tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41193415330106622552024-03-16T11:52:04.662-07:00Dr. Fischer's Game NightA game resource for parents and families written by a pediatrician in Arlington, MADr. Mike Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18358614273315782382noreply@blogger.comBlogger274125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4119341533010662255.post-85148637395238800212015-07-15T16:22:00.000-07:002015-07-15T16:22:03.242-07:00Chain of Command Crash Development Program<br />
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In previous games of <b>Chain of Command</b> I had happily mooched off of friend John's awesome and expensive terrain. Last week, though, I ran a game for the New Hampshire Wargames Alliance and had to bring my own. While the players had fun the game looked just awful. I had some felt forest templates in the car and some 40K ruins appeared out of nowhere to serve as rubble.<br />
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As a quick aside, it was fun to see that the basics of CoC can be taught quickly and that players can at least get a sense of the game on a first try. I left out artillery and armor but still, it's a positive commentary on the game design's elegance. The players were at least neutral and I'm hoping for some more gaming soon.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy-6r7dfSiLRn5fC13_0Oj3cD9SNBDNME15mmLNUXFGWxpBRhJJCOBq4k9dA1Rz9U3TkWBB6SZHhveSqss_b5oKHt-s3peWFzVyJBVyDEFyR9KqVeUOAwTuRYDxNsm2sGYb7lsWOeJVrT5/s1600/20150715_185500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy-6r7dfSiLRn5fC13_0Oj3cD9SNBDNME15mmLNUXFGWxpBRhJJCOBq4k9dA1Rz9U3TkWBB6SZHhveSqss_b5oKHt-s3peWFzVyJBVyDEFyR9KqVeUOAwTuRYDxNsm2sGYb7lsWOeJVrT5/s320/20150715_185500.jpg" width="320" /></a>This week I resolved to whip up some nice terrain. If people are going to try again they may as well have a nice table to admire. As the family is away I had access to all the floor area of the house. It's hard to imagine that sort of freedom to leave plastic, paint, and gear everywhere and I'm happy to say it is just as fun as you might imagine. The clean up, undoubtedly less so.<br />
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First on the agenda were some Italeri 1/72 scale stone walls. These had a good amount of flash and are scaled pretty high, almost at head level of 1/72 foot troops. Not terrible looking though, and nice and hefty dense plastic. And better sculpted than the Pegasus walls I had painted up a while back and then forgotten about until I finished the new set. So now I have More walls!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjglBojL9pkYzrHPciDwWzsgt97lCe-n-VzcIoAcAiutfWdvW2VrzhqFmo0YjVs1RAxqqsNuw4Opjl56d-7kt_mLjCTeXllGmaRTDfjhprZNPrAtSIrkehyiqVEpQDp6DDaaM9rQTNQJYkO/s1600/20150715_185233.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjglBojL9pkYzrHPciDwWzsgt97lCe-n-VzcIoAcAiutfWdvW2VrzhqFmo0YjVs1RAxqqsNuw4Opjl56d-7kt_mLjCTeXllGmaRTDfjhprZNPrAtSIrkehyiqVEpQDp6DDaaM9rQTNQJYkO/s320/20150715_185233.jpg" width="320" /></a>Next were some German made model train hedges. They come as strips and you can cut them and then mount them on tongue depressors. They have to be flattened overnight since they're sold folded and carry the curve. They're shedding flock already so I suspect I'll be reapplying and sealing with some dilute white glue. Pretty though. I think I may have some hedges already as well, but I haven't stumbled across those yet. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj15QTZ0s__N688-pVH7Bj6_cFnllKSmUm37D8OEmEe9o-K9Pk2NrhphUff565sYl_JViDWLJGxCzbFzAQ6qZHOm1v78T04QRsA-R5vahNYUJ56Wxc54CA7LNIHZsaiVUtYK_AiTer4XxcE/s1600/20150715_184549.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj15QTZ0s__N688-pVH7Bj6_cFnllKSmUm37D8OEmEe9o-K9Pk2NrhphUff565sYl_JViDWLJGxCzbFzAQ6qZHOm1v78T04QRsA-R5vahNYUJ56Wxc54CA7LNIHZsaiVUtYK_AiTer4XxcE/s320/20150715_184549.jpg" width="320" /></a>Finally I went out and picked up a pile of styrene with which to build barns and houses. There is mdf 1/72 terrain and a few plastic models from Italeri but I was in a mood and did have the house to use as a workshop. The barn is based on foam core, the house is layers of stone sheet on top of thick sheet styrene. The latter looks better although it burns though styrene at a lively pace.<br />
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In all it's been fun to see how productive you can be in a few days with no distractions and no expectations of actual productivity in the sense that a spouse might use. <br />
<br />Dr. Mike Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18358614273315782382noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4119341533010662255.post-91843791721249997722015-05-27T17:52:00.001-07:002015-05-27T17:53:08.533-07:00Huzzah Day 2- Pulp Alley<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM8lY7iNR1OIezD4wNoWKCGGGUET5eTE0nuOQHFVdGYheEmsJ5llwyyldgBghj10pTxU8Y5QzbHCM2wNqHQA7NFFW-tlPbTaOnPq0xX_dJCsWcyfXeanxtPXlBBsKGPro341gfhjfRk-SV/s1600/20150516_140626.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM8lY7iNR1OIezD4wNoWKCGGGUET5eTE0nuOQHFVdGYheEmsJ5llwyyldgBghj10pTxU8Y5QzbHCM2wNqHQA7NFFW-tlPbTaOnPq0xX_dJCsWcyfXeanxtPXlBBsKGPro341gfhjfRk-SV/s320/20150516_140626.jpg" width="320" /></a>I've been fascinated by pulp or adventure style miniatures games for some time now. The theme is always alluring enough- play a minis game as Dr. Who, a member of Danger 5, or a Cthulhu investigator. At the same time I always wonder if the experience is really going to be close to the ideal, or if it's better just to role play.<br />
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On Saturday afternoon I got a chance to play a pirate themed game using the<b> Pulp Alley </b>rules. These had been favorably reviewed on <b>Meeples and Miniatures</b> and I was excited to give them a try. In a sense it would also be interesting to compare the game to the Muskets and Tomahawks game, which was skirmish wargaming but with a good taste of adventure gaming as well.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marines Face a Scary Hill</td></tr>
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The game was called St. Pomme de Terre- the Governor's Daughter. My faction represented royal troops trying to retrieve the governor's daughter from a band of pirates. We were to approach the pirate lair in a ship and a longboat and then travel through a swamp or along the docks and eventually defeat the pirates. Along the way we could earn victory points for capturing treasure, defeating enemies, and hopefully rescuing the kidnapped woman.<br />
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On a positive side the game was well thought out and a lot of fun. There were swamp creatures, colliding ships, cannon fire, people falling off of masts, sword fights, gun fights, and foggy graveyards. The royals got off to a miserably slow start and barely made their way across half of the terrain due to falling down hills, getting trapped in swamps, and probably being too cautious. Eventually we ended up in a mammoth brawl on the outskirts of town but the sun was at that point setting and our mission a bit of a failure. Still, both pirates and royals had a good time.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hill 1, Marines 0</td></tr>
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That being said, I can't say I'm sold on the rules. There is ten times as much detail regarding the figures as there is in <b>Muskets and Tomahawks.</b> That translates into a game that's about ten times slower to play. Each figure may have several unique abilities and you have to remember them, as well as watch for your opponent's secret traits. Plus you can play cards that inconvenience or sabotage your opponent's play. The result is, again, a slowish game.<br />
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It's also noteworthy that I felt like <b>Muskets</b> had as much or more of a narrative through the game. My vaguely defined Indian party had a wild adventure without detailed special rules and characteristics. The narrative flowed from the game play itself. In the <b>Pulp Alley</b> game I spent quite a lot of energy trying to remember which figure was good in a fistfight, which was a sharpshooter, and which was hard to hit. In the end keeping track of all that was more of a distraction than a game enhancement.<br />
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In the end, though, my critique is with the rules, not the game and the people who ran it. I'd certainly play it again and they did a bang-up job setting up the adventure. But I didn't walk away wanting to buy the rules.<br />
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<br />Dr. Mike Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18358614273315782382noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4119341533010662255.post-53511852914659012042015-05-19T18:04:00.004-07:002015-05-19T18:04:53.051-07:00Huzzah Day 2- Fletcher Pratt Naval Warfare Game<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">USS Baltimore!</td></tr>
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This year I had another chance to play the amazing Fletcher Pratt Naval game, run again by Wes Decampos. This game takes place in an entire ballroom and is played on the floor with large scale ship models. It's a complete spectacle. What makes this yearly event so enjoyable, however, is that Wes runs a tight game. He supplies a pile of handy charts, he explains the rules quickly and clearly, and he's done this enough times to avoid rules lawyering, complaints, quibbles, and whines. <br />
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In this scenario a convoy of Japanese ships are attempting to land troops on Guadalcanal. The Americans must intercept them. As a twist the encounter takes place at night so spotting is difficult and some of the engagements may take place at unusually close range. <br />
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The modified Fletcher Pratt rules are simple. Ships move, maneuver, and then fire. Each player picks a target and then guesses the range, often up to twenty feet. Then Wes checks the actual ranges and if you guess correctly you inflict damage on the target. Larger ships can only be damaged by larger guns but every ship is vulnerable to torpedoes.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9yltCKnWkEVcHrT3ZYUWmm1FEeCE_gKObSiFNDr4DJ7b1kBIf9Fag9OAx1KKd7g3jYwrnukk8D42mogZGMzXg0YXqAeKTwLJEXpGuxGmUApg4zC-cJ25uRXbQrJwokeCZPu1djTI7VU4s/s1600/20150516_104156.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9yltCKnWkEVcHrT3ZYUWmm1FEeCE_gKObSiFNDr4DJ7b1kBIf9Fag9OAx1KKd7g3jYwrnukk8D42mogZGMzXg0YXqAeKTwLJEXpGuxGmUApg4zC-cJ25uRXbQrJwokeCZPu1djTI7VU4s/s320/20150516_104156.jpg" width="320" /></a>My goals for the game were twofold. Based on prior years I vowed not to collide with a friendly ship and not to collide with torpedoes. I would earn bonus points if I could avoid being sunk outright.<br />
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The game unfolded and moved along at a nice pace. I commanded a heavy cruiser, the Baltimore. A cluster of American destroyers were deluged with torpedoes and went down pretty quickly. I engaged a nearby Japanese light cruiser and scored some lucky hits while avoiding his torpedo fire. Just to mix it up I fired at and scored one hit on the Japanese battleship which scratched some paint. That was enough to teach me to stick to light and heavy cruisers for the rest of the game. It felt a little cheesy to take on smaller ships but that's probably what would have happened historically. The light cruiser's captain was a good sport at least!<br />
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At the end of the game the Americans held the field. Or waves. I had avoided collisions of all sorts and was still afloat. It had been great fun to move big toy ships around a huge ballroom and I'll do my best to play again next year.<br />
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<br />Dr. Mike Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18358614273315782382noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4119341533010662255.post-34164042750590207542015-05-19T17:44:00.003-07:002015-05-19T17:44:56.922-07:00Huzzah 2015, Day 1<br />
