tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53671657429757263272024-03-13T20:34:45.788+01:00Mono DesireA tabletop gaming (board, card, role-playing and miniature) blog.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05155588509261984157noreply@blogger.comBlogger61125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5367165742975726327.post-43419153961106235142014-06-22T16:56:00.000+02:002014-06-22T16:56:03.389+02:00I have a feeling that this blog might be deadWow, long time since last post. I have a feeling that this blog might be dead.<br />
<br />
The truth is that I lack the time for maintaining it. How much I'd love to, there are so many other things in life that eat all my spare time.<br />
<br />
This blog has mainly been for my boardgaming hobby. I still play boardgames, not that frequently anymore, but I do. I play most of my boardgames on my iPad these days, but from time to time, I have the chance to meet and play with a real player face-to-face. Hope to increase the latter in the future.<br />
<br />
Today, I spend most of my spare time with this:<br />
<br />
- family (wife and two daughters)<br />
- private flying (holds a Private Pilot License)<br />
- gaming (mostly on iPad)<br />
- flight simulation (using <a href="http://www.x-plane.com/desktop/home/" target="_blank">X-Plane 10</a> + <a href="http://www.pilotedge.net/" target="_blank">PilotEdge</a>)<br />
- drawing/painting (using <a href="http://www.artrage.com/" target="_blank">ArtRage</a> with a Wacom pen tablet) <br />
- guitar playing and music production (using <a href="https://www.propellerheads.se/" target="_blank">Propellerhead's Reason</a>)<br />
- and probably something more...<br />
<br />
I will leave this blog as is. In fact, it has >800 hits per month, so there's still some interest. One of the most popular posts is this one (happens to be one of my favourite posts as well): <a href="http://monodesire.blogspot.com/2012/08/my-world-of-solitaire-board-gaming.html" target="_blank">My world of solitaire board gaming </a><br />
<br />
I might return to this blog some day.<br />
<br />
Until then, I'm on Instagram. It's actually there I post my geek photos these days. You'll find me behind this username: @monodesire<br />
<br />
Take care! :-)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05155588509261984157noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5367165742975726327.post-30978032579660848252013-11-14T23:10:00.000+01:002013-11-15T10:27:26.580+01:00Tales of Northwood [webcomic: part #004]<table border="0">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoL2SithFYF9G14vl6TWndxcsWv_U69QojG1sRMdHkgG_fqXcqp3GrBAW8BRkw-99hsM5qbvm5pNB-8Xasj7vuwUvQuPGbhkgRDh-nu8rAbTXdUSnbbMRnhp88KtqadNOpETGWr7JJIWc/s1600/ToN_004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoL2SithFYF9G14vl6TWndxcsWv_U69QojG1sRMdHkgG_fqXcqp3GrBAW8BRkw-99hsM5qbvm5pNB-8Xasj7vuwUvQuPGbhkgRDh-nu8rAbTXdUSnbbMRnhp88KtqadNOpETGWr7JJIWc/s320/ToN_004.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
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<u><b>About this part</b></u><br />
<br />
The three previous parts established the setting and two characters, Willhem and Flyre, whom seemed to live a nice and calm life. No way the story could be kept that peaceful, it was time to introduce some disharmony! So, I grabbed one random Rory's Story Cube, and asked myself this question:<br />
<br />
What event turns the world upside down for Willhem and Flyre?<br />
<br />
I rolled and got this result:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9MT5lWo5NTEPnwVp2I6SfCp_jLf4V0ClAk2IkjRjy03o9NcWOmILFmmhvpXZD1-KEQpwGEhFST1P2SuDKsCWHyePlLbkRbHjahd2YmuwfS8Lq7izmCxmLkw_b_T5VP9QGn0Purrriea4/s1600/dice2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9MT5lWo5NTEPnwVp2I6SfCp_jLf4V0ClAk2IkjRjy03o9NcWOmILFmmhvpXZD1-KEQpwGEhFST1P2SuDKsCWHyePlLbkRbHjahd2YmuwfS8Lq7izmCxmLkw_b_T5VP9QGn0Purrriea4/s200/dice2.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<br />
Humph... what does this mean for the story? Fortunately, I didn't have to think that long before I established that someone would pay Willhem and Flyre a visit, and deliver an object to them. Three scary guys covered in cloaks instantly came to my mind, so I kept that mental picture. But what would they deliver? I had to roll another die for answering that. This is what I got:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdfXcK_8VMDafW6xQvID5M9EnLQqo9NyMO6j2GobqjnFjRxxWJC4l1Bjf6nYgs3QMp6PaH2rdjiGSOmKSHZswt7Sd2mhHqBmv6jpw4gOtbv-yknDZNS_OEqZGJHC5dZ-t2X_dK1NTzQuM/s1600/dice3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="171" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdfXcK_8VMDafW6xQvID5M9EnLQqo9NyMO6j2GobqjnFjRxxWJC4l1Bjf6nYgs3QMp6PaH2rdjiGSOmKSHZswt7Sd2mhHqBmv6jpw4gOtbv-yknDZNS_OEqZGJHC5dZ-t2X_dK1NTzQuM/s200/dice3.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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An eye! Totally okay for me! The three scary guys in cloaks would deliver an object shaped like an eye! I also determined that this "delivery" would happen during night, to make it a bit more fearsome.<br />
<br />
And that's it! From this I created part #004 as seen above.<br />
<br />
I have no clue who these guys are. I don't know what the eye shaped object means, or what it is. I don't know what kind of relation they have to Willhem. There are many questions, and hopefully future parts will answer some of them!<br />
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Until next time, take care!</td>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05155588509261984157noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5367165742975726327.post-63778115688021712532013-11-06T08:00:00.000+01:002013-11-06T08:00:07.035+01:00Tales of Northwood [webcomic: part #003]<table border="0">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>(Click the picture for bigger/readable version.</i>)</span></td></tr>
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<u><b>About this part</b></u><br />
<br />
The final part of the three introductory ones. The "real" story is ready to begin!<br />
<br />
The story will from now on be completely made up by random elements, to begin with, Rory's Story Cubes. I will of course share the details for each part what dice I rolled and how I wove the results into the story.<br />
<br />
Until next post, take care!</td>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05155588509261984157noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5367165742975726327.post-20079168045783281672013-11-03T16:35:00.000+01:002013-11-03T16:35:50.171+01:00Tales of Northwood [webcomic: part #002]<table border="0">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>(Click the picture for bigger/readable version.)</i></span></td></tr>
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<td><u><b>About this part </b></u><br />
<br />
Part two of the three posts that will make up the introduction to this webcomic. As stated in my <a href="http://monodesire.blogspot.se/2013/10/tales-of-northwood-webcomic-part-001.html">first</a> Tales of Northwood post, no dice/random will be introduced until the forth part.<br />
<br />
In this post, Northwood's two first inhabitants make their debut. Well, three actually, there is a horse too... or is it a donkey? That is what my eldest daughter (seven years old) kept telling me when I was drawing it! It is <i>supposed</i> to be a horse at least, so please try to image one! ;-)<br />
<br />
Next part to follow soon!</td>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05155588509261984157noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5367165742975726327.post-41827245478971554782013-10-29T14:46:00.000+01:002013-10-29T14:46:52.855+01:00Tales of Northwood [webcomic: part #001]<table border="0">
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<b>Welcome to the very first panel of the Tales of Northwood webcomic!</b><br />
<br />
My drawing/painting skills are mediocre. I have no previous experience of creating comics. I have no story line in mind. Honestly, I'm not qualified for running a webcomic. Yet, that is exactly what I'm planning to do!<br />
<br />
So, what is this all about?<br />
<br />
Well, I wanted to start writing a story using <a href="http://www.storycubes.com/" target="_blank">Rory's Story Cubes</a>. I wanted to publish the story here, as prose. But when I gave it a deeper thought, I came up with the idea of making the story into a comic instead. I mean, I love <i>reading</i> comics, so why couldn't I make one myself?! Obviously, it won't be even close to any random professional comic in terms of graphical representation (eye-candy) and story, but hey, that's not the point here. The point is that I will be doing some kind of solitaire role-playing (RPGing), and instead of presenting the story in text, it will be presented as a comic.<br />
<br />
I will start using only the story cubes, but might incorporate a "real" RPG rule set later on. And who knows, maybe I even add the solitaire mechanics of the <a href="http://www.mythic.wordpr.com/page14/page9/page9.html" target="_blank">Mythic Game Master Emulator</a> to really emulate a role playing session, with a fictitious GM (Game Master) and all that.<br />
<br />
To get the story telling a bit more structured, I have defined the following rules:<br />
<ul>
<li>The base setting is some kind of (European) medieval. I'm open for any kind of fantasy elements to make an appearance, if the dice bring the story in that direction.</li>
<li>There will be one PC (Player Character). The story's protagonist.</li>
<li>The story will be more on the humoristic side, rather than the serious.
