Name the Podcast Deux

UPDATED: 9/12/11 The contest is now closed.  A winning name was chosen.

We’re running another Name the Podcast contest. Tom’s departure also sees “Monty & the Fox’s Wargaming Show” going the way of the dodo.

Got a cool name for the show?

Send it via e-mail to cwfgamecast@wargamingforums.com

Enter as many times as you want, as many names as you want.

The person who submits the ONE winning name wins a prize basket.

Prizes

1 year subscription to Battlegames Magazine (generously donated by Henry Hyde of Battlegames)
T-shirt with winning name emblazoned on it
1 Gaming CD by Bailey Records (generously donated by Bryan “Stratos” Borgman of Bailey Records)
1 RPG Adventure for either the Pathfinder or D&D 4th ed system
1 digital copy of Disposable Heroes Soldier Statix 4: Napoleonics
1 digital copy of Disposable Heroes American Revolution Statix 1
Plus other surprises!

CWF Game Cast Episode 60: Local Events Roundup

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.

Painting AWI American Militia Update

Work is progressing on my American War of Independence (AWI) American Militia army for use with Warlord Games’ Black Powder rules by Rick Priestley et al. I have completed the next batch of six militia men. They were painted differently from the first batch as part of portraying the ragtag militia nature.

GW’s foundation paints are a godsend. They evenly cover the model and provide a great surface for successive coats to adhere to. On this batch of six infantry the paint scheme is alternated at such:

Brown coats/tops
Black hats
Black shoes
Green pants
Blue accessories (haversacks, backpacks, etc)
Brown guns/metallic barrels
Flesh skin tone.

The painting process was further simplified on the new models in anticipation of painting an entire army’s worth of miniatures. Each was primed with Chaos Black, base coated with the foundation paint of the appropriate shade, inked with a related tone, and then highlighted with an appropriate color dry brushed on before receiving two coats of ‘Ardcoat and one coat of Testor’s Dullcote.

Since last time I purchased Thraka Green wash, which creates a nice effect on the green pants. The trousers are major real estate on these models and it is important that they look good. The Knarloc Green/Thraka Green/Goblin Green combination just works. The same is true for the Mordian Blue/Asurmen Blue/Regal Blue palette.

When painting the coats I tried something, which didn’t work as planned. For the dry brushed highlight I was at a loss. Snakebite Leather and Dark Flesh both interested me. I tried a dry brush of Snakebite Leather but it just didn’t look right. Luckily, one model was the guinea pig and after two coats of gloss varnish it doesn’t look half bad. I changed over to Dark Flesh for the rest of the figures. It creates a nice definition between the surface and the recesses on the coats. But, it almost blends too much with the base coat and the ink wash.

Before I began painting these models I knew they would be completed in a short period of time. So, I bent the promise I made where I would not purchase any new models until I completely painted models already in my possession. I ordered a 6pdr battery and more militia infantry from The Warstore (my FLGS cannot get Perry Miniatures for me).

The question now becomes what do I paint next? My options are:

1) Southern Militia Command (my wife picked the drummer and standard bearer versions for me to paint)
2) More militia infantry (I have 1-2 “blisters” of 6 guys each)
3) The cannon.

I want to reward myself for finishing 12 models. That is almost a full infantry unit for me. My reward could be painting six more infantry thereby finishing my first infantry unit. It could be painting the command squad of leader, musician, and standard bearer. Or, it could be painting the cannon with crew.

What do you think I should paint next as my reward?

First Glance: Battlegames Magazine #26

We’re reviving First Glance, which is the third of our magazine series together with Quick Picks and Inside. Today we’re covering Battlegames Magazine #26.

This issue heralds some big changes for Battlegames. It features some great content. Speaking of which let’s get into our first glance.

Cover: That is a great photograph on the cover. I love the usual red border on each issue. It suggests that the magazine frames the reader’s gaming world. It’d be nice if the date was shown somewhere on the front besides the issue number. That date is missing on the digital version. Also, “Flocking amazing” is a little confusing to me. Amazing what?

Editorial: Henry announces the big change at the magazine. Mike Siggins is retiring with Neil Shuck taking over the Forward observer section.

Meet the flockers: This is a great article for how you can make tons of flock without shooting your wallet into a black hole. As usual there are tons of great images to help you with the process.

Forward observer: Mike Siggins’ last appearance in this section makes it an interesting read. Of particular note is his coverage of the Italian Lifecolor paints.

Rules and the eclipse of generalship: This lengthy article puts forth a good effort to convince readers that generalship has been eclipsed. But, do you buy that argument? I’m not completely sold despite the merit in this article. If nothing else it provides food for thought.

DBA at 21: To me this read like a fanboy’s rant. “Ra-ra shish boom ba DBA is uber awesome!” Wouldn’t it have been more significant to write about the rules at year 20 or 25? Those anniversaries are more significant than 21, unless you’re an American eagerly pouncing onto the first legal gulps of alcohol. The article made me physically yawn. I gave it the ol’ college try but after the first couple pages I was battered into the ground and then trampled. The author definitely knows DBA well and is fluent in the language of DBA. Even so…this wasn’t for me.

Command challenge: What an interesting scenario/tabletop teaser! BG tends to include great scenarios but this far exceeded my expectations. Can we say Flames of War anyone? Helpful visuals, clear and concise writing, and an interesting universality helps rocket this article into the stratosphere.

