April 15, 2017: Year 7; Edition 08
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NOVA Open 2017 CONVENTION DATES: August 31 - September 3
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Hyatt is SOLD OUT!
The NOVA Open room block is sold out! REALLY - SOLD OUT!
If you have not yet booked your stay at our
$95
Hyatt discounted room rate, NOVA has established a couple of alternatives for you. We do NOT want our attendees inconvenienced, so we're asking that you BOOK YOUR ROOMS TODAY! You do NOT want to be left on your own to find a nearby hotel at higher rates which could require a car rental. Booking costs you nothing.
**CHECK THE NOVA Open ROOM BLOCK at HYATT FIRST:
- We are told there are a few High Floor and Deluxe Kings still available - the NOVA rate for those is about $125 per night
- Though no doubles remain, there is always a CHANCE that some attendee has had a change of plans; if someone cancels, that room will pop up in the block. Grab it!
IF NO ROOMS ARE AVAILABLE TO YOU AT HYATT:
All gamers know that staying onsite is preferable to moving their armies up and down streets and between buildings, but NOVA has been able to make arrangements to keep you closer than we ever imagined by making arrangements with these nearby hotels!
- One half-block behind the Hyatt . . . You cannot get closer to the convention unless you booked the Hyatt!
- Renaissance (Doubles & Kings) is a 5-Star Property
- Complimentary breakfast and free wi-fi
- 50 rooms are being held for attendees, these rooms expire in 30 days on May 15, don't delay.
- Renaissance rooms can be booked at $111 per night
- Parking on site; nearby parking garages
- Airport shuttle available; local garage parking available
- Side by side with the Renaissance, one long block from Hyatt
- Residence Inn (Studios & 1BR Suites) is a 5-Star Property
- Complimentary breakfast and free wi-fi
- 50 rooms are being held for attendees, these rooms expire in 30 days on May 15, don't delay.
- Residence Inn Suites can be booked at $99 per night
- Parking on site; nearby parking garages
- Airport shuttle available; local garage parking available
(Booking Link Not Ready; Update by 5/1/17)
- Hilton Crystal City is just about two blocks from Hyatt's front doors; they have a local shuttle
- This is a 4-Star property
- Hilton rooms can be booked at $95 per night
- Hilton is also matching the Hyatt's attendee perks:
- Half-price parking ($17 per night)
- 20% of restaurant bills with NOVA Open badge
- Free wi-fI
- Airport shuttle available
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The Final 10 Dwarf Upgrades Extended Through May 1, 2017
The Dwarf NOVA is an UPGRADE for anyone with a
Convention Access Pass. This unique swag package was designed for attendees who missed out on the SuperNOVA, but would still enjoy a great bag filled with the valuable NOVA Open branded swag which is found in the SuperNOVAs. The Dwarf swag comes in an exclusive high-quality messenger bag. Not only is it filled with NOVA items like the 2017 beer mug ($1 off draft in the NOVA Open Lounge), and other limited edition NOVA Open items, but an exclusive Dwarf NOVA T-Shirt has been designed for this upgrade, allowing owners to select their size at checkout.
Only 100 will be sold - Only 10 remain!
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NOVA Open CHARITABLE FOUNDATION
Two New Online Raffles Begin Monday!
Cool Mini or Not games are know for having some of the finest models around. If you've ever wanted to get into their games, this is a great way to start.
Dark Age is a gritty, D20-driven, sci-fi skirmish miniatures game which takes place in a very unique setting. Dave Taylor and Jason Craze painted up this brand new, 2-player starter set, "Path to Glory" for the online raffle. These two veteran painters brought the forces of St. Isaac and the Ice Caste Dragyri to life for the lucky winner of this exceptional set! Learn more about this raffle and see actual photos HERE.
Wrath of Kings is a fantasy skirmish miniatures game where players take command of the armies from one of the five kingdoms of Arikania, as they vie for the throne of the Ancient King! Neil Szabo and Greg Zuniga, two exceptional miniatures artists, painted up four of the game's wonderful Werewolf Specialists from the popular House Goritsi faction. The models brought to life by Neil and Greg are Goral the Rampager, Pack Master Kozakar, a brutal Shieldbreaker, and the swift Scourge Hound! Learn more about this raffle and see actual photos HERE.
