By David Garvin
The effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic are still with us and as gamers, the one thing we all strive to do – play games against an opponent – was a rarity. Thankfully face-to-face opportunities are with us once again, masks notwithstanding! Such was the case recently for players of Advanced Squad Leader in Eastern Canada.
Join Glenn, Tyler and Tom with their very special guest Mike Tunez from Firelock Games. Mike walks us through all that he has been working on with the team in Miami and abroad over the past few months. Updates on Oak and Iron, Blood and Plunder, Blood and Valor and more are in this packed episode.
By Howard West
The located near Pittsburgh, PA hosted a Tournament on September 12th, 2021 The Fabricators Forge is a a hybrid gaming club / store that is funded by members and aspires to be the premium place to play all types of tabletop games in Western PA. They opened in 2021 and this was the first Team Yankee tournament that Dom and Josh hosted.
In October 2021 they will be hosting a Flames of War Tournament and a follow-up Team Yankee Tournament.
By Glenn Van Meter
This weekend I had the fortune of being able to attend BarrageCon in Havre De Grace, Maryland. It was hosted by the H.A.W.K.S. (Harford Area Weekly Krieg Spielers) gaming club on the 24th and 25th of September. I was only able to make it for Saturday the 25th. This was my first in-person convention in about 22 months and I was excited to get back out and see some old friends that I knew would be in attendance.
By Mitch Reed
Recently I was invited to play Angola a great four player game from Multi-Man Publishing. The covers the conflict in Angola from July 1975 until the following April and features the four main factions that were involved in the conflict. I have always been interested in picking up with game due to the topic but after playing it I really came to see what a great game Angola is.
By Glenn Van Meter
Photo above: French forces are ambushed by North American Braves. Photo courtesy of Adam Johnston.
Thursday September 10th marked the final day of the campaigning season for the 2021 Summer of Plunder Worldwide Campaign. Blood & Plunder and Oak & Iron players submitted reports of games they had fought during the campaign.
Each report included their name, photographs and the faction they played. The reports were then compiled by faction. The faction with the highest number of reports established dominance of the high seas and won the campaign. After tallying the results from over 250 entries submitted by players all over the world, the winning faction is…
By Tom Gall
is a point to point mini-campaign that can be downloaded from the PSC website for 5.00 British Pounds or ~$7 USD. What you get is a 20 page PDF document that guides you through running the campaign for your players. It includes a 2 page theatre map. a very well written history of the situation as well as all the needed administrative items such as how to handle movement, setup battles and otherwise be an effective and fun referee. The campaign is geared for the Battlegroup [1] set of WWII rules.
Kasserine as you might remember took place in Feb of 1943 as the Germans were under increasing pressure from the East and West after the Torch landings. The Axis under Rommel had decided to direct an offensive at the largely untested Americans through the Kasserine Pass. Defending the area of the allies was the US II Corps, British 6th Armored Division as well as elements of free French.
For those looking to stitch together a series of games where the outcomes matter, a campaign such as this is a great choice. It presents your players with a series of actions based on their moves on the larger theatre map. Not all games will be equally balanced and this can test the will of a gamer having to play a tough defensive action where the odds are long. On the other hand, a campaign setting gives your players a focused setting where the fruits of their painting labor can see plenty of action on the table top.
By Mitch Reed
Now that conventions are making an appearance again it is time for those who were interested in to start collecting their ships and getting them to a nearby table. Over the last few months gaming admirals have been playing either online or when they get a chance versus a live opponent and many fans of the game have been tinkering with their lists and adjusting how they plan to play the game in the future. Since so few of us have had very much experience in live play, now is a perfect time for those who have yet played the game to get into it.
By Kreighton Long
Humans are squishy, fragile creatures who leak profusely when punctured. Knowing this, combatants typically are inclined to hid their more vulnerable bits away from the sharp pieces of metal flying through the air. While the First Industrial Revolution featured columns of well dressed fellas marching towards the sounds of guns and exchanging volleys with equally brave soldiers opposite them, there are instances of trenches and emplacements being used in sieges or to protect less maneuverable artillery pieces on the battlefield.
Moving into the Second Industrial Revolution, the descendants of survivors from the aforementioned battles fully embraced the value of fighting from holes in the ground during World War One. The topic of “digging in” continues to the modern era as any contemporary Soldier or Marine can attest to. On a typical wargaming table, dug in fortifications or emplacements are more of an exception than a rule. Players tend to prefer skirmishes and battles of maneuver rather than a bloody, typically one-sided siege or assault.
