4th Annual 40k Megabatttle

I’m sitting here in the grand ballroom of the Holiday Inn in Rockland, Massachusetts. The fourth annual Warhammer 40k Megabattle hosted by Battleground Games & Hobbies has been going since 9am this morning.

Over 160 thousand points spread over 40 gamers are battling across a dozen 4×6 tables depicting a landscape changing from muddy swamps to snowy peaks. The forces of Order have been inflicting heavy losses on the forces of Disorder.

A game of this magnitude progresses glacially. At most four turns will be played. The game is currently in its second turn. For comparison, a standard 40k game features 1,500-2,000 pts per player and lasts six turns.

I am live-blogging this highlight of the gaming social calendar for southeastern Massachusetts. One titan was blown up and more recently the Ultramarines lost a Thunderhawk. You will be able to see many photos of this event when they get uploaded to this blog. I also shot video of a few smaller combats.

Throughout the course of the day I interviewed observers, participants, and organizers. The next episode of our podcast will feature my co-host Tom Barbalet and our friend Neil Shuck reviewing Osprey Publishing’s Force on Force rules. The one after that will be our after action report for today’s event.

Updates will be wired out as news pours in of changing battle conditions. It is now 4:36pm and the event should end around 10pm.

4:53pm Both thunderhawks are DESTROYED! Forces of Disorder are in jubiliation.

CWF Game Cast Episode 56: Huzzah Con After Action Report

CWF #56: Huzzah Con After Action Report Download (520)

Hosts Jonathan J. Reinhart and Tom Barbalet discuss Jonathan’s trip to Huzzah Con 2011. Jonathan provides a brief overview of Huzzah and some sights to see in Portland, Maine. Almost the entire show is devoted to a discussion of Huzzah Con 2011. Jonathan describes the first game he played, Raiders of Sulu Sea by Mike Paine, which used homegrown rules. Tom inquires about pictures, on our Huzzah Con 2011 Photo Spread posting, of sheep. Jonathan says that the sheep are from the Viking Dawn game, which used Peter Pig rules and lasted the entire con.

The second game Jonathan played was the Battle of Olustee. This game recreated the historical Battle of Olustee, from the American Civil War, using 28mm Perry Miniatures and Warlord Games’ Black Powder rules. Boston Trained Bands Wargames Club, operating out of Hobby Bunker in Malden, ran this game. Jonathan describes the game, tactics, winning conditions, and his thoughts on an appropriate size for a good game using the Black Powder rules. During the course of discussing this game Jonathan highlights Barb & Ernie Baker of Architects of War and JR Miniatures for buildings and Steven Mynes of Age of Glory who sold him the Architects of War buildings for the AWI games he will be playing.

The conversation moves on to the final game Jonathan played. Remember the Alamo was run by Billy DiGiulio using the Warhammer Historicals Legends of the Old West – The Alamo Victory of Death rules. Jonathan explains the game, compares it to previous incarnations, and highlights who historically won the battle.

Tom and Jonathan spend some time chatting about the vendors at the con. Jonathan highlights Gordon of Adler Hobby for their fantastic customer service and vast supply of Flames of War products. Adler Hobby also ran two events at Huzzah. Jonathan reiterates Hobby Bunker as the source of his JR Miniatures building (see Black Powder Terrain Part 1 for pictures of the painted product).

Huzzah Con discussion finishes with Jonathan mentioning a great giveaway. The first 5 listeners who e-mail him, cwfgamecast@wargamingforums.com, will get a free Huzzah Con t-shirt courtesy of Dean Emmerson and the MHWA Maine Wargamers Association. Sizes will predominantly be limited and dependant on what Dean sends Jonathan. Henry Hyde of Battlegames Magazine receives a shout out because he sponsored prizes, which were a big draw, for the Huzzah Con raffle.

Tom gives an update on the Field of Chaos giveaway, e-mail tom@nobleape.com for a free copy. He also mentions content for upcoming shows. Jonathan gives one last shout out to Scratch Bakery Co, Duck Fat restaurant, and the Portland Head Light. Tom alludes to some recent feedback saying that our style may not be for everyone but there is a podcast to suit everyone’s tastes. A handful of other shows are mentioned and props are given to Martin Kearney for notifying us about rumors concerning Games Workshop and Australian stockists.

After the main conversation draws to a close there is a special surprise, recorded by Tom, for Henry Hyde from all of us at CWF Game Cast.

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

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.

Wargamers Rock!

Wargamers are some of the friendliest people I have ever met. Never has this been more apparent than this year. My friends are overwhelmingly wargamers. Our merry band of dice rolling nerds, freaks, geeks, and other social outcasts exist in a realm that is both part of and separate from mainstream society. Writing this blog and podcasting with my friend Tom Barbalet has expanded my bubble, stretching it to limits unknown.