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The <a href="http://www.huzzahcon.com/" target="_blank">Huzzah</a> wargame convention in Portland, Maine, has been a personal gaming highlight for years. The players attending are typically fun and friendly, the games usually look terrific and the rules are interesting. This year was possibly the most fun yet.<br />
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The first game I played was Bloody Tomahawks- Supplies for the Outpost. This was a scenario for the popular <b>Muskets and Tomahawks</b> rule system and was run by Earl Richards. I was curious to give these rules a try as our club has started assembling some troops for North American combat, circa King Phillip's War and onwards.<br />
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In the scenario a British colonial outpost is awaiting supplies. The French are trying to intercept the convoy. Both sides have local irregulars and Indians assisting. I was assigned a party of Indians fighting for the French.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4RoKhb8SWqR6oCWwrwp6xUGanSKKor_jzdfxTq7_YwsrSHM3SHdcAVE5Fv5vNNnYM2WZ_FVlMKgScCcGiIJDejAUh2Q8G-i4gnKgsS_Jsff34TZzPhzIngoW3FFhgrTgn9PYHQj82VuDX/s1600/20150515_195015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4RoKhb8SWqR6oCWwrwp6xUGanSKKor_jzdfxTq7_YwsrSHM3SHdcAVE5Fv5vNNnYM2WZ_FVlMKgScCcGiIJDejAUh2Q8G-i4gnKgsS_Jsff34TZzPhzIngoW3FFhgrTgn9PYHQj82VuDX/s320/20150515_195015.jpg" width="320" /></a>The game ran fast and smoothly. We needed maybe ten minutes to learn the rules and there were few questions after that. Parties are activated by a card draw and then have a number of actions. Different factions may have different movement rates, firearm skills, and ability to shrug off averse events. In game play the British regulars were slow as molasses but deadly at ranged fire. The colonial rangers were faster and could move through the woods easily. My Indians were exceptionally nimble but prone to break away if the suffered too many casualties. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Burning Down the House</td></tr>
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In terms of narrative and play we had a terrific time. The regulars confined themselves to open fields and roads. The Indians and rangers dashed through the woods and tried to make the most of their mobility. My troops were able to run to the town and start firing houses but I unwisely led them into the open and they disintegrated under fire from three directions.<br />
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On the whole the game was a lot of fun, both as a simulation and as a quasi-role playing adventure game. The rules were intuitive and quick to teach. At the same time there was some nuance to each faction and you had to play carefully to accomplish your goals. We had six or so players and everyone stayed engaged and entertained. I'm excited to have a use for my Wargames Factory Indians and looking forward to playing some Muskets and Tomahawks in Malden soon.Dr. Mike Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18358614273315782382noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4119341533010662255.post-77276550206284553032015-05-04T18:32:00.000-07:002015-05-04T18:32:39.212-07:00Ancients Rules Update- To the Strongest!Not long ago the club was having its' monthly DBA ancients game day. Readers may already be aware that DBA is an old and popular set of game rules for playing out ancient and medieval battles. During the games there were several tense and unpleasant moments, however, in which people had trouble agreeing on exactly how the small miniature figures could move on the table. At one point things almost grew ugly.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZsuesgGuszVl7BzRoBeeyRKJPImwzCL-NMc_VdZqWImFuc_eWxdxwOnV-lMDjRj2CV0V1nf2rvJKSOR4wjNKlHc1hPIStZXUQOcDQPtl-t_NnvUUkx3eyGNXqWkB4O_oMjEkBwYJWBRLs/s1600/Front-Cover-Hi-Res-Large_a7ae4673-a675-40f4-95b4-c0649bab1375_large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZsuesgGuszVl7BzRoBeeyRKJPImwzCL-NMc_VdZqWImFuc_eWxdxwOnV-lMDjRj2CV0V1nf2rvJKSOR4wjNKlHc1hPIStZXUQOcDQPtl-t_NnvUUkx3eyGNXqWkB4O_oMjEkBwYJWBRLs/s320/Front-Cover-Hi-Res-Large_a7ae4673-a675-40f4-95b4-c0649bab1375_large.jpg" width="225" /></a>Let's ignore the implications regarding grown men who might get angry about a game involving toy soldiers. Each genre seems to have rules that cause arguments. World War 2 games break down when dealing with assaults and air support. Ancient battles games suffer when describing charging and movement. You may be playing on a six foot long table but a millimeter's difference in placement can have huge implications as to who wins a battle. This dynamic is one of the things that author Simon Miller attempted to address with his <i>To The Strongest!</i> rules.<br />
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<i>To the Strongest!</i> (TTS) is a set of rules that allow you to play out ancient and medieval battles on a tabletop. You need two armies made up of eight or more units. The play takes place on a board formed from a grid of squares measuring 8 x 12. The square grid removes any issues regarding placement on the battlefield. Units are clearly "here" and can clearly and unambiguously move "there."<br />
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<i>TTS</i> has other novel game mechanics. Anything involving chance is resolved using ordinary playing cards. Success at some task is accomplished by drawing a card, The harder the task, the higher a card you need. In our playtesting we found this speeds up the game more than you'd expect. Dice are fun. They also fall from the table, roll around, hit things, get stuck under terrain pieces and generally eat up a lot of time to use. Flipping a card is the same as rolling a ten sided die, just a lot quicker.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlbFpOBrK61SycJ5mAOSno80PLCtaKxGUtwMUB9Sy-aC5_T_ja7hIIn8fr5uZ-1uZV2uP7-RVx4S6XvyldlFJkAdPLWGle31JkliCBHeMfqIdmDYNQ0J5f8SZlnDILaGpajfBKvrvxWTGH/s1600/20150504_174408.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlbFpOBrK61SycJ5mAOSno80PLCtaKxGUtwMUB9Sy-aC5_T_ja7hIIn8fr5uZ-1uZV2uP7-RVx4S6XvyldlFJkAdPLWGle31JkliCBHeMfqIdmDYNQ0J5f8SZlnDILaGpajfBKvrvxWTGH/s200/20150504_174408.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Warmaster 10mm Back on the Table!</td></tr>
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<i>TTS</i> has several elements that will be familiar to miniature gamers. Units on the table can be represented in any fashion- the exact number of figures on a stand doesn't matter. You could use wooden tiles to represent units, or German flats, or even paper cutouts. For our playtest games we used my old 10mm <i>Warmaster Ancients</i> stands. There are also familiar damage saves, overall morale levels, and a need to use leaders for important moments in the battle.<br />
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My overall take on the game was very positive. The mechanics themselves practically fly along. I taught an eight year old how to play in a few minutes and rules checks were minimal. That being said, playing well demands some thought. You are rewarded to keeping a good battle line, for proper use of skirmishers, for having a second line and some reserves. You need to manage light troops as they are helpful but fragile. Leaders are given simple rules with some subtle implications that cause Roman armies to behave quite differently from Briton ones, for example. There is a push-your-luck mechanic to giving orders but you will always get to move your troops, unlike some turns of <i>Hail Caeser</i> or DBA for example. Finally, the game works one on one or with larger groups.<br />
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I've been looking lately for games that are fun, challenging, and drama free. For my World War 2 needs <i>Chain of Command </i>has hit the spot<i>. To the Strongest!</i> looks to be a playable and fun ancients rules set. It's simple enough to teach to kids but deep enough to give a challenging game to experienced players. The rules are well written, packed with great diagrams and photos, and absolutely priced to move. I'd recommend taking a look.<br />
<br />Dr. Mike Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18358614273315782382noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4119341533010662255.post-76040577045141120042015-05-03T16:51:00.000-07:002015-05-03T16:51:40.063-07:00Hobby Fun- Now with Eight Year Olds<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRq2RqIUtB5Eump7xBicKIhmEepfjflkKIDz1u4JEh1XRgUbbtKNnHyBhSe96J1fzA0BzxZyf9d5uCAmKLsYxfgPe9yj0XjTydRVwrI3x8IpB4ABAS7vRJ0HbGx_nH2uKgeJqzz94vprf3/s1600/Hguc-rx-78nt-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRq2RqIUtB5Eump7xBicKIhmEepfjflkKIDz1u4JEh1XRgUbbtKNnHyBhSe96J1fzA0BzxZyf9d5uCAmKLsYxfgPe9yj0XjTydRVwrI3x8IpB4ABAS7vRJ0HbGx_nH2uKgeJqzz94vprf3/s1600/Hguc-rx-78nt-1.jpg" height="195" width="320" /></a>Recently we were faced with the question of what activity to feature at our son's 8th birthday party. My gut instinct is to let children play outside until they are completely covered in watermelon juice, snow, or mud (depending on the season), but the wife advised me that modern families provide some sort of activity or event to the kids. My number four option was to have them all build plastic models of Japanese Giant Robots. Poor Amy considered whether the mud option might not be too terrible after all but eventually consented.<br />
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I went through Amazon and tracked down a crate of Gundam High Grade Universal Century models. I then opened each box and partially separated each piece from the sprues to make them easier to detach. My wife observed the detailed instructions, all written in Japanese. Then we laid out some tablecloth so the tiny pieces wouldn't get lost and let four 8 year olds go at it.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglbnpMAlRUqeOR_Kf60GFaENJZszB3feQe6GfK4QRvsayBh_dJ00FCuhUYv1ej-Zkghd2XWC7vzYKuWpa-yXQUaNjTpJzHMaBFVvcge1WSt1xXIUzZzRj7PnVzSvgRdvH5SmDaX7p1Qtk3/s1600/image1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglbnpMAlRUqeOR_Kf60GFaENJZszB3feQe6GfK4QRvsayBh_dJ00FCuhUYv1ej-Zkghd2XWC7vzYKuWpa-yXQUaNjTpJzHMaBFVvcge1WSt1xXIUzZzRj7PnVzSvgRdvH5SmDaX7p1Qtk3/s1600/image1.JPG" height="149" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mainly Just Watching Them Build</td></tr>
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The end result was four highly entertained boys who needed about three minutes of coaching before efficiently building their models. At the end of an hour and a half or so they were more than half way done and all the models were finished at home that night. Each of the boys walked away feeling excited and proud and there were no meltdowns or frustrated faces. So other than feeling happy that my harebrained scheme worked, what's the lesson here?<br />
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Mainly, the lesson is that the Lego generation has been taught to build plastic models. Kids of my generation built Monogram and Revell tanks and planes but I suspect that the next wave of children would have been baffled by a plastic model. Now, however, you have literally millions of boys and girls who like nothing better than receiving a bag of pieces and a set of graphical instructions and then building away. Four of those kids took a look at the Gundam instructions, realized they were just like Lego instructions, and had a great time.<br />
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A few secondary thoughts come to mind. It was lucky that I knew which models to buy. The Tamiya High Grade Universal Century line is outrageously well engineered- the models fit together well and all amazing when completed. There is also the Real Grade line, which is newer, easier to find, and still simple enough for an eight year old. It's also helpful not to wait till the last minute. <a href="http://www.hlj.com/" target="_blank">Hobby Link Japan</a> is the best online source for these kit. I've used them often. Shipping from Japan can add some days to your
delivery. Amazon is another source but shipping times can vary hugely
and some sources may be unreliable in terms of how quickly they respond.