The NOCF raises funds to donate to charities IN THE NAME OF THE WORLDWIDE TABLETOP WARGAMER. Your support of the raffles helps their support of the hobby!
These two raffles will run for just 30 days: From April 17 - May 14. Winners will be drawn at CMON EXPO in Atlanta, GA. Check your calendar and think about attending this great event. Raffle winners need not be present to win; NOCF will ship anywhere in world with deliverable address!
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A Star Wars™: Destiny Charity Collection
FULL AWAKENINGS SET
The NOVA Open Charitable Foundation thanks Kris Sherriff for donating this incredible collection. This set is so highly valued that the NOCF has decided to offer it in one of our international online raffles! Tickets will go on sale this coming Wednesday, April 19, 2017 - and the raffle will run for 30 days. The drawing will be held at the home office in Vienna, VA at 3:00pm EST on May 19, 2017. On and after April 19, BUY TICKETS HERE.
One of the hottest selling card games of the year, this $800 collection includes everything you need to jump in and start playing competitively immediately. If you missed out on picking up Star Wars™: Destiny Awakenings when it hit shelves in December (no doubt because it sold out so quickly), now is your chance to not only catch up - but to help raise funds for the incredible work that DWB/MSF does around the world since the
proceeds for this raffle will benefit
Doctors Without Borders
.
Only 500 tickets will be sold, giving every purchase great odds of winning - buy two or more and watch those odds increase! Learn more about the raffle HERE.
What's included:
- Two (2) copies of each Legendary card (w/corresponding dice)
- At least two (2) copies of each Rare card (w/corresponding dice)
- Four (4) copies of "First Order Stormtrooper" card (w/corresponding dice)
- Three (3) copies of "Nightsister" card (w/corresponding dice)
- Three (3) copies of "Tusken Raider" card (w/corresponding dice)
- Three (3) copies of "Rebel Trooper" card (w/corresponding dice)
- Three (3) copies of "Padawan" card (w/corresponding dice)
- Three (3) copies of "Hired Gun" card (w/corresponding dice)
- Two (2) copies of each Uncommon and Common card
- One (1) copy of each Uncommon and Common Battlefield card
- Two (2) copies of most Starter Only cards (w/corresponding dice)
- One (1) copy of "Rey" card (w/2 dice)
- One (1) copy of "Kilo Ren" card (w/2 dice)
- One (1) copy of "Frozen Wastes" Battlefield card
- One (1) copy of "Starship Graveyard" Battlefield card
- One (1) PROMO copy of "Rey" (from the Awakenings prerelease event)
- One (1) PROMO copy of "Kilo Ren" (from the 1st Tournament Kit)
- One (1) PROMO copy of "First Order TIE Fighter" (from the 1st Tournament Kit)
- One (1) set of Star Wars™: Destiny Tokens (from the starter decks)
The complete collection details can be viewed
HERE
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ACTUAL PHOTOS OF COLLECTION BELOW!
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Tablewar is in the Hall!
Tablewar, new to the NOVA Open vendor hall this year, is coming in a big way! They are providing enough of their famous F.A.T. mats to cover the 40K hall events!
Every table in the Independence Hall (40K, 40K Narrative, 30K) AND the Age of Sigmar tables in the Regency Hall, will be sporting a new layer of F.A.T. Mats this year! These gaming mats will create a whole new look for the NOVA Open's GW events, and we expect our attendees will be enjoying these game halls even more than ever before because of it. If you're not familiar with Tablewar's F.A.T. mats, check them out:
http://www.tablewar.com/the-f-a-t-mat/
These playing surfaces make games more immersive and the smooth surface making moving models and rolling dice a joyful experience!
Join us in thanking Tablewar for bringing this great product to our players. Shop their products online at
www.tablewar.com and make sure to stop by their vendor booth at NOVA Open 2017!
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Art & Hobby Competitions at the NOVA Open
Capital
Palette, Best Weathered, Best Lighting
Artists and Hobbyists show off your amazing work and win an award. Again, this year, The NOVA Open and it's remarkably talented judges encourage everyone to bring and display their best work - take a chance on bringing home a Capital Palette Monument, any of three medals or finalist awards! Additionally, compete to win Best Weathered or Best Lighting Award.
