A Firelock Games Quartermaster at DieCon 26
I ended up submitting to run a Sea Tournament and a Sea Battle during the convention. The St. Louis area has a small number of regular Blood & Plunder players so I hoped to round out our numbers for the tournament with some sign ups at the con.
During the Great Pirate Paint Off (and the months that followed thanks to being the parent of a toddler) I created and painted up three demo forces to bring to the table.
Before game submissions for DieCon 26 ended, I reached out about also hosting a land battle during one of the sessions.
My DieCon weekend looked like this:
Friday 2pm - 6pm: Blood & Plunder Sea Battle
Saturday 10am - 5pm: Blood & Plunder Sea Tournament
Sunday 2pm - 6pm: Blood & Plunder Land Battle
I opted for a 200 point tournament due to needing to create demo forces for it.
Normally, I would host a land battle before a sea battle for new players, but early on I still believed that I would need to round out some tournament slots with new players from the convention.
My sea battle on Friday would be 200pt lists as well so new players could experience the loaner forces I would have had available for the tournament.
Lastly, I settled on two 350 point forces for my land battle on Sunday. I only chose this number because that is what I could easily field with what models I had painted in my collection.
About a week before DieCon, I found out that my Friday Sea Battle could have 6 players not counting players that would bring their own forces. I quickly put together three additional forces but knew that painted models were out of the question for it.
I ended up having the following prepared:
French Buccaneers
Normally, I would host a land battle before a sea battle for new players, but early on I still believed that I would need to round out some tournament slots with new players from the convention.
My sea battle on Friday would be 200pt lists as well so new players could experience the loaner forces I would have had available for the tournament.
Lastly, I settled on two 350 point forces for my land battle on Sunday. I only chose this number because that is what I could easily field with what models I had painted in my collection.
About a week before DieCon, I found out that my Friday Sea Battle could have 6 players not counting players that would bring their own forces. I quickly put together three additional forces but knew that painted models were out of the question for it.
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| Shoutout to my stepson Thomas for helping me carry. |
French Buccaneers
Friday: 8 Player Sea Battle
My stepson Thomas was interested in joining for the sea battle. He has been beating me up with the Dutch in Port Royal and claimed the Dutch Navy in the Light Frigate. I had two players from my St. Louis playgroup Adam B and Eric H that brought their own forces. We had three convention attendees sign up and two players from my Saturday tournament, Dylan D. (aka Dr.D) and Mike T join with their own forces.
In total we had 8 players. 4 were brand new to the game and 4 were experienced with the game. The sea battle was chaotic but fun. We had team leaders draw a hand for their team and every player activated a unit each card. I greatly appreciated having Dr.D there to assist with teaching new players and coordinating his team.
One of our players learned what a raking shot was during turn 1. We also didn't worry too much about wind direction. I think we may have got to turn three when two players had to call it quits and things seemed dire for their side.
In total we had 8 players. 4 were brand new to the game and 4 were experienced with the game. The sea battle was chaotic but fun. We had team leaders draw a hand for their team and every player activated a unit each card. I greatly appreciated having Dr.D there to assist with teaching new players and coordinating his team.
One of our players learned what a raking shot was during turn 1. We also didn't worry too much about wind direction. I think we may have got to turn three when two players had to call it quits and things seemed dire for their side.
After the sea battle, I managed to get an Oak & Iron game in with Eric H. He taught me how to play it last year during the SoP, but I hadn't touched the game since then. I had a blast and hope to add it into my regular rotation.
Saturday: 200pt Sea Tournament
The Day of Mikes
This would be my first tournament run as a Quartermaster. I ran a practice tournament in March which turned out to be a round-robin since we only had 4 players including myself. I was completely surprised to find out that I had 8 players (three of which were named Mike) lined up for my tournament and would be able to sit it out and run the event as TO. (Though part of me is sad I didn't get to play!)
Thanks to my fellow Quartermasters' advice I felt pretty comfortable with my tournament. The tournament would be similar to the Adepticon tournament of three rounds of Swiss pairings with a win being worth 3 TPs and a loss being with 0. Strike point differential would be our first tie breaker and I didn't have to go any further than that. If an individual round went to a tie, use models removed as causalities as the tiebreaker which occurred twice in the first round only.
