Saturday, November 7, 2015

Systems Saturday - Dead of Winter: A Crossroads Game (2014)

My regular gaming buddies wouldn't get together on Halloween but most were available for a First Sunday event at Lake Geneva Games the day after, so that's when John introduced us to Dead of Winter: A Crossroads Game (2014).  The game is cooperative with the potential for someone to secretly being working against the group.  If found out, they can be exiled, but even then they can still do damage.  However, they secret victory condition might also be to seek redemption if exiled.  It's a game with a lot of twists and turns.


The description from Board Game Geek is as follows:
"Crossroads" is a new series from Plaid Hat Games that tests a group of survivors' ability to work together and stay alive while facing crises and challenges from both outside and inside.
Dead of Winter: A Crossroads Game, the first game in this series, puts 2-5 players in a small, weakened colony of survivors in a world where most of humanity is either dead or diseased, flesh-craving monsters. Each player leads a faction of survivors with dozens of different characters in the game.
Dead of Winter is a meta-cooperative psychological survival game. This means players are working together toward one common victory condition — but for each individual player to achieve victory, he must also complete his personal secret objective. This secret objective could relate to a psychological tick that's fairly harmless to most others in the colony, a dangerous obsession that could put the main objective at risk, a desire for sabotage of the main mission, or (worst of all) vengeance against the colony! Certain games could end with all players winning, some winning and some losing, or all players losing. Work toward the group's goal, but don't get walked all over by a loudmouth who's looking out only for his own interests!
Dead of Winter is an experience that can be accomplished only through the medium of tabletop games. It's a story-centric game about surviving through a harsh winter in an apocalyptic world. The survivors are all dealing with their own psychological imperatives, but must still find a way to work together to fight off outside threats, resolve crises, find food and supplies, and keep the colony's morale up.
Dead of Winter has players making frequent, difficult, heavily- thematic, wildly-varying decisions that often have them deciding between what is best for the colony and what is best for themselves.

The game seems to have a lot of legs for replayability.  It's not a push over, so that alone means most scenarios can be challenging more than once.  It's get a great balance between crisis, resource, and people management, so there's plenty to consider with every step but it doesn't feel overwhelming, even though the tension levels rise constantly.  This is definitely a game that could hit the table regularly around here.


A look under the hood of various Games, Rules and Systems.
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Friday, November 6, 2015

Tabletopper Friday - Groundbreaking, Pandemic, & Warehouse 51

Over on vice.com, there is "A Guide to the Groundbreaking Board Games You Should Be Playing Right Now" here.


Also, on kotaku.com, they tell us "The Great Board Game Pandemic Is Even Better With The Risk Legacy Treatment."  Find out why here.


Finally, on the StarlitCitadel YouTube channel, a video from earlier this week looks at "Warehouse 51: Starlit Citadel Reviews Season 4."  Enjoy!


Mostly about card games and board games,
unless they have a decidedly wargamey feel.
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Thursday, November 5, 2015

Nostalgia Thursday - Featherstone Books

A trip late last month to a Half Price Books store outside of Milwaukee, WI, got me excited.  On a top shelf, in their gaming section, they had a bunch of older wargaming books, with six of them by Donald F. Featherstone (1918-2013), one of the fathers of modern wargaming.  He wrote more than three dozen books on gaming in his lifetime and some of the most comprehensive were at HPB.


In particular, I was interested in his "War Games through the Ages" series of which the first three of four were on the shelf.  These volumes were in excellent shape and were written and published in the early to mid-1970s.  Since I'm not someone who needs to be a completist, and since I am also primarily a pre-gunpowder wargamer (with some sci-fi, fantasy, and tall ships thrown in), not getting the fourth volume didn't bother me.


I was also pleased to turn into the front page and see that these three were first printings.  Despite how clean they are, and how collectible, reading at least the first volume is definitely going to happen.  It's the biggest volume and covers the longest period, as one might expect given how much more we know of the history following the period covered, 3000 BC-1500 AD.



Focusing on the roots of current tabletop gaming
with an eye toward the last century and before.
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Wednesday, November 4, 2015

Wargaming Wednesday - Green Squadron, Bocage, & Secret Santa

Over on the Lair of the Uber Geek, check out the "New Recruits for Green Squadron" here.


Also, on AJ's Wargaming Blog, have a look at his "28mm Bocage and Windmill" work in progress here.


Finally, on the Fencing Frog blog, Adam put together a wish list for his Secret Santa here.


A closer examination of board and miniatures Wargaming.
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Tuesday, November 3, 2015

Terrain Tuesday - TerranScapes Updates

It's been a while since Terrain Tuesday has checked in with TerranScapes so let's have three videos from Mike starting with "TerranScapes - What's Coming Up?"  Enjoy!



Also, enjoy one of Mike's Rapid Fire Critiques of a patron's terrain project.  Tons of good advice in these!



Finally, check out his "TerranScapes - Ocean Board Wrap Up."  This was a huge project!



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 2, 2015

Minis & Modeling Monday - True Heroes, True Legends, & Scrolls and Books

If you don't mind going with a non-standard size for minis, like 54 mm, you can get quite a deal on a lot of standard figures in cheap plastic by the bucket.  These can be particularly useful for floor games and introductory wargames for youngsters.  One example is the "True Heroes Medieval Bucket" which can be found here.


Also, check out the "True Legends Mythical Warrior Bucket Playset" here.


Finally, on the Wyloch's Crafting Vids YouTube channel, have a look at "021 - Scrolls and Books."  Enjoy!



A look at prepping and painting Miniatures,
crafting buildings and paper Models,
and other non-terrain stuff for the tabletop.
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Sunday, November 1, 2015

The Sunday Miscellanea - Cardboard Armor, OSR Lost World, & Daedalus Inserts

Over on upworthy.com, "This camp lets kids show off their imagination and battle skills. Cardboard required."  Learn more here.


Also, on Swords & Stitchery, check out the "Retro Commentary On The Free OSR Lost World Download- The People of the Crater by Andre Alice Norton For Your Old School Campaigns" here.


Finally, on daedalusproductionsinc.com, have a look at their custom inserts here.


Essentially, a clearinghouse for topics on MFWARS.com
not covered elsewhere or wanting a particular focus.
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