Monday, November 29, 2010

London

This looks pretty cool, especially the cards showing London monuments.

Arriving in December

TRG4002

London

$55.00 SRP

2-4 Players

Ages 13+

90 Minutes

The history of one of the world's most famous cities.

London lies devastated after the Great Fire of 1666. This is your opportunity to build a new city on the ashes of the old. It is up to you how you employ the talents of the people of London to this end. Will you favor the business classes, who will earn you money? Or would you prefer to spend more money than you can rightly afford on grand monuments and sumptuous palaces? You must also deal with the problem of rising poverty and the how to employ the many paupers of the city. Throughout the game you will be forced to make tough decisions. To achieve one aim you must sacrifice another, which may open an opportunity for a competitor.

Almost 250 years of the city's history is recreated in this game. Many of the most famous buildings and monuments are captured in detail on illustrated cards. These elements are presented in a relatively simple game that can be played easily within ninety minutes.

Contains:

1 Full color mounted map board

Three rule sets - English, German, French Player Aid card for French and German player 110 player cards

2 die cut counter sheets

Plastic money

wooden cubes and discs

Thursday, November 25, 2010

Thanksgiving/Black Friday Specials

Since we've had a few people ask about the specials we're running, here they are:

Thanksgiving Day--open until 6 p.m. HeroClix tournament at 4 p.m Table of items including Magic, Warhammer 40,000, HeroClix and Yu Gi Oh plus assorted RPGs and boardgames, 30% off. For every can of food you bring in, take 1% off your total purchase, to a maximum of 10%.

Black Friday--Open 5 a.m. Specials good until 10 a.m. Free bagels and cream cheese, while they last. Remaining items on Thanksgiving sale table 40% off. For every can of food you bring in, take 1% off your total purchase, to a maximum of 10%.

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

BSG Boardgame

Despite the defunctedness of the Battlestar Galactica series, the boardgame (a truly wonderful game for inciting paranoia among players) has a new expansion coming out next month:

Originally expected in January, this will now arrive in mid-December along with the base game restock

FFGBSG03

Battlestar Galactica: Exodus Expansion

$39.95 SRP

Exodus introduces three new options to include in your Battlestar Galactica games.

Choose to incorporate all or any combination of these new options to your game:

• The Ionian Nebula option introduces Allies and Trauma Tokens, representing emotional struggles

• The Cylon Fleet option increases the activity of the Cylon ships, giving pilot characters more challenges.

• The Conflicted Loyalties option introduces new Loyalty Cards and Personal Goals

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Jim Ward

You may or may not know Jim Ward. He worked for TSR early in its history, writing the first Deities & Demigods book as well as overseeing much of the launch of 2nd Edition. He wrote the original Gamma World and created the first Dragonball Z CCG. More recently, he served as president of Fast Forward Entertainment and has written several books for Troll Lord Games.

The point of this is that he's been in the gaming industry almost since its inception and is currently having health problems, so if you can spare a few bucks, go here.

Exalted Release

This looks like "The Art of War" in an RPG context:

Coming in December

WWP80011

EX 2E: Thousand Correct Actions

$12.99 SRP

This abridged version of The Thousand Correct Actions of the Upright Soldier contains wisdom sufficient for the enlisted or conscripted mortal soldier, distilling the Five Elemental Wisdoms of the martial era in which it was originally recorded.

It is the responsibility of every soldier who owns one to study his Thousand Correct Actions daily. Copies of the Thousand Correct Actions that are issued to soldiers are not annotated except by the soldiers themselves. Copies of the texts printed for civilian readers, however, often include such annotations to explain nuances of translation or obscure minutia regarding military life for which the civilian likely has no frame of reference.

