A visit to…Games `n Dice Düsseldorf e.V.

Last June, I had the pleasure of being a guest at the Games 'n Dice hobby club. This name will not be entirely unfamiliar to some, as the podcast of the same name was created directly by the club members, Gregor and Benni to be precise, with whom I recorded a system introduction to Mortal Gods. Beside that, Dennis visited the club back in 2019 for the Historical Demo Day and covered the visit on here as well.

This was also the reason for an invitation to the clubs Open Sunday in Düsseldorf to play a demo game there too.

Games'n Dice e.V. was originally formed in 2010 from the community of Warmachine and Flames of War players. Of course, the focus was not limited to these two games, but at the time they formed those were the core systems. The basic idea behind founding a club was to have a fixed structure and a legally secure roof for events. The Drachental store has always been the home of Games 'n Dice. In addition to the Open Sunday, which only takes place every other weekend, there is also a hobby meeting every Wednesday evening.

The great strength of Games'n Dice is its great variety and openness to different systems. Club President Benjamin (not our Podcast Benni) answers the question "What do you play?" with "What don't we play?". Even though attention is often paid to current trends, there are also many players who turn to the "classics" from time to time and start a Necromunda campaign or like to meet up for a game of Infinity or FoW V3.

The Drachental store offers some very spacious premises for tabletop and board game enthusiasts. I really liked the store section, as you quickly get the feeling of a general store - you'll find the usual products from major manufacturers, but also some exotic items that aren't in the mainstream spotlight. The selection of board games is also wide enough to offer something for those who are not interested in tabletop games.

The gaming facilities are directly connected to the store, starting with a larger area that used to be a garage and provides access to a small corner with beverages, rest rooms and an area for small breaks in between games. The gaming area is also quite spacious, so that tournaments or other gaming events can be held without a problem.

I played with Gregor in the forward gaming room, which is a little better lit than the back room, but is much warmer when the weather is good. Here, too, you can see that the members' hearts and souls beat for the hobby - the shop windows here are filled with scenery and armies, which also lures the curious through the door.

Furthermore, the club offers a wide range of gaming accessories, tables and mats to create the right feel for every game. I have to admit that I particularly like the Blood Bowl flags, as I'm a big fan of the 2016 edition.

Right at the start, Gregor naturally threw my entire demo concept overboard and wanted to play a 300-point game of Mortal Gods straight away, which takes much longer than a small game with basic mechanics. Benni then stepped in for me to give the Drachental boss a demo in parallel. But postponed is not canceled - I'm sure I'll be back in Düsseldorf one more time and then I'll catch up on the match!

In terms of play, it actually went as usual for me - Gregor and Benni said that it's actually good if you lose your game as a demo provider, but I'd like to mention at this point that I've only won once in Mortal Gods so far. That's why I don't hold back even in demo games and always try to turn the battle my way, which I somehow never manage to do...

So, after Gregor had beaten the living hell out of me, I played another game against Benni. Well, what can I say? Strategically, I certainly made a few mistakes, but at least I was clever enough to show off properly before the game - given the reliability of my luck with the dice, I knew I wouldn't have the chance to do so after the game anyway.

The Spartans, who deployed in a tight wedge formation, were not really attackable at the start, as I had to expect immediate retaliation. Over the course of five turns, my troops gradually were wore down by the Spartan bulwark and I lost my second game of the day.

But anyone who knows me knows that I'm basically just happy to finally be able to play a few games again. And I'll win the next one anyway.

Greetings from the Drachental and the Games 'n Dice Hobby Club

Dino