Having a Hoot Plundering at Owl Central

Owl Central Games is fast becoming the new hot-spot for tabletop gaming in Central PA. Recently, they became the first Firelock retailer in the state, and I was happy to run a celebratory Blood & Plunder kick-off event!

Owl Central has been serving the Reading area gaming scene since it opened in 2015. Moreover, they have been in the ‘Magic: the Gathering’ online buy/sell business for another three years on top of that. The owner, Wes, began 2019 with a mission: he wanted to nurture a healthy tabletop scene in his shop. That’s where a few passionate individuals come in. Owl Central now boasts a pair of Firelock ‘Quartermasters’ and a ‘Sarge’ from Warlord games to run demos and organized play events in the store.

Together, Wes and the team have put together a schedule that stretches well into 2020, and they’re adding more great events every day. Stop in on Wednesdays and you’ll find the Warlord Games group playing Bolt Action and Blood Red Skies. Wednesday and Saturday both offer plenty of opportunities for open gaming. Owl Central boasts a tremendous amount of table space. They’re used to hosting large Magic events and have a space that rivals a small convention hall. I was able to set up two tables for demos, a third for the scenario game, and a fourth table to stage all my stuff.

On the day of the kickoff, the two demo tables played nonstop, all day. I provided 60pt sample lists for every Starter that Wes had in stock; every Faction in Blood & Plunder. It is in situations like this that the simplicity of Blood & Plunder shines. After coaching through a turn or two, most players could finish out the game on their own, asking me a few questions. It was easy for me to run 2 demo games, for 4 players, at the same time.

At the end of the day, players settled in for the main event; a Treasure Scramble. This final scenario saw the players scavenging in the wake of Morgan’s 1671 raid on Panama. Warned of Morgan’s approaching army, the citizens smuggled their wealth out of town. Now, it was up to each player to venture into the jungle and uncover the abandoned loot. Owl Central provided the prizes for this event. Additionally, anyone who came in for a demo or a game also enjoyed a 10% discount on all Firelock products for the day.

The multiplayer game demonstrated exactly why the game’s title is Blood & Plunder – there was a lot of both. Monsieur Matt had wanted to be a “bad guy” pirate but had taken command of the French early in the day.

I explained that in Blood & Plunder, the ‘bad guy’ is whoever currently wants to put a knife in you and steal your stuff. Besides, the most evil man in the Caribbean must have been Francois L’Olonnais who famously cut out and ate a prisoner’s heart. So, French, it was.

Matt moved his crew with skill and caution. Only a random attack by hostile Natives and a chance misfire cost him any men as he moved through the jungle. He blundered into the Spanish and fought a swirling battle. Still, Matt found none of the hidden treasure until he stumbled across a wealthy merchant. The merchant promised to pay for a crew if the honorable señor would escort him out of the jungle.

As Captain Matt crushed the Spanish, Captain Alan’s pirates searched the jungle. They swarmed around an abandoned building and captured one of Panama’s many Madams. She said that she knew where he could find some sailors “laid up,” if he would save her from the English invaders.

Across the jungle, those English invaders were having their own success. Captain Robert located a local guide who was able to tell him that she had worked for governor De Guzman. The wealthy politician was hiding in the abandoned building, now surrounded by pirates. Unwittingly, Captain Alan had put himself between the greedy English, and the wealthiest man in Panama.

The carnage between the English and pirates was immediate and terrible. At the game’s climax, a lone Englishman routed his pirate counterparts and entered the house to secure the Governor. The pirates counterattacked though, and the Governor fell into ‘unsavory’ hands.

Even Captain Robert was nearly shot when his Freebooters fell to accurate pirate musketry. Robert took control of the Militia and made a desperate charge against the pirates in the house. It was a brave attempt, but Captain Robert had to content himself with recovering the Madame.

When the smoke cleared, Captain Alan was in control of the governor, and the greatest prize. He chose an Unaligned starter from the shelf, the beginnings of what is sure to be a fearsome pirate crew. Captain Robert stayed true to his English heritage and enlisted some Freebooters. Captain Matt tracked down a few wily Boucaniers, and purchased an entire starter set to go with them. Everyone left happy, and several players picked up a new game. That is the true mark of a successful gaming group, and a successful ‘Friendly Local Game Store’.

Owl Central also recently hosted a successful Bolt Action tournament for charity. I will be back on September 7th for more Blood & Plunder demos. We’ll also be finishing September with a Blood & Plunder tournament. So, if you find yourself in the Central PA / Reading area, come check out the new wargaming scene at Owl Central. To make sure that you catch all their upcoming events, find them on Facebook at

or online at