Lila Miller, A&E Editor
This past weekend, gamers, nerds and geeks of all kinds united to celebrate gaming culture at this year’s third annual Guild Con. Sponsored by a trifecta of local businesses, the Guild Hall, Jolly Goblin Games and the Chromatic Dragon, the four-day event never lost out on fun.
The event focused primarily on gaming and other aspects of the culture. It revolved around three different venues, though centered mainly within the Guild Hall, a mecca for all things gaming-related.
Michael Britt, SCAD sound design major and Guild Hall gatekeeper in charge of members and customer entry, remarked that they had “ran out of lanyards and badges day one and had to keep printing more schedules each day. At least a hundred people came the first day, besides members of the hall. There’s always issues with people who aren’t members, but overall it went really well. It was fun to meet new people, and hopefully they’ll come back around.”
Thursday evening featured an “Intro to Magic: The Gathering” workshop at Jolly Goblin Games, as well as a performance by the Dirty Dolls, which comprised a troupe of girls incorporating burlesque dance with a nerd-aesthetic at the Chromatic Dragon.
The Chromatic Dragon is a downtown pub, aptly described as a gamer’s paradise. Consoles and wide-screen TVs line the walls and the menu offers playful appetizers and meals such as “The Diddy Kong” and “Bean me up, Scotty!”
Friday’s activities consisted of several Magic: The Gathering tournaments at Jolly Goblin Games, a gaming store, conveniently nestled between the Guild Hall and the Chromatic Dragon.
The shop featured a large selection of board games, card games like Cards Against Humanity, as well as books and of course, gaming paraphernalia like cards, accessories and several rooms to play the games themselves. Con-goers on Friday and Saturday also managed to peruse the “Artist’s Alley” where local artists share their wares.
One artist present, Mirana Reveiller, started the first two years of her art education career at Armstrong.
“It was great to be out in the community and enjoy the experience of being with people who enjoy fantasy, gaming, sci-fi, and art,” Reveiller said.
Saturday held more workshops, tournaments and panels. All day people played Pathfinder Society and Couch-Co-op games. There were also Smash Brothers, King of Tokyo and Mario Kart tournaments to play and watch.
The Jolly Goblin also saw several demonstrations, with a pre-release of Magic: The Gathering’s new Kadalesh set. Teams of two had one hour to develop a deck and another hour to play an opposing team in what rounds referred to as “two-headed giants.” Teams consulted their partners and strategized over how they would emerge victorious.
The last day of the con wrapped with more tournaments and several gaming demonstrations open to people from seasoned-gamers to even the most novice.
The third annual Guild Con at the Guild Hall, Jolly Goblin Games, and the Chromatic Dragon was largely a success and as they packed away the World of Warcraft cardboard cutouts, they are already waiting for next year’s event. Game over.