Finally, local stores may carry the models. In Nashua <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/the-comic-store/116299078394252" target="_blank">The Comic Store</a> has an awe inspiring level of in store stock, but at a higher price than through Hobby Link Japan. <br />
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Building models is fun. You learn a whole variety of crafting skills. You can learn history, art theory, all sorts of things. And from my perspective it was very satisfying just to share a love of my own with a bunch of kids.Dr. Mike Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18358614273315782382noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4119341533010662255.post-64651478488543531872015-05-01T11:32:00.002-07:002015-05-05T08:23:53.355-07:00Book Review- The Cat From Hue- Revised ReviewI just wanted to put in a quick plug for <i>The Cat From Hue</i>, a Vietnam War nonfiction book I'm working on right now. I'm beginning to divide my Vietnam reading into two categories. The first includes official histories, after action reports, and other government documents. These tend to be very helpful in detailing locations, dates and times, and overall quantifiable events. The reports often include hand drawn maps and other bits of information taken directly from the scene and sometimes deliver a good amount of granular detail.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0sdOwqDXxktufejYQoZDl7BjBD_K1ag0risahvj0jRmnIRbWpLfXkBlsWtnzNKhmj39jbwBXQ1qZZCKGvZDq_H8mk0wtkLkzqRMe0JqUwZf5TZdy_EgYpCsI2hb01BdZZCCrqr_aKNigq/s1600/444084.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0sdOwqDXxktufejYQoZDl7BjBD_K1ag0risahvj0jRmnIRbWpLfXkBlsWtnzNKhmj39jbwBXQ1qZZCKGvZDq_H8mk0wtkLkzqRMe0JqUwZf5TZdy_EgYpCsI2hb01BdZZCCrqr_aKNigq/s1600/444084.jpg" height="200" width="126" /></a>The second category of material is the personal history. Sometimes this can be a transcript from an interview, or an essay found on one of the numerous<br />
sites dedicated to various regiments and units stationed overseas. The personal histories are often very detailed and help paint a picture of a particular scene or even span of minutes. <i>The Cat From Hue</i> falls into this second category.<br />
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<i>The Cat From Hue</i> was written in 2002. As I make my way through it I'm finding it uneven but occasionally extremely valuable. In its' best segments author John Laurence writes as if he was composing shortly after the events in question. Thus, Morley Safer is introduced as yet another correspondent. Joe Galloway is introduced with no reference to his future role in historical reporting. Ernest young officers make comments in 1965 without any authorial winking or eye rolling. The result for me is a reading experience that feels authentic. I can supply hindsight on my own, but Laurence supplies the feeling of being there and not entirely knowing what the next week or year will bring.<br />
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That being said, the material is least helpful when Laurence goes ahead and supplies a meta narrative. For example, he steps aside to explain why he feels that his reporting could never have been truly objective. While this is true enough I would look for that level of discussion in a different book, or in a later section of this book. It feels intrusive in the middle of the historical narratives.<br />
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Another issue I have with the book is that it starts in 1968, and then jumps back to 1965. The 1968 Hue material is oddly not the strongest and I would have been just as happy to place it chronologically. I think the final take is that a bit of editing to help place the content would not have hurt.<br />
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I read a personal history to get a better understanding of how events took place at an individual level. An after action report may describe a squad as having moved from point A to point B but it will neglect the human dynamics, details, and costs of that journey. <i>The Cat From Hue </i>touches on a good number of well-known events and adds first-hand experience to the larger picture. Dr. Mike Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18358614273315782382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4119341533010662255.post-56321147444870967552014-11-30T11:52:00.003-08:002014-11-30T11:52:45.116-08:00Vehicle Fun Part Two<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYHEnhz6RJwlRzUySJQvlqA57NstnRLrCg7LkHpAA3W4zLGkfFoLllgmOSe_YmHbVnGcfTVBdxCVrFjC9s1Z-SzNtDyS6CpCtyUVj91dk9nEKnnscWeiV4XFTGz5LbgD7yarp0bKkcjnla/s1600/armourfast99014chmqn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYHEnhz6RJwlRzUySJQvlqA57NstnRLrCg7LkHpAA3W4zLGkfFoLllgmOSe_YmHbVnGcfTVBdxCVrFjC9s1Z-SzNtDyS6CpCtyUVj91dk9nEKnnscWeiV4XFTGz5LbgD7yarp0bKkcjnla/s1600/armourfast99014chmqn.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></div>
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The Normandy campaign for<b> Chain of Command </b>is moving along at a spunky pace and the Americans I command get some vehicle options. I like vehicles, especially bizarre and obscure ones. I like early war desert light tanks and the Soviets have a real talent for putting motors in things (I'm talking about you, Aerosani!). Imagine my dismay, then, to discover that the Americans had essentially four vehicles. Trucks and halftracks, jeeps, Sherman tanks, and tank destroyers. Granted there are a few oddball creations like the M-8 and early on the Grant and M-5 are active but even so, American vehicles are just plain dull.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfnmKM2PQ0ils4N_B0u-9xLywT-OyCm_KOTHy0KpvSocSODzNLb2HZSU40zsCg0sVx6qN1bKI_3m_cdmVHeLslPHkTcH7wr4AEOVNrZ1PZYRMRSHu8BFLfYqhoA2IeXmF-8dT88V5FoNE8/s1600/2014-11-10_08-54-18_219.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfnmKM2PQ0ils4N_B0u-9xLywT-OyCm_KOTHy0KpvSocSODzNLb2HZSU40zsCg0sVx6qN1bKI_3m_cdmVHeLslPHkTcH7wr4AEOVNrZ1PZYRMRSHu8BFLfYqhoA2IeXmF-8dT88V5FoNE8/s1600/2014-11-10_08-54-18_219.jpg" height="112" width="200" /></a>Resigned to equipping my fellows with Shermans and tank destroyers I picked up a pair of <b>Armourfast </b>models. <b>Armourfast </b>makes affordable models and the range is fairly decent. My initial impression when I unboxed the kit was neutral. It certainly didn't look too complex, rather the opposite. That initial impression was borne out as the construction commenced. The kit is slightly less complex than the <b>Pegasus</b> models and is really lacking in detail. Further, it had a good number of fit issues and I found myself puttying up a lot of spaces. Finally, the sprues attach at points that are highly visible, meaning that if you detach them carelessly you end up with big, visible gashes in the model.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhryDjCLK-RjeyHqojbRkjXxpDM77Eh6kVgnz0njJweajaFwZeplLzeeeElQukqi0g5ZZhem9WXPqp7S9BkkuUvFyRcFDwNaspQYlUF8T_FrwK3PpAxVz375Ov-iSmqOp5hTXB1XDCAgugC/s1600/2014-11-30_14-46-48_179.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhryDjCLK-RjeyHqojbRkjXxpDM77Eh6kVgnz0njJweajaFwZeplLzeeeElQukqi0g5ZZhem9WXPqp7S9BkkuUvFyRcFDwNaspQYlUF8T_FrwK3PpAxVz375Ov-iSmqOp5hTXB1XDCAgugC/s1600/2014-11-30_14-46-48_179.jpg" height="112" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fine</td></tr>
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I finished up a Sherman and M-10. The models are fine. Not fine like fine dining but fine like not terrible. They build fast and the price is right but if you're putting something on the table it may as well look special. And if I want simple, fast builds I think I'll go back to <b>Pegasus</b>. <br />
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<!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F1.bp.blogspot.com%2F-7GOD4w_ftvY%2FVHttXllyhKI%2FAAAAAAAABlo%2FnBWG2MzA9Ys%2Fs1600%2Farmourfast99014chmqn.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYHEnhz6RJwlRzUySJQvlqA57NstnRLrCg7LkHpAA3W4zLGkfFoLllgmOSe_YmHbVnGcfTVBdxCVrFjC9s1Z-SzNtDyS6CpCtyUVj91dk9nEKnnscWeiV4XFTGz5LbgD7yarp0bKkcjnla/s1600/armourfast99014chmqn.jpg" -->Dr. Mike Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18358614273315782382noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4119341533010662255.post-81714221315208384012014-11-30T11:40:00.000-08:002014-11-30T11:40:30.926-08:00Camel Racing!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA0zZgPKnF1iGnw_5KMgLLv1wXP2iV8-J_oIv06vLW4Bi1M6lUvDbvZxvY6gWGLTFLdsdH5AUFhWP7FLZApZ8Bs81sp7pCOtnRRQBMPOq7HDW9Kx68VLzsNJ0zpWEhxxSwT80FJRF7Sz4U/s1600/pic1918028_md.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA0zZgPKnF1iGnw_5KMgLLv1wXP2iV8-J_oIv06vLW4Bi1M6lUvDbvZxvY6gWGLTFLdsdH5AUFhWP7FLZApZ8Bs81sp7pCOtnRRQBMPOq7HDW9Kx68VLzsNJ0zpWEhxxSwT80FJRF7Sz4U/s1600/pic1918028_md.jpg" height="200" width="199" /></a>I like racing games and I own a copy of <b>Formula D</b>. One drawback to the game is that I repeatedly crash my car long before the finish line. I've played a good number of games and I think I've made it to the end maybe once. Now granted this is solely my fault, the game is brilliant. Still, it's depressing. And that leaves me looking for a racing game in which I can't crash and burn both literally and figuratively.<br />
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A few weeks ago <b>Camel Up</b> appeared at the Myriad Games game night. <b>Camel Up</b> is a camel racing game and it comes with a colorful board, amusing cards, a pyramid that dispenses dice and a set of solid wooden camels. In one sense even if the game was terrible the components looked fun to play with! Happily the game is great fun. And the components Are fun to play with as well.<br />
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In <b>Camel Up</b> a set of camels race around a board in a series of phases, or "legs." In each leg the players bet on which camel will be in the lead. You can bet on several camels but you lose points for each incorrect bet. During the game you can also bet on which camel will be the overall winner and the overall loser. As above, you could bet on several winning or losing but each wrong bet loses you points. Further, the first right bet wins more points that bets made later in the game. And that's the central dynamic of <b>Camel Up</b>- you want to make guesses early but you also want to be accurate and it's hard to be both.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Big Hefty Components</td></tr>
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The movement system of <b>Camel Up</b> is what make the betting "educated" rather than random. Each camel moves once per leg. There are five camels. They move in random order and one, two, or three spaces on the track, also rolled randomly. You can imagine that it's going to be harder to guess which will be in the lead when only one has moved and easier when four have moved. The overall movement system is dead simple in principal but leads to a lot of calculation and guesswork during the game.<br />
