And so began the Quest as we departed Ed's house at the start of our long journey. The trek took us over river and dale, across many borders and through the land of New Jersey, where shadows lie. We raided numerous rest stops along the way, pillaged our share of restaurants and coffee dealers, and suffered the never ending Troll Booths which seemed to demand more of our money more readily as we drew closer to our goal. But as the sun set in the West we finally reached our destination, sent in our best negotiators to bargain with the inn keep for what comfort we may find and sought the peace of our rooms. Then came the dice-off to see how the beds would be divided and the first part of the journey came to a close. But sleep? No!

John, Ed, Joe and Larry gathered together in one room to admire some work being entered into the Golden Demon competition (John continues to set the bar ever higher), check out the armies we were assembling (Ed's work on his Fell Beast is creative, smart and beautiful) and discuss strategies. Similar meetings were held among the players in the other rooms and some were known to have stayed up late into the night putting final touches on their forces or hunched over the newest WH rules release. But in time sleep took us all.

Come the dawn and we gathered for a hardy feast of...well, don't ask...it was free. We loaded up our gear and headed to the heart of the city and our destiny. The competitions were set to start an hour before the event opened to the public and we wanted to get there a little early to get settled in and be prepared. It must have been an impressive sight with the ten of us coming thru the door together, all wearing our olive tees with the Garrison City Gamers logo. We could almost hear the collective gasp and murmurs from everyone that saw us (I did say "almost"). The event staff was helpful and friendly right from the start and everyone wearing the red GW shirts seemed to remain in good humor all day long. Getting through the registration was a breeze, and we gathered for a pre-event GCG team photo. Sadly John could not be included in this as he ran off in excitement to get his Golden Demon entries in. He could be heard mumbling something to the effect of "will they likes it, my Precious" as he vanished thru the doors.

Inside, the main hall was already buzzing with excitement as players arrived and staff worked busy on final preparations. Despite a couple glitches with some new software GW was using to track and match players (the first THREE players registered for each TWO-player match were assigned to face each other!) we all soon found our tables and reviewed our tournament packets. Our early arrival gave plenty of time not only to get comfortable with the upcoming games and consider basic strategies but also to walk around and see what other players were bringing as they arrived and setup. One display that caught everyone's attention had a Dragon leading a small force from Dol Guldur. Each model on its own was an impressive piece of art, highlighted by the fantastic Dragon that included a flame that could actually light up! But above this was how they all came together to be displayed on a beautiful diorama.

In time everyone was matched up and settled in for their first game. All games would be two hours long and not a second more. There would be a short break between the first and second game, then lunch before the final game was played in the afternoon. Each player would be scored based on how they did with the scenario objectives, how the judges ranked the appearance of your army, and how your opponent ranked you on Sportsmanship.

For the Lord of the Rings players, our first match was Reconnoiter, a scenario which challenges the players to try to get as many members of their army across the board and off their opponent's starting edge as possible while preventing the enemy from doing the same. Ed and Larry each took a Minor Victory (vs. the Dragon and Minas Tirith armies respectively) while John scored a Major Victory over Gondor.

Round two shuffled the players and set the stage for a Meeting Engagement. This is more of a classic "battle to the death" as both sides face off and seek to slay their foe. Many of our finest fell in this match with Joe, Ryan and Ed each suffering a loss. John secured another Major Victory, this time over a brutal and magical Angmar force and Larry also took a Major Victory against a horde of Uruk Hai Scouts.

As we broke for (and were nearly broke by!) lunch, the Garrison City Gamers Lord of the Rings players had racked up a total of 99 Battle Points, with John in a four-way tie for first and Larry four points behind the leaders. Lunch was a nice time to gather again and see how everyone was doing as well as enjoy some great conversations with other players from around the region.

After lunch our final game of the day was to be Domination, a very difficult scenario in which each side tried to secure as many of the four table corners as possible. With so many scores so close together it promised to be a tense match for all and a lot was riding on the outcome. Where many games from the first two rounds ended early, several of these came right down to the wire, with John's game finally concluding seconds before the final shout of "Dice down!" from the judges. When the dust settled the models were counted. Joe claimed a Minor Victory against the Dol Guldur force, with Balin trading blows with the Dragon. Larry also staked a Minor Victory as his force of Wood Elves overcame a troop of fighting Uruk Hai. Ed took a Draw against the Uruk Hai Scouts and John faired the same against a force from Harad which included the tough (and much debated) Mahud.

The final standings in Battle Points:
John 44
Larry 43
Ed 26
Joe 26
Ryan 23

With a heavy sigh of relief for having the games behind us, we settled in to enjoy the rest of the event. The Golden Demons were an inspiration to view to say the least, and the costume and banner competitions were amusing with some going a long way to show their talents (and embarrass their children). This concluded with a mock battle between contestants in full costume which ended with a surprising wedding proposal to the rescued princess. But the moment we were all waiting for finally came as the gaming awards were announced - with John taking Best Overall for the Lord of the Rings competitions. He finished the day with the highest total combined score of Battle Points, Army Appearance and Sportsmanship. Those of us that have known and gamed with him were not the least surprised and cheered him on while he claimed his prize with true modesty. We wrapped up the day browsing the various tables and displays and walked down to the waterfront for dinner.

The trip home was smooth and seemed quick, and the conversations were filled with recounts and "what if" discussions (when people were not catching up on sleep lost over the last 48 hours). The Quest was a success, all had a great time and the Garrison City Gamers had made a strong showing in their first major tournament as a club. But as important as how well we all played is the fun and camaraderie we shared over the weekend as each one of us discussed the chance to come together again for Games Day 2009.