Thousand Correct Actions is a trade-sized format Exalted supplement featuring:

* The text of the Thousand Correct Actions to use as quotations or military advice in your Exalted chronicle

* New Charms for Dragon-Blooded characters

* Revisions and updates of original Dragon-Blooded Charms

Friday, November 19, 2010

Osprey Books

Osprey has a number of new releases coming out in the near future, including its first exercise book (no, really):

Coming in December

OSPACE096

Mustang Aces of the 357th Fighter Group

$22.95 SRP

OSPFGR002

FoG-R: Trade and Treachery

$24.95 SRP

Paperback; 96 pages; The 357th Fighter Group produced 42 aces, more than any other group within the USAAF. It was also the first group in the Eighth Air Force to be equipped with the P-51. Thanks to this fighter and the talented pilots assigned to the group (men such as Bud Anderson, Kit Carson, John England and Chuck Yeager) the 357th achieved a faster rate of aerial victories than any other Eighth Air Force group during the final year of the war. It also claimed the highest number of aerial kills – 56 – in a single mission. The group was awarded two Distinguished Unit Citations (the unit equivalent of the Medal of Honor). Written by Chris Bucholtz, this book is crammed full of first-hand accounts, superb photography and some of the most colorful profiles to be found in World War II aviation.

Paperback; 116 pages; While the Renaissance was a time of innovation and inspiration in art, literature and science, so too was it a period of military progress. From the rise of gunpowder as a battlefield-dominating weapon to the tactical genius of Machiavelli, the Italian Wars were the first step on this journey. With detailed army lists, historical overviews, maps and artwork, Trade and Treachery provides aspiring condottieri with everything they need to take over the armies of the Italian City States, and of the European powers of the 16th century, and lead them to glory.

OSPGEN4505

Go the Distance

$17.95 SRP

OSPNVG172

US Fast Battleships 1938-91

$17.95 SRP

Paperback; 192 pages; What better way to start the new year than to get fighting fit? Major Sam McGrath of the legendary Parachute Regiment has put together this easy to use and inspirational exercise guide that is perfect for everyone – from the couch potato civilian to the aspiring Para recruit. Major McGrath previously ran the selection course for the Parachute Regiment – the brutal ‘P’ Company and he draws on his vast experience to create a step-by-step guide to improving fitness through easy to follow exercise programmes. But this is more than just an exercise guide – it offers advice on how to choose a gym or personal trainer as well as healthy eating. The book also sets out five aspirational challenges for readers to aim for if they follow the exercise programmes including a 10 mile race and the gruelling Fan Dance around the Brecond Beacons. If you can do that then you know you really are Para Fighting Fit!

Paperback; 48 pages; In 1938, the United States abandoned the constraints imposed by the Washington Teaty and began work on a new class of super-battleships. This book covers the design, construction, and employment of the four Iowa-class battleships, the largest in the American fleet. During World War II, they served as guards for the aircraft carriers and their bombardments provided cover for the numerous landings in the Pacific. At the war’s end, the Japanese signed their surrender on the decks of an Iowa-class battleship, the USS Missouri. After World War II, the ships continued to serve, providing support during Korea, Vietnam, and even the first Gulf War. This book tells the full story of the greatest of the American battleships.

OSPNVG173

French Tanks of World War I

$17.95 SRP

Paperback; 48 pages; This title examines the emergence of the first modern tank, the Renault FT. It is a little known fact that France fielded more tanks in World War I than any other army. However, France's early tanks suffered from poor mobility and armor compared to their contemporaries. Indeed, their initial use on the Chemin des Dames in 1917 was a bloody fiasco. In spite of initial set-backs, the French army redeemed its reputation with the Renault FT. The Renault FT pioneered the modern tank design, with armament in a revolutionary central turret and the engine in the rear. More importantly, the Renault was designed to be cheap and easy to manufacture. Discover the history of the early French armor developments and their triumphant new design, the Renault FT, that helped to turn the tide of war in the favor of the Allies.

