Boys and ghouls do we ever have a treat for you this Christmas. Back in the annals of history the gang had an annual spring fishing trip known only as Fishmas. While this is sadly now a thing of the past, we thought we’d share a little Magic the Gathering set we created to commemorate 2007’s Fishmas the Gathering. The HoP’s Christmas gift to you all will be to reveal this set in all of it’s (non-) glory over the next 2 weeks in what we’re calling the “12 Days of Fishmas.”
Since I’ve gone on record making fun of various home-brewed units for 40k and WFB over the years, I think it’s only fitting to air some dirty laundry I was involved with. In that spirit, Lauby, our friend Ugly Raincoat, and I will be letting it all flap around in the breeze and hopefully giving you a season of mirth and joy to take part in.
Every day for the next 12 we’ll be unveiling 6 cards complete with artwork from our set and giving the kind of color commentary only found at the HoP. Unlike most other ventures of its kind, the “12 Days of Fishmas” will go to great lengths to explain the alcohol fueled series of misadventures that led to our card set. This way you’ll all be in on the joke- none of that ‘I guess you had to be there’ bullshit.
Everybody get comfy. Sit back, crack your favorite adult beverage of choice and see what Father Fishmas has got in his sack for you.
A Brief History of Fishmas from the Annals of Lauby (Revised Edition)
While the first camping trip that solidified Fishmas' place in the hearts and minds of it's adherents occurred in May of 2006, the holiday was first celebrated on a much smaller scale many years before it went mainstream - sadly the exact dates are lost to the mists time though widely believed to be around 2003. Three visionaries going by the strange names of Bill, Dru and Joe removed the from themselves the shackles of society for a week to camp and fish around a pristine lake til their hears content. The water was crystal clear and the fish were so unfamiliar with man's rapacious nature that bait was unnecessary. They named the event Fishmas in honor of the fun and as a hilarious nod to the Judeo-Christian background of the participants. Thus the first Fishmas was observed and an idea began to germinate for a much greater gathering.
In the intervening years, as the idea of Fishmas lay dormant, technology advanced to such a point that online multiplayer video games were widely available. Two such games - Battlefied: Viet Nam and Guild Wars had drawn together two interlocking (but not overlapping) circles of friends. The common links: Bill and Dru - the progenitors of the first Fishmas. Strong friendships were formed around these games and the fun we had playing them together. Inevitably, the group of friends became close and wanted to meet face to face in order to put faces with voices and have a beer without having to worry about giant scorpions or whether or not Charlie was all around them.
The idea of fishing and drinking with your friends served as spring board to get people from across the country and, eventually, fabled Canada together face to face for the first time. Like the first Orthodox Fishmas, this new Fishmas was initially a more restrained affair - fishing and camping for a about a week with a small core of people who happened to live in Illinois. It was a rousing success and Fishmas was to see rapid growth as the first believers began to spread the word. As future celebrations were planned, it became something to look forward to after winter and a reason to save vacation days.
But sadly, like many things, Fishmas became to big for it;s own good. May of 2009 marks the year when Fishmas collapsed in on itself. Some say too many people were invited, some say it had become an excuse to get black out drunk and some say it was to expensive. Despite all of that, Fishmas remained a chance to spend time with friends right until the end.
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