Battleline again garnered the most support in BPA's annual Second Chance election for events lacking sufficient players, player-hours, or both to qualify for the Century. The Knizia quick play is now in its 9th year at WBC and needs wait but one more year for what will surely be an easy Legacy vote to enter the Century. The Annual Survey of the membership admitted two new events (Dominion and Stone Age) while welcoming back 22 returning favorites in the New and Continuing Trials category. Also rejoining the menu for 2009 was a surprising veteran returneee from yesteryear as Tyranno Ex made its return after a three -year absence. The seemingly annual exception to the rule that once its gone, its forgotten seems to be gaining ground. 22 events from 2008 failed to make the cut including such long standing favorites as ASL, Republic of Rome and Tikal. Some of those events falling short may yet return via Vendor/Sponsor support, or the failure of qualifying events to generate the necessary GM commitment by Feb. 28th. View the current WBC 2009 lineup on the Orphans Page which will be updated weekly between now and March when GM submissions end.

The power of the ballot was absolute wih the 59 listed events claiming the top 59 places. Only two games received feeble write-in support and only one of those received more than one vote. Without a committed GM making the effort to put a game on the ballot, its chances seem bleak indeed. The admission of seven perennial favorites to an expanded Century via the Legacy rules has made votes easier to acquire by thinning the herd of candidates, but there were still some hard luck losers including Galaxy and Monty's Gamble which fell short by a single member's vote.

By Vote Total
 1. BATTLELINE - 281
 2. SAN JUAN - 266
 3. UNION PACIFIC - 252
 4. TRANS AMERICA - 231
 5. 1776 - 199
 6. WOODEN SHIPS & IRON MEN - 195
 7. DIPLOMACY - 190
 8. SUCCESSORS - 182
 9. DOMINION - 177
10. NAVAL WAR - 169
11. TYRANNO EX - 165
12. STONE AGE - 162
13. KINGMAKER - 158
14. YSPAHAN - 157
15. EMPIRE OF THE SUN - 155
16. MYSTERY OF THE ABBEY - 152
17. ACE OF ACES - 151
18. WAR OF 1812 - 150
19. ELCHFEST - 148
20. VINCI - 147
21. PANZERGRUUPE GUERIAN - 140
22. NUCLEAR WAR - 139
23. ASL STARTER KIT - 135
24. PURSUIT OF GLORY - 135
25. KAISER'S PIRATES - 134



26. MONTY'S GAMBLE: MARKET GARDEN - 133
27. GALAXY - 132
28. TIKAL - 129
29. SHOGUN - 126
30. REPUBLIC OF ROME - 123
31. ATTIKA - 122
32. NOTRE DAME - 121
33. DIE MACHER - 116
34. KUTUZOV - 111
35. WELLINGTON - 110
36. CONQUEST OF PARADISE - 108
37. GUERILLA - 107
38. ROMMEL IN THE DESERT - 106
39. WIZARD'S QUEST - 105
40. STREET SOCCER - 97
41. ASL - 92
42. PILLARS OF THE EARTH - 90
43. EISENBACH GAP - 89
44. CRUSADER REX - 82
45. CLASH FOR A CONTINENT - 81
46. WINDS OF PLUNDER - 81
47. CHICAGO EXPRESS - 76
48. FRIEDRICH - 73
49. YEAR OF THE DRAGON - 72
50. TWILIGHT IMPERIUM - 68
51. ATHENS & SPARTA - 65
52. WATERLOO; FATE OF FRANCE - 63
53. DOWNFALL OF POMPEII - 62
54. BRAWLIN' BATTLESHIPS - 60
55. CITIES & KNIGHTS - 59
56. CUBA - 52
57. HAMBURGUM - 33
58. OPERATION - 22
59. AMAZING SPACE VENTURE - 19