A closer examination of board and miniatures Wargaming.
Please Like, Share, Plus, Tweet, Follow, and Comment!
Wednesday, January 7, 2015
Wargaming Wednesday - The Battle of Five Armies (2014)
The more I learn, the more excited I become about The Battle of Five Armies (2014). I also blogged about this game last August here, focusing on this most recent incarnation. The Discriminating Gamer has a look at it on his YouTube channel. Enjoy.
Tuesday, January 6, 2015
Terrain Tuesday - Wappel's Watchtower
I often post links on Miniatures & Modeling Monday to the work of James Wappel on his excellent blog but here's a chance to do a Terrain Tuesday post featuring some of his fine craftsmanship. In March of 2013, James did a series of blog tutorials on making a simple watchtower for the game table. There are actually four parts in this three parts series and here are the links followed by a few pictures:
All Along the Watchtower: Part 1 of 3
All Along the Watchtower: Part 2 of 3
All Along the Watchtower: Part 3 of 3
The Watchtower painted!
All Along the Watchtower: Part 1 of 3
All Along the Watchtower: Part 2 of 3
All Along the Watchtower: Part 3 of 3
The Watchtower painted!
For purposes here, the term Terrain is used broadly
to cover 3D and 2D maps, foam, felt, and such.
to cover 3D and 2D maps, foam, felt, and such.
Please Like, Share, Plus, Tweet, Follow, and Comment!
Monday, January 5, 2015
Minis & Modeling Monday - The Lost and The Damned Website
If you haven't already, do yourself a favor and have a look around "The Lost and The Damned" forums and all the wonderful "Alternative Miniatures, Wargaming and RPG" stuff they have going on over there. It's a treasure trove of miniature goodness. See more here.
A look at prepping and painting Miniatures,
crafting buildings and paper Models,
and other non-terrain stuff for the tabletop..
crafting buildings and paper Models,
and other non-terrain stuff for the tabletop..
Please Like, Share, Plus, Tweet, Follow, and Comment!
Sunday, January 4, 2015
The Sunday Miscellanea - Paint Carousels
As I set up a new paint station in the place I had to make some adjustments to how I had them stored. In doing so, I was exploring some carousel options and here are a few I considered. The first are some not-too-costly buy-and-be-done-with-it options that make the most sense for someone with money and less time to deal with any hassles. Over on paintier.com, they have a number of choices which can hold 40, 80, 100, 120, or even more paints with custom solutions which you can check out here.
A less expensive but also less elegant way to go might be to pick up a "12 in. Four Tray Revolving Storage" unit from a tool store or online from harborfreight.com here.
However, you might even decide to build your own unit as Squidgy Bidge shows on his YouTube channel in a video from some years back titled "How to make a Paint Carousel - Storing Modelling and Wargaming Paints." Enjoy.
A less expensive but also less elegant way to go might be to pick up a "12 in. Four Tray Revolving Storage" unit from a tool store or online from harborfreight.com here.
However, you might even decide to build your own unit as Squidgy Bidge shows on his YouTube channel in a video from some years back titled "How to make a Paint Carousel - Storing Modelling and Wargaming Paints." Enjoy.
Essentially, a clearinghouse for topics on MFWARS.com
not covered elsewhere or wanting a particular focus.
Please Like, Share, Plus, Tweet, Follow, and Comment!
Saturday, January 3, 2015
Systems Saturday - Medieval (2003)
A game that has been on my shelf for some time, bought used a half dozen years ago in the hopes I could play it some day, hit my weekly game table with the new year. Richard Berg's Medieval (2003) is strategy card game where some cards with maps on them become the board. It probably doesn't surprise folks, those who are aware of my love of Kingmaker (1974) and Civilization (1980), that the idea of this quasi-wargame would appeal to me. I felt fairly safe picking it up without having played it because it is a product of GMT and designed by Richard Berg, so it has a decent pedigree.
The artwork gives it an Old School feel and the rules are laid out in traditional wargame fashion. However, players do not field armies. The cards that become the map are divided into regions and quickly become populated by control chits and condition markers. We actually needed some extra control chits late into the game, as seen in the photos.
