Adepitcon 2024 Recap

boardgamequest.com:

Billed as the “premier wargaming convention”, this past weekend was the annual Adepitcon. Held in Schaumburg IL, Adepticon is going on 22 years strong. While not a huge convention compared to Gen Con, PAX U, or Origins, It still attracts a sizable crowd.

One interesting thing about Adoption is how it’s hyper focused on a specific niche in tabletop gaming. If you are into miniatures games, either playing or painting, then this is the place to be. While some conventions cater to the omnigamer, Adepticon is really aimed at the minis wargammer. If that’s you, then you’ll be right at home with this con.

Most of the time when I go to conventions, it’s to cover it for the site. At Gen Con, I’m usually running around like a chicken with its head cut off from meeting to meeting. Rarely do I get time to do events and just casually play things. However, Adepticon is usually my gaming retreat where I go simply to have fun, talk to people, and try new things. So with that in mind, here was this year’s Adepticon experience for me.

Battletech Grinder
One of the few “lifestyle” games I actively try to keep up with is Battletech. I got hooked on it after playing the turn-based video game and have since gone all in. I enjoy both Classic and Alpha Strike, and have always been intrigued by the Grinder. Catalyst Games is always promoting thier most popular BattleTech event, so I was happy to give it a try this year.

The premise is that you are dropped into a combat zone with 7 other players in a chaotic free-for-all. Over the course of the day, everyone starts in a light mech, and once you’ve been blown up or disabled, you go to HQ and get a better mech. Players go from Light, to medium, to heavy, to assault (or thereabouts). While I only had time for one slot, I had a blast and will definitely be signing up for more slots next year. In my single 2-hour slot, I controlled a light Thorn mech and held my own. I only got blasted at the end of the session, so I would be able to start the