When Jean Paul asked me if I would go to the Elf Fantasy Fair I said no. Most tournaments are in the weekends, and I can almost never play in weekends. This time, however, the Dutch railway company NS intervened by going on strike on the day before the tournament. I couldn’t return to Limburg, my parents home-base. So instead of going to work on Saturday, I found myself in the train to Alphen aan de Rijn to go to the Elf Fantasy Fair in the Archeon together with most of the other ME players from Leiden. Rogier Ensing knew where the tournament was being held. He led our company past evil orcs, half naked amazon women who fiercely tried not to feel very cold and lots of guys dressed up funny, carrying huge magnificent and terrible plastic axes and swords. Unfortunately he also led us through the entire park before bringing us to the medieval quarters of the Archeon.
The tournament was held in a very nice authentic building, where a nice medieval lady was looking after the warm fire on the ground floor of the building. The tournament however was held on the first floor..... That day I learned that playing Middle-earth in the Middle Ages was not for the weak. It was very, very cold. Fortunately all players were very strong or well informed, for some of them had brought gloves and coffee to keep their body temperature at a normal height.
I do not exactly remember what happened each round of the tournament but I’ll give it a shot anyway.
The first round I played against a beginning ME player who did not have any beginner’s luck at all. Glorfindel was corrupted in the first movement hazard phase by a Lure of Nature (if I remember correctly) and thus his company was crippled right from the start. He lost a few turns playing no points by this first disastrous roll of dice. He however killed my favorite dwarf (OK my only dwarf) Gimly. While he was rebuilding his company I was able to play some items: A ring, a Sword of Gondolin and my factions: The Beornings and the Iron Hill Dwarves. It was an easy victory which was mostly achieved by that first roll of the dice.
In the second round my opponent was Rogier, one of the Morgul-rats players. I do not remember many exact facts of this round. Some characters were killed but we both were able to play our items and factions. A close game which ended in my advantage.
In the third round I was up against Rob. Impressed by his fast playing and high rolls on various occasions, I simply hoped for the best. The high game speed resulted in a game that was actually finished in stead of just ended. We both had exhausted our play deck.
My opponent did not have too many items to play in his deck which was his biggest disadvantage as he said himself. I myself had the following ‘combo’ which toppled the scale in my advantage: The book of Mazarbul played in Moria and ultimately stored in the Iron Hill Dwarf-hold where the Iron Hill Dwarves were only too happy to accept this gift in exchange for joining my ranks in the fight against Sauron (8 points).
I won a very beautiful ME puzzle which will remind me, in years to come, of the first ME tournament I won.