Sunday, November 30, 2014

The Sunday Miscellanea - LEGO Dice Rollers

If you're into LEGOs and love using dice rollers at the game table, do a quick Google search and have a look at what you can make for yourself.  Some samples I found are added below.






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Saturday, November 29, 2014

Systems Saturday - Among the Stars (2012)

Not long back, my buddy Tom brought a game around called Among the Stars (2012). We were short on time the first chance we had to check this out and Tom hadn't had an opportunity to look it over too deeply, so we muddled around with the components and rules a bit for an hour.  While that is the suggested playing time, we really only barely got it out of the box and looked stuff over.  The second time, we also had Brad with us and Tom had played elsewhere with some gamers of note, so we played three years of a game (out of what is normally four).


The description from Board Game Geek is as follows:
Among the Stars takes place in a war-ravaged galaxy where the warring alien races have declared peace in the wake of a threat with the potential to destroy them all. An Alliance is established to build space stations throughout the galaxy in order to promote trade among the races, strengthen diplomatic relations, and defend against this impending threat. Each player takes the role of one of those races trying to build the greatest space station. Through card drafting, the players select locations, and use these to build their station, scoring victory points based on the placement. The construction lasts four years, and alien race with the most points at the end wins.
I't a fun space station building card game though I suspect that once you know the cards and most of their cascading effects, some of the game's challenge will be diminished.  I'd imagine some expansions for the game, new races and additional space station locations, could increase the overall longevity of the game.  I'm still intrigued by this one but I'm not sure how long that intrigue will last.


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Friday, November 28, 2014

Tabletopper Friday - Forbidden Desert on TableTop with Wil Wheaton

Over on the Geek & Sundry YouTube channel, Wil Wheaton presents the second episode of the third season of TableTop, "Forbidden Desert with Felicia Day, Alan Tudyk, and Jon Heder."  Enjoy.



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Thursday, November 27, 2014

Nostalgia Thursday - Rummikub (1977) @ ChiTAG

There was a Rummikub tourney at the 2014 Chicago Toy & Game Fair on November 22nd, this last weekend.  Rummikub is a classic game first mass-produced in 1977 with a description on Board Game Geek as follows:
The game is based on the traditional middle-eastern game of Okey. First created in the 1930s and sold in hand-produced versions until the late 1970s.
Similar to the Rummy that you play with cards - you try to get rid of all your tiles by forming numbers into runs of 3 tiles or more, or 3 to 4 of a kind. The colors of the numbers on the tiles are like card suits. This game may start rather uneventfully, but when the players start putting more and more tiles in play, the options for your upcoming turns can become more complex, challenging, and exciting (from areyougame.com).

As of this posting, I have been unable to find out the results of the tourney from ChiTAG, so if you have news, please share it.

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Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Wargaming Wednesday - HMGS.org Video

Over on Jason Pedri's YoouTube channel, there is a nifty video serving as an invitation to HMGS.org, the Historical Miniatures Gaming Society.  Enjoy.



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Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Terrain Tuesday - Old School Maps by Druvas

There's a nifty thread on the Dragonsfoot forums showing off some wonderful maps by Old Schooler Druvas.  See more here.


For purposes here, the term Terrain is used broadly
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Monday, November 24, 2014

Minis & Modeling Monday - Lost In Space B9 Robot with Doctor Faust's Painting Clinic

It's great to see that Doctor Faust is back to work on his "Moebius Models Lost In Space B9 Robot Build" with part 3 uploaded recently to The Painting Clinic YouTube channel.  Enjoy.



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Sunday, November 23, 2014

The Sunday Miscellanea - Swords & Wizardry Compatibility Logo Contest

There's still time to get in on the Swords & Wizardry Compatibility Logo Contest at Gamers and Grognards here.


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Saturday, November 22, 2014

Systems Saturday - Shipwrights of the North Sea (2014)

Shipwrights of the North Sea (2014) is a building game that utilizes card drafting and hand management as well as some (forced) trading.  It's a well-crafted game with fine components.  The artwork is playful and consistently good which helps offset the fact that this game requires players to regularly mess with their opponents plans and setups.  My friend Wendy picked this up and we played a game of it in anticipation of Game Like a Viking Day!


