Hello, Wargamers! Captain Morgan here again from Forge the Narrative to fill your eye-holes with hobby goodness. We are taking a break this week from the Tomes of the Librarius articles so that I can talk to you about an event that is close to my home and heart: Battlehaven.
What is Battlehaven?
I’m a huge fan of events like the Las Vegas Open and other large-scale tournaments (it’s one reason I volunteer to help). The events like LVO, NOVA, and Adepticon are wild joy-tsunamis of news releases, dice rolling, camaraderie, and high-stakes gameplay that let you travel around playing new people, keep you busy, and wear on your feet for hours and days on end. The hustle and bustle of these events have a thrill and an energetic appeal to them that many (myself included) crave, but often leave you feeling exhausted afterwards. It’s a happy kind of tired that leaves people capable of amazing feats like sleeping on an airplane in coach.
This is where Battlehaven comes in. Battlehaven has many of the same features and appeals that come from travelling to play games with new people at a great place. Where Battlehaven differs from LVO, NOVA, and Adepticon is the pacing. Battlehaven is a wargaming resort that lets you choose how fast or slow you want to play, surrounds you with gourmet food, and nourishes your gamer spirit. Located in scenic Heber City, Utah and nestled in the embrace of the Rocky Mountains (it is just a short drive up the road to Park City and the Sundance Film Festival), the Battlehaven gaming experience takes you away from the hustle and bustle and lets you enjoy gaming at ease. The facility is a resort lodge with a private lake, heated swimming pool, and hiking trails all on private property exclusive to the participants.
There are times when you want to blitz through a grand tournament, and there are times you need to take a moment and forget about things like timed rounds, chess clocks, and rankings and let your hobby relax you. Battlehaven is the place where you can do your hobby, your way, and in your time. Over the course of several days you’ll be able to experience a premium gaming retreat. So, with that set up in mind, lets talk about some of the things you can do there.
Gaming Activities
As you can see from the photo, Battlehaven has taken great care to deliver the type of premium gaming experience that gamers want to have. Each table is full of custom-built terrain and has plenty of space around it so you can walk around your gaming space unimpeded.
Wargaming
You can play any game that you have models for, and there are tables themed around a variety of games such as Warhammer 40k, Age of Sigmar, Infinity, Wild West Exodus, and more.
There are also several armies available for players who are interested in trying out new faction or tabletop gaming systems. Check out some of the armies available for anyone to use:
Board Games
Battlhaven has a wall of board games that are a great library you can choose from. Just grab a box and grab some friends and get started with something you may have always wanted to play, but maybe missed out on the Kickstarter or haven’t had the budget to dive in on. There is always someone there to play games with, and since there’s no time limit or curfew, you can play as long as you like.
Painting and Hobby Times
There were times where after a long bout of games I wanted to chill a bit and paint. I was able to pick a spot, park my mobile hobby box, and get to painting. Beyond just the freedom to paint and play at my leisure, there were also several talented painters who came in to teach lessons on airbrushing, weathering, and drybrushing techniques.
Not in the Mood to Game? Not a Problem
One of the big draws for this resort is the features and amenities. This makes it an appealing location for non-gamer significant others who may be more interested in seeing the area and being outdoors while we geek out inside. The hiking, swimming, boating on the private lake, and quick access to ski resorts, urban attractions and theme parks within an hour or two of a drive, and the famous features of Park City mean that there’s always something to do for everyone. In May the weather is just about the perfect temperature before it gets into the hot summer. Or, you could sit in the private theater in the basement and watch a movie on the recliners there. The air is fresh and clean on that side of the mountains as well.
There are activities and outings organized and scheduled by the hosts, and they are very flexible and will work at your pace. There are several repeat visitors who have wives who insist on coming because of the relaxed, open atmosphere that allows them to do what they want while the gamers are distracted. There are drawings in the evening for prizes obtained from sponsors.
Consuming the Biomass
If there’s one thing that Battlehaven does that I have not seen replicated as well anywhere else, its the food. The kitchen on-site is manned by a professional chef who prepares three solid and hearty meals per day (all included in the price of the ticket). You could stay all four days without leaving and never feel like you’re missing out. In addition to the food being delicious, each meal is themed around some aspect of the hobby, whether it is the 40k themed Tau Sushi Bar or the RPG inspired Dungeon Crawl Buffet, you’re sure to find something you like. The chef last year was also a gamer, and after the kitchen was cleaned up on the last night he came out and rolled dice with us.
The Full Package
There are several ways to get to Battlehaven, and several pricing packages to help suit people’s needs. The resort has rooms on-site in the upper floors with showers and beds in each room. For travelling with a group of friends, you can get the barracks special where you can all bunker in the same room together. Other plans that might suit couples are ones like the Captain’s or Lieutenants packages. There are also interest-free payment plans if you are looking to fund your trip over time and not wanting to drop the lump sum all at once. Check out their website at www.battlehaven.us for more details on how these work, and to reach out for any questions. You can also check out a show on Forge the Narrative here where we interview Sarah from Battlehaven and get the scoop on what the event is all about.
As someone who has been to Battlehaven for the last two years, I can tell you I loved being there each time. I was able to game at my own pace, make new hobby friends, eat well, sleep (or not), and when I left I felt more like I had a real vacation than I had in the years before I started. It has become something I look forward to every year, and am fortunate that this time I get to bring my wife along for the fun.
In Conclusion
Thanks for checking this article out! Next week we will be resuming our regularly scheduled visits to the librarius. If there’s something you’d like me to cover, feel free to let me know in the comments!
Cheers,
Captain Morgan
And remember, Frontline Gaming sells gaming products at a discount, every day in their webcart!