The simple reason is because I can't draw/paint anything looking serious
enough to be convincing. </li>
<li>For randomization of story events, Rory's Story Cubes will be used. However, any random element is allowed, it's just that I will start off with the story cubes and see how that goes. And as mentioned above, an RPG rule set might be added later, as well as e.g. the Mythic GME.</li>
<li>A list will be kept with all the PCs threads/goals (things that pushes the PC/story forward).</li>
<li>A list will be kept with significant world events. </li>
<li>A list will be kept with all NPCs (Non-Player Character) so far encountered in the story. Some of them will most likely be marked as antagonists.</li>
<li>A list will be kept with all locations discovered so far in the story. </li>
<li>I'm allowed to break or re-write this set of rules at any time! Most important rule! :-) </li>
</ul>
<br />
All Tales of Northwood related blog posts will be tagged with 'tales of northwood'.<br />
<br />
There is a separate page (reachable in the header of this blog) called 'Tales of Northwood' that contains useful information about the webcomic and its story (including the lists mentioned above).<br />
<br />
My goal is to release a new part of the webcomic once every week.<br />
<br />
I will comment on the background of every part released, e.g. what dice result that were rolled and how that affected the story.<br />
<br />
Part #001 (this post), part #002 and part #003 have not been produced using random elements. I have created those parts out of my head, just to set the foundation of the story. Starting from #004, the dice are introduced.<br />
<br />
That's it, let the story unfold! </td>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05155588509261984157noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5367165742975726327.post-49210868742456261122013-10-18T21:34:00.000+02:002013-10-18T21:34:03.728+02:00I am back!I have been away from blogging for almost a year. The reason is simple - I have been focusing on a year-long non-gaming project*. That project has finally come to an end, more or less, and I can from now on start playing games again! :-)<br />
<br />
During this year, I have played very little (physical) tabletop games. I have played games on my iPad, but it's not the same, really. I have very much missed the feeling of physical components and real/live opponents.<br />
<br />
So, what are my geek plans for the near future? Well, I have some projects and wishes/dreams that I would like to dig into, and they are (in no particular order):<br />
<ul>
<li>Play my (tabletop) solitaire games. I have several good ones that deserves much more play. I wrote about them <a href="http://monodesire.blogspot.se/2012/08/my-world-of-solitaire-board-gaming.html">here</a>.</li>
<li>Continue the Memoir '44 campaign that I'm running with a friend.</li>
<li>Try the <a href="http://rpggeek.com/rpg/4279/fiasco" target="_blank">Fiasco</a> role-playing game. Have bought the pdf, but not yet tried it out. Seems like a sweet game though.</li>
<li>Complete my home cockpit**. I'm building a <u>very</u> simple cockpit for the X-Plane 10 flight simulation software.</li>
<li>Complete my (musical) recording studio (a very simple one). Not much to complete really, just a matter of putting back the gear (guitars, computer, monitors, keyboard, microphones, digital drum-kit etc) into my newly painted/renovated studio/room.</li>
<li>Start my own webcomic! I will cover this more in my next post, but basically, it will be a webcomic (drawn/painted by me) with a story driven by <a href="http://www.storycubes.com/" target="_blank">Rory's Story Cubes</a>, or other random elements.</li>
<li>Buy Ganesha Games' new fantasy skirmish game called <a href="http://www.ganeshagames.net/product_info.php?products_id=226" target="_blank">BattleSworn</a>. Read some good stuff about it around the blog world and would like to try it out. Will probably use Lego minifigs for that. </li>
<li>And more... <span style="font-size: x-small;">(but the above items are the top-prio things)</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<i>* Will probably cover that project with a post here a bit later. That project is also a bit geeky by its nature, although it has nothing to do with gaming.</i><br />
<br />
<i>** Okay, what is a "home cockpit"? I could be something like the below photos (which show my home cockpit under construction). So, it is, in this very simple form, a frame in which I will mount panels and a yoke. The panels are used for interacting with the flight simulation software, and to some extent also show data (like radio frequencies, auto-pilot settings etc).</i><br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05155588509261984157noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5367165742975726327.post-79206064255642896952013-02-01T11:05:00.002+01:002013-02-01T11:05:36.481+01:00I am alive!Yes, I <i>am </i>alive, and this blog has <i>not </i>been abandoned! I'm just having a temporary board game dip. But I will return, I will.<br />
<br />
So, what have I been doing the past few months if not playing board games?<br />
<br />
<br />
<b># tabletop games </b><br />
Well, I have played <i>some </i>games. Mostly old meat, like Memoir '44, Carcassonne and The Settlers. But I'm also running a solo RPG campaign, using a RPG system called <a href="http://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drakar_och_Demoner" target="_blank">Drakar och Demoner</a> (v2 of the rules), which is an old school Swedish RPG originating from the eighties (somewhat similar to Dungeons and Dragons). I'm truly inspired by JF at <a href="http://solonexus.blogspot.se/" target="_blank">SoloNexus</a> and his ongoing RPG solo campaign. That is why I started my own campaign. I will probably log about my campaign in the near future. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIPj81KPcQeBNpvfeHOeC9Q9WKMWN4MlbGDhqOq_YA3wNTPmxhYqYoSUmv5S4BuJnSRtNZoi6r38GmnVfYS9QyVaJOD0rCYPTaK4C-T4wA6VSUDBa-FFukkians0txossp71dsGfv43AU/s1600/memoir.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIPj81KPcQeBNpvfeHOeC9Q9WKMWN4MlbGDhqOq_YA3wNTPmxhYqYoSUmv5S4BuJnSRtNZoi6r38GmnVfYS9QyVaJOD0rCYPTaK4C-T4wA6VSUDBa-FFukkians0txossp71dsGfv43AU/s200/memoir.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Memoir '44</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMELzUTBChIgpQFpEsdBBj4Omd5xRQpr9WOLkkETYQmU0PgAGdEfYw0atq5E3cbiPyGF1sFfd2_Sl9Brd8TWC9nNhZ4ZjeVlnifs9XPEDMZVC8YlpkMrEE7W4AjtYPNCHLl8rhRIL3kMY/s1600/solo_rpg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMELzUTBChIgpQFpEsdBBj4Omd5xRQpr9WOLkkETYQmU0PgAGdEfYw0atq5E3cbiPyGF1sFfd2_Sl9Brd8TWC9nNhZ4ZjeVlnifs9XPEDMZVC8YlpkMrEE7W4AjtYPNCHLl8rhRIL3kMY/s200/solo_rpg.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My solo RPG campaign</td></tr>
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<b># new blog</b><br />
Since this blog is mostly (only?) about tabletop gaming, I didn't want to clutter it with my flight simulation related adventures (another hobby of mine), so I decided to start a new blog: <a href="http://monodesire-vatsim-logbook.blogspot.se/" target="_blank">Mono Desire - VATSIM Logbook</a><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/AVvXsEgQOku5QB1dVj1q5OiaRmIhC7XPbHSKIVxQqJSnVdl4EcxuJrrobDYj-2pGXymBpy6sjNS4E2yPDbcDaoNiXPGa27cn1z-ex15j2f-fEY0i351CE1uDp68HA5xJPWZQL8bOLPVj2L0KXBo/s1600/monodesire_vatsim_logbook.png" 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/AVvXsEgQOku5QB1dVj1q5OiaRmIhC7XPbHSKIVxQqJSnVdl4EcxuJrrobDYj-2pGXymBpy6sjNS4E2yPDbcDaoNiXPGa27cn1z-ex15j2f-fEY0i351CE1uDp68HA5xJPWZQL8bOLPVj2L0KXBo/s320/monodesire_vatsim_logbook.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My new blog!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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The new blog contains a logbook of my flying in the online flight simulation network called VATSIM, i.e. a place where virtual pilots and air traffic controllers connect and interact with each other, just like in the real world.<br />
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Have a good day!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05155588509261984157noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5367165742975726327.post-16081590780244080332012-08-31T10:08:00.001+02:002012-08-31T10:09:55.172+02:00Kickstarter: Airborne In Your Pocket<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_EVNUgs6PFq09WC8Uf4gg1LAdEWpA9SoqDvliaeKUz_xQf_6GLDwd_cNx4l0gqKw0CL5DlyOEMRhJBpsXvT57WrFozkRUMb7nllPXHOvGPZfjZCReDRipFYeRmTuCAQ82zA-lr5F_BYE/s1600/pic1379877_t.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_EVNUgs6PFq09WC8Uf4gg1LAdEWpA9SoqDvliaeKUz_xQf_6GLDwd_cNx4l0gqKw0CL5DlyOEMRhJBpsXvT57WrFozkRUMb7nllPXHOvGPZfjZCReDRipFYeRmTuCAQ82zA-lr5F_BYE/s200/pic1379877_t.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<b>Airborne In Your Pocket</b> (AIYP) is a solitaire and co-operative war/board game (WWII: Normandy landings) created by the same designer who did the successful and recently released D-Day Dice (DDD), namely Emmanuel Aquin. He has, together with the game publisher Valley Games, Inc. (did DDD with Emmanuel), an ongoing Kickstarter campaign for AIYP (12 days to go, as of today).<br />
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I have pledged. Of course! I am utterly happy with DDD, which is one of the best (solitaire) games I have played in a long time, at least in the category of lightweight war games. Emmanuel and Valley Games did such a great job delivering DDD, that there is no chance I will miss the opportunity of yet another great game from the same designer and publisher.<br />
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The campaign is doing well. It has so far raised more than $68,000, which is well over target. So the game will be published. However, there are several stretch targets (at $70,000, $75,000 etc) that have not been reached yet. For each of these stretch targets reached, everyone in the campaign (pledging $70 or more) will receive extra rewards (like new cards, new figurines etc). There are stretch targets setup all the way up to $100,000.<br />
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If you have the slightest interest in WWII (light) war games, that you can play solitaire, or in a group with up to four players, you should definitely check this game out!<br />
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Kickstarter link <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1325766284/airborne-in-your-pocket-board-game?ref=live" target="_blank">here</a>. Check out the excellent video, explaining and showing the game.<br />
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<i>Disclaimer: I am in no way whatsoever associated with Valley Games (even if this blog post might look like an advertisement). I just happen to think DDD was such a great game, and wanted to mention Valley Games' new game coming out, so that this great campaign potentially could become ever greater (with more people jumping on the pledge train, and we all get more extra stuff)!</i>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05155588509261984157noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5367165742975726327.post-48731386827817510412012-08-11T11:56:00.000+02:002012-08-12T00:15:27.726+02:00My world of solitaire board gaming<b>I love solitaire board gaming!</b> As much as I love playing with a group of people. The two playing styles complement each other and I need them both!<br />
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First experience with solitaire board gaming was Solitaire ASL (Advanced Squad Leader), back in 2005 or so. I started playing ASL with a group of people, and at the same time found (and bought) the ASL solitaire module. It was an overwhelming experience, an eye-opener. Wow, there are board games designed for one person! Cool! I could play whenever I wanted - in the middle of the night or right after breakfast in my underwear, and in my own pace!<br />
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In the recent years, the number of games designed for pure solitaire gaming, or ones with solitaire support, have really grown a lot. The demand for solitaire games seems very large. Could it be today's stressed society, that makes it harder for people to find time to gather and play games? For me it is definitely a part of the answer, but also that I enjoy solitaire play as a phenomena. Competing against tables, dice and cards - a kind of AI lite (a.k.a. Paper-AI). Fascinating, especially for a software developer like me, where all these mechanics very much resembles software programming and algorithms. And best of all, I can have a game ongoing for weeks, squeeze in a five-minute move between emptying the dish washer and feeding the kids. I see no difference in playing a solitaire board game and a (single-player) computer game, which certainly is a common activity among people in general.<br />
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The rest of this post is a list. A list of all the solitaire board games I own. Most of the games on this list are pure solitaire games, designed only for one player, but some of them have (official) optional rules for solitaire play, or are co-operative, which by nature usually makes them suitable for solitaire playing. For each game there is a short comment on my thoughts of the game.<br />
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<table border="0" cellspacing="40">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjokMgHyHytzlisBDA6bFmwfOa-ba8TO17JxUY5lof39l5ON3TRiJ8Vi1tq7B5nIR2oIcY-jrulBtNMk5RkoDvzXn7jNJlS2JTzodAVf2QwS-4iaaUPoAAxHNOAKmnJZTo78V59ZNXCYus/s1600/sasl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjokMgHyHytzlisBDA6bFmwfOa-ba8TO17JxUY5lof39l5ON3TRiJ8Vi1tq7B5nIR2oIcY-jrulBtNMk5RkoDvzXn7jNJlS2JTzodAVf2QwS-4iaaUPoAAxHNOAKmnJZTo78V59ZNXCYus/s200/sasl.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Solitaire ASL</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Solitaire ASL (2nd edition)</b><br />
<i>(BoardGameGeek entry <a href="http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgameexpansion/7587/solitaire-asl" target="_blank">here</a>.)</i><br />
Wonderful ASL module! Opens up an entirely new world for ASL. And as stated above, this was my entry into solitaire board gaming, so I'm thankful that I once got my hands on this one.</td>
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<td><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy71uU9NcsJBRxqwk3C7ktMa59F3ircaKuXQrRGunSRRPc2X_N2KauZw4pAYo3eJizNm_8_ew6lNwqbbLg7yLR_cblJVymay8pICZ9qih9286s3xAvu3_diALXODkoRFwmiSnrrEacBBw/s1600/pocket_civ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="151" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy71uU9NcsJBRxqwk3C7ktMa59F3ircaKuXQrRGunSRRPc2X_N2KauZw4pAYo3eJizNm_8_ew6lNwqbbLg7yLR_cblJVymay8pICZ9qih9286s3xAvu3_diALXODkoRFwmiSnrrEacBBw/s200/pocket_civ.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My deluxe copy of Pocket Civ</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Pocket Civ</b><br />
<i>(BoardGameGeek entry <a href="http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/28044/pocket-civ" target="_blank">here</a>.)</i><br />
This was the first solitaire board game I obtained after Solitaire ASL. It's a free print-and-play game, and I made myself a deluxe copy of the game. Being a Sid Meier Civilization fan since my early computer years, getting this game was a no-brainer! It is fast-paced civilization-like game, which is really hard to beat, but very much fun. I have always wondered why it has not been picked up and published by a game company. It deserves it.
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<td><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiah2TWuy529WG7vpE4sQ0_OplyWpAWp2sB_S4SJVLwkcH0NRSDOqMONlzRqs_tBcAiZ3T5lRFw_RplJ6NUqVev5aQlQAvK1IW3u6HFiz-6pKk0ZVXy8y3We-o-KykGm0xq_fBFiLKnI54/s1600/rommel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiah2TWuy529WG7vpE4sQ0_OplyWpAWp2sB_S4SJVLwkcH0NRSDOqMONlzRqs_tBcAiZ3T5lRFw_RplJ6NUqVev5aQlQAvK1IW3u6HFiz-6pKk0ZVXy8y3We-o-KykGm0xq_fBFiLKnI54/s200/rommel.jpg" width="164" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Field Commander: Rommel</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Field Commander: Rommel</b><br />
<i>(BoardGameGeek entry <a href="http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/28829/field-commander-rommel" target="_blank">here</a>.)</i><br />
I don't remember how I found out about the game company Dan Verssen Games (DVG), but I'm glad I did. It was back in 2007-2008, and I came across this game. It was their first game to be published and I pre-ordered it. It is a pure solitaire game in where you take the role as the German Field Marshal Rommel during WWII. It is a great game. Hard to beat, and very unforgiving. A bit too unforgiving at times I would say, where a few bad dice rolls can make you lose quickly. However, I love the game, and have been a DVG fan ever since.