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<b>Camel Up</b> is simple but very exciting. The camels move on their own, your job as a player is just to calculate which will be in the lead. There's a lot of plotting and planning and then also moments of surprise as your plans fall apart over an odd die roll. It's a great game for people who like a mix of surprises and planning. Kids could play it easily enough and non-gamers should like it too.<br />
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<br />Dr. Mike Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18358614273315782382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4119341533010662255.post-53584255265721964672014-11-30T11:00:00.001-08:002014-11-30T11:00:32.171-08:00Vehicle Fun Part One<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlwrBWnkU_0LgwNe_j0sXVe4AN2dlUk2ntIHjTcPga88SCF94ssuodUGkr-sSrPEDxSsI4dQgr0BwdZwiMlUgwdgazsfcUkswkYdhyB8BH6suWB3xQM9DhW4a_7www7boYfj_a3aMki7gt/s1600/MIR72616.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlwrBWnkU_0LgwNe_j0sXVe4AN2dlUk2ntIHjTcPga88SCF94ssuodUGkr-sSrPEDxSsI4dQgr0BwdZwiMlUgwdgazsfcUkswkYdhyB8BH6suWB3xQM9DhW4a_7www7boYfj_a3aMki7gt/s1600/MIR72616.jpg" height="164" width="320" /></a></div>
My friend John and I are in the midst of a <b>Chain of Command</b> campaign set in Normandy and I've been slowly adding to my forces. John started in 1/72 scale and amassed a huge collection of great looking scenery so I went along and started up a whole new scale to collect. <br />
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Having set up a decent base of figures I turned to vehicles. There seem to be a few choices to work with. There are a number of "toy soldier" style manufacturers, a huge number of "plastic model" style sources, and finally die cast vehicles. I picked up some <b>Plastic Soldier Company</b> tanks, some <b>Armourcast</b> vehicles, and then looked for some 1/72 plastic models. I needed some late war Normandy gear but also some armor suitable for the Winter War between Finland and the Soviet Union. Imagine my surprise when I stumbled into <b>Hobbies With a Twist</b> in Concord, New Hampshire, and found a huge pile of 1/72 obscure Russian early war vehicles. On sale!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfKXO65HND5GP_biOhUvHlVMTf7n2uyyRrUJpx8eLcfoEQFwKfIgBiRLEzhyphenhyphenwxzFelPX6CTm2LXxzA5d_t1e2gmluUtjMFF2seT4jBJj9eAANmzOX9_gez2OcWuVuqyvrCY5lew3ouIdo_/s1600/2014-11-10_08-53-33_430.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfKXO65HND5GP_biOhUvHlVMTf7n2uyyRrUJpx8eLcfoEQFwKfIgBiRLEzhyphenhyphenwxzFelPX6CTm2LXxzA5d_t1e2gmluUtjMFF2seT4jBJj9eAANmzOX9_gez2OcWuVuqyvrCY5lew3ouIdo_/s1600/2014-11-10_08-53-33_430.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
The immediate and obvious drawback to eastern European plastic models is that the engineers have excessive confidence in my ability to manipulate and glue tiny 2mm bits and bobs. Does the tank have a knob of some sort? Then clearly it needs to be modeled! But once my initial dismay at the array of tiny soft plastic pieces dissipated I was struck by how easily the model fell together. The fit was smooth and the instructions generally clear. I needed to scratch build one section that was ruined through my doing, and I made a machine gun barrel out of syringe because the plastic barrel would have a lifespan of minutes. Otherwise the model was a real pleasure to assemble.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAIdSNoCZezCofi7XdsXiESgOqduI7uXMuw0RIxgD-N4lvyJXaFpZNp5pa9WCk5_eDzdIC6g9LPnHaakCtIZD-9NCVuuaoDZkHFqErx1clmijB-_3987f4JffMHeRVCZ7dgDtwYZenxQCk/s1600/2014-11-30_12-48-22_828.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAIdSNoCZezCofi7XdsXiESgOqduI7uXMuw0RIxgD-N4lvyJXaFpZNp5pa9WCk5_eDzdIC6g9LPnHaakCtIZD-9NCVuuaoDZkHFqErx1clmijB-_3987f4JffMHeRVCZ7dgDtwYZenxQCk/s1600/2014-11-30_12-48-22_828.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Early War Wunder Weapon</td></tr>
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I'm working on another Soviet flame tank by the same manufacturer. It's going even better than the first. Once the initial tiny piece shock goes away these kits are great fun.<br />
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<br />Dr. Mike Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18358614273315782382noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4119341533010662255.post-13488777781315961762014-10-08T16:24:00.001-07:002014-10-08T16:24:15.611-07:00Hobby Fun with a Seven Year OldUp to now letting my son "help" with hobby time has been less than satisfying. Unlike other forms of helping where something might actually get somewhat partially done he's just too young to paint small minis or do terrain. Much to his happiness and my pride that has now changed.<br />
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My 1/72 scale Russians needed some light armored vehicles and since I find armored cars to be super cool looking anyway I picked up some Pegasus BA-6's. Two vehicles is less that 15$ so it seemed reasonable. When I started cleaning the sprues my son asked to help and so each of us put one vehicle together.<br />
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My past experience with plastic models has demonstrated that engineering is everything. A well designed kit almost falls together with minimal filing and no forcing or prying. On the other hand, a badly designed kit <i>Almost</i> fits and that almost-y quality is a source of terrible frustration. Soon there's putty everywhere, dried glue on your fingers, and a model that looks almost decent.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9bBV4pWa9phE5yFuJClm80YY3c-LiET7aLmiehdaeyyZTZPaLW6hZDjH2Me8ZEUe_Om68AtHu5JzMEmqaxGtjKmTkUKeqhlm0rDHNKjHzaC6MEy0to_jGhIsOvWA7BMcRm40Ac1SzK874/s1600/2014-10-08_17-13-52_992.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9bBV4pWa9phE5yFuJClm80YY3c-LiET7aLmiehdaeyyZTZPaLW6hZDjH2Me8ZEUe_Om68AtHu5JzMEmqaxGtjKmTkUKeqhlm0rDHNKjHzaC6MEy0to_jGhIsOvWA7BMcRm40Ac1SzK874/s1600/2014-10-08_17-13-52_992.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a>Happily the Pegasus kit is very well designed. The instructions are clear, the pieces all fit nicely, and assembly is just complex enough to be interesting but certainly simple enough for a seven year old. The result- a nice looking vehicle! Painting time next, but I'll be looking at more Pegasus kits. Especially ones that have two models in the box!<br />
<br />Dr. Mike Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18358614273315782382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4119341533010662255.post-75988324388582932602014-10-08T16:13:00.002-07:002014-10-08T16:13:38.627-07:00Space Hulk Reprinted, Special Edition Acquired<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCP7uGOGD-6mLIY3h93PVZbLQimcJeIsePB5rzb8UvFa2R9s2nowdp1kMMaBPurTwCEF9khHrQrPFFAszJO_aza0jamHfrbNoAVPGZbPFy_JQl7Ot4cxUnSRRmFs7qZYYwA1eWr5ZtzztK/s1600/2014-08-29_12-29-55_721.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCP7uGOGD-6mLIY3h93PVZbLQimcJeIsePB5rzb8UvFa2R9s2nowdp1kMMaBPurTwCEF9khHrQrPFFAszJO_aza0jamHfrbNoAVPGZbPFy_JQl7Ot4cxUnSRRmFs7qZYYwA1eWr5ZtzztK/s1600/2014-08-29_12-29-55_721.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Genestealers!</td></tr>
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Fans of science fiction gaming are by now aware that the classic Games Workshop product <b>Space Hulk</b> has been reprinted for the third time. The game features outnumbered space marines trying to reach some goal in a labyrinthine spacecraft while under attack from waves of alien genestealers. <b>Space Hulk</b> was a formative game for many, for me the early computer version was hugely exciting. More recently a version with cards has been released. This game, <b>Death Angel</b>, is terrifically designed and I've played it often. <br />
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I did muse about shelling in the $100 for the fourth edition but luckily my son preempted me by creating the special edition himself. A pile of legos, some pen and paper, and you're ready to roll. To be sure, I drew the marines but he did a credible job on the genestealers and designed to ship itself. We both contributed sound effects and cries of "Avenge me brothers," and "my bolter is jammed!"<br />
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Lego Space Hulk is still plenty fun- we played with a mishmash of <b>Death Angel</b> and ios <b>Space Hulk</b> rules. Highly recommended and you end up saving $99.80!Dr. Mike Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18358614273315782382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4119341533010662255.post-36150915118317981022014-10-08T15:59:00.001-07:002014-10-08T15:59:09.355-07:00More Plastic SoldiersWe've been playing Chain of Command lately and one of the more active players has a large 1/72 scale set of armies. I have Second World War armies in four other scales and it seemed a bit much to invest in a fifth but the he game me a few boxes of Pegasus figures so of course I had to paint them up.<br />
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The Pegasus figures are plastic and come on sprues. The manufacture and sculpting process requires most of the figures to have a separate arm which needs to be glued on. I started by washing the sprues in order to remove the oils that coat all plastics. I failed to do to proper job on that and later on my painting efforts would be a huge pain.<br />
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The figures glued together just perfectly. I didn't have to do any adjusting or customizing and the resulting pieces looked great. Considering some of the hoops I've had to jump through with Infinity or Warmachine figures that was a treat.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXtOfR6eHM9AEXi5Vj6TRZAiSl-XNRQ6CYaXKlA31tDHpK6kaZBM_uIvwh5o2qvx8R4gHLpJBFwJ93STZo_nKDAUsLBp_WJzNadKfzRkJRPDZxIWKi9NJBLmBCaIHiXlOFNeEAqcQLNBap/s1600/2014-10-08_17-17-17_885.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXtOfR6eHM9AEXi5Vj6TRZAiSl-XNRQ6CYaXKlA31tDHpK6kaZBM_uIvwh5o2qvx8R4gHLpJBFwJ93STZo_nKDAUsLBp_WJzNadKfzRkJRPDZxIWKi9NJBLmBCaIHiXlOFNeEAqcQLNBap/s1600/2014-10-08_17-17-17_885.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a>The painting was initially a horrible nightmare and entirely my fault. Plastics come coated with an oil and if you don't scrub the heck out of them the primer will not stick and neither will the paint and the result is just nasty. And I've only been doing this for forty years...<br />
