So last weekend was Anime North and for the first time ever featured the Toys On Fire crew! Everyone there had a blast and we’re confident we made an impression on the anime crowd. For those who don’t know, Anime North is the biggest Anime Convention in Canada, bringing in over 18000 people from all over the world! Props to all the great costumes we saw, and boy was there a variety! Now that it’s over though, we can’t wait for next year when we get to do it all again!

Hey Guys!

Okay, so the first announcement (and we apologize immensely for the lateness),  players in the beginners division will not be using any ability cards! You’ll still need 3 metal gate cards (one of each different colour) and 3 Bakugan, and a trap if you want to bring one, but beginners will not be using ability cards. Some of you alreayd knew this from the Bakugan training days, but apologies for those of you who didn’t know this before hand.

So I guess most of you partcipating in the tournament want to know what you’re going to be playing for. So without further ado, the prizes:

1st place (in division): $15 Gift Certificate

2nd place (in division): $10 Gift Certificate

3rd place (in division): $5 Gift Certificate

Keep in mind guys that these prizes are for 1st, 2nd and 3rd for each division!

We also might have some extra prizes care of Sony Pictures and Game Summit! SEE YOU ALL THERE!

Wow, I am officially Mega-Bowled out for this year! That was exciting! Congratulations to Saturday’s tournament, 1st place Matthew, 2nd Place Tony, and 3rd Place Ethan. Also a big thank you to everyone who came out, we very much enjoyed hanging out and playing games with all of you! Also stay tuned for the next big events coming this spring!

Psst! Did you know that the Ottawa area now has three (count them, three!) major annual anime conventions? Did you also know that Toys on Fire makes an appearance at all of them? That’s right anime fans, we’re letting you know extra early that Naru 2 U will be back this year, at the Travelodge (1379 Carling Ave.) on October 10^th-11^th. What is Naru 2 U? What’s an anime convention? What IS Anime? Well, Naru 2 U is an anime convention that debuted last November with an attendance of 600 people (a fair feat for a debut). Even we don’t know much more about it so far, except that Stephanie Beard, actress, voice actress, and former host of YTV’s the Zone will be returning to chat with fans. For updates and more info on Naru 2 U, check them out at www.Naru2u.com. Now, if you still don’t know what Anime is, it’s a particular type of animation from Japan, (Gundam, Sailor Moon, Naruto) but it also includes Japanese videogames like Nintendo or Final Fantasy. Anime conventions are a chance to learn about new anime, meet people with similar interests, dress as your favorite character, and have lots of fun! But don’t forget to come say hello to yours truly in the dealer’s room!

G-Anime has come and gone, much fun was had, and many tears were shed. All while all this was happening, the rest of the Toys on Fire staff took the opportunity of having almost all the Anime merchendise out of the store to do a little rearranging, and we think you will be pleasently surprised.

Our anime section has been completely restructured to allow you, our valued customers to get closer to our product, find it easier, and we have also vastly expanded our selection. We are also now taking orders for anything we might be missing, so swing by and check it out, you won’t be dissapointed!

A couple rules clarifications for those of you who get stuck sometimes when the official rules aren’t too clear. This information is to help you find the true meaning of Bakugan, which of course is to have fun. Hope this helps guys and girls! Have fun and play fair, I hope to see you all at the March Break Mega Bowl!

1) My ball didn’t open up on the card, does it count as standing?
If the magnet is stuck onto the card, regardless of whether the Bakugan is open or not, it counts. If the magnet is not stuck on the card, it doesn’t count..

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Bakugan Loose B2 Bakuswap Series: Black (Darken) B2 Exedra Regular Price $24.95 Our Price $17.99

Bakugan Loose B2 Bakuswap Series: Black (Darken) B2 Lars Lion Price $14.95

2) What is the best/most powerful/coolest/most awesome Bakugan?
The one that wins the battle! Seriously though, every Bakugan is good at different times if you use it well. The highest G-Power Bakugan is generally considered the “best” but there are lots of times when smaller is better. Even the lowest G-Power Bakugan can win on Duck and Win. Personally, I like Preyus and Skyress cause they just look so cool…

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Bakugan Loose B2 Bakuswap Series: Black (Darken) B2 Oberus (Gray Head & Black Body) 550G Power Price $24.95

Bakugan Loose B2 Bakuswap Series: Black (Darken) B2 Wavern 580G Power Price $19.95

3) Can I play with both Series 1 and Series 2 cards?
Sure. This is your game, so as long as you and your opponent both agree, feel free to use both cards. A few of the Series 1 Gate cards will be really over-powered if you play this way, but they will still work. If you decide to go this route, I would ignore HSP and stick with the Series 2 victory condition of winning 3 Gate cards. Over time, you’ll likely stop using Series 1 cards as the game moves forward and more folks play with Series 2 rules. Series 1 Bakugan will work well in either set of rules. If you want to update your game play to Series 2, the most affordable way to do it is to buy one of the “card-only” products (one of which comes with a whopping 30 new Series 2 cards!).

