War in Amish country? Gamers march in force to strategic board game tourney in central Pa.

Central Pa. tourney draws gamers from across globe

LANCASTER, Pa. — The Battle of Midway is being waged in the heart of central Pennsylvania’s Amish country.

Yes, it’s the World Boardgaming Championships, which are drawing hundreds to Lancaster this week from around the globe. They wrap up Sunday.

The games are largely divided between lengthy strategic military games similar to Risk, and others classified as Eurogames like the fantasy dice game “Settlers of Catan.

Forty-year-old Fred Ehler, of Calgary, was inching his cardboard “ships” closer to Midway on Thursday, the third day of a marathon game of “World At War.”

But Forty-five-year-old Jerry Smolens, of Lansdale, Pa., eventually led the allies in thwarting the attack.

The tournament started in 1991 and draws about 1,500 gamers from nearly all 50 states and 15 countries.