in the
CSRA have been Monsterpocolypse (Mon Poc to the
aficionados) and Axis and Allies War at Sea. Next in
line would be Axis and Allies miniatures, and Star
Wars Miniature Battles.
With the new release of Operation Zebra in June, we
will certainly see a jump on A&A War at Sea gaming
as folks add new ships and planes to their fleets.
Upcoming CSRA Events Memoir ‘44 D-Day Event
May Arsenal Games and Hobbies
May 8 - Saturday Host Mike Baker
2nd Saturday - Magic Tournament ABX Gordon Mike will be hosting a running of the D-Day events
Hwy. 1650 Gordon Highway, Augusta GA. of June 5-6 using the Memoir ’44 game system. Play
will start at 11AM and run until we make it through
May 15 – Saturday the D-Day scenarios in the basic rules. If anyone
‘Ard Boys Tournament wants to run an Overlord version, that would be
ABX Gordon Highway 1650 Gordon Highway, great!
Augusta, GA
Registration Starts at 10 AM June 5 – Saturday
Play Starts at 11 AM Arsenal Games and Hobbies
HOW THE ‘ARD BOYZ WORK Warhammer 40K Apocalypse Game
The ‘Ard Boyz is a series of three tournaments Host Lloyd Nietto
designed to find the best 40k player in the nation. The Bring your 40K gear and throw down with some of
first tournaments, the ‘Ard Boyz Qualifiers, will be the best players in the CSRA!
held on May 15th, 2010 at scores of locations around Start Time 11AM
the country. The top three finishers in each
tournament will be asked to attend the Regional ‘Ard June 12 - Saturday
BoyzSemi-finals on June 12th. Locations of the Flames of War
Semis will beposted on the GW web site shortly after Arsenal Games and Hobbies
the Preliminary Round and will be scattered across D-Day Paratrooper Event
the country. The top three finishers at the Semis will Hosted by Norman Schwartz
be asked to attend the Finals held at the Chicago Norman will be hosting a FOW mission focused on
Battle Bunker on July 17th, 2010. If any of the top the paratrooper engagements of June 5-6. Points and
three finishers from a Qualifier or Semi-final are Units TBA.
unable to attend the next round, the invitation will be Start time 11AM
transferred to the fourth place winner and so on.
There is no entry fee for any of the tournaments. Saturday June 26 CSRA Gamers Meeting
Augusta Book Exchange
May 16th - Sunday 1650 Gordon Highway
Warhammer Invasion Constructed Tournament - Theme: Science Fiction Games
ABX Bobby Jones, 592 Bobby Jones Expressway, Start time 1 PM
Augusta, GA Sign Up 1PM, Play starts 2PM, Cost $5 End Time 7 PM
Planned games include Warhammer 40K, Future War
May 22 – Saturday Commander, and Firestorm Armada.
CSRA Gamers Meeting ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Theme Collectible Card and Miniature Games Regional Events
Arsenal Games and Hobbies May 28-30
198 S. Belair Rd. Martinez, GA Nashcon
Presented by HMGS Mid-South
May 28 Saturday Franklin, TN
Arsenal Games and Hobbies http://hmgs-midsouth.org/
198 S. Belair Rd. Martinez, GA
11AM June 4-6
Ubiquity RPG Demo Game Master Jeremy Miller Rapier
Game Description From their site Jacksonville Clarion Hotel
“… Hollow Earth Expedition, a pulp adventure http://www.rapiercon.com/
roleplaying game inspired by the literary works of Jacksonville, FL
Edgar Rice Burroughs, Jules Verne, and Sir Arthur
Conan Doyle. The subterranean action is powered by June 10
the Ubiquity Roleplaying System, an innovative Axis and Allies War at Sea Operation Zebra Release
roleplaying system that emphasizes storytelling and Date!
cinematic action.”

June 5 - Saturday