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Countdown to to Gen Con 8 Days Out; A look at Golem Arcana

 Board Games, Featured, Gen Con 2014, Hairbrained Schemes, Kickstarter  Comments Off on Countdown to to Gen Con 8 Days Out; A look at Golem Arcana
Aug 042014
 

 

Only 8 days left, are you excited yet? Well yesterday we discussed a Dropzone Commander. A game that when it came on the scene it hit the ground running and hasn’t stopped since. Today I’d like to talk about Golem Arcana from Hairbrained Schemes. Hairbrained Schemes is a small group of passionate game developers lead by Jordan Weisman, complete list here.

 

Duranni colossus

Golem Arcan is a new game that could potentially hold some keys to the future of gaming. Let’s start with the basics. Golem Arcana is a miniatures board game that is striving to incorporate the use of smart devices. I did get a look at the miniatures at Origins and the are excellent. Beautifully sculpted with dynamic poses and painted with vibrant colors, what you would expect from an average to an above average hobby painter. While the miniatures are an important part of the game I don’t believe they are the focus.

 

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Box Breaking 108 Volt from Nazca Games

 Gaming News  Comments Off on Box Breaking 108 Volt from Nazca Games
Aug 042014
 

Watch as Matt takes a look at Volt. The board game of arena robot combat that emphasizes critical thinking.

 

 

You can read our review Thursday.

 Posted by at 10:28 PM

Box Breaking 105 Heroes of Metro City from 3 Some Games

 Box Breaking, Card Games, Featured, Game Salute  Comments Off on Box Breaking 105 Heroes of Metro City from 3 Some Games
Aug 042014
 

Matt Takes a look at the contents of Heroes of Metro City.  The super hero card game that allows players to make the hero each time they play.  Brought to us by 3 Some Games.

 

 

Learn more about Heroes of Metro City at Game Salute.

People of the Stars for Pathfinder in August

 Gaming News  Comments Off on People of the Stars for Pathfinder in August
Aug 042014
 

peopleofthestars People of the Stars

$12.99 SRP

 

Shoot for the moon and prepare for interstellar adventure with Pathfinder Player Companion: People of the Stars! Along with new, out-of-this-world character options like feats, spells, and magic items, this book gives players all the information they need to explore Golarion’s solar system and beyond. This volume is a perfect companion to the Iron Gods Adventure Path and the fan-favorite Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Distant Worlds. With People of the Stars, your success as an interstellar adventurer really is written in the stars!

 

Written by Andrew Romine, David N. Ross, Ethan Day-Jones, James L. Sutter, Jim Groves, Jonathan Keith.

Countdown to Gen Con 9 Days Left Focus on Dropzone Commander

 Featured, Gaming News, Gen Con 2014, Hawk Wargames  Comments Off on Countdown to Gen Con 9 Days Left Focus on Dropzone Commander
Aug 032014
 

I have managed to get some rest. I hope that mu post yesterday made sense, because I was out of it. Anyway I’d like to chat today about Dropzone Commander from Hawk Wargames. Since I first saw the pictures of these minis nearly two years ago I have been drooling over this game. I know it has been out for two years, but I live in a smaller city where the game stores focus on a handful of board games and Magic the Gathering. So I really haven’t seen it yet. Yes there are a lot of pictures and on the internet, but I like to examine minis. I did manage to get my hands on the starter though and I’m extremely impressed.

 

The story takes place far in the future (2670) where humanity barley exists. The race is scattered across frontier planets and Earth has been lost to an alien race. But after being forgotten the humans have decided to start fighting back, thus the war begins! It has a great storyline.

 

The basic game has two small forces, UNC and Scourge. The starter also includes a great rulebook, and terrain. Oh I forgot to mention dice and a measuring tape.

 

As I said before the miniatures are gorgeous. There is four factions and resin scenery. My favorite faction, based on looks, is either the PHR or the Shaltari. The PHR are a small tribe of humans that have really cool looking walkers. While the Shaltari are a technologically advanced civilization with some well weird looking vehicles that look like a lot of fun to paint. The Scenry is absolutely phenomenal. I have to get some of these. I play a lot of games and these kits are universal. Check out the Monorail.

 

Hawk Wargames have been busy with this game in the last year, They have added the United States to their convention tour. I have recently learned that the game has box sets designed for tournament play. What a great idea. Sadly, that has made me realize that I know far less about Hawk Wargames and Dropzone Commander than I though t I did. I really am excited about interviewing them and checking out the new releases.

 

I am going to come back from Gen Con with a lot more knowledge about Dropzone Commander. Of course I will share everything I learn with you.

 

Til tomorrow have fun.

 

Matt

 Posted by at 11:09 PM
Aug 032014
 

skullsnshacklesSkull & Shackles Base Set

$59.99 SRP

 

All Hands on Deck! There’s adventure to be had on the high seas when a group of press-ganged pirates becomes embroiled in the plots and plunder of the Shackles – an infamous island chain dominated by pirate warlords. But as these new swashbucklers make names for themselves, rival scalawags, enemy navies, legendary sea monsters, and the infamous Hurricane King himself seek to see them walk the plank. Who will survive when there’s loot on the line?

 

Launch a campaign to control the Shackles with the Pathfinder Adventure Card Game: Skull & Shackles Base Set. This complete cooperative strategy card game pits 1 to 4 heroes against the traps, monsters, deadly magic, and despicable foes of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game’s Skull & Shackles Adventure Path. Choose your character’s class; build a deck of allies, equipment, and magic; and explore lethal locations as you journey through multiple scenarios in an exciting fantasy adventure. Characters grow stronger after each game, adding unique gear and awesome magic to their decks, and gaining incredible powers, all of which they’ll need to challenge greater threats in a complete Pathfinder Adventure Card Game Adventure Path.

