The nicest guy to ever kick your ass

Last week I was one of many people deeply saddened to see this post on the Kings of War Fanatics page on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/groups/403267653139331/permalink/2251999194932825 .

So I thought I would go back through my old posts and get all the pictures of Jesse to share with everyone again.  I will say I didn't realize I had so many!

I think the first time I met Jesse was when I hosted a tournament at the Hobby Shop in Dayton Ohio back in October of 2015 - it was the first 2nd edition Kings of War tournament held in Ohio.  While he was from West Virginia, he would often make the drive over for my events.

Playing Keith Ambrose in round 1

Yes, he brought his beloved ogres.  Not fully painted yet.
Second Round against Jason Moorman (who took 2nd place)

another shot with them

Playing David Baker in the third round

again with Dave

Dave Baker, Donny Harville, Bill Robertson, Kara Brown, Jason Herald, Roger Connor, Jason Moorman, Chris Whitehead, Jesse Cornwell, Daniel Payne, Keith Ambrose (Beth Hill not pictured)

I don't know if this was his first Kings of War tournament ever (maybe), but he took last place (which earned him a set of new dice!).  He would go on to get MUCH better.  I didn't have a sportsmanship award at this tournament, or I'm sure he would have won it!

In march of 2016 I worked with Gavin Gosset to run Manticon down near Nashville TN.  We had a great time, and Jesse came down from West Virginia to play!

With Patrick Justice in round 2

The whole Manticon crowd

He played his goblins this time - but I believe that is Sweaty Gigante in the middle!
He did a bit better there, coming in 11th out of 29.

Later that summer, he came across to Columbus for Origins to play in the Kings of War tournament there.
Game 1 against Lee Wygant

and more goblins

Game 2 against Jon Carter

Game 3 he tied against Erich Trowbridge (the 2020 Masters Champion!)

We had a nice turnout that year

This was the first of many times I would give Jesse the best sportsman award.

That December we hosted the Gem City Massacre - moving from the Hobby Shop to the larger store - Epic Loot.

Jesse's hands has he rolls his dice against Beth Hill

The very contemplative backside of Jesse

In the back behind Dave and Joe you can see me blinding Jesse with my bald head (which is the only reason I won that game).

I think he played goblins the entire year

a rematch with Jon Carter

Jesse getting a chance to think without my blinding bald spot (as I took this picture)

a fantastic turnout
He actually tied for best sportsman at this event, but Dave Baker took the award as he placed a couple of spots higher overall (4th v 6th).

Daycon is a local games-day here in Ohio, and the first year was up in Fairborn.  This was a small event, but we still had a lot of fun in February 2017.

Once again Jesse has to face off against Jon Carter

Still playing goblins

2nd round against Amy Stamper

This is what you call a 'target rich environment' for Jesse's War Trombone

third round against Steve Malone

a good turnout for a small one day event

Manticon 2017 was again held at Henry Horton State Park south of Nashville Tennessee, and Jesse again made the trip down.

Round 1 again Gavin Gossett with the ringer army

again against Jon Carter - these guys just can't get away from each other!

But this time Jesse had his beloved Ogres

Final round against Chris Bowen

a motley crew

Jesse actually came in 5th out of 38 at that event.

I had been running Kings of War at Adepticon already, but in 2017 they renamed it Adepticlash and it became the Mantic championship, and of course Jesse was there!

Battle of the nice guys - Andrew Summers v Jesse

Round 2 he faced off against Tim Akers and his elves

He was still playing his Ogres

I liked what he did with his banners

Round three against Russ Barnes (with the ringer army)

Round 4 against Shannon Shoemaker (who took 2nd place)

I'm not sure if they had started filming their battle reports on Master Crafted yet, but he had a chance to play his partner Kyle Przelenski

and the final round against Amy Stamper

a great group

Jesse came in 3rd place - which kept him from winning best sportsman as you can only get one award.

Next up was Origins 2017. 

First was the How You Use It! tournament - a 1000 pt tournament where the players change tables, but the armies don't - so you play with a different army every round.

First round Jesse is playing Night Stalkers against Eric Perotti and Elves

Round 2 has Jesse playing Romans vs Kara Brown with Celts

Round 3 had Jesse face off against Tim Beard in a battle of Ogres v Orcs

and Jesse takes 2nd place!

