The funeral for Alistair Darragh will take place this Thursday 9th December. There will then be a short service at the house starting at 13:30 and then the burial will take place at Roselawn cemetery at 14:30.

 A wake will be held at the house (30 Bendigo street, Belfast, BT6 8DG) from 17:00 Wednesday 8th December.

 Joanne Darragh has requested that no flowers be given but instead donations may be given to ‘Diabetes UK' through the funeral directors James Brown and Son, 300 Newtownards Road, Belfast.

Welcome to Arkham – City of Dreams – Twinned with the picturesque sea port of Innsmouth

Strange rumours abound… Queer lights have been seen in the sky these last three nights, the sound of chanting has been heard from the basements of the Old quarter and whispered voices speak of cloaked figures lurking in the dark…. Can you the brave citizens of Arkham get to the bottom of this mystery and stop the evils that lurk among its haunted streets??

Saturday 27^th November 10.30 to 4.30 at the Boat club. All welcome. Price £3- per person, plus extra monies can be handed over for additional skills, spells and weapons!!!

I was recently watching a lovely little US TV show called "Mercy." It's a dark comedy based around the lives of a hospital. Think "ER" with more blood and laughs. A more realistic "Scrubs" even. There is a particular character that is meant to be the hated cocky authority figure that I can't help but like. He said a line that nearly caused me to lose bladder control with laughing. After embarrassing a young nurse he said "Sometimes I just do something to see what happens."

What has this juxtaposition got to do with gaming?

I think what I'm trying to get at, in a fairly round about way is that, in a non-tournament environment, why not try something and see what happens? I will of course use Warhammer 40,000 as my example as it is my game of choice. Let us first break down what goes into a game of WH40k.

• Getting the army together. i.e. buy the models that you want/need, model them up and paint.
• Learn the rules
• Draw up an army list
• Get a board set up
• Throw some dice (play the game)

Wargaming with dice...Luck or skill?

Now I’ve played many war games over my gaming life, mostly games workshop ones (40k, fantasy, Bloodbowl, Mordheim, Necromunda, Gorkamorka, Adeptus Titanicus, space crusade etc... the list goes on) as well as many non GW games like Battletech... but one thing always sticks in the back of my mind when I’m playing and if I win... was it luck or skill. Some of my plays in Bloodbowl for example my opponents can tell you are pure dumb chance. Not all of it, mind you, but a fair percentage. In fact, I think the majority of these games take skill and tactics, but a lot of it also comes down to how the dice roll. And I don't think that just because I have been beaten a few times in the past. If anything I analyse these losses and try to make sure I know what the outcomes can be if it happens again. I never minded losing a game because I made mistakes or my opponent out-played me. It's those times were I lost because either my dice rolls were nothing but 1's or my opponent kept rolling 6's that really irked me and those times were I won because I kept rolling the 6's or my opponent kept rolling the 1's irked me, too.

Yes. That's right. I'm admitting it... I have won games I shouldn't have won just because of luck and you know what? I don’t like that. Not as much as losing games I should've won, but I still dislike it.