Wargaming Recon | Longest-running tabletop wargaming podcast on the planet!

Cigar Box Battle with Cory Ring- Wargaming Recon #283

Cigar Box Battle with Cory Ring- Wargaming Recon #283 Download (1607)

In this episode we are joined by Cory Ring. He is the co-owner, content manager, editor, and gamer guru for Cigar Box Battle.

If you are not aware Cigar Box Battle has 143 different designs for their tabletop gaming mats. 24 of them are 36″x36″. Two of them are massive at 6ft 6inches x 15ft; and the last 117 are in a standard 4×6. They also offer double-sided 4×6 mats and also a satin fleece option.

Cory and Jonathan talk about the mats available and how they improve the gaming played on them. They also go over what makes Cigar Box Battle mats stand out. Cory covers the changes to the products. He goes deep covering how the fabric differs from the plush and satin that was previously used (the satin is still used on the double-sided mats)

Cory gives a peek at the brand new Cigar Box Battle Kickstarter

If you wish to find Cigar Box Battle online you can find them in the following places:

Wargaming Campaigns with Henry Hyde – Wargaming Recon #282

Wargaming Campaigns with Henry Hyde – Wargaming Recon #282 Download (1543)

This week Jonathan is joined by the esteemed Henry Hyde. Henry is the best-selling author of Wargaming Campaigns (affiliate link) and The Wargaming Compendium (affiliate link) books. Many consider The Wargaming Compendium to be the definitive wargaming tome of our generation.

Jonathan and Henry discuss why Henry decided to take on this topic when there are other books already on the topic. They talk about some of the other books that discuss wargaming campaigns. Some of the books include Featherstone’s War Game Campaigns; The War Game by Charles Grant; The Sole Wargaming Guide by Precis Intermedia; and Henry’s own Wargaming Compendium.

Henry talks about how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the writing of the book and what his process for writing was like.

If you are interested in getting a copy of any of Henry’s books you can find them with the following links:

Wargaming Campaigns (affiliate link)

The Wargaming Compendium (affiliate link)

5 Tips for Whatnot Buyers – Wargaming Recon #281

5 Tips for Whatnot Buyers – Wargaming Recon #281 Download (1040)

This week, Jonathan is joined by special quest Anthony from Brickify. The pair talk about the online auction site Whatnot; they explain what it is and it can benefit you.

The 5 tips for buyers that the pair discuss are as follows:

Be selective
- Be careful from whom you buy and also avoid the people that sound like a used car salesman.
- Does the seller know the product and are they putting effort into showing off the product from different angles.
Popularity doesn’t matter
- Problems can exist with highly followed sellers as much, or more, than those who are brand new.
- New or less popular sellers may put in the extra effort to compete with the popular ones.
- Popular sellers may be popular for a reason… or no good reason at all.
- Use the WhatNot Ratings System. 4.95 or higher is a solid rating.
- BrickTrend, HDBricks, and BlainesWorld are solid sellers for Lego
Trust your gut
- Avoid Sellers who do games akin to gambling, such as randomized results or chances to enter drawings, etc.
- Don’t “just trust” sellers
Keep track of purchases
- Take screenshots of each item
- Write down a list or make a spreadsheet to track your purchases.
Complete the sale
- Verify the received products for any extra damage and to ensure the rights parts are included.
- If anything is wrong contact WhatNot support and include proof. They are very responsive.
- Make sure to rate/review sellers in a timely manner.

USS Adrian Benson – Wargaming Recon #280

USS Adrian Benson – Wargaming Recon #280 Download (1056)

Joerg Bender is the owner of Things From the Basement. He comes on to discuss what’s happening with their MDF terrain. Things from the Basement has 13 main lines of MDF terrain and tabletop gaming accessories.

Jonathan and Joerg talk specifically about the Exploratory Submarine USS Adrian Benson. The USS Adrian Benson is from their Victorian Science Fiction line. It is a tribute piece in memory of Wargaming Recon co-host Adrian Benson. Adrian tragically passed away in 2021 due to esophageal cancer. They talk about the design process and inspiration for the submarine. Joerg compares the design process for this and other kits that he has designed. He then spends a moment talking about the influence Adrian had on Joerg and why he decided to name the submarine after him.

Joerg speaks on how COVID-19 and world affairs have impacted his business over the past few and how he plans on overcoming those obstacles.

Jonathan gets Joerg to open up and give some teasers and talk about some new releases for Things from the Basement.

Joerg lets everyone know what his future convention plans are; so we can all see him in person and buy some of his amazing MDF kits. If you are not lucky enough to meet him at a convention you can also find him at the following locations:

Adrian’s Gaming Requiem – Wargaming Recon #279

Adrian's Gaming Requiem - Wargaming Recon #279 Download (1196)

In this episode, Jonathan is joined by Alex Tabb. Alex is a long time friend of Adrian Benson and a fellow gamer. The two travel into old school wargaming as they swap memories of gaming with Adrian.

Adrian and Alex met at The Compleat Strategist in King Of Prussia PA, USA run by Ed Wimble (of Clash of Arms fame). They both were there for a demo of an old Western game by TSR called Boot Hill after that game they started meeting up and gaming every Saturday till they graduated high school. Adrian joined the Navy and became a submariner. Alex went to college before…well if we told you that we’d have to kill you (joking).

Alex talks about the Boot Hill game in more detail. Reminiscing about his thoughts of the system and the 20 people that were in the game. By the end of the game Alex and Adrian had bonded about their shared love of gaming and the fact that they both had just purchased a new game called Squad Leader. From then on they played pretty much every weekend through High School. They played many games beyond just Squad Leader. They played games like Yalu: Wood Ships & Iron Men: Ironclads and they even had miserable time trying to play The Longest Day.

If you would like to know more about any of the games discussed in this episode then just click on the title below and go to the corresponding BoardGame Geek page:

Boot Hill

Squad Leader

Yalu

Wooden Ships & Iron Men

Iron Clads

The Longest Day

Alex is now the owner of Paul’s Boutique Records. Check them out for your vinyl music needs.