"Mentioned In Dispatches" with the Armchair Dragoons

3 May 2024 ~ How are “historical RPGs” different from other RPGs and how can you use them to explore various points in history?  And far back (or forward?) do they look? You can always catch past episodes on the “podcast” tab of our site. So let’s join Rocky and Byron and Brant talking about different eras & periods, some underlying mechanics, what they can (and c...

26 April 2024 ~ Ardwulf comes back to the show and brings fellow Origins GM Lee along with him, to talk about our Origins events and Buckeye Game Fest, interspersed with some guidance and advice about how to register for and attend most game conventions out there. You can always catch past episodes on the “podcast” tab of our site. So we talk about our experiences with both conventions...

12 April 2024 ~ In preparation for Connections Online next week, we’re joined by a pair of wargame practitioners: Kevin Williamson, and Mitch Reed, both up in the DC area. Mitch is well-known to the hobby world as the lead sled-dog of the No Dice No Glory team, but he’s also on his third different professional wargaming gig, after an extended military career.  Kevin’s hobby backg...

5 April 2024 ~ We’re joined this week by designer Darin Leviloff, who designed the first States of Siege game ( Israeli Independence ) and has since designed several more that have found new homes with other publishers. You can always catch past episodes on the “podcast” tab of our site. Ironically, the original game is the only of Darin’s current designs that  isn’t...

29 March 2024 ~ Brant is joined by Chris Weuve (chair of the Connections Online committee) and Pete Pellegrino, longtime professional wargamer and instructor.  This slightly-rambling episode looks at some of the history of wargaming at the Naval War College, how and why it’s withered today, and what we can do about it. You can always catch past episodes on the “podcast” tab of ou...

22 March 2024 ~ Fresh off of GAMA Expo, Fort Circle Honcho Kevin Bertram joins us to talk about what’s up with the company, as well as their upcoming CircleDC convention. You can always catch past episodes on the “podcast” tab of our site. Kevin fills us in on the current production plans for Fort Circle Games, which run out over a half dozen games and through the end of 2025 (at...

15 March 2024 ~ We spent last week at GAMA Expo, and rather than try to set up a 90-minute chat with someone there, we tackled a handful of people to come talk to us. You can always catch past episodes on the “podcast” tab of our site. So kick back & relax and enjoy this patchwork episode of many different guests, as we run well past the hour mark, but give you a smorgasbord of peo...

8 March 2024 ~ Moe’s back!  And the Molotov Cockatiel joins us, too, as we take a spin through some classic wargames – how far back they go, why we love them, which ones we can’t stand, and how classic wargames might be like your favorite musical artists. You can always catch past episodes on the “podcast” tab of our site. We also take some time to discuss how the bus...

1 March 2024 ~ Inspired by this thread on BGG , our panel tackles the idea of “how would you improve the wargaming hobby if you had $1 million to do it?”  So join Brant, Mike, Rocky, and new voice 21 Byron (Jack Nastyface in the forums) as they go as bluesky as they can with some ideas. You can always catch past episodes on the “podcast” tab of our site. Endowed faculty cha...

23 February 2024 ~ Amabel is back!  One of our favorite designers comes back to Mentioned in Dispatches to talk about what’s going with Hollandspiele and tell a few tales of designing off-the-wall games. You can always catch past episodes on the “podcast” tab of our site. So chill & enjoy as she gives us the low-down on Hollandspiele’s best-sellers, what’s coming...

16 February 2024 ~ Liz drops by to talk to Brant & Mike about her upcoming Night Witches game (designed with David Thompson).  Hexes, counters, aircraft and AAA shooting at each other, and managing aircraft damage all combine for a fun little solo/co-op wargaming experience. You can always catch past episodes on the “podcast” tab of our site. We also talk about some of her other wo...

9 February 2024 ~ What the heck is an “adventure wargame”?  OK, so we’re not going to get into the parsing of specific definitional details, but we’re going to try to give you a sense of what makes them different than you average wargame and why you might enjoy playing them You can always catch past episodes on the “podcast” tab of our site. So help us launch se...

