| Premier GMs |
| Texicon |
"Where the West Begins"
| Board Games |
| Miniatures |
Vance Frey: one of Texicon's Premier Miniatures GMs.
Some of the great games that I have played or run at conventions are as follows:
The games that I am playing at this time are Call to Arms: Star Fleet, Warmaster , Bother in Arms (A game based on Honor and Arms), and Honor and Arms.
Games that I plan to run at the next Texicon are:
*Call to Arms: Star Fleet
*Honor and Arms rule set: Peninsular Campaign Spanish Battle Albuera 16 May 1811.
~ Vance Frey
- I started gaming in the early eighties and have been running games since the late eighties. D&D was my first
game that I played as a gamer; my first war game was the Old Warlords. First game that I was the game master
for was D&D in Pittsburgh and two years later Warlord here in Dallas.
Some of the great games that I have played or run at conventions are as follows:
The games that I am playing at this time are Call to Arms: Star Fleet, Warmaster , Bother in Arms (A game based on Honor and Arms), and Honor and Arms.
Games that I plan to run at the next Texicon are:
*Call to Arms: Star Fleet
*Honor and Arms rule set: Peninsular Campaign Spanish Battle Albuera 16 May 1811.
~ Vance Frey
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- Eric Couch: one of Texicon's Premier Board Game GMs.
- My mother taught me chess when I was 5, which sparked my love of board games. As a youth, I
enjoyed games like Risk and Spades with my family. My gaming group from high school played
Heroquest and D&D. After high school we reunited to play Risk, Poker, and Spades every weekend.
Heroscape became a favorite for me and my two teenage kids in 2004, which once again rekindled my
love for board games.
- I enjoy learning and teaching new games to both my gaming group regulars and non-gaming friends. I
have games that are good for just about every occasion, some euros and war games for my gaming
group, party games for my friends, light games I play with my wife, solo games, and a handful of
children’s games that I play with my 5 year old son (Corwin).
- I enjoy abstract strategy games because of my affinity for chess. Party games allow for a unique and
entertaining interaction with groups of people. My son Corwin can learn structure, rules, and motor
skills from the children’s games we play. I also enjoy fantasy dungeon crawl games.
- I met a lot of really interesting folks at Texicon's first year in 2010. One example is the famous Rick
Loomis from FlyingBuffalo, who is a game designer and publisher from way back. He taught me how to
play Nuclear War. Last year was another great year at Texicon. Once again, I was a GM and there
were several new games I had the opportunity to teach and learn.
- Currently I'm working on upgrading the components and cards to some of my games. I've also recently
began research on how to port games and scoring utilities to Android and iOS mobile operating
systems.
- ~Eric Couch
"Ahhhhhhh!!!!!" ~Brian This is the moment that Brian realizes that he was born a Nerd! |
"Oh Man! I gotta get some cool." ~Brian Brian begins working on his mojo. Spring 1991. |
"I've almost got it." ~Brian He's almost got Master Nerd status. |
"Oh yeah! I've got cool." ~Brian Brian becomes Master of all he surveys. |
The Clock is ticking. Have you gamed with Brian lately? Do it before it's too late. |
- Gaming, where did “IT” begin. I think it started way back around 1983 when I received the Dungeons and
Dragons Red Box as a gift. This was followed shortly by Marvel Super Heroes, Star Frontiers, and Dungeons
and Dragons choose your own adventure books. Around 1986, there appeared this little quaint box at
Fantastic Worlds Games called Battletech. My friends and I started playing immediately. Being broke middle-
schoolers, we played with the original and expanded card board cut outs, and the Battle Tech tactical game.
This invariably led into Miniatures and comic book conventions. I met a bloke by the name of David E. Gower
who was a dealer around 1989. One of the best Battle Tech GM’s I had played under. I learned a lot from Mr.
Gower, who introduced me to other miniatures games like Micro-armor and Warhammer 40k Rogue Trader.
