by Aaron Cantu
June is now upon us, and in the clix world, there is really no bigger time of year. What do I mean? For those who don’t know, mid June is host to the Origins Game Fair in Columbus, Ohio; Home of the Wizkids Heroclix World Championships (as well as U.S. National Championships). This really is one of the most intriguing times of the year when it comes to competitive Heroclix play. New players can burst onto the scene in dramatic fashion. New strategies can be unveiled for the world to see. Friendships can be made and broken. It really is a very cool experience to be a part of. Sadly, I have to miss out on the fun of this year, as sometimes life gets in the way. However, I’d like to take the time to tell you about my experience last year and some of the things I learned.
Last year was my first time attending Origins and would be my second time participating in the Heroclix World Championships. Previously, the big event was held at another convention in Indianapolis. I attended that event in 2014 and, frankly, for the most part had a miserable time. My hotel was trying to kill me, my flight (which was my first time flying) got canceled, the convention was poorly run (not the necessarily the event itself), and my performance in the event was mediocre. I had decided then and there that as long as the world finals were held at Gen Con, I would not be attending.
It seems that fate had smiled on me later that year. Wizkids announce a move to their new home, Origins Game Fair. I had heard a lot of good things about Origins and I decided that maybe I wanted to give it another go. So, I sold a bulk of my Magic collection as I didn’t play often anyway, and began to pack my bags for Columbus. I booked a hotel across the street from the convention with my friends from all over the country and made a nice vacation out of it.
Before leaving for Origins, I attended an ROC event in Newark, CA. At this event, I placed second behind my friend, Raymond. Raymond and a few of my local playgroup made the trip up with me and many of them were playing the (at the time) new Scarlet Witch Monthly Organized Play figure. The strategy had proven effective as my friends and I all placed 1st thru 4th with 2 players playing the Scarlet Witch. So I began to brew my own version of the team and I came up with a Phantom Girl variant. Having my team ready, I was on my way to the big game.
Team Deathblow
I arrived early Tuesday morning and met up with Jamie MacNeil, Jake Williams, and Jonathan and Bobby Rendon. We got a cab together to the hotel, then we proceeded to check out the surrounding area. I had met Jake long ago at a Majestix Regional and Jonathan at Gen Con in 2014. This was my first time meeting Bobby and Jamie, although I had spoken to Jamie quite a bit via Facebook prior to the event. All of these guys are really great guys. After getting settled in and getting our badges, we had dinner at a nearby pizza place, and then we went to bed.
My initial impression of the convention was that it was clean, and easily accessible. It wasn’t overcrowded like many other cons I have been to. The Wizkids section was easy to find and the line was very calm to get some exclusives. While in line, I got interviewed briefly by Edward Shelton for Starting Over podcast and the amazing news that a TMNT set would be coming was announced. After buying my exclusives, I began to play some Battle Royales and 
just have some fun, casual gaming. Later that night, we went to dinner and after we decided to check out the 16-Bit + Arcade that Brian Turoski had told me so much about. This was one of the coolest places I have ever been to. It was a bar with retro themed drinks like the “Hulk Hogan” or the “Macho Man”. To make things cooler, it had wall to wall old school arcade machines with things like The Simpsons, Killer Instinct, Road Rash, and much more. This place certainly did not disappoint. While there, I met Jeff “Colossus”, Ricky Kirk, and Mike Houghton for the first time, as well as hung out with Anthony Barnstable. Again, all very cool people. I still talk to all of these guys on a pretty regular basis even though we are all from different parts of the United States.
Gaming Bar
Thursday was the first day of competitive events. First up was the World Championship qualifier for individuals. The format for this event was 300 Points Modern Age. There were about 160 players in the event overall. I went 4-0 with my Scarlet Witch and qualified for the finals on Saturday. The coolest part about that event was that I got to meet a lot of people who listen to my podcast, Two Clicks from KO, and hear them tell me how much they appreciate what my co-host, Brandon and I do on a regular basis. That was really fulfilling and I appreciate the support.
