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 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.

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.

Odhinn, Thorr, Loki, Surtr! We played a new scenario for OGAM based on Ragnarok, the final battle between Norse Gods and the forces of chaos. We were with our friends from Macerata at RomaGioca. Previously we played this scenario during my and Diego’s birthday. Since then I discussed with Diego for tweaking some dynamics. So this time we had something better. This scenario will be in the next issue of Talespinner magazine. Here some photos took during the game. Miniatures and terrain from various makers.

This wargame and boardgame convention changed shape, place and organisers. Now it is 2014 and it is called RomaGioca. We are in Rome, obviously, even if this part of Rome in placed in an unknown nowhere, according to where I live. But were here a lot of familiar faces, vendors and local clubs. Photos stolen principally from Diego’s camera and Pino D’Aprile’s facebook page.

We were present as Ganesha Games with PowerLegion and OGAM: Ragnarok.

Valentino Del Castello and his Far West game.

A boat race game by ARSM.

A large display game setted in Afghanistan with Italian forces. Unprecedented huge availability of Italian modern miniatures and vehicles.

From our friends from Macerata a scenario setted among trappers and Indians.

Legio Gemina reenactors.

Some Vikings reenactors too. They smiled a lot when they saw our Ragnarok set. On the next post…

Something that I like to show you even if it is not directly related to miniatures. Carnivorous plants are common in pulp or sci-fi on jungle planets, indeed. But how they are? During a really recent trip to Padova I went to the Orto Botanico di Padova. Founded in 1545 by the Venetian Republic, it is the world’s oldest academic botanical garden that is still in its original location. In the new wing of this garden, inside a new greenhouse building, there was a convention about carnivorous plants organised by Associazione Italiana Piante Carnivore. I’m used to miniatures or comic conventions and I found this one with the same spirit. So I could admire these strange plants that drink distilled water and eat rotten insects. Lots of kinds of carnivorous plants exist. I show here some together with their trap system.

It is like a beartrap, and it uses the same activation method. Every pair of closed leafs is a victim more.

Small spheres made of glue along leafs. And insect that slowly are absorbed on them.

The following three are based on the same principle: one way cones or recipients where insects are attracted and cannot escape, plunged into a sticky liquid.

Bigger recipients. They remind me a vagina. Attraction and death.

Dangling recipients big as 1/2 litre bottles! They seems threatening…

The 12th official DBA tournament in Rome for the Italian Championship, the 11th organised by me and my miniature club chaps, Legio Palatina. However during the years we go from 6 members to 2 members involved, indeed. But children and distances (London, Switzerland, Canino) made the difference. Maybe this will be the last official tournament in Rome because we are a little tired of the same old thing. Even if we like this same old thing.

The set was Popoli del Grande Verde, that is the SeaPeople migration wars in 1200 b.C.
If you want to know more on this championship go to:
https://www.dba-italia.org
If you want to know more on this special scenario go to:
https://www.legiopalatina.it/grandeverde
If you want to know more on Legio Palatina go to:
https://www.legiopalatina.it

A beautiful day full of friends. These events are just an excuse to meet friends playing with miniatures. I won 2 and lost 2, the norm. At the end of the day I won a prize with a draw, 40€ to buy something in the shop where we were playing. I chose these second hand WWII American soldiers. The next DBA tournament will be in Arezzo at the begin of October.