The past few weeks has seen some disruption here at Casa d’RockyMountainNavy. Most importantly, I moved to a new job just after the Presidential Inauguration. You can likely guess that all the “churn” in the government in turn created “stress” for people like myself who are just trying to make a living when the world around them is very much in turmoil. One item of my life that suffered in that time was this blog. Looking forward into March, I recommitted to myself—and in turn to all you readers—that I will work harder on this blog because it is a form of therapy for me. I enjoy writing about my hobbies and sharing it with all of you. Doing so helps me to “forget,” for a moment, some of the pressure reality is laying upon my family.
Books backlog
My deskside table of shame has grown but I am now working off the backlog. I usually try to read one book a week though some occasionally take a bit longer. Sometimes that longer time is because I want to play a related wargame to further explore the thoughts or arguments in the book. Taken together that means I am “booked” for the next few months.
Worlds of tabletop roleplaying games
While tabletop roleplaying games (ttrpg) are usually seen as a social activity, I often play solo to experience some of the worldbuilding wonder that these games can bring. As a long-time Traveller player I always enjoy playing the “sub-games” of character generation, ship building, or world and animal/alien creation. These days I am doing the same using ALIEN: The Roleplaying Game from Free League Publishing. I am also messing around a bit with Twilight: 2000 4th Edition (Free League Publishing) as I mix a bit of my ‘Cold War Gone Hot’ wargaming with ttrpgs.
Playing war
Thanks to the generosity of Yasushi Nakaguro at Bonsai Games I have two new wargame titles awaiting play. The first is the Japanese version of Stargard Solstice by Stefan Ekström originally from Three Crowns Games (3CG) in 2021. I like Ekström’s 3CG titles because they use a headquarters chit-pull activation mechanism that is very solo-play friendly.
The second Bonsai title is the Japanese version of a Ty Bomba design first published by War Drum Games in China in 2020. To the South: The Honshu War, 1950-1953 takes place in a darkly alternate post-World War II where the Soviets and Americans jointly occupy Japan. Like Korea in our timeline both sides come into inevitable conflict. Yes, the flow of the game heavily riffs off the Korean War in our reality but the transposed location to Japan makes one look at the real war in a much different manner. A fun and thought-provoking design.
Thanks to the generosity of GMT Games and Regimental Commander Brant at Armchair Dragoons I also am working with review copies of two recently released Chad Jensen titles. As some might know, Chad Jensen was a prolific wargame designer that sadly lost his fight with pancreatic cancer in 2019. This past month, GMT Games released Fighting Formations: US 29th Infantry Division which is Volume III of Jensen’s Fighting Formation series. GMT Games also released the 2nd Printing of Downfall: Conquest of the Third Reich first released in 2022. Both of these games use unique initiative systems which are the focus of my exploration. Downfall is on my gaming table as I write; my thoughts will be shared on Armchair Dragoons in the near future with Fighting Formations to follow not long afterwards.
The (wargaming) life
In addition to the new games, I sill am working with my two “lifestyle” wargame systems for 2025. I have initial translations for the rules of the Joint All Domain Operation (War Drum Games) modules I own and continue to work my way through more deeply learning the game system as I play various scenarios. I also continue to work my way through the many scenarios of World at War 85: Blood and Fury (Lock ‘n Load Publishing). Both games have a seemingly endless amount of content; indeed, there is easily enough content in these two games alone to occupy the rest of my wargaming year.
All of which means I have plenty in hand to divert my attention from The Real WorldTM.
Feature image RMN
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