Agliana was known as Hellana in Roman times. Since 11 years ago there is in this town a wargames convention. It is the most important in central Italy and now without Dadi.com in Crema maybe it is the biggest convention in Italy. I’m here every year since 2004…

This convention is inside a school gymnasium for children. The sad thing is that you cannot see outside and the day passes from dawn to sunset without seeing the sun. But there are a lot of other things to watch.

There are tables with participation or demonstrative games but they are mostly for long games and so you can pass all the day with only a game. The best looking games have got even a price given by Hellana’s organizers.
There are Italian vendors and something remain always attached to your hands during the day and magically some money disappear from your bucket. This time I bought some special decorative grasses for Flyton and a team of chaps in hunting party to add them at my vbcw troops. There was a great bring and buy this year but I resisted waiting that the best things were sold so I could save money for Salute.

Fabio is here with his Anticamente in demonstrative form. For the tourments there will be another time. Modena and Agliana were two big appointments to show his game and a lot of people seemed interested in it. But he is so busy that he didn’t sell it at conventions. I asked for a luxury copy but he has no time to print it. But his wife found time to cook this chocolate cake to offer to players. Delicious thought.

In the afternoon there was the Wings to War tournament. And like every year there is a DBA tournament. This year was the first time of Gasbarri’s child to enter in the competition while Pippo take with him his child like dice thrower. Younger generations are coming!

The fair is ended. Like all finished parties, the mood is a little bad. The other days the hotel was full of people and friends (and late night games were setted in the hall), this morning we are alone in the breakfast room. I see the desk and only 7 keys aren’t in position on 114 rooms. Mondays are always empty of holidays mood.

We want some souvenir of Modena’s food so we find a local supermarket and spent 150 euros in aceto, gnocchi fritti and other cholesterol sources.

On the road to home there is Bologna and the Museo Memoriale della Libertà (Memoir of Liberty Museum). It is a place with a private collection of vehicles like this Sherman (it is still in order) that you maybe watched in “La vita è bella” flick.
There is even a place with sequential rooms where was in action animated scenes about WWII in Bologna. Very suggestive and with real deactivated weapons.
The museum was closed but it opened for us. The guardian is a picturesque ex soldier of fortune of Algeria and Indochina wars. We woke him after a night shift…
More here

Near the museum there is Fabio and his headquarters.

I took some pictures in his office. Instead of the real work about software and pharmacology you can see little soldiers everywhere. And some previews about his TB Line. They are real photos, the office is invaded by these little things.

And here there is my viaduct, blocked. Too many things to do in these days. I told it goodbye, I will see you in the following months.

After this visit, Fabio offered us a heavy dinner on the hills around Bologna. I ate crescentine until my stomach permitted it. Thanks Fabio!

Five hours after I was at home, a little tired… next stop is for Agliana, next Sunday!

More reviews and report of this second day.

If you love London you will love this game! Graphically you have wood houses and cones of fire, on a board with a detailed map of London in 1666. You have to arson houses owned by your opponents and stop the fire in the areas near your houses. But the fire is so unstoppable and you don’t know which houses others own! A great game for a bastard play. He he he! We bought it!
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Do you want a more complicated Agricola? Do you want resources that running down and anxiety? Put all those things in a new game and you will have a German naval docks game. Too heavy for me!
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The theme is out of the context, but the game is great. An original form of positioning you pieces in areas. Very strategical but simple, fun and with possibility to gamble against your opponents. Maybe we will buy it.
More here

In the meantime there were a bunch of 3d wargames tournaments, among them the DBA.

Here you can see Di Bartolo’s Napoleonic demonstrative game.

Saturday there was a SDS tournament. During the fair there were demonstrative tables with Ganesha Games’s rules, and Sergio and Andrea.

Among other tables there were a lot about WH40k with huge scenarios and tons of miniatures.

I don’t understand what you can play in this scale with big cannons that fire infighting! Throw a bunch of dices to calculate wounds to big toys? This is a game for 2mm and not for 28mm… Stupid and a waste of money on overpriced models.

Lego is a serious thing and it is not only for children…

Laser sword learning course.

Gates opened at 9.00 in the morning. We were there! The Modena Fair is where this convention is held. This is the occasion to test a lot of games supported by volunteers that show the rules. You have to choice an empty table with a boardgame and can start to play. When we are in three or two is more simple to set something, while when you are alone you can jump where there are people who are setting the game.
Some quick review…

A game about basket. I prefer the free time with cheerleaders, but I have to give it a try because Diego was a ex-player in his school days. Well, there is the feel of basket and you can do some play with strategies. But it is only for fans. Diego spread that this game was fantastic so two friends bought it too. Now they can create a league…
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A friend told us about this game, a better version of Colour and Strategies system, he said. We never played with that system so were curious about this game. Diego is a fan of the books that inspired the theme. I’m disgusted by it instead, because I’m a fan of historical essays! The test went on with delusion. Why play with a boardgame so simple and predetermined and with ugly plastic soldiers when we are used to play with various 3d wargames and beautiful painted soldiers? Rejected!
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Each one has a culture to develop using prayers to Greek gods. It is a game about positioning your alias. The first time I saw this system was in “the Pillars of the Earth”. I understand well all the rules and what you must to do to win. As you can see I win the game with a lot of points. It’s a beautiful game with a good theme, even if there are only 10 gods when the great gods were 12.
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A card game! I tried Magic when appeared at the start, and I said: “a card game is without feel, too much complicated, you have to collect cards to win, and so I think it is without future”. At that time I worked in a game store…
This is a game with two decks: one for Axis and one for Allied. It is about superhumans in WWII, like Marvel’s Invaders. The set is complete, no more cards to buy. I tried it, I liked the theme and the mechanics, I bought it!
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The game of the year, it seems. Well, I don’t think so, but it is a great game with good graphics. It is based on a deck of 7 cards. You can choice one card and pass the others to the player on your left, and so on. This is do three times in the play. Every card have its permanent effect that built your points. Simple and quick, but if you know the cards you can built a complex strategy. Fun.
More here

