A tabletop gaming show on the south coast of England might not be the first place you’d expect to find Fantha Tracks on a mid-February weekend, but that’s where we were on Saturday 11th and Sunday 12th February as Beachhead 2023 ran for the 8th time, bringing tabletop gamers to the BIC on the Bournemouth coast for a weekend of gaming, tournaments and guest talks. Fantha Tracks were there along with our friends from All The Cool Stuff and Joker Squad to enjoy the activities, oversee activities for kids visiting the event and generally have a good time.
Saturday saw the running of the Star Wars: Legion tournament Operation: Stardust, a hotly contested run of tables that saw some incredible models and some close competition. Taking a walk through this area and the broader show really highlighted the skill and care gamers take to prepare their games, paint their models and set up the stall for a dice-loaded clash. Excellent stuff.
Meanwhile in the foyer, Joker Squad were mixing it up with kids and their parents as they posed for photographs, while the Mon Cal Carnival made famous by Farthest From weekend was there in spirit as a number of games were running, which hardly stopped the whole weekend.
Fantha Tracks were lucky enough to chat with Nick Clark from Star Wars: Andor and Janet House from a trio of Pierce Brosnan era Bond films and Doctor Strange. You’ll be able to hear both fascinating chats on upcoming episodes of Making Tracks.
Sunday saw the next Star Wars tournament take place – X-Wing: Stay On Target, and as expected the action was fast and furious. While the Sunday was a quieter day, don’t be fooled into thinking that the activities were any less engaging. Beachhead pitches to an older crowd, so while the show was a mellow experience compared to the bustle and noise of an MCM or an LFCC, there was always something to do or see.
Sunday also saw us catch up with Ross Beadman, who portrayed young Sors Bandeam in Revenge of the Sith. From the local area, Ross gave a fascinating talk about his time as Sors and the life he’s enjoyed since, another chat you’ll hear soon on Making Tracks.
Huge kudos has to go our to Peter Valinski and his team for putting on such a welcoming, enjoyable show. The 2024 dates have already been announced, and fingers crossed we’ll make the journey south to once again enjoy a weekend on the coast and a fun time catching up with friends old and new.
- LETHAL ASSASSIN DUO: IG-11 and IG-88, two deadly assassin droids, join the ranks of Star Wars: Legion in this Operative Expansion, bringing their ruthless efficiency to the battlefield.
- MERCENARY MASTERS: These operatives serve as mercenaries and can align with Imperials, Rebels, or anyone who can meet their price, making them a versatile addition to your armies.
- TACTICAL COMMAND: Elevate your strategy with five Command Cards that provide you with tactical options to dominate your opponents on the battlefield.
- PROGRAMMABLE POWER: Delve into two distinct forms of programming with IG-11 using two upgrade cards, customizing his abilities to suit your battle plan.
- EXPAND YOUR FORCES: Infiltrate the galaxy with the IG-Series Assassin Droids Operative Expansion, ready to reshape the fate of your Star Wars: Legion battles.
