The Labyrinth: Craftz!?

It's Kingston.
It's been scorching hot out these last few days.
But it's finally started to cool off today.
So let's throw some fuel on the fire!



It's a Sunday post, which for me is crrrrrazy, but I'm throwing out an all day challenge for anyone who reads the post today!
I'm going to be here watching the store all afternoon but I shall also be here for games night.
*GASPETH*
That certainly hasn't happened for a while...

So here's the game plan-
#1 Bring in a new game or at least one that hasn't been talked up on the blog yet and sit down with yours truly.
#2 We play the game!!
If it's a solid game I'll do a write up @ our normal blog time on Wednesday/Thursday!
#3 Your name and awesome idea will be mentioned and naturally become the talk of the town! Or at least mildly gossiped about by our tight community of gamers!

So bring it in and lay the challenge down VS El Henri Ze Jeuxmastah!
But you best bring your A game if you're throwing down the gauntlet with me.



I still think war paint or an intimidating 'I rule' flag is the best thing to bring with for challenges like this to really let your opponent know you mean seereus biznis!

The calm of Crafternoons shall soon be shattered by the blood curdling screams of gamers!
But that reminds me that I have been remiss in mentioning Crafternoons to date...
At least i don't recall giving it some interweb time.



So do you knit? Or sew? Crochet? Bead? Fold Origami? Sketch? Make odd constructions out of Popsicle sticks? Burp the alphabet backwards?

Well all of these are crafts!! And we here at Minotaur have been keenly pushing our Crafternoons every Sunday Afternoon from 1pm until when games night starts up at 5pm.
It's free! - AWESOME
It's fun! - SUPER AWESOME
And best of all it's a fantastic way to share ideas and just relax with close / new friends.

Justine, Gale, and often Ada have all been building this wonderful community of crafters from around Kingston. So far the response in turn out and atmosphere has been fantastic!
We continue to get new faces around the table but if any of you out there have just been wondering where to find a 'club' or 'activity group' that does this kind of stuff you absolutely need to come down and take advantage of this group.
Right now during the summer it's a smaller crowd of about 6-8 crafters but during the school year when it's a little more busy we typically had a dozen folks showing up.
This will be the 2nd year of Crafternoons come fall.
We'd love it if everyone reading this-

A: Brought in their craft and joined us for some great times.

B: Told family, friends, and complete strangers on the street to come out and participate.

Seriously the more the merrier :)
That's all for now folks!
Here's hoping I see a bunch of you out at games night tonight!


This has been the Labyrinth and I'm Henry McCulloch. Game on!

The Labyrinth: M-m-m-m-multi Posssst!

Greetings all!
It was thrilling to hear back from a handful of different people over this week that you all have been enjoying the blog!
It made me grin and blush and want to do a song and dance just like a happy little schoolgirl that...errr. Well...it just made me happy to hear some feedback. Let's just leave it at that...

I had been suffering away from Floccinaucinihilipilification, as I began to worry that perhaps my best efforts weren't being enjoyed.
(God I love using big words that I only partially understand :D)

But now I know better! *tears up and sniffles*
I will strive away and labor for at least an extra four or five minutes today out of a subconscious desire to try and make this post just a zillion times better!




Well, folks are still reading The Labyrinth!
So I had best keep all you readers entertained and informed on the world of gaming!
And before we get started on gaming / events in the store here's a blurb about some of our outstanding gamers of note lately that have put a few new accomplishments on their Championship gaming belts.



Quentin Janes -------Katrina Sauvé

^^^ The big weinerssSSssSSss! ^^^

Recently Minotaur has been host to a handful of competitions / tournaments and so we thought it would be nice to showcase those that claimed 1st place.
Though all players involved at both tourney's fought well there could be only one top settler and dominionist.

Through the round robin play of our 12-person Settlers North American Championship Lord Quentin managed to fight and claw his way to the final table of four. Those 4 seats were hotly contested indeed, as all 4 finalists (Niel, Kristi, Robert, and Quentin) had won 2 of the three matches they had played in round robin play in order to even get a shot at the title. That final game Quentin showed some true Settlers skills as he jumped from 6 to 10 points in a single turn surprising the opposition by laying down 2 points while simultaneous claiming the longest road by being the 1st to reach 5roads long.
Congrats to Quentin and Kudos on his 'gritty' championship pic.
- "Playing settlers LIKE A BOSS!!"
www.youtube.com/watch?v=NisCkxU544c

In a slightly smaller scale but equally harrowing tournament of Dominion (featuring the new release Cornucopia) her Ladyship Katrina Sauvé demonstrated her impressively honed Dominion strategies. For all but one game that entire day she went undefeated in game after game during the qualifying rounds and in the final claimed 4/5 prize cards to seal her overall victory! Posing above with her well earned prize she took home her very own copy of the game for ending up on top.
Congrats to Katrina as well for her exemplary performance!

Everyone who missed out on the tourneys will have to settle for making it out to the next event we host so keep your eyes peeled on The Labyrinth and in store for any new details as they become available!

