Category: Whatever

12/21/13

GrogHeads Strike Back! The Flashpoint Campaigns: Red Storm Contest

Welcome to the GrogHeads Strike Back!

GrogHeads has partnered with On Target Simulations and Matrix Games to bring a fantastic year-end shootout, with a chance to win some excellent prizes from Matrix Games and the GrogHeads prize vault.

Here’s how it works:

1.  You have to play a game.  We know, right?!  Let us say that again: You have to play a game.  See, you’re loving this contest already.

1a.  Specifically, you have to play this game: Flashpoint Campaigns: The GrogHeads Strike Back

1c.  This is a custom-modified self-contained game and scenario for Flashpoint Campaigns.  This scenario is not available as a part of the standard install, so even if you already have the game (and OTS loves you if you do!) then you still need to download and install this package to play.

 

2.  When you complete the game, you save your final score report, and upload it to the GrogHeads forum in the designated thread.

2a.  Entries that are emailed, faxed, posted, sent by courier, carrier pigeon, or paper airplane won’t count.  You have to upload the entry in our forums, in the proper thread for your entry to be a part of the contest.

2b.  The highest score (percent) will be the grand prize winner.  In the event of a tie, the first tiebreaker is VP locations held, then enemy units killed (see image for scoring order).

ContestScores
You need to capture and post the Staff Summary Report from the end of your game. If your screen doesn’t look like this, you posted the wrong screen.

 

3.  But wait!  Some chucklehead scored 98% of day 2 of the contest!  It’s hopeless!  How can I ever win?  Fear not, fellow Grogs!  Every entry into the contest gets one virtual ticket thrown into the digital raffle hat for a consolation prize.  That’s right, every separate score screen you upload after playing the game gets you another chance to win.  So you might never score out of the 30s – who cares!?  Score in the 30s eighteen different times, and you get 18 different chances to win in the consolation drawings.

3a.  You can also earn an entry to the consolation drawing by “liking” the contest post on Facebook, and another by “sharing” the contest post on Facebook.  2 clicks for 2 entries!  w00t!

 

4.  You keep talking about “prizes”.  Yes, yes we do.  Because we’re just building the suspense.

4a.  How are we doing?

4b.  Still in suspense?

4c.  Can’t wait to find out what you’re playing for?

 

5.  All entries must be posted in the forums, with a forums time-stamp no later than Midnight Eastern (US) Standard Time, Sunday 5 January 2014.  That’s midnight when Saturday rolls into Sunday.  Entries posted or received after that time will not be counted for the grand prize, or consolation drawings.

 

4d.  How’s that ‘suspense’ thing working out for us?

 

6.  Legalese:  At the bottom of this article is the full set of legal terms and conditions.  You participation in this contest is your acceptance of those conditions.  Remember that our in-house counsel is an excellent shot and owns a LOT of firearms.

 

4e.  You’re just waiting to find out what you can win, right?

 

7.  Forum membership is required for submitting your entries.  You must be a registered member of the GrogHeads forums to enter.  But hey, registration is free!  What a deal!

7a.  The official contest entry thread is here

7b.  The official contest discussion thread is here

7c.  Don’t mix them up.  If you post an entry in the discussion thread, it won’t count.  If you post a discussion question in the entry thread, you will be mercilessly mocked.

 

4f.  Prizes?  Oh yeah!  Prizes!  Here’s what you’re playing for:

GRAND PRIZE:  $65 credit at the Matrix Games store – enough to cover a boxed copy of Flashpoint Campaigns: Red Storm, or any number of excellent titles from the largest publisher of digital strategy games.

CONSOLATION PRIZES:  Four total.  Two winners will get $20 credit to the Matrix Games store.  Two other winners will get random prize grab-bags pulled from the GrogHeads prize vault, with a retail value of at least $20.  Consolation prize winners do not get to pick which prize we send you.  They come out in the order they come out.  

Winners will be notified by message through the forums, and the winners will be announced publicly on 6 January 2014.

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12/9/13

Grogheads Buying Guide – Holiday 2013

Grogheads Buying Guide – Holiday 2013

 Authors: Brant Guillory and Jim Zabek

The holiday shopping season is upon us. Once again we, or our loved ones, will be faced with attempting to find something for at least one person who either has everything, or is so eclectic that they’re difficult to buy for. What to do? At Grogheads we have a tradition of suggesting a few things that you may not have seen at the mall. Conversely, if your loved ones are struggling to find you something and you are a regular at Grogheads, you’re probably not too interested in most of the things at the mall. Game stores can be intimidating to those not used to frequenting them. So we’ve done some recon on your behalf. We hope you’ll find at least a few things that will save time or be something for that someone who isn’t easy to buy for.

