Thursday, August 18, 2005

A message from Brian "Kiddoc" Mackey, 2004 DDM Champion

(Taken from his posts on the Wizards boards and Maxminis):

Bowing out Gracefully
I want to begin by apologizing for not being able to make Gencon and defend my title at the 2005 World Championship this year. To save you any concern or doubt, I’m quite certain that with the elevation in competition in the game recently, I’d have been very hard-pressed to enjoy the success I had last year. And to everyone hoping for a rematch, let me put your mind at ease: I concede! I’m very excited to see competitive play elevated to such levels, and to see such excellent strategists and miniature gamers pitting their skills against one another. I’m immensely proud of how far we’ve come in a year: More people than ever are playing the game, qualifiers are popping up in states all over the country (and in other countries) and the game is growing in both complexity and fun.

And of course, that means my year is up. And I have to say, while I enjoy the title, it’s going to be very interesting to see what the future holds for my successor. I’m excited by the fact that the club will be joined (and doubled in size!), and I can’t wait to see what this year’s world champion does with the title (just ignore the pressure from the wife to make a miniature of her!). I want to congratulate whomever it is that wins in advance. You will have played against the best players in the world, and emerged victorious after a grueling 2 (or 3) day test of mental endurance. Congratulations on being rewarded for your perseverance.

To everyone else in the tournament, good luck! Be the kind of competitor that you would like to compete against. We have a reputation for being a mature and amiable community. I hope that trend will continue, and that other gaming communities will see (and envy) the friendliness and fairness we display. Enjoy both the games you play, and the people you meet. Write tournament reports, and for heaven’s sake: Take PICTURES!!! Have a great time at the championship and at Gencon, and remember; have fun, it’s just a game!

Finally, while I won’t be attending Gencon (we just moved 400 miles away, I started a private practice, and I have boards to prepare for… ugh!), I will be sending someone in my place. Be sure you introduce yourself to my wife (or at least a version thereof ;-)) when you see her, and make sure the D&D Minis team is taking good care of her! :-D Enjoy your sneak peek at the first ever fan-created miniature in the history of Dungeons and Dragons.

-- Brian "Kiddoc" Mackey, 2004 D&D Miniatures Champion