But with that aside It's worth noting that the Princess Street Promenade is fast approaching!! The 30th of July is only a few weeks away and if this years turnout is anything like last years then thousands upon thousands of people will be crammed along Princess St. and spread out all over the downtown core!
With the main 'drag' closed to all traffic the weekend heralds a few days of pedestrian shopping and activities like few others during the year.



I knew it would be a big event last year when downtown Kingston store-owners rallied together to get the ball rolling but I didn't expected the day to be a success on such a humongous scale.
I mean you hear that Kingston has X-thousand people as a population but other than when the queens students are marching about in force you would never guess that our city has the #'s that it does. On last years promenade you could look left from princess and division and look straight down at the water and see a constant blanket elbow to elbow of Kingstonians.
Simply amazing...don't miss it this year guys!

But what's new at the store!?!?
It's true I have been neglectful thus far in the blog of new product.
How about Hexbugs! *cheers*
Well...sure we've had some before...but we haven't had the battle-bridge yet or the remote controlled spiders ^_^
Both of which are cool but the environmental sets are what I like the best.
I was grinning ear to ear when I checked in the battle-bridges.
There's already something insanely amusing about watching a hexbug nano buzz and bump around, am I right?
Now.... picture that but with it doing it atop a bridge of doom in a pitched battle against a 2nd nanobug!
*covers eyes and peeks between his fingers*

It's one of those things like a lava lamp that I could literally watch for several hours and forget about all else in the multi-verse.
Definitely interesting gifts for anyone with a b-day coming up.

Ah! I haven't mentioned any games yet?
Right, well it's outside our normal board game niche but MTG!!!



A new core set for the year, if that's not worth at least a mention then what is?
It's the highly anticipated and much awaited M12 or 2012 core set release.
Mreow? Core set? What's the diff magic is magic isn't it?
Well for those that don't play magic or just play it casually with friends then here's the educational segment of the post! Here's the rundown...
MTG has several formats of play such as standard,legacy,extended,vintage, etc.
Each one has different blocks of cards that are legal for play and the rules vary slightly between tournaments. Some allow players who have cards from different sets spanning years and years to play with their entire collections while standard tournaments only allow cards from the current core set and two most recent blocks.

So once per year they put out a new base core set that's going to stick around for at least a year and that time is now!! So I encourage any players who haven't been collecting much Magic the Gathering of late to come on down to the store and get back into the swing of things.
We have individual boosters, pre-made decks, and at least 1 fat pack left for the time being.
I myself just dropped a hefty amount on stocking up on some boosters so join me in hunting for those planeswalkers and I'll see any of you that play up at4c8b.
I'm going to make a point of going to more Friday night magic events there or drafts on Tuesdays if I'm not at D&D.

Mmmmh did someone say D&D?
I've pretty much exhausted my poor little brain of all it's current topics to blogify on so I figure for an encore to make this a true MULTIPOST I'll add my 2nd installment of the creative writing corner following the adventures set in Duponde based loosely on this seasons D&D Encounters that are happening right here at the store every Thursday from 5 to 7 and 7 to 9!
If this piques your interest while reading my efforts at cheezy fantasy literature then by all means come down to the store and join in the roleplaying fun.
At any rate here's hoping you all enjoy.

Also feedback!
Now that I know some folks are reading this semi regularly.
If any of you want to hear about particular games, wish there were upcoming events in-store, have any questions that desperately need answering by a semi-game expert like our invisible game consultant Gonzo, or if you just want to bash or compliment some aspect of the blog then feel free!
Start up a debate about which games rules more!
What are your predictions, is 'Kittens In a Blender' going to be as much fun as the cheap ass games 'Kill Doctor Lucky'?!?
What's the best way to win a game of Puerto Rico vs Settlers since one relies heavily on board layout and luck while the other relies almost entirely on player based decisions.
Don't be shy, no one here bites... not hard at any rate.
But now on to the story! Grab some hot chocolate or coffee it's a longish one.

This has been the Labyrinth and I'm Henry McCulloch. Game On!

The Labyrinth: Writing Corner! One Dark Night on the Fell Part 2

One Dark Night on the Fell Part: 2

Ariel: The Wizard
Feris: The Rogue
Cale: The Paladin
Framrit: The Blackguard

The heavy sound of their feet splashing through the muddy streets echoed eerily.
As they rushed down the back alleys the buildings and lamp posts twisted at odd angles that defied the laws of the prime material.
But this was the shadowfell...
It heeded no such rules.

They had been fighting all night against all manner of foul creatures.
Saving Tilda's establishment, 'The Old Owl Inn', had been the least of the trio's concerns.
The entire town of Duponde was now under siege and to make matters worse the suspected culprits of the dark rituals had been spotted fleeing out the south gates.
With them went any answers as to how to reverse the dreaded shadowfall.

Dusk beasts, leeching shadows, lurking spirits, and dark spider swarms had plagued the streets and the nearby armory. Dead on their feet they had been fighting since midnight and their limbs had begun to grow heavy. Only their new shadowy companion Framrit seemed unaffected by the icy cold of the shadowfell's ever present gloom.
Yet on they ran towards their new destination.
The cemetery.

