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Tag Archives: Flames of War

Wargaming Recon #84: Wargaming on the Cheap

December 17, 2012   Jonathan J. Reinhart   No comments
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Wargaming Recon #84: Wargaming on the Cheap [ 39:02 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (175)

Wargaming on the Cheap.

Not everyone can afford to buy the latest rulebook, the next expansion, or the newest miniatures. Not everyone wants to do that either. It is not only possible but exciting to wargame on the cheap. In this episode Jonathan shares some great ways that you can wargame on the cheap.

Also discussed:

  • Wargaming Recon is on break returning with a new episode on January 7, 2013.
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Wargaming Recon #76: Wally Simon’s Secrets of Wargame Design

July 30, 2012   Jonathan J. Reinhart   No comments
Wally Simon's Secrets of Wargame Design edited by Russ Lockwood of On Military Matters
Wargaming Recon #76: Wally Simon's Secrets of Wargame Design [ 1:09:03 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (38)

Wally Simon’s Secrets of Wargame Design edited by Russ Lockwood of On Military Matters takes the center stage. Also discussed:

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Wargaming Recon Episode 75: Battlefront Restricts Flames of War

July 12, 2012   Jonathan J. Reinhart   3 Comments
Wargaming Recon Episode 75: Battlefront Restricts Flames of War [ 1:13:14 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (26)

Host Jonathan J. Reinhart hosts the 75th episode of the podcast! On the show he reviews a book, updates the Battlegames Magazine situation, reviews Wunderlist, and gives in depth coverage of the Battlefront announcement.

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Wargaming Recon Episode 74: Troll in the Corner Podcast Network

June 13, 2012   Jonathan J. Reinhart   1 Comment
Wargaming Recon 74: Troll in the Corner Podcast Network [ 40:24 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (15)

Host Jonathan J. Reinhart announces a BIG NEWS, reminds listeners about the Historicon 2012 Contest, Promotes Cityographer, and reviews two historical books.

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ReCast #1: CWF-2006-12-7 Solo-Cast w/ CWF Holiday Gift Guide, Chester French, Privateer Press Updates, and Pearl Harbor Day

March 15, 2012   Jonathan J. Reinhart   1 Comment
ReCast #1: CWF-2006-12-7 Holiday Gift Guide Debut [ 34:48 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (14)

THIS IS A PREVIOUSLY BROADCAST EPISODE FROM DECEMBER 7, 2006. IT IS THE FIRST APPEARANCE OF THE HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE. PLEASE NOTE THAT NOT ALL LINKS INCLUDED BELOW ARE OPERATIONAL. THESE SHOW NOTES ARE COPIED, VERBATIM, FROM THE ORIGINAL POSTING.

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CWF Game Cast Episode 61: Bailey Records Music to Game By

July 21, 2011   Jonathan J. Reinhart   No comments
CWF #61: Bailey Records Music to Game By [ 1:22:42 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (11)

Host Jonathan J. Reinhart and guest host Drew McCarthy begin with the usual week in gaming. Drew mentions dropping from a weekly RPG he was participating in. Jonathan announces dropping from the the monthly Dungeons & Dragons 4th edition he played with Drew McCarthy and his friends. Additionally, he discussed the many painting projects he is completing.

The duo talk about the informal Saturday gaming social Jonathan set up at Battleground Games & Hobbies in Plainville. At it Drew learned how to play War at Sea using the 2010 Starter. Cort N. stopped by the event, showed his 25mm Old Glory AWI Redcoats and numerous 15mm Napoleonics and 6mm GHQ WWII models. Plus, he showed off the Napoleon’s Triumph board game. Thoughts are bantered as to why the event was sparsely attended. Jonathan mentions wanting to do another one of these and promises to better research what other events will be taking place at the same time. A Magic: The Gathering release took up most of the space in the store. Drew highlights an upcoming Warhammer 40k Singles Tournament held by BG.

Jonathan then mentions the monthly Painting Social at BG Plainville along with similar events held by Adler Hobby in Hollis, New Hampshire and The Whiz on Rte 9 East in Westborough. A short discussion ensues covering the hobby side of gaming, i.e. assembly and painting. The co-hosts both declare their dislike for assembling models and Jonathan shares that he nows enjoys painting. He lists his pile of painting projects for Black Powder and what he hopes to work on at the Painting Social. Thankfully most historical figures require no assembly. Dystopian Wars is also mentioned and weighed in regards to assembling and painting the models.

