#HobbyGamesRecce Walter Koenig’s passing reminded me of the time I briefly met him...at the worst sci-fi convention ever. He and other media guests navigated a chaotically organized event with calm and generous grace, giving fans some amazing memories. #TTRPGs #Conventions #ScienceFiction #Babylon5

WEG Memoirs: The Worst Con Ever

“ I always tried to turn every disaster into an opportunity.” — John D. Rockefeller The author, left, running a convention game. Part of ...

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#FollowFriday @glastomichelle.bsky.social posts amazing photographs of Glastonbury Tor and the Tower of St. Michael every day. It’s a welcome, calming, and magical dose of truly breathtaking photos of a legendary location. Bonus if you have any interest in #KingArthur.*

@glastomichelle.bsky.social · 5d ago

It was nice to see my rainbow photos from yesterday in the National Press today. An article about my trip up the Tor as well on the link. I'm always so impressed when they use the title Tor Blimey 😂 www.dailymail.com/news/article...

Some #miniatures #terrain work inspired by a query earlier from @geekylina.bsky.social about starting new projects. Basing some fish bowl Greek column ruins for scatter terrain, some broken to vary the height. Glued to bases with ruined bits on small rises. Next step: painting and flocking bases….

#HobbyGamesRecce I’ve noticed a lack of reporting on any serious simulations exploring outcomes of the upcoming American mid-term elections and possible repercussions all while I see European institutions use serious #wargames to prepare for future Russian threats without a reliable American ally.

Near-Future Simulation Radar

“ By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” — Benjamin Franklin I try keeping my internet radar active searching for news abou...

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Wanted something to spruce up my L/O beef and beer stew on spaetzle, so I tried the carrot puff recipe from #ColonialWilliamsburg #Foodways online (inspired, as I always am, from a visit to the Governor’s Palace kitchen). Needed a little salt, but a tasty, colorful way to embellish a fall dish.

This past Saturday at the Call to Arms game convention in Williamsburg, VA, I ran two Dragon Rampant #wargames with 54mm #LordOfTheRings figures. Rohirrim ambush orcs starting a bonfire at the edge of Fangorn Forest, with an appearance by angry ents. Some photos from the #tabletop action.

#HobbyGamesRecce I ramble on about how I take a historical battle and transform it into a #tabletop miniatures #wargame experience. I’m not quite sure how I go about it step-by-step. I’ve not analyzed and refined the process. But it’s a vague start at merging #history with #GamesForLearning.

Distilling Historical Battles into Wargames

“ It’s like a bird. If he knew what he was doing, he would fall.” — Carl Reiner The Battle of the River Plate on the game table; not quit...

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Ran a game of Sink the Graf Spee tonight at the Call to Arms game convention in Williamsburg, VA. Graf Spee totally pastes HMS Ajax at way-too-close range, though Ajax and Achilles get some solid hits on the German pocket battleship. Gridded Naval Wargames rules from Bob Cordery.

#HobbyGamesRecce #WingspanPocket brought us back to the family gaming table with its concise format, plenty of strategic choices, and amazingly illustrated bird cards. A good way to introduce newcomers to modern tabletop gaming. #Tabletop #BoardGames #CardGames #FamilyGames

Wingspan Pocket Just the Right Size

“ Life is not a matter of holding good cards, but of playing a poor hand well.” — Robert Louis Stevenson I recently picked up Elizabeth...

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Before I sign off for a while it’s worth noting my son and I will be running games at the Call to Arms game convention in Williamsburg, VA, Oct. 9-11. Battle of the River Plate, Lord of the Rings 54mm Dragon Rampant, and a Pulp Egypt scenario. Hope to see you there. www.calltoarmsva.com

Excited to return to the Battle of Great Bridge reenactment event Dec. 5-6, 2026. Once again I’ll outline the #history, discuss adapting it to an easy #wargame, and guide participants re-fighting the battle on a terrain diorama. #GamesForLearning www.cityofchesapeake.net/810/Battle-o...

#GriffonPublishingStudio Finished uploading my catalog of #TTRPG offerings to @rpgtrader.bsky.social. Pulp Egypt and Heroes of Rura-Tonga setting supplements and free scenarios. A few solo gamebooks. Useful odds and ends. Interested to see how another e-storefront does for me. Share and enjoy!

Griffon Publishing Studio on RPG Trader

Veteran game designer, writer, and editor Peter Schweighofer founded Griffon Publishing Studio as a platform to publish his own sourcebooks and games for adventure gaming enthusiasts, including rolepl...

rpg-trader.com

#HobbyGamesRecce I fear I am giving in to the common stereotype of the gamer who tinkers and rewrites rules to suit his own urges. Am I justified in wanting to design yet another miniature #wargame rule set to encourage kids and newcomers to use #GamesForLearning about #history?

Rules Tinkering & Redesign

“ History is the interpretation of the significance that the past has for us.” — Johan Huizinga Papercraft Romans awaiting a playtest bat...

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#HobbyGamesRecce I deployed my craft-store sailing ships to give Feral Wizard’s Battle Box: Age of Sail rules a try in a slightly larger format than offered in the Kickstarter. The rules rely on some basics but add a satisfying tactical depth suitable for kids or casual fans of naval #wargames.