Bakugan Loose B2 Bakuswap Series: Blue (Aquos) B2 Frosch Price $9.95

Bakugan Loose B2 Bakuswap Series: Blue (Aquos) B2 Oberus 550G Power Price $14.95

Bakugan Loose B2 Bakuswap Series: Blue (Aquos) B2 Tuskor Price $14.95

4) How do I use the attribute switching Preyas?
Use it as normal. Each time it opens up, it will change to a new attribute. The player doesn’t get to change it by hand during the game by spinning it – it will change all by itself, so whatever attribute symbol is shown when it opens is the one it is for that battle.

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5) What is the highlight around one of the attribute bonuses on the Gate card for?
You can safely ignore that… for now… That is called the “highlighted bonus” and there will be cards that come out in the future (as well as Bakugan) that will use that number. When playing a collectible game like Bakugan, things will get updated from time to time, and some things that might not currently make sense (or that might seem really weak) will get updated to keep the game fresh and exciting. If you’re playing for HSP as well, you can use the highlighted value as the HSP value for the card, but remember, the HSP value will always be lower then Series 1 cards.

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Bakugan Loose B2 Bakuswap Series: Gray (Luminoz) B2 Apollonir Price $17.95

Bakugan Loose B2 Bakuswap Series: Gray (Luminoz) B2 Lars Lion 620G Power Price $19.95

6) Rolling Bakugan is hard.
OK, this isn’t exactly a “question” but it seems that lots of folks want to know the “best” way to roll a Bakugan. There is one really good trick to getting Bakugan to open up on cards – when you roll the bakugan “spin” it like a top with the magnet side down while flicking it towards the Gate cards. This small trick is a HUGE help in getting Bakugan to open up on cards as the magnet will almost always make contact with the metal in any card it touches! Advanced players can use this trick to curve a Bakugan so that it hits the Gate card that is furthest away as well. But the only way to get really good at getting your Bakugan to open up is to practice (which is fun all by itself anyway!).

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Bakugan Loose B2 Bakuswap Series: Luminoz / Pyrus (Grey Head & Red Body) Apollonir Price $17.95

Bakugan Loose B2 Bakuswap Series: Pyrus / Luminoz (Red Head & Grey Body) Apollonir Price $17.95

7) Can you send me a Bakugan?
Unfortunately, we can’t. Sadly, we don’t have enough for ourselves!

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Bakugan Loose B2 Bakupearl + Bakuclear Series: Gray B2 Bee Striker 500G Power Price $12.95

When I win a battle, do I get to keep my opponent’s card/Bakugan forever?
Definitely not! The gate cards are used to keep track of who is winning (first player to win 3 battles wins the game), but after the game, all game pieces are given back to their owners.

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Bakugan Loose B2 Bakupearl + Bakuclear Series: Gray B2 Tentaclear 550G Power Price $14.95

Bakugan Loose B2 Bakupearl + Bakuclear Series: Gray B2 Tentaclear Price $9.95

9) I have only bought booster packs, how do I play this game?
Go here and download the rules. (Wow, that was an easy answer…)

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Bakugan Loose B2 Bakupearl + Bakuclear Series: Green B2 Monarus Price $9.95

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10) Can you play with 2 Bakugan that are the same?
Sure. You’ll still need to have 3 to play the game, but if 2 of them are the same or if your opponent has one just like yours, that’s fine. It all just depends on how you want to play.

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Bakugan Loose B2 Bakupearl + Bakuclear Series: Red B2 Tentaclear Price $14.95

Bakugan Loose B2 Bakupearl + Bakuclear Series: Tan B2 El Condor Price $14.95

11) Who wins in a tie?
It goes into Sudden Fury! Each player in the tie take turns rolling until one lands on the card that was flipped up. When one person’s Bakugan stands, the other person gets once chance to land his bakugan on the card. If he does, continue Sudden Fury! If not, the person who got thier bakugan on the card wins.

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Bakugan Loose B2 Bakupearl + Bakuclear Series: Tan B2 Sirenoid Price $9.95

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12) When I play an ability card that gives a G-Power bonus does my opponent also get the bonus?
No. The card should always tell you how things work pretty clearly. For instance, it will say something like “…Your Bakugan gains G-Power based on its Attribute.” – so it only affects your Bakugan. There might be cards in the future that affect all Bakugan battling, but the card will clearly state that.

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Bakugan B2 Bigger Brawlers Loose: Black (Darkon) B2 Wormquake Price $7.95

13) How many times can I use an Ability card in a game?
Once. Then they go to your “Used Pile.” There are some clever ways to get a card back from your used pile to use again, but generally, just one use of an ability card per game.

