For several years now Border Games Albury-Wodonga has run a small 'in-club' event aimed at cramming in as much board and card gaming action as we can manage in 2 and a bit days. We call this 'BorderCon'.

With the success of the Australian Games Expo (and numerous inquiries from that event) Border Games has decided it is time to open the event to the wider gaming community in an attempt to woo as many of you back to the Border as possible.

Here are the details in brief -

Date: September 19th-21st (This is the weekend prior to the AFL Grand Final and the 1st weekend of the Victorian Term 3\4 School Holidays).

Time: The gaming room will be open from 5pm on Friday night. The event will close around 2-3pm on Sunday to allow interstate gamers to get home in reasonable time.

Like the weekend of the Expo, we will be free to game till the wee hours of Friday and Saturday night.

Location: We will be using the Hume Inn, which was the venue for the social gaming over the Australian Games Expo weekend. This venue offers plenty of space for 60-80 gamers and offers a bar for light refreshments.



We encourage attendees to support the hotel if possible but have no problem if people choose to stay elsewhere.

If you do stay at the Hume Inn please be sure to tell them you are coming for BorderCon as this will help us maintain a secure booking in the years ahead. Joe and Anita are the proprietors of the Hume Inn.

Format: We are generally going for open gaming, with the emphasis on catching up with old friends, making new ones and getting acquainted with a new game or two. The weekend should be fairly relaxed and we encourage all gamers to bring a few of their favourites and new acquisitions. If we all do that we'll have plenty to play.

Dexterity Challenge - See below in cost (the Challenge costs nothing however).

Alternate Worlds - Traditionally BorderCon has been supported by Alternate Worlds Melbourne and they run several CCG events for that section of our club. This will happen again this year, but the space taken up is minimal with approximately 12-15 younger gamers taking part in those events. I plan for Joe to use the upper stage section of the gaming room, leaving the larger tables for board gaming.

Cost: Border Games will be paying for the venue all weekend. There will be an optional entry fee of $5. This money will be donated to a charity as chosen by one lucky gamer on the Sunday.

Dexterity Challenge - We will be running an informal 'Dexterity Challenge' event over the course of the weekend. The Challenge will include playing a few games of PitchCar, Zopp and Perpetual Commotion. I am hopeful of adding Crokinole and Carrom but am still in the process of confirming.

All of these games can be learnt in 5 minutes and there will be plenty of people ready to give tips and advice.

We will do our best to help gamers find suitable times to play their games and hopefully these highly social games will act as good social mixers for meeting new people and laughing at old friends.

The overall winner of the Dexterity Challenge will win the right to select the Charity of their Choice, with all money raised by the voluntary door fee going to that organisation\cause.

Lucky Door Prize - All people who donate their $5 to charity will go into the draw for a lucky door prize. The prize will be a game kindly donated by Mind Games of Albury.

Promotion: Given the tyranny of distance, we are primarily expecting Melbourne Gamers to make it for the event, but we welcome anybody and everybody to attend.

I will be sending out info to Billabong Boardgamers, Eurogamesfest Melbourne, Gamers@Dockers, and friends from the Geek and past ConVic events. If you can think of anyone I may have missed please send this info to them.

I think that about covers it. If I have left out any major details please prompt me.

We'd love to hear if you are considering coming or are definitely coming by replying to this post so we can better plan. If you have any ideas, don't be afraid to drop me a GeekMail.

We hope to hear from you and see you in September for a fun weekend.

Neil Thomson
Border Games Albury-Wodonga

PS - Before anyone asks, yes Patty will be there and the boys too for intermittent periods.

Links -

Hume Inn - http://www.humeinn.com.au/

Border Games Website - http://www.bordergamesaw.com/

About Border Games Albury-Wodonga

We are a non-for-profit club that aims to promote all forms of gaming in the local Albury-Wodonga area. We meet every Saturday in Wodonga, utilising the Trudewind Neighbourhood Centre and are open from 10am till 6pm.

The club has approximately 40 members and they play everything from Strategy (Euro and Conflict) based games to Miniatures Systems (Games Workshop, Flames of War etc), Collectible Card Games (CCG's) and Role-Playing Games. The CCG arm of the club plays out of Mind Games Albury on Thursday and Friday nights.

I'll see if I can get released from Mind Games Canberra, and if John can go AWOL!

Doh...I was about 3 Geekmails away from getting to you.