The two discuss painting and painting setups. Jonathan mentions his Ott craft light and using cork to affix models that he is painting. Drew discusses how different lights alter how models look whether one uses sunlight/Ott lights, fluorescent, etc.

The show moves on to reviewing Bailey Records and their gaming soundtracks. Bryan K. “Stratos” Borgman generously donated the albums: Autumnal Slumber, Warlands The Soundtrack, and Cybernet Official Roleplaying Soundtrack.

Drew disliked the heavy Jazz influence that permeates throughout the Cybernet album. At first listen the Warlands album was something that Drew would like but then it turned into more techno, which Autumnal Slumber also did. Drew felt they were good albums but not his favored genre. Technically speaking he felt they were beautifully crafted and he enjoyed the Eastern feel in some of the titles.

Jonathan counters saying how much he enjoyed the albums. Both agree that the albums would be perfect for the right setting and right type of game as a means to set the mood for gamers. Autumnal Slumber is cited as Jonathan’s favorite and it was the one Drew “disliked the least.” In Jonathan’s opinion Warlands was his least favorite. It has a purposefully disjointed feel to reflect the post-apocalyptic setting it depicts. Many apologies for the loud drinking noises from Jonathan’s bunnies during this review.

Both agree that they want to listen to more music by Stratos. To quote Drew, “I want to listen to everything he has.” Concluding the music discussion Drew gives the albums 3 out of 5 stars and Jonathan gives them 4 out of 5 stars citing the low purchase cost as increasing the value. There will be an album to accompany Bryan’s forthcoming miniatures game titled Kaiju Kaos.

The Name The Podcast Contest Deux is mentioned. Submissions are coming in but it is still possible to enter your ideas! Please e-mail them to cwfgamecast@wargamingforums.com, leave a comment on Facebook or on this blog. One person will win a prize basket that includes a 1 YEAR SUBSCRIPTION TO BATTLEGAMES MAGAZINE (courtesy of Henry Hyde, Editor of Battlegames Magazine), plus other prizes. Please check out Name the Podcast Deux for full details and information.

The Huzzah Con T-Shirt Giveaway, shirts courtesy of Dean Emmerson and the Maine Historical Wargamers Association, lasts until the last shirt is given away. The first 5 people to e-mail cwfgamecast@wargamingforums.com win a FREE Huzzah 2011 Viking Dawn T-shirt. The available sizes are 1 XXL and 4 Larges. Include your t-shirt size and mailing address in the e-mail. Take a peek at this picture of Jonathan wearing the con t-shirt.

The show’s remainder is devoted to the Mailbag. Listener feedback, mostly focusing on painting, is shared. Giles Allison’s Tarleton’s Quarter blog is cited as an inspiration for painting AWI figures. Jonathan talks about how the podcast is connecting local gamers. Both Cort N. and new listener Aonghus have given feedback on this subject. Drew and Jonathan compare and contrast the GW metric with historical gaming. Each has its benefits and their faults. One makes it easy to find an opponent whereas the other offers freedom to use any rule set. This is the iPhone vs. Droid debate of gaming.

The show winds down with the the Music to Game By segment with Bailey Records’ “Prelude To Armageddon” from Stratos’ album Warlands The Soundtrack along with the Battlegames Magazine promo.

As always we conclude with a message from our sponsor, 12-7-Games.com, contest sponsor Battlegames Magazine, our Creative Commons license and contact information (find us on Facebook and Twitter).

We hope you enjoy this episode of the CWF Game Cast and are eager for your feedback (both positive remarks and constructive criticism). Send it all to cwfgamecast at wargamingforums dot com. Find us on Facebook, Twitter, or Xbox Live with gamertag cwfgamecast.

Our intro song is “Downtown” by Matthew Ebel. Please give his other music a listen at www.matthewebel.com.

