InQuest 18 - 15 - X-Files CCG: Mention
IQ news
1996 Gen Con Game Fair
Chekov and championships graced the 29th
annual Gen Con Game Fair in Milwaukee
Aug. 8-11. The show, which organizer TSR
bills as the largest game convention in the
Western Hemisphere, had over 30,000 atten-
dees and highlights aplenty.
In tournament action, defending Dragon
Dice U.S. champ Mark A. Wiker of Lancaster,
Pa., defeated Anthony Pascucci of Macomb,
Ill., for the world title. Wiker foreshadowed his
domination by winning the sealed box tourney
earlier in the con.
In a four-player round robin marathon
of ring-tossing and dwarf-hoarding, John
Barnas of Buffalo, N.Y., prevailed over Clif-
ford Yahnke of Plainsfield, Ill., to become
the Middle-earth national champion. In the
final game, Barnas' Slayer did its job, offing
Yahnke's Saruman to seal the victory. In
addition to winning cool prizes like special
"Elven" rings, Barnas and Yahnke will be
flown to London in January for the Middle-earth
world championship.
1996 Gen Con Game Fair
Chekov and championships graced the 29th
annual Gen Con Game Fair in Milwaukee
Aug. 8-11. The show, which organizer TSR
bills as the largest game convention in the
Western Hemisphere, had over 30,000 atten-
dees and highlights aplenty.
In tournament action, defending Dragon
Dice U.S. champ Mark A. Wiker of Lancaster,
Pa., defeated Anthony Pascucci of Macomb,
Ill., for the world title. Wiker foreshadowed his
domination by winning the sealed box tourney
earlier in the con.
In a four-player round robin marathon
of ring-tossing and dwarf-hoarding, John
Barnas of Buffalo, N.Y., prevailed over Clif-
ford Yahnke of Plainsfield, Ill., to become
the Middle-earth national champion. In the
final game, Barnas' Slayer did its job, offing
Yahnke's Saruman to seal the victory. In
addition to winning cool prizes like special
"Elven" rings, Barnas and Yahnke will be
flown to London in January for the Middle-earth
world championship.
The Gen Con exhibit floor was popping with
new releases, including White Wolf's Wraith
Second Edition and Fleer/SkyBox's Star Trek:
The Card Game. USPC's X-Files collectible card
game was present for demonstration pur-
poses only.
The immense hall was dominated by the
sprawling castle in the center, where TSR
revealed its new Dragonlance: The Fifth Age
roleplaying game and Advanced Dungeons &
Dragons Core Rules CD-ROM. The CD-ROM's
character and map generators look great, but if
you've got an old monitor you're out of luck-
the Windows-only software only works at 600
by 800 resolution.
Autograph lines stretched around the exhibit
hall. "Star Trek" fans could meet Walter Koenig
(Ensign Pavel Chekov from the original series)
and Garrett Wang (Ensign Harry Kim from "Voy-
ager"). Other featured guests were authors
Stephen R. Donaldson, Margaret Weis and Tim-
othy Zahn; artists Ed Beard Jr., Brom, Liz Dan-
forth, Donato, Jeff Easley, Larry Elmore, Keith
Parkinson and Robh Ruppel; and the cast of "Mys-
tery Science Theater 3000."
new releases, including White Wolf's Wraith
Second Edition and Fleer/SkyBox's Star Trek:
The Card Game. USPC's X-Files collectible card
game was present for demonstration pur-
poses only.
The immense hall was dominated by the
sprawling castle in the center, where TSR
revealed its new Dragonlance: The Fifth Age
roleplaying game and Advanced Dungeons &
Dragons Core Rules CD-ROM. The CD-ROM's
character and map generators look great, but if
you've got an old monitor you're out of luck-
the Windows-only software only works at 600
by 800 resolution.
Autograph lines stretched around the exhibit
hall. "Star Trek" fans could meet Walter Koenig
(Ensign Pavel Chekov from the original series)
and Garrett Wang (Ensign Harry Kim from "Voy-
ager"). Other featured guests were authors
Stephen R. Donaldson, Margaret Weis and Tim-
othy Zahn; artists Ed Beard Jr., Brom, Liz Dan-
forth, Donato, Jeff Easley, Larry Elmore, Keith
Parkinson and Robh Ruppel; and the cast of "Mys-
tery Science Theater 3000."
An exhibit called the Alien Archives show-
cased props from popular science fiction movies
and TV shows. Among the gems on display were
the actual Darth Vader and R2-D2 costumes from
"Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back"; the life-
size slab of carbonite in which Han Solo was
frozen; and a collection of Starfleet phasers from
various incarnations of "Star Trek."
OverPower players succumbed to the "Terror
of the West," Santa Barbara, Calif., native Cherie
Briggs. Playing in only her second tourney, she
overtook Aaron Schantz in a very tight final to
secure the OverPower national championship and
its $2,500 prize.
Chicago's Adam Jansen and Salt Lake City's
Mark Justice (the 1995 Magic national champ)
each won $1,500 in the Wyvern custom- and
sealed-deck world championships, respectively.
Tim Tracy from Indiana surprised TSR by
claiming the Spellfire world championship with-
out using a single Fourth Edition card. Tracy got
a trophy and the Winner's Cape pictured in card
No. 520 of the Fourth Edition.
- Jeff Hannes
