PRINTStrategy Gamers Society battles with wits
These gamers don't sit in front of the TV; they gather around old-fashioned board games
April 12, 2012 | 12:00 a.m. CST
Employees and customers at Valhalla's Gate talk about the different tabletop games they play during it's weekly strategic gaming night. Popular games include Warhammer, Settlers of Catan and Ticket to Ride.
Coffee and Games and More
Game: Carcassonne
When: Sunday, April 15, 1:15 p.m.
Where: Dunn Bros. Coffee (1412 Forum Blvd.)
Cost: Free
Online: meetup.com/Coffee-and-Games-and-More/
Call: 573-446-4122 (Dunn Bros.)
The Mid-Missouri Role Players Group
Game: Pathfinder Sleighers of Bunnies (SOB)’s
When: Every other Saturday, 1 p.m.
Where: Valhalla’s Gate
Cost: $1
Online: meetup.com/The-Mid-Missouri-Role-Players-Group/
Call: 573-442-9909 (Valhalla’s Gate)
4th Ed. AD&D Adventure
When: Saturday, April 14, 1 p.m.
Where: Valhalla’s Gate
Cost: Free
Online: meetup.com/The-Mid-Missouri-Role-Players-Group/
Call: 573-442-9909 (Valhalla’s Gate)
Kings of Chi Town 1931
When: Friday, May 4, 7 p.m.
Where: TBD
Cost: Free
Online: meetup.com/The-Mid-Missouri-Role-Players-Group/
Mid-Missouri Strategy Gamers Society
Game Nights
When: Every Tuesday, 6 to 9 p.m.
Where: Valhalla’s Gate
Cost: Free
Online: hexagonia.com
Call: 573-442-9909 (Valhalla’s Gate)
Monthly Meetings
When: First Saturday of every month, beginning at 9:30 a.m.
Where: Columbia Public Library
Cost: Free
Online: hexagonia.com
The year is 1812. The American militia is fighting off a descending fleet of Native Americans, French troops and Canadians between the Great Lakes and Canada. A roll of the dice and a draw of a card determine which militia will move onward and which will be killed.
At least, that’s how it happens in this round of 1812, a strategic board game.
In the back corner of Valhalla’s Gate, a Columbia gaming store located at 2525 Bernadette Drive, groups of two to four players of various ages huddle around their board game of choice. Some of the players stare intensely at their fateful hands of cards or at the frontier on the board game. Some close their eyes, breathe deeply and cast out the dice with fingers crossed. Others hop from table to table and watch the game play with interest.
The sense of camaraderie mixed with a hint of competition is unmistakable — a typical evening for members of the Mid-Missouri Strategy Gamers Society.
The society offers players a group setting focused on strategy gaming. Members meet each Tuesday night to play games such as Puerto Rico and Saint Petersburg for three hours until Valhalla’s Gate closes at 9 p.m.
President Charles Ward says the society chose Valhalla’s Gate for its Tuesday night venue because it is essentially the only place where gamers can play for free.
The group also hosts a meeting on the first Saturday of each month at the Columbia Public Library. The meeting begins at 9:30 a.m. and lasts as long as the players desire to continue.
The society began with founder Mark Runyon’s vision in 2004. At first, he and an occasional random player would play these games, but soon the participation started to grow.
Ward says there is no formal membership. “We just count anybody who shows up on a quasi-regular basis,” says Ward, who estimates 25 to 30 players to be involved at any time.
Jeff Wells, 46, a trainer at Oscar Meyer, introduced 1812 to his co-players, Kathy and Carla, whom he met through the society. Although he’s only had the game for three weeks, he loves its simplicity.
It would seem that history is repeating itself at the back table in Valhalla’s Gate. Much like the real War of 1812, it appears that the American militia might lose the opportunity to obtain Canadian land. All in a night for the Mid-Missouri Strategy Gamers Society.
