The Colonial GT, Princeton NJ

Whats next on the Jawaballs tour?  The Colonial GT of course!

The Colonial GT, from what I understand and I invite any of the guys involved to correct me in the comments, was primarily a Fantasy event. (Maybe one of you guys can send me a little blurb and I can edit it in to his copy.) But this year I think they are offering 40k for the first time? I don't know any of the main guys, but I know Dave fairly well from Brother's Grim in Selden NY. Dave runs their local tournaments and has been invited to take the reigns on The Colonial. I know he has run some bigger ones out on Long Island at large cons so he is the perfect man for the job.  By the way, Brothers Grim will be having a GT of their own this summer. Visit their site for details. It falls on the same weekend as The Throne of Skulls so I will not be in attendance.  Next time! But it is sure to be an outstanding tournament.

Back to The Colonial. It bills itself as a laid back tournament where friendly games and sportsmanship are the norm, not the exception. That is my kind of place. I certainly do play to win, but I make it my mission to have a good time, and help my opponent do so to. This is encouraging for The Colonial. Looking at the list of participants, I see some big names already signed up and expect to see a few more before it starts. So I know there will be lots of competition, but I also know that the names I recognize I do so for a reason. They are memorable opponents! One that I can't wait have a beer with is Ted Nagel. I did a player spotlight on him not long ago. You can read that HERE. Great guy. Hopefully Brad "The Spoiler" Park will be there too. And no Brad, I have not started your Vrock yet. :) I have to finish some Templars first.

Then there is Dameon Green. You might remember the guy who got raked over the coals over on Blood of Kittens. Well, gaming aside, the guy is really nice. He truly does care about what people think about him. (He found my TAC measurement tool on the floor and mailed it to me.) I had a very frank conversation with him at the end of our game at Valentines and he honestly was asking for my feedback on not just his gaming, but his overall persona and demeanor. You have to respect a guy who asks you point black for your brutal criticism on his personality. Some guys, no, most guys don't have natural charisma and have to make a big effort to improve what is undeniably part of scoring in major GTs. For that I salute you Dameon.

You see, these events are about much more then crushing your enemies, driving them before you and hearing the lamentation of their women. Beating face is part of it, but it is also about good natured banter, toasting a drink and sharing battle stories. This is what The Colonial GT boasts as it's focus. And this is what 40k has come to mean to me. The fact that it is just a couple hours away, and situated in Princeton NJ, home of one of my wives college friends does not hurt. "Hey baby, lets go to Princeton and you can hang out with Kelly! I will give you money to buy dinner. Just leave me at the hotel!"

So be looking for me, my noob buddy Jim Stanton who will be playing in his first GT getting ready for The Nova which he wants to do well at, and hopefully Fritz to be making the trek and joining the boys from Brothers Grim, DaBoyz, DC and every else on the East Coast for a great time.

See you in Princeton!

Jawaballs