The Covenant Cast

KeyForge sees its third set, Worlds Collide, this weekend, and we reflect on the journey from Call of the Archons, through Age of Ascension, to Worlds Collide - in the context of KeyForge occupying a very special place in the hobby. With FFG providing a solid foundation for design and OP, and continuing to build it in an intentional way, KeyForge has a bright future ahead. Find all previous casts,...

Today is the official release date for the Marvel Champions Living Card Game, and we take a moment to soak it all up, discussing the strategy guide, unexpected favorite decks, Cosmic Tokens, and Champions Weekend. Find all previous casts, as well as learning content and products on our website: https://teamcovenant.com

We're so ready for the upcoming Marvel games. Things kick off with Crisis Protocol a week after the Move Set videos, continue into the Champions chaos with early and non-existent release dates, and conclude with a recap of Zach's experience at Star Wars Worlds. Find all previous casts, as well as learning content and products on our website: https://teamcovenant.com

Fresh off of an 8 hour live play of the Marvel: Crisis Protocol miniatures game, we give our first impressions of the game - including both its relevance to the industry and an evaluation of the system itself. We expect these views to evolve and develop over time as we gain experience with Crisis Protocol, and look forward to sharing more as we go along! Find all previous casts, as well as Crisis...

With Zach fresh off of a Destiny Prime Championship, the evolving discussion about tournaments, prizes, winning, and self realization re-emerges. This time, an unexpected depth is explored - one that deals more with human psychology than tabletop gaming tournaments. Find all previous casts, as well as learning content and products on our website: https://teamcovenant.com

KeyForge has recently done a tremendous job of playing to its strengths, and in light of those discussions, we take a look at how publishers and local retail can best play to theirs. If you could simply wipe the slate clean, how would the FLGS handle community building through events? Visit us on the web: https://teamcovenant.com    

The Vaultwarrior tournament series brings a $200,000 tournament circuit to KeyForge. Cash prizes have both failed and succeeded in the past, so is this the right approach for KeyForge? We bring a lot of historical skepticism to this topic, but the discussion turned out to be a surprising one. Visit us on the web: https://teamcovenant.com

With Stonemaier's latest in-demand game, the same conversations and disappointments have erupted from every part of the publisher-distributor-retailer chain. Tapestry continues where Wingspan left off, and both reveal systemic problems - but shouldn't that be expected when the systems were never built to accommodate these kinds of titles? There is value in direct sales, distribution, and local ret...

The tabletop game store environment continues to shift, with new and veteran retailers asking how best to capitalize on their space. Some say play space is the way forward. Others find success stocking a diversity of products and focusing on traditional retail. After a trip to New York City and witnessing a few stores with the latter model, Zach re-ignites the debate about the future of tabletop r...

Zach is in New York City celebrating his wedding anniversary! We'll be back next week for an installation of our Marvel Mondays live stream at 2PM CST and a new episode of the Covenant Cast on Friday. 

An oft-cited critique of tabletop games, particularly board games, is that tracking all of the necessary variables is an unneeded burden. As a response, various digital integrations and simplified rulesets are pitched as removing this element from the experience and liberating players from the clunky and fiddly moments that "get in the way" of the actual game. But what if these moments were unders...

Marvel: Crisis Protocol embraces the fundamental divider of a hobby miniatures game - highly detailed models that must be fully assembled and painted. We discuss whether or not the game has a shot at breaking through the "industry" bubble and reaching a level of ubiquity previously unattained by the likes of Warhammer: 40k. Visit our website at https://teamcovenant.com  and keep in touch via Faceb...

Marvel Champions does a lot of things right, but its most important features may well be found in the nuts and bolts of packaging and distribution. We dive into that, using examples from past LCGs, and also spend a bit of time discussing the surprising number of design and deck building levers hidden in the system - because we can't help it.   Visit our website: https://teamcovenant.com

After an extremely busy weekend in Indianapolis, we're back with a full assessment of Gen Con 2019 - including Unmatched, Defiance, Marvel Champions, and Crisis Protocol - as well as Teburu and Stonemaier stealing thunder with Tapestry! Visit our website: https://teamcovenant.com

After two months, The Covenant Cast returns with greater clarity and an audio-focused approach. Join hosts Zach and Steven as they discuss the relaunch, their time with Power Rangers and Pokemon, the lead up to Gen Con, and a looming digital horizon at the doorstep of CMON.

There will not be a new episode of the Covenant Cast this week, and we've paused production for a bit while we focus fully on a number of other initiatives that need our attention. We hope to be back soon!

We are excited to be joined by Jamey Stegmaier of Stonemaier Games on episode 102 of the Covenant Cast, and talking about transparency in tabletop game publishing and retail. Plus discussions about Wingspan and it's expansions, Scythe's impact, and a few upcoming games!

Prompted by a simple question, Zach and Steven dive back into Warhammer: Champions to decide if it's still fun to play. After several rounds of draft, they are ready to answer and cover the latest news from PlayFusion including the recent cash tournament changes. Also, Zach finishes his Star Wars fan edit!

On the monumental 100th episode, Zach and Steven contemplate the next 10 years of Covenant, ask the tough questions about our industry, and unpack the latest ripples made by Stonemaier - including Wingspan pre-orders. Thank you for supporting the cast through its first 100 episodes, and we hope to have you listening for hundreds more! If you have any questions for us, leave us a comment with #askc...

Zach and Steven close out the recent industry-focused push with a discussion about allocation and the tabletop supply chain, using the second set of KeyForge as a real world example of its impact. If you have any questions for us, leave us a comment with #askcovenant on  Facebook ,  Instagram ,  Twitter , or  Youtube . You can find video versions of these podcasts on the latter. You can find us at...

This week, on episode 98 of the Covenant Cast, Zach and Steven discuss changes to our local membership model and how we are continuing to support a more casual environment. Plus upcoming events, Gold Squadron Podcast, and breaking down the "boardgamer cliche". If you have any questions for us, leave us a comment with #askcovenant on  Facebook ,  Instagram ,  Twitter , or  Youtube . You can find vi...

Zach is back from Star Wars Celebration and Steven wants to hear all about it. Star Wars: Destiny gets ReyLo and Spark of Hope. X-wing announces Epic gameplay and huge ships. Plus Star Wars Episode 9, The Rise of Skywalker, teaser talk and The Mandalorian aspirations! If you have any questions for us, leave us a comment with #askcovenant on  Facebook ,  Instagram ,  Twitter , or  Youtube . You can...

Zach and Steven share their adventures of Adepticon 2019 and thoughts from playing Star Wars: Outer Rim! If you have any questions for us, leave us a comment with #askcovenant on  Facebook ,  Instagram ,  Twitter , or  Youtube . You can find video versions of these podcasts on the latter. You can find us at  teamcovenant.com  and learn more about our business at:  teamcovenant.com/about

Zach and Steven are joined by our friend D.C. to get an insider point of view into creating a new game. Check out this episode if you are interested in how games get designed and developed! If you have any questions for us, leave us a comment with #askcovenant on  Facebook ,  Instagram ,  Twitter , or  Youtube . You can find video versions of these podcasts on the latter. You can find us at  teamc...

Zach and Jon share thoughts from GAMA and try to solve the "three tier problem" of how games move from publishers to players.   If you have any questions for us, leave us a comment with #askcovenant on  Facebook ,  Instagram ,  Twitter , or  Youtube . You can find video versions of these podcasts on the latter. You can find us at  teamcovenant.com  and learn more about our business at:  teamcovena...