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Panzergrenadiers Reporting For Duty

July 15, 2011   Jonathan J. Reinhart   2 Comments

For a change of pace I painted my Panzergrenadier Platoon for Flames of War. I’ve had Flames of War models since the game first came out back in 2002. But, I’m now finally finishing my first army. Other projects caused this to be pushed back. A gaming buddy, John, is helping me out by assembling the remaining few items I own, which I will then paint.

I am playing with a Panzerkompanie intended for Mid-War. Back in the day the list was out of the Ostfront book. Now, it is from the Eastern Front book and is a Mittlere Panzerkompanie. Comprised mainly of tanks, which I assembled and painted from 2002-2009, the remaining units are a Panzergrenadier Platoon in trucks (no points for halftracks), a Scout Platoon using BMW bikes, and a Famo recovery vehicle. John cleaned up and glued all of my infantry onto their bases. This past Tuesday he gave them to me and I gave him half of the BMW bikes and the Famo.

Having never painted 15mm infantry posed a challenge. That was further complicated with the change of time period from 18th to 20th century. Exactly how would I paint the Wermacht troops? The Flames of War website shows the helpful Evan’s German Army Painting Guide Infantry 1939-43. That provided a lot of inspiration for what I do and do not want to do. Maybe it is unfair to say but I don’t care as much how my FoW models look. Whereas I greatly care how my American Revolution models look.

A few rules were set.

  • The models would be painted in historically accurate colors…or close enough to that for my satisfaction
  • A quick and dirty method would be used
  • Each model would be primed, basecoated, inked/washed, highlighted/drybrushed, gloss varnished, and matte varnished.
  • The models need to appear to belong with my existing Flames of War models

Everything else was up for grabs. I completed, excluding matte varnishing and basing, the 12 bases of Panzergrenadiers in a single evening. At most I spent 3 hours painting them.

Everything was primed with the German Armor Mid/Late spray. Almost all of the paints used were Vallejo (the German Infantry Paint set was used) with inks coming from Games Workshop. They were then basecoated with German Fieldgrey (830). Once dry I used Badab Black as a wash. This creates a nice shadow effect as it gets into the dark recesses. Using Green Grey (886) I drybrushed the entire model. This covered 80% of each model.

I like to work my way from the largest area and the darkest color to the lightest color. This way any mistakes I make are easier to fix. Every gun and metallic device, like explosives, were next on my agenda. Boltgun Metal followed by Badab Black got the job done. I could have also used Chainmail for a highlight color but doing so would have made me crazy.

That last thing I wanted to paint was skin. Faces and hands, to be exact, needed distinction. Tallarn Flesh, thank you GW foundation paints, served as the basecoat. An ink of Ogryn Flesh made the skin more realistic. Finally, a quick drybrush of Elf Flesh finished the job.

Everything was sealed with GW’s ‘Ardcoat and will be sealed with Testor’s Dullcote. I could have done a lot more with these models. But, as I mentioned earlier, I want to get them done and on the table. The goal is for me to play casually, learn the rules, and have fun. Flames of War will be my secondary historical game, Black Powder being the first. All that remains is to base the models. I’m thinking of using sand, painting it green, and adding some tufts of static grass or lichen and twigs.

Pictures of the post gloss varnished/pre matte varnished models are below. What do you think? Don’t forget to check out my First Flames of War Game (yes, those are my panzers) and also Spotlight on Flames of War Fuel Dump Objective Marker.

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CWF Game Cast Episode 60: Local Events Roundup

July 08, 2011   Jonathan J. Reinhart   8 Comments
CWF #60: Local Events Roundup [ 1:17:43 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (12)

Host Jonathan J. Reinhart begins as usual his week in gaming. He updates the happenings in the monthly Dungeons & Dragons 4th edition he plays with Drew McCarthy and his friends. Jonathan updates listeners on the status of his Flames of War army. Dispatches from headquarters are shared announcing a big move for Jonathan and his wife. The move, with details TBA, will minimally disrupt the podcast. On the plus side, Jonathan should have a small but dedicated space for assembling and painting miniatures. The monthly painting social held at Battleground Games & Hobbies in Plainville is recounted. It is a great way to get some painting done, hang out with some painters, and maybe learn a thing or two. Jonathan describes the fantastic dinosaur model that Michael Salzman created for use with Warhammer Fantasy. This event was a good chance to work on models for Black Powder.

