"Mentioned In Dispatches" with the Armchair Dragoons

2 June 2023 And you thought we were done for the Summer 29 but then The Wargaming Company popped up with some very snazzy new 10mm Napoleonic minis and we reconvened to talk with David Ensteness about them and what the rollout plan is. Don’t forget, you can always catch up with past episodes on the “podcast” tab of our site. So let’s enjoy our guy Cyrano geeking out of some...

5 May 2023 Brant, Gary, and Mike are talking conventions!  First, Brant & Gary take some time to discuss Buckeye Game Fest , with the events, experiences, and fun to be found at that one.  Then, it’s time to talk Origins (and see below for the directory for all of our Origins coverage, both current & projected). Don’t forget, you can always catch up with past episodes on the &#...

28 April 2023 Pat Mooney of Flagbearer Games joins the show to talk about  Nations & Cannons , and specifically, their latest Kickstarter campaign , as Merle Robinson of the NSDM also tags in as a guest co-host. Don’t forget, you can always catch up with past episodes on the “podcast” tab of our site. So how do players fit into the setting?  What sorts of adventures do they f...

21 April 2023 Moe & Grant pop in to join Brant on a discussion of what we’re playing now, and what we’re looking forward to, whether it’s upcoming games, or events, or games  at events! Don’t forget, you can always catch up with past episodes on the “podcast” tab of our site. Oh yeah, and we’re on Spotify now , too Yes, we ramble a bit on this one, but...

14 April 2023 ~ It’s been forever since we had a chat with our guy David Heath of Lock ‘n Load Publishing but he’s here to talk about “tabletop AI” and solo assistants for tabletop wargames.  Think of this as a third piece of our solo gaming puzzle from this season, after talking solo wargames as a whole, plus digital AI , earlier in the Spring. Don’t forget, yo...

7 April 2023 We brought in a couple of guys that actually know about naval wargaming to tell us all about what goes wrong when wargaming naval warfare.  Chris Weuve and our guy Rocky have both spent many more days afloat than Brant has even spent on the beach, so we let them steer the ship 30 .  We even bring marines into the conversation (and then rapidly dismiss them. . . ) Don’t forget, y...

31 March 2023 Buckeye Game Fest is coming up in a few weeks, and we brought in War Room Commandanté Ardwulf to tell us all about it, plus we dragged in designer-extraordinaire David Thompson for his take on his favorite convention, too.  We also talk about some of our other favorite smaller conventions, and have a special Armchair Dragoons convention announcement of our own at the end.  And yes, o...

24 March 2023 Brant and Rocky are joined by special guest Sebastian Bae to talk about how the hobby wargaming world has approached contemporary / near-future conflicts with China and in the modern PTO. Don’t forget, you can always catch up with past episodes on the “podcast” tab of our site. Whether you’re flipping the map on its head, or trying to project near-future weapo...

17 March 2023 OK look, we all have rulebooks we love, and ones we hate.  Formats we love, and formats we hate.  Podcast guests we love, and…  well, you get the idea 32 .  So let’s talk about rules, and the rules that govern rules-writing. Don’t forget, you can always catch up with past episodes on the “podcast” tab of our site. Case system?  Conversational style? Lear...

10 March 2023 Brant, Bryan, Jim, and James all gang up to talk about different facets of artificial intelligence in wargaming, and other digital games.  How “intelligent” do you  really want it to be?  A dedicated opponent?  A shadowboxer? Don’t forget, you can always catch up with past episodes on the “podcast” tab of our site. While talking through the options, we c...

3 March 2023 A full house on this episode, as Brant, Mike, Michael, and Wayne Hansen get together to discuss solo wargaming, and yes, we’re aware of the irony. Don’t forget, you can always catch up with past episodes on the “podcast” tab of our site. So let’s bring together the guys from My Own Worst Enemy and Solosaurus to join our guest and talk about the solo warga...

24 February 2023 Brant, Rocky, and Moe talk about where & how the theme matters in sci-fi wargaming, and at what point (if at all) you aggregate your forces too high to really “feel” like a sci-fi game.  We start off with  Hammer’s Slammers and  Star Fleet Battles  and the recent Alien games and then wander around all sorts of laser guns, jet packs, transporters, and more. Do...