CAPITAL PALETTE
A three-judge panel will award gold, silver, and bronze accomplishment awards for six (6) divisional categories based on the criteria listed in the primer. In an open forum competition, there can be multiple gold, silver, or bronze winners in a category (or no winners), and each exhibitor's work is individually evaluated and receives the level of award the judges feel that their work merits, without regard to the awards given to other pieces in the exhibition. There are also awards for finalists. Modelers can thus judge the progress of their work from show to show, without worrying about what other modelers may create.
Additionally, the panel will select one model in each category as the best in category winner, and one of the best in category finalists as the overall Best in Show winner. Convention attendees will select a Fan Favorite from among all submissions that have earned Final Round standing on the last day of the NOVA Open.
Roman Lappat of Massive Voodoo will be helping Justin McCoy this year in selecting the best weathered model award. For best weathering, models must have a Weathering Theme, the judge is looking for the best use of weathering effects. Do you need inspiration, Mister Justin says "spend some time in a rusty car"?
BEST LIGHTING (SPONSORED BY POWEREDPLAY)
Poweredplay Gaming will present awards in 3 categories (Best Display Board, Best Army and Best Single Figure). Judging of the best lighting competitors will occur over the course of two rounds: an Initial Round and a Final Round. In the Initial Round, judges rank contestants into a tier on an overarching assessment. A more detailed evaluation takes place in the Final Round; this is conducted by the expert lighting team of Poweredplay Gaming. More details on signing-up and competing will be coming out next month.
The NOVA Open will provide updates and details about these competitions over the next few months. In the meanwhile, take a look at the primer, some of the 2016 winners, and begin preparing your mini for this year's competition. If you have any questions about the competition, please email [email protected].
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Greetings and Salutations from
Warlord Games
The Warlord Games crew is very excited to be joining the ever-expanding and history-making event known as the NOVA OPEN. To celebrate this momentous occasion, we are pulling out all the stops to make this a not to be missed experience!
My name is Jon Russell, and every member of the WG team is thrilled to bring the full line of Warlord Games to this magnificent venue. We are sponsoring three (3) Main Events, along with several other exciting and pulse-pounding activities, so attendees can get the full Warlord Games experience at the NOVA OPEN.
We will be hosting tournaments from our three main line games. Players of our Bolt Action, Gates of Antares and Konflict 47 games will get a chance to show the world how well they can leads troops into tabletop battles. Check out the NOVA Open website for all the details and get ready to register for ALL THREE events on April 15th when the registration opens for contests.
But wait there is more!
Warlord Games will have a booth on site with a large selection of our great products available to choose from. We want to ensure everyone gets what they want at the NOVA Open ~ but we could sell out of items or forget to bring something you really want. What then? Here are a few incentives to cover you:
- 10% off + Free Shipping: If you can't find what you are looking for at the Warlord Games vendor booth during the convention, pick and purchase onsite to take advantage of this great offer!
- 15% off + Free Pickup: Pre-Order! To receive this great offer, email us before 8/4/17 ([email protected])
NOVA Open attendees will get several other chances to receive gifts from Warlord Games throughout the convention. We are placing several different kinds of sprues into the swag bags this year. Additionally, we will be donating other items for giveaways ~ and you can keep an ear to the ground for surprise presentations during the NOVA Open. Warlord Games will be sponsoring a Keg Night in the Foundation Lounge - watch for details ahead, and plan to stop by and have a drink on us!
Those are just a few of the multitude of ways you can enjoy Warlord Games between August 31 and September 3, 2017. We hope they'll inspire
you to register NOW for this Mind Blowing Episode of NOVA Open! See you there!
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Addicted to Orks:
Interview with Maciej Liwanowski of Kromlech
As a long-time NOVA Open sponsor,
Kromlech
is a household name among orc army and swag bag owners at the convention. Well-known for its conversion bits and orc miniatures, the company has been providing NOVA Open attendees with
swag bags items and giveaways since 2014
. As Kromlech's Maciej Liwanowski noted, the NOVA Open was an ideal partner since it would give his company the opportunity to reach more potential customers: "As one of the biggest conventions in the U.S., we can target a lot of people in one place." He also noted that working with NOVA Open gives the company more opportunities to improve its products by receiving "some feedback before and after event."