Local events are highlighted for listeners. Gaming events run by Adler Hobby in Hollis, New Hampshire along with those by Battleground Games & Hobbies (Abington and Plainville locations), and The Whiz on Rte 9 East in Westborough are detailed. Events range from Flames of War, Warmachine/Hordes Rotterhorn League, Magic: The Gathering CCG, Please check with the individual venues/event sponsors for more details.

A bulk of the show is devoted to the Mailbag. Listener feedback, mostly focusing on Episode 59, is shared. Jonathan reads some of the feedback covering opinions on digital format magazines including some from Jasper Oorthuys, big boss of WS&S Magazine, and Henry Hyde, editor of Battlegames Magazine. Andrew Malcolm and Mike Blake have their feedback included in the show. Gordon informed us that he will be playing this show in Adler Hobby, so if you hang out at Adler Hobby you will be able to listen to this show while you game.

The Hobby Bunker in Malden will run a game day in August (check out the pdf flyer). It will feature The Battle of Olustee using the Black Powder rules and will be run by the Boston Trained Bands club. Mike Paine, also from Huzzah Con 2011, will run a pulp zombie game too.

The newest issue of Wargames, Soldiers & Strategy (issue #55) is briefly discussed based on Jonathan’s first glance at a few of the pages in the magazine. He highlights two areas he would like improved, one turns out to be a problem with using the iPad to read the magazine digitally, and mentions the positive reviews for issue 54. Check out our review of that issue in CWF Game Cast Episode 59: Wargaming Magazine Extravaganza.

Continuing with the magazine discussion, Battlegames Magazine issue #26 is reviewed. Check out all of our Battlegames related content. The exact score is 78% or 31/40 even though Jonathan says “7 out of 10 stars” in the show.

A brief discussion of game stores, good and bad, ensues prompted by a recent episode of WWPD: News From the Front. Editor’s Choice Winner Battleground Games & Hobbies is one of two local stores, the other is The Whiz, given as examples of great game stores.

The new Name Our Podcast Contest 2 is mentioned. Submit your name suggestions via e-mail to cwfgamecast@wargamingforums.com. One person (you can enter more than once) will win a prize basket including a t-shirt with the new name, some digital downloads, and a few other prizes. This is an ongoing contest ending when a new name is chosen.

The Huzzah Con T-Shirt Giveaway, shirts courtesy of Dean Emmerson and the Maine Historical Wargamers Association, lasts until the last shirt is given away. The first 5 people to e-mail cwfgamecast@wargamingforums.com win a FREE Huzzah 2011 Viking Dawn T-shirt. The available sizes are 1 XXL and 4 Larges. Include your t-shirt size and mailing address in the e-mail. Take a peek at this picture of Jonathan wearing the con t-shirt.

The show winds down with the the Music to Game By segment with Bailey Records’ “Techno-Criminal Subcultures” from Stratos’ album Cybernet Official Roleplaying Soundtrack along with the Battlegames Magazine promo.

As always we conclude with a message from our sponsor, 12-7-Games.com, contest sponsor Battlegames Magazine, our Creative Commons license and contact information (find us on Facebook and Twitter).

We hope you enjoy this episode of the CWF Game Cast and are eager for your feedback (both positive remarks and constructive criticism). Send it all to cwfgamecast at wargamingforums dot com. Find us on Facebook, Twitter, or Xbox Live with gamertag cwfgamecast.

Our intro song is “Downtown” by Matthew Ebel. Please give his other music a listen at www.matthewebel.com.

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CWF Game Cast Episode 59: Wargaming Magazine Extravaganza

June 20, 2011   Jonathan J. Reinhart   3 Comments
CWF #59: Wargaming Magazine Extravaganza [ 59:37 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (11)

Host Jonathan J. Reinhart debuts the new show sans former co-host Tom Barbalet. As usual the episode begins with Jonathan’s week in gaming. He played a couple introductory games of Flames of War. Cort Naegelin receives another mention for lending issues of The Courier. Jonathan highlights issue 65 of that magazine for its article on organizing your painting table.

The focus of the show is wargaming magazines. This theme is kicked off with a review of Wargames, Soldiers, and Strategy magazine. Jonathan shares what he likes and what he’d like to see improved with this magazine. He transitions to digital magazine subscriptions. The pros and cons are explained couched in a diatribe as to why the digital format is Jonathan’s preferred method for using gaming magazines.