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The figures on the whole are quite nice. They are much more slender than the other 1/72 minis on the market so I wouldn't try mixing in Plastic Soldier Company figures into the same unit. These are all designed for winter gaming so for summer I'll probably use the chunkier models from other sources, just to have some freedom to mix and match. Still, one or two boxes of these and a pair of vehicles and I'm ready to go with winter Eastern Front Chain of Command. Not too bad.Dr. Mike Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18358614273315782382noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4119341533010662255.post-66818205309774158322014-10-05T14:29:00.000-07:002014-10-05T14:29:10.823-07:00Boston Trained Bands Now Has Something in Common with Kim Kardashian<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI0Tmj1VUc55AOCon8peFwruCmSn0zWBG-fQIwflVoENsnRg0C7La1jkG3xOynixz2YzGZj3u5x2Adc7QdCw6kgSS56iEM_SNk-xZBMYjlJP5fsQAUnwJIofhq_d1He96H1hjbQ1Xiy0QH/s1600/10559700_10204616312350886_5212959047266846599_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI0Tmj1VUc55AOCon8peFwruCmSn0zWBG-fQIwflVoENsnRg0C7La1jkG3xOynixz2YzGZj3u5x2Adc7QdCw6kgSS56iEM_SNk-xZBMYjlJP5fsQAUnwJIofhq_d1He96H1hjbQ1Xiy0QH/s1600/10559700_10204616312350886_5212959047266846599_n.jpg" height="132" width="200" /></a><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/1451648981776968/" target="_blank"><b>Boston Trained Bands</b></a> is one of the more active gaming clubs in Massachusetts but for some time has had a small internet footprint. New gamers in the area might have some trouble tracking the club down and that's too bad. Now they've taken the plunge and set up a functional Facebook account.<br />
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If you're in Southern New Hampshire or the Boston area then check out the new <b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/1451648981776968/" target="_blank">Boston Trained Bands</a> </b>page. There should be information on upcoming games and events and ways of contacting the gamers and getting involved etc. etc. The group meets regularly at Malden's Hobby Bunker, which is a bit of a shopper's paradise anyway.<br />
<br />Dr. Mike Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18358614273315782382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4119341533010662255.post-82312989756579401822014-10-05T14:20:00.004-07:002014-10-05T14:20:42.911-07:00Chain of Command- Good Platoon Level Gaming<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqIv7_T6e-Jka1_KhbM2fR0FuFwzG4y_BPWKie09RPQePEIhIL6E1xbNAr3apJqAaPSbcknjKiW6V_fFJ34xU7-Wyecyz4l53FlBr_fWAAW7JSJhnbwSxY9fcZsYn7bryhjCvASwGTqD65/s1600/2a079936e5db015f26c7a7f3dfab9410.image.214x300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqIv7_T6e-Jka1_KhbM2fR0FuFwzG4y_BPWKie09RPQePEIhIL6E1xbNAr3apJqAaPSbcknjKiW6V_fFJ34xU7-Wyecyz4l53FlBr_fWAAW7JSJhnbwSxY9fcZsYn7bryhjCvASwGTqD65/s1600/2a079936e5db015f26c7a7f3dfab9410.image.214x300.jpg" height="200" width="142" /></a>Over the last few weeks we've been playing a new set of platoon level World War Two rules at the club called <b>Chain of Command</b>. They're published by <a href="http://toofatlardies.co.uk/" target="_blank">Too Fat Lardies</a> and bring with them some of the best and worst qualities that the Lardies usually deliver.<br />
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In a game of CoC each player is likely to command a platoon with some support. The basic game may include a single vehicle and some low level artillery. A game takes a few hours to play. In this there's a lot to like. Setup is fast and you don't need a huge collection of models to play. Through the course of the game each player rolls a set of dice and then uses the results to activate teams and squads. If you roll a "2," for example, you can activate a squad to<br />
do something. Rolling a "3" let's you activate a leader who can cause a small cascade of events to occur. Generally speaking you'll have the chance to do Something useful each turn, but the dice add an element of chance. At the same time forces with more and better leaders are likely to do more things, more often, which is appropriate for this level of game.<br />
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Firing and combat results are straightforward enough, with figures delivering a number of firing dice and then attempting to roll a target number or higher. Successful firing can cause outright deaths or simply weigh down the squad with "shock," which slows movement and makes firing less effective. Inflict enough shock and casualties and the unit will break.<br />
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CoC includes a few novel elements (as is typical for a Lardies game). The activation mechanism is exciting, a little "gamey," but adds some tense tactical choice making. There is a pre-game patrol segment in which players vie for deployment options that is also exciting and challenging. The shock mechanism is effective and overall the game flows well.<br />
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On the downside the rules could really use some editing. I don't know why but I constantly struggle to make sense of Too Fat Lardies rule books. The games themselves play quite nicely but I don't think I've ever learned the rules from the book itself- it's always been from having another person teach me.<br />
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On the whole, though, CoC is a very fun game and we've been playing the heck out of it. The investment to play is very low, especially if you play in 15mm or 1/72 scale. The games go fast and feel somehow more historical than the Bolt Action games. I think the only caveat is the oddly mysterious rule book. If you can get through that you have a very nice set of platoon level rules.Dr. Mike Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18358614273315782382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4119341533010662255.post-28363753010801145572014-10-05T14:19:00.001-07:002014-10-05T14:19:21.429-07:00More Legendary Fun Plus Aliens!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL61YjPNNM2srckr77kdxcuWibJF983PsFZ4S_XI8Ipk7d22I62WX5KJjGM8zaksAJBp1vfH8_MQBWkBDB104f3FYZAZMd5lPV4pJGUFvSUaKeVn_Fn6uZnzeyHwTUs8DEAmxYGuL3OjPH/s1600/pic2225180_md.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL61YjPNNM2srckr77kdxcuWibJF983PsFZ4S_XI8Ipk7d22I62WX5KJjGM8zaksAJBp1vfH8_MQBWkBDB104f3FYZAZMd5lPV4pJGUFvSUaKeVn_Fn6uZnzeyHwTUs8DEAmxYGuL3OjPH/s1600/pic2225180_md.jpg" height="128" width="200" /></a></div>
I've continued to play one game after another of <b>Legendary: Marvel Deck Building Game</b>. My seven year old son likes it, the people at the club like it, my wife tolerates it (which is not too bad) and each time I play it still feels fresh and interesting. Thus, it was a struggle not to buy <b>Legendary Encounters: an Alien Deck Building Game</b>. Not too much of a struggle though, since I caved right away and got it.<br />
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The basic Legendary system allows you to use cards in your hand to either "fight" some enemy or "buy" new cards. The new cards get added to your overall deck and over time you can draw better and more effective hands. The other Legendary mechanism is that through the course of the game new threats appear literally as a row of cards. If you do not deal with them soon they stack up and eventually cause you some negative effect.<br />
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That being said, in Encounters you play a character trying to survive one of the four Alien movies. Through the game you can improve your abilities to fight and survive and at the same time waves of enemies and threats appear which may set you back. The specific rules are quite simple and the game includes lots of play aids included in the card's text- one rarely goes back to the rules after a bit of playing.<br />
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So how does it play? It plays like you're in the movie and frantically trying to stay alive! What's more, the design sets you very specifically in a given setting and moment. At one point you're exploring a derelict ship, later in the game you're racing against time to reset the Nostromo's self destruct mechanism. I like Legendary Marvel Heroes but you do have to do a bit of work to add a narrative on to the play. In Legendary Encounters the narrative is crystal clear. It's flat out tense and exciting.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj27Qw0Nxz0XFJxypGiuLxUEYen7OfF6gJri-VYnMS1tVw0h5WE_kqdc7VK7jqZPM9aYLzRvDBjT5IZ-sYhcPBaib_TiNVxhJzaUSDdpUljC9hmf76U1rhOGAP0_2vhveR0Kt_cMhro9qwZ/s1600/pic2221838_md.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj27Qw0Nxz0XFJxypGiuLxUEYen7OfF6gJri-VYnMS1tVw0h5WE_kqdc7VK7jqZPM9aYLzRvDBjT5IZ-sYhcPBaib_TiNVxhJzaUSDdpUljC9hmf76U1rhOGAP0_2vhveR0Kt_cMhro9qwZ/s1600/pic2221838_md.jpg" height="137" width="200" /></a>The only caveat to Legendary Encounters is that it is absolutely designed for adults only. The art is fair but what is there includes lots of grisly deaths and chest bursting and head exploding. So keep it away from the kids, not just to play but even to look at.<br />
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As a game for adults, however, Legendary Encounters is just terrific. I don't know if it would be quite as much fun for someone who has not seen the movies, but if there was such a person they should go see the films anyway! And then see Prometheus, which is awesome.Dr. Mike Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18358614273315782382noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4119341533010662255.post-35962212297696092352014-07-20T11:50:00.002-07:002014-07-20T11:50:51.745-07:00Let's Paint with OilsAs the years go on I get restless every now and they to try some new approach to painting. I have to admit that Vallejo acrylics and a nice brush will turn out some pretty nice figures but there's always that desire to mess around and see what else is out there. My project painting toy soldier style Soldiers in Plastic was a fun experiment for example- using low levels of detail and lots of gloss varnish. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrwNuGMuhiJmLkwVLa0CnSNr2uS1ZFvxIBAGBzYLrga4IarbGaT4HspvCwuv27uGtj1I83kLisdO0PouBX0HAXCgYwlTnwIFntyZWD2gtpZsQNaKbUPEWOfhg6nu1V5q0pf3c6XsgLPUiZ/s1600/2014-06-29_20-57-19_869.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrwNuGMuhiJmLkwVLa0CnSNr2uS1ZFvxIBAGBzYLrga4IarbGaT4HspvCwuv27uGtj1I83kLisdO0PouBX0HAXCgYwlTnwIFntyZWD2gtpZsQNaKbUPEWOfhg6nu1V5q0pf3c6XsgLPUiZ/s1600/2014-06-29_20-57-19_869.jpg" height="112" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flock those Minis!</td></tr>
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I've been following the work of <a href="http://grandduchyofstollen.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Stokes Schwartz</a> through his blog and through various pieces he's submitted to <u><i>Miniature Wargames/Battlegames</i></u>. Stokes does a pretty stunning job on his 18th century armies and a lot of his work is done in oils. I've tried oils in the past but in short was using them wrong and they came out looking terrible. Then I read Mr. Schwartz's piece on using oils in <i><b>Miniature Wargames #371</b></i> and decided to give it another shot.<br />
