Quartermaster General

Quartermaster General is a 2-6 player World War 2 strategy game that uses a card-driven mechanic.  Unlike most World War 2 games, it focuses on the logistics and importance of supply in warfare.  There are no dice, and battles (if you initiate them) are always victories (unless your opponent has planned for it by spending a card on a turn before the battle).  It is the newest addition to our twice-yearly father-son weekends.

I first saw this game back in 2014 when Ian Brody, the game's designer was showing it off at Gencon.  After its release, I bought it.  I brought it out for a gamenight for six-player session a few years back, but it seemed to bog down with that many players (probably due to it being its first play).  I enjoyed it and wanted to give it another try, this time with my dad as a two-player game.  I think the game really shines at two players - there is little downtime, and the action is fast and decisive.  There are options, and each game felt different based on the initial card draws and back-and-forth gameplay.

The only drawback was the score track, which if you forget a turn of scoring can have a significant effect on the end game.  I created a score track using Google Docs, which easily and quickly records the score each turn. The great thing is that it also acts as a record for each game played.  So far, we've played three games with the score trackers - two Allied victories and one Axis victory.

I look forward to playing it in the future, and recommend it for a great two-player experience.  If you are looking for a light-to-medium weight wargame that plays in about an hour, I suggest you pick it up.

US Army Loach OH-6 Helicopters

Over the Christmas holiday I completed two Battlefront Loach OH-6 Helicopters for my Vietnam US Army forces.  The Kilgore miniature is from the Peter Pig Vietnam line, and the other figure is holding a surfboard that I cut out from plasticard.

This completes my US Army forces and allows me to start working on my VC Local Forces.  I hope to complete them by the end of 2017.

1960: The Making of the President

1960: The Making of the President is my dad and my go-to game for our twice-yearly father-son weekends. It combines a few things we like - politics, history, and interesting game mechanics - all in a fun strategy game. The game uses the 1960 Presidential election between JFK and Nixon as its topic.  If you are familiar with Twilight Struggle, 1960 is a similar card-driven area control game.

This is the one game that we have probably had the most plays of, having played it well over twenty-times. We have had a few run-away winners over that time, but most games are close, with the last turn or two deciding the game.  I usually play Kennedy, with his strength in the Mid-Atlantic and South, with my dad taking Nixon and his strength in the West.  Your goal is to reach 270 electoral votes across the 50 states. Last game was the first time we had a 269-269 electoral college tie - the vote went to the House, and Nixon became the 35th President of the United States.

Each card represents an event that happened in that historic campaign, and provides some history to the 1960 election and the candidates.  If you enjoy history and are looking for a mid-length two player game, I highly recommend it.

Eldar Fire Dragons

I finally finished my Eldar Fire Dragons after more than a decade after purchasing them.  I painted them using the dipping method, using Miniwax Polyshade - Royal Walnut Satin.  I then used a matte sealer to help take away the shine that the dipping method tends to leave.  I'll be working on more Eldar models for my Alaitoc army throughout 2017 and beyond.

Bane (The Dark Knight Rises)

Yesterday I completed The Dark Knight Rises Bane, for the Batman Miniature Game.  I haven't yet played a game, but hope to try it out sometime in 2017.  So for I've also purchased Scarecrow and four inmates for a 200 point crew - I hope to paint them up soon.  Later, I may end up adding Liam Neeson's Ra's-al-Ghul from Batman Begins.