Round 1: Chase's End
Mike C (2SP) [TB win] vs Matthew D (2SP)Ian B (2SP) vs Eric H (2SP) [TB win]
Dylan D (1SP) vs Michael H (3SP)
Michael T (1SP) vs Nathan H (6SP)
Dylan D (1SP) vs Michael H (3SP)
Michael T (1SP) vs Nathan H (6SP)
Round 2: Control the Field
Eric H (2SP) vs Michael T (0SP)
Dylan D (1SP) vs Mike C (3SP)
Matthew D (1SP) vs Ian B (4SP)
Matthew D (1SP) vs Ian B (4SP)
Michael H (1SP) vs Nathan H (2SP)
Round 3: Take & Hold
Dylan D (2SP) vs Michael T (3SP)
Matthew D (3SP) vs Michael H (1SP)
Eric H (1SP) vs Mike C (5SP)
Nathan H (1SP) vs Ian B (0SP)
Final Results
1. Dylan D - 9TP
1. Dylan D - 9TP
2. Michael T - 6TP (-6 SP Differential)
3. Eric H - 6TP (-3 SP Differential)
4. Michael H - 6TP (-1 SP Differential)
5. Matthew D - 3TP (0 SP Differential)
6. Ian B - 3TP (3 SP Differential)
7. Mike C - 3TP (5 SP Differential)
8. Nathan H - 0TP
Best Painted - Dylan D
I had Things From the Basement and Phalanx Games & Sundry assist me in casting votes for best painted. Things From the Basement generously donates prizes towards The Summer of Plunder and The Great Pirate Paint Off and Phalanx carries Firelock product and even brought some to DieCon. Both of their votes were cast for Dylan's fantastic looking ship and crew.
Best Painted - Dylan D
I had Things From the Basement and Phalanx Games & Sundry assist me in casting votes for best painted. Things From the Basement generously donates prizes towards The Summer of Plunder and The Great Pirate Paint Off and Phalanx carries Firelock product and even brought some to DieCon. Both of their votes were cast for Dylan's fantastic looking ship and crew.
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| Dylan D's Sacré Bleu during Friday's Sea Battle |
Best Sportsmanship - Mike C
Mike left an impression on his opponents and received votes from 2 of them toward the best sportsmanship award. Mike also generously donated some exclusive SoP 2026 laser cut acrylic measuring tools towards the prize pool.
Mike left an impression on his opponents and received votes from 2 of them toward the best sportsmanship award. Mike also generously donated some exclusive SoP 2026 laser cut acrylic measuring tools towards the prize pool.
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| Best Painted: Dylan D - Best Sportsmanship: Mike C - 1st Place: Dylan D (Kang Louis XIV) We also had plenty of prize support thanks to Firelock Games, DieCon, Things From the Basement, Patrick Miniatures, NightHowlDesign (Mike C), and myself. I failed to take a final picture of my Treasure Chest of Prizes, but here is an earlier picture of it. I opted to let players choose one item in order that they placed so there was some agency in what was being selected. Firelock also donated some individual models that I mixed with last year's SoP OPK models to give out as attendance prizes. I used three 2026 SoP OPK model sets to give away with the medals provided by DieCon. Dylan D was nice enough to give them to other players since he already possessed the models.  Sunday 350pt Land Battle |
Dylan D and Michael T returned for the Sunday game and lead the Brethren force while I captained the Spanish with two new players. Thankfully they both had experience with playing Blood & Valor so they were familiar with many of the game mechanics. They even convinced me to pick up a Blood & Valor rulebook before the end of the day!
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| Morgan with his Veteran Freebooters |
DieCon 26 was a learning experience for me, but I am planning on hosting events at DieCon 27. My plan is to run a 250 Sea Tournament and some other events with my local gaming group.
The end of the convention had me feeling like this poor sailor that I found with my foot during the tournament.
The end of the convention had me feeling like this poor sailor that I found with my foot during the tournament.
Please also check out Dr.D's recap of the weekend with Michael T.
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