Monthly Archives: March 2017

Big Board Game Night Tonite!

charity, Fenland Gamers, fund raising

Tonight’s the night.

Yep tonight a few members of The Fenland Gamers board gaming group will gather together to play games and raise money for the NSPCC, as our part of their Hasbro sponsored Big Board Game Day.

We will be rolling dice, moving tokens and drafting cards from between 7pm tonight and 7am Saturday morning. 

Yep that’s 12 whole hours of cardboard inspired fun. Which is something I haven’t done before.

If you’d like to donate money to the NSPCC to show support for our mad plan, we have a Just Giving page set up HERE.

There will be photos from throughout the night on my Instagram account, which you should be able to see HERE. I might even do the odd live stream as well! But no promises on that.

Getting windy in Scythe

news

Fans of the game Scythe (my game of 2016) will be very excited by this image.

What does this image mean? Why are we wetting our pants (that’s English pants not American ones) over this?

This image is the teaser for the second expansion for Scythe. But to go along with it Jamey Stegmaier has written a blog post that reveals more details about what to expect in this expansion.

So in summary (I don’t want to just copy and paste, you can go read Jamey’s words for yourself – link at the end), there will be two expansions in the box. The first originally designed by a fan adds airships to the game. Hey we are getting new miniatures for these as well. 

The second half of the expansion adds a resolution tile that adds a twist to the end of the game, and effects your decisions during the game!

Personally I didn’t think Scythe needed another expansion. If there had not been another one announced I’d have been more than happy with what I have. 

But I’m not going to turn new stuff away. I’ve just got to work out how everything is going to fit into one box. It’s tight now. I may have to make an insert.

It would be fair to say Scythe has been a hit. I think it was said that by April 100,000 copies sold. Which for a “hobby” game is massive. And it still appears to be selling out whenever stock hits the shelves of stores. Plus what’s even more incredible is that the extras like the metal coins are also selling like hot cakes.

The game walked away with a truck load of awards at the recent BGG awards, voted for by the game buying/playing public.

So this new expansion when it comes out later in the year, is I’m suspecting going to be flying off the shelf in to the grubby mits of gamers faster than me after free cake. So you have been warned. 

Read the full post by Jamey Stegmaier HERE. 

On the outside looking in

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I’ve kind of spent the weekend doing the gaming equivalent of standing outside the restaurant window looking in, while everyone is inside enjoying themselves.

Or that’s how it feels watching YouTube videos by the likes of Team Covenant for the collectable dice and card game Star Wars Destiny.

Because I’ve come late to the party I’ve missed the first wave of the game. It sold like hot cakes 

All I have at the moment is the Kylo starter. I’ve not played a game yet. Well I can’t play with my friend who would also like to get into the game. He can’t buy a starter. Let alone any boosters. I was extremely lucky that I managed to get the Kylo second hand for the price I did.

But this weekend I’m hoping that the Rey starter I’ve got off eBay is legit. I know the awesome play mat that FFG do, and seen in some of the Team Covenant videos is on its way. But that was optimistic of me. It’s assuming my friend and I can get product to play with. Mind you it’s an awesome mat I can use with other games.

I did via a Facebook group for the game hear that there might be starters and boosters in some lgs in New Zealand! Being on the opposite side of the planet would normally be an obstacle. But luckily I have family down there, and an aunt and uncle on holiday there. So a cunning plan is a foot.

May is meant to be seeing the release of the second set for Destiny, with a one off reprint of the first set hitting June. But expect both to be cleared off the shelves by eager gamers quicker than a plague of locusts hitting a field of crops. Yes FFG have said that these print runs are going to be much larger than the initial one. But… we will see. I’m expecting things to be equally as crazy and hard to get.

I’m so so glad I decided to cave and get into this madness (where is that sarcasm font when you need it?)

Woe is me!

charity, fund raising

We are fast approaching the Easter holidays. One more week and schools and colleges are closed for two weeks.

So inbetween preparing for the last term of the academic year there are opportunities to play some games in that break.

But there is a catch to this. Hardly anyone else is free to play anything. The majority of people are not working in education, so unless they book holiday, they are working for the man.

I know one or two of our gaming group are also in education. But sadly the universe has conspired to make life hard for them at the moment (that’s putting it mildly, and my thoughts are with them and their families).

But I suppose before I start worrying about what I’m playing over Easter, I should worry about surviving next weekend! It’s manic. 

My killer weekend starts next Friday with work! We then have our NSPCC Big Board Game Day All Nighter. Twelve hours of gaming running from 7pm that Friday to 7am Saturday morning. I then have to be in Cambridge by 10am for PiWars where some of my students are entering a Raspberry Pi controlled robot.

So potentially I’m home by 6pm on the Saturday. If I’m really lucky a bit earlier than that. 

I think it’s fair to say I may be a tad tired by that point, and ready to drop.

If you’d like to show your support for our charity effort for the NSPCC by throwing money at us (doesn’t matter how large or small the donation is, every little helps) we have a Just Giving page for our fund raising. Thank you in advance for any generosity you show. 

I know it’s hard, especially after just being hit also by Red Nose Day, and it’s the last week before payday (if you are paid monthly). So if it’s not possible to make a donation that’s cool. We totally understand. But if you could spread the word to your friends and family instead that would help us just as much, and we’d really appreciate it.

I’d also like to thank you for taking the time to read the above. Your support means a lot to me. Thank you. 