"Blackguard...you said that the graveyard holds a clue to what disturbed the town. How can you know for certain that there will be a lead there to follow? The shadow fiends and lost souls seem to be appearing randomly throughout the town with nothing linking them to the graves!"

"Commmmmon cale there's eeky creepies all over town and you think the graveyard ISN'T linked somehow?"

"I just think we risk much...putting all the villager's lives in jeopardy like this to chase down what could be another dead end. We arrived just in time at both the armory and the city square and he can offer us no proof to his claim other than he senses a 'disturbance' ."

"I tell you paladin...something is there. Whether it will rectify the situation or not remains to be seen but it's presence is not in question. A dark emanation calls from deep within those burial grounds."

"He speaks truth Cale. There is the graveyard! And now that we are closer i can sense magic...strong perverse magic leaking from the center. "

"I do not doubt his ability to sense this energy Ariel, but his claim that he simply wishes to fix it as we do is what doesn't sit right with me."

Framrit's eyes narrowed as he suddenly turned on the paladin.
There was a bright flash and the clash of blades echoed down the side street.
Ferris had jumped aside and Ariel gasped in shock as the bright white and frosty blue swords crossed between them shuddering from the power behind each adventurer's grip.
Cale glared back as the dwarf grated out each word.

"I've helped to save your pathetic townsfolk countless times tonight...and your own miserable lives as well. If it served me to have you dead paladin of Pelor trust that I would have slain you in your sleep before you even knew of my presence."

"Truly the way that any cur would hmm? In the dead of night you'd slit a man's throat like a coward rather than face him in combat."

Ferris broke the tension in the air with a loud yawn as he over dramatically leaned against a nearby barrel, fishing inside to relieve the container of some of its contents.

"Well that would be the sensible thing to do Cale...don't want to go toe to toe with a big bruiser like yourself if you don't needta right?" Ferris said picking his round nose a bit. "Basic survival tip one, only fight when you need to."

Ariel watched in disgust as the halfling flicked the slime and boogers free from his stubby finger and without wiping his hand pulled out a semi rotten apple from the barrel and took a bite.

"Enough you two...put your blades down and use that anger for the night's work...whatever magic is there at the cemetery is not diminishing on its own. And by everything that is HOLY Ferris put that down and wipe your hand you disgusting beast. You'll make yourself sick eating that filth!"

"Mmm *munch* fank you mudder! *munch munch*" Ferris mumbled between bites as he let the half finished fruit tumble to the muddy alleyway.

Cale glanced at his companions and then back to the dwarf as he slid his weapon away, carefully disengaging. Framfrit did the same in turn, but as he sheathed his blade he made the point of flashing his sinister grin at the paladin once more.

Something about him was just... off.
He could feel it though Cale couldn't place it, but something lurked within the pale-skinned dwarf that gave him the shivers.

"Don't think our quarrel is over. I have my eyes on you Framrit, and I'll be making sure you aren't up to anything."

"You can try lad...there's nothing to stop you from trying." He grated back, his words as cold as the dead of a winter night.

<>~~~~~~~~~<>~~~~~~~~~<>~~~~~~~~~<>~~~~~~~~~<>

The dim light flooded down the stairs, glowing an eerie greenish hue, pulsing from the tip of the stranger's staff. He moved as though he was injured or simply favoring his left side but also moved with a certain calm and assuredness. As the robed figure reached the bottom of the stairs he hissed in disdain at the state of the floors.
Pacing through the underground old hallways he casually flicked a hand towards a puzzled guard that had begun to ask him what he was doing there.
In a heartbeat the pour soul's skin melted, peeled back, and flayed to a pulp. Within seconds the robed figure disintegrated the guard down to loose flesh and bare bones as necrotic energy laced through his corpse.
Normally he would have tortured the fool more extensively but he didn't have time for delays nor the patience to understand why ruffians were living at his former abode.

When at last his hazel eyes scanned over the remains of his laboratory that lay strewn about the ruined basement floor his eyes narrowed with rage. The blasted Pelorites had come...they had taken or destroyed everything of worth. They would pay dearly for their attempts to limit his research. Behind and within the hazel orbs that were Nathaire's eyes another sentient presence controlled the half elf's movements and thoughts.

His name had been Vontarin.

A deep violet gleam could be seen behind his iris's as a pale mist leaked from the corners of his eyes. This frail body was weak compared to when Vontarin had been alive but at least this 'Nathaire' possessed enough common sense to recognize the true power he would bring to his body by siding with him.

First he would gather his belongings from the monastery and then he would deal with returning properly to the land of the living. Evard would not have the last say in this...and once Vontarin stood once more returned to the mortal coil he would reap such vengeance on the town of Duponde. Its backwater villagers and quaint cemetery had served as his prison for all these years and he owed them a swift and bloody culling.
Soon...very soon.
He could almost taste it.

<>~~~~~~~~~<>~~~~~~~~~<>~~~~~~~~~<>~~~~~~~~~<>

"FERIS! Fall back to the crypt! There's too many, their numbers seem endless...if we stay out here much longer we'll be surrounded and overwhelmed!"