Whenever I put together a game, I try gauge it by DG’s standards. Most of all because “Is it fun, and fudge it if
there aren’t rules for it.” Invariably there would be a Mechwarriors guild person complaining about something
in Mr. Gower’s game. This stood always as a measure of how fun the game actually was. I try to integrate his
creativity into my games today. I was saddened to hear he passed away a few years back. After Mechwarrior,
I started running Shadowrun, for years, at Dallas Fantasy Fairs and Dallas Con’s. At DFF’s I met a lot of great
individuals over the years like John Manning, Matt Sims, Kent Henry, Lloyd and Karen Acker, and Tish Groller
who taught me how to
howling, worry about. I let them worry about the pedantic angry security staff screaming “HALT”.)
Now-a-days I’ve got bills, a family, a full time job, and real life stuff. I moved to Boston for ten years and moved back in 2008. These days but I focus on painting,
modeling, and enjoying my time in my garage work room. (The rest I spend with the family.) I still run the occasional Shadowrun game but mainly focus on
miniatures, terrain, and the occasional board game. I’ve run and demo’ed semiprofessionally Shadowrun for Fanpro and Babylon 5 A call to Arms for Mongoose
Publishing. I just picked up the A Call to Arms: Star Fleet Battle rules to read. After this year’s con, my next project is to run a game based on Terminator 2032
and work on some 6mm scifi.
Conventions s I’ve been too:
DFW: Dallas & Fort Worth Fantasy Fairs, Dallas Con, Anime Dallas, Project Akon (3 – 7) , Con-niption, JusticeCon, Origins 93’, Yule Con, Fencon. Boston:
Havoc, Arisia, Total Con, OGC, Hobby Bunker Game Day, Anime Boston.
Game Masters Who I consider top notch: Don Fergoso, Lloyd Acker, Dave Gower, Kenneth Hann (Cuthulu) , Paul Hume (Shadowrun), and Brennan Holms (a
great friend and for re-introducing me into historicals in college and Tony Karsons letting us run on his basement mega board in Lynn, Ma).
Games I’ve played: (I tried to make a list but there are too many to list.)
Quote: “I drank what?” & “Relax, have a beer”
Games I want to run at Texicon but they won’t let me: “Dresden Files Larp”
~ Brian Guarnieri
- Brian Guarnieri: one of Texicon's Premier Miniatures GMs.
| Located in the historic Sundance Square Fort Worth, Texas 76102 Phone: (817) 289-2400 Website |
Texicon celebrates those GMs who work hard during the convention and who uphold the concepts, values, and mission of
Texicon. This is the Premier GM page. Here you will find the biographies of all of Texicon's Premiere GMs.
found in all three areas of gaming i.e. Role-Play, Board games, and Miniatures.
Each Premier GM is only able to assist you in his area of gaming. Thus, if you have a Role-Play question or comment or anything
else for that matter you can go to not only the Con Staff and/ or the Magnate, but now you will be able to turn to a GM. Not just a
regular GM but a Premier GM!
Both attendees and GMs will be able to turn to them for questions, help, and to give comments about anything occurring at
Texicon. Also, only Premier GMs can run back to back events with no questions asked. This Texicon policy will help ensure all
GMs are fresh and ready to game.
Texicon. This is the Premier GM page. Here you will find the biographies of all of Texicon's Premiere GMs.
found in all three areas of gaming i.e. Role-Play, Board games, and Miniatures.
Each Premier GM is only able to assist you in his area of gaming. Thus, if you have a Role-Play question or comment or anything
else for that matter you can go to not only the Con Staff and/ or the Magnate, but now you will be able to turn to a GM. Not just a
regular GM but a Premier GM!
Both attendees and GMs will be able to turn to them for questions, help, and to give comments about anything occurring at
Texicon. Also, only Premier GMs can run back to back events with no questions asked. This Texicon policy will help ensure all
GMs are fresh and ready to game.
Convention Dates: May 17-19, 2013
| Before the Con |
| During the Con |
- Roy Hayes: one of Texicon's Premier Role-Play GMs.
