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En Garde! Rules Review
These rules were a purchase to encourage myself to finish my pike and shot 28mm project. I remember testing Ronin and being fairly impressed at a game that tried to make melee a bit more interesting;...
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MDF Terrain - Stage 1 (Organising)
I am working on both sci fi and Japanese terrain to finish two projects. I opted against the pizza box technique for the sci fi as I thought the walkways, piping and grates etc would be too fiddly.So I...
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Game Design #103: Worldbuilding
There's a lot of differing opinion on how much fluff, background and world building a wargame must do.Few people are attracted to a game based on mechanics (the how); usually, they are attracted to the...
View ArticleGame Design #104: Start Small, Keep it Tight
I often try indie games and wonder "my goodness, how much has this been playtested?"Logically, the answer will be "not much."Â I mean, do you really think 'part time designer dad' has playtested each of...
View ArticleReasons to Avoid Games/When to Abandon a Project
This blog originally started as a place to stick rules reviews as I was "the guy with all the rules" and I got tired of repeating myself explaining what they were like. I did quite a few reviews -...
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The New Man Cave + Terrain Musings
If the blog seems a bit dead, it is a combination of (a) school busyness (b) moving house and (c) Google's 2FA (ok, the latter seems a bit lame but it is more the straw that causes the camel back pain...
View ArticleGame Design #105: Suppression, Pinning, AoE
Q: What does Generation Kill, Green Zone and Battle for Los Angeles have in common? A: They are all movies I have watched recently with my wife, and have prompted thoughts about suppression/AoE in...
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Man Cave v2 Activated
Still some boxes lying around, but the Man Cave (tm) is habitable. I've done a bit of painting and been testing Dreadball rules again (my son likes the idea of it).I've actually got LESS shed space now...
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Victrix Vikings & Dreadball Musings
I bought a pack of Victrix Vikings, intended either (a) to proxy as Dunlendings or (b) fight zombies in a medieval post apocalyptic ice age.  Well, they are amazing. GW-level detail, at $80AUD...
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Victrix Dunlendings, Command Levels, Micromanagement and AI
There's still cardboard boxes to be unpacked but I did manage to get some painting in...2024 LoTR Paint Count: 39 These are Victrix vikings. $1ea. My quick paint job by no means does them justice, but...
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Delta Vector 2024 - Spaceship Game Design Manifesto - and some LEGO, LoTR
 This is mostly a post about spaceship rules. But my 8 y/o son painted some miniatures, so here they are:He also has some rather cool not-LEGO. The army guys in particular may prompt some simplified...
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Delta "Forza"? Homebrew Car Racing Wargaming
My kids (including daughter!) have had a sudden craze for cars this last week, probably due to me introducing them to the PC game Forza Horizon 4. I can't walk down our hall, without tripping over Hot...
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Game Atmosphere, LoTR Rescues and 3D Prints
Whilst we moved in months ago, a barrage of furniture (36 IKEA flat packs!) has dulled my enthusiasm for assembling minis. That said, I did make some progress with some low-hanging fruit; I grabbed...
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Game Design #106: Borrowing Vibes
Lately, I've been thinking about game atmosphere, game feel, and background. The things that "set the scene" and make you want to play the game, paint minis and make terrain; as opposed to the game...
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Wargaming Fear + Upcoming Projects
Stress, Fear and Terror Another topic that interests me is morale, stress and fear. Most wargames are all about 'kill em all' - morale rules added as an afterthought. Real combat, morale plays a...
View ArticleGame Design #107: Weird Concepts = Simple Wording
I recently read my daughter The Vagrant. It's pretty weird sci fi for an 11-year-old, where demons have broken through a rift and are kinda possessing/interacting with the human populace, whose empire...
View ArticleGame Design #108: RTS Wisdom (Balance not Boredom, "UI" Rules/Mechanics)
While I enjoyed old skool titles like CoH, Command and Conquer, Supreme Commander - I rarely play RTS anymore. Most RTS, the first 1/3 of the game is building up forces, 1/3 is actually fun, fighting,...
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November Update (Delta Vector)
Just realized I didn't post at all last month, so here is a grab bag of things that have been going on:Titanicus and Tanks: I got the Titanicus rules. I'll never be able to afford the models ($250 for...
View ArticleGame Design #109: Cinematic Moments
I bought the Titanicus rules out of interest (though I'll never afford the minis!) and when experimenting with them I found myself thinking "this is really cinematic!"But... what is "cinematic"(n:...
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ME:SBG 2025 Edition - and why we don't need a new Battlefleet Gothic
In the Aussie heat I've moved my hobby table indoors. As usual, I rely on some simple MESBG miniatures to kick-start my painting. Actually, that reminds me:MESBG: New EditionOne of the best things...
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New Years Musings (+Low Resistance/High resistance rules)
Well, I'll spare you a list of resolutions and jump straight into it. My main resolution (if one is expected) is to just play more with my toys, as my boy is now old enough to join in and is super...
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15mm is Back! +Tanks
Why 15mm are great: Firstly, they are pretty kid-proof/cheap. A fall from the table may separate them off a base but rarely cause damage unlike a resin LoTR which will explode. Key criteria when you...
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Zombies!
I and the wee lad are interested in zombies, thanks to me collecting the Evil Dead TV show, Dawn of the Dead remake, and a bunch of Carpenter movies (I gave up streaming services, when I realized I was...
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Trench Crusade - Musings
I'm allowed myself one new system this year, and I've gone for the obvious choice - Trench Crusade.It seems primed for success. It's got the fluff - it seems like to was designed art and background...
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The Secret Workbench
Just thought I'd share how I've been infiltrating my hobby bench and gear into our home arranging my workbench.We often have visitors with toddlers, who apparently do not mix well with superglue or...
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