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The short form is that Stokes recommends diluting alkyd oils with a substance called Liquin before using them. I set up some Perry War of the Roses infantry, put down a white gesso basecoat, and set to work.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDupYQURmRIWic55pJS7qL8m1EuIc_gkOqpjKMXPH8XntP5eWbZ28gx8RyFqzr3HADWjiIiVgvn4KJJwB5ehDvolRMoWcWZkKM1FuUj4Lvk9k1epG2FzHQwVATbiy7bk4cs4e4qWGfEC7c/s1600/2014-06-29_20-57-33_733.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDupYQURmRIWic55pJS7qL8m1EuIc_gkOqpjKMXPH8XntP5eWbZ28gx8RyFqzr3HADWjiIiVgvn4KJJwB5ehDvolRMoWcWZkKM1FuUj4Lvk9k1epG2FzHQwVATbiy7bk4cs4e4qWGfEC7c/s1600/2014-06-29_20-57-33_733.jpg" height="112" width="200" /></a>The Liquin dilutes the otherwise pasty oils up to a point where they resemble vaseline. If you dilute them only slightly they resemble acrylics and paint on in a familiar fashion. The main difference is that the oils don't dry as quickly and so you can't paint a layer, wait a minute, and then go back and add more color. If you do the first layer just gets pushed to one side. If you dilute the colors intensely they can be used as a wash of sorts, hardly as agile as Citadel washes or inks but still serving a similar purpose.<br />
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Overall I had a pretty positive experience. Acrylics are obviously faster in all ways- faster to mix, faster to paint, faster to clean. The oils are superior in the luster of their color. They really stand out across the table and for pretty armies they will do a terrific job. They also smell good, which is not Completely trivial.<br />
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I'm not going to use oils for dark ages or WW II figures. I could well imagine using them for Blood Bowl, War of Austrian Succession, or Successors. In the future I think I'm going to aim for more wash effects and less attempt at a solid and precise color. But overall, a nice experiment.<br />
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<br />Dr. Mike Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18358614273315782382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4119341533010662255.post-12145984594719916042014-07-20T11:29:00.001-07:002014-07-20T11:29:20.370-07:00A Tragic Bit of Bad AdviceRecently I picked up <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Armored-Combat-Vietnam-Donn-Starry/dp/0405136994/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1405878776&sr=1-1&keywords=armored+combat+vietnam" target="_blank">Armored Combat in Vietnam</a></i> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Marine-Corps-Tank-Battles-Vietnam-ebook/dp/B00BBPWBNW/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1405878740&sr=1-1&keywords=marine+tank+battles+vietnam" target="_blank"><i>Marine Corps Tank Battle in Vietnam</i></a>. The latter, written by Marine Corp vet Oscar Gilbert, is a pretty compelling set of narratives. It chronicles the Marine's armored efforts in the war and concentrates on individual soldier's recollections and accounts. The former text is more grand tactical is scale and while interesting it doesn't pack the same emotional punch.<br />
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Both books are worth taking a look at. They agree on a number of points. First, it was harder than pulling teeth to get any armored vehicles into the theater. Planner envisioned a foot soldier war with air and artillery support.<br />
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They both also suggest that armored vehicles, including tanks, ended up playing a useful role in the war. They describe moments in which armored vehicles were mildly helpful and also moments (such as at the relief of Tan Son Nhut during first Tet) where they were pretty vital. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiz_xqvqF00x7jAqIMGevVhkPd75kh3RInIF1WNOa2qmfQOA6AxyinwtO7DmrJVocuC0mRN8ld0MCBeM0fuzHkWioPj0wU1hooVC1wyLqy03ihSzH38R4uguXajYLm2tNrs6vzwD6_jSw7/s1600/9781452663173_p0_v3_s260x420.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiz_xqvqF00x7jAqIMGevVhkPd75kh3RInIF1WNOa2qmfQOA6AxyinwtO7DmrJVocuC0mRN8ld0MCBeM0fuzHkWioPj0wU1hooVC1wyLqy03ihSzH38R4uguXajYLm2tNrs6vzwD6_jSw7/s1600/9781452663173_p0_v3_s260x420.JPG" height="200" width="150" /></a>All that being said, it was revealing to start reading my copy of <i>The Street Without Joy</i> last week. This book was published in 1961 and is one of the most accessible texts describing the French experience in Indochina from the forties through the early sixties. In fact, unless one can read French, it might be one of your only sources of information regarding that conflict if you were, say, an American policymaker contemplating the region in 1962.<br />
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The stage now set, l<br />
et's turn to the forward, written by Marshall Andrews:<br />
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"There was no lack of equipment for modern war in the hands of the French Union Forces (FUF)... this very plentitude of heavy equipment proved a handicap in the test of battle. Not only did it tie the FUF to what few roads there were, but both the equipment and the doctrine it imposed led FUF commands time after time into easily contrived ambushes. The French contended against the jungle while the Viet-Minh made use of it."<br />
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There's more in that vein. He concludes with:<br />
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"What is needed now, in the light of France's failure in Indochina, is a search for stout legs, stout hearts, fertile brains, and an understanding of the new relation of big politics to little wars."<br />
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It's almost enough to make you cry. For one because a great many stout hearts were identified and then snuffed out during that conflict- combatants, civilians, men, women and children. So "stout hearts," check. Further, many of the political issues that bedevil the French stay active during the American involvement. It is clearly easier to mobilize stout hearts and legs than it is to develop understanding.<br />
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But, on a much more trivial note, it's also sad how misleading this text is. I suspect Fall's book was a major influence on American tactical doctrine. From what I've read, at least, it appears that armor in Vietnam was fairly effective, especially when used as a mobile striking force and not diluted into isolated palace guard duty. But by the time the information from experience was making its way back to the States the policies had already been developed.<br />
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Now there are additional arguments against an armor heavy involvement in the war. Personnel caps made exporting a large vehicle support infrastructure difficult. And Fall's work suggests that the French also suffered from insufficient numbers of troops. So American planners probably decided to increase foot troop strength at the expense of (theoretically) inefficient armor.<br />
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If nothing else, it's an ironic cap on two books about armored combat in Vietnam and an interesting example of how policy is developed.Dr. Mike Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18358614273315782382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4119341533010662255.post-56094851905607432132014-07-04T16:00:00.003-07:002014-07-04T16:00:44.241-07:00Mel Gibson Lets me Down AgainFor people of a certain age the name Mel Gibson means Road Warrior. The young Dr. Fischer to be would never have guessed that the awesomely cool Mad Max would eventually morph into a cackling maniac with an addiction to humiliating public misbehaviour. But the present day Dr. Fischer had at least some small hopes that Mel would hold it together for <b>We Were Soldiers</b>, a film based on the events at Ia Drang in late 1965.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy7G83q_y7mVBDR9dL-aFpPIVgSPPhhDyjUyQf4P6A2ubUBWTG8xRvC-DyktT_rfHo-jzQkgtT04JkgxI84Pfuk4xJzaHlFmKrgtHyoBW6K7perYOd9Z52qRdm9VfSysThxY44b60NG5Px/s1600/250px-We_Were_Soldiers_Once...and_Young.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy7G83q_y7mVBDR9dL-aFpPIVgSPPhhDyjUyQf4P6A2ubUBWTG8xRvC-DyktT_rfHo-jzQkgtT04JkgxI84Pfuk4xJzaHlFmKrgtHyoBW6K7perYOd9Z52qRdm9VfSysThxY44b60NG5Px/s1600/250px-We_Were_Soldiers_Once...and_Young.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a>The battle of Ia Drang is important in a number of respects. It's the first major encounter between the United States and the forces of North Vietnam in that conflict. It's an example of the early use of airmobility in that war. It features many of the hallmarks of that conflict- overwhelming American air and artillery support, a generally professional level of performance by the American troops, and the vital role of intelligence in the war. Finally, it represents a mammoth and bloody encounter that takes place in an isolated and strategically meaningless area. All these elements would repeat throughout the conflict.<br />
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In terms of the movie, I was hoping for at least a decent war film and maybe some interesting looks at the terrain. I have to say that <b>We Were Soldiers</b> was instead just terrible. Because the movie changes the Entire Ending of the Battle. In history the Americans don't "win," they make it through the battle. Surviving the encounter and holding the position are massive challenges but the battle doesn't end on a high note. The North Vietnamese simply melt away. <br />
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In the movie the Americans find themselves about to take on a final attack. At that point the pour out of their trenches and rout the Vietnamese. Moving at a run the 400 Americans drive the 4000 enemies UP a hill. The Vietnamese gather beyond the crest of the hill and level all their weapons at the ridgeline, waiting for the Americans to come across. It's going to be a massacre! And then two American helicopters appear literally fifteen feet above the Vietnamese and blast them all into oblivion. They don't approach, they just appear, like Jason from Camp Crystal Lake appearing behind you when you look in the bathroom mirror. They're Stealth UH-1's! Mel Gibson and his troops end the film moving through the ruined Vietnamese base camp, humbled at the massive destruction.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS8idKeoURX4mYk-ZNnZxNuvCgSMl29ZCnNMu1Hiu30lE1CXY6L-ahUzwHSVMsON6GUr71eC-jmNJrKxEIdopBcpMidLSYASx5Q6hU5cEBtv5-bR8fGFzTKQQ15t88yVRwUEJNFdcZR_5X/s1600/12-ben-affleck-kate-beckinsale-pearl-harbor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS8idKeoURX4mYk-ZNnZxNuvCgSMl29ZCnNMu1Hiu30lE1CXY6L-ahUzwHSVMsON6GUr71eC-jmNJrKxEIdopBcpMidLSYASx5Q6hU5cEBtv5-bR8fGFzTKQQ15t88yVRwUEJNFdcZR_5X/s1600/12-ben-affleck-kate-beckinsale-pearl-harbor.jpg" height="217" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yet Another Bad War Movie</td></tr>