"Oh no way... you're not weaseling you way out of this one Cale!" Feris shouted back as he leapt atop a tombstone to get a better view of the hordes of oncoming zombies.

"I told you, two gold says i can take down two with one sling-stone!"

Feris cackled madly as he launched off stone after stone from his tiny sling, most shots smashing through the decrepit skull of one of the advancing undead.

"I didn't even ACCEPT your bet Feris!! Now get over here you delusional little halfing before they reach you."

Cale swung his sword about fending off the raking clawed hands of the zombies.
They were slow and unintelligent undead it was true but brutishly strong.
If one could manage to grab a hold of you the others would mob you in a pack and tear you into pieces. Cale had dealt with the like before...he also guessed these zombies were not alone...
Backing up towards the cracked crypt doors he shouted over his shoulder to their wizardly companion.

"Hows it coming in there Ariel?!? We can't keep this up all day out here!"

"By the makers and everything that is good do you REALLY think the subtle art of the arcane can simply be rushed along by shouting hurry hurry?!? This level of craft takes time!! I am utilizing years of carefully honed skills..."

Feris popped his head inside the door and raised an eyebrow skeptically.

"Really? Because it kinda looks like youre just waving your hands about and humming to yourself...I'm no expert...but I bet I could do that..."

"If you don't want us all dead then by the light get him out of here!!!" Ariel shrieked.

Cale's gauntlet slammed down upon Feris' back and hoisted him up to eye level. Feris sheepishly grinned and Cale scowled furiously.

"So help Pelor...Feris!! If you don't..."

Cale paused as he glanced over at the wall of advancing undead, their numbers swelling by the second as fresh corpses ripped themselves out of the damp earth.
This wasn't working.
They needed them down en-masse.
Ever the quick thinker Cale was not without a plan.

"Feris...if you can kill those zombies...and i mean ALL those zombies...for one night I swear upon my oath as a paladin that I will buy you as MUCH food as you can possibly eat."

Feris' eyes widened like dinner plates and his small mouth hung open. For once in his life the halfling was speechless. The chanting inside from Ariel started back up again as she tried to concentrate her efforts to halt the leaking of necrotic energy that was spilling out from the opened coffin.

"Do we have a deal Feris...because we don't really have time for haggling..." Cale asked desperately as he glanced to the wall of zombies no more that 40feet away now.

"Human...."

Feris started talking his voice hoarse and unusually distant.

"...you may just be the single greatest paladin in the history...of ever."

"Um...thanks?"

"Put me down....I have several hundred meals to earn." Feris said sternly.

The moment his small little feet touched down on the soil he was off rocketing at the crowd. His daggers flashed as he spun his sling about, firing off rocks at his enemies.
Feris was renowned for his trick shots and tonight he set about proving his reputation, ricocheting sling stones off multiple zombies heads at once.
Entire sections of the undead host toppled back to the earth whence they had come.
Darting between zombies legs Feris' bloodcurdling dinner screams could be heard even if the diminutive juggernaut could rarely be seen. He was so fast and quick that all that could be seen of him was the occasional fluttering of his cloak or the glint of his steel in the moonlight.

Cale grinned to himself as he too waded into the combat. Blessing his sword with radiant power and causing his shield to shed the brightest of sunlight he illuminated the surrounding graveyard.

"Fight on brave Feris...fight on. We must buy her as much time as we can..." He whispered to himself as he held the path in front of the crypt.

Ariel's eyes traced back and forth quickly as though in a trance. Her eyes had become milky white orbs as she tried desperately to find the source. The magic here was intense, enough to make any novice enchantress collapse under the sheer magical pressure that the coffin was putting out. Ariel's fingers desperately traced runes into the air as glowing magical lines sprung from her fingertips as she wove containment seals about the room. This was the most potent of dark energies and normally she would not attempt this type of spell without a host of other spellcasters aiding her. But tonight she was doing what she hated most when it came to magic but she had become quite used to this when it came to traveling with her band of friends.
Ariel was improvising.

Cale's head swung about his eyes scanning the tombstones but he couldn't see the dwarf anywhere.
That blasted Blackguard had run off the second that the zombies has started appearing.
No doubt this had been his plan all along...unable to best them three on one he lured them here to the graveyard where his undead minions would tear them apart.
He swore to himself if they somehow lived through the night he would find and take his vengeance upon the sinister dwarf.

The paladin was wretched from his thoughts as he heard a pained howl come from behind one of the tombstones.

"Feris?!? I'm coming little one! HOLD ON!"

Cale fought like a mad man trading blows with the zombies in order to push through them. He grunted in pain as even his full plate couldn't fully protect him from the zombie's gnashing teeth and tearing claws. But his friend was in peril and his own safety meant little.
Hacking through them with little more than sheer will power Cale was just in time to see a gravely wounded Feris darting between the tombstones and monuments with a large ghoul in hot pursuit. The halfling's arm hung limply at his side as he fled helter skelter through the graveyard and to Cale's dismay the ghoul appeared much faster, gaining ground on his companion by the second.