Roy has always been gamer junkie weather it was sports in the sand lot to sports in high school to the high school
chess club. He was hooked on games from the first time he played them, and, as time progressed, he always
wanted to learn new and more interesting games and hobbies.
- Roy spent many hours during his youth playing gin, rummy, crazy eight, war, and hearts. He progressed from those
great card games to Civil war board games, Battleship, Monopoly, and the Game of life. He even had his Uncle
Larry teach him the football game that his Uncle created using nothing but dice, pencils, and paper. "We could play
a whole season in and hour and be ready for more," reports Roy.
- In high school, he became involved in playing D&D, Gamma world, Top Secret, Axis and Allies, Squad leader, Battle
tech, Panzer leader, and Shadowrun. He loves them all and is always willing to share his love of games with others
who share this interest.
- Roy's true joy is Role-Playing games. "I like watching players work as a group and watching their minds work to
solve complex puzzle and then and often time articulate a way out through and NPC or groups of NPC’s," said Roy.
- "There is nothing like watching the light come on in their eyes as they come up with newer and better schemes to
church to set-up game nights for adults and youth alike. When not doing this he is trying to make plans to attend different Cons.
Steven Duke: one of Texicon's Premier Board Game GMs.
Wargamer for 35+ years and counting. First game given was Tactics II from Avalon Hill. First game bought was
Ogre by Steve Jackson Games. Favorite series used to be Squad Leader.
Steven Duke retired from the US Army after serving for 25 years as an Armor and cavalry officer. He now works as a
I used to think that games with a lot of rules were more ‘realistic’ and I craved the details. Squad Leader to Cross of
Iron and the other expansions, then to ASL were exactly what I was looking for.
A few years later and seeing how things really work with Soldiers and orders and chaos and all that makes real war
nothing much like you read about. I now appreciate simpler, more abstract games that play faster but still
capture the feel, the fog of war, and some of the frustration of real combat without making you read a dictionary or be
a weatherman or supply clerk every turn…
Favorite games now are the Command and Colors system by Richard Borg, and Wings of War. I really like Card
Driven games because of their teaching of history even though sometimes they feel scripted. Combat Commander is also a favorite and feels more like real
missions than any other game I’ve ever played despite its relative simplicity. What I appreciate most is an elegant design that can give players the feel of
enough reality without burying them in a 50 page rule book. We can always talk about what ‘realism’ actually is later. Stop by sometime when you see me at
Texicon and we can debate it then. Your units not doing everything you want them to do the way you want, when you want, it is pretty realistic. Might make
some gamers frustrated, but, to me, it is a lot more like reality…and a lot more fun.
He enjoys running large events at conventions like BoardGameGeek Con, and his favorites include Wings of Glory, Panzer, and Command and Colors.
Wargamer for 35+ years and counting. First game given was Tactics II from Avalon Hill. First game bought was
Ogre by Steve Jackson Games. Favorite series used to be Squad Leader.
Steven Duke retired from the US Army after serving for 25 years as an Armor and cavalry officer. He now works as a
- defense consultant and contractor and has been a wargamer for more than 30 years, enjoying games where the
players have less control over events and a less clear view of friendly and enemy activities. He is married with a
young daughter and he and his wife life in Georgetown, Texas.
I used to think that games with a lot of rules were more ‘realistic’ and I craved the details. Squad Leader to Cross of
Iron and the other expansions, then to ASL were exactly what I was looking for.
A few years later and seeing how things really work with Soldiers and orders and chaos and all that makes real war
nothing much like you read about. I now appreciate simpler, more abstract games that play faster but still
capture the feel, the fog of war, and some of the frustration of real combat without making you read a dictionary or be
a weatherman or supply clerk every turn…
Favorite games now are the Command and Colors system by Richard Borg, and Wings of War. I really like Card
Driven games because of their teaching of history even though sometimes they feel scripted. Combat Commander is also a favorite and feels more like real
missions than any other game I’ve ever played despite its relative simplicity. What I appreciate most is an elegant design that can give players the feel of
enough reality without burying them in a 50 page rule book. We can always talk about what ‘realism’ actually is later. Stop by sometime when you see me at
Texicon and we can debate it then. Your units not doing everything you want them to do the way you want, when you want, it is pretty realistic. Might make
some gamers frustrated, but, to me, it is a lot more like reality…and a lot more fun.