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The rest of the movie is pretty average but the end is so wrong on so many levels. It's not editing for time, it's not combining characters to make the story manageable, it's just completely altering the event. Why not just rewrite the whole war, make it a brushfire skirmish on a small Caribbean island and have Jimi Hendrix and Jim Morrison lead a rag tag squad to victory against giant zombie spiders. Get Michael Bey on line one!Dr. Mike Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18358614273315782382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4119341533010662255.post-29921856739139148652014-07-04T15:08:00.002-07:002014-07-04T15:08:39.210-07:00Spencer Smith Minis ArriveAfter reading issues of Battlegames and various classic Charles Grant books it's become a fantasy to own a collection of toy soldier style Spencer Smiths. On a seemingly unrelated note, my mother in law took the wife to England this Spring. The connection? I was able to think quickly and arrange to have a massive pile of lead delivered to their hotel and then carted back to the US in their luggage! The wife was a good sport even as she wished my hobby was feather collecting or stamps.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9OJJJypGmrtlD-Sx7RCIcIASWJteJF0uVHPKhs9IV9jPJE0KN0X6q983BCUeJmLtrPOxIetV-oPif8-m_1PZd_KUSwhauS6RWe-aHvpsT_OdrIRBvpTNOXoPW2GzgBLm36kDDkHBuzCeq/s1600/2014-06-29_20-55-41_77.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9OJJJypGmrtlD-Sx7RCIcIASWJteJF0uVHPKhs9IV9jPJE0KN0X6q983BCUeJmLtrPOxIetV-oPif8-m_1PZd_KUSwhauS6RWe-aHvpsT_OdrIRBvpTNOXoPW2GzgBLm36kDDkHBuzCeq/s1600/2014-06-29_20-55-41_77.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a>I've experimented with two styles of painting for the new minis. The first is to leave strong black lines as borders between colours and body parts. The second is to use only blocks of paint and ignore shading, highlight, and all the typical tricks we use in modern figure painting.<br />
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Here are the grenadiers. I used the painting guide from <a href="http://vial.jean.free.fr/new_npi/archives/archiv.htm" target="_blank">Nec Pluribus Impar</a> site detailing the army of Piedmont in the War of the Austrian Succession. Because really, why not build an army from an obscure conflict that's completely overshadowed by the following massive conflagration? And even an army fighting in the less well known theater of that obscure conflict. I'm sure I'll find oodles of opponents.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4zU5Qg0uiUjMyrbPlLdtuRGblKWvMBAJxfN9HuB46FtrnsOXgorPf2uiFcpwH7i96NBkLuXifiXtCh66GCwbS79J6Bt1F2baniilp4PvnB4EDkLp1lL-iE13s8KvrIgci9QiYSSZj1dpA/s1600/2014-07-04_17-39-08_960.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4zU5Qg0uiUjMyrbPlLdtuRGblKWvMBAJxfN9HuB46FtrnsOXgorPf2uiFcpwH7i96NBkLuXifiXtCh66GCwbS79J6Bt1F2baniilp4PvnB4EDkLp1lL-iE13s8KvrIgci9QiYSSZj1dpA/s1600/2014-07-04_17-39-08_960.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a>Up next are the fusiliers. I used just blocks of colour and skipped any defining lines. I have to admit, it made the process absolutely zip on by. It almost feels like cheating to whip off a unit so quickly. In the end I think I'm going to stick with this approach. I like the speed and my skills are not up to maintaining extremely fine lines, even when I base coat in black.<br />
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In both cases I am pretty thrilled to perfect my facial hair drawing skills. Lucky this is a heavily mustachioed time period! Cavalry is next.<br />
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<br />Dr. Mike Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18358614273315782382noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4119341533010662255.post-38642550777407286642014-06-29T18:32:00.001-07:002014-06-29T18:32:05.003-07:00My New Haul!<b>Myriad Games </b>in Salem had its bi-yearly charity auction this weekend and I was able to attend for the first time. The store takes donations of old games and then auctions them off, with anywhere from 20-100% of the proceeds going to charity (the remainder go to the game's donor, not the store). <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYgj7-cUmwAw5ph3769V6lmn3Q3QO6rtXYmoI0RhdbLEip5WivKD5umgEnUJNeLCs2nOy-3nTMfQe0qtPYkHLYYJrzU4Ig7SGqYefxmXEhmE5Bd3NLaFtqUMmVVYeQMh04U_21cXieu4qW/s1600/2014-06-29_20-48-28_121.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYgj7-cUmwAw5ph3769V6lmn3Q3QO6rtXYmoI0RhdbLEip5WivKD5umgEnUJNeLCs2nOy-3nTMfQe0qtPYkHLYYJrzU4Ig7SGqYefxmXEhmE5Bd3NLaFtqUMmVVYeQMh04U_21cXieu4qW/s1600/2014-06-29_20-48-28_121.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Pile 'o Fun</td></tr>
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This auction certainly had its' highs and lows. There are plenty of copies of <b>Munchkin</b> and <b>Trivial Pursuit </b>to go around! And also <b>Scene It</b>, which is secretly a lot of fun to play. There were also some wild old gems including an interactive VHS game (<b>Dragon Strike</b>!) and a lurid oil painting of a demon from Dungeons and Dragons that was just both hard to look at And hard to look away from. But buried amidst the dross were some real treasures. Basic games like<b> Dominion, Bang, and Carcassonne</b>. Some more outre entries like <b>Space Alert</b>. And some lovely little treats. I was outbid on <b>Blood Bowl</b> but then my luck changed.<br />
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I managed to walk away with thirty pounds of <b>Tide of Iron</b> game and expansions, a copy of <b>Hybrid</b> and <b>Hybrid:Nemesis</b>, A <b>Combat Commander</b> set, and a huge box of Space Marines. Now some of this is headed to eBay but what's left is going to be awesome and basically have paid for itself.<br />
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So a productive afternoon, if you use the word productive in the inappropriate sense!<br />
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As an aside, how do we explain Rackham to our children? Yes kids, there was once a company that produced an endless stream of insanely beautiful miniatures but one day they all decided to change their business plan and then go bankrupt. Have fun with your horrible Mantic miniatures. Tragic. But that being said, the games are first to eBay I suspect.<br />
<b>Hybrid</b>Dr. Mike Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18358614273315782382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4119341533010662255.post-1833078266979741252014-05-11T07:51:00.005-07:002014-05-11T07:51:54.385-07:00A Close CallI recently picked up an iPad to use as a email and banking tool. Suffice it to say that the iPad is terrible for those things, as well as pretty much every other task but one. It's a nice gaming platform. Since it was free and full of buzz I threw down zero dollars and picked up <b>Hearthstone</b>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQQP6h9BMFgagh5_T3zeVSv0yftxgjI4-aTQC2jkXAZq3AUEZi7lVK0AnTFrJjkd_vKiBX2uY831rOQkCuIsvuQaYKlXl3J16SnKHcKt8WOHpP-XrK2_voczwi8KDsLzZWrOuICY1Hvyuv/s1600/hearthstone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQQP6h9BMFgagh5_T3zeVSv0yftxgjI4-aTQC2jkXAZq3AUEZi7lVK0AnTFrJjkd_vKiBX2uY831rOQkCuIsvuQaYKlXl3J16SnKHcKt8WOHpP-XrK2_voczwi8KDsLzZWrOuICY1Hvyuv/s1600/hearthstone.jpg" height="174" width="320" /></a><b>Hearthstone</b> is an online card game similar to <b>Magic</b>. You have a deck of cards and play against an opponent. Each player has some hit points and the person who can reduce their opponent to zero hit points first wins. Some cards attack your opponent, some protect you, some deploy minions who can attack or defend or both and some cards alter your minion's abilities. You can play as one of several classes, Rogue or Cleric or Warrior for example. Each class has special cards and abilities. The game has huge replay value based on the number of cards available and the various classes.<br />
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So here's the rub. The cards are available for purchase in virtual packs of five. You don't know which cards you'll get and some are more rare and powerful than others. The more packs you purchase, the greater the chances of getting some awesome and useful card. You can also earn virtual currency by playing the game enough times. In theory if you played all the time you could earn a lot of currency and then buy more packs without spending actual money. Keep in mind these "cards" and "packs" only exist on your computer. <br />
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In its favor <b>Hearthstone</b> is a fun game. It's fast and entertaining. That being said:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKLSNqSttHzo4j_Vq4NCyUcnzSKm-SGAz9mhP5OA_2JNecwlAzrDhh9ZmhEdhnyAhmPpEfTPkWvKNyMQbR7qfPloGieXSVvJfC60GrITz6c5WcwrqUq2JFMBgV7rTwLlqXFfEpB4YlYQSg/s1600/crazy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKLSNqSttHzo4j_Vq4NCyUcnzSKm-SGAz9mhP5OA_2JNecwlAzrDhh9ZmhEdhnyAhmPpEfTPkWvKNyMQbR7qfPloGieXSVvJfC60GrITz6c5WcwrqUq2JFMBgV7rTwLlqXFfEpB4YlYQSg/s1600/crazy.jpg" height="200" width="196" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sheer Craziness</td></tr>
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After a Lot of playing I suddenly recoiled and grabbed my head. God d@#m, I just spent ten hours perfecting my skills of doing Nothing, wasted time earning Points so that I could waste more time doing Nothing, and lost a lot of games because I wasn't up for spending real money on cards that Don't Even Exist. It's insane!<br />
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I like board games because they're fun, they're social, and I feel like you do tune your brain while playing. You lean to manage resources, cooperate, take chances, and focus on goals. In Hearthstone you're alone, losing a ton unless you throw down some serious time or money, and perfecting your skills at playing <b>Hearthstone</b>. "Hey honey, I'm going to ignore you and the kids and after three hours I'll be marginally better at a completely abstract and otherwise useless task."<br />
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So <b>Hearthstone</b> is gone and the next day I built a new door for the chicken coop. Whew.<br />