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Bakugan B2 Bigger Brawlers Loose: Blue (Aquos) B2 Preyas 2 Price $14.95

Bakugan B2 Bigger Brawlers Loose: Blue (Aquos) B2 Rattleoid Price $14.95

14) Can I play with all of my Ability and Gate cards?
The current rules are that you play with 3 gate and 3 ability cards. This makes choosing what to play with an important part of your strategy. But as I always say, if you and your opponent agree, you can play however you want. But as a warning, playing a game with 100 ability cards could take all day…

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Bakugan B2 Bigger Brawlers Loose: Blue (Aquos) B2 Tentaclear Price $14.95

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15) When I play the Doom card do I get to keep my opponent’s Bakugan for good?
No. The Doom card just takes your opponent’s Bakugan out of the game, not into your pocket!

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That’s it for this edition of Frequently Asked Questions. Happy brawling!

It’s coming. Got nothing to do this March break? Well, it’s coming. Got something to do this March break? Well it’s coming, and I will see you all there!

That’s right, Toys on Fire is having its first March Break Mega-Bowl this March 16-21 at the Barrhaven Cineplex Odeon movie theatre. The daily events will range from Bakugan tournaments and board game demos to hockey card and pokemon trading days.

Stay tuned and check in store for more info!

Its just over a week away and we can’t hardly wait! Game Summit Winter Skirmish ‘09 will be happening at the Embassy West Hotel in Ottawa at the end of this month Saturday and Sunday Feb 28-March 1 and the early bird registration which saves you 25% on the passes ends this Friday the 20th! Registration is available here in store and online.

Registration is available for either of the two days or both and a full schedule of events is listed here.

There will definitely be something for everyone and I hope to see you all there!

Also if you missed our first post about Game Summit check this out.

The rumors are true. A new gaming convention is hitting Ottawa this month and you all had better be there! The wicked part, IT’S AT THE WAR MUSEUM!

Toys on Fire will be there and we have our own special pavilion where we will be demoing and vending all your favourite games including the famous Agricola, Memoir 44, Aquaretto, Arham Horror, Ticket to Ride, Settlers, Carcassonne, Blokus and many, many more. There will be door prizes, tournaments, special events, and a guarantee of lots of fun for everyone.

The Floor plan. Complete with Marketplace, War Room, D&D Alley, Warhammer Tables, Artist alley and Toys on Fire Board Game Pavilion.

What: Hobbyists, board gamers, role-players and more will converge this fall to roll their dice and play their hearts out at Game Summit’s table-top gaming convention at the Canadian War Museum. If you love table-top gaming, bring your A-game to Game Summit’s premier.

Where: Canadian War Museum, Ottawa, Ontario (Directions)

When: Saturday, October 11th, 9AM – 10PM

Info & Registration: All registration and additional information can be found at the Game Summit website www.gamesummit.ca.

This weekend I traveled incognito to CanGames (Ottawa’s gaming convention) under the clever guise of “Conrad Albatross” to see if I could get the inside scoop on Ottawa’s gaming underground. I arrived at the convention center at around 2 pm on Saturday and was instructed to enter through the back door. My accomplice handed me my pass and I began my surveillance of the convention.

On first glance, it appeared to be a gamers paradise: miniatures, role-playing books, and boardgames as far as the eyes could see, but on a closer look it revealed something else… something I’d like to call “mad dealz.” “Mad dealz” is a term you use to describe an excess amount of savings to products you’d normally pay out the nose for. I was immediately drawn to the tables where I could find plenty of old Dungeons and Dragons books. These conventions bring product of the highest, and sometimes rarest quality, and today was no different. Toys on Fire brought its usual, enormous selection of board games (probably the largest in the city) and the prices killed the convention market, as usual. I quickly began to lighten my pockets.

After buying the weight equivalent to a small car in books, I quickly turned my attention to my second mission: finding “mad Warhammer dealz.” I was armed with $120 to get as much on the list as possible for our beloved Stephen- and ending up spending $180. Yes, the “dealz” were this “mad.” These conventions always somehow end up being tax-free, it was amazing.

As the show was winding down our friend Bill showed up after his job to take a look at some “mad dealz” at the show as well. As we all got our fill, Alex and I hopped in Bill’s stretch SUV limo thing and took a ride. That’s right, a DANG (forgive the pun, Dang) LIMO! It had a TV and an intercom, and crazy lights, and beverages, and EVERYTHING. BIG FAT TIRES AND EVERYTHING! I was King of the Town in that limo. Muchos gracias, Bill. We owe you one.

All in all, it was a lot of fun meeting up with our toy/hobby retail brethren, and local hobbyists to nerd out for an afternoon now it’s time for me to go back to being cool.

Why are you laughing? I’m cool, I swear!

I mean, I’m playing D&D tonight, but that doesn’t mean anything! I have an assortment of leather jackets!

…fine, don’t believe me? I’ll just put a HEX ON YOU! Or maybe a plague! A PLAGUE ON BOTH YOUR HOUSES!

Conrad “the Hitman” AlbatRoss. Chris.