A Triumphant Return

 Welcome all!  Merry Festivus!  It is so good to be back!  I know you're all wondering where I have been for the last year, and I wish I could give you the whole story... but I am under orders.  All I can say is that I was on a mission for the Emperor, and though long and hard, that mission was a success!  All is right with the universe, and I am free once more to continue with my Duty Log!  Huzzah!  And I can think of no better way to resume my duties than with a review of our long awaited Japan Open Warmachine/ Hordes Team Championship!  This year was another successful event, with much fun and camaraderie for all, but this year we had several big changes.  The biggest change was that this year, for the first time, the JOTC was held in November!  A lot of thought went into it, but it seems like it was a good change for everyone... not too hot, fewer other obligations (like Sports Festivals and such), all in all a good change!

But before we get on with the tournament...

Announcements - 

This year, for the first time, Japan sent a team to the Warmachine/ Hordes World Team Championship in Brussles!  It sounds like everyone had a great time, and did their best!  So, a round to thanks to DTB, Micho, Kirill, KT, and M for representing Team Ronin Onigiri!

Also, the next meeting for the Fukuyama Gaming Club will be December 28, which is a Saturday... pretty close to the end of the year madness that plagues Japan, but if you're free and looking for something to do, drop on by and get a game in!  January turned into a scheduling nightmare, so our first meeting of the next year will be February 2nd.

And now, on to the JOTC!

Getting ready!

First, let's take a look at our teams for 2019!  Due to a defective camera drudge, we were not able to get any individual army photos... but fear not!  A requisition for a new drudge for next year has been filed, and this mistake will not happen again... with that in mind, here are the teams!

Team Dead On Arrival
Two members of the last few years' Band Of Heroes teams have reformed with a new member into this new group from Osaka!
  Chikua, with his Cryx army, using Lich Lord Venethrax and Asphyxious the Hellbringer
  Genki, with his Cygnar army, using Captain Kara Sloan and Major Victoria Haley
  Tabibito, with his Trollblood army, using Kolgrima Stonetruth and Madrak Ironhide, Thornwood Chieftain 

Team Grim Evil Robots
This team, you guys... ugh!  Three members of Team Ronin Onigiri that fought at the World Team Championship, all together here to try and muscle their way into a JOTC victory!
  DTB, with his Grymkin army, using The Heretic and The Wanderer
  Micho, with his Mercenaries army, using Cognifex Cyphon and Exulon Thexus
  KT, with his Convergence army, using Iron Mother Diretrex and Axis, the Harmonic Enforcer

Team Hand of God
Another great team from Osaka, some of our favorite guys came together to make an appearance at the JOTC!

   Kaerumaat, with his Minions army, using Sturm & Drang and Lord Carver BMMD, Esq. III
   Sencho, with his Protectorate army, using The Harbringer of Menoth and Thyra, Flame of Sorrow
   Vrada, with his Khador army, using The Old Witch of Khador and Vladimir Tzepesci, Great Prince of Umbrey

Team InterRegional
My very own team!  The other two players were both new to the JOTC, but very experenced players... Kirill himself was on Team Ronin Onigiri at the WTC, and Paul is also an exceptional player... so, lots of pressure for me!
   Kirill, with his Skorne army, using Dominar Rasheth and Supreme Archdomina Makeda
   Paul, with his Mercenaries army, using Fiona the Black and Ashlynn d'Elyse
   Kommissar Koala, with her Protectorate army, using the Testament of Menoth and High Exemplar Cyrenia

Team Kyushu
Our Kyushu team, back again!  We're always glad to see this great team come up to join us!
   Ryo, with his Infernals army, using Omodamos, The Black Gate and Zaateroth, The Weaver of Shadows
   Zwiefel, with his Cygnar army, using Colonel Marcus "Siege" Brisbane and Captain Jeremiah Kraye
   Yamanaka, with his Mercenaries army, using Ashlynn d'Elyse and Magnus the Traitor