The company's focus to its customers reflects their commitment to quality and design. Maciej was proud to share that Artur Sęk, an employee of one of Warsaw's friendly local game stores and orc "addict," started Kromlech in 2008. Since then, the company has been dedicated to creating high-quality products which has significantly expanded its customer base. "Quality is a key word here ... we really care for quality of our products and all services." In addition to offering the popular line of Orc Mecha-Armours miniatures, the company sells bits that hobbyists can use to convert their own miniatures. "I think that all Orc and Super Human fans will find something that will add up some flavor to their modelling projects," he said.
In addition to working with the NOVA Open, Maciej said the company has also used outside collaborators to expand its product lines. "A lot of people think about us as a company with Orc stuff, but it has changed recently, "we collaborate with artists who do not come into our studio. Thanks to that, we can do a lot of different projects if we need to." These new projects included the production of the Special Forces miniatures line, which is Maciej's favorite product this year. The company's collaboration with Paul "Bully" Bullock also created a ship full of Kromlech's Rotting Octopus Crew models. "At the end, it is just a way to have some good time," he said.
The NOVA Open would like to thank Kromlech for its continued support of our work and community as well as taking the time for this interview.
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Remember to Look for Golden Tickets
KR Multicase
Golden Tickets will once again be randomly added to the First Four Hundred swag bags.
In addition to scoring Premium Swag Bags, the NOVA Open and
KR Multicase
is excited to announce that these attendees will have the opportunity to find a golden ticket in their bags which can be redeemed (ONLY ON SITE AT THE KR VENDOR BOOTH) for prizes from KR Multicase. Eight NOVA Open Swag Bag owners could find these tickets secretly tucked into their 2017 duffels. If yo
u find the ticket, you will instantly win one of the following prizes:
Kaiser1 Case
Kaiser2 Case
Kaiser3 Case
Kaiser4 Case
A case from the Backpack 22/24 series
A case from the Backpack 43/44 series
A 50 percent discount on your order at the KR Multicase Booth
While the cases and backpacks prizes are empty, winners can buy or order custom foam for their armies at the convention.
These tickets are valid only at NOVA Open 2017, so make sure to look through your bag to take advantage of the lottery. The NOVA Open would like to thank KR Multicase for their continued generosity in making our attendee's NOVA Open experience a golden one this year.
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SALE ENDS IN TWO WEEKS!
Final Chance to Pre-Order T-SHIRTS
Pre-sale ends at midnight on May 1, 2017.
Pre-Order your NOVA Open Double-Sided Graphic T-Shirt
This is the best way to guarantee you have the size that works for you.
$25.00 at convention; limited quantities and sizes.
Possibly the best shirt design for NOVA Open so far: Where will the Multiverse Tour take you?! Mike and Dewey worked with Andres Jimenez, a former NOVA Open intern, on these amazing graphics. Check out the graphic artist/designer at:
https://andresdjimenez.com/
DwarfNOVA: Specially designed in maroon, comes in your Upgrade
SuperNOVA: Uniquely designed in blue, comes in your SuperNOVA Bag!
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SALE ENDS MAY 1
Final Chance to Pre-Order Mugs
Pre-sale ends at midnight on May 1, 2017.
Pre-Order the 2017 NOVA Open Beer Mug! If you've been to every NOVA Open, this will be the 6th unique mug for your set.
Bring to Foundation Lounge and receive $1.00 off draft beers throughout the NOVA Open convention.
$20.00 at convention; limited quantities.
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Imperial Truth Podcast 064
Interview with Marc Raley
Check out the Marc Raley interview conducted by Greg from the Imperial Truth. You can check it out
here.
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NOVA Attendees Supporting the Charity!
 Nearly 10% of those attending the NOVA Open made donations to the Charitable Foundation during checkout. These funds help defray operating expenses of the Silent Auction and Foundation Lounge at the convention. We thank all of you for your generosity and encourage others to look for the opportunity to donate at checkout. Thank you!
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Seeing Beyond Black and White:
Interview with Caleb Wissenback of CK Studios
One of the highlights of the NOVA Open is the range of painting seminars that help the convention's hobbyists improve their artistic skills. Last month, NOVA Open had an opportunity to interview Caleb Wissenback, one of NOVA's long-standing seminar instructors and the co-founder of
CK Studios
. "I was invited in 2014 to teach a few classes with Justin McCoy ... I just came off of a few very successful shows and wanted to try my hand at teaching," he explained. In 2015, Caleb's courses grew in popularity, giving him the chance to refine his teaching and painting techniques. "They are such a great organization and really have come to be an extended family," he said.
