Caesar | Consul | Membership | Sportsmanship | AARs | Century | GM Committments | Euro Coordination | BoD Nominations | PBEM

HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL OUR GAMING FRIENDS! 

HAIL CAESAR: Andrew Emerick paired an 86-laurel headstart earned in a 2012 mini-con with the eighth best WBC performance this year to emerge as our 2013 top gamer. His margin of victory over 2004 Caesar James Pei was actually much less than would appear by sheer laurel count. James had already placed second in an email tournament for his specialty For the People months before WBC, but because that format used concurrent consolation matches to resolve lesser places and those matches dragged on long after WBC, his 36 laurels for that event could not be credited towards 2013 totals. Had they been, James would have won the Caesar title over Andrew by seven laurels. Rounding out the top six BPA competitors for 2013 were Robert Kircher, Sceadeau D'Tela, Ken Gutermuth and Stefan Mecay. 

HAIL CONSUL: Even mandatory Board Meetings, Auction finances, and other assorted convention management duties could not prevent our talented Chairman of the Board Ken Gutermuth from posting the best results during WBC week to claim Consul honors for 2013 with wins in Auction and Empire Builder coupled with laurels for three other events. A mere four laurels separated him from Nick Henning who posted his third straight triple-digit laurel week and was bidding for his third consecutive Consul Award with wins in A Few Acres of Snow and Galaxy Trucker plus laurels from four other events. David Platnick was third, only eight laurels off the pace, with a win in Princes of Florence, two seconds and a third in an all-Euro performance. But perhaps the most eye-catching week was had by newcomer Trella Bromley in her first WBC. The Train Gamers exec and lone woman in the Top 25 proved she knew her stuff around the rail yard with an all-rails 98-laurel week. Improving either of her two thirds in Empire Builder or Ticket to Ride to runner-up status would have netted another 12 laurels and the Consul award. Robert Kircher finished fifth with wins in Amun-Re and Santa Fe Rails plus three also-rans. The defending Caesar, Randy Buehler, did not give up without a fight—scoring laurels in six events and winning two—but he was unable to record a signature win to finish sixth for the week with 94 laurels in six Euros. 

Complete details on our top Award winners and the tally of our Top 25 gamers for 2013 are available at http://boardgamers.org/wbc13/caesar.htm. 

ANNUAL DECEMBER MEMBERSHIP DRIVE COMING TO A CLOSE: There is only one week left to enter your Sustaining or Tribune membership for 2014 by Dec. 31 to get a free WBC souvenir T-Shirt or Cap and full-color yearbook. We urge you to renew memberships for 2014 NOW through the end of the year both to save money with our lowest rates and to vote your choice of the 25 Continuing Trial events and the winner of our annual Sportsmanship Award. Vote to retain your favorite events or introduce new ones when submitting your membership form. Your vote must be postmarked by De. 31 to count and be accompanied by payment of 2014 membership dues. Check the full details of membership for payment deadlines and shirt size exceptions. 

Those who paid their 2014 membership dues before the December Membership Drive are encouraged to submit the membership form so as to participate in Sportsmanship and Trial Event votes. Simply note the amount as "Pre-paid".

SPORTSMAN NOMINEES: The list of 2013 Sportsmanship nominees is now on line. Before renewing your BPA membership, please check all the worthy candidates there and select one to support on your ballot. Reward good sportsmanship with free lodging at the 2014 WBC. The background for the list on your membership ballot can be found at http://www.boardgamers.org/wbc/sportmanNominees.htm 

2013 AFTER ACTION REPORTS: The WBC 2013 Event After Action Reports—complete with the latest Laurel counts and photos as only WBC does them—are available. We suggest you peruse them to recall last summer's fun or see what you missed before deciding which events to support with your Trial event votes when renewing your 2014 membership. 