"FERIS!! Over here!" Cale shouted out loudly.

He had to hope that his companion would hear him as Cale took a course that would intercept the pair. But would he be in time?

He rounded a large fountain and was greeted by the dark form of something large slamming into him hard. Cale's lungs exploded with pain as he slammed into the dirt.
He swung above at the heavy form that was atop of him but couldn't connect from the odd angle.
Another ghoul had caught Cale by surprise in his desperation to reach Feris and now had him pinned against the fountain, its teeth diving forward into the side of his neck.
All he could smell was rotting flesh and the putrid stink of the festering sores that covered the vile creature's body.
He stabbed upwards with his sword blindly as the ghoul feasted upon him.
Cale was rewarded with a hiss as he scored a gash along the ghoul's side but the beast quickly shifted positions. Both its hands reached down and wrapped around his neck throttling the paladin as its feet pinned his sword arm to the ground.

Everything became hazy.
His vision swam as he looked about for Feris.
He tried to heave his arm free but he watched in slow motion as his fingers lost their grip on the hilt of the sword.
Somewhere faint and far off he imagined he could hear its metallic clatter as the sword connected with the masonry of the fountain.
The ghoul grinned down at him as the paladin realized that the ghoul's horrid face was the last thing he would ever see.

To be continued...

The Labyrinth: The 7th Underground Wonder in Smallworld Village.

My my my. Titles galore came in today!

After several weeks, or hell, even months of saying "nope same old" or "nothing yet"
I can now say when someone walks in and asks: What's new? "LOTS!" back in response.
And that for me is refreshing...

It's been several years now since I started working at Minotaur.
Honestly I've always loved playing games but when I 1st started working here I played all types and always gave everything at least a try or two without reservation.
But I'm not sure I ever fully appreciated how important it was to have new games being released to revitalize our interest in gaming culture, the activity that we gamers have come to hold so dear.
When a new stand alone or expansion is released it washes in like a breath of fresh air and suddenly it heralds the start of dozens of new entertaining gaming evenings.

Nowadays I think I'm a bit more choosy in what I play...
I wont just try something because it's new or flashy.
And yet I find myself reading up about upcoming games before they ever hit the shelf, waiting with baited breath for titles I've been dying to try.
And on the other side of that coin I find myself dismissing certain games just because of the style of game play or the lack or excess of certain components.



"B-but the halo focus group really thought this would
be a good idea for the game, misters..."

I'm not sure if that's a good or a bad thing...
But I can say with confidence that this all star line-up of games that just came out are amazzzzzzing!

So where to start...
Smallword?
The original is such a solid game and already had expansions.
So did it really need something new to add to the Smallworld universe you might ask?
Maybe not but I'm so glad that they decided to develop the game further because Smallworld Underworld looks like one of the most enjoyable titles for 2011.
It's a stand alone game but can also be played and incorporated into the base game so it packs a double punch when considering its re-playability.
Complete with a new scaling board based again on the # of players, new races / characteristics, and new game mechanics like heavily fortified neutral races defending relics.
Words to describe it?
Simply Epic...
I haven't had a chance to play it yet but I'd easily vote it an 8 out of 10 with the possibility of rating it higher once we get a store copy or once someone brings their freshly bought copy wih them.
*breathes in deeply*
Gotta love that new bitz smell =P



But I was also so very recently exposed to a full game of 7 wonders.
My rating of this game has actually increased to an 8.5 out of 10 despite myself and I'll make that edit to my previous post shortly.
I found myself enjoying it a fair deal more than I though I would in terms of a drafting game. And the best part was that I could immediately see the scope of it as a 2player vs 3 vs 4 vs 5 etc! And it will literally be a different game with each play through due to the combination of cards in hand and the wonders being played make it one I'm looking forward to trying again soon, hopefully with the 7 wonders Leaders Expansion in tow.
It adds Leader cards into the mix to increase the methods in which to score, each one boosting certain colored cards or acting as point multipliers from what I can see. So again...if you own it BRING IT.
Can't wait to play this on a games night.

Cooperative gaming also just got Miskatonic as the new big expansion to Arkham Horror. Dominion Cornucopia and The Village both burst onto the scene as well so the shelves haven't had such exciting new titles for ages.
Next I have to hope that both Game of Thrones comes back into print and they make something new and cool in lieu of the tv series and all >.< It's a long shot but one can have dreams of a cool game in which stark troops battle lannister on a frozen battlefield in the north... Man oh man a risk style Game of Thrones would be an awesome addition to any gamers' collection compared to the more diplomacy based game that is already out.

But honestly I think that so many military games flopped recently that the corporate game designers must be banging their underlings heads together to straighten out the slew of less than successful games that have been coming out in this field.



Glad to see at least that the Eurostyle games are still doing things right and producing quality over shiny unit pieces.
And many of them have both!
Gorgeous bitz and the game play still rocks.
Definitely July has been the best month for board gaming this year so far.
But as good as it's been there are more titles on the horizon for the start of August.
So keep tuned in to this station for further updates!! Same game time same game channel!!