He enjoys running large events at conventions like BoardGameGeek Con, and his favorites include Wings of Glory, Panzer, and Command and Colors.
David Donohoo: one of Texicon's Premier Board Game GMs.
Dave’s love of fantasy and adventure all began with Star Wars, but the gaming all really began when he convinced his dad
to buy him a copy of The Hobbit when he was in the 4th grade. He was hooked, and he started reading - actually reading,
to his parents' surprise - every bit of Fantasy he could get his hands on. The Lord of the Rings, The Chronicles of
Prydain, Conan, etc.
Then he and his family went to visit some family friends the next summer. He was in the back seat of the Suburban
he pulled it out, he was immediately drawn to the cover - a red dragon on a pile of treasure being confronted by a wizard
and a warrior. He opened that book and saw wizards, elves, dwarves, etc. and he thought it was amazing. He was so
excited that he ran upstairs with it and showed it to everybody. His hosts said he could have that “old thing,” if he really
wanted it. D&D was the peanut butter to the chocolate that was his love of reading fantasy. So, if his dad hadn't taken a
chance on buying him a book, which his dad didn't think Dave would really read, and his friends hadn't decided to give him some "old thing" out of their
basement, then he probably wouldn't be what he is today - a gamer and a history teacher.
D&D lead him to become really interested in mythology, culture, geography, and history. He
and his friends had adventures in places like Greyhawk, The Forgotten Realms, and
Sanctuary. One friend introduced the group to Axis & Allies. Then Conquest of the Empire,
Fortress America, and Shogun joined the list. He and his friends spent a good portion of their
weekends in high school alternating between AD&D and Milton Bradley Master Series board
games.
Fast forward through about a decade after high school. He never really lost his interest in
gaming, but he just didn't find much time to do tabletop games. He might have gotten in some
RPGs or the occasional game of Axis & Allies, but for the most part it was a tabletop gaming
dead zone. He got most of his gaming in on the computer - Baldur's Gate, Asheron's Call,
World of Warcraft, Civilization, etc.
Then he discovered something about 5 years ago - he really missed playing with folks
face-to-face. He got into euro-style board games. Ticket to Ride quickly became his favorite.
Some how he convinced his wife, who emphatically stated "I don't play games!", to try it out. Now
she's addicted to the "Train Game." He got back into tabletop RPGs and rediscovered how
much fun they can be. He even got his wife to try that out, and they've had a Daring Tales of
Adventure campaign going for the past year with some friends.
He spent a few years working at a game shop called Little Wars of Houston. He is friends with
the guys who owned it, and it became his after-school obsession for a while. Sadly, it closed its
doors in May 2012. However, he did amass a pretty extensive game collection, and made a lot
of new friends. The games range from trains to vikings, fantasy to WW II, and horror to comedy.
It was during his time at Little Wars that he met a guy named Justo Perez. Justo was organizing
a little convention on the northeast side of Houston called MAG CON. He partnered up with him,
and soon MAG CON became a fund raiser for the school Dave teaches at. Justo moved to
Miami a few years ago, and Dave took over as the convention organizer. He soon came to appreciate all the work that Justo put into organizing and promoting
MAG CON. He’s still trying to live up to Justo’s example. WWW.MAGCON.ORG His game collection, which continues to grow, now serves as the free library at
MAG CON (You can see the library catalog by visiting www.magcon/game-library)
The closing of Little Wars was an ending but it also brought new possibilities. First, he has found more time to visit more gaming conventions. With all his free,
after-school time, he decided to work on a masters degree in Liberal Arts at Houston Baptist University. He and his wife travel the U.S. in his orange Honda
Element visiting national parks, historic sites, and even catching a Hopi ceremonial. They love hitting the road together and exploring our world.