2014 CENTURY: The initial lineup of eligible events for the 2014 Century and potential Trial events pending the Annual Membership vote and GM commitments has been updated. It is now closed to additional entries for the Membership ballot but we still seek event forms for Alternate status to fill any vacancies and/or troll for Sponsor support. And you can now claim any OPEN event by completing the required event form after reading the GM Guidelines linked from the start of that event form. Nothing happens at WBC without a willing GM behind it. But please ... do NOT volunteer unless you are going to fulfill the obligation. 

GM COMMITMENTS: GMs are reminded to renew their memberships AND submit an event form by Jan. 31. At that time, events with a satisfactory GM commitment will be assigned and the Orphans List updated. Even if you are not selected to run an event your offer will highlight you as a possible assistant for that event—and willing assistants are in great demand. Some of your fellow members run or assist in as many as a dozen events. They could use some help. 

EURO CO-ORDINATION: Eric Freeman is again volunteering to co-ordinate Euro events in an attempt to minimize scheduling conflicts. If you'd like to be part of this effort, contact freemaneric@comcast.net.

BoD NOMINATIONS: All BPA members are hereby notified of their right to nominate members for the three Board seats whose terms expire at the next WBC. To appear on the ballot, a member must be nominated in writing by at least three members; one of which must be himself/herself. Nominations must be signed and received at BPA, 7766 Valley View Court, Hickory, NC 28602 no later than Feb. 28 to be eligible for election in that year. 

NOTE: Email nominations are NOT acceptable, nor can a member nominate more than one member for the Board. When contemplating nominations, members are urged to consider that the BPA conducts most of its business by email and needs Board members who are able and willing to offer their time and skills to the organization in a timely manner. Board members should be considered more for their ability to contribute to the running of a successful company than for their attachment to any particular game or genre. Besides forwarding a signed nomination, each nominee should submit by March 1 a statement not to exceed 100 words summarizing what they can contribute in service to the Board of Directors of the BPA. The nomination form is on line.

PBeM NEWS: 

ADEL VERPFLICHTET/BY HOOK OR BY CROOK/HOITY TOITY PBeM: Whatever you call it, you’ve always wanted to bluff your way into a BPA championship. Now’s your chance—the thieving, jailing, exhibiting, and bidding begins February 21st. Everyone plays five games in just 6-9 weeks—with the whole tournament wrapping up a month before the WBC! Learn the game and check out the tournament format at http://www.gameaholics.com/adv_bpa/adv_format.htm and then contact john@gameaholics.com to enter! 

BATTLES OF AMERICAN REVOLUTION PROGRESS: The fourth round of the BPA Battles of the American Revolution PBeM Tournament is about to begin. This round will feature play of Saratoga, the Next Day scenario. So far, 26 participants have played in the Brandywine, Germantown and Oriskany Round. The leaders in tournament points are Mark Miklos (+9), Chris Easter (+, Andy Maly (+7) and Jim Tracy ii (+7) with five others between +6 and +3. Three preliminary rounds remain and the bulk of the 26 participants are clustered between +2 and 0, which means a win or two in the last three rounds could propel someone into the single elim playoffs, even if they have yet to play a game. The rounds have a relaxed schedule, and use of vassal permits rapid play, so contact brunofjs@hotmail.com, if you are interested in a late entry. Check the details at http://www.ohiovalleygamers.org/boardpbem.html. 

NAPOLEONIC WARS PROGRESS: The single elimination playoffs have advanced to the final round with Lance Roberts and Rob Mull fighting it out for the title while Rich Shipley and Warren Day contest the bronze.

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Remember... all of the above PBeM fun is free to current BPA members. Others may qualify with a $10 PBEM membership in the year the event starts. All multi-day paid attendees to WBC are current BPA members for the balance of that calendar year. You need not keep your membership current in order to finish a PBeM event. Players may join the BPA throughout the year. See the BPA Terms page for details.

BPA members who would like to see an email tournament for their favorite game are encouraged to step forward as the GM of such an event. BPA does not run tournaments. Rather, we are an organization of gamers lending support to one another so such events can happen. No one cares as much about your hobby as you do. Get involved. See the requirements to host a BPA email tournament at http://www.abovethefields.com/top_pbem/

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