Fans contact us from near and far responding to our one hour weekly show. They invite us into their homes and lives each week to participate in the conversation that Tom and I never conclude but continue regularly. You guys are more than fans. You have become friends and I am thankful to each of you. When my schedule is tough and the last thing I want to do write a blog article or edit audio for the show I think of you. I think of the disappointment my inaction would cause. I think of the eagerness in which you await new content. I think of walking into my favorite game store and hearing people ask why there isn’t a new show, new pictures of a work in progress, or some other update. That spurs me on to give you the best material I can.

This year I’ve had the honor and the pleasure to attend two great conventions. Total Confusion introduced me to great roleplayers and game designers. Huzzah Con in Maine brought me into contact with fantastic historical gamers from across New England. Both conventions helped me to me some of my new friends while also introducing new friends to this blog and podcast.

In the pursuit to be a better gamer and a better podcaster I listen to a lot of other podcasts. One, in particular, created a bond with a band of brothers. WWPD: News From the Front and its crew of Steven MacLauchlan, Luke Melia, “Dirty” John Baber, Joe “Mezz” Messerle, Sean O’Hara, Brian Fuller, Pete Ellis, Chris Miller, and Max Messina are in a league of their own. They deliver a hit every single time. They set the pace that the rest of us needs to meet. Not only do they create a quality show, but they are nice guys. When they poke fun at you you’re family, as Tom now knows. Congratulations are also in order for Steven and his wife Lydia who is pregnant with their first child. If Steven’s dedication and humanity is any indication, then he is going to be a great father.

Tom introduced two giants of British wargaming to me. Neil Shuck and Henry Hyde. These two not only report on the news but make it as well. They are key players in British wargaming. Neil’s show Meeples & Miniatures is the longest running gaming podcast in the history of the United Kingdom. Henry’s Battlegames Magazine stands as one of the few truly excellent magazines that gamers are lucky enough to read. Neil provides detailed, un-biased, and informative reports causing gamers to buy, or ignore, products at the slightest hint in his voice. Henry not only is the author of the soon to be published The Wargaming Compendium but he is also a vocal support of the Combat Stress Appeal. Combat Stress is a U.K. charity that helps the men and women of the armed services to transition into civilian life and deal with post-traumatic stress disorder. Both men are gentlemen in the truest sense of the word. They have introduced Tom and I to new friends that I would never encounter any other way.

Locally are a bevy of individuals who deserve more praise than I can ever heap on them. Derek Lloyd and Chase Laquidara are the kind of people that you meet once in a lifetime if you’re lucky. They are a motivating factor in why Battleground Games & Hobbies is a recipient of our Editor’s Choice Award (read the review here). Cort Naegelin is a newer friend. I met him this week for the first time. I wish I met him years ago. He is a welcoming and informative wargamer looking to game historicals. Did I mention he is one of the most generous guys I’ve ever met? He gave me hundreds and hundreds of 1/72 (20mm) plastic toy soldiers so I can start playing Warlord Games’ Black Powder with the usuals. There is are complete Austrians and Prussians armies for Napoleonics. There are also complete American and Hessian armies for American War of Independence (AWI). Revell and other manufacturers form the bulk of this amazing plastic mountain. Many people have been very generous but this perhaps takes the cake.

Finally, Bill Dettmers from 12-7-Games is the last person I want to mention. He got the ball rolling when he was the first to support the CWF Game Cast. Bill is the reason why the blog is still in existence. Without the blog the podcast would never have been resurrected with Tom’s help. Bill believed that this endeavor could actually be something. He’s a gamer and a store owner but to me he’s one of my friends first.

John Donne once wrote

All mankind is of one author, and is one volume; when one man dies, one chapter is not torn out of the book, but translated into a better language; and every chapter must be so translated…As therefore the bell that rings to a sermon, calls not upon the preacher only, but upon the congregation to come: so this bell calls us all: but how much more me, who am brought so near the door by this sickness….No man is an island, entire of itself…any man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind; and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee

There are so many of you who support us, who encourage us, who listen to us, and who have made us part of your lives. Without you this blog and podcast would not be here today. Tom and I do what we do for you. I wanted to take this time to thank you. Each of you is appreciated, cherished, and respected.

We promise to maintain the high quality of our show and of this blog. You can look forward to new reviews, new guests, new pictures, and more new friends. Thank you for believing in us and for welcoming us into your lives each week.