The descriptions from Board Game Geek:
Shipwrights of the North Sea is set in the early years of the Viking Age, circa 900 AD. As Viking shipwrights, players compete to build the greatest fleet on the North Sea. Players must collect oak, wool and iron, as well as getting other craftsmen on board to help. Gold is a precious commodity, and must be spent wisely. As you would expect, the township is filled with an array of characters, bad and worse. Better hope they're on your side!
Aim of the Game
The aim of Shipwrights of the North Sea is to be the player with the most Victory Points at the game’s end. Points are gained by constructing various Ships and Buildings. The game ends after the round where 1 or more players constructs their 4th ship.
Gameplay Overview
The game is played over a series of days (rounds). Each day follows the same pattern:
  • Morning Phase - Planning (Each player receives 3 cards)
  • Afternoon Phase - Working (Players take actions and play or discard their 3 cards)
  • Evening Phase - Resting (Players receive Gold and Workers for the next day)
Printed Components
  • 128 Cards - Featuring 46 unique and stunning illustrations
  • 5 Beautifully Illustrated Player Boards
  • 5 Player Reference Boards
  • 1 Illustrated Rulebook
  • 1 Pioneer Token
  • 5 VP Markers
Wooden Components
  • 5 Gold Ships
  • 25 Oak
  • 25 Wool
  • 25 Iron
  • 50 Workers

We had a very good time playing this new game for the first go around and played it again at our next local gameday, having fun yet again.  The more players involved, I should warn, the more frustrating it can be to reach for the win but I find that to be a good part of the game.  Those who do not like games where others are constantly and actively working against you might be less thrilled but can take solace in doing the same to their own opponents.


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Friday, November 21, 2014

Tabletopper Friday - Sheriff of Nottingham (2014)

Sheriff of Nottingham (2014) is a bluffing card game that moves quickly and requires deception and misdirection.  I've just played the one but I think this game benefits from being played with the full five players rather than just three or four as allowed.  It suggests it is a 60 minute game but I could see this lasting as little as 30 minutes even with five players if they are all experienced with the game.


From the description on Board Game Geek:
Prince John is coming to Nottingham! Players, in the role of merchants, see this as an opportunity to make quick profits by selling goods in the bustling city during the Prince's visit. However, players must first get their goods through the city gate, which is under the watch of the Sheriff of Nottingham. Should you play it safe with legal goods and make a profit, or risk it all by sneaking in illicit goods? Be mindful, though, as the Sheriff always has his eyes out for liars and tricksters and if he catches one, he very well may confiscate those goods for himself!
In Sheriff of Nottingham, players will not only be able to experience Nottingham as a merchant of the city, but each turn one player will step into the shoes of the Sheriff himself. Players declare goods they wish to bring into the city, goods that are secretly stored in their burlap sack. The Sheriff must then determine who gets into the city with their goods, who gets inspected, and who may have their goods confiscated!
Do you have what it takes to be seen as an honest merchant? Will you make a deal with the Sheriff to let you in? Or will you persuade the Sheriff to target another player while you quietly slip by the gate? Declare your goods, negotiate deals, and be on the lookout for the Sheriff of Nottingham!
Sheriff of Nottingham is the first game in the Dice Tower Essentials Line from Arcane Wonders.


Mostly about card games and board games,
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Thursday, November 20, 2014

Nostalgia Thursday - How We Role: Dungeon!

Peter Adkison's How We Role has added two videos to his YouTube channel with a two-hour game of Dungeon! (1975) being played with its designer David R. Megarry recorded at Gen Con 2014.  Enjoy!




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Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Wargaming Wednesday - Ars Victor (2013)

I recently stumbled across a review from early this year for Ars Victor (2013), a "24 Hour Wargame."  I was surprised I had heard nothing about this game until now though, admittedly, I have not kept my ear to the ground for newer wargames that aren't in the Ancient or Medieval genres that aren't generally known in boardgaming circles.  So, despite this being a Sci-Fi, futuristic wargame, I was intrigued by its playing time, so I've gathered a bit of info to share here and I'll likely look more closely at this one over the coming months and maybe pick it up to play with some local friends.  The rulebook can be downloaded here.


The description from Board Game Geek is as follows:
Ars Victor is a fast-paced, tense, two-player boardgame of tactical combat. You command a furious fighting force OF THE FUTURE against a ferocious foe. Recruit your armies. Scout out a unique map. Draw a hand of Command Cards. Deploy your Vanguard. The battle is joined!
To win, you must reduce your enemy’s Glory to zero before they do the same to you. Your successes on the battlefield chip away at your enemy’s Glory. It never goes up, only down; so it’s always a tense, back-and-forth race to the bottom.
Your turn is simple: play a Command Card to activate one or more of your units. Move them across the battlefield, and try to slaughter the enemy. In the process, try to hold on to the three Capture Points in the middle of the board, and keep your Headquarters alive.
Combat is resolved in a single roll of multiple colored dice. Dice quantity and color can be affected by terrain, as well as unit Special Abilities. Simple icons on the dice show the results.

The above-mentioned review I stumbled across is from Play Unplugged here and they have a link there to a YouTube play video I will also share below from the Ars Victor YouTube channel.