Love to have you make the trip, should be great weekend.

I just promised to take the kids to the Penguins that weekend ... wonder what I can wangle.

Hmm...If Patty could make me a Penguin Suit, I'd wear it Friday night for the kids!

Julian's intending to come up with a carload of gamers, including me!

Let me know if there's any particular games I should bring.

Any room in the car for me?

A game of "Hey! That's my fish" as a substitute.

I caught up with Brendan on the weekend. Sounds like he might have room in his car for another body. Just have to see if I can wangle a weekend away!

Sweeeet!

We're heading off tomorrow morning. Any requests for games to be brought?

collection links:
brendanm
Tyndal
mr_lunch

I'd love to be there, but Kylie and I are in a wedding soon and we have stuff to do for that!

Curses!!

Hope you guys have a great time!!

Cheers,

Giles.

Great.

I'd be happy to try any of the following -

Argicola (still haven't played yet...yeah I know)
Arkadia
Battlestations
Chang Cheng
Tribune

I created a Geeklist here if you wanted to drop a thought or two -

http://www.boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/34699

My collection can be found here. Let me know what you might like to see -

http://www.boardgamegeek.com/collection/user/Neil+Thomson?ow...

Neil

I had planned to send you Fraser for the weekend but he is sick sick sick and trust me, you would not want him as he is.

Blech!
Better bundle him up with some strong chilli and a single malt scotch. It might not help, but who needs an excuse? Hope he's well soon.

I can bring, well... all of those, since I have them all. I was considering bringing Arkadia, Tribune and Battlestations anyway. I would be very happy to play battlestations, but I've only played once so I'm not a very experienced GM, if that's okay (it'll give me something to read on the way up though since I'll need to brush up on the rules).

Chang Cheng I might not bring since it's a very large box, and I don't think there is enough game in it to justify the luggage space.

I wouldn't mind playing Oregon, Formula De, Memoir '44, Mission: Red Planet or Marvel Heroes.

Sounds sweet.

No problem getting a game of Formula De here - we have a club of Formula De lovers...just finished our Summer '08 Season last Weekend!

I have Oregon, which I bought at the Expo - happy to learn it with a few other newbies.

I'm a Memoir Nut and have all the gear. Happy to play anything here.

My 2 Week holidays start tomorrow so I'll be at the Hotel from 5pm with a Red Bull to perk me up.

Hmm, the scotch would probably go well with the Lemsip

It may even bring my voice back to normal.

Sad you're not coming, Fraser.


I'd really like to get in on a Battlestations game. I've got it, but never played it. Read the rules a few mo back. And Arkadia, cause I like Dorn.

I'd like to try Cutthroat caverns as well- lloks like it would go nicely with beer.

Isn't the Chang Cheng box mostly air? I remember tiles and some bits, and the boards. Nice game.

I played oregon twice at the AGE, happy to teach/play

I'm bringing Dune, In the year of the dragon, as well as Containers and Glory to Rome, Bus, Tyros and a few fillers.


See you tomorrow!

Me too

Sad to miss you and the family this time round Fraser...our next event is scheduled for late Feb so we'll have to catch you there.

I've got Cutthroat Caverns Gregor and the expansion. Easily fits in the box and good after a brain burner as it goes well with multiple ales.

Sounding like a busy weekend already.

This is really last minute but if anyone knows where to buy a Loopin' Louie and can bring me a copy, I'll fix you up when you get here.

My boys would play the backside out of that game...they need it in their collection.

Got to sort out those priorities...

I got mine at Big W during a toy sale a couple of years ago. I looked out for it last time, didn't see it, but I'd think it was bound to show up again.

Tell you what-- I'll bring up my copy for you. I only play it at cons for light relief, and your boys would give it more love.

Coming up with my wife and another gamer mate, Ken (Kracken on BGG). Bringing (between the two of us)

FAB: The Bulge
Manouevre
Through the Ages
Antler Island
Tomb
Wabash Cannonball
It's Alive!
Treasures & Traps
Roma
CIA vs KGB
Formidable Foes
Maya

Assorted bits and pieces that I threw in the box. Wanted to bring some esoteric/rarer games (Balaam, Elfenroads etc) but decided not to. Have to read rules etc.

See you all really soon!

There's one on ebay at the moment too

http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?type=4&cam...

But don't pretend it's for your boys. You're not fooling anyone.