Pisa sets a new world record!

La Tana dei Goblin Pisa takes back the record for the largest Wings of War game with 81 players

(18-06-2009)

During the 1st PisaGioca, La Tana dei Goblin Pisa organized, ran and umpired a really crowded match of Wings of War aimed to beat the official record of 61 players scored at Utah, USA, on March 10.

In spite of the hot weather and the local time (15:30 in June, 14th!!!) one by one many people showed up, some being veterans of the game, others simply intrigued by this attempt, a few attracted by the growing knot of people that was around a long (20x1m) and unusual table in a town square.

So in a maelstrom of further tables being added, two players submitting in the last minute, fellows complaining about their not-so-manly pink airplane, the ranks grew to the point that no more miniatures were available and some players had to use their own!

Andrea Angiolino, who was already in Pisa to take part at PisaGioca conferences, kindly lent himself out to explain the (core) rules being used to the newbies, going across the long table. Is there a better witness for such a record?

The battle raged on featuring naïve self-destructions (out of the flying space by the 2nd turn...) and strokes of luck (such as 9x'0' damage cards collected by a blessed Prussian pilot), whiplashes of misfortune (we witnessed to apocalyptic scenes like a player taking her first damage at midgame but an explosion one) and veterans bewitching the public (yes there was a public too, those who came after the miniatures' availability dropped to 0) with acrobatics; in two hours doom and glory swayed back and forth over the two factions.

The few remaining survivors were scattered over the 10 tables, so we redeployed them on a smaller play area. And in the end of this epic dogfight only one pilot survived: the winner was Riccardo Angori, flying a plane aligned with the Triple Entente.

The big match's organizer, beside the satisfaction of succeeding in beating the record, had the much bigger pleasure of involving many youngsters, friends and fans who enjoyed the time they spent playing together this wonderful and, for some of them, unknown game.

This event couldn't happen unless the collaboration of many people, and reporting all names would be impossible, but La Tana dei Goblin Pisa thanks specially its major aiders: Andrea Angiolino, for the support before, during and after the record attempt; NG International/Giochi Uniti for the huge pile... no landslide... of miniatures and material they lent; the members of La Tana dei Goblin - Pisa who came to take part to the match and provided logistical support in many different ways; and all the 81 players, who came from distant towns for the event and who were recruited in the last-minute while strolling through the square - without them the record wouldn't be reached, and more important, all that fun wouldn't be possible.

La Tana dei Goblins gives a small hint to anybody planning to attempt to beat their record: "You are welcome, but be in a hurry because we are already organizing to gather a overwhelming crowd of 100+ people..."

And so the challenge goes on…

In the next days La Tana dei Goblin will publish on www.goblins.net a photogallery with pictures from the event; for more information email at tdg.pisa@goblins.net.

Pisa, June 14th: the new largest Wings of War game ever engaged 81 players. (photo by La Tana dei Goblin)

After 2 hours of dogfight, Riccardo Angori was the winner, (photo by La Tana dei Goblin)