This has been the Labyrinth and I'm Henry McCulloch. Game on!

The Labyrinth: Unda Tha Seaaaa!

Greetings one and all!
Holy Long John Silver, Batman!
Calling all artists, calling alllll artists!
Role call!

So for all of you who saw/came to our robot show in April but were a tad late and were all like...
"ROBOTS ?!?!!"
"OMGTHATSsoooooooCOOL!"
"WHAT?!?! Im too late to submit something??"
Then here's an update!

So the new collaborative group art show will be starting up and the theme is, you guessed it, everything and anything underwater and sea related!



Sea Turtles, Whales, Sharks, Starfish and Seahorses!
Pirates, Sailing Ships, Buried Tresure, and Lost Islands!
Krakens, Mermaids, Maelstroms, Water Elementals, and Submarines!
We want to see as many people participating this time, but still just one submission per artist.
But that's not to say you can't have multiple images all framed in one peice or a cartoon storyboard style submission with multiple frames and the art can all be done with any medium of your choosing.

During our first foray into group art at the robot show we saw submissions ranging from pencil crayons, pastels, water colors, markers, conceptual art, photo art, knitting, collage, and storyboard art.
So I'm sure anything imaginative that fits the theme will work but I know that if someone wants to come dressed as a porpoise and be a live art peice in the store standing in a kiddie pool I'll be personally tickled pink.
*sighs*
God i can almost picture it now...

"Mommy that dolphin looks stuuuuupid!"
"Gee thanks kid...but I'm a porpoise actually."
"Now comonnnn Billy don't antagonize the poor whale."
"Hehe mommy thinks you're FAT she called you a FAT whale!!"
"I'm a porpoise...and I'm NOT fat...I'm a live art peice."
"Well gosh darn...you surrrre look more like a whale... If mean if youre a Narwal why dont you have a horn?"
"Heheh big fat narrrrrwal Mommy called you a stuuuuupid fat Narrrrrrwal"
"IM A PORPOISE YOU #&%$&*@*"



Ahhh good times...
Well the underwater window is up at the store so I can constantly look to my left and feel like Jacques Couseau but once all the wonderful aquatic themed art is up I'll feel even more crustaceany.

So get out your quills your pads and your french artiste chapeaus. (hats)
"Fetchez la vache..."
"What?"
"Fetchez la vache!"
"Moo..."

Now we will be accepting submissions right up until July 15th but there wont be much leeway for any late submissions because the opening night soiree will be right on the 20th. It will be just like the 1st show's opening but if you didn't attend it's going to be a meet and greet with the chance to have a little bubbly, snack on some cheese, and mingle with all the artists.
Were hoping to see everyone from the 1st show that we know to submit something and more new artists would be fantastic.

It would be great to hit 30 submissions!



Also for those who are diehard Dominion fans it might be worth noting that with the release of the new Cornucopia Expansion the idea to have a tournament has not been abandoned nor forgotten. Merely being postponed until free RPG day had come and gone and once the Settlers Tournament concluded. In the next few weeks there will be details on how the rounds will be played out but the date will be July 9th!
For this coming week keep an eye out for my next column post in which I will hopefully give a quick game review for anyone who hasn't had a chance to see under the box cover yet! Cornucopia is shaping up to look like a very solid expansion.

The settlers tournament also looms on the horizon folks so if you were planning on attending best get signed up fast!
We already have a large number of people coming from Toronto and Ottawa so we are expecting some of our highest #'s to date for a North American Qualifier.
It's going down on the 25th, this Saturday, for those who have missed the date and it's going to be an all day affair with the doors opening at 10am.
Get here nice and promptly as the round 1 games will be quick to commence once the store is open and the rules of the tournament explained.

So with that I leave you with this submission for the Underwater Art show that i found from my buddy Paul the Porpoise!
Hopefully we are all as keen as him and have one wet and wild show!
(I think it looks a bit like a birthday cake...but Paul's art is kinda an abstract. Justine thinks it's definitely a sailing ship.)



I want to hear back from everyone!
Lets start the poll!!
What is paul trying to draw?!? Is he sketching a ship?
Is it a big ball of sand?
Schematics to the next Porpoisian death star???

Put up a reply on what our aquatic buddy is drawing!

This has been the Labyrinth and I'm Henry McCulloch. Game on!

The Labyrinth: Free RPG Day - We Be Goblins, You Be Food

Me mighty girthness Chief Rendwattle Gutwad!

You be slimey stupid longshanks! LISTENING UP NOW!
You must be covering your ears, me words so powerful and mighty fierce that they frighten all words from your headz.
But....Slorb be busy...him getting the rusty earbiter all ready for big party!
Ohhhhh me also need make reminder to him for Squealy Nord to come out...then can has the fun time of catchesing him and dancing.

But me Gutwad ramble too long... me digest...
Me working at Minotaur but no fun for having.
They no let stab customers!!
And so not often get to burn things.
But me mighty goblin and cleaver ideas in head for the having.
Famous we get here at Minotaur for big purchasers...
Me has dream that all sales over 50 dollars gets free dog for stabbing!!
And games nights can be now about fireworks to boom boom in naughty places!
heheheh.... huh?

