The Wicked Witch of the West at Toy Soldiers and Dining Room Battles

It is right and proper, from time to time, to proclaim my love and adoration for Neil at Toy Soldiers and Dining Room Battles.  I've gleefully borrowed so many cool ideas and scenarios over time.  It's one of a handful of blogs that I become nearly giddy when a new post comes up in my feed.

He's been assembling new adventuring companies for In Her Majesty's Name using the Reaper Wild West Oz figures and some ingenuity, and his take on the company of the Wicked Witch of the West is top notch.

I love his take on the Winkies, although I'm still tempted to use some Old Glory Voynuks for my take on the movie version. 

And of course, I'll add the links for both his Dorothy and the Wicked Witch on my original Hunting for Wizard of Oz Figures post from a number of years ago.  It's still one of the most consistently searched for posts every month, and if Neil can benefit from the traffic, then all the better.

Waterdeep: Dragon Heist Meets Magic: The Gathering.... at Least in Promotion

Since the first Hurloon Minotaur was blocked by a giant Plague Rat, gamers have dreamed of Magic: The Gathering becoming an RPG setting.  Within recent years, Wizards of the Coast have even released more and more elaborate campaign material to run your D&D game in one of the settings of the never-ending sets.  But with the upcoming release of actual published material for Ravnica on the horizon, I argue that as much as Magic is becoming part of D&D, Dungeons and Dragons appears to have embraced the Magic marketing models.

Depsite a multi-system upbringing, one of the most intriguing things was looking up the upcoming releases in the "TSR Previews" section of Dragon Magazine.  Even in 1988, TSR had a prodigious release schedule, chock full of paperback novels and role-playing games for multiple systems.  Just looking at Dragon #137 the September books shipping (aka release at GenCon) included the Greyhawk Adventures hardcover, GAZ5 The Five Shires, FR5 The Savage Frontier, the Forgotten Realms City System boxed set and TWO Top Secret sourcebooks. I now remember where all my lawn mowing and leaf raking money went into the Fall.  Sure, there were multiple iterartions of Buck Rogers and odd board games like Magestones, but TSR was a cornucopia of product, and at least two or three items every month caught my attention, if not my Velcro wallet.

Fast forward thirty years, and Wizards releases what could be considered a trickle of material.  As I look at the monthly releases (which have already been teased on Amazon for six-plus months), I see a handful of $50-60 hardcovers, a smattering of accesories whose prices make this old miser flinch, and a disorganized assortment of third party licences.

But even someone as clueless as me could pick up on the growing hype for the latest release:  Waterdeep: Dragon Heist.

The "mad romp through the streets of Waterdeep" is a hardcover campaign for levels 1-5 and people I know who wouldn't even touch a Forgotten Realms pamphlet, much less something broader like The Tomb of Annihilation seem enthralled by this product.

Tuesday, I was struck with a barrage of social media posts from various FLGS, flouting their recently received shipment.  No, it wasn't Waterdeep: Dragon Heist (that arrives on September 18th), but it was boxes upon boxes of the D&D Icons of the Realms Dragon Heist minis produced by Wizkids.  Coupled with the support product (dice, maps) and the promotions for pdfs of the book and loadable maps on Roll20, I finally came upon the realization.  D&D products aren't just a huge catalog of products and what sells sticks to future production, D&D books are now an event.  I'm amazed at how many people are finishing up old campaigns and clearing schedules to indulge in the full glory of Dragon Heist.

It's actually RPG-version of a Magic pre-release or release weekend, dice and accessories replacing fat packs, promos, and card accessories.  People come from far and wide to immerse themselves into the game at whatever level they're comfortable in, be it the main $50 book, some minis, or the $500 Platinum Edition.    When one measly softcover book for a Pathfinder or Starfinder game sets you back over twenty bucks, this is looking to be a better and better option.

I'm actually quite impressed by entire model, and if it results in good sales for Wizards, it means more events, so be it.

And I'll ponder a new copy of FR5 through RPGnow.  Softcover copy and pdf for $11.99 pre-shipping sounds like a steal.

This Elmore art inspires my gaming more than anything this century #oldfart

(Kickstarter) Shark Hunt!

There have been a plethora of Kickstarters that, despite even the enthused pleadings of blog readers, have not won me over as worthy of a blog post (The three Lemonade Wars Kickstarters by Blind Beggar were really short campaigns... sorry Mike)

One finally pierced my armor.

Shark Hunt! is a Kickstarter by John H Kohn allowing for a printable prototype of a solo tabletop game.  The $3 pledge gets you the pdfs of the board and rules, as well as .stl files of the shark and boat for 3-D printing.  The money will be used to produce a physical product for sale.

In a world with $300 limited edition pledge levels, this is the forgotten path of online fundraising.  Pitching a few bucks towards a nostalgic looking product that may or may not see the light of day?  I'll take my chances. 