Team Trick Or Treat re:Universe
It just wouldn't feel like the JOTC without our favorite team, Trick or Treat, from Osaka!  These guys really bring the fun with them!
   Niwaniwa, with his Retribution army, using Issyria, Sibyl of Dawn and Garryth, Eye of Vengeance
   Redobii, with his Grymkin army, using The Dreamer and The King of Nothing
   Enzo, with his Circle of Oroboros army, using Krueger the Stormlord and Baldur the Stonecleaver

Team Enjoy and Exciting
This is a team of heavy hitters, and no mistake!  A mix of Hiroshima and Tokyo, this team is definately here to win!
   Rantei, with his Skorne army, using Dominar Rasheth and Makeda & the Exalted Court
   Souichiro, with his Convergence army, using Axis, the Harmonic Enforcer and Aurum Lucanum Athanor Locke
   Tetsu, with his Mercenaries army, using Ashlynn d'Elyse and General Ossrum

And Now, a Word from Our Sponsors

We would really like to give a shout out to our sponsors, as well!  We had a huge amount of prizes donated by some really generous companies!  From mats, zones and measuring sticks to gift certificates, our sponsors really game through for us!

Frozen Forge Goodies!

     - playmats.eu - playmats.eu
          Playmats gave us several mats and zone sets!

     - Frozen Forge - frozenforge.com
          This year Frozen Forge came through again with several beautiful sets of magnatized measuring sticks!

     - Discount Games, Inc. - discountgamesinc.com
          Discount Games also came through for us again with a huge gift certificate for each member of our winning team!

Mats and zones from playmats.eu

Round 1 - 

And now, on to the Crash at the Castle!  Match-ups for this round!

     Enjoy and Exciting VS InterRegional

     Hand of God VS Kyushu

     Grim Evil Robots VS Trick Or Treat

     Dead on Arrival had the pass this round.

A devastating round for my poor InterRegionals team... we had gone in with very high hope.  I, for one, was sitting on a team that would get me as close to the top as I had ever been!  Expectations were high!  And then all three of us were dealt second/ third round brutal assassinations... oof!

Winners for the round - Enjoy and Exciting, Hand of God, Grim Evil Robots!

Round 2 - 

After a quick break for rations, the battles continued, fiercer than ever!  Match-ups were...

     Hand of God VS Dead on Arrival

     Enjoy and Exciting VS Grim Evil Robots

     Team Kyushu VS Trick Or Treat

     InterRegional had the pass this round

Taking the pass, we kind of knew that we were out of the running as far as finishing towards the top was concerned, but we turned it into a chance to me to get a game against Kirill, so that was amazing!  I've never gotten to play against him before, and he gave me a lot of good advise, that hopefully I will put to use in Round 3! (I was, of course, slaughtered in that game, but in the nicest way possible, haha!).  

Winners for the round - Dead on Arrival, Enjoy and Exciting, and Team Kyushu!

Round 3 - 

At last!  The final round!  And soon, a victor!

     Hand of God VS InterRegional

     Grim Evil Robots VS Team Kyushu

     Enjoy and Exciting VS Dead on Arrival for the championship!

     Trick Or Treat had the pass round.

What a great round!  In our battle against Hand of God, I got to get a game in with Kaerumaat and his Minions army.  I've never gotten to play against him OR against Lord Carver, so I was super excited.  He was a great opponent, and with ten seconds left on his clock took a swing at Cyrenia, but she managed to tough it out with one health point left, and with that, his clock ran out, leaving me the win!  

Winners for the round - Grim Evil Robots, Team InterRegional, and ...

                                                                                                                   and...

                                                                                                                              and...

Results - 

Team Enjoy and Exciting WINS!!!!!!

Yes, congratulations you guys!  Well fought!  You totally deserve this honor!

In second place - Grim Evil Robots

Woot!  Three of my favorite players, all together in one team!  Good job!

In third place - Hand of God

 Well, well, well.  Just inching out my own Team InterRegional, Hand of God managed to snag the coveted third plae!  Congrats!

And finally, the winner of the painting contest....Vrada, with his Khador army!  Well done!

Thank you everyone for making this another great Japan Open Team Championship!  Again, I humbly apologize for the disturbing lack of photos... the new drudge should arrive in plenty of time for next year's battles!  Until then, keep gaming!