The new Name Our Podcast Contest 2 is announced. Submit your name suggestions via e-mail to cwfgamecast@wargamingforums.com. One person (you can enter more than once) will win a prize basket including a t-shirt with the new name, some digital downloads, and a few other prizes. This is an ongoing contest ending when a new name is chosen.

Numerous upcoming guests are highlighted. You can find an up to date list on our Podcast Page. On top of the Name Our Podcast Contest we are also running a giveaway.

The Huzzah Con T-Shirt Giveaway, shirts courtesy of Dean Emmerson and the Maine Historical Wargamers Association, lasts until the last shirt is given away. The first 5 people to e-mail cwfgamecast@wargamingforums.com win a FREE Huzzah 2011 Viking Dawn T-shirt. The available sizes are 1 XXL and 4 Larges. Include your t-shirt size and mailing address in the e-mail. Take a peek at this picture of Jonathan wearing the con t-shirt.

The Hobby Bunker in Malden will run a game day in August (check out the pdf flyer). It will feature The Battle of Olustee using the Black Powder rules and will be run by the Boston Trained Bands club. Mike Paine, also from Huzzah Con 2011, will run a pulp zombie game too.

The show winds down with the the Music to Game By segment with Bailey Records’ “Escape From Los Vegas” from Stratos’ album Warlands The Soundtrack and the new Battlegames Magazine promo.

As always we conclude with a message from our sponsor, 12-7-Games.com, contest sponsor Battlegames Magazine, our Creative Commons license and contact information (find us on Facebook and Twitter).

We hope you enjoy this episode of the CWF Game Cast and are eager for your feedback (both positive remarks and constructive criticism). Send it all to cwfgamecast at wargamingforums dot com. Find us on Facebook, Twitter, or Xbox Live with gamertag cwfgamecast.

Our intro song is “Downtown” by Matthew Ebel. Please give his other music a listen at www.matthewebel.com.

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CWF Game Cast Episode 57 FIXED: Neil Shuck and Force on Force

June 08, 2011   Jonathan J. Reinhart   1 Comment
CWF #57 FIXED: Neil Shuck and Force on Force [ 1:23:27 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (46)

FIXED version of Episode 57. iTunes shows wrong audio length. This new entry is the full Episode 57. If you previously downloaded Episode 51 you got the bad version. Please download this version. This only impacts those who download episodes via iTunes. We are very sorry for the inconvenience this has caused.

Host Tom Barbalet and guest Neil Shuck, of the Meeples & Miniatures podcast, analyze Osprey Publishing‘s Force on Force rules. The duo provide an in depth review of that ruleset. Neil recommends Flying Lead‘s Hearts & Minds expansion by Ganesha Games and Charlie Don’t Surf by Too Fat Lardies as alternative modern age rulesets depicting insurgency warfare.

Tom and Neil briefly address the question “What is fun?” and the dynamic of wargamer vs. gamer. As part of this discussion Neil admits to having a secret dislike of Battlefront Miniature‘s Flames of War ruleset because, based on his experiences, it promotes powergaming and cheesy lists.

After bantering on the topic, Tom moves the discussion onto Salute 2011. Neil reveals his “survival rules” for Salute, which can be applied to any gaming con. The discussion flows into covering Beasts of War and Battlefront’s acquisition of Wargames Illustrated magazine. Neil uses that to explain the importance of independent gaming coverage.

The show winds down with the the Music to Game By segment with Bailey Records’ “Dogs of War” from Stratos’ album Cybernet Official Roleplaying Soundtrack and the new Battlegames Magazine promo.

As always we conclude with a message from our sponsor, 12-7-Games.com, contest sponsor Battlegames Magazine, our Creative Commons license and contact information (find us on Facebook and Twitter).

We hope you enjoy this episode of the CWF Game Cast and are eager for your feedback (both positive remarks and constructive criticism). Send it all to cwfgamecast at wargamingforums dot com. Find us on Facebook, Twitter, or Xbox Live with gamertag cwfgamecast.

Our intro song is “Downtown” by Matthew Ebel. Please give his other music a listen at www.matthewebel.com.

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