Then I’m going to close this post off with a picture from the past of the original wolf pack and me, that Facebook decided to remind me of.

Things are going to be EPIC

epic, Uncategorized

So excited. The Epic Card Game digital game has gone into Alpha for Kickstarter backers. 

Naturally it was a no brainer for me to back when the campaign was being run.

The emails inviting backers to download the Alpha version for iOS using the TestFlight app have been going out today. So after a 100MB download over Eduroam I’m ready to play Epic.


But I have to say I’m a bit overwhelmed by my options at the moment.

Do I build a deck or two first? Do I jump in and do a draft match? Or maybe try out the campaign mode. Choices, choices.

Anyway if you are also in the Alpha you can challenge me as Whitespider. Hope to battle you soon.

What the fluxx?!

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Do you think I have a fluxx problem?

Like Love Letter I seem to have amassed one or two editions of Fluxx.

My current favourite is the Adventure Time one, closely followed by the Batman the Animated Series one.

Star Fluxx with its sci-fi tropes at one time was my favourite. But new versions arrived and usurped it. So it sits happily in third spot.

Tied for fourth are Zombie and Cthulhu Fluxx. They haven’t been to the table nearly as often as the higher placed versions.

Which currently leaves Firefly Fluxx as my least favourite version at the moment. I had high hopes for this when it was announced. But playing it, it seemed a tad disappointing. Especially with its lack of creepers. 

I’ve not had a chance to play the Math Fluxx. So can’t say where that fits in the rankings.

I’m pretty sure there will be other editions that get added to the Fluxx collection. 

It is a fun little filler, that goes down well with none gamers. My students love it.

What more can I say about this chaotic game?

Tokaido hits app stores

apps, news

The beautiful relaxing boardgame Tokaido finally hit the apps stores today.

They really have done a great job bringing the game to the small screen. It has a video game feel to it, but looks and plays like the boardgame. 

There is a solo mode against an AI opponent(s), pass and play, plus online play.  Which covers most bases.

You should be able to get the game by clicking on the appropriate link for your system below.

iOS (£6.99) Android (£5.99)

Oh my ign is Whitespider1066 

The NSPCC Big Board Game Day All Nighter – What to play?

charity, Fenland Gamers, fund raising

I’ve spoken about the first world problem of what games to take for a game night before. 

But with two weeks left before The Fenland Gamers do their bit for the NSPCC Big Board Game Day event (it’s the 31/3/17). Thoughts have turned towards what to play during our twelve hour gaming session running from 7pm to 7am. Yep an all nighter.

Jonathan started the whole discussion off yesterday with his post on the Facebook event page we set up. 

But the choice of what to play is so hard. Obviously with such a long gaming session planned we can go for meatier games. But during the early hours of the night will we be lucid enough to play something complicated? 

The all nighter is also the ideal opportunity to get some of those games we love that haven’t been to the table for a while back to the table.

We have some hard decisions to make. Two weeks to chop and change our choices. 

Plus as Jonathan pointed out we only have twelve hours of play time! 

Oh the indecision ahead of us. Joy!

Naturally we are doing all this for charity, having fun playing games with friends is just a side benefit. If you’d like to make a donation/sponsor our horrible tedious game playing for the NSPCC Big Board Game Day you can visit our Just Giving page HERE. Thank you for your generosity. 

BSG the Boardgame MIA

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Has FFG dropped Battlestar Galatica the boardgame and its expansions?

Take a look at this weeks Roll for Crit podcast where they discuss this very question. 

Click here for the video on YouTube if my self made attempt at embedding the clip doesn’t work.

It’s certainly true that the game isn’t listed on the FFG products section of the site, but you can go direct to the page from Google.

I’ve only recently got the base game. So if I like it the three expansions could start to get expensive. Look at how the prices of the Games Workshop licensed games and expansions went through the roof when that agreement dissolved. I’m not even going to attempt to get the expansions for Blood Bowl Team Manager or Space Hulk Death Angel. I mucked up on those and wasn’t quick enough grabbing them. Mind you they weren’t that easy to get hold of before the announcement.

So now I feel compelled to grab the expansions while I can and they are at an affordable price. Which explains why I pulled the trigger on the first Battlestar expansion Pegasus. Exodus and Daybreak won’t be far behind. Most likely payday. 

See FFG haven’t made any official announcement yet. All we have at the moment are conspiracy theories. 

There are possible innocent explanations. Are they going to do a 2.0? But then why take down the page? Or are we just looking at a programming bug or data entry error?

But to be on the safe side if you are a fan of the game and been sitting on the fence about any of the expansions, I’d be picking them up now while you can. If you have been wanting to buy the game, I too would be getting a copy now.

If the worst case scenario is true, that FFG have decided to no longer publish the game, then prices are going to get silly. We know they, recent history shows us they will. 

My final thought on this is “good job it doesn’t rely on an app.” But that’s another post entirely.

Apparently one year ago

Blast from the past

Facebook this morning decided to remind me of this Instagram photo from a year ago.

Magic the Gathering Arena of the Plainswalkers is a really nice game based on the old Heroscape game. 

Which makes it a real shame that it is so poorly supported.

You need to be able to build squads and decks in this game. Which requires expansions to do that. Sadly only one ever made it out to the real world. Although a second kinda hit the US but I didn’t see it hit the UK. 

It also really needed terrain packs released for it. Although you could try and pick up second hand Heroscape terrain instead.

So although a fond memory to look back at. I’ll be selling my copy at this years UKGE hopefully.