Treading the boards: I have two words for you. These two words are all you need to know about this article and why you should read it. Neil Shuck.

The Grenouissian Intermezzo part 1: It pains me to say this but this article was a tiny bit disappointing. I absolutely LOVE Henry’s writings on the Faltenian Succession, of which this is part. But, two things caused me to be less than excited at the article’s conclusion. Firstly, I read the BG blog posts covering this event. They do a great job of explaining the event and the road to it. The downside is some of the content in this article is replicated from or clearly inspired by the blog posts. Not everything but some. If you read the blog posts you can skip the repetitive portions of this article. Otherwise, they make an interesting read. The second item is a potential spelling error in the top right paragraph of page 31. The article says “In Pescadrix…fishmermen…” but shouldn’t it be “fishermen?” Maybe not but it looked fishy, pun intended, to me. The Trek references were fun to see. The “fluff” or fiction really shines. I could read an entire book of Henry’s fictionalized account of the Faltenian Succession and Grenouissian Intermezzo. This article wasn’t as great as I anticipated but it was still a good read. I look forward to reading about the unfolding events in the Grenouissian Intermezzo.

Hidden deployment for Warmaster: This article feels similar to hidden deployment/fog of war dynamics found just about everywhere else. There’s nothing unique in this that screams “USE ME!” At the same time, it appears to be easy to implement. The hidden deployment rules are nicely simplified for use and the included blank cards are a big plus. Just print them out, trim, and they’re ready for use.

Recce
Hail Caesar: Neil provides a balanced and exciting review. he knows how to whet the appetite. I love Black Powder and maybe Hail Caesar could get me into ancients wargaming. This review makes me want to pick up the book and give it a read.

With Musket & Tomahawk: This is a very harsh review. I can’t help but wonder if it is too harsh and too colored by the reviewer’s use of the pre-publication review copy. That is a danger of using review copies instead of the finalized product. The review turns me off not only from the book but also from reading other reviews by Brendan Morrissey. Mabye he is too dismissive towards the value of entry level material. Plus, a huge pet peeve of mine is the lack of ISBNs when discussing printed material. The ISBN is the easiest way to find a book.

Saratoga: A Military History Of The Decisive Campaign Of The American Revolution: The review is fairly long-winded for what I receive as having two main points. The reviewer thinks this is a must buy. They, Brendan Morrissey again, admits this book doesn’t have much content that cannot be found elsewhere. Other than the convenience of having the data compiled into a single tome, which is incredibly convenient, why would anyone buy this book? It costs $35 USD and I bet the information can be found elsewhere, maybe for less, with insightful and helpful commentary. Not seeing the value here but maybe I’m missing something. Sorry, Mr. Morrissey, but you failed to convince me and this is a period I’m HUGELY interested in.

A Nostalgic Whim: Robbie Rodiss and John Reidy deliver a balanced, fun, and interesting review. Not only did I enjoy reading it but it almost, almost, makes me want to purchase the rules. I wasn’t inclined to at the start, and may not anyways, but the review piqued my interest. Especially helpful was the explanation for why the rules diverged, like a road in the wood, from some mechanics devised by Charles Grant, which infers improved gameplay.

15mm Panzer IV: These sound dreadful to assemble. They look great when completed but they are probably not worth the effort. Henry utilizes a solid method of inserting negatives without his writing turning into a rant nor overly bashing in tone.

ACW Dice: This is a short review. Very short. Of course, how much can you say about dice? These dice do sound cool but dice are dice. So, the review doesn’t really explain why you should purchase these instead of other dice. In fact, it could be interpreted that the reviewer thinks you shouldn’t. Maybe, that inference is too subtle?

Oyumaru: AMAZING STUFF! This is a solid review covering all the bases. Perhaps the only way to improve it would be to include a URL to Fred Aldous, or wherever, for those who wish to place orders, see pictures of this in action, etc.

Naval Miscellany: Could we get an ISBN please? The review does a lot of fence sitting but the book could be a nice read. I like how the review cites the negatives and the positives. It is very fair and balanced.

Die Fighting: Mike does another great review. He has me interested in this card set, which is a surprise to me. I’m not normally one for card based rules.

Force on Force: I love the idea of different dice types to represent the experience levels. Neil does a fantastic job of addressing the strengths in this rule set. His enthusiasm literally oozes from the page. But, he glosses over the disadvantage to militia forces. How does Road to Baghdad, Enduring Freedom, and the Ambush Valley expansions address this? Do they? Neil makes this game seem very enjoyable and easy to get into. Tantalizing.

Combat Stress: Please help if you can. ’nuff said.

Contest: Gripping Beast with the prize being for the Dark Ages. You need to give the questions a go…who knows you could win.

Classifieds: I love that these, excluding the Osprey one for Force on Force in the front, are consolidated in the back. That makes it easy to find them. It also doesn’t disrupt the flow of the articles. Very nice.

Preparation: 9/10 The magazine is well put together and I spotted only a single potential typo.

Visuals: 8/10 This magazine focuses on words above artwork. But, the layout and the use of imagery nicely work together.

Content: 7/10 TONS of content in this issue. Two of the main articles were lackluster resulting in this value being dragged down slightly.

Value: 7/10 There is some value in this issue between printable unit blocks and advise for do-it-yourself projects that’ll keep the money in your wallet.

Total: 31/40 C or 78% for the average of the four categories.

CWF Game Cast Episode 59: Wargaming Magazine Extravaganza

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.