CWF Game Cast Episode 55: Deceased Estates 101

CWF #55: Deceased Estates 101 Download (779)

Hosts Jonathan J. Reinhart and Tom Barbalet have a fun-filled time discussing a myriad of topics. Tom cites the rebirth of Neil Shuck’s Incoming 2.0 Podcast, which Neil credits Jonathan as the inspiration. Jonathan opens the mail bag with listener feedback covering Warlord Games’ Black Powder rules. He explains the problems with episodes 50 and 51. He also recounts the previous trip to Rockport, which leads Tom into a discussion of casting your own models.

Jonathan dedicates part of the show to the annual Battleground Games & Hobbies 40k Megabattle. Jonathan chats about planning for attending Huzzah Con 2011 in Portland, Maine run by the MHWA. Tom briefly foreshadows his joint review with Neil Shuck of the Force on Force rules by Osprey Publishing.

Tom then explains deceased estate sales, their importance, and why gamers need to start estate planning regardless of their age. This serves as the bulk of the show. An update is given on the Field of Chaos contest.

The show winds down with the the Music to Game By segment is back with Bailey Records’ “Bailey Records Fanfare/Age of Apocalypse from Stratos’ album Warlands The Sountrack and the new Battlegames Magazine promo and.

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.

Black Powder Terrain Part 1

At Huzzah Con 2011 in Portland, Maine I picked up some buildings to use with Warlord Games’ Black Powder rules. The gang at Battleground Games & Hobbies (BG) are using these rules for 28mm American War of Independence (AWI) gaming. Historicals, outside of Flames of War, are not in vogue at BG. Both of the stores (Abington and Plainville) have great terrain for Warhammer 40k and Warhammer Fantasy. They even have terrain that can be adapted for Warmahordes. But, there’s precious little for the 15mm Flames of War and even less, none in fact, for 28mm AWI.

Thankfully the vendors at Huzzah came to my rescue. The Hobby Bunker, from Malden, had a stall selling a myriad of product. They brought four large boxes of JR Miniatures buildings. One of the boxes contained 25mm AWI terrain. Two pieces struck my fancy but price kept me from purchasing the Chew House at $42. I settled for the Hoskins House at a modest $22. If they had the Hoskins House Kitchen ($22) I would have grabbed that too.

My friend Adrian along with numerous guys I gamed with, namely the fellows from Boston Trained Bands Wargames Club talked up Architects of War throughout the con. Adrian told me the Age of Glory stall had a bunch of product. A few minutes later Steven Mynes, owner of Age of Glory, answered a handful of questions. I purchased the Old Barn ($65) and Plantation Shanty ($45) from Steven.

Tonight I began work on the Hoskins House and the Plantation Shanty. This article will concentrate on the Hoskins House because I want to dedicate a few articles reviewing Architects of War. The Hoskins House is a gorgeous resin building. It depicts the house on the Hoskins farmstead from the Battle of Guilford Court House (click for Wikipedia article on battle). I “washed” the model with soapy water and left it to dry. Then I examined it, closely, for imperfections. There were a surprising abundance of bubbles and craters from the casting process. This is usually a sign of an inferior product. But, for $22 I’m willing to accept them whereas I wouldn’t in a $45 or $65 terrain piece. Once thoroughly dry I primed it with Chaos Black spray. As a result of the many recesses I had to tilt the building on its side before applying a second coat of spray paint to certain areas.

How did I want to paint this building? Mericanach shows one example in their Hoskins House post. The official JR Miniatures website shows another example with white sides and a brown roof. I don’t want to put a lot of work into this so I made some quick decisions. I would pick three different base colors, do one highlight/drybrush, and one inking at most. All of the base coating was performed with Citadel Foundation paints. The roof was Dheneb Stone, the walls Khemri Brown, and the chimney Mechrite Red.

The next stage is inking. The roof will be inked with Asurman Blue, the walls with Badab Black and the red areas will get Baal Red. That will be followed with drybrushing. The roof will get a drybrush of Space Wolves Grey. The walls will get Vallejo Beige Brown. The chimney and doorstep will be drybrushed Dark Flesh mixed with Skull White (60/40). The top of the chimney, and part of the roof near the chimney, were also drybrushed with some Chaos Black and Codex Grey to make it look like soot built up.

I am not going to base the building. I like the ability of easy storage and of placing it on any table regardless of color scheme. The building will receive a 3-4 coats of ‘Ardcoat and then the same number of Testor’s Dullcote. I don’t like shiny models and certainly dislike shiny buildings. Pictures of each of the stages and the finished product will be posted onto this blog. For now, I hope you will enjoy the images of this building.

Looking back on it allows me to see two things I’m less than happy with. I don’t like how the chimney came out. I made it too red and didn’t wait like enough for each stage to dry. I also don’t like the highlighting on the walls. The Beige Brown blends in too much with the base coat. Unfortunately, none of my browns are light enough to provide a proper drybrush. I experimented with adding white to the browns and didn’t like the look.