At this year's NOVA Open, Caleb will be teaching a range of seminars, including the Art of Painting Black and White. "We will break down the properties of the colors, go over a few techniques to paint them, and a few insights I gained by learning to understand them," he said. These insights include ways that hobbyists can use light spectrums to create dynamic white and black shades. As he noted, "by understanding the properties of white and its light spectrum values, we can create a very clean, sharp white that doesn't seem like a layer of primer." The same approach works for painting black: "black has very particular properties and light spectrum values. By understanding them, we can paint rich and vibrant black."
 
In addition to working with NOVA Open, Caleb also runs CK Studios, which offers seminars and painting instruction to hobbyists. The origins of his company started with taking painting courses after entering the tabletop gaming hobby. "I took a class with Mathieu Fontaine ... that same year I attended my first gamesday and that was it," he said. After leaving the Wargamers Consortium in 2015, Caleb started CK Studios with encouragement from his friend and business partner Kat Jackson. "We decided in the spring of 2016 to partner up and continue with CK Studios," he said, "it's been a crazy successful year and I feel we are just hitting our stride."
NOVA Open would like to thank Caleb for his long-standing support of our work and hobbyists who attend our conventions. If you want to sign up for the Art of Painting Black and White, you select passes for first or second sessions here and here. You can also check out Caleb and Kat's other seminars on the website's seminar page.
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Shop Amazon? Why Not Shop & Donate to NOCF at the Same Time?!
With every purchase you make, you could help the
NOVA Open Charitable Foundation (NOCF). AmazonSmile has made it easy for everyone to support the NOCF. By simply choosing the NOVA Open Charitable Foundation as your preferred charity, a percentage of every purchase made goes straight to the NOCF.
https://smile.amazon.com/ch/46-1895821
Remember, only purchases at AmazonSmile, (not
www.amazon.com
or the mobile app) support our charity. Special thanks to our newest NOCF Board Member, Chris Michaels, for setting this up.
We would also like to thank the NOVA Open attendees who used our "Add Donation" button while purchasing their convention passes. If you would like to make a tax-deductible contribution, you can return to your account and use this feature. Over $600 raised in the month of February. Thank You!
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2017 NOVA Open Games/Events
Primers can change up until and after registration, and leads are highly responsive to commentary and input.
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2017 Internship Opportunities:
Convention Management Interns Wanted
The NOVA Open is seeking a spring and/or summer interns. If you know a college student looking to build career skills and gain experience? NOVA Open works with college for credit! C
ontact:
Internships are a great way to practice existing skills, fill that ALL IMPORTANT
EXPERIENCE SECTION on a resume, learn time management while building new connections ~ all the while
helping bring the 2017 NOVA Open to life.
Expectations would be20-25 hours per week (9am-2pm five days a week) on site in the Tysons Corner area (own transportation required). The NOVA Open has had over 20 interns successfully pass through its internship program while at school; we've provided letters of recommendations and served as references for successful hires thereafter.
If you know of anyone (son, daughter, children of friends) who might benefit, please feel free to share this opportunity.
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Have a Favorite Food Truck?
DMV area locals who want to see their favorite local food trucks can email us at:
[email protected]
with the truck's Twitter handle and/or web page so we can look into inviting them at this year's convention.
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Volunteers Always Needed
 Would you like to be a part of the NOVA Open Volunteer Staff? If you would like to help run the convention, we would love to have you! Please consider volunteering your time in any of the following areas:
Administration (needed throughout the year)
Students looking for internships in Vienna, VA
Support monthly/bi-monthly terrain builds in McLean, VA
Writers needed for NOVA Open VIP interviews as well as writing articles for the bi-monthly newsletters Contact:
[email protected]
Want to be a judge at the convention?
Volunteers are always appreciated at the convention. You can support the following areas; photographers, Lemonade raffle, silent auction, check-in, and night watch. Contact:
[email protected]
The NOVA Open's continued success is because of our amazing volunteers.
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Social Media Links - Follow Us
Stay up to date with all the most recent news from the NOVA Open by following us on social media and subscribing to our newsletter! We update frequently on not only important NOVA Open information, but from our sponsors/vendors and the gaming community as well.
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