North of the Shire

Don returns with the third update on his Dunland Battle Company. Can he actually win a game? email us at Northoftheshirepodcast1@gmail.com

Don is back to talk about the how his Dunland Battle Company is doing in a local campaign. Three more games played, and how did they do? The episode name says it all. email us at Northoftheshirepodcast1@gmail.com

Don talks about the first leg of a local Battle Companies campaign he’s playing in. The campaign is using the Community Edition 3.0 rules so what better way to shine a light on this gem of a publication. Follow along with the ups and downs as his company tries to forge a future better than ‘scratching a living off rocks’.

Andrew and Don discuss their time at Council of the Wise, the largest MESBG tournament in Eastern Canada. They briefly discuss each of their games and review the result. The second part of Don’s home grown Werewolf army is presented as well. email us at Northoftheshirepodcast1@gmail.com Support us at: https://ko-fi.com/northoftheshire

Although very confused over what episode number this is, Andrew and Don are back for another discussion. This time the main topic up for discussion is a home brew army list that Don has made which features Werewolves. They also review how the North of the Shire team did with their painting goals for 2023.

Don and Garrett sit down for a casual chat about a Charity event they attended in December. Very loose format on this episode as the two guys have have a bit of a discussion about what they’ve been up to during this long lull in MESBG releases. We call this episode 49 in the intro, but it's really 48.  Things get complicated when juggling recordings. email us at Northoftheshirepodcast1@gmail.com S...

Andrew and Don are back together for a chat after an unplanned break. They discuss what they have and haven't been doing over the last couple of months. Topics include a team tournaments, the loss of hobby mojo, clear plastic soldiers, and a listener question on Isengard. email us at Northoftheshirepodcast1@gmail.com Support us at: https://ko-fi.com/northoftheshire

Andrew and Don present the concept of Unique Warrior Profiles for MESBG. They answer some listener mail as well as discuss some recent hobby projects. email us at Northoftheshirepodcast1@gmail.com Support us at: https://ko-fi.com/northoftheshire

The North of the Shire guys have a quick discussion about the August 2023 FAQ. What were the major changes and how do they affect the meta?

Andrew and Don take a close look at the Reconnoitre mission. What types of armies love this mission and which hate it? Advice for the Underdog armies as well as Tips and Tricks to get a Mega Win in this mission. Plus a little hobby chat thrown in for good measure.

Andrew and Don discuss Hobbits! Go figure. The Hobbit sat-line is examined with the closest scrutiny that would impress even Lobelia Sackville-Baggins. Who, or what, is FrankenHobbit and who created this hideous beast? How can these OP Hobbit Hero’s be brought under control?

Andrew and Don discuss the sale of Middle-earth Enterprises and the potential impact we may see on the game. How significant was the MESBG Warhammer Fest reveal? Oh, and they talk about the game a little too.

In this episode the guys discuss a Battle Companies tournament they both recently attended. This marked Andrew’s return to the tournament scene after a three year absence. Has it really been that long? Following that they discuss the recent MESBG FAQ. Was it’s small size controversial or it is just indicative of a game that is in a really good place?

Andrew and Don get together to review their MESBG predictions for 2022. How did they do? What releases are they predicting for 2023? The results of last years Hobby Challenge are also carefully measured and a new challenge set for 2023. In the middle of all that spicy conversation, Andrew drops a big narrative surprise on Don.

Andrew and Don discuss Canadian Shire, the annual hobby tournament run by the North of the Shire crew. They also read several listener emails and answer questions ranging from Sorcerous Blast to favourite models.   We recorded this episode over a month ago, but between major technical issues, a lengthy illness and the holiday season, getting this edited and published was like trying to cross Carad...

Andrew and Don get together for a chat and a catch-up. Then Don revisits his Angmar Battle Company, Shadow of the North. Add in some listener mail and a little trivia and thats episode 38.

In this episode Andrew and Don discuss the impact of removing Galadriel Lady of Light from many top table armies. What has been the impact of her absence and has it exposed a problem in the game? This episode was largely recorded a month ago and so that’s why I incorrectly refer to it as episode 36 in the intro. Also, we were working through some rust and my nice microphone didn’t get turned on fo...

Back after a short break, Don and Chris catch up and discuss their time at the End of an Age tournament in the OSBGL. Finally they talk abut playing in an MESBG league – do’s, don’t, advantages and disadvantages. It’s all there.

Don is solo in this episode for the first time and presents a new segment for the podcast. If you like Battle Companies, Angmar or Sorcerers, this episode is for you. If not, give it a listen anyway, you may enjoy it.

In this episode Garrett and Don discuss many of the resent releases for MESBG and what we’ve all picked up. They also discuss a recent 600 point tournament they attended along with what armies they took. Don answers a listener question about possible Micro-warband, and lastly they discuss the Troll Hoard. We had some audio trouble in this one, but hopefully it’s still enjoyable.

Garrett and Don discuss their time at a recent Battle Companies tournament. Some unique scoring mechanics, and it’s greater focus on narrative play, make this a very welcome break from the standard MESBG tournament. Garrett also introduces the LOTR collectible Card game. Although no longer in production this was a popular game and sounds like loads of fun.

Andrew and Don catch up after a short hiatus.  Don talks about hobby stuff while Andrew postulates on how awesome the new Dragon Emperor is going to be. Garrett then joins Don to recap their time at a recent small tournament. Finally, they discuss some questions from a couple of players from Finland. Some pretty random content to be honest. So you know, Flotsam and Jetsam.

Andrew and Don discuss highlights of the new FAQ and how they will affect the competitive meta.  Other topics include the 3D printed miniatures and play-testing new army lists and Legendary Legions.

Are you interested in learning how to win at Lords of Battle?  If you are, join Andrew and Don for the definitive analysis of Lords of Battle.  They assess all the different ‘army types’ in this mission and evaluate each in turn.  They also get carried away in answering a listener question on ‘how to make Numenor great again’ in MESBG and nearly turn this into the main topic of the episode. 

For the first time all four of our hosts make an appearance in this episode as we gaze into Galadriel’s mirror.  I know, exciting right?  Well anyway....  We look back into 2021 and try to look into the future of the hobby for 2022.  Join us as we discuss how we all did with our hobby challenge for last year (spoilers, not too well) and the new challenge for 2022.  Listen on as Chris goes all Azog...