Expected in January

OSPCAM228

Teutoburg Forest AD 9

$19.95 SRP

OSPCOM085

B-57 Canberra Units of the Vietnam War

$22.95 SRP

Paperback; 96 pages; One of the greatest military disasters of the Roman Empire, Teutoberg Forest witnessed the near-total annihilation of three Roman legions at the hands of the German barbarians led by their Roman-educated chief Arminius. Michael McNally tells the complete story of the disaster, supported by the incredible artwork of Peter Dennis

Paperback; 96 pages; The B-57 Canberra was the first jet-powered American attack aircraft committed to the Vietnam War. Involved in day-to-day interdiction missions as well as in classified “black” missions and a starring role in Operation Rolling Thunder; the B-57 evolved to become one of the most valuable weapons in the USAF inventory. The B-57E was involved in the Patricia Lynn missions, parts of which remain classified. This book also fully documents the role of the Australian Canberra B-20 in working alongside the B-57. Featuring scores of previously unpublished photographs; the story of the B-57 is the story of the Vietnam War.

OSPDUE033

Panzer IV vs Char B1 bis

$19.95 SRP

OSPFGR003

FoG-R: Clash of Empires

$24.95 SRP

Paperback; 80 pages; The Battle of France in 1940 involved the first large-scale tank-against-tank battles in history. The massive clashes at Stonne, Hannant, and Gembloux involved hundreds of tanks on both sides, yet have faded from memory due to the enourmity of the French defeat. This book examines two of the premier opposing tanks of the Wehrmacht and the French Army, the German PzKpfw IV and the French Char B1 bis. With a complete history of the design, development, and deployment of these armoured fighting vehicles, the story of these great battles is once again brought to life.

Paperback; 108 pages; Covering Eastern Europe during the Renaissance, and Western Europe in the latter half of the 16th century, Clash of Empires, the third Field of Glory: Renaissance Companion provides aspiring generals with everything they need to command an army of steadfast Janissaries, or the troops of one of the Ottoman Empire’s foes. With Osprey artwork, maps, and historical background, Clash of Empires brings to the gaming table the great conflicts between the Cross and the Crescent.

OSPFOR101

The Forts of Colonial North America

$18.95 SRP

OSPGEN4819

The Good Life On A Budget

$14.95 SRP

Paperback; 64 pages; This book takes a detailed look at the fortifications of various types that were built from the times of the earliest British settlements in North America in the late 16th century until the end of the Seven Years’ War, when France ceded New France to Britain. It begins with a study of the forts built by colonists on Roanoke Island between 1585 and 1590, and the famous settlements in Jamestown (Virginia) from 1607. It moves on to cover the British settlements that followed in New England, Nova Scotia and other points on the North American coast, as well as the Dutch fortified settlements in what are now the states of New York, Connecticut and New Jersey, and the Swedish forts in Delaware between 1638 and 1655.

Hardback; 212 pages; Say no to waste, save pots of money and look good while you are doing it. Here is the best advice for enjoying life inexpensively, drawn from the collective wisdom of ration era Britain, with numerous ways to get back to the best things in life - alternatives to retail therapy, suggestions for games not games consoles, effortless eco-friendliness, and delicious meals from ordinary ingredients not celebrity chefs - advice that covers gardening, fashion, cooking and leisure time. In 2011, as the ‘new era of austerity’ kicks in and it feels like post-war Britain all over again, The Austerity Book provides a survival guide and a perennial source of solutions for lean times, thanks to our cash-strapped forebears in Austerity Britain.

OSPNVG175

US Submarines 1900-35

$17.95 SRP

Paperback; 48 pages; This book introduces the reader to the early years of US submarine development and operation during the first third of the 20th century. It was in this period of growth and change that the submarine moved from a small vessel of limited range and tactical strength to a far ranging force. It also covers the little-told story of the United State’s submarine force during World War I, and the lessons they learned that would be passed on to future generations of submariners.

Survive:: Escape from Atlantis

Had a chance to look at a pre-release copy of this in October and it looks quite good. I especially like the sinking island mechanic. Island pieces get replaced one by one with water tiles, eliminating any of your pieces on the land tiles at the time of