International Spy Museum: Washington, D.C.
Blackmail, treachery, and espionage have been staples of war since combatants had secrets worth keeping. Ephialtes of Trachis, Giacomo Casanova, Benedict Arnold, Mata Hari, The Rosenbergs, Aldrich Ames, The Cambridge Five, and the SAS are just a few of many that practiced the subversive arts. The fascination with spies, their gear, and their craft creates constant demand for figures like James Bond and Jason Bourne. Authors Ian Fleming and Robert Ludlum saw Bond and Bourne serialized into major box office hits spanning decades and generations. Board and miniature gaming too is not immune to the charm of spies, both real and imagined. Let’s have a peek at what the International Spy Museum in Washington D.C. has to offer fans of the spy genre.
The Chicago Way Scenarios: Double Shot
Seth Wilson taught us how to play The Chicago Way from Great Escape Games back in March. In early April, my birthday fell on a regular Thursday game night and he cooked up some new terrain and ran a four player scenario. Prohibition Agents and Police Vs. Moonshiners and Gangsters. It looked great and was a lot of fun – so much so that we had another run at it recently. Here’s a recap and a new double shot of The Chicago Way. Read More
Roll Call: Kemet, Kessel Run Games and Mansions of Madness: What Lies Within
Roll Call summarizes recent gaming exploits, and who was doing the exploiting. Kessel Run gaming store, Kemet, and Mansions of Madness: What Lies Within all hit the table in this special “Was it worth it?” edition of Roll Call.
How to Build a Successful Games Club: High School Edition, Part 4
From humble beginnings our Chess and Games Club is firmly established and we’re now into maintain and improve mode. One major improvement is finding a way to include all those great games that can take hours to play. Lucky for us you don’t need a Tardis to fit a 3 hour game into the 40 minute lunch break format.
The Canadian War Museum Highlights
Canada’s capital city of Ottawa is spoiled for choice when it comes to museums. Recently, a friend visited from out-of-town and wanted to visit one of our best, The Canadian War Museum. Who am I to say no? As an amateur historian and avid wargamer I discover something new every time I go. Here’s a quick tour and a sample of what’s in the museum with a focus on the WWII and vehicle collection.
Meeplemart: Best Gaming Store Ever?
Toronto’s Meeplemart has it all: a deep and wide selection of board, card, and miniatures games and accessories from all major gaming companies, and a great many small ones. They offer everything in their bricks and mortar store and through an equally well-organized website, all at the same almost unbeatable price. They ship for less than 9 bucks Canadian flat rate and your stuff arrives in three days flat, with real-time tracking. Gamer heaven! Or something pretty close to it. But is it the best gaming store ever?
One of about 20 aisles and a quarter of the front desk area.
The Clarion Call of Cthulhu: How I Learned to Love the Beast, Part 2
Part 1 put Lovecraft’s Cthulhu mythos in a class by itself: far different in scope and function than its contemporary worlds of Tarzan or Conan. Through the role of investigators we peeled back the familiar layers of our world to get a glimpse of other dimensions, all the while peeking at otherworldly creatures through our fingers. This time we dig into why the Cthulhu mythos is the most fertile of soils for gamers of all kinds.
Roll Call: Chicago Way x 2, Spyfall, Betrayal at House on the Hill w/ Widow’s Walk, Mansions of Madness
Roll Call summarizes the past week’s gaming exploits, and who was doing the exploiting. With a week-long holiday there was a ton of gaming this past week or two. Excellent! So much to report this one earns a Friday post all to itself. Spoilers for Mansions of Madness: Shattered Bonds at the bottom of the post.
WWII Africa Campaign Map: Resin Casting and Prep for Envirotex Light
Last time we looked at the rationale behind making a WWII African Theatre wargames map from scratch and laid the foundation of the board. This time we’re making resin casts of land and ocean hexes and small items like convoy markers. We’ll assemble the map, prime it, and work toward getting ready to pour Envirotex Lite to make realistic looking water.
The Clarion Call of Cthulhu: How I Learned to Love the Beast, Part 1
The Cthulhu mythos created by H.P. Lovecraft has far outlived its creator. In addition to a loyal readership, the canon stories have also gathered an equally enthusiastic gaming audience. These gamer initiates have summoned Cthulhu and its kind from their slumber through untended gates to lie glistening on gaming tables across this world. And if you truly believe, across tables in other worlds as well. Asking “why” the Ancient Ones have chosen to be present in this world at this time is pointless. All we can attempt is an explanation of why Lovecraft is compelling and why so many play in the ooze of Lovecraft’s mythos, and enjoy every minute of it.
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