Boardgames

Hardcore boardgamers can be notoriously difficult to shop for. Unless you game with them you’re probably at a loss as to where to start. Here are some great games which, if they don’t have them, they probably should.

Dan Verssen Games Thunderbolt Apache Leader

Thunderbolt Apache Leader was designed from the ground up to be a solo game. A solid wargame about close air support on the modern battlefield, it is perfect for a boardgamer to break when other gamers can’t make it through the snow. Multiple scenarios and campaigns make this highly replayable, and there are even some miniatures that can be purchased to further up the immersion.

Counter Cutters

 

Some folks like neat, clean lines on their boardgame counters. If they’ve been using nail clippers to get cleaner counters maybe it’s time to get them something actually built for the job. Here are some counter clippers, both large and small sizes, to help expedite their quest for order.

First Strike ‘62

Perfect for the Cold Warrior, First Strike ’62 simulates the Cold War going hot with wings of bombers flying over the poles to deliver their payloads. Here is where the strategic might of the air forces come into their own. ICBMs and bombers will cross the sky in a race to see who might “win” the unthinkable struggle of nuclear war.

Continue reading →

12/4/13

Readers’ Choice Call for Nominations

Gentle reader, it’s that time of year again. We’ve actually had open nominations for Game of the Year for the better part of the year, but now as the year approaches its end we want to reiterate our invitation to nominate your favorite games for final voting.

Remember: if a game isn’t nominated it has no chance of being voted upon. The editorial staff may – might – could possibly – remember to add your favorite game as we peruse the list, but don’t count on it. This is, after all, a readers’ choice award, not editors’ choice. As a reader, it is incumbent upon you to put a game’s name in the hat for consideration.

Nominations for digital games can be made here: https://grogheads.com/forums/index.php?topic=4393.0.

Nominations for tabletop games can be made here: https://grogheads.com/forums/index.php?topic=6732.0

Forum registration is required to nominate any game, and registration will be required when voting commences.

11/29/13

TANKSgiving 2013 – Early Tanks

GrogHeads TANKSgiving

Author: Lloyd Sabin, November 26, 2013

Very Early Armored Vehicles

It’s the most wonderful time of year! When else do we get to discuss the benefits of century old armored oddities? Probably all the time if you’re a grog, but this is more special because we say it is.

Early motorized vehicles are fascinating enough…apply an inch of armor plate and a gun turret and it’s a real party. The below vehicles are some of my new found favorites…each has that certain something and they all look to have stormed straight out of a steampunk imagination. So put on your goggles, put a rag over your face and let’s see what all the kids are screaming about when they discuss very early armored vehicles. At least my kids, anyway.

Romfell Armored Car

romfell_5The Romfell was built in Austria-Hungary around 1915. That gives it a slightly exotic air. In 1915 and 1916, only two existed, but they both survived the harsh conditions and combat in the Balkans against the Serbian Army, and went on to engage the Italians and Russians. That gives it a tough reputation. In 1917 dozens more were built and deployed, its successful combat record making it somewhat of a legend.

Each Romfell armored car had a crew of four, was powered by a Mercedes transmission and was armed with a Schwarloze machine gun that could be used against both air and ground targets.  Reliable and fast for the era with a 26mph top speed, the Romfell is a popular vehicle for modelers.

It’s hard not to be intrigued by the Romfell. It’s very modern look, pedigree and durability guarantee that historians or car aficionados will quickly fall in love.

Fowler B5 Armored Locomotive

Fowler B5Armored cars are one thing…armored trains are another.

Now don’t get the wrong idea, the Fowler B5 armored locomotive did not go into combat during the Boer War at high speed with guns blazing. It did, however, deliver heavy guns and supplies for the British Army against the Boers starting roughly towards the end of 1899.

To tow these guns, the Fowler factory in Leeds, UK, produced a handful of B5s with close to 125 horsepower! With that much strength, heavy slab armor was applied to the engines to protect them and their drivers from attacks by Boer raiders. Three or four of these heavy armored locomotives were used by the British during the Boer War, some with armored railroad cars as well.

Prototypes of gun carrying armored Fowler B5s were developed but as far as I could research, none were ever deployed in a combat role. It would have been quite the scene if they had been – there’s no telling how effective they would have been at fighting. For protecting and delivering heavy equipment and guns, though, they were very successful. Continue reading →