Friday 14 July 2017

MAD gamers, or more properly Maidenhead and District Gaming club. [1999 - current]

Frequent visits to GW Maidenhead, an exchange of cash for plastic/metal and I'm an addict.

The store manager noted a few of us frequent older players popping in and suggested we get together to play, as although it was possible to play in store space was limited and often full. so...

Chris Evans - store Manager
Chris Stillman
Mark Davies
Chris Davidson
Russ
Mike Emery
Mark Foulds

We started meeting and playing games, I actually won one or two! A novelty.

In our enthusiasm we started to plan a 40K campaign. Rules were devised a map drawn and the characters of the various wargamers became apparent.
Some were happy go lucky you have to be to play Imperial Guard. Others had to win at any cost, Dark Angels, Blood Marine players, you know the type. Some were right devious an Ork player. I played my Iron Warriors, I can't recall the other armies.

I'm not sure the campaign got very far, too many of us enjoyed a good argument two in particular enjoyed a good wind up, their favourite victim would be argued through a full circle until the two of them were agreeing with and suggesting to him what he had initially said and couldn't see what his problem was.
I thought the pair of them were just being difficult, it was years later it was pointed out to me by one of them that this was the highlight of the evening for them.

I recall one evening session that collapsed into one of these discussions, eventually enough was enough and we started a game at 01:00 finishing at 05:00. Still chuckling now, it was an improbable game six of us on a 4' x 6' table.

In order to play the campaign we had to create army lists with leader which we could position on the virtual map. I needed a name, with a void for an imagination that day. I decided to randomly hit keys on the keyboard a little tweak and a Chaos Lord gaming legend was born; Dranask.

The idea was that each small army group would march across the map to occupy hexs and receive resources, all bar one organised small 100-400 point armies that would survive an encounter with another player so sent forwards about 3-4 armies. One player made up 10 point armies and sent out 20. The rest of us were not impressed.

Mike wanted to start a club, but considered it impossible as the local authority had informed him he would need a gaming licence. At the time I lived next to the Town Mayor, a quick question or two. No we don't need a licence we are a Wargaming club, not a 'Gaming Club', as ever ask the right question.

Mike had the contacts and we started meeting at the Maidenhead Football club. Friday night £1 a night, a constitution was drawn up and the first members were.

Denis Jackman, Mark Foulds, Mike Emery, Chris Davidson, Mark Davies. Other commitments had pulled the other 'founders' away from the area.

The club went well and at one point we had in excess of 80 members.
Sadly due to a misunderstanding we moved away to 'The Rose' lovely pub lovely welcome, but not ideal and at the same time the local shop opened a 'Games Bunker (room) and many younger players drifted away.  We moved again to a local social club, a Thursday night so I was unable to attend and left the club, but it stayed there for many years.
Three factions developed, but two re-joined and are still Madgamers  men with a passion for historical wargames, rather than points driven games and a GW sponsored club that also plays none GW called Maidenhead Reapers meeting on a Monday so we have two clubs in town.

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MADGamers now meet at the North Maidenhead Cricket Club.


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