My Event for Fall-In! 2018

Upon realizing that the deadline for the Fall-In! Preliminary Events List (PEL) was August 24th, not August 28th, I quickly assembled an event at the last minute.

The Burning of Mautonu
American Marines have landed on Samoa to try and keep the peace in the capital while a civil war rages across the rest of the islands. After a few difficult encounters while venturing out into the countryside, they are given orders to seize the small village of Mautonu.  The overland march has been easy for once, far too easy.
Saturday 10am - 3 hours - 6 players  - System: Contemptible Little Armies

Pretty much the event I was looking at running.  I do need to do a bit more research to turn a historical action into a "what if?" battle. 

On a good note, someone did update the Samoan Civil War pages on Wikipedia and no longer cite Robert Louis Stevenson as a primary source during a war that took place four years after his death. 

I'll be participating in the Battle in a Box contest as an unregistered contestant.  With my daughter Maja in tow, I can't adhere to the judging rules for Saturday.  In the spirit of the contest, I'll be ordering a 17-liter Really Useful box and trying to fill it with everything I need for a 5'x8' table.  Figures, dice, rulers, playmat, terrain, the whole nine yards. 

(Painting) Transitrian Scientific Republic K-5 Close Support Aircraft

With #RPGaDay posts done and the crazy Summer schedule finished, it's time to visit the sometimes-wet, hopefully dry, always visited by cats painting bench in my Kriget Rum.

After much consternation, and a lack of small but sturdy flight bases, here's the K-5 Close Support Aircraft for my slowly growing Transnitrian Scientific Republic army (TSR).

 This is a Harpy Attack Helicopter from Reviresco/tin-solider.com in 1/300th.  It was in "The Box" that I picked up in the flea market at Fall-In! for a couple of measly bucks.

 No flight bases included, and my search for small, compact, and sturdy have come up empty handed, so *boom* onto a MDF base for you!

The helicopter is also a lot bigger than the air support I've used in Battletech.  It's length rivals an OGRE!  

When the basement doesn't decide to take water around the painting bench, our eldest cat has decided to commandeer it.  She's taken a spot within my painting racks, and let's say she hasn't been the most nimble getting up and off the bench. 

I came downstairs to paint bottles and figures, once well organized, strewn across the basement floor, 

Insert a full sized cat into the space to the left, and you get the idea.

Time to reorganize, cat-proof, and take some time and relax before work gets crazy in less than a month. 

NEXT:  Lots of figures to refurbish for the Samoa game at Fall-In! *spoiling tomorrow's post", my Fita-Fita to keep the theme, and whatever the cat hasn't knocked off the table overnight.

Apathy of the New Releases (Sep '18)

ViscountEric's Want List

Nothing

ViscountEric's Money-Is-No-Object Want List

Amazing Tales 

Amazing Tales .................................................................. $19.95

Covering the specific challenges of making up stories that work for kids, different ways of handling fights in childrens' games and ways to keep magic magic. Four sample settings for Amazing Tales, each with suggested characters and skills, tips for story tellers and ten story seeds - ideas just waiting to become Amazing Tales. The 96 page hardback book features 28 pages of full color illustrations and is embellished with black and white line drawings throughout. Perfect for sharing with adventurous children to inspire their adventures. Scheduled to ship in October 2018.

Osprey Publishing

Mapping the First World War: Battlefields of the Great Conflict................... $25.00

The Imaginary Store List (The Pegleg Gnome)

Asmodee Editions 

Dixit: Anniversary Expasion .................................................... $29.99

Get Packing .............................................................................. $24.99
Oliver Twist .............................................................................. $39.99

Jack and the Beanstalk .............................................................. $24.99

Orbis ......................................................................................... $39.99

Timeline: Classic ...................................................................... $ 9.99

Timeline: Events  ...................................................................... $ 9.99

Timeline: Inventions ................................................................. $ 9.99

Volt ............................................................................................ $50.00

Bedrock Games

Ogre Gate: House of Paper Shadows ....................................... $19.99

Catan Studios

Catan: Scenario - Crop Trust .................................................... $25.00

Cephalofair Games

Gloomhaven:  Forgotten Circles Expansion ............................. $30.00

CMON

The Grizzled: Armistice Edition .............................................. $49.99

Another wave of A Song of Ice & Fire boxed sets of minis.  I know everyone I've talked to that's known about it want to buy some, but it's a huge outlay to regularly stock.   Thirty five bucks for a finely sculpted unit of plastic minis must be regular price.  I'd tip-toe in via special orders and some core boxes and go from there.