A closer examination of board and miniatures Wargaming.
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Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Terrain Tuesday - Forest Village, Mapsburgh, & Veggie Fields

There are some wonderful terrain shots of a "Village Near a Forest" over on dwarvenforge.info here.


Also, check out the cartography over on mapsburgh.tumblr.com here.


Finally, Biglees Miniatures Adventures gave us some info on how to deal with "15mm Fields - Vegetable Crops" here.


For purposes here, the term Terrain is used broadly
to cover 3D and 2D maps, foam, felt, and such.
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Monday, November 17, 2014

Minis & Modeling Monday - 3D Printed Minis, Stone Bases, & Marauders!

Over on Yahoo News, a recent article tells how "Games industry veterans bring custom, 3D printed minis to life."  Read more here.


Also, a couple of years ago on Coloured Dust, there was a tutorial posted on "How to make a stone base."  See more here.


Finally, over on his Wappellious blog, James Wappel shows us a bit about "Marauders!"  Learn more on them here.


A look at prepping and painting Miniatures,
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and other non-terrain stuff for the tabletop..
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Sunday, November 16, 2014

The Sunday Miscellanea - Painting Supplies: Texture Pastes & Brushes

Be sure to check out the TerranScapes video of his Review of Vallejo and Liquitex Texture Pastes.  Enjoy.



Also, Dick Blick has a number of videos on their Blick Art Materials Videos YouTube channel including "How to Make Your Brushes Last."  Watch and learn.



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Saturday, November 15, 2014

Systems Saturday - Designing Sci-Fi Weapons

There is an article over on creativebloq.com titled "How to Designing Sci-Fi Weapons."  Read more here.


A look under the hood of various Games, Rules and Systems.
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Friday, November 14, 2014

Tabletopper Friday - Tokaido on TableTop with Wil Wheaton

Over on the Geek & Sundry YouTube channel, Wil Wheaton presents the first episode of the third season of TableTop, "Tokaido with Jason Wishnov, J. August Richards, and Chris Kluwe."  Enjoy.



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Thursday, November 13, 2014

Nostalgia Thursday - Early Soviet Boardgames

Over on dangerousminds.net a recent article is titled "Let's Play Revolution: Gorgeous but Violent Soviet Board Games, 1920-1938."  See more here.


Focusing on the roots of current tabletop gaming
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Wednesday, November 12, 2014

Wargaming Wednesday - Terrainaholic's Kings of War Undead Army

Over on his YouTube channel, check out as Terrainaholic goes through the process of building his Kings of War Undead Army.  Enjoy.



A closer examination of board and miniatures Wargaming.
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Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Terrain Tuesday - How To Make 2.5D Walls

Over on the Infinite Role Play YouTube channel, there are a couple of tutorial videos titled "How To Make 2.5D Walls 5 different Ways."  The videos are not very long but they are the type where you want to pause them whenever text pops up, read the text, look over the current image, and repeat.

Be forewarned, the videos are frenetic and the tutorial text jumps around the screen, is in different colors, and needs editing in places but five ways to make this type of terrain are shown.  The first of the two videos has an extra minute on the end that you can skip.  The advice in the second video is sound and thoughtful and well-worth watching but you do want to watch the first portion of the first video to understand the advice in the second video.

Personally, I prefer a sixth where you print out dungeon maps to scale and glue them down on the tiered cardboard.




For purposes here, the term Terrain is used broadly
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Monday, November 10, 2014

Minis & Modeling Monday - Andrew Taylor Painting, Paper Ships, & Reaper Bones Kobolds

There's a website worth bookmarking with fantastic photos called "Andrew Taylor Painting" that you can check out here.


Also, over on Facebook, take a look at the paper ships being constructed by Francis Lee here.


Finally, Engineer Jeff gives us some tips on "How to Paint Reaper Bones Kobolds."  Enjoy.



A look at prepping and painting Miniatures,
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Sunday, November 9, 2014

The Sunday Miscellanea - TableTop Season 3 Teaser

Over on the Geek & Sundry YouTube channel, there is a new video teasing Wil Wheaton's TableTop Season 3 which begins November 13th.  Enjoy.



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Saturday, November 8, 2014

Systems Saturday - Tiny Epic Kingdoms (2013)

We were down to two players Friday with some of the gang off at the convention, so Mark M. busted out Tiny Epic Kingdoms (2013).  It's a nifty little game with lots of permutations to the board arrangements and strategies for each player kingdom choice.  It's tight and good looking with a variety of components, so let's call it compact because it feels like there is plenty of game here despite the smaller box size and how little space the parts take up within it.


