11/15/17

Arms & Ambition – Playtest Report

GrogHeads had a chance to check out a pre-release playtest of the new Arms & Ambition boardgame ~

Chris Caran, 15 November 2017

This weekend while attending the MACE convention in Charlotte, I had an opportunity to sit down with Brad Warren and play his new wargame, Arms and Ambition. The game is in development, but very polished so far – a beautiful vinyl mat, 3D printed pieces, and professionally printed cards. Only the rules and documentation are still in developmental mode.

In the game, you play one of eight noble families vying for the throne after the ruling dynasty collapses. Each family has starting territory and “family ambitions” – victory conditions specific to the player. The overall goal is to gain 100 victory points and declare yourself the new king. You have starting units and each territory you own (represented by a card) has an income value.

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11/13/17

What’s Gus Playing? Episode 7

Our very own half-pint hammerhead is back at war ~

Lloyd Sabin, 13 November 2017

If you’re keeping track of what I’m playing you really need a better hobby. That said, last week I covered my foray in to the first act of Shadow of War, and despite myself I found I kept coming back for 10-12 hours of pretty mindless orkish bloodletting. Now another week has passed and after moaning and wailing, I have arrived at the second act of Shadow War, just in time for army construction and that sweet, sweet siege warfare I have been screaming for. And wouldn’t you know it, just as I’ve developed a good head of steam and plowed directly in to the act…I have started to lose interest.

So I am some distance in to the second act of Shadow of War and feeling a little ‘meh’ about the whole thing.

I don’t dislike Shadow of War, but as noted last week, the entire first act is more of the same from Shadow of Mordor. Relatively speaking, that’s a good thing and the nemesis system is solid…I just wanted more NEWER FASTER!!! And I didn’t get to it quickly enough.

So I am some distance in to the second act of Shadow of War and feeling a little ‘meh’ about the whole thing. For a time I am going to shelve Shadow of War and move on, for my own sanity and yours. I will come back to it, and probably pretty soon, but right now my brain needs something else. An old favorite, a new take on an old formula, something totally out of left field…I’m not sure yet, put it that way. But whatever I start gaming in the next few days will make this little column here more interesting than my mewling about that sweet, sweet siege action. I know this.

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11/11/17

Deep Thoughts on Field of Glory 2

Are the roots of FoG2 found in tabletop minis? ~

Jim Owczarski, 11 November 2017

There’s not an awful lot of point in doing a straight review of a game like “Field of Glory 2” (hereafter FoG2) in a venue like this one. After all, we are a fairly aware lot and share information about the games we get, like, and dislike quickly. By now, you have all likely heard the game is the best of its kind in this generation (it is) and that it surpasses its only real competition — Interactive Magic’s much-admired “Great Battles” series. Were this the whole story I’d recommend slapping an “Order of the Hex” on the thing and moving on.

I think, though, many reviewers have missed the importance of FoG2’s roots in tabletop miniatures gaming, roots that have made this such a remarkably strong offering. Therefore, I would like, in place of a proper review, to point out five things that FoG2 took from the world of little lead men that make it so very special.

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11/10/17

Dragon’ Up The Past – Week 3, Gary was pissed

Waaaaaay back into the vault for this one ~

Brant & Jim, 10 November 2017

Slip on your bell-bottoms as we go way back to an old issue of Dragon Magazine, and check out 1970s-vintage wargaming awards, a very angry editorial from Gary Gygax, a textual hype-man, and the first appearance of the Ninja NPC.

Don’t worry, there’s plenty more where this one came from – there’s 198 issues still to go!

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11/9/17

Gaming Nostalgia – Buck Rogers Role-Playing

#TBT at GrogHeads!

You would’ve thought one of the all-time sci-fi franchises would’ve garnered more respect for a reasonably-well-executed RPG. But maybe it was a combination of folks who were young enough to ‘get’ RPGs only remembered the campy Max von Sydow movie, and those old enough to remember the wonderful old movies serials were a little too old to understand RPGs.

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