Cubicle 7

D&D: Adventures in Middle Earth Breeland Region Guide ....... $34.99

Warhammer Fantasy RPG:  Rough Nights and Hard Days ......... $29.99

Fantasy Flight Games

Mansions of Madness 2nd Ed: Horrific Journeys Expansion ..... $59.95

Plastic Stands ............................................................................... $ 3.99

Star Wars Imperial Assault Map: Tarkin Initiative Labs .............  PI

Star Wars Legion - Imperial Royal Guards Unit ......................... $24.95

Star Wars Legion - Emperor Palpatine ........................................ $12.95

Giant in the Playground 

Order of the Stick: Good Deeds Gone Unpunished ................... $24.95

Goodman Games

DCC #98: Imprisoned in the God-Skull ..................................... $ 9.99

Fifth Edition Fantasy #15: Drowning Caverns of the Fish God...... $ 9.99

Gencon 2018 Program Guide ..................................................... $19.99

Green Ronin Publishing

Blue Rose RPG:  Aldis - City of the Blue Rose ....................... $32.95

Lost Citadel RPG: Tales of the Lost Citadel (SC) .................... $15.99

Modern Age RPGS:  GM's Kit ................................................. $19.95

Mutants and Masterminds RPG:  Basic Hero HB .................... $29.95

Grey Fox Games

Pocket Mars .............................................................................. $14.99

Konami Digital Entertainment

Yu-Gi-Oh!  Legendary Hero Decks ......................................... $29.99

Yu-Gi-Oh! Soul Fusion Boosters 

Koplow Games

Leather Dice Cup .................................................................... $50.00

Wow, these went up a lot in the last 25 years....

Dice Cup: Plastic Round w/out Lining ................................... $ 3.00

Modiphius

D-Day Dice ............................................................... $55.00

Full Moon Jacket ...................................................... $75.00

Legacy: Life Among the Ruins 2nd Edition ............ $40.00

Legacy: Generation Ship .......................................... $19.99

Legacy: Primal Pathways ......................................... $19.99

Legacy: Rhapsody of Blood ..................................... $19.99

Legacy: World Fall ................................................... $19.99

Mutant Year Zero Comp 4: Eternal War .................. $19.99

Mutant Year Zero Comp 5: Hotel Imperator ........... $19.99

Star Trek Adventures:  Operations Division ........... $34.99

Osprey Publishing 

Battleship Bismark ................................................... $60.00

Bolt Action Campaign:  Western Desert .................. $30.00

Dracula's America: Shadows of the West- Forbidden Power ... $25.00

Frostgrave - Ghost Archipelago: Gods of Fire ........ $25.00

Paizo Publishing 

Pathfinder RPG AP Ret of Runelords 4 - Temple of Peacock Spirit ......... $24.99

Pathfinder RPG Flip Mat Classics - Warehouse ........................................ $13.99

Pathfinder RPG Flip Mat - Docks ............................................................. $14.99

Pathfinder RPG Pawns - War for the Crown ............................................. $24.99

Pathfinder RPG Player Companion - Martial Arts HB ............................. $14.99

Starfinder RPG: AP Signal of Screams 1 - The Diaspora ......................... $22.99

Starfinder RPG: Flip Mat - Hospital ......................................................... $14.99

Palladium Books
Splicers: I am Legion - Adv Sourcebook ............................................... $26.99

Reaper Miniatures

Lots of new Dark Heaven metals figures

Restoration Games

Fireball Island: The Curse of the Vul Kar............................................... $74.95

Fireball Island: Last Adventurer ............................................................ $24.95

Steve Jackson Games

GURPS: Spaceships 4th Edition ........................................................... $15.95

Munckin Party Pack .............................................................................. $ 9.95

Munchkin CCG: Grave Danger Boosters 

Toy Vault

FUDGE Dice Set .................................................  $9.99

Troll Lord Games

Castles and Crusades Adventurer's Backpacks .................. $29.99

Castles and Crusades Starter Kit ........................................ $49.99

5th Edition Adventures: C4 Harvest of Oaths ................... $ 9.99

Ulisses North America

TORG: The Living Land ................................................... $39.99

TORG: Living Land GM Screen ....................................... $19.99

TORG: Living Land Booster Deck ................................... $ 9.99

TORG: Living Land Booster Possibilities ........................ $19.99

TORG:  The God Box ....................................................... $29.99

Warhammer 40K Wrath and Glory RPG Rulebook HC .... $59.99

Warhammer 40K Wrath and Glory RPG Starter Set ......... $49.99

Wizards of the Coast

D&D Adventures Outlined Coloring Book ....................... $16.95

D&D Waterdeep Dungeon of the Mad Mage .................... $49.95

D&D Waterdeep Dungeon of the Mad Mage Map Pack.... $24.95

Magic: The Gathering - Ravnica Allegiance

The Mike Lung Gallery #57: That Driver's a Rat!

Gaming with the Gnomies effervescent correspondent and great friend of the blog, Mike Lung has added a new racer to drive through the countryside!

"He started off a Eureka/Broadbent teddy bear pilot. But that didn’t really work for me. So after a lot of chopping, pinning, and putty, he became a rat."