You smelly longshanks no tell Chief what to talk about on compooter face blog book!!!
Me is mighty high lord that sits on tall teetery chair...
Hmmm...right you is smart longshanks...me does need tells them about free day of the R P G.
Alright...june of 18th all over Canada and Brinesump Marsh there be whole day for giving of shiney. Maybe free fireworks too Gutwad hopes.
But for sure they give evil books filled with writings to people who comes to the store.
Me has special dogslicer for sticking any of you longshanks who come to try to read and write...

You all sound like bad goblin Scribbleface.
Him write lots and you know that be bad mojo...
Writing steals words out of your head and snatches your soul away!!
Me Gutwad get tired of giving dictation to slimey longshank boy called Henry.
Me eats him later...

What you mean, what is a longshank? What you mean, why i eats them?
Me chief Licktoad course me always be for fighting and eating...
*Sighs*
Gutwad always need explain everything.

We be Licktoads! We make Raid!
Put the Longshanks to the Blade!
Burn them up from Feet to Head,
Make them hurt, then make them Dead!

Cut the Parents into Ham!
Smush the Babies into Jam!
All the rest in Pot get Stewed!
We be Licktoads - You be Food!

So just to jump back in here for a second, I'd like to just go over what our new summer intern here was covering in his roundabout fashion.

Free RPG day is coming up on the 18th of this month (June). There will be dozens of different modules being gven away for free, but get here early as they will go fast. Several of the modules will be run on the day including the Pathfinder module 'We be Goblins'. Anyone wishing to run one of the new modules on the day or a different RPG of their own choosing is welcome to do so, but folks should contact us here post haste to get it all organized.

The days events will start shortly after we open at 10am and will most likely conclude by mid to late afternoon. So grab your dice and swag bags and hurry down to Minotaur to load up on cool stuff and join in a game.
If you come to play in the 'We be Goblins' module feel free to come in costume! (some props may be handed out to those who don't bring any...)

Also if you are in the mood for some 40k roleplaying there will be a module being run called the 'Broken Chains' in the Black Crusade setting. This event will be going on in the afternoon with Chris Murray as the gamemaster and he will start things off around 2pm.

So if you've been craving the thrills of space combats and blasting your way about as a Chaos marine from corridor to corridor in pitched combat, look no further.
Starting off on a prison barge tasked with collecting some of the galaxy's most dangerous heretics and scum will lead for some interesting plot twists!
Make sure to get your dice for this one it's going to be a good one.

But other than that here's Gutwad again...
He's been busy trying to burn down the yarn section but apparently he wanted to yell ... I mean tell you a little bit more about his quest before today's column update is over.

Me Chief Gutwad here again for talking!

Done taking dump on Justine longshanks chair and when they come open board games they find many surprises for tasting. Baby longlegs and many burbygump nests for stinging.

Hmmm you other goblins are still around?

Maybe you be strong enough for quest since you like Slorb and no cower in fear of my big voice.

Well... me find picture drawing from Scribbleface's house that shows old ship in swamp.

There be much fireworks for Licktoads to be having but most bravest of goblins need for getting it. That's where you terribad stinkypants people come in.

Chief Gutwad thinks that you have good time for getting back all fireworks

If you come do this for tribe...you be bigtime hero, maybe even one of you bravest of all get to marry my daughter!

Make others for other important positions too...like head organizer for stabbings.

Ooooh or yummy taster of new things to put in our food places.
YES! It be decided then.
All for going out to scary ship to get fireworks!

Me Gutbad leave you with last thing.

Poem me wrote bout self since all goblins have poems.

Mine bestest of scary poems!

Me Rendwattle Gutwad Big Boss Chief,
Yous yells to me if yous got beef!
But if yous does then best run quick!
Or Gutwad stab with big sharp stick!

Me words be law this not debate,
Horse and Longshanks me bigtime hate!
But worse than both is smelly dogs!
Dem's for killing so says our gods!

This be the truth cuz Gutwad not liar,
Unless me promise to not start fire!
When time for fight will grab Chief's mace!
Will kick in crotch and smush your face!

This has been the Labyrinth and I'm Henry McCulloch. Game on!

The Labyrinth: Games Aplenty

Hey readerz!

I'm pleased to announce that up at the store we have a brand new, fully updated, list of games that will be coming out in the near future. Snatch up as many of these new titles up as you like as we'll be offering 20% off all items pre-ordered at the store.

Some of these new titles coming out include new expansions to Thunderstone, Arkham Horror, LOTR Card game and Resident Evil the card game. If lighter games are your thing then try Cthulhu Gloom. Just like the original Gloom it features your character's lives becoming horrible/miserable and then being killed off at their lowest moment. Food Fight is another fun little title that just like the name implies revolves around flinging food across the table at one another. If something more serious is what interests you then Ventura and Deadwood might appeal to you. The 1st title features a conquest and nobility theme where players are each noble families in 14th century Italy, vying for power over the country's ever expanding wealth, while the later title is a wild wild west shoot em up in which you compete for territory along the route where the railroad has arrived. Player get to be bands of renegades and desperados that are trying to collect as much wealth as they can while battling rival gangs in good old fashion gun battles.