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKYG1hu91h-ZRUb5okFmp-OiCsWnan1BsPBLMMl9s72hFWaXGDZbE_VhiCO5NHe0r-jRvYBMwdqiVFvpw_xO0zZGRNvRPmgT4j6G0_Akb3iQylOHP4ax5GINvIeAwhMacg1Np87yj8OcY/s1600/alexander.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="135" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKYG1hu91h-ZRUb5okFmp-OiCsWnan1BsPBLMMl9s72hFWaXGDZbE_VhiCO5NHe0r-jRvYBMwdqiVFvpw_xO0zZGRNvRPmgT4j6G0_Akb3iQylOHP4ax5GINvIeAwhMacg1Np87yj8OcY/s200/alexander.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Field Commander: Alexander with its<br />
gorgeous maps!</td></tr>
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<b>Field Commander: Alexander</b><br />
<i>(BoardGameGeek entry <a href="http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/35350/field-commander-alexander" target="_blank">here</a>.)</i><br />
Second game in the DVG Field Commander series. Since I was pleased with Rommel, I instantly pre-ordered this one. I like it. It is a good game. Most of all, the artwork is far better than in Rommel, real eye candy to say the least. The game feels a bit linear, comparing to its Rommel brother, but it simulates the wars of Alexander the Great well (in a very abstract sense of course).
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<td valign="top"><b>Field Commander: Napoleon</b><br />
<i>(BoardGameGeek entry <a href="http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/42673/field-commander-napoleon" target="_blank">here</a>.)</i><br />
Third installment in the Field Commander series. Best so far in the series, in my opinion. Biggest, most tactical challenge, most replay value and with great components. I think the map artwork is slightly dull (comparing to Alexander which is very colorful), but on the other hand, the color scheme suits the era and areas well. That is just my tiny subjective remark, and does not affect the fact that this is a really well-done product - fun and challenging!</td>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWEWrdGdEI4wWaLq2M2-QHTuvBKSkLWfOW7Kw5wxhfx9ok8Iv4gpt3E4I1fpAaUDNZ-qbbuK663ZtRISSJam8DsxPWLxMZSwsUgB9zXzHo0tqD2lDVLtszkjsLJwnatS-2gTT1d2xcW2s/s1600/napoleon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWEWrdGdEI4wWaLq2M2-QHTuvBKSkLWfOW7Kw5wxhfx9ok8Iv4gpt3E4I1fpAaUDNZ-qbbuK663ZtRISSJam8DsxPWLxMZSwsUgB9zXzHo0tqD2lDVLtszkjsLJwnatS-2gTT1d2xcW2s/s200/napoleon.jpg" width="175" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Field Commander: Napoleon and<br />
its HUGE box!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTCIaCqN18tUp_S7ODpePy5u3q5KLiCBNy3YYGRw_-NjXw6YlC20_W-K8aPhRu8hZOjhKwnJqx5RAXiC601X9hspw6H2kdGs-Rr7-atr7VQ1Ctt0RHq599hT7tlCBLHWlNvc0CbBlQEjM/s1600/napoleon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTCIaCqN18tUp_S7ODpePy5u3q5KLiCBNy3YYGRw_-NjXw6YlC20_W-K8aPhRu8hZOjhKwnJqx5RAXiC601X9hspw6H2kdGs-Rr7-atr7VQ1Ctt0RHq599hT7tlCBLHWlNvc0CbBlQEjM/s200/napoleon.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Game in progress!</td></tr>
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<b>Fields of Fire</b><br />
<i>(BoardGameGeek entry <a href="http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/22877/fields-of-fire" target="_blank">here</a>.)</i><br />
An extremely innovative game. One of a kind. A WWII, Korea and Vietnam solitaire tactical wargame. A rare combination in the solitaire world. Terrain is randomized for every scenario, as is the enemy confronting the solitaire player, meaning infinite replay value. A huge and deep game. I invested weeks in this game when it was first released by GMT back in 2008. There is one problem though - the rulebook. I spent numerous of hours reading and posting in forums for rules questions. It took away the fun and flow. The rulebook has been a hot subject of discussion ever since this game was released. I wouldn't say it's badly written, it's just a bit unorganized, and due to the complexity of the game, it is hard for a rulebook to cover every possible situation that potentially could arise on the playing table. A second edition of the rulebook has been released though, so I guess it is soon time for me to bring this game onto the table again, after a couple of years idling on the game shelf. There are also <a href="http://boardgamegeek.com/thread/792274/pc-and-ios-versions-" target="_blank">words</a> on an iOS implemention on its way (would be an instant buy for me). And there is even a <a href="http://talk.consimworld.com/WebX?14@@.ee6eec3/5152" target="_blank">second volume</a> in the works.</td>
<td><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ8p2W7O8moRvqVCehkyMr4nMeft-VbEQlHQTLjrYe_ojAMwf8uB1xvkKDmqGo1QABVgf7U0ZetR9WAEIxMAuzU8TjTSs73d1DjL-K7mTeFCcpaG1NtNPwKGbH394tf8DsKUzfFlu33DI/s1600/fields1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ8p2W7O8moRvqVCehkyMr4nMeft-VbEQlHQTLjrYe_ojAMwf8uB1xvkKDmqGo1QABVgf7U0ZetR9WAEIxMAuzU8TjTSs73d1DjL-K7mTeFCcpaG1NtNPwKGbH394tf8DsKUzfFlu33DI/s200/fields1.jpg" width="141" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fields of Fire</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsTVFoO9m7r6P6-NZPHiLpb6nOR1vlAIFSRpw-7gpX2Bpd0YRGEmxuxP-KFZFI_417OeEeNt6hV_L9V4YTbkwk98hGvJ5RQYCoqDQY4lOrnfrsKVcCHnJ63Tkx-KhlccbJO2_37W_PKf0/s1600/fields2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsTVFoO9m7r6P6-NZPHiLpb6nOR1vlAIFSRpw-7gpX2Bpd0YRGEmxuxP-KFZFI_417OeEeNt6hV_L9V4YTbkwk98hGvJ5RQYCoqDQY4lOrnfrsKVcCHnJ63Tkx-KhlccbJO2_37W_PKf0/s200/fields2.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Really nice counter artwork.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEsnAGV3BST7gRAsOfoJPrEwobL5xfxFRHHq3eIGG8SEvRLtuWn4l-F7J_NujDw8JX5_dLbrmGz5xclu6w9yprH6QfahpoWfjKa1XuYk0y0MrHcgWtaVkG0bohNi2R7wFl3EnPs_m5LNE/s1600/fields3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEsnAGV3BST7gRAsOfoJPrEwobL5xfxFRHHq3eIGG8SEvRLtuWn4l-F7J_NujDw8JX5_dLbrmGz5xclu6w9yprH6QfahpoWfjKa1XuYk0y0MrHcgWtaVkG0bohNi2R7wFl3EnPs_m5LNE/s200/fields3.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Terrain cards creating a unique map for every game.</td></tr>
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<tr>
<td><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOBnk6Bj7l78cbpCPwD2jUKDd245B0dp5Wu8GRBLBNkJx6is2xC-y0C-mxSrWrM5Zbu94ukz2Zpx7JdZl7wqjsr8HBG6i6rST9d3nmm3pIIdqAE4t8mP0kpyTjLBaDTQPNgHEJYtyiTTs/s1600/frontline.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOBnk6Bj7l78cbpCPwD2jUKDd245B0dp5Wu8GRBLBNkJx6is2xC-y0C-mxSrWrM5Zbu94ukz2Zpx7JdZl7wqjsr8HBG6i6rST9d3nmm3pIIdqAE4t8mP0kpyTjLBaDTQPNgHEJYtyiTTs/s200/frontline.jpg" width="158" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Frontline: D-Day</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Frontline: D-Day</b><br />
<i>(BoardGameGeek entry <a href="http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/39383/frontline-d-day" target="_blank">here</a>.)</i><br />
A WWII tactical 1-4 player card game, where each card represents one soldier or vehicle. Good game, but there are some problems making the game a bit unbalanced depending who is first player and not. These issues have been half-way sorted out by the designer with some <a href="http://boardgamegeek.com/thread/533611/we-all-loved-this-game-until-this" target="_blank">optional rules</a> that could be applied to make the game more balanced. However, I think the game system needs an thorough overhaul. Some issues with the game system are highlighted in this <a href="http://boardgamegeek.com/thread/635376/why-so-little-love-for-guadalcanal" target="_blank">post</a>. I really want to like, no even <i>love</i>, this game, since the idea of having one card for each soldier, group them in formations and send them into fire fights is really cool, but there is something fishy in the core mechanics of the game...</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyq99AIqCWPsq52cLCRuw-Y-gY3vAGGOshkRmdTTuah_41WsU4Oph09uKGBFELWyhdZwEXQwY8ERdEK5gM-Xu0W656WQIw40r7UE56s-PxfmdZLAXddwQyHX5dq6QsrWjbCb5gjrsBKec/s1600/pandemic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyq99AIqCWPsq52cLCRuw-Y-gY3vAGGOshkRmdTTuah_41WsU4Oph09uKGBFELWyhdZwEXQwY8ERdEK5gM-Xu0W656WQIw40r7UE56s-PxfmdZLAXddwQyHX5dq6QsrWjbCb5gjrsBKec/s200/pandemic.jpg" width="147" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pandemic</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Pandemic</b><br />
<i>(BoardGameGeek entry <a href="http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/30549/pandemic" target="_blank">here</a>.)</i><br />
An addictive co-operative game where the players work together trying to save the population of planet Earth before it's going under due to a pandemic outbreak. (Yes, a non-wargame - I do have some of those too!) The game works very well solitaire. Everyone I have played this with, loves it! Hardcore gamers and non-gamers alike. Simple, but elegant mechanics. All in all, a fantastic game. Glad I have it in my possession.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtspkicZGairFBJ79gwjhiXlSdZvlyiDnjCDugLXgnrpFB6b-gqefc4-DJGo_zmd8PHeYt4AUS3nhxLtriFzyC8c37nJeVFKBbS8CfUn_E-oqfh2EppwRQlwEZBqBX30NJ6w139jYzGFI/s1600/phantom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtspkicZGairFBJ79gwjhiXlSdZvlyiDnjCDugLXgnrpFB6b-gqefc4-DJGo_zmd8PHeYt4AUS3nhxLtriFzyC8c37nJeVFKBbS8CfUn_E-oqfh2EppwRQlwEZBqBX30NJ6w139jYzGFI/s200/phantom.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Phantom Leader</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Phantom Leader</b><br />
<i>(BoardGameGeek entry <a href="http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/41490/phantom-leader" target="_blank">here</a>.)</i><br />
Covering the air war of the Vietnam war. A great game. You choose pilots, arm your aircraft and send them out on missions. A nail-biting game. Easy to learn and with great replay value. A must for a solitaire wargamer interested in the Vietnam era and/or air combat. Surprisingly enough, this game is coming to the iPad soon! According to Dan Verssen himself, the game is in final testing (ConsimWorld post <a href="http://talk.consimworld.com/WebX?14@@.1dd08621/7134" target="_blank">here</a>). Instant buy for me. Can't image having one of my favourite solitaire board games on my iPad... it's just... just... wonderful!</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMOkepH_iKCO7QAm9hz4UC6O13L-8r6aj85eUNS6SFAA-wgMtfB8h11LmogEM3Z9sAiJl-N8f2yAVhhm6mkcmmwFki11-QeBVYgJQ5kgGrpip44mMPQfwC3aFTetGD18d4bpo8-cAjRuU/s1600/empires.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="140" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMOkepH_iKCO7QAm9hz4UC6O13L-8r6aj85eUNS6SFAA-wgMtfB8h11LmogEM3Z9sAiJl-N8f2yAVhhm6mkcmmwFki11-QeBVYgJQ5kgGrpip44mMPQfwC3aFTetGD18d4bpo8-cAjRuU/s200/empires.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Empires in America. Space<br />
required in the game shelf is<br />
basically zero - just a small<br />
plastic bag!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Empires in America</b><br />
<i>(BoardGameGeek entry <a href="http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/53624/empires-in-america" target="_blank">here</a>.)</i><br />