15 December 2023 So we’re cutting it pretty close to Christmas 22 but here are some wide-&-varied suggestions for gifts to put under your favorite wargamer’s tree, with Rocky, Brant, Mike, and Bryan Don’t forget, you can always catch up with past episodes on the “podcast” tab of our site. And the pics Brant promised about the life counter It’s not just games...

8 December 2023 The fine folks at Wargame Design Studio just recently released their latest game –  Thirty Years’ War – in their Musket & Pike series.  Rich stops in with Brant & Jim to talk about their recent releases, the company’s current design plans, and what they’re currently excited about. Don’t forget, you can always catch up with past episodes o...

1 December 2023 The Autumn convention season has come, and (largely) gone 23 and we’ve got some attendees of those conventions here to regale us with their adventures. Don’t forget, you can always catch up with past episodes on the “podcast” tab of our site. So let’s welcome in Ardwulf, Grant from Pushing Cardboard, and Tim from Catastrophe Games and talk about Compas...

24 November 2023 History doesn’t always repeat, but it does often rhyme.  Brant, Liz, and Jim dig into some wargaming history to talk about the things that were going around and are now coming back around. Don’t forget, you can always catch up with past episodes on the “podcast” tab of our site. And  of course we’re going to get off topic and not just talk about produ...

17 November 2023 We’re a little behind on getting this one recorded & released, but our annual deep dive into the Compass Catalog is here!  Brant, Mike, Mike, and (eventually) Jim take their time going through the catalog and pick out the games they want, the ones they have, and the ones they’re trying to figure out the  raison d’etre . Don’t forget, you can always catc...

10 November 2023 It’s not like you have to go too far to find problems with crowdfunding campaigns.  Heck, our man Gimpy has made it a personal quest to root out Kickstarter scammers and put them on blast on YouTube.  And while we’re not going to spend  any time trying to excuse someone’s bad behavior over a crowdfunding campaign, we did think it’d be interesting to grab a...

3 November 2023 Hey look, if Gary & Rocky are here together, there’s at least a +3 DRM to the “discuss Traveller ” check, so we figured this week we’d just lean into it. Don’t forget, you can always catch up with past episodes on the “podcast” tab of our site. So Brant & Mike are largely along for the ride as we talk some about the publication hist...

27 October 2023 Brant and Justin 27 take some time to talk about the  Levy & Campaign system overall, as well as the specific implementation is his  Seljuk game. Don’t forget, you can always catch up with past episodes on the “podcast” tab of our site. We spend some time talking about hockey, of course, because it’s Brant & Justin, but we save it for the end.  Leadi...

20 October 2023 As our inaugural Fall Assembly kicks off this weekend, we’ve got a pair of our special guests from the convention who are joining us on the podcast: Hermann Luttmann and Keith Tracton . Don’t forget, you can always catch up with past episodes on the “podcast” tab of our site. Brant & Mike try to get the occasional word in edgewise as these two romp their...

13 October 2023 As we hit that luckiest of days, we’re joined by a pair of MiD first-timers: Ali Kocho-Williams from Clarkson University and Pijus Kruminas of ISM University of Management & Economics.  Both are here to talk about their use of wargames in their college classes Don’t forget, you can always catch up with past episodes on the “podcast” tab of our site. Sadd...

6 October 2023 Cole Wehrle is back to raise the overall intelligence of our podcast, as he joins Brant & Jim for a discussion about his recent designs, and what he’d do if Jim backed up a Brinks truck of cash and told him to go to town on a historical design. Also, this is a shameless plea for folks to please give us a rating over on our iTunes page for the podcast ; we’re still a...

29 September 2023 Brant, Mike, and Gary start off talking about the wargaming and game shopping they did over the Summer, and what’s next on the table and in their travels.  Of course, given who this is, they quickly veer off-topic into a combination of RPG dice, types of barbecue, yelling online about games sight unseen, cannibalism 28 , and paying for convention travel.  And yes, Brant has...

22 September 2023 Back in the Summer, we partnered with Beyond Solitaire for a short survey on solo wargames and historical games, whether purpose-designed for solitaire play, or just ones you enjoy playing on your own.  The survey was up for all of August, and a few days on either side of that month, too, for about 7 weeks total.  We had over 250 replies and over 450 different games receive votes...