3 Random Dudes
Next up was the 3 vs 3 event. My teammates for the event were Patrick Yapjoco and Clay Wood. If you are reading this article, you likely know who Pat is. Clay, while mostly unknown, is a beast in sealed. Clay also happens to be one of the nicest human beings on the entire planet. The format for the event was Sealed. Each team of 3 players would receive 6 boosters (3 Avengers Assemble and 3 Justice League: Trinity War) and would make three 300 point teams from the contents. My team for this event was Johnny Quick, Lex Luthor at 100 points, Swordsman, and Son of Serpent for an even 300. I ended up going 2-1, losing to former World Champ, Alex Avila. However, my team ended up being 3-0 and qualifying for the finals on Saturday.
Exhausted and hungry, I was mostly pleased with my performances and went to a meet-up dinner at a nearby Korean BBQ place. In attendance were: Howard, Easton, and Tracy Brock; Jake Williams, Ryan Gordon of Glass Cabinet Hobbies; Edward Shelton; Roland Wellington of Clix TV; Marshall Lawing; and many more. We all had dinner and mixed and mingled. At one point, we had a big talk about the Realms Open Championship events and some stuff that would be coming in the future. After that, we even got to have an impromptu Q&A with Justin Ziran and Scott D’Agostino from Wizkids. When dinner was over (we got kicked out because the place was closing), I walked back to the hotel and tried to go to bed. We had some unexpected visitors, but I finally was able to go to sleep.
Friday, I slept in a little bit (something I have never done at a convention before) and then walked over to the convention in my sandals and cozy clothes. When I got there, players were competing in the 3 vs 3 event and I decided to have some fun with Clay and play in some 2v2 Battle Royales. We came out with some cool prizing and then I went to grab lunch. After lunch, I returned to watch the individual qualifiers, hoping to see some of what people were playing. This is where things got really funky.
On day 1, there were a few people playing the new Faust figure that had come out earlier that year at U.S. Nationals. On day 2, nearly half the field was using this figure. Apparently, he had done quite a bit of damage on day one and most were seeking to even the playing field. As I watched, I became increasingly anxious about the team I was using on day 1 and was considering switching it up on Saturday. Marshall Lawing, had asked me about my day 1 team and borrowed my figures for day 2 and went undefeated, beating 3 Fausts. Even knowing this, I was really nervous, and I decided to change teams and go with a Faust build for Saturday.
When Saturday came, I played Matthew Devine and Patrick Yapjoco and ended up 2-0 in the Swiss portion of the top 32, qualifying me for the top 16, single elimination. However, I was not happy with these wins as they were super close and very much luck based. At this point I was wishing I had stuck to my guns and used my Phantom/Witch team, but there was no going back. I ended up losing in the top 16 to Drake Conrad in a very close match. I just ran out of time. After that, I ate and re-hydrated for the 3v3 and watched Paris Gordon go on to become the youngest Heroclix World Champion.
When the 3v3 portion started, we pulled teams and we had 3 very solid teams. I would play 2 Lex Luthors, one at 100 points and one at 200 points. The other two teams were really finesse but solid. However, Clay didn’t feel comfortable and went with an Ultraman and Justice team. In the end, our team went 2-0 in Swiss and lost in the top 8.
After the events were over, we received our prizes and talked about the day with fellow players and friends. What a long, but great day! Next, was the best part of my trip. The 3 Random Dudes celebration dinner. Clay treated Pat and I to one of the greatest dinners I have ever had. We had a great time in a place we clearly didn’t belong. We laughed, had some fun with the tables next to us, and even met with the owner who used to run the Origins Game Fair. After dinner, Clay and I went out to 16 – bit and I learned that Clay was an animal at Killer Instinct. After a great night, and a few more drinks, we finally headed back to the hotels and called it a night.
I finished up Sunday with some Battle Royales and watching the NBA Finals at that same old pizza place nearby. Then I said goodbye to many of my new friends and headed back to the hotel for my last night. I traveled home Monday and that ended my Origins Story.
In reflection, I thought about a few things. I thought it was INREDIBLE how such a small thing like a game with tiny plastic super heroes can bring together so many people and create so many new friendships. I now talk to Easton Brock on nearly a daily basis and have become great friends with people like Jamie, Kennie Peña, and so many more. I also thought about how I let others convince me that I needed to change teams for the finals, and realized I need to have more confidence in the teams I build. Especially when they are proven and have gone 8-0 across two days. I also thought about the impact that a single figure can have on the entire game. Some things are made simply unbalanced. Lastly, I thought about how I cannot wait to do this all over again.