All sound pretty smexy so far? But wait...there's morrrrre...
Some other expansions coming out will be the 7 Wonders: Leaders deck, Munchkin Zombies: 2 Armed and Dangerous and Survive the 5-6 player mini expansion.

Sweet titles one and all in my books! But light strategy...heavier Eurogaming... where's the SILLY! Where can I get the zany I'm looking for in gaming!
Well look no further I can garantuee some of these games will make you smile just asking your friends if they are up for a game.


Bears!
It's a dice game. You and your friends are camping...and then there were bears.
Need i say more? fine...twist my arm.
You run around shooting bears for points, fleeing from tent to tent.
But if you dare to sleep through one of the bear attacks you can score big points!



Then there's Ant Assault the card game.
Literally you get to play as an ant colony and defend your hill from invading ant hordes.
Send out scouts, lead foraging parties, and launch your war teams to pit yourselves in insect on insect combats to the death!
Alright maybe that's not silly enough...

This next title will be impossible not to hear said out loud and laugh.
I promise...*clears throat*
Kittens in a Blender!

It's a fast paced card game where players LITERALLY are trying to prevent adorable fluffy kittens from being mashed up to gorey pulps in household appliances. Play your hands quickly and save the foolish felines before it's too late!
I love it mwhahaha

Wizard of the Coast has a new title Conquest of Nerath coming out. Everything fantasy dungeons and dragoney magic goblins elves etc. While Ystari has a very interesting title being released called Olympus. Colonize ancient Greece before your opponents do and advance your civiliztion through the years but do so in a manner that avoids angering the gods!
Fantasy Flight has been very busy indeed. In addition to several aforementioned titles they are coming out with a new standalone Smallworld Underground as well as Black Gold, an auction and bidding game set at the height of theTexas oil boom of 1922. With plenty of action cards and some bluffing elements that keep the flow of the game rolling along it looks to be another fast and easy to learn title prepped to grace our store's shelves.

Where does the list end?? o.O
It just doesn't really... there's too many to talk about in just one post but a few others include new Carcassonne Phantom and the Carcassonne Dice Game; Outpost a reprinted version of the 1991 game and Lancaster which is a Henry V territorial control game; Test of Fire First Bull Run being a civil war game and Mammut, a prehistoric bidding boardgame; a pattern/ design game called Seven Dragons and Croa, another abstract strategy game; Devil's Dice (similar to liar's dice) and Are You The Cultist? a title that mirrors Werewolves of Miller's Hollow but with a Cthulu/H.P. Lovecraft flavor; Balance of Power in which you are helping Europe in 1815 to recover from the ravages of war and Napoleon's reign along with Dark Eon Assassin Tyrant of Acheron which is a sci fi solitaire game; Zoch Verlog Games has Mille Grazie (A bluffing game) Mord im Arosa (A clue based listening game) Safranito (A manual dexterity game based on indian food) and Geistesblitz (another dexterity game for children with a ghostly theme); not to be outdone ZMAN has four new titles springing onto the scene as well, Dark Minions a dice game of being evil and pillaging towns, Equilibrian a co-operative card game that can also be played solo in which you need to find the balance between nightmares and good dreams, Walking Dead the Board Game which has been designed with scenarios based directly off the comic book, and Guards! Guards! a Diskworld themed game where players embark on an epic quest through Ank-Morpork.

Phew... pass me a drink, that was a lot to go over.
That pretty much concludes it for this week that's all the games that are coming...
There's more?!? Why...dear god why...space them out...1 per week...*sighs*
Never fear I've savd some of the best titles for last.

Iello is a company I had not heard of until this week...but they have quickly earned my resect with a solid title of one of their new upcoming games. King of Tokyo!
Nah it's not feudal Japan with samurai and a ruling shogun it's even better.
The game is a dice/card game where monsters, giant killer robots, and aliens battle it out for supreme control over Tokyo.



And last but not least there is a game called Ikusa that has been announced.
It, unlike King of Tokyo! IS all about samurai and the ruling shoguns vying for power over feudal Japan!! Everyone remember the old Avalon Hill game Shogun? The one that got renamed to Samurai Swords? Well it's been renamed Ikusa and been given a brand new paint job with mostly the same old rules as far as I can tell. Anyone else as ecstatic as I?
It's one that I've loved to death...my old copy has a pizza-stained frayed edge and armies with broken daimyo flags. A new and shiny copy of this is one that I strongly advise adding to everyone's personal wargaming collection and one that I will most likely be writing up more extensively in the near future!
It's one that I'd offer a 9/10 rating for!



That's it for now gamers!
There were a few titles i couldn't manage to sneak in here but I should mention that the full comprehensive list of write-up of all upcoming releases is at the front counter at the store.
So swing on by, check out the list, and lets start the waiting game together.
It's going to be an interesting few months!
And as always...

This has been the labyrinth and I'm Henry McCulloch. Game on!