Serious gamesmanship on display at C2G2 ‘Game Night’

By John Burbridge sports@charlescitypress.com

CHARLES CITY — While doing a little online research on “Warhammer,” a strategic all-out battlefield game set in a dystopian science fiction/fantasy universe that even Sean Bean wouldn’t dare to tread into, you’ll occasionally come across this warning:

Backstory and Miniatures No Longer Canon.

That’s why Andrew Chatfield has plenty of up-to-date literature to issue to would-be and novice players to make sure everyone’s on the same page — or rather same catalog.

“This game is real big in Chicago,” said Chatfield, who recently relocated to Charles City. “There are tournaments … there are clubs that get together and play it all night.”

At the Bethany Alliance Church social and recreational building — the BAC Shack — Chatfield was setting up a pitched Warhammer battle on a pool table. While studying the positions of the miniature creatures, warlocks, wizards, rat-like demonic orcs and a “Bastiladon” which is a slow-moving but nearly impenetrable triceratops-type creature that — like a modern-day battleship — can deliver death blows from miles away … or from the other side of the table … you sense that Nepoleon never had it so easy.

“What I’m hoping for is to get more people around here to play it … to try it out,” Chatfleld said. “There’s a lot to it, but once you get into it you can get hooked like me.”

Chatfield was part of a well-represented group of board and video gamers who gathered Saturday night at the BAC Shack for the first C2GC: Charles City Geeks and Gamers “Game Night”.

“We hope to hold these maybe every other month or so,” said Jacob Gibson, who helped organize the event, as well as supplying some of the equipment for the video games.

“They have something like this in other towns and cities,” Gibson said. “It’s a good way to have a little fun and meet new people who enjoy doing the same thing … play games.”

Though Gibson helped supply much of the video equipment, Chatfield’s wife, Amy, came with vast array of board games.

Her favorite among the collection is “Mysterium” — a “Clue”-like game where contestants work together yet compete against each other while trying to solve a 30-year-old murder.

Though the game may resemble “Clue”, it does incorporate a “Hamlet” theme where the ghost of the victim empowers the makeshift group of sleuths with psychic powers.

“You receive these cards with abstract visions, and these are the way the ghost gives you clues to the crime,” Amy said.

Unfortunately for Monopoly fans, that game isn’t part of Amy’s cache.

“Monopoly is a great game … don’t get me wrong,” Andrew said. “People often play it with their families on Thanksgiving. And there is a reason why games like Monopoly and Risk have lasted so long.

“But board games have evolved so much recently. They are more complex, and you learn more of the psychology of your opponents when you play against them.”

For future “Game Nights”, Gibson said they will post information on the “C2G2: Charles City Geeks and Gamers” Facebook page.

“We had a good turnout for a first night,” Gibson said. “We ordered pizza. Since this is a church building, we can’t have alcohol.

“But that’s alright with me. There are other things to do on a Saturday night than drink at a bar.”