I love this time of year. Spring is just around the corner… which of course means it’s time for the real seasonal tradition, Advanced Squad Leader Starter Kit at the March Madness tournament in Kansas City.

This will be my fourth year attending this fantastic event, and somehow it keeps getting better every time. Great games, great people, and just enough rules debates to keep everyone honest.

This year I’ve decided to turn it into a full weekend adventure. I’m heading out tomorrow for the grueling three-hour drive to KC. I’ve packed the essentials — snacks, multiple player aids, extra dice, and at least one rule section I fully expect to misunderstand somewhere along the way.

My first stop will be the Cardboard Cafe, a great gaming spot in town. I’m meeting up with a friend I first connected with through my podcast, and we’re diving into Thunder at Dawn, the Revolution title that uses the Blind Sword system. The plan is to push counters, make questionable tactical decisions, and generally game most of the day.

I’ll also be doing my podcast live from the cafe later that evening… assuming we don’t get pulled into a spirited Line of Sight discussion or spend three hours resolving a single morale check.

On Friday we’ll report in at the host hotel, get our starting pairings, pick up the scenario pack, and receive our official briefing on what kind of fun (and psychological damage) to expect for the weekend.

Whenever there’s downtime — or after the tournament wraps up — I’m also hoping to get some time in with the Historical ASLSK module Decision at Elst. I currently have it on pre-order, so this will be my first real chance to get it on the table. I’m especially looking forward to trying out the campaign game. There’s just something about setting up a historical module, staring at a beautiful oversized map, and immediately realizing you may have just committed the next several hours (or days) of your life.

That’s the plan for the weekend — gaming and more gaming, catching up with old friends, and hopefully making a few new ones along the way.

If you’re in the area on Thursday, stop by the cafe and say hello. It’s always great to put faces to names and roll some dice in person.

And I would be remiss if I didn’t include a link to the March Madness tournament here for anyone who might be interested. If you’ve ever thought about attending, this is a fantastic event with a great group of players and a very welcoming atmosphere.