Then there was the larger full Kings of War event.

Round 1 against Felix Castro

Round 2 against Steve Malone

Letting the Ogres rest, he brings back the goblins

Round 3 against Jordan Reiss

Final Round against Tom Ziegler

and a great time was had by all

Then December rolls around again, as it always does, and it is time for another Gem City Massacre.

Round one against Jason Moorman

Round 2 vs Chris Chrzanowski

as usual, all is good

Ignore the bald guy - Jesse if playing Erich in the back

another great turnout

I have to say I felt a bit sorry for Jesse in this tournament - he actually won all three of his games, but due to the way the scoring worked, he came in 4th overall (all his wins were close, and the 1st and 2nd place players had two big wins and each and a tie, so scored slightly more points).

Adepticlash 2018 and once again people gathered in Chicago to battle it out.

First round v Tyler Schultz, who had beaten Jesse earlier in the Deadzone tournament

Round 2 against Tim Akers - note the Pizza on his Master Crafter shirt!

Of course this is the big deal - so it is the Ogres

It is tough going up against the eventual winner of the tournament, Shannon Shoemaker

This year we had several minor internet celebrities play - Jerry Paige (Ultimate Power Gamer) vs Jesse (Master Crafted)

Then you knew it was coming again - Master Crafted v Master Crafted, as Jesse again takes on his partner Kyle Pretzel-Twinkie

The final game v. Alan Wigness

A great group for a great tournament

In his Pizza Jesus shirt, Jesse takes 2nd place!

Then not long afterward, we had the first War Kings GT.

Jesse pretending to like my joke

Rolling the dice for a visitor who happened to drop in wondering what was going on

and ignoring me trying to get another picture of him

I thought we had a great turnout

Round 1 v Bob Boggs

Round 2 v Erich Trowbridge (who went on to win the whole thing)

playing against Derirck Byrd

once more with the ogres

Jesse's War King model

playing Joey (the) Greek

playing Matthew Veirmeiren

facing off against Tom Ziegler

Origins of that year was another great time.  Jesse only played in the How You  Use It! tournament, but won it!

playing Kingdoms of Men against Theodore Simonson with Empire of Dust

Playing Goblins against Tom Ziegler with Trident Realms

a fun group

and the WINNER!

War Kings II was moved to Epic Loot in Springfield, as they have a HUGE gaming area.

Jesse brings his Romans (using the historical rules) against against Paul Wagner's Orcs

most of Jesse v Erich Trowbridge

apparently I didn't get pictures of the armies, but I did get the War King models - and Jesse used one of the Basilean Julian

Round 3 v Kara Brown

Round 4 v Eric Reiss

Round 5 v Joe Cottrell

a great group and a fun weekend

At Gencon that year I actually caught Jesse playing Hellboy!


Jesse only played in the How You Use It tournament, taking third place.


The fifth gem City Massacre was held in December of 2019.  Not only was Jesse there, but Joe Cottrell actually sculped a model of Pizza Jesus himself for Jesse.  Because of all the pandemic crap, this was the last tournament I would help with (Kara actually runs this now) that Jesse could attend.

Pizza Jesus' prophet

with all his sportsmanship trophies

of course the sacred book is turned to the page to Nerf Elohi

plenty of the sacred food

Wearing a slice himself

Of course the banner - by the Pie, the Slice, the Bite, Amen!

Of course this model won the trophy for Best Santa / Krampus model

The true prophet of Pizza Jesus with his mini

Jesse brought his beloved Ogres

He used the Santa Hellboy as his Kringle model.

Round one against Steve Malone

Round 2 against his old nemesis, Jon Carter

Round 3 against Buck Chrzanowski

A fantastic turn out for a great tournament

and to top it off - Jesse wins the whole thing!

Kara in a Cornwell Sandwich (even better - Jesse was the top player, while his brother Isaac was the bottom).

So in four years Jesse was in over 15 tournaments that I have run - always with a smile and having a great time.

After so much, I have decided, in his honor, that going forward, for any tournament that I run, the sportsmanship award will now be known as the Jesse Cornwell Sportsmanship Award, for someone that everyone wanted to see, whether across the table, calling for Pizza Jesus on Master Crafted battle reports, or just hanging out.

We all love you Jesse.

Because it is all fun and games . . .

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