These days he tends to lean towards fast-playing, rules-lite games, both in the board and role playing areas. Ticket to Ride, Twilight Struggle, Alhambra,
Memoir '44 and Pandemic are all good examples of board games he enjoys. Swords & Wizardry and Savage Worlds are his preferred rules in the land of
RPGs. He’s usually looking for fun and flavor, not simulation, but he’s willing to give any tabletop game a shot. He doesn't really touch computer games
anymore, and he hasn't played an MMORPG in years. He much prefers the camaraderie of the gaming table, and the open possibilities that imagination brings.
Dave’s love of fantasy and adventure all began with Star Wars, but the gaming all really began when he convinced his dad
to buy him a copy of The Hobbit when he was in the 4th grade. He was hooked, and he started reading - actually reading,
to his parents' surprise - every bit of Fantasy he could get his hands on. The Lord of the Rings, The Chronicles of
Prydain, Conan, etc.
Then he and his family went to visit some family friends the next summer. He was in the back seat of the Suburban
- reading The Two Towers the whole time. While he was staying with these friends, he happened to wander down into the
he pulled it out, he was immediately drawn to the cover - a red dragon on a pile of treasure being confronted by a wizard
and a warrior. He opened that book and saw wizards, elves, dwarves, etc. and he thought it was amazing. He was so
excited that he ran upstairs with it and showed it to everybody. His hosts said he could have that “old thing,” if he really
wanted it. D&D was the peanut butter to the chocolate that was his love of reading fantasy. So, if his dad hadn't taken a
chance on buying him a book, which his dad didn't think Dave would really read, and his friends hadn't decided to give him some "old thing" out of their
basement, then he probably wouldn't be what he is today - a gamer and a history teacher.
D&D lead him to become really interested in mythology, culture, geography, and history. He
and his friends had adventures in places like Greyhawk, The Forgotten Realms, and
Sanctuary. One friend introduced the group to Axis & Allies. Then Conquest of the Empire,
Fortress America, and Shogun joined the list. He and his friends spent a good portion of their
weekends in high school alternating between AD&D and Milton Bradley Master Series board
games.
Fast forward through about a decade after high school. He never really lost his interest in
gaming, but he just didn't find much time to do tabletop games. He might have gotten in some
RPGs or the occasional game of Axis & Allies, but for the most part it was a tabletop gaming
dead zone. He got most of his gaming in on the computer - Baldur's Gate, Asheron's Call,
World of Warcraft, Civilization, etc.
Then he discovered something about 5 years ago - he really missed playing with folks
face-to-face. He got into euro-style board games. Ticket to Ride quickly became his favorite.
Some how he convinced his wife, who emphatically stated "I don't play games!", to try it out. Now
she's addicted to the "Train Game." He got back into tabletop RPGs and rediscovered how
much fun they can be. He even got his wife to try that out, and they've had a Daring Tales of
Adventure campaign going for the past year with some friends.
He spent a few years working at a game shop called Little Wars of Houston. He is friends with
the guys who owned it, and it became his after-school obsession for a while. Sadly, it closed its
doors in May 2012. However, he did amass a pretty extensive game collection, and made a lot
of new friends. The games range from trains to vikings, fantasy to WW II, and horror to comedy.
It was during his time at Little Wars that he met a guy named Justo Perez. Justo was organizing
a little convention on the northeast side of Houston called MAG CON. He partnered up with him,
and soon MAG CON became a fund raiser for the school Dave teaches at. Justo moved to
Miami a few years ago, and Dave took over as the convention organizer. He soon came to appreciate all the work that Justo put into organizing and promoting
MAG CON. He’s still trying to live up to Justo’s example. WWW.MAGCON.ORG His game collection, which continues to grow, now serves as the free library at
MAG CON (You can see the library catalog by visiting www.magcon/game-library)
The closing of Little Wars was an ending but it also brought new possibilities. First, he has found more time to visit more gaming conventions. With all his free,
after-school time, he decided to work on a masters degree in Liberal Arts at Houston Baptist University. He and his wife travel the U.S. in his orange Honda
Element visiting national parks, historic sites, and even catching a Hopi ceremonial. They love hitting the road together and exploring our world.
