The Strategicon Gamex 2013 event took place at the LAX Sheraton on May 24-27. Strategicon runs three events each year and Gamex is the annual May event. Table top gamers of all shapes and ages showed up to play. Most of the action took place earlier in the weekend, but this year I was called in to help support the play testing of the in production board game Magic Ops on the 27th of May.

Table top gaming conventions often involve people playing a variety of games or setting up role-playing campaigns that take the entire weekend. While these events may not have the pageantry of an anime con or the guest line up of a sci-fi con they are some of the most fun events that you can go to if you are looking for some good conversation and some old fashioned orc slaying.

The convention was made up of several key areas: one for board games, one for role-playing, one for cards and miniatures, and one for video games. In addition to that there was also a dealer hall and an area to meet the guests and see presentations. Although, it was the last day of the event there were still several people playing in the different areas of the convention.

The Role-playing area was made up of several small panel rooms each with two or three big tables set up for people to play. Even on the last day each room had at least one game going and while covering the event I was given several invitations to join. The players seemed very welcoming and I regretted that my obligations kept me from joining a game. If you are looking to meet more players or to sharpen your DM skills events like this are a perfect place to practice.

The video game, card game, and board game areas were made up of one large room apiece. The video game area was different from most conventions due to the setup being made up of PCs. While some fan conventions may have a computer or two set up with MUGEN, Touhou, or Melty Blood it is almost unheard of to see this many PCs set up for gaming outside of an old school LAN party. The card and miniature gaming room seemed to have more games of Magic: The Gathering than anything else, but this may be due to this being the last day. The board gaming room was filled until the very end of the event. It had people playing a variety of different games that went well beyond the usual “family games” that one usually associates with board games.

The dealer hall was small, but it had a good variety of booths. Some selling books and game modules, some selling different types of games, and some selling additional material like dice and tokens. One of the booths that stood out was a booth selling custom crafted beer mugs that featured the logos of Superman, Batman, or Green Lantern. As a big GL fan I wanted to grab a mug, but I did not have the opportunity. Thankfully, I did find out that they have a store and will be showing up to more events in the future. If you are looking for new games, gaming supplies, or if you want to see some of the odder wares out there this is a nice place to check out and it will have far more than your local game shop.

One of the biggest regrets of the weekend was that I couldn’t go to every day of the event. I learned about the event on the week of from my friend who wanted me to promote his game. As I spent most of the day at his table I was able to see how the attendees act from a different perspective. When I had my time off I was able to take in the event, which was fun. If you are looking for a different kind of event then I highly recommend going to a Strategicon or other local table top gaming event.

Strategicon Gamex 2013 Gallery

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