A really cool looking game I don’t know the name of.

Another shot of same.

What every gamer hopes to avoid.

My event: the Advanced Squad Leader Starter Kit.

I won my first two games (the second by decision) and then got creamed in the third. Here’s the board, while there was still some hope left. If you’ve never seen a “wargame” this won’t mean much to you—the little colored pieces are the fighting units as well as various information markers, which are maneuvered over the map board to achieve an objective. In this one I (as the American GIs) was trying to capture a small, anonymous town from some German infantry. I failed spectacularly, but didn’t much mind because it freed me to go do other things. Like look at the vendors’ display.

Mmmm. Games. “For everything else, there’s MasterCard.”

My spiffy convention badge. (Eat your heart out MLA.)