These days he tends to lean towards fast-playing, rules-lite games, both in the board and role playing areas. Ticket to Ride, Twilight Struggle, Alhambra,
Memoir '44 and Pandemic are all good examples of board games he enjoys. Swords & Wizardry and Savage Worlds are his preferred rules in the land of
RPGs. He’s usually looking for fun and flavor, not simulation, but he’s willing to give any tabletop game a shot. He doesn't really touch computer games
anymore, and he hasn't played an MMORPG in years. He much prefers the camaraderie of the gaming table, and the open possibilities that imagination brings.
| When David plays a Board Game, he really gets into it. |
- Ty Oden: one of Texicon's Premier Role-Play GMs.
- For me gaming has always been about connecting peoples ideas with action in an entertaining way. It allows a writer or
- GM to take their ideas and create an entertaining world that other people can interact with directly. That is why I have
- always been enamored with role playing games. I began DMing with DnD 2.0 and have not stopped modifying rules,
working on Survive the specialist, a horror survival game, for 3 years now and am thrilled by it's coming release at the
end of summer. In the mean time I have written many micro games dealing with game play as varied as hex based
warfare to mean-girl-esque princesses sabotaging each other at every opportunity.
My first huge break with game writing was a massive ARG with more than 70 players that I put together and ran set in
a post apocalyptic, zombie infested Houston. This game ran for one month and turned into a deadly, 24 hour game
of evolving zombies hunting ever more hardened humans through malls, schools, and across bridges in the dead of
night. Secret organizations were formed on both sides, the zombies grew to deadly numbers, and human traitors
sacrificed their brethren to maintain a grip on their humanity but, in the end, the humans escaped from the outbreak
and reached a safe haven in New York.
Following that I found myself interested in making a game in which character death was not something to be
circumvented with healing spells and staved off with armor, but constantly looming and feared. I also wanted to make a
game similar to DnD 3.5, where the only thing a dm needs is dice and the game book to run it. I began working
fervently on Survive the Specialist and soon got the approval of Black Phoenix Alchemy Labs to transform their
amazing world of the Carnival Diabolique into the Survive the Specialist system. With their approval and the support of an amazing group of play testers I have
crafted my D8 system into a game that has gained some notoriety locally in Humble and the Houston area.
This summer I will be working with artists to finalize the Survive the specialist game book and get it into it's final form for public release and then beginning work
on my new game, Mobius, a space-whaling, pirate fighting extravaganza!
| Role-Play |
Premier GM
| Volunteering |
Friday 8:00am - Sunday 6:00pm
| Scott the Enchanter |
Scott Clinton: one of Texicon's Premier Miniatures GMs.
There are those that callme...Ti...errr...Scott.
Anyway, I started gaming with Roco tanks and Airfix
plastic figures and Avalon Hill board games back in
1971 almost simultaneously at the age of 6.
Over the years I have come to the realization that I
generally prefer games that simulate rather than
simply “game” historical situations and generally
prefer lower density war games. My favorites are still
about the same as they have always been with a
wide mix of miniatures games I love to play and my
ever increasing collection of Avalon Hill and SPI
games.
Anyway, I started gaming with Roco tanks and Airfix
plastic figures and Avalon Hill board games back in
1971 almost simultaneously at the age of 6.
Over the years I have come to the realization that I
generally prefer games that simulate rather than
simply “game” historical situations and generally
prefer lower density war games. My favorites are still
about the same as they have always been with a
wide mix of miniatures games I love to play and my
ever increasing collection of Avalon Hill and SPI
games.
| After the Con |
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