17 February 2023 Another first-timer for Mentioned in Dispatches, celebrated game designer Cole Wehrle joins Brant and Jim to talk about all sorts of historical wargaming, and a wide variety of other things, too. Don’t forget, you can always catch up with past episodes on the “podcast” tab of our site. Inspired by this Twitter thread about his view on Napoleonic wargames, we reac...

10 February 2023 With Wizards of the Coast/Hasbro’s ridiculous mishandling of the Open Game License since the new year, gaming omnivores who cross between RPGs & wargames have had plenty of ‘entertainment.’   BUT it also go us to thinking “what would an open game license or system reference document for wargaming look like and are there use cases that could serve as an...

2 December 2022 Now that we’ve done it a second time, it’s officially a “tradition” – the Holiday Wargaming Wishes that our crew bestows upon the wargaming world are here, as we wrap up our Fall season. Don’t forget, you can always catch up with past episodes on the “podcast” tab of our site. Brant & Mike are joined by Bryan & Mike 36 as we d...

25 November 2022 Brant & Jim corner Ardwulf into answering a bunch of questions about the changes to the Charles S Roberts Awards, and the crew also pontificate on awards and industry recognition as a whole.  Yes, this one’s running a little late; you’ve been sleeping off turkey dinner anyway. Don’t forget, you can always catch up with past episodes on the “podcast&#822...

18 November 2022 Following up an earlier couple of podcasts that covered dice , and game mods , Brant & Rocky are here to talk about all sorts of game accessories, and other enhancements that aren’t  necessary for game play, but definitely make it nicer. Don’t forget, you can always catch up with past episodes on the “podcast” tab of our site. We talk all about tables,...

11 November 2022 Another first-time guest for Mentioned in Dispatches, as award-winning designer David Thompson joins us for a discussion about solo wargaming, both the ones he designs and the ones he plays. Don’t forget, you can always catch up with past episodes on the “podcast” tab of our site. Of course, we can’t talk solo wargaming without the lead Dragoon of the solo...

4 November 2022 We’re joined this week by Tim Densham of Catastrophe Games , as we discuss his company, their recent games, what’s coming up, and the lessons he’s learned as a publisher over the last few years. Don’t forget, you can always catch up with past episodes on the “podcast” tab of our site. So let’s talk about Gallipoli, and playing the entire Ea...

28 October 2022 One of the great events of the wargaming calendar each year is the GMT Weekend at the Warehouse.  The great folks at GMT Games open the building up for a few hundred of their closest friends and spend all weekend gaming, and of course – shopping directly in the warehouse! Don’t forget, you can always catch up with past episodes on the “podcast” tab of our si...

24 October 2022 BON-us! POD-cast! Clap Clap clapclapclap! BON-us! POD-cast! Clap Clap clapclapclap!  Yes, fans & friends 38 , 39 the annual tradition returns, with the much-anticipated Compass Games Holiday Catalog episode Don’t forget, you can always catch up with past episodes on the “podcast” tab of our site. So yeah, we’re here to help you spend your money as we go...

21 October 2022 And now for something completely different…   Brant & Gary turn the cue beam on themselves, and the rest of the wargaming media, for a bit, with a discussion of the “1000 True Fans” model of creator support and its viability as a way of supporting wargaming content creators.  We do bring up the Compass Catalog and the upcoming Compass Expo at the beginning of...

14 October 2022 It’s wargaming….   IN SPAAAAACE 40 ! 41 .  Sam and Chris are here to talk about space navies, combat beyond line of sight, combat beyond  capabilities of sight, cool uniforms, some favorite franchises, and science fiction that plausibly explains the combat models it uses. Don’t forget, you can always catch up with past episodes on the “podcast” tab of...

7 October 2022 ~ Connections Online Chairman Chris Weuve is back to talk about our next professional wargaming event being cosponsored with the Armchair Dragoons – the Connections Online Showcase .  This special one-day event is an all-day deep dive into specific use cases of individual wargames in the professional space.  Joining us for this discussion is long-time professional wargamer and...

30 September 2022 ~ Brant, Ian, and Jim take a spin through their time in the realm of crowdfunding: what games we’ve pledged, how long ago, and through which channels.  We talk about projects we like and others we avoided, our preferences for the kinds of projects we choose to support, and the most ridiculous ones we’ve seen.  For what it’s worth, when probing the history of GMT...