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Magic: The Gathering: From the Vault: Annihilation August 22nd

 Magic The Gathering, Wizards of the Coast  Comments Off on Magic: The Gathering: From the Vault: Annihilation August 22nd
Aug 032014
 

Magic: The Gathering: From the Vault: Annihilation

$34.99 SRP

 

Harness the savage power of fifteen of the most brutal Magic cards ever unleashed. These limited-edition, black-bordered superweapons are legal in many tournament formats. Sweep the battlefield clean with this powerful arsenal and blast the opposition into oblivion.

FT Ann

 

 

Contains:

15 Premium foil cards, including 6 with new art

1 exclusive Spindown life counter

1 collector’s guide

In order to receive From the Vault: Annihilation, Wizards Play Network stores at core level and above must sign up for it on the Wizards Event Reporter betweenJune 30th and July 20th .

 

Countdown to Gen Con 10 days Left Adventure a Week

 Featured, Gen Con 2014  Comments Off on Countdown to Gen Con 10 days Left Adventure a Week
Aug 022014
 

Another day gone only 10 days left. Where is the time going? Talk about an absolutely nuts day. It started at 4:45 in the morning. My boys had to march in the Football hall of Fame parade. Took the van in for repairs and I cooked dinner for my parents! I’m tired.

 

Today I’d like to chat about Adventure a Week. If you are a role player in the D20 world this might be worth your time. Every week they publish a new Pathfinder or D&D 3.5 adventure.I’m certainly going to look into it.

 

In March they finished the Rise of the Drow on Kickstarter. It puts the previous PDF’s into print. Plus the book puts some great people,like Owen K.C.Stephens, Jen Page, and Robert Gulver. to work on the stretch goals. I will admit I’ve never seen the PDF, but after seeing the art for the Kickstarter I really want to take an in depth look at the book. I mean it’s Drow and it has a mushroom forest. Something that I had started designing myself. I love the idea and maybe I’ll be lazy and use theirs.

 

They Currently have another Kikckstarter Snow White. An adventure for 6th -8th level characters in a fairy tale adventure. If it keeps climbing stretch goals we will see some great additions from Ed Greenwood, Wolfgang Bauer, and Jen Page. I would really like to see what Wolfang has planned for that deep and dark fairy tale magic.

 

Well it’s late and I’m exhausted. I fell a sleep three times typing this.

 

Til tomorrow take care

Matt

Pathfinder Technology Guide

 Paizo Publishing, Pathfinder, RPG's  Comments Off on Pathfinder Technology Guide
Aug 022014
 

pathfinder tech guideTechnology Guide

$19.99 SRP

 

Ever wondered how a laser gun would function in a world full of magic and traditional fantasy weaponry? Look no farther than the Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Technology Guide! Packed with 64 pages of new technology rules for the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, this indispensable resource for Game Masters running adventures in the land of Numeria, the setting of the Iron Gods Adventure Path, will supercharge any fantasy game looking to add futuristic and alien technology.

 

 

 

Inside this book you will find:

 

-Scores of technological weapons, armor, and other items, including plasma grenades, force fields, and pharmaceuticals.

-New uses of skills to interact with technology, allowing players to translate computer code, place and disarm explosives, and disable electronic devices.

-Rules for crafting technological items.

-New archetypes allowing existing character classes to specialize in using or battling technology.

-The technomancer prestige class, frequently used by the members of Numeria’s sinister Technic League.

-Rules for cybernetic implants, power generators, artificial intelligences, and much, much more!

Countdown to Gen Con 11 Days Writer’s Symposium

 Featured, Gen Con 2014  Comments Off on Countdown to Gen Con 11 Days Writer’s Symposium
Aug 012014
 

The last 24 hours have been fun. I have been hard at work writing the frame work for our Through Gamer Goggles scavenger hunt. It was hard to get through all of that while thinking about all the cool things that the Writer’s Symposium will have going on for the 20th anniversary. Before I go any further I should really share some things with you about the symposium.

Let’s take a look at the program. It starts Thursday at 9:00 A.M. and runs until noon on Sunday, taking a break every night at 9:00 P.M. That is over 120 hours of events. The events come in a variety, panels, seminars, and hands on experience. I have found that they are all beneficial. There will be times when you come away with more knowledge than others. From my experience I believe the key is to participate – engage in discussion with the teachers and attendees. That is how you can get the most from the visit. I highly encourage you to participate in the critiques next year, they are probably sold out already this year. They are your chance to have face to face time with four editors, great elbow rubbing time!

If it were not for several of the friends I made at Gen Con in 2011 through the symposium, it is safe to say I wouldn’t be doing this today. I should also note that if it weren’t for Ryan Hale Through Gamer Goggles would not exist – that’s a different story though. When I first started attending Gen Con it was for the sole purpose of learning about the craft of writing. The symposium gave me so much more. It is a valuable community (most events are free), that gives well beyond the convention.

You meet these authors that are for the most part really easy to talk to and you find them on facebook and bam you get inspired. It works like this. The writers are all about self promotion so you see a great deal of what they accomplish. Which in turn is motivational, at least to me. I figure if they can do it I can too. As a result of the volunteer authors service, I’m currently working on a novel (have to develop the world first), a novella for a very cool game world, and some short fiction. After Gen Con I’m going to pitch some adventures to Adventure a Week and Kobold Press. Oh and because Elizabeth Vaughan suggested I get into a writer’s guild, I ended up as the vice president here in Canton. See what I mean it’s a community that doesn’t end at Gen Con.

 

I’m indebted to the Writer’s Symposium, out of all of my convention experiences it has proven to be the most valuable. I really can’t say enough about the symposium and how deep it goes. I can tell you it has changed me forever.

 

Until tomorrow take care.

 

Matt