The description on Board Game Geek is as follows:
It took us quite some time to work through the rules even after doing some pre-session online research on the game. I think we could drop our playing time to the two hours suggested with a few more plays but new players should be ready to give up a full evening to early efforts. The uncertainty involved in how soon the game might end looms less large later in the game (a three player game, at least) then we expected. Our final VP tally was 44 to 43 to 41. Only two map cards had been destroyed by the invaders that end the game out of, potentially, more than half the board, so that struck us as surprising. There was very little territory unclaimed and I think it likely that we attacked on our turns with about a 95% frequency. While it might seem easier to pick up uncontrolled areas, and it was, using attack opportunities on them necessarily takes players away from whittling down opponents. When all the players become wealthy to a certain level, concentrating attacks only on uncontrolled regions increasingly becomes the only viable option, less a player leave themselves too vulnerable. Still, a few more sessions will be needed before confirming such ideas.
The artwork gives it an Old School feel and the rules are laid out in traditional wargame fashion. However, players do not field armies. The cards that become the map are divided into regions and quickly become populated by control chits and condition markers. We actually needed some extra control chits late into the game, as seen in the photos.
The description on Board Game Geek is as follows:
Medieval is a card-based board game that takes players back to the turbulent 13th century in Europe, Middle East and North Africa. The cards not only represent the Powers, various capabilities, and events that the players use to gain victory, but they also provide the playing board, a map that is divided into 19 Cards, only 8 of which start the game in play. The rest of the Map Cards - and the map - come into play randomly, but at the players' pace.
The remaining cards are for the 27 Powers - countries from the strong but troubled Holy Roman Empire, England and France, through the various Islamic powers, down to such minor, but important, countries such as The Kingdom of Jerusalem, Livonia and Trebizond. Even such mysterious and far away areas as Polovtsy and The Cumans come into play. - and the various "events" the players use to forward their schemes.
Each Player represents an ever-changing conglomerate of these Powers, using his wiles, and the cards, to further his control over areas of Europe to win the game. There are Spies, Assassins, accusations of Heresy, Jihads, even the use of the various Knights of Christ.
And then there are the Popes. Each player, randomly, can become Pope (they're named and historical). As Pope he can arrange alliances, excommunicate players, and call for Crusades (a great way to make money).
But hovering like a very, very black cloud over all of this are The Mongols. No player knows exactly when they start to arrive, although the card play does give them hints … and some time to prepare, if they choose to heed the warnings. But when they do arrive, all Tartar Hell breaks loose, as The Mongols, also represented by cards, literally eat the map, east to west, conquering Powers, chewing them up and making them disappear from European view.
The winner is the player who survives the onslaughts of religion and the Mongols to control the largest part of 13th century Europe.
Medieval is for 3 to 5 players and takes around 2 hours to play, once you've learned the system. It comes with 110 cards, lots of little pieces, and coin-shaped florin markers.
It took us quite some time to work through the rules even after doing some pre-session online research on the game. I think we could drop our playing time to the two hours suggested with a few more plays but new players should be ready to give up a full evening to early efforts. The uncertainty involved in how soon the game might end looms less large later in the game (a three player game, at least) then we expected. Our final VP tally was 44 to 43 to 41. Only two map cards had been destroyed by the invaders that end the game out of, potentially, more than half the board, so that struck us as surprising. There was very little territory unclaimed and I think it likely that we attacked on our turns with about a 95% frequency. While it might seem easier to pick up uncontrolled areas, and it was, using attack opportunities on them necessarily takes players away from whittling down opponents. When all the players become wealthy to a certain level, concentrating attacks only on uncontrolled regions increasingly becomes the only viable option, less a player leave themselves too vulnerable. Still, a few more sessions will be needed before confirming such ideas.
A look under the hood of various Games, Rules and Systems.
Please Like, Share, Plus, Tweet, Follow, and Comment!
Friday, January 2, 2015
Tabletopper Friday - BGG Spiel 2014 Overview Roundup
Just to clear the decks of some videos I have bookmarked for myself from the many Board Game Geek has shared on their YouTube channel, with an eye toward games I am personally interested in checking out, here's a half dozen videos of games they featured. Included in alphabetical order are Amber Route, Gothic Invasion, King Arthur, Melee, Versailles, and Yardmaster. Enjoy!
Mostly about card games and board games,
unless they have a decidedly wargamey feel.
unless they have a decidedly wargamey feel.
Please Like, Share, Plus, Tweet, Follow, and Comment!
Thursday, January 1, 2015
Nostalgia Thursday - The Tale of Quagmire
Jon Peterson, author of Playing at the World, recounts the tale of "Quagmire! The Making of a 1980's D&D Module" here.
Focusing on the roots of current tabletop gaming
with an eye toward the last century and before.
with an eye toward the last century and before.
Please Like, Share, Plus, Tweet, Follow, and Comment!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
