Here we go! The 1 of a 9 parts of my full report on Lucca Comics & Games 2014. Too many things to say, too much sensations. So this is only a slice of the event, what I could live.

We start with some numbers. 264454 confirmed visitors in 2013. Well, only the Saturday they sold 100000 tickets this year. And the fair is on 4 days. Maybe this time we had almost 300000 tickets. And a lot of people came only for the free areas. Too many people around that was impossible to buy tickets because it was impossible to reach the ticket offices. So we could have almost 400000 people around. In an area with almost 9000 local residents. So, imagine the crowd…

This is part of the queue for the Games pavilion, where I was. Saturday you had to wait more than 2 hours to enter.

Where I was I couldn’t note this, only some metres away and you couldn’t see what was happening…

This is exactly what I could see from my stand.

This is the walk on the walls.

Another view of the walls. This is a free area with part of the Games section.

But how to reach the walls without the queue?

Dangerous? Watch what was under the walls… On the left the access to the main Lucca door, towards the Games pavilion.

And one of the main Lucca roads…

I pick the last three photos from the web. I was enough smart to don’t think to have a walk at the time of peak people presence. In a matter of fact I made my main walk around the first day and all was extremely more liveable.

I’m back from the official presentation of Ferrum et Gloria. I was in Lucca, you know. I’m tired, very tired. So a full report only in the next weeks. In the meantime I present you the Ferrum et Gloria website, the resource to understand better what are these wargame rules. The website is in English language but the rules are in Italian. The translation will be ready and sold for Christmas, I hope. Ask Andrea to be quick!

Ferrum et Gloria, the website

I’m moving toward Terni by train. Then toward Lucca by Andrea’s car. Then four days of madness in the comics (and games, and cosplay, and whatever…) convention of the year, the third in the world as presences (264454 confirmed visitors in 2013, but more if you calculate the free areas; the city of Lucca has 87467 habitants). I will be present with the paperback of Ferrum et Gloria, after four years in the making. See you in Lucca Comics & Games 2014! Game pavilion (Carducci), near Miniature Island, S11 stand.

3Evan is a model makers and wargamers Italian team that we met at Lucca C&G convention. We are thinking to work together on something. I bought a mecha sculpted by them for their Epoque rules. I thought that resin could be easy to handle. Moreover, could be intriguing the using of special effects by Vallejo ranges as “Metallic Medium”, “Crackle Medium” and “Pigment Binder”. So I was too much confident and I made a lot of mistakes. I painted all one time, applied great decals and than I had to dissolve all due to ugly varnishes results. So I repainted all and applied not so great new decals. When I assembled all I discovered that some pieces had to be modelled by hot water for a better shape, and pivots were needed if you wanted to don’t pose it in a fixed way. This is called preliminary assembling by REAL modellers…

If you are more skilled and smart than me, you can buy these great models here: https://www.3evan.it/Epoque/model.html

However this is my result… Urban camouflage and some rust. Better than I expected after all my mistakes…

An expedition of the Ganesha Games team (I and Andrea) towards Rufina, a wargame convention on the hills at the east of Firenze. Inside a villa.

Our vendor stand.

My display game.

This is my biscuits tin arena with cork walls. Small but very beautiful. And with a little of drama added.

On the right side of the villa the open area for wargames.

From Macerata this scenario with Englishmen versus Indians.

Fight on the sands to determine the right name of God.

Italians in Africa to build an empire.

The theme of Salute 2015: Agincourt.

A radio controlled tank in 1/6 scale.

A model of Italians in Africa in 1942. During this convention there was even a modelling show.

A diorama with Russians.

Naval modelling.

A beautiful German ship.

A german submarine with interiors. Have you ever watched Das Boot?

With Autumn, Romics came. This is the second annual edition of the Roman convention about comics and cosplay, with games added. We haven’t a table because people is not interested in wargame but cards games as Magic. Sometimes you can spot Warhammer. Cultural issues are not contemplated, all is about comics and gadgets vendors. Cosplay is the only thing that provides huge hordes of people (more than 100000 presences?) in this far land outside Rome. But to be free from the crowd we visited the fair only the first day, Thursday, so we couldn’t see lots of naked girl around.

Japan is worshipped in every form. Here one of stands with Japanese blades (but made in China and sold though San Marino state). At the end a ramen shop. However this Romics edition will be remembered as the one with 28 people intoxicated by rotten sushi sold in the fair.

A vendor specialised in coloured wigs. Yes, we are in a comics fair…

“Mommy, I want the RedSkull bust!”. And the vendor eats a panino with roasted pork (porchetta).

Some toys prototypes. Ma.K.s!

This time was present the local 1/6 action figures maker called Kaustic Plastik.

A new gladiator set in the box was presented as preview.

Their 1/6 real metal helm collection. I bought the secutor one and one of the legionary types.

And now another kind of action figures. Big breasts here.

Other fine imports from Japan.

And if you don’t understand, more Japan porn for you…

We met our friends of Elara, sci-fi editors. And after we visited the film area, where we viewed a trailer of the upcoming Doreamon film. It is like the anime but in 3D. I want to watch it!

In the late afternoon, under a raining sky, we proceeded toward the Ikea near my house to buy a new large bookcase for Andrea’s miniatures.

I’m very happy 🙂 Today is arrived the paperback at Andrea’s house. This is the first printed edition of the rules. Tomorrow Andrea will in Empoli in a wargame convention and people can buy the book as preview. Official presentation will be in Lucca, the games and comics event of the year here in Italy (230000 participants). Sorry, at the moment only paperback edition in Italian language. The pdf in Italian will be available after Lucca. The translation in English language will be available before Christmas.

We started a new products line for Ganesha Games. We are utilising the international vendor called Zazzle to produce merchandise using graphics from our games. We opened a store with Ganesha Games products. Shipments are from various nations in the world at bargain prices. Every purchase on this site support Ganesha Games and helps us make more games. More merchandise is on arrival.

We have an entire line dedicated to Ferrum et Gloria. As this mug with scissor vs retiarius. Toast to your victories, or have your opponents for breakfast with this two-tone mug (maroon interior – the colour of dried blood!).
Moreover buttons or magnets with the book cover. Wear this button before entering the arena! The crowd will cheer and you will look stylish. And place the magnet on your fridge to keep fresh your meal for champions.

And a t-shirt with the logo. The dark red colour will hide your wounds allowing you to deal the final blow to your opponent.

Direct links: mug, buttons, magnets, t-shirt.