Play Modena is a huge convention about boardgames, and wargames too. This year we went to Modena for a 4 days tour! We stayed in this hotel, a building with 114 rooms!

The first day a tourist trip around the city. It was he first time I saw it. Beautiful but very small, I’m from Roma, another thing. Here you can see the Duomo with his campanile dressed like a Tetris for refurbishment work.

I ate a lot in these days. Modena cousin is famous. The first night in a posh restaurant: polenta, quaglia eggs, vinegar and cheese.

And after: tortelloni with pumpkin inside.

At the convention we ate tigelle with a mixture of garlic, lard and grana cheese!

Saturday was a hard day to found some place not overcrowded. At last we ate a great pizza. Mine with salty ricotta and small tomatoes.

Sunday night it was very calmer. A lot of people was on the way to home. So we ate in city centre where someone from Ganesha told us about a beautiful waitress. He was fucking right.
We ate tagliatelle with prosciutto and porcini mushrooms, boiled rice with vinegar and grana, tortelloni with asparaguses.

And to end the night this light combination of cream and chocolate.

I’m falling asleep… And almost without voice, too much loud chatting with friends. I’m just returned from Terni for the latest DBA tournament. Terni is very near to Rome, only 1 hour or something more, but there was traffic along the way.
The result was not so great but usual: two won, two lost. A draft. Here you can view the fight for the first position.

New location, always outside the centre. A place for the meeting of elder people, very large, and with the worst bar around (it is equipped with only 1 snack and 3 crisps packets, you can starve at death). A little sad, but this time there were around people with little lead people. The weather was frosty too. But there were a lot of friends, so we had a happy party. Under there is the social dinner.

And here there is the Ganesha Games counter with our friend Andrea back from Ukraina. You can see his iphone and ipad, while he is working on new rules during the tournament. I picked up a couple of new rule sets that I cannot have before.

We are here again!

Every two months there is this event in Rome for train collectors. This time we are at full force: Renato who looking around for scratched trains to rebuilt them for Japan, Paolo who wants more for his 1:144 city, me for some pieces for Flyton, and Franci to put some feminine elegance among us.

A lot of people around, and this time seems that is the best to find something. I leave a lot of pieces on the counters. Maybe another time I will pick those things.

I would like to put some lights on my scenario. However I found these tunnels and they are great, made of hard resin and very cheap!

I decided that in Flyton there is a side with a face blocked by a cliff. And this is the tunnel under the hill. Here is with bricks at the end, but that piece will be used to the sides of the tunnel door.

Here the same scene from the top. In Flyton I will put something on the upper part to hide the structure. I have this idea because in games there are always the forbidden parts of the terrain where your minis cannot go, the extremes of the world. Well, this time one extreme is really closed, but with a hole where troops can escape.

I saw this resin piece with metal rubbish so I bought it to put it in a part of Flyton, in a yard near the viaduct I think. There will be necessary a paintwork to have a more varied look of this piece.

The best of show this time was a HO junkyard all in rust colours, with a huge amount of little pieces, ruined wagons, abandoned cars, military surpluses. And among the stuff, little orange men are working to recycle this mess. Wow, I like the romantic feeling of rust!

This is Christmas time, or better, it is gift time! Here in Roma there are a lot of Christmas markets without soul, always the same stuff, all is equal on every counter.
There is a traditional market in Piazza Navona too, also knew abroad, but every year I ask to myself why it is so boring. Apart from the Christmas decorations, the other things are poor toys and sad caravan games from amusement parks. And the atmosphere is tired. The only fun element is when someone sells, undisturbed under police eyes, prohibited articles as illegal firecrackers or danger toys.
Since a couple of years there is a Japanese market in Rome too.

This market runs for only a day every three months. It was started by two brothers from Japan who have opened a shop. It collects young vendors with the passion of Japan and obviously some of them are from Japan. You can find Japanese items as bento or gashapoon, but there are even things made here with a Japan feel in them. Italians love Japan and its culture, as Japanese love Italy and its culture.

There is second hand stuff or articles privately bought by mail in Japan.

You can find articles to decorate your room, and handcrafted stuff at most. Even handcrafted jewels for girls.

A joy are these items decorated like cakes, with chocolate and whipped cream. I had hungry after I saw them. Fortunately there was a stand with some Japanese food. I ate a sweet with beans cream as in Doreamon animes.

There were cosplayers too. Every occasion is good to be dressed like a manga! And there was stuff for Gothic Lolitas too. Apparently not so Japanese, but you have to remember that this culture is from Japan.

I bought some gifts for my female friends. I think I return here the next market.