The Bulwark

News and Events from Blythe's Bulwark, Chico, CA
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Diplomacy, Comrad.

August 05, 2010 By: Blythe Category: Leagues and Tourneys, Wargaming

Saturday witnessed the return of a Bulwark tradition, lying to your friends and enjoying a few beers while they suffer.  Diplomacy is the international game of politics and intrigue, each player makes alliances and breaks them in order the further the ends of his country. For more information on Diplomacy, check out some of our previous articles.

Arch-Duke Jared Gilmore gathered some new faces and some old as Russian swept West with the aid of Turkey. A special nod goes out to Blake Morillas who was sportsman of the evening. Playing as Austria he was first eliminated when the Germans, lead by the Arch-Duke himself, betrayed the nation and allowed Italy to sack the country.

We are looking forward to more Diplomacy games in the future. Some video was taken during the night and posted to our Facebook group, swing by and check it out.

The Road To Kublacon – Tournaments

April 17, 2010 By: Blythe Category: CCGs, LARP, Leagues and Tourneys, Magic: The Gathering, RPGA (D&D 4E), Store News, Tabletop Roleplaying, Wargaming, Warhammer 40K

That tree will rip you up!This year there will be several tournaments and organized play events that members of your FLGS will be participating in. Collectively members of the Bulwark often call themselves “Team Chico” when playing in these events to represent a solidarity and consistency of butt whoopin’ us Chicoans deliver;  this also helps organizers either separate us or keep us together to ensure a fair seeding, go with whatever story you want.

That being said one of the worst experiences imaginable is to roll up to a tournament only to find out you cannot participate because of banned cards or an incomplete knowledge of the rules.  A lot of these tournaments take time to prepare for.  Painting, planning, and playing dummy games are all fun but really just whet the appetite for a more hard core and competitive gaming moment.

Fear not, below is your hyper linked salvation!  The Bulwark has compiled the tournament rules for some of the most anticipated Kublacon events.  There are major changes in some, smaller tweaks in others, and some just point out the audacity that is needed sometimes to ensure gamers play a fair match.  The Bulwark’s unofficial motto of “If you have to cheat at [insert game here], then you have more problems in life than cheating at [insert game here]” is all well and good when playing with locals, but while it remains true even in the strangest lands, miscommunications can sometimes lead to people becoming frustrated.  The rules below sort out what happens when pride, ego, and Kublabucks are on the  line to make sure everyone has a great weekend; especially the winners.

A Game of Thrones Apparently there is a banned list! The format each game at Kublacon is in LCG Constructed. Also, note the tweaks in supporting with titles.

Common/Uncommon Grab Bag – This event uses the Magic: the Gathering Comprehensive Rules as revised February 1st 2010, which is a mere 171 page document.  On top of that, when you approach the grab bag bin, you must dip your hand in and remove a grips worth of cards.  You will be expected to hold on to these cards from anywhere between 5 – 15 seconds, and/or to turn your grip up and down.   All players will abide by a consistent set of rules.

One World By Night, Always Comes Evening LARP – While the game’s own house rules can be found here, One World By Night has their own set of rules by it’s representative player council. Those rules can be found here.

RPGA – Even the RPGA, a fan club and cooperative player body, has its own set of rules to abide by.  While most of the rules are common courtesy and can be summed up with “Don’t be a dick” and “if you have been a dick about it, please don’t play with us”, there are a few points that are interesting.  Mostly Wizards of the Coast is just covering all it’s bases with this one.

Warhammer 40K – Warhammer has a set of rules for tournament play that not only rewards savvy generals, but also well rounded hobbyists and people who are just fun to play with.  The Rogue Trader system judges wins versus losses, sportsmanship, and craftsmanship of an individual’s army.  Along with the almost Biblical tome known as the Warhammer 40K Fifth Edition Core Rulebook, the Rogue Trader system has its own set of rules here. Unlike other games Warhammer is very modular, keep this in mind when building your army. Points totals, special rules, and special events may all be included in the specific tournament you are playing in.

With all of these events going on, it’s very likely some where missed.  Many of Team Chico’s Diplomacy players “the Beer and Blades Club” will be trying to get into pick up Diplomacy rounds early on, and remember Catan regionals are held at Kublacon. If you would like to see something posted, comment  below!  The entire program for the convention can be found at Kublacon’s website or behind this link.

The Road To Kublacon – Getting Prepped

April 14, 2010 By: Blythe Category: CCGs, LARP, Leagues and Tourneys, RPGA (D&D 4E), Tabletop Roleplaying, Wargaming, Warhammer 40K

You laugh now, but wait till you see his Vampire DeckIf you were a part of the dozen people who preregistered for Kublacon with the Bulwark you already know about all the events that are happening leading up to one of the biggest gaming conventions on the West Coast.  For the next six weeks the shop will be open 7 days a week prepping for the event. Up until Kublacon you can assume that we are open and doing business while offering some exciting events.

Tuesdays, A Game of Thrones – I will be ordering several chapter packs so we will have access to as many cards in our pool as possible. Don’t forget to use sleeves for all of your cards as they are required for tournament play.

Wednesdays, RPGA – Don will be running a lot more events, after playoffs that is, to help power level characters to the next level bracket. If you want any mods specifically send an email to him or myself. You can reach Don at boucher@build.com

Open Gaming Thursdays – This is your best chance to try to get groups together for any odd ball games you want to do.  Remember there are a lot of card games that draft or demo at Kublacon, and I am able to get most games at cost with 24hours notice. Let me know if you guys need anything.

Fridays, Vampire The Masquerade LARP – The Sacramento Valley is full of LARP games for Vampire: The Masquerade. If you want to take part in the OWbN LARP going on each night at Kublacon now is the time to make a character to get some XP under your belt and get to know some of the local PCs. Let me know if you need rules, have questions, or need help in any way. Also you can email the local LARP staff at NHBNstaff@irondragongames.com.

Saturday, Boardgames – Several boardgames have regional tournaments at Kublacon, including qualifiers for Diplomacy. Let me know if you want to organize any board game events. Diplomacy and Catan are just a couple of the major games having large scale, free to enter tournaments this weekend.

Sunday, Warhammer – The local group will be focusing on finishing, touching up, and tweaking armies for tournaments. Glue and paints will be on hand for free use, so swing by if you need something.

On top of all of this we will be having a surprise contest at Kublacon for all members. More details will be posted as the con gets closer and full details will be presented Thursday the 27th of May.  Remember Team Chico is having a show of force Thursday night in the atrium before con. Either the atrium or the bar that is.

Welcome Chico Beer And Blades!

January 12, 2010 By: Blythe Category: Leagues and Tourneys, Store News

I will totally support you into Bohemia.The Bulwark is proud to welcome the Chico Beer and Blades club! This Diplomacy group has been negotiating deals, breaking alliances, and tenuously hanging onto their “friendship” for almost a year now. The group will be meeting this Saturday to discuss new league rules, the state of Piedmont, and to play a game. Visitors and newcomers alike are welcome to watch and encouraged to participate. If you have any questions feel free to contact me!