A States of Seige game by Victory Points Games. I covered this game on this blog, in this <a href="http://monodesire.blogspot.se/2012/01/states-of-siege-solitaire-engine-from.html" target="_blank">post</a>. I'm a fan of the States of Seige engine, and this particular implementation is a very good one that I enjoy playing.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj72q85DsNiPMoy2DmtdDJwHHPGO8kFA3PoVI065_XEZ-ew59iCu0y6uv9nel_gw_YW5zDbqHqEIX9rZTS35OoFfOa5rnb79jHoO1Dt6yxFH06wnT5ZitKDi5rSm64DTu4HmFmzZ6Tt7Dk/s1600/dday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="157" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj72q85DsNiPMoy2DmtdDJwHHPGO8kFA3PoVI065_XEZ-ew59iCu0y6uv9nel_gw_YW5zDbqHqEIX9rZTS35OoFfOa5rnb79jHoO1Dt6yxFH06wnT5ZitKDi5rSm64DTu4HmFmzZ6Tt7Dk/s200/dday.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">D-Day at Omaha Beach</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>D-Day at Omaha Beach</b><br />
(BoardGameGeek entry <a href="http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/29603/d-day-at-omaha-beach" target="_blank">here</a>.)<br />
A hex-and-counter game, with a huge map. Unfortunately, I have not yet played this. My bad. From what I have heard, this is supposed to be an <i>extremely</i> good solitaire game, created by the legendary game designer John H. Butterfield (designer of classic games like Ambush! and RAF). I must get this onto the table, soon.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ-EHuI7SIsHxNZRSmC-eMSawqtOyvnxrAGf2qkQXYSE5NwfVU9WzpmHFYMS5og-IhfRZstCq2kajSDbIjC-dKTQIKrDDIDxKheDGxtv2kTyRUyTnjaCfrE09XymKIeT8hjUYUrs-tQUA/s1600/deathangel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ-EHuI7SIsHxNZRSmC-eMSawqtOyvnxrAGf2qkQXYSE5NwfVU9WzpmHFYMS5og-IhfRZstCq2kajSDbIjC-dKTQIKrDDIDxKheDGxtv2kTyRUyTnjaCfrE09XymKIeT8hjUYUrs-tQUA/s200/deathangel.jpg" width="157" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Space Hulk. Small box.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Space Hulk: Death Angel - The Card Game</b><br />
<i>(BoardGameGeek entry <a href="http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/71721/space-hulk-death-angel-the-card-game" target="_blank">here</a>.)</i><br />
A co-operative card game where you control a number of Space Marines trying to clean out a spaceship from hostile aliens. Not impossible to beat, but almost! Nevertheless, a lot of fun to play. Works very well solitaire.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBnIYWyCkAqSmln6jH_tAiuFpqirlS4qblGQrfKbp0cH24YvgOOHK1YuRbh05Kb3ZFOksoO_Qck2pDeflm0rwRYoDpIR6JYmu5j218aavYbL-pMNZWoNcqvqd0Szbpx1SDHLd14I5PDXM/s1600/labyrinth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBnIYWyCkAqSmln6jH_tAiuFpqirlS4qblGQrfKbp0cH24YvgOOHK1YuRbh05Kb3ZFOksoO_Qck2pDeflm0rwRYoDpIR6JYmu5j218aavYbL-pMNZWoNcqvqd0Szbpx1SDHLd14I5PDXM/s200/labyrinth.jpg" width="152" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Labyrinth</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Labyrinth: The War on Terror, 2001-?</b><br />
<i>(BoardGameGeek entry <a href="http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/62227/labyrinth-the-war-on-terror-2001" target="_blank">here</a>.)</i><br />
Another game in my solitaire collection that I haven't played. This is a two-player game, but it has, from what it seems, a well developed official solitaire engine included too. Must try this some day. Seems cool.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz-3sWaBz1X1pMZHwWJRD5EhZ9VRoMVhG4Z7Fzz0dLiThm_cyKMVNSutiTYhkf3hwHfKdit1L_8D72qFf5NcP1fCMRDLlyHbmLyjwMLhPFFnGXlqFluB8OxR57LyT8IfqYOTat-bW3alk/s1600/tal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz-3sWaBz1X1pMZHwWJRD5EhZ9VRoMVhG4Z7Fzz0dLiThm_cyKMVNSutiTYhkf3hwHfKdit1L_8D72qFf5NcP1fCMRDLlyHbmLyjwMLhPFFnGXlqFluB8OxR57LyT8IfqYOTat-bW3alk/s200/tal.jpg" width="149" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">TAL</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Thunderbolt Apache Leader</b><br />
<i>(BoardGameGeek entry <a href="http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/123955/thunderbolt-apache-leader" target="_blank">here</a>.)</i><br />
Just got this game by mail a few weeks ago, so I have not had time to try it. This could possibly be one of the best solitaire games I own, at least according to all positive feedback it has got. Just check out Marco Arnaudo's <a href="http://boardgamegeek.com/video/19031/thunderbolt-apache-leader/video-review" target="_blank">video review</a> or read this <a href="http://boardgamegeek.com/thread/838031/erics-solitaire-review-of-thunderbolt-apache-leade" target="_blank">review</a>. Since I like Phantom Leader, I will most likely <i>love</i> Thunderbolt Apace Leader! Soon to find out!</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaQbEhMUz50joKyA7YjP_i1iIxnxNEltEdR8tb9LHEDbvCYW5_LysSyin8a4qqvGHO72CjGPSCvPZVRboX932yEeoZ_REkdVvVbWdBvmFz-5MmG4ne091GWKEjBHk0AAcKhKJ6_BslW3I/s1600/malta.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="140" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaQbEhMUz50joKyA7YjP_i1iIxnxNEltEdR8tb9LHEDbvCYW5_LysSyin8a4qqvGHO72CjGPSCvPZVRboX932yEeoZ_REkdVvVbWdBvmFz-5MmG4ne091GWKEjBHk0AAcKhKJ6_BslW3I/s200/malta.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Malta in play. Beautiful colorful map!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Malta Besieged: 1940-1942</b><br />
<i>(BoardGameGeek entry <a href="http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/114261/malta-besieged-1940-1942" target="_blank">here</a>.)</i><br />
A WWII States of Siege game. As the Allied player, you defend Malta from the Axis invaders. A good challenge, with a lot of decision opportunities for every turn. And as with other States of Siege games I have played, it is filled with historical facts and is heavy thematic-wise. For my next business trip, this is the solitaire game I will bring (to kill time in the evenings), since it is a big game in a very small package! Love it!</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4QAYB2JoX_oRwjQbAEolpeKh0eHmIKBDGaqPUoKWiwMPIWKMpTQuDjJIHSi_x1OmID4bZObTX9JWYWX8s6yV5xJUjeXZ-seXoYAUXa3IsLhqq2gifZK7dSwSMdZ1Q_o6bSvjPrwsNl7c/s1600/zeds.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4QAYB2JoX_oRwjQbAEolpeKh0eHmIKBDGaqPUoKWiwMPIWKMpTQuDjJIHSi_x1OmID4bZObTX9JWYWX8s6yV5xJUjeXZ-seXoYAUXa3IsLhqq2gifZK7dSwSMdZ1Q_o6bSvjPrwsNl7c/s200/zeds.jpg" width="149" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dawn of the Zeds</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Dawn of the Zeds</b><br />
<i>(BoardGameGeek entry <a href="http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/99130/dawn-of-the-zeds" target="_blank">here</a>.)</i><br />
Another States of Siege game. Not played this one, just got it by mail a few weeks ago. Supposed to be a lot of fun. Apart from most other States of Siege games, this is one is not based on historical events, but instead zombies! Possibly the only one zombie game I own.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA6_UylWN7lSb6reZHEll9jF8WDw5Mna_zcw2Adxh0fRkTyJ7baZ_dmczLzmUd7zkdToZnCYM6Mn2D8asiL6cDBBXezEDKfAlspmtlhs4Iy-81fZ0yt4ZsKzimbLZ5gskrfI6wXSl278Y/s1600/ddaydice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="145" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA6_UylWN7lSb6reZHEll9jF8WDw5Mna_zcw2Adxh0fRkTyJ7baZ_dmczLzmUd7zkdToZnCYM6Mn2D8asiL6cDBBXezEDKfAlspmtlhs4Iy-81fZ0yt4ZsKzimbLZ5gskrfI6wXSl278Y/s200/ddaydice.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">D-Day Dice</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>D-Day Dice</b><br />
<i>(BoardGameGeek entry <a href="http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/101785/d-day-dice" target="_blank">here</a>.)</i><br />
One of the best games in my entire board game collection! Just got it a few weeks back, but have already played it 30+ times! A wargame dice fest! I have covered it in this <a href="http://monodesire.blogspot.se/2012/08/d-day-dice-beautiful-game.html" target="_blank">post</a>.</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
So what is in the pipe for the future? Well, as always, I have some games on pre-order, and in the case of solitaire games, we are talking about these:<br />
<br />
* GMT's <a href="http://www.gmtgames.com/p-382-revolt-and-revolution.aspx" target="_blank">Revolt and Revolution</a>. Three States of Siege games in one box. Two of them have been previously published by Victory Point Games, and the third is new for this box.<br />
<br />
* DVG's <a href="http://www.dvg.com/.sc/ms/dd/Pre-Order%20Games/43/Frontline%20-%20Guadalcanal" target="_blank">Frontline: Guadalcanal</a>. However, I'm a bit unsure about this one. Since there are some more or less major flaws with Frontline: D-Day (stated above), this game would need a upgraded game system before I buy it. I will keep my pre-order for now, until I hear more about this.<br />
<br />
* Valley Games Inc's <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1325766284/airborne-in-your-pocket-board-game" target="_blank">Airborne in Your Pocket</a>. Kickstarted this game a couple of days ago. Same designer and publisher as for D-Day Dice, so this can't be bad!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05155588509261984157noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5367165742975726327.post-75018936540504871562012-08-01T02:18:00.002+02:002012-08-01T02:18:45.292+02:00D-Day Dice - a beautiful game!<strong>D-Day Dice</strong> - a fantastic, fun and just wonderful dice game!<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjdPGSZOP4PtqKu1HkII_KOu6hZQsbOu02_dRHBOYOT6upM7AZ5TBIa8W-wIHl4hMJM7Bj2my78sAan4qhfEIMZcf0bBAq4rP-8F3Jx2jMhQiJbhj-YuAb3DXHqPWczXQL_aKlswGDwZ8/s1600/2012-07-31+23.58.47.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjdPGSZOP4PtqKu1HkII_KOu6hZQsbOu02_dRHBOYOT6upM7AZ5TBIa8W-wIHl4hMJM7Bj2my78sAan4qhfEIMZcf0bBAq4rP-8F3Jx2jMhQiJbhj-YuAb3DXHqPWczXQL_aKlswGDwZ8/s200/2012-07-31+23.58.47.jpg" width="168" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me, considering the next move!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I Kickstarted this game back in November 2011 (mentioned in <a href="http://monodesire.blogspot.se/2011/11/backed-d-day-dice-kickstarter-project.html" target="_blank">this</a> blog post). Last week I finally received the game by mail. And wow, what a big surprise! Just staring at the components and the gorgeous artwork makes me cry of happiness! And playing is certainly a <em>lot</em> of joy.<br />
<br />
D-Day Dice (BoardGameGeek entry <a href="http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/101785/d-day-dice" target="_blank">here</a>) is a 1-4 player game (with several expansions available and more to follow in the future), that simulates (of course in a very abstract sense) the Normandy landings on June 6, 1944. The players storm the Normandy beaches with one Allied unit each and co-operate in reaching the German bunker in the top of the map. All Allied units must reach the bunker, or all players lose. A challenging task, to say the least.<br />
<br />
<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/AVvXsEhuhyZj_YWLUQHGt3V5wysLFU1Z6miHk9_HOZAQRH8mtSITrTkclF1b-NML-2WLEJMfnH5J7n8lOhJ1tDM250GuDETTNsC1FUKgOmGPm6My2zfo3qoW-WpYcMpWkVNAuyTFkBU1S9gK9lA/s1600/2012-07-31+23.58.26.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuhyZj_YWLUQHGt3V5wysLFU1Z6miHk9_HOZAQRH8mtSITrTkclF1b-NML-2WLEJMfnH5J7n8lOhJ1tDM250GuDETTNsC1FUKgOmGPm6My2zfo3qoW-WpYcMpWkVNAuyTFkBU1S9gK9lA/s200/2012-07-31+23.58.26.jpg" width="126" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My buddy Jonas,<br />
ready to storm the<br />
beach!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