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<br />Dr. Mike Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18358614273315782382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4119341533010662255.post-43154749368733350562014-05-01T16:50:00.001-07:002014-05-01T16:50:55.944-07:00Final Charlie Don't Surf PlaytestI had one more chance to test the game last weekend with trained wargamers this time. The good news is that after a few minutes of play the game flowed pretty well without my constant direction. One thing you look for in a convention game is to have the GM disappear into the background and let the players concentrate on having fun. So that was good.<br />
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I continue to be very happy with the 6mm figures. The main drawback to them is that NVA and American uniforms are pretty identical at that scale. I'm going to have to give them all banners of some sort. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_7K-RLO56VGyzF7mTsyZxXFIVCYxhfSa6wizGG7apvdPARoA6SnYJn3PglYYvjgb2vaPvkcCJsZzUTwBs6zzXMP5BX8uuftX-szNIEpyp4faMTeAmJcRbeMlCL6ALQxpZYhiQ9tX8uje6/s1600/2014-04-26_13-03-23_280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_7K-RLO56VGyzF7mTsyZxXFIVCYxhfSa6wizGG7apvdPARoA6SnYJn3PglYYvjgb2vaPvkcCJsZzUTwBs6zzXMP5BX8uuftX-szNIEpyp4faMTeAmJcRbeMlCL6ALQxpZYhiQ9tX8uje6/s1600/2014-04-26_13-03-23_280.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a>The battle of Hoa Tan was a huge success for the Americans, with high NVA losses and (relatively) few US casualties. We found that <b>Charlie Don't Surf</b> is accurate enough in that this scenario is terribly hard for the NVA players. They are outnumbered and outgunned from the start and ambushes and snipers just don't slow down the American steamroller enough to make a difference. I hate to meddle with the historical order of battle but to make the game fun for all the players I'll be cutting down on the American troops.<br />
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The consensus in the end is that the rules are decent, the game flows quickly enough once you have played a turn or two, and that the terrain is almost con-ready. Compared to my usual games which appear at Huzzah with the paint still drying that's not too shabby at all.Dr. Mike Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18358614273315782382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4119341533010662255.post-4539641178446044052014-04-09T16:29:00.001-07:002014-04-09T16:29:13.503-07:00The John Carter Game is Mine at Last<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV8P_xLf05D29ED49jaxO3mjUa-irIYl6AwMbhNIk1jIiFF3D0fbhSBVpvjRtGXn22mtb5TOPxphtv5kYWtYFr9YDBT3aob84chaWAAOly7VJim1LTus7pf9JIP_LInxaKUXh1IHIkvOoi/s1600/pic10710_md.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV8P_xLf05D29ED49jaxO3mjUa-irIYl6AwMbhNIk1jIiFF3D0fbhSBVpvjRtGXn22mtb5TOPxphtv5kYWtYFr9YDBT3aob84chaWAAOly7VJim1LTus7pf9JIP_LInxaKUXh1IHIkvOoi/s1600/pic10710_md.jpg" height="320" width="232" /></a>When I was growing up our family friends the Tsocanos had a huge supply of Joe Kubert Tarzan comics. As the old folks remember those magazines also included Korak (son of Tarzan, and I blush to imagine someone might not know that), Carson of Venus, and John Carter of Mars. As a result I grew up assuming that John Carter's adventures were commonly known pop culture, along with Captain Scarlet and the Thunderbirds.<br />
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This was not the case.<br />
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That being said I ended up reading the John Carter books, buying the John Carter miniatures, and in off moments wondering whether life on mars with a sword in my hand and a princess on my arm might in some ways be more cool that school and cub scouts. At least a John Carter movie would be pretty awesome.<br />
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Again, wrong.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn_812icAtxRa-SdAh-E3vmx673u90DC0o94vpH6k_RGAB-_BwACTT46i5fFhn95LjCBsxvvar7IwoHp8_M0fr1jreWFFf5iODMtUynZ5Q1ghZLD7QS59Cxd3tL1c0owS4P9Ra7adboy9L/s1600/2014-04-09_18-36-03_447.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn_812icAtxRa-SdAh-E3vmx673u90DC0o94vpH6k_RGAB-_BwACTT46i5fFhn95LjCBsxvvar7IwoHp8_M0fr1jreWFFf5iODMtUynZ5Q1ghZLD7QS59Cxd3tL1c0owS4P9Ra7adboy9L/s1600/2014-04-09_18-36-03_447.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Really, It's All Intuitive</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
All this is a lead in to my recent impulse purchase of a used copy of the <b>John Carter: Warlord of Mars </b>game, published by SPI in 1979. I had always been curious about this game and now as an adult I could own it and play it and try and exorcise those memories of that horrible movie. Plus, it turns out the game was designed by Mark Herman, a very famous and successful designer. Further, it has an introduction from Scott Bizar, the owner of <b>Fantasy Games Unlimited </b>and an old friend, mentor and employer who helped shape my early gaming years. Finally, the family was going to be out of town for a few weeks so I had plenty of time to learn the game and play!<br />
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Wrong again!<br />
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After five minutes of reading the rules I was left wondering if I had actually played games like this in the past. I could swear I remember playing <b>Squad Leader and Panzerblitz, Arab Israeli Wars, Mordor, CA, Seventh Fleet</b>, but maybe I just imagined it all. Because these rules are just impenetrable. There are 28 pages of "sections" and "cases" and they're all arranged digitally (ie. case [6.53]). There are also eight pages of charts and tables (at least they have the decency to call it "Charts and Tables" and not a Quick Reference Sheet). There is a Prison Companion Table, an Arena Duel Table, and a Hand of Fate Table. Plus many others.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5kYxgifrdlHD5YMsFaM0ZVeVxzYQG49BfKfdzjVoDILEn9CMZeIB0Mo-V2k_9Q6BgamU76ecvIeUNh7T9AtKLvvjwSuQqThjtuf3JPLXpVODm4HlJwZRntmk32CQeu_a5t7eR_fJsn0Oz/s1600/pic65503_md.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5kYxgifrdlHD5YMsFaM0ZVeVxzYQG49BfKfdzjVoDILEn9CMZeIB0Mo-V2k_9Q6BgamU76ecvIeUNh7T9AtKLvvjwSuQqThjtuf3JPLXpVODm4HlJwZRntmk32CQeu_a5t7eR_fJsn0Oz/s1600/pic65503_md.jpg" height="202" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Counters! 400 of Them</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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I'm probably laying it on a little thick but I think my capacity for sections and cases has diminished. About 176%. Maybe I was just extremely clever as a teen and now just mildly clever as an adult. That's probably it! Still, it's another one of those "you can't go home again" moments.<br />
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Having said that, the Kubert comics are still awesome! Reprints are available.<br />
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<br />Dr. Mike Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18358614273315782382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4119341533010662255.post-58193889709878997072014-04-09T15:58:00.002-07:002014-04-09T15:58:19.471-07:00Another Charlie Don't Surf PlaytestLast night I inflicted miniatures gaming upon my board gaming group at <a href="http://www.myriadgames.com/" target="_blank">Myriad Games</a> in Salem. Suffice it to say that they were Very Good Sports and that I completely botched any rules explanations and probably left them mystified.<br />
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That being said, what lessons were learned?<br />
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Did I mention those people were indeed Very Good Sports as well as being Inhumanly Patient? If you like board games and you're in the Salem, NH area then you should absolutely pay the store a visit.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXowPYxnXiwpDEJtcgR2wfgUvQmDpETupQYL0KiOwGxsrv5wre9mKmRxaZmGxBEMq1UmfPrmK1_O64GGfddzoxP7FO1IECZD7a50xR93ktlVLf2en28ql-FuU1KYwoOoqgoUPLAN79lOaJ/s1600/2014-04-08_20-32-38_59.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXowPYxnXiwpDEJtcgR2wfgUvQmDpETupQYL0KiOwGxsrv5wre9mKmRxaZmGxBEMq1UmfPrmK1_O64GGfddzoxP7FO1IECZD7a50xR93ktlVLf2en28ql-FuU1KYwoOoqgoUPLAN79lOaJ/s1600/2014-04-08_20-32-38_59.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Renee's ambushing troops accumulate some shock</td></tr>
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Secondly, while I feel I'm not unclever, I'm still struggling with the TooFatLardies rules. <b>Charlie Don't Surf </b>is not complex in its' foundation but the basic structure begins to fray when various details are addressed. So, for example, squads and platoons move and fire easily enough. The rules concerning them are intuitive in that once you've moved one squad you know the system. Unfortunately there is a somewhat different system for attack helicopters. And snipers. And antiaircraft fire. And artillery. Not vastly different, but different enough that you need to know them as addition sets of rules.<br />
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And then there are the modifiers. I understand the justification for modifying die rolls but there are a Lot of modifiers in Charlie Don't Surf. I ended up just ignoring a lot of them during the game and setting an arbitrary target for success in order to speed the game up and cut down on paper cuts as I flipped through the rules.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtHCzm6uCkfcakd31mghOyL9ox6Su0_dJl-ROgCdVIJsDJTe4ThZy4DzTk_zkbU0910sHBPWHV3abJOLqoSEwY59FlcRV4q0bMAhEdXZ6-ssuCwtnxPXI-CqRTqFQbwX0IuiLwYDmsZXTV/s1600/2014-04-08_20-32-47_260.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtHCzm6uCkfcakd31mghOyL9ox6Su0_dJl-ROgCdVIJsDJTe4ThZy4DzTk_zkbU0910sHBPWHV3abJOLqoSEwY59FlcRV4q0bMAhEdXZ6-ssuCwtnxPXI-CqRTqFQbwX0IuiLwYDmsZXTV/s1600/2014-04-08_20-32-47_260.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Helicopter stand in background</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
So beyond needing a bit of streamlining the rules are still basically sound and do create a nicely realistic Viet Nam conflict experience. The NVA are outgunned but with snipers and bunkers have the ability to slow and blunt the American advance. They do need to stay mobile. If the Americans can pin the NVA in place that's the end of the battle- and that's very period appropriate.<br />
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The terrain was also tweaked a bit and is getting closer to where I want it. I've gone through two bottles of Fray Block as I cut up dozens of tiny rice paddies out of towel material. I'm going to need a few more before I'm done.<br />
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Hopefully I'll get one more playtest in before Huzzah. Not with the Myriad folks though, they have done their part!<br />
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<br />Dr. Mike Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18358614273315782382noreply@blogger.com0