Wars waged at Forbury Park
TO the victor go the spoils — or the bragging rights at least.
Wars were waged, battles were won and lost all within the four walls of the Forbury Park Raceway event centre at the weekend.
The annual SouthCon tabletop gaming convention attracted more than 50 miniature tactician enthusiasts from throughout New Zealand.
On Saturday afternoon, some players were duelling on a World War 2 battlefield, while others were fighting skull demons and dragons on a fantasy world.
The rule books are an inch thick and a tape measure is needed to accurately move each intricate playing piece.
Declan Kallaghan and his opponent for the afternoon, Guy O’Malley, were playing a fantasy battle game based on the The Hobbit and dozens of detailed characters from the novel were dispersed amid detailed terrain and buildings.
One roll of the dice could be disastrous but it was as much a game of strategy as luck.
Nearby, Richard Shield, from Christchurch, was commanding a unit of the Danish army against Napoleon’s French army, under the watchful gaze of Mike Hannan, from Mosgiel.
Mr Shield said he played only historic battle games, which could last up to four or five hours.
‘‘It’s all about strategy. You have to be sharp and play with whatever the roll gives you.’’
Convention convener and Otago Miniature Tacticians Society member Richard Bell said tabletop gaming was accessible to everyone.
The society met on the first and third Sundays of each month and anyone was welcome to join.