To your help, when storming the beach, you have various specialists and items, and sometimes vehicles. They all have abilities that alter the base rules. You move your unit sector by sector towards the bunker, and in every sector, the Germans fires at your unit.<br />
<br />
Since Thursday last week (when I received the game), I have played it 30 times (27 solitaire sessions and 3 two-player sessions). My conclusion is that the game is <u>near perfect</u>. When playing, I have fun, and have to make a lot of tough decisions. I love dice and I love war games, so the combination is spot-on. Of course, there is a lot of luck involved, there are a lot of dice rolling after all, but how one manages resources (like soldiers, items etc) is crucial - without careful planning and consideration, the game will quickly be lost.<br />
<br />
So, if you love (abstract) war games and dice, that are quick to setup and play, are challenging, fun, solitaire/co-operative and just wonderful - then this is the game for you!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05155588509261984157noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5367165742975726327.post-19678163753412996342012-07-06T20:32:00.000+02:002012-07-06T20:32:58.859+02:00Review: Levee en Masse HD for iPad<i>A week or so ago, <a href="http://victorypointgames.com/" target="_blank">Victory Point Games</a> released the iPad app Levee en Masse HD - a digital implementation of the boardgame counterpart <a href="http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/68188/levee-en-masse" target="_blank">Levee en Masse</a>.</i><br />
<br />
<i>I have anticipated this game ever since I first heard of it being in development, for two reasons. First, because it is Victory Point Games, a small company making great games. Second, because the game is based on the States of Siege engine. I like that engine a lot. I own Empires in America, which is another States of Siege game (I reviewed it <a href="http://monodesire.blogspot.se/search/label/states%20of%20siege" target="_blank">here</a>).</i><br />
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnn5y7wOlfwHCrwqZ2rjRfn-7qpI5iaMcHgx56xA9CBAQZuHyuqPVtgpI0YTNgCvpJiAaoMD9SMA0vHZRyqqVG5LYJn79bjppyIHoSRi8XaVkv55N6ZjDoIq41qaWJzXD7rhzTxwu7Prc/s1600/levee.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnn5y7wOlfwHCrwqZ2rjRfn-7qpI5iaMcHgx56xA9CBAQZuHyuqPVtgpI0YTNgCvpJiAaoMD9SMA0vHZRyqqVG5LYJn79bjppyIHoSRi8XaVkv55N6ZjDoIq41qaWJzXD7rhzTxwu7Prc/s320/levee.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A blurry snapshot of an ongoing game on my iPad.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>LEVEE EN MASSE HD</b><br />
<br />
<u>Game overview </u><br />
Levee en Masse is a game about the French revolution (1789-1802) and its many wars. As mentioned above, it's a States of Seige game, which in turn means a solitaire game. The player is ruling France and must defend Paris from foreign armies (e.g. English and Prussian) closing in from several directions, and suppress Monarchy and Despotism to keep up the Republic popularity.<br />
<br />
Each turn a card is drawn. The card will tell what enemy armies are moving towards Paris in that turn, how many actions the player receives for that turn, different die roll modifiers etc. The cards drive the game, they set the pace and steer the enemies.<br />
<br />
<u>User interface</u><br />
The user interface in Levee en Masse HD is good. It captures the theme well and is easy to use. However, there are some minor flaws, like when rolling the die. It's made automatically by the game. I'd like to tap and roll it myself. And it disappears real quick sometimes, so you have to catch it with your eyes before it goes away. The other bad thing, which is much worse, is that there are no rules within the game. Just a tutorial. Sure, the tutorial is okay, but sometimes you can't remember everything first time you hear/see it, you need to go back to the rules and read it again. What I did was to download the pdf rules from VPG's web site, the rules for the paper version of the game. The rules are the same, but the graphics is different and you have to leave the app to read them. I would have preferred to have them readable within the app.<br />
<br />
<u>Theme</u><br />
This is where the game really shines. The
theme is very strong, mostly thanks to all the card drawn each turn. On
each card there are historical notes, that tells an interesting story. The choice of color scheme and graphics within the game, also add very well to the theme and enhance the atmosphere.<br />
<br />
<u>Decision making</u><br />
This is what I think is the weakest part of the game. I like solitaire games (or games in general) that offer a lot of decision opportunities for the player. I like it when the player has too many options, but limited in time/resources to implement them all in one game turn. Unfortunately, Levee in Masse (HD) offers a low number of player actions each turn, which makes the game somewhat repetitive. What you do most in a turn is attacking one or two enemy armies and spending a few actions on the political track. In Empires in America for example, the player is given more choices, but that game is on the other hand more complex.<br />
<br />
Maybe the "decision making" feel is different when playing the paper version of the game? Maybe an app like this makes it all go too fast, with e.g. housekeeping performed in background by the app instead of by the player? Some of the analog/physical feel perhaps got lost in the transformation into this digital form? Could be a general matter to keep in mind when letting boardgames go digital: How to not lose the game's original soul?<br />
<br />
<u>Conclusion</u><br />
Despite the limited number of decision opportunities for the player each turn, I like the game. From what I can tell, the iPad app is a very faithful implementation of its paper version. The theme is really strong, both the graphics and all historical text on the cards. All in all, a game I will continue to play and enjoy! :-)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05155588509261984157noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5367165742975726327.post-24775247665531995542012-06-26T07:54:00.000+02:002012-06-26T07:54:26.879+02:00Chinese boardgaming<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX6zZYqDbqAL4QQlmBNR2msenkUI04AzsMmqdz3o3wGTACPxvmH-OPP0B0AGnDtF7Nnbx9JRVb4A3EHF1zkTqdVr02s5ZzfiR7bkDJxyD0Xs-NKt3o9nnQuR4vcKpmpYb8P1e7OCYzWd4/s1600/three_kingdoms.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="161" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX6zZYqDbqAL4QQlmBNR2msenkUI04AzsMmqdz3o3wGTACPxvmH-OPP0B0AGnDtF7Nnbx9JRVb4A3EHF1zkTqdVr02s5ZzfiR7bkDJxyD0Xs-NKt3o9nnQuR4vcKpmpYb8P1e7OCYzWd4/s200/three_kingdoms.jpg" title="" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My copy of Killers of the Three Kingdoms.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I got the chance to once again travel East to the great country of China, more specifically Shanghai. This time a short trip, only a week. One interesting thing was that my Chinese colleagues happened to share my interest in boardgaming, so they kindly brought me to a boardgaming café/bar one evening.<br />
<br />
The boardgaming café/bar is a neat concept in where they provide tables, a plethora of boardgames, soft drinks etc. You just bring your friends and play! You can more or less drop in at anytime. They have late opening hours (as most other shops/services in Shanghai) and the café/bar staff can help teach a game if needed. I think this concept is really great and as far as I know, we don’t have this where I live, in Sweden. What we have here are boardgaming clubs, but membership is usually required.<br />
<br />
What stroke me when glancing through the set of boardgames in the café/bar, was the number of “standard” Euro games (and other games) that had been translated into Chinese. The market has certainly grown a lot the recent couple of years (see a couple of references in the bottom of this post). There must be a huge market potential for Western game companies. Imagine getting a game translated into Chinese and published there!<br />
<br />
One of the most popular games seem to be the card game <a href="http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/35188/san-guo-sha" target="_blank">Killers of the Three Kingdoms</a>, and has been for a couple of years. There are tons of merchandise and expansions available for it. We played one session, and I enjoyed it a lot, even though I had a somewhat hard time memorizing all cards, since they were all in Chinese. I think after three four more plays, I would be able to play it quite fluently. (I actually own a copy of the base game, which I bought in Shanghai a few years ago. Think it is time to dust it down and let it hit the table!) I can definitely see why it is so popular. The game mechanic is certainly very interesting, where bluffing is a big part of the game play.<br />
<br />
<i><u>References:</u></i><br />
<i><a href="http://www.globaltoynews.com/2012/03/board-games-in-china-.html" target="_blank">http://www.globaltoynews.com/2012/03/board-games-in-china-.html </a></i><br />
<i><a href="http://www.chinadecoded.com/2010/10/01/board-games-%E2%80%93-a-growing-trend-in-china/">http://www.chinadecoded.com/2010/10/01/board-games-%E2%80%93-a-growing-trend-in-china/</a></i><br />
<i><a href="http://boardgamegeek.com/thread/810040/the-recent-explosion-of-the-chinese-board-game-mar">http://boardgamegeek.com/thread/810040/the-recent-explosion-of-the-chinese-board-game-mar</a></i>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05155588509261984157noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5367165742975726327.post-67929995512484837022012-05-21T21:37:00.000+02:002012-05-21T21:37:00.236+02:00Mixed bag of gamingEven though I haven't blogged much in the past month, I have been playing a lot more!<br />
<br />
Since the last blog post (from the beginning of April), I have been doing this:<br />
<br />
<table>
<tbody>
<tr><td><u>Multi-player gaming</u><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1m79K9WPKNqPFOWk-Q7yopnMUUzakZKAgNxHuB1OwlXVQphKO4wTxptgcbIyWPY0NmS92MqJvmrFOw-_lAlCQ83iSGdeORHiwzVlumxM6zvP5HlkQ4WcPTExEcYAQxntuEOr0gCipVmQ/s1600/sbh.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1m79K9WPKNqPFOWk-Q7yopnMUUzakZKAgNxHuB1OwlXVQphKO4wTxptgcbIyWPY0NmS92MqJvmrFOw-_lAlCQ83iSGdeORHiwzVlumxM6zvP5HlkQ4WcPTExEcYAQxntuEOr0gCipVmQ/s320/sbh.jpg" width="176" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me, in a fierce battle of Song<br />
of Blades and Heroes!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Ran one game of <b>Song of Blades an Heroes</b> with one of my gaming buddies. We had a lot of fun, especially in the end where my single human left on the board knocked down my opponent's five six orcs and gave me the win! Very unexpected, but a lovely twist!<br />
<br />
Have started a long-term campaign of <b>Memoir '44</b> (with the same gaming buddy). Got my hands on the Memoir '44: Campaign Book Volume 1. It was not an easy find, since the book has been out-of-print for quite a while. Anyway, I'm glad I got it, since it's very well done. So far we have played three scenarios and we intend to play through all three major campaigns (50 scenarios or so).