Playing with Battle Box: Age of Sail

“ If one does not know to which port one is sailing, no wind is favorable.” — Seneca I’ve dabbled in many historical wargaming periods ...

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A belated #Caturday photo I took last week when I noticed Hera alert at the back door, looking intently at something on the deck: a skink out sunning itself in the bright summer heat.

For #Caturday my wife and I played #WingspanPocket, two games, each of us winning once. Had a little help from a margarita and our cat, Jago (Hera took a turn later batting at the tantalizing egg tokens). Just bought it yesterday at Huzzah! Hobbies, so we took our time learning the rules.

#HobbyGamesRecce Wargames remain abstracted representations of reality...even the geo-political reality of near-future confrontations. Our adversaries are playing our #wargames, but what do our civilian games reveal about our capabilities and assumptions...and do they reveal useful intelligence?

What Do Games Tell Our Adversaries?

“ In our leisure we reveal what kind of people we are.” — Ovid Members of the Chinese PLA Navy play Sebastian Bae ’ s Littoral Commander:...

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Took a day trip out to southern Maryland and had lunch at Capt’ Billy’s Crab House on the Potomac River waterfront. View of the docks and birds, tasty shrimp and crab. A relaxing moment among the incessant turbulence. captbillys.com

#HobbyGamesRecce Craft stores supply materials for a variety of adventure gaming activities, whether prototyping a #boardgame or crafting miniature #wargame terrain, but their selection has dwindled over the years as prices rise, fads dictate inventory, and tariffs limit variety.

Craft Store Lament

“ The creation of something new is not accomplished by the intellect but by the play instinct acting from inner necessity. The creative min...

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Good reminder in The Guardian about the Kindertransport, an event often overlooked in American history classes and our overall cultural memory of #WW2.

‘I’ll probably feel emotional’: Kindertransport centenarian prepares to revisit site of family separation

North Shields’ Gabriele Keenaghan was 12 when she was evacuated from Nazi Austria in 1939. She remembers the shock of leaving her family at Westbahnhof station

theguardian.com

Wife caught our 8 month-old cat Jago “splooting” on the bookshelf by the front window, probably checking out the birds under the watchful eye of #Godzilla, both appropriately positioned above shelves of #BoardGames, several of which are cat- or bird-themed (and one kaiju-themed). #Caturday

Still hoping to hear from anyone on this subject, but so far the impenetrable Iron Curtain has not yielded any #WarsawPact Cold War tabletop #wargaming exercise intelligence…. May comment further in a future #HobbyGamesRecce blog post.

Peter Schweighofer@schweigbskysocial.bsky.social · 2mo ago

I’m curious if anyone, especially in former communist European countries, recalls #WarsawPact institutions ever using #wargames to explore a possible invasion of West Germany? #WestEndGames classics like Air & Armor and Air Cav come to mind, though I know other titles exist in this genre.

I’m curious if anyone, especially in former communist European countries, recalls #WarsawPact institutions ever using #wargames to explore a possible invasion of West Germany? #WestEndGames classics like Air & Armor and Air Cav come to mind, though I know other titles exist in this genre.

#HobbyGamesRecce We fear change...but it’s time for me to remove the comment function from the blog. Too much spam drowning out quality engagement, even when moderated. Here’s hoping comments and discussion moves to my social media presence. Which you’ve already found here. Hope to hear from you….

Farewell to Comments

“ We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak.” — Epictetus Frequent readers know I’ve often wondere...

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Popular Science featured the Civil War Tails diorama museum; we just visited them while in Gettysburg in July. Amazing battle dioramas with tiny cat soldiers, detailed terrain, including the 11-foot long Little Round Top diorama. A must for #AmericanCivilWar #history buffs and #cat lovers.

10,033 tiny clay cats reenact the Civil War at a Gettysburg museum

Fort Sumter, ironclad ships, and more come alive at the Civil War Tails at the Homestead Diorama Museum.

popsci.com

My son, a high school junior, just dropped his “Algebra III” torment nexus class to take a class called “Discreet Math.” Which, of course, inspired me to wonder if they offer an “Indiscreet Math” class.

#HobbyGamesRecce Our recent summer travels reminded me how much I enjoy exploring the #history of the French and Indian War through film, books, and, of course, #wargames. #GamesForLearning

Watch, Read, Play: French & Indian War

“ Fathers, both you and the English are white, we live in a Country between; therefore the Land belongs to neither one nor  t’ other.” — C...

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Spent a relaxing afternoon lounging at our favorite local #winery, 5 minutes from our house. They were making pizzas with fresh ingredients from their garden, plus celebrating their 10th anniversary. I also enjoyed a pear cider and Irish red ale. www.mountainrunwinery.com

Caught our youngest, Jago, lounging on a living room chair rather languidly last week, taking a break from VA’s oppressive heat and humidity. #Caturday

This long-awaited gem arrived in yesterday’s post. Congrats to @jeremycorbyn.bsky.social Before I knew it I’d already started flipping through it and reading the opening chapter!. Filled with inspiring ideas for teachers and students designing #GamesForLearning. www.routledge.com/Designing-Hi...