From the description on Board Game Geek:
You are a tiny kingdom with big ambition. You want to expand your population throughout the realms, learn powerful magic, build grand towers, and have your neighbors quiver at the mention of your name. The conflict? All of the other kingdoms want the same thing and there's not enough room for everyone to succeed...
In Tiny Epic Kingdoms, a 4x fantasy game in a pocket-size package, each player starts with a unique faction (which has a unique technology tree) and a small territory. Throughout the game, players collect resources, explore other territories, battle each other, research magic, and work to build a great tower to protect their realm.

There is plenty going on in this little game and seemingly many paths to victory.  I'll need a handful of tries at this before I am sure if it had true longevity or just takes a few shots to crack the code but it's looking good so far.


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Friday, November 7, 2014

Tabletopper Friday - Last Night on Earth: The Zombie Game (2007)

The night before Halloween, our regular group got together to play Last Night on Earth: The Zombie Game (2007) as a way to celebrate the holiday.  This is a game that plays best, in my opinion, when there is a frenetic pacing and the players as well as the GM keep things moving and react immediately on their turn.  Unlike a wargame or strategy boardgame, part of the excitement of zombie games, and this one in particular, is that tactical mistakes can be made and the overall strategy should be little beyond just trying to survive.  Analysis Paralysis can dampen the thematic mood that is built into this game by specific design.


Part of the reason we took up this game was so that one of our number could get his sea legs running it prior to doing so for gamedays and conventions.  We used a scenario that utilizes the game board from Electronic Mall Madness (1990) and appropriately titled Last Night At The Mall: A Last Night On Earth/Mall Madness variant scenario which can be downloaded through the link at Board Game Geek.


The description of the game from Board Game Geek is as follows:
Last Night on Earth, The Zombie Game is a survival horror board game that pits small-town Heroes head-to-head against a horde of Zombies. A team of four heroes is chosen by one set of players, and the Zombies are controlled by 1 or 2 players. Each hero has its own special abilities. The board is modular, which changes the layout of the town and start positions of each hero. The game comes with several scenarios, which include simple survival, rescue, or escape. Differing combinations of heroes, scenarios, and board configurations offer a lot of replayability. 
A Hero deck and a Zombie deck deliver tactical bonuses to each side. Combat is resolved using 6-sided dice, modified by the weapon cards heroes may be equipped with. Many of the cards include zombie movie tropes to achieve a feel of playing out a horror movie. All the game art is photographic, enhancing the cinematic feel. The game also comes with a CD Soundtrack of original thematic music.
Each hero has its own plastic sculpted miniature. The game also has 14 zombies in two colors. Other objects and effects are represented by high-quality cardboard counters.
It's fairly straightforward and not much is required for players to learn the game besides an explanation of combat, as most of the rest of what players need to know is on their player card or the cards they draw as equipment and such.  I would caution that some players can get bogged down in the text of the cards so it behooves a GM to keep on top of the players, keep them moving, and swiftly explain the effects of a card if a player is stumbling on their wording.


Mostly about card games and board games,
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Thursday, November 6, 2014

Nostalgia Thursday - Asgard Minis, Colonel Marbles, & Ticket to Ride

Check out 15mm.co.UK is you are interested in some 15mm re-issues of the 1970's Asgard minis.  See more here.


For a broader taste of the Old School in miniatures, have a look at Colonel Marble's Miniatures Masterworks here.


Finally, there is an article on The Guardian website titled "All aboard – how Ticket To Ride helped save table-top gaming."  Read more here.


Focusing on the roots of current tabletop gaming
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Wednesday, November 5, 2014

Wargaming Wednesday - Wargamers Consortium Website

If you haven't yet been there, check out the Wargamers Consortium website here.  Don't allow yourself to be overwhelmed by the shear volume of information and types of wargaming covered.  They have a lot going on but once you dig around a bit, you'll find some familiar ground fairly quickly.


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Tuesday, November 4, 2014

Terrain Tuesday - Dungeon for Gamehole Con

Over on his YouTube channel, terrainaholic has a two-part video building a "Dungeon for Gamehole Con."  Enjoy.




For purposes here, the term Terrain is used broadly
to cover 3D and 2D maps, foam, felt, and such.
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Monday, November 3, 2014

Minis & Modeling Monday - Undead Strigoi, Marble Bases, & Copper Dragons

First up, over on quidamcorvus.blogspot.com, Quidam Corvus recently featured some Undead Strigoi.  See more here.


Also, James Wappel, on his blog Wappellious.blogspot.com, shows off some of his Marble Basing techniques here.


Finally, just last week, Doctor Faust, on his Painting Clinic YouTube channel, uploaded a two-part painting tutorial on "Painting Ral Partha Copper Dragon for D&D."  Enjoy!




A look at prepping and painting Miniatures,
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