</td></tr>
<tr><td><br />
<br />
<br />
<u>Solitiaire gaming</u><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTCIaCqN18tUp_S7ODpePy5u3q5KLiCBNy3YYGRw_-NjXw6YlC20_W-K8aPhRu8hZOjhKwnJqx5RAXiC601X9hspw6H2kdGs-Rr7-atr7VQ1Ctt0RHq599hT7tlCBLHWlNvc0CbBlQEjM/s1600/napoleon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTCIaCqN18tUp_S7ODpePy5u3q5KLiCBNy3YYGRw_-NjXw6YlC20_W-K8aPhRu8hZOjhKwnJqx5RAXiC601X9hspw6H2kdGs-Rr7-atr7VQ1Ctt0RHq599hT7tlCBLHWlNvc0CbBlQEjM/s200/napoleon.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Field Commander: Napoleon,<br />in the middle of a battle!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I have, finally, dug into the solitaire game <b>Field Commander: Napoleon</b> from DVG (which I have owned since it was released last year, but not played, until now). The game is a masterpiece and I have <a href="http://www.boardgamegeek.com/collection/user/mats77" target="_blank">rated it a 10 on BoardGameGeek</a>. One of few games that I have rated this high. Reasons are many, which I will explain in a review (which will be posted here) as soon as I have played through all campaigns.<br />
<br />
Other solitaire gaming activities would include some iPad gaming (yes, I bought an iPad2 not long ago; a wonderful piece of hardware). I have been playing <b>Neuroshima Hex</b> and <b>Forbidden Island</b> -- two very faithful digital implementations of board game originals.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table></table>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05155588509261984157noreply@blogger.com2Borås, Sweden57.721035 12.93981957.6531965 12.7818905 57.7888735 13.0977475tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5367165742975726327.post-53778682019409418992012-04-09T11:09:00.000+02:002012-04-09T11:09:24.672+02:00Soft coverWow, what a quiet blog!<br />
<br />
Life has once again eaten all (or at least, most) precious gaming time.<br />
<br />
But I have been playing some solitaire Tales of Blades and Heroes (the RPG version of Song of Blades and Heroes from Ganesha games). Hopefully I will have chance to post an After Action Report from that session soon. And I have been able to create a couple of bushes, to be used as soft cover in Song of Blades and Heroes. See photo below (15mm orc for size reference).<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTB8t3OWAkJOLpyEIGV7ceN4qLszFYAl-PX77EhzDCkFEqzdL_7yb9dfspz6BzyxQTHMzykKxwt6L_MfSqR74wJ8I1nYUEyQZuHJTct1G7zQuK9iBO1h-9sZuKSZ9wMj51lHzJ7Rjn5hs/s1600/bushes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTB8t3OWAkJOLpyEIGV7ceN4qLszFYAl-PX77EhzDCkFEqzdL_7yb9dfspz6BzyxQTHMzykKxwt6L_MfSqR74wJ8I1nYUEyQZuHJTct1G7zQuK9iBO1h-9sZuKSZ9wMj51lHzJ7Rjn5hs/s320/bushes.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Hope spring will offer more gaming time. I really need that.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05155588509261984157noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5367165742975726327.post-19939162515749757552012-03-16T16:57:00.000+01:002012-03-16T16:58:33.163+01:00Rory's Story Cubes: VoyagesI couldn't resist the new set of <a href="http://www.storycubes.com/" target="_blank"><b>Rory's Story Cubes</b></a> - Voyages!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHae8WaxQ1DelM39JYktDL6E8yjH4p2ilM37L4ybTjt08SMIGlhMrtz_BxEiqfAcmYt4gfCd5esqOZeG9JyBCGEp1_J1RqRoundjbCRq6z_Jr2MfUjSODp3hdCLg0CAKBGgCunlAXzgJQ/s1600/rorys_story_cubes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="172" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHae8WaxQ1DelM39JYktDL6E8yjH4p2ilM37L4ybTjt08SMIGlhMrtz_BxEiqfAcmYt4gfCd5esqOZeG9JyBCGEp1_J1RqRoundjbCRq6z_Jr2MfUjSODp3hdCLg0CAKBGgCunlAXzgJQ/s320/rorys_story_cubes.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
I have the two other sets (original+actions), and when I first found out about this new set at the <a href="http://solonexus.blogspot.com/2012/03/9qs-fast-no-frills-solo-rpg-play.html" target="_blank">SoloNexus</a> blog two weeks ago, I knew I had to have it! I love those dice, they are really good for inspiration. Voyages is perfect for the fantasy genre, as many pictures are fantasy/medieval influenced.<br />
<br />
I got the new set by mail today, a perfect way of celebrating the upcoming weekend! =)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05155588509261984157noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5367165742975726327.post-69831283835333317582012-03-10T20:40:00.000+01:002012-03-10T20:40:25.742+01:00Trees!Last week, my eldest daughter came home from kindergarten with a plastic bag full of tree cones. She had found them in the woods when the children were out there playing. She offered me to have some of them. First I didn't see a need for them. But later that evening I started to think in game terms, more specifically, in miniature terms. I thought to myself, they would be really good as trees!<br />
<br />
Now, a week later, I have completed thirteen of them, and I'm very pleased with the result. Okay, I know, they do not look like <i>real</i> trees should. But hey, they are for my Song of Blades and Heroes setting, and since we are talking fantasy, more or less anything is allowed!<br />
<br />
Okay, here are two photos of the final products, with a 15mm orc lurking in the woods for reference:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt1Rf-eaW0IqcC7-Qe0lfXKQwxtErG0KQndFyFwkreS_wOpwgmj1IIukCqwoDqPlxAKYF7V1EAIHuwCOPOpcgn2QBU_A6HmYJVLS9csxVUW0di_8SKAEUXwpa2gHlDjK1K93ldT9PU1CM/s1600/final1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt1Rf-eaW0IqcC7-Qe0lfXKQwxtErG0KQndFyFwkreS_wOpwgmj1IIukCqwoDqPlxAKYF7V1EAIHuwCOPOpcgn2QBU_A6HmYJVLS9csxVUW0di_8SKAEUXwpa2gHlDjK1K93ldT9PU1CM/s400/final1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKr8xMMu2wlIjaE_cpSDo4OPSIPdTRcCaLSCYCXWlYAnBdzK49jPRu2vX_XOm_3NzHW3_ir13tuKVmO9VH1ShHlf-iGB3Xmcm8h1tAzXo7LyLikgmiWgrf7gaOWXBoleVhPHhsWxxRZXw/s1600/final2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKr8xMMu2wlIjaE_cpSDo4OPSIPdTRcCaLSCYCXWlYAnBdzK49jPRu2vX_XOm_3NzHW3_ir13tuKVmO9VH1ShHlf-iGB3Xmcm8h1tAzXo7LyLikgmiWgrf7gaOWXBoleVhPHhsWxxRZXw/s400/final2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
And here are a couple of work-in-progress photos:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7BpoLoyGF_68So-Rba1EnHGzoxIQijRf-P8kjBPZktHeN0UfzGWHsQhO6brOl9q8rK3s7Q6WWnODvDi9QLYdddTJ9_SoOXgLJBjQ9R7uJbGOkhfR-_E8LkExSBaPcQhDwnyP8iIsiMX0/s1600/prep1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7BpoLoyGF_68So-Rba1EnHGzoxIQijRf-P8kjBPZktHeN0UfzGWHsQhO6brOl9q8rK3s7Q6WWnODvDi9QLYdddTJ9_SoOXgLJBjQ9R7uJbGOkhfR-_E8LkExSBaPcQhDwnyP8iIsiMX0/s320/prep1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Found a box of washers in the garage. Good<br />
enough as bases for the trees.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9COfPE4m_-pUN_i6TEIHHKKRbA4xuYuEzNLhQ2XG1Il-gfsyeEeDCn5P1mvG1k5MCaKHAzFXwepfoo8SKIOXKEyNyUsS4SlcIUJ-iflsjtOl1X0Jdg31JcOVbfhgjfH-JwMyhIR_oKXE/s1600/prep2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9COfPE4m_-pUN_i6TEIHHKKRbA4xuYuEzNLhQ2XG1Il-gfsyeEeDCn5P1mvG1k5MCaKHAzFXwepfoo8SKIOXKEyNyUsS4SlcIUJ-iflsjtOl1X0Jdg31JcOVbfhgjfH-JwMyhIR_oKXE/s320/prep2.jpg" width="227" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The first cone attached to a washer/base.<br />
Used spackling paste and some stone<br />
glue to build a little foundation for attaching<br />
the cones.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNjpg2s1R-1Py7lETxfnId8a2ok8pjJ3pyMKYveScZJG02VsoY6UnC66HDwQ6rdhhYpAmkZLhoP-zH3lRLJ6nQHf12QTIkQ_69OUn-YdR5_MsLht2Z41Gjob_MEde5IjrwpHeKVIMP9gE/s1600/prep3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNjpg2s1R-1Py7lETxfnId8a2ok8pjJ3pyMKYveScZJG02VsoY6UnC66HDwQ6rdhhYpAmkZLhoP-zH3lRLJ6nQHf12QTIkQ_69OUn-YdR5_MsLht2Z41Gjob_MEde5IjrwpHeKVIMP9gE/s320/prep3.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All cones attached to one washer each! Next they<br />
were all coated in Chaos Black and then painted.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05155588509261984157noreply@blogger.com0Romansgatan 8, 504 71 Borås, Sweden57.7280821 12.90598357.7259626 12.9010475 57.7302016 12.910918500000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5367165742975726327.post-74779059150168977242012-03-04T00:22:00.000+01:002012-03-04T00:22:40.179+01:00AAR: The depressing battle of Björnåsen.<i>"I have a no good feeling, sir", said the hardened soldier in the heavy armor. The young noble kept silent, but nodded deliberately. With the wastelands in front of their eyes, the soldier's feeling would prove to be correct. The party would, in just a few minutes, meet what mortals call death.</i><br />
<b><br />
</b><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">INTRODUCTION</span><br />
<br />
Welcome to the first AAR (After Action Report) on this blog! The game played was a solitaire session of Song of Blades and Heroes, using my solitaire module SBH-SOLO (downloadable <a href="https://docs.google.com/open?id=0BxE4uLoo4hZFZTI1YzdjN2YtZWFhYy00NTNiLWExNTUtZTAxOTE5OTFjMTk5" target="_blank">here</a> for anyone interested in trying it out).<br />
<br />
I was leading a gang of cautious humans passing through the wastelands of Björnåsen, located around five thousand steps South of the large town of Borås. Five civilians equipped with swords and bows, escorted by three armored soldiers, were on their way back home to their manor in Kinnarumma. They've been visiting the King of East Borås for a couple of considerable matters. Halfway home, their journey was interrupted when they ran into a group of bestial green-skinned creatures -- eight bloodthirsty orcs. The battle was an actuality, and it did not end in favor of the humans; all men lost, except for one rider, escaping the battle in fear of his life.<br />
<b><br />
</b><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">BATTLE INFORMATION</span><br />
<br />
<u>Human warband</u><br />
* Young noble, with sword, [PTS=50; Q=3+; C=2] and [Leader].<br />
* (x2) Young noble's close friends, with swords and [PTS=30; Q=3+; C=3].<br />
* Young noble's brother-in-law, on horse, with bow, [PTS=60; Q=3+; C=2] and [Mounted; Long Move; Shooter (med)].<br />
* Young noble's cousin, on horse, with bow, [PTS=45; Q=4+; C=2] and [Mounted; Long Move; Shooter (med)].<br />
* (x3) Armored soldiers, with swords, [PTS=26; Q=4+; C=4] and [Short Move].<br />
=> 293 PTS<br />
<br />
<u>Orc warband</u><br />
<i>This warband was entirely controlled by SBH-SOLO, i.e. my imaginary opponent.</i><br />
* Orc leader, hand weapon, armor, [PTS=100; Q=3+; C=4] and [Leader; Tough].<br />
* Orc warrior, hand weapon, armor, [PTS=42; Q=4+; C=3] and [Long Move; Steadfast].<br />
* (x6) Orc warriors, hand weapons, armor and [PTS=23; Q=4+; C=3].<br />
=> 280 PTS<br />
<br />
The game was played using 15mm miniatures, on a 60x60 cm board, with a few pieces of terrain (mix of self-made ones and a few Games Workshop hedges). The board was crafted and given to me in Christmas present by my father. He used an old green billiards rug and attached it to a wooden board! Looking really good and very steady! Extremely grateful for that piece! =)<br />
<br />
The game was played over two evenings and ended after 12 turns. Or actually, the battle never ended, one last human, the young noble's cousin on horse, fled when he was the only survivor. (He did not flee by the terms of Song of Blades and Heroes rules, but I made him flee, since there was no idea of continuing the fight with just him on the board, and four orcs! Who wouldn't have left the action by then!)<br />
<br />
I had a lot of fun playing this battle! I think the SBH-SOLO module did a good job in simulating a real live opponent. Found some minor problems in the SBH-SOLO rules that I will correct, but apart from that, the game ran smoothly. I will definitely run a similar session again soon. Will have to paint a few more 15mm fantasy miniatures first though, so the variety of miniatures increases.<br />
<b><br />
</b><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">BATTLE HIGHLIGHTS</span><br />
