Dice Tower West - The Culture
WSBG & Banzai's Box Social
Dice Tower West welcomed a full schedule of engaging events, from the intense competition of the World Series of Board Games to casual & friendly get-togethers of otherwise on-line communities.
I played to triumph & tragedy at the World Series of Board Games Las Vegas Regional Qualifier. My victory in Lost Ruins of Arnak brought me to devastating defeat at the semi-finals table of Ark Nova. Getting beat on a single Conservation Point has me recounting & replaying every move that could have been done better. I played to win, even though I fell short. I did fill my zoo though.
I was surprised to find that the majority motivation at the convention was playing to play. The love of the games themselves is what powers the purest player, with no need of victory validating the experience. This energy was most evident during Banzainator’s meetup sponsored by Warped Reality Games.
Banzainator’s brilliance is in her ability to let the glory of the good games shine through. Her community showed up & sat down in full support to play from the exciting assortment of titles to choose from. A serious decision dilemma set in during selection of what to play 1st.
I didn’t attend with a friend, but was quick to make some at the door, twins to be specific. I thought I was seeing double. I canceled on a SHŌBU tournament to attend this ‘box social,’ so finding it on the table was a calling that couldn’t be ignored. SHŌBU is like checkers player on 4 boards that resembles something of Japanese antiquity. Really it’s a modern adaptation of ‘Go’ by Smirk & Dagger Games. It’s simple in nature with the goal of sliding your opponents stones off 1 of the 4 boards with your own. I learned it, taught it, & played it with both brothers. No award of a tournament trophy in this setting, just a handshake with the blessing of ‘good game.’
After SHŌBU was boxed back up & left for the next guys, we shifted to STRIKE. It’s like Gladiator with dice. STRIKE’s dice tray is built like the Roman Colosseum & your dice are the your warriors you send into the pit of battle. You start with 9 dice/gladiators. Each turn you toss at least 1 or as many as all into the pit. Any matches return to your supply. Any that land on ‘X’ die by the sword & are eliminated from the game.
This game was an abrupt transition from the deliberate strategy of SHŌBU to arrogantly aggressive luck-pushing. You could just play it safe & pass after a single toss to save your gladiators for the next battle, or you could go ‘all-in’ & let the gods decide. Of course, I left fate in the hands of the gods!
My trip to Las Vegas wouldn’t be complete without getting a little taste of the action. I found an open spot at AEG’s Ready Set Bet table & put it all on the longshots. Big bets get made as the dice rolls advance wagered horses down the track. This by far was the rowdiest game of the convention. The 11/12 horse I backed had a powerful start, but just fizzled out at the finish for 3rd.
This was an unforgettable experience. No championship or title was necessary here to make it meaningful. Even the host of DTW, Tom Vasel, showed up to celebrate Warped Reality’s Manatee Sanctuary on Kickstarter.
