Jon Russell has been organizing events for Warlord Games for years, including the Bolt Action tournament at LVO ‘23. Finally home after more than two months on the road, he reflects on what made this event great and what may come next year.
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HH: It sounds like it was a pretty successful event, Congrats! What were some highlights for you?
JR: The motto we have from my friend Tony up north is: “You come for the game, you stay for the community.” We had five people drive down from Montana, five from Utah, four from Oregon, a guy drove up from Tennessee, a guy drove up from Louisiana, a bunch from Canada, two from Whales, and one from Australia.
The biggest two complaints I had from all my players was there was one scenario that was kinda wonky and the tables weren’t level. If those are my only problems we did pretty good!
HH: Bolt Action celebrated its tenth birthday recently, and the sixth anniversary of the second edition, so the rules seem to be in a pretty stable place. Were there any surprise situations at the LVO?
JR: Games tend to run pretty smoothly, but to quote the famous Alessio Cavatore: “READ THE BOOK!” If people would just read the rulebook, half of all these questions would be taken care of. I have traveled all around North America and it is funny to see how folks interpret rules. Don’t get me started on how the East Coast does trees and how the West Coast does trees and rough terrain, line of sight… It’s amazing!
HH: There seems to be a healthy mix of competitive players who are there to win and more casual players who are there to play some games and have a good time. How do you make an event for both crowds?
JR: Again, “you come for the game, you stay for the community.” We try to build community wherever we go. I used to work for Games Workshop, so I know the meta player that can come in and give a caustic vibe. What I have experienced in the last six or seven years of being involved with the Bolt Action community is that I can count on one hand the people I have had issues with. Whether it’s a competitive or narrative event, the gamers are really friendly. They are competitive but they are there for a good time as well.
HH: As a casual player I have most commonly played 1,000 point games. How was the 1,250 point limit reached and how do you think those extra 250 points affect the game?
JR: There are a couple crowds. European events are centered around 1,000 point games. Western events tend to be geared towards 1,250 points, but we see some variation. It does allow some latitude, it allows you to get some vehicles and troops you wouldn’t see at 1,000 points. When you put in point limits and dice limits it can limit the meta. You give people plenty of time to make their lists, thirty days at least, and you don’t run into problems. Problems come when people don’t turn in their lists on time and they have an issue on their list that needs to be resolved by the TO or EO.
HH: You mentioned that there was a tough scenario that generated a lot of feedback for you. Can you tell me a bit more about it?
JR: It favored the defender. We tried to modify it as best we could, its one of the book scenarios, but It’s a tricky one. It’s hard to get right. We thought we had it and it didn’t work. It’s a hard scenario to try to fix, but it’s a popular one. And it’s made worse by fickle dice!
HH: Did you have any key takeaways from this year’s LVO?
JR: The buckets of beer were great, though folks were kind of upset they stopped Sunday morning. The tables were great, lighting was great, the area was great. You guys (FLG) took care of us and kept us informed. I can’t say enough about your crew. When we asked for help, your crew was there.
We had 36 players with 32 initially signed up, so we gained four more. And we put the challenge to them for next year to bring a friend. I am hoping for 72 players next year. The largest game in the states was, I think, 84 players. The largest in history was Cambridge Too Far and that was 96, so if I can get 72 I will be ecstatic!
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