<br />
I will here present a number of highlights from the battle, in the shape of photos. I will not go through the battle in detail, just present a few distinctive moments.<br />
<br />
<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/AVvXsEhr79e1f69nmlc2xQAIT8rZG4ODS0K5aajkPvml-jyLjC7IPSsP-wgyxcaYUCae-g6_tYgVF2NPbBCg77_6VeiE2azfetwX1RdUfJNWDGY7rQIpRR7oBfRrkHrrXx9MSQaD5-zxTfsIYOw/s1600/before.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr79e1f69nmlc2xQAIT8rZG4ODS0K5aajkPvml-jyLjC7IPSsP-wgyxcaYUCae-g6_tYgVF2NPbBCg77_6VeiE2azfetwX1RdUfJNWDGY7rQIpRR7oBfRrkHrrXx9MSQaD5-zxTfsIYOw/s320/before.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The wastelands of Björnåsen. The humans in the lower<br />
part of the photo, and the orcs in the upper. They have<br />
just spotted each other, and the fight is ineluctable.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><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/AVvXsEiUwr-LGO9UtSpjR1qTLZ_eugw-tIiZclzD_QZ8pMNhzm_nCZq0C3tzBmfGv39ZKn7vgnQ0XBi6i3Qc0wKUKQaxzwHc4cEuKlMMI9Zm2agCYu5AOXgVpSsEmgd3t5hmZBPUl_Z3Odq5r6I/s1600/7001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="127" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUwr-LGO9UtSpjR1qTLZ_eugw-tIiZclzD_QZ8pMNhzm_nCZq0C3tzBmfGv39ZKn7vgnQ0XBi6i3Qc0wKUKQaxzwHc4cEuKlMMI9Zm2agCYu5AOXgVpSsEmgd3t5hmZBPUl_Z3Odq5r6I/s320/7001.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Turn #3: The young noble's cousin rides up on a small cliff<br />
and fires his bow. He makes the closest orc temporary<br />
drop his weapon to the ground and lose his balance.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><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/AVvXsEiwAmlVDazkE1W4SaUg7ro6k22rWkdW0XJOVQOTiZgnQ-k-kF2yE7zUws6m45o5L1_uqiL4c2T_VrWSnYYYZ3sDEMrQIMLCfw8SDYGAs-VtR96CdFHwQRmIOPw99gsFQgSfdmcE7ZYp2i0/s1600/7005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwAmlVDazkE1W4SaUg7ro6k22rWkdW0XJOVQOTiZgnQ-k-kF2yE7zUws6m45o5L1_uqiL4c2T_VrWSnYYYZ3sDEMrQIMLCfw8SDYGAs-VtR96CdFHwQRmIOPw99gsFQgSfdmcE7ZYp2i0/s320/7005.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Turn #4: The human warband fumbles and loses one turn.<br />
In game terms; two failures on the first activation<br />
roll attempt made in that turn! Seldom a good start of<br />
a turn... ;-)</td></tr>
</tbody></table><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/AVvXsEgBb0_tKnuQ_E8DPhHRvScL3iYt2nreTrjAGRzCn3QvsWA7dDiGdgMi_iuxzNgRzs1kY1ugJ1kWQKfRj9woCKpJiL-QoM19PqGTa3e8AEcTZLlWILRktLYJ5w2ePLrnerRHJDHfJVsmBH4/s1600/7013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBb0_tKnuQ_E8DPhHRvScL3iYt2nreTrjAGRzCn3QvsWA7dDiGdgMi_iuxzNgRzs1kY1ugJ1kWQKfRj9woCKpJiL-QoM19PqGTa3e8AEcTZLlWILRktLYJ5w2ePLrnerRHJDHfJVsmBH4/s320/7013.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Turn #8: Two orcs charge a human rider. Later, in the<br />
human part of this turn, the rider leaves the hand-to-hand<br />
combat using the Free Disengage a mounted model is<br />
entitled to if it disengage a foot model. Lucky him!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><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/AVvXsEgoNtgcaivTF_11dcJr0iFgrGQJoU3IEJ5p_aQBP4go7Y4nzDBsLEc6qf_wHtevARSGC1q_tBEVVTzf7MU6LfU5SnuaAJmgGJpBGZNrftPdWAHgyhdRQOFSx2f6pcJlWEicLloCVvhwQAM/s1600/7014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoNtgcaivTF_11dcJr0iFgrGQJoU3IEJ5p_aQBP4go7Y4nzDBsLEc6qf_wHtevARSGC1q_tBEVVTzf7MU6LfU5SnuaAJmgGJpBGZNrftPdWAHgyhdRQOFSx2f6pcJlWEicLloCVvhwQAM/s320/7014.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Turn #8: One of the noble's close friends attacks one of the<br />
orcs charging into the rider previously in this turn. He succeed<br />
in making the orc fall to the ground!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><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/AVvXsEh1KP-DFumCf9V_ymkOwmcr9Gxz7jiTim7cZVZEWU_Z7Q7OpCewdaZzxRNBL2f62AYKsllkixkPrlGZGJNAVRYJJ9U2Bm6rE8C6cWR7zS_jo9xR-D4Kcx-t0qoNfo37a2W4BHsZInuoqb4/s1600/7019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="171" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1KP-DFumCf9V_ymkOwmcr9Gxz7jiTim7cZVZEWU_Z7Q7OpCewdaZzxRNBL2f62AYKsllkixkPrlGZGJNAVRYJJ9U2Bm6rE8C6cWR7zS_jo9xR-D4Kcx-t0qoNfo37a2W4BHsZInuoqb4/s320/7019.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Turn #9: The fallen orc from the preceding turn is killed!<br />
Unfortunately, the human is soon to be killed too...</td></tr>
</tbody></table><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/AVvXsEgcPCKd-2NSLGUj30wung8ILSuyERvvHEy_dVsvh97xPMwmHW_MZWuKH8L9y4BkaTDQ5BZH96bzLGqxmTddn4VttgHXsy0-hXttxldIeNdC_RV1Vgbat64g-wlW_urv8SE_9fWMb74eP_c/s1600/7020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcPCKd-2NSLGUj30wung8ILSuyERvvHEy_dVsvh97xPMwmHW_MZWuKH8L9y4BkaTDQ5BZH96bzLGqxmTddn4VttgHXsy0-hXttxldIeNdC_RV1Vgbat64g-wlW_urv8SE_9fWMb74eP_c/s320/7020.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Turn #9: The armored soldier slays one of the ugly<br />
creatures, even though he is surrounded by two<br />
more of them. Good work!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><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/AVvXsEjnDoam0AMZcseBxqHR475BPuNC1rdsqkiEaElrJzN0yif7-vgTvpFYbrv_D8-XsI3oa-oxqh6eH7UpYATsDbgWjohxzoe-m7so3tnGa8P9gLED37H1YWasVtCVnq8tV4ddHAXrDbvXYWQ/s1600/7025.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="163" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnDoam0AMZcseBxqHR475BPuNC1rdsqkiEaElrJzN0yif7-vgTvpFYbrv_D8-XsI3oa-oxqh6eH7UpYATsDbgWjohxzoe-m7so3tnGa8P9gLED37H1YWasVtCVnq8tV4ddHAXrDbvXYWQ/s320/7025.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Turn #10: The fourth orc is killed and the remainder of the orc<br />
warband must perform a Morale check (since the warband<br />
was reduced to half in size). Three of the orcs runs off<br />
toward the board edges. The one in the photo stops just<br />
a few centimeters from the edge!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<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/AVvXsEijjpWngFr1UIXasjuP8IKUyHK_SNLo2taVFGRGrz8oQn6kZ8Jd45qn3Vm4r0pJLTuGBh0W_PanlcbDAhqkAXHXATkOIiQLJmqR4EuqhofC2agf5Wg7LuwQlz-RXe8N7LxWpmNbiD1Jww4/s1600/7031.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijjpWngFr1UIXasjuP8IKUyHK_SNLo2taVFGRGrz8oQn6kZ8Jd45qn3Vm4r0pJLTuGBh0W_PanlcbDAhqkAXHXATkOIiQLJmqR4EuqhofC2agf5Wg7LuwQlz-RXe8N7LxWpmNbiD1Jww4/s320/7031.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Turn #12: End of game! The last remaining human is seen<br />
in the lower right of the photo. He is desperately leaving<br />
the battlefield. Four orcs watch him leave in panic, while<br />
they dismissively laugh...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05155588509261984157noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5367165742975726327.post-21068484652258121292012-02-29T22:14:00.000+01:002012-02-29T22:14:48.220+01:00Figure painting: Three dismounted men at arms<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Slow painting progress. Really slow. Blaming overtime at work. Been quite a lot. But it is about to decrease really soon though, so life should retain back to normal (whatever that is!).</span><br />
<br />
Anyway, managed to complete three dismounted men at arms recently. Although minor progress, I'm happy with the result!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ0jT9L28V9yio0p25ttdB_W1mBQyZHrLfzn-TmyK3daWMNFpeytzC8BLlnRaWi2QZcjwa46b43GNg50oD8W_gEFLKBoKlkd2Ekc-O3IOelrqJpOgy-Xv-9QIWpelMSexuJtuk9cIMi-0/s1600/heavy_inf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ0jT9L28V9yio0p25ttdB_W1mBQyZHrLfzn-TmyK3daWMNFpeytzC8BLlnRaWi2QZcjwa46b43GNg50oD8W_gEFLKBoKlkd2Ekc-O3IOelrqJpOgy-Xv-9QIWpelMSexuJtuk9cIMi-0/s400/heavy_inf.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">They are all 15mm Chariot Miniatures (obtained from Magister Militum [YLT3]).</span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05155588509261984157noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5367165742975726327.post-17429706885303316702012-02-11T20:07:00.000+01:002012-02-11T20:07:10.247+01:00Built a painting station!Wow, more than two weeks since last blog post. Not good. Not entirely sure why, but there has been quite a lot of overtime lately. However, things will get better (i.e. less work) in a few weeks.<br />
<br />
Despite overall bad gaming related progress, I have actually managed to do <em>something </em>: I have built my own painting station!<br />
<br />
And here it is:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHoyKfb3ORttjUZteMYSq3RkqeqJZwJoXemzr3BD57kxDbirTk7q-8cYhl9B3fB7w9QXg4oyZaeGmz12WvE_HdyeqwlOycT_1mY8EIB2Nv6PC9J2Yigr8g0yMiPB1oD8BZ_8QQ7ulDr08/s1600/station1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="317px" sda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHoyKfb3ORttjUZteMYSq3RkqeqJZwJoXemzr3BD57kxDbirTk7q-8cYhl9B3fB7w9QXg4oyZaeGmz12WvE_HdyeqwlOycT_1mY8EIB2Nv6PC9J2Yigr8g0yMiPB1oD8BZ_8QQ7ulDr08/s400/station1.jpg" width="400px" /></a></div><br />
I woke up Sunday morning last week and said to myself -- "I'm going to build a painting station today" -- and so I did! During breakfast I did some quick drawings and came up with some rough measurement estimates. After finishing the breakfast, I went out in the yard and started to build. A few hours later, it was completed (except for the black paint, that I applied a day later). And today I added an old lamp I found in a since-long-forgotten moving box.<br />
<br />
Even though the station is not a beauty (never was the intention), I'm very pleased with the result. The reasons for building one in the first place, are these:<br />
<ol><li>I usually paint minitaures and build terrain in our attic. During winter, especially when there are outdoor temperatures down at minus 15-20C, it gets quite cold up there. In other words, a not so nice environment to sit for a few hours and paint. Even hesitate to go up there sometimes.</li>
<li>I feel very anti-social being up at the attic, alone, for a few hours painting. Now, with the painting station, I can bring down the work to e.g. the living room. Paint while watching TV with my spouse! Very convenient! =)</li>
</ol>Here are two more photos (work in progress):<br />
<br />
<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/AVvXsEjiecFlEtYoo4Vt80JTiGbCpKIsMx-7SnstI9CRG2qS1ZCLPANl8Z6n703xkNq5lHsCSblJetpGiZnp-AEy7vOQRcFBaP4OoVZJTG3EsGErZlaOkhg6H_tdNlZKCQn7-8iodidll_Tz1eQ/s1600/station_wip1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180px" sda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiecFlEtYoo4Vt80JTiGbCpKIsMx-7SnstI9CRG2qS1ZCLPANl8Z6n703xkNq5lHsCSblJetpGiZnp-AEy7vOQRcFBaP4OoVZJTG3EsGErZlaOkhg6H_tdNlZKCQn7-8iodidll_Tz1eQ/s320/station_wip1.jpg" width="320px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Work in progress. Just started. Built the painting<br />
station out of an old IKEA cabinet.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<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/AVvXsEhvByXysnGmETyaLOzma45tggmmng6fKsNKoy6YyCNwXZfLe048oIYMJG9yC_BKr67zg-Fh2SzCeOJXMZ6cJicJW5bA8E3bcrQbn69todpHZD-tc40ryMS_wV3RfiQkBaSD-d1WPOvaU-c/s1600/station_wip2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="238px" sda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvByXysnGmETyaLOzma45tggmmng6fKsNKoy6YyCNwXZfLe048oIYMJG9yC_BKr67zg-Fh2SzCeOJXMZ6cJicJW5bA8E3bcrQbn69todpHZD-tc40ryMS_wV3RfiQkBaSD-d1WPOvaU-c/s320/station_wip2.jpg" width="320px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Work in progress. Before black paint.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05155588509261984157noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5367165742975726327.post-17715135712137947382012-01-23T18:00:00.001+01:002012-01-23T18:00:04.613+01:00States of Siege - the solitaire engine from Victory Point Games<a href="http://victorypointgames.com/">Victory Point Games</a> has a solitaire engine called <b>States of Siege</b>. They use it in many of their solitaire tabletop board games.<br />
<br />
One of those games is <a href="http://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/53624/empires-in-america">Empires in America</a> which I have had in my possession for a few years, but not really played it much - not until now. Below is a brief review of Empires in America.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u style="background-color: #ead1dc;">Empires in America - brief review</u></b><br />
<br />
<b>Background</b><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAqE20Mv-6LNKgWzLzuch9hxc-i1AxZkpWT33i4e2v-TPln0tM4X7Xng6imeFn72pHFqCjvg7MGT8ycRpGJBOZnFFsxOoPGg1uzd7t2ufJSaRKLGRfZwHM0ury_JwTpnAiZor3T1ktHtQ/s1600/EoA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAqE20Mv-6LNKgWzLzuch9hxc-i1AxZkpWT33i4e2v-TPln0tM4X7Xng6imeFn72pHFqCjvg7MGT8ycRpGJBOZnFFsxOoPGg1uzd7t2ufJSaRKLGRfZwHM0ury_JwTpnAiZor3T1ktHtQ/s320/EoA.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The game in action! I later won this game!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>The game is about the French and Indian War (1754-62). The solitaire player controls the French, and must defend Montreal from the British forces slowly closing in from several directions. And that is actually what the States of Siege engine is all about - an enemy closing in from several directions, at the same time, and the player must do everything it takes to stop him, usually with a scarce number of countermeasures at hand.<br />
<br />
<b>Components</b><br />
As with Victory Point Games, they are hand made. Cards/counters/maps/etc are printed and cut by hand. Might put a few off, others won't care. I must say that I actually like the idea of components crafted in this genuine manner - you can feel the love put into it. Everything is carefully and nicely packaged. And regarding the art - I think it is colorful and attractive - no complaints there.<br />
<br />
<b>Gameplay</b><br />
The rulebook takes a few readings before nailing the rules - especially the card locations. A card can be in one of seven different places (e.g. your hand, removed, discarded, bottomed etc). A little confusing at first, but something that you get used to after a few plays. Apart from that, the rulebook is very nicely laid out, and easy to navigate.<br />
<br />
Gameplay is fun! And tense. You have a lot of decision making to do. The game is quite hard to beat. It is extremely frustrating to see all the British forces closing in on Montreal from all directions, but having so little space of maneuvering, so you can't stop them all.<br />
<br />
The game rules are of low complexity. Game play is around 30-45 min.<br />
<br />
<b>The good</b><br />
* Fun and engaging. A lot of decision making.<br />
* High replayability. There is a big randomness around the pile of cards drawn. And since the cards drive the game, game play will look differently each time playing. A very good thing.<br />
* Nice looking art.<br />
* Very clear rulebook.<br />
* Small footprint, and good when traveling - light and small in size!<br />
<br />
<b>The bad</b><br />
* A minor complaint: There is a rule saying that if the British has two or more Leaders (haven't brought Leaders up in this review, but basically, they are a good thing and you need them!) than the French has (when starting the British phase), and a similar rule saying that if the French has two or more Leaders than the British has (when starting the French phase), then Leaders must be sacked, so that the gap in power between the two nations won't get too big. I don't like those kind of rules. I don't like it when the game system prevents one player to get too strong by comparing to the other player's power. Such power regulations should be handled by other means, within the system itself. It's hard to connect such action historically, or into the real world. Why would a winning, more powerful side of a conflict reduce its power because of the other side being weak - that is a great opportunity for offensive actions!<br />
<br />
<b>Conclusion</b><br />
Despite the minor complaint, the game is excellent! I love it! And I would recommend it to any solitaire wargamer. I cannot compare it other games in the States of Siege series, since this is the only game I own in that series. But that is about to change... see below!<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u style="background-color: #ead1dc;">States of Siege - future (from my point of view)</u></b><br />
<br />
* GMT Games and Victory Point Games has a strategic partnership, meaning that GMT releases some VPG games. Currently on GMT's P500 (pre-order) list, there is a game called <a href="http://www.gmtgames.com/p-382-revolt-and-revolution.aspx">Revolt and Revolution</a>, which is three States of Siege games in one box! And with GMT's fine quality, mounted boards etc, this can't be bad! I have signed up on that one. I really hope it collects enough pre-orders to be published.<br />
<br />
* Levee en Masse, which is a States of Siege game, will be developed for Android/iOS. I found the news <a href="http://thegaminggang.com/2012/01/levee-en-masse-and-dawn-of-the-zeds-to-become-ios-and-android-apps/">here</a> (The Gaming Gang) and <a href="http://boardgamegeek.com/blogpost/6871/ios-news-bits-the-octagon-theory-coffee-masters">here</a> (BoardGameGeek). I'm an Android user, so this is wonderful news!<br />
<br />
So, this means, more States of Siege for me in the future! Hopefully, at least one of the above products will be in my hands during 2012. Can't wait!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05155588509261984157noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5367165742975726327.post-54829545816986448322012-01-21T15:36:00.000+01:002012-01-21T15:36:15.549+01:00More terrain completed!Two more pieces of terrain completed, primary for 15mm fantasy use.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2-M4mYTJOWyEM5e9GqgQ6X3x8XevQ93JT8ZEE9SFOpUy-98b5p7L4bFRZiahyYteLU9a1V4buY28hbiACzqc7VS9j45YHEuji39EFFonx0ID2I5Ym87Fm7JdMX4zOawXTdPRtFh_UIMQ/s1600/terrain1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="119" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2-M4mYTJOWyEM5e9GqgQ6X3x8XevQ93JT8ZEE9SFOpUy-98b5p7L4bFRZiahyYteLU9a1V4buY28hbiACzqc7VS9j45YHEuji39EFFonx0ID2I5Ym87Fm7JdMX4zOawXTdPRtFh_UIMQ/s320/terrain1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">15mm figures, for reference.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFw0FMsIzwt7dVJISkYcRrTk4qt8bxOnCzm6oHlzp70n50ZOYT3VHdqi_MnLUzizokpgs-2dQRZVGmy3NX0ruEpvcao9oLmMqI9oFxL74B6j4U8sVz33-qiEqrgFBhgEpxaovaIPULDvM/s1600/terrain2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFw0FMsIzwt7dVJISkYcRrTk4qt8bxOnCzm6oHlzp70n50ZOYT3VHdqi_MnLUzizokpgs-2dQRZVGmy3NX0ruEpvcao9oLmMqI9oFxL74B6j4U8sVz33-qiEqrgFBhgEpxaovaIPULDvM/s320/terrain2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">15mm figure, for reference.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
Next up: Painting of 15mm (fantasy) humans.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05155588509261984157noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5367165742975726327.post-35641760340843259632012-01-15T21:24:00.001+01:002012-01-16T11:12:54.107+01:00Look what I found - a bunch of Mage Knight miniatures!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqqi1aH_t2iwnbhxetdi9XQkKbD1EuOgqhXxgf1aqEJ5NwXikx7-FtQe86FLuU3u8ZLJpmHkkuQPAFzMdmld3u3DtzpVjPm5Kxu11aunRqNpdCraevLQFXnYxvv_TPNGqpxx2iALr9rRs/s1600/mageknight.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="163" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqqi1aH_t2iwnbhxetdi9XQkKbD1EuOgqhXxgf1aqEJ5NwXikx7-FtQe86FLuU3u8ZLJpmHkkuQPAFzMdmld3u3DtzpVjPm5Kxu11aunRqNpdCraevLQFXnYxvv_TPNGqpxx2iALr9rRs/s320/mageknight.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>I honestly had forgot about these. (Found them by coincidence when looking for other things.) I bought them about 10 years ago, and they have been stored on my gaming shelf behind a few other games since then.<br />
<br />
I remember trying the game a few times, but didn't have that many to play with back at that time. Especially not other gaming friends buying miniatures. So the game fell into oblivion. Until now!<br />
<br />
I'm not sure what to with them. There are probably to few of them to play big games, so gaming would be limited to small-scale battles.<br />
<br />
I found a good web resource though, <a href="https://sites.google.com/site/mageknightproject/home">The Mage Knight Project</a>, which has kept rules and other stuff for the future, since the game officially dies many years ago. And I just found out that there is a 2.0 version of the rules (compatible with my old miniatures). I most likely have the printed 1.0 rules included with my sets.<br />
<br />
Would be cool to try this out! Think I have to do just that!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05155588509261984157noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5367165742975726327.post-1669773190061268052012-01-08T12:00:00.004+01:002012-01-08T12:00:06.716+01:00My miniature painting queueThis is my miniature painting queue.<br />
<br />
<br />
<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="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4nmsufuoB0k/TwYMTotm-8I/AAAAAAAAAaA/ofu2NzBBs-A/s1600/pipe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4nmsufuoB0k/TwYMTotm-8I/AAAAAAAAAaA/ofu2NzBBs-A/s320/pipe.jpg" width="233" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Orcs/goblins at the top of the picture,<br />
and humans at the bottom.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
So far I have painted 7 humans and 8 orcs. The goal is to complete all those 50+ miniatures before end of 2012. Might sound like an extremely <strong>easy</strong> goal, but with many other projects and real-life issues, that is a <strong>realistic</strong> goal... I think... and hope...<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KFxRW2htDLw/TwYLWe8qxoI/AAAAAAAAAZ0/5TTXePZrLsg/s1600/pipe2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KFxRW2htDLw/TwYLWe8qxoI/AAAAAAAAAZ0/5TTXePZrLsg/s320/pipe2.jpg" width="268" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Painting queue - another angle!<br />
In the front, dismounted men at arms.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05155588509261984157noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5367165742975726327.post-64047230444732740582012-01-05T21:34:00.000+01:002012-01-05T21:34:55.496+01:00Figure painting: Eight armoured orcs<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-M2uIUObsCmA/TwYGy3K3InI/AAAAAAAAAX8/9T82axAG0Wo/s1600/all.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="100" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-M2uIUObsCmA/TwYGy3K3InI/AAAAAAAAAX8/9T82axAG0Wo/s400/all.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Completed painting eight 15mm orcs today (did not paint them entirely today; have been working on them to and from during a couple of weeks). A good day! =)<br />
<br />
They are all Chariot Miniatures (obtained from Magister Militum [GOB12]).<br />
<br />
I'm a newbie painter, but I'm quite happy how they turned out.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05155588509261984157noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5367165742975726327.post-55035360913743059732012-01-03T12:03:00.000+01:002012-01-03T12:03:48.834+01:00New piece of miniature terrain!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4mf95NZz0R4/TwLf0SMjP3I/AAAAAAAAAXs/81IOmWxMSL4/s1600/terrain2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="169" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4mf95NZz0R4/TwLf0SMjP3I/AAAAAAAAAXs/81IOmWxMSL4/s320/terrain2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Slowly, slowly I'm building new miniature terrain... Certainly slow, but fun process!<br />
<br />
Here's the latest creation. A small hill, with some bushes on top. Placed two 15mm miniatures in the photo for size reference.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05155588509261984157noreply@blogger.com0