Southern Hemisphere Open is a heartbeat away and as we get closer I am continuing to share some of the amazing local people that are involved in this event. Today’s spotlight on Gaming Clubs is with the Kwinana and Rockingham Armchair Generals Sanctuary, more commonly known as KRAGS. Today I caught up with club president and all around nice guy Gavin to chat about their group.
Ok Gav, dish the dirt, tell me a little bit about you?
I’m Gavin Tennent. These days I mostly play Blood Bowl and Warhammer Age of Sigmar. I have a huge Warhammer 40,000 collection and play almost everything or at least give it a try at least once!
I’ve played Warhammer 40,000 since I was a teenager. At some point after I got married I switched to PC gaming partly due to burn out and to save money. Many years later after burning out of the PC game I was playing for a long time, a friend suggested we look at 40k again. We used to attend a gaming club in Gosnells in the 90’s so we looked for a club to play at straight away. We tried a few different ones, then we attended KRAGS. We had planned to just go play each other and get a feel for it, but within seconds of being there we were greeted by Justin and Paul, they found us games within a few seconds and suddenly we were heading back to the car to grab our armies, it was a great night. I went home and said to my wife yeah it was good fun I’ll probably go every second week….. I think I’ve been every week since besides a few nights here and there when I’ve been sick or family commitments have prevented me going.
What is your club name?
We are most commonly known as KRAGS because let’s face it Kwinana & Rockingham Armchair Generals Sanctuary is a hell of a mouthful!
How long have you been associated with the club and in what way/s?
I’ve been going to KRAGS for 8 years now. I joined the committee at the end of 2010, at the end of 2011 I took on the role of Club President, I’ve held that position since then.
Tell me a little bit about your club history?
KRAGS was opened in 2010. KRAGS was first held in a small day-care centre, and has move 3 times since then always to a bigger venue to accommodate more people. We run 6-7 tournament days each year as well as normal Friday night gaming. We currently have enough terrain to cover close to 30 different tables of different gaming systems, as well as dedicated mats for these boxes of terrain.
What games are supported at your club?
Our most played games would be Warhammer 40,000, Malifaux, Blood Bowl, Warhammer Age of Sigmar. With so many members you can usually get a game of The Horus Heresy, Dreadball, Fantasy Battles: The 9th Age, Star Wars Armada, Necromunda, Kill Team, Star Wars X-Wing with a little bit of planning, but honestly if you have it and want to play it you can almost always find someone to play with, we also do a lot of board games like Super Dungeon Explore, Gorechosen and Shadespire.
What are the membership and entry fees for the club?
Our membership cost $25 a year from the date of purchase (that must be an admin NIGHTMARE!).
Friday night sessions are $5 for members, $3.50 for under 18 members and $7 for non-members
What are the benefits of attending the club?
Coming down on a Friday night isn’t just a night of gaming, it’s more like a social event. With so many members it opens up the chance to play different opponents on different battle fields each week. You can try almost any game we play – the club has demo armies/crews, etc. for a ton of different games. We have people doing hobby work most Fridays and there is always someone willing to give you tips or help. It’s a common misbelief at the club that I don’t play games, I just spend every Friday talking to people! (I have NEVER seen Gavin play a game, I’ve seen plenty of talking but I’ve never once seen him pick up a model although he assures me that not only did he play last Friday but will be playing this Friday as well, I’m not convinced!)
Photos by Chris Slade
When and where does the club meet?
Friday Nights – 7:30 – 11:00pm
Thomas Kelly Pavilion, Rowson Place, Medina, Western Australia, Australia 6167
Who is welcome at the club?
Everyone that’s interested in any form of Tabletop Gaming or just wants to have a look.
Club association with SHO in the past?
KRAGS was a supporter of SHO last year. We not only had a booth at SHO to run intro and demo games for the different systems, we also were able to supply table tops and terrain for tournaments and for public use, and board games for public use.
What will you be running at SHO this year?
We will again be at SHO this year running intro/demo games for any one that’s interested.
If you are interested in table top gaming head on over the the KRAGS area at SHO this year. There will be members there who are not only happy to chat to you about table top gaming and hobby in general but they will also chat to you about the club. KRAGS is always actively seeking new members and is very welcoming to anyone and everyone who walks through the doors! Medina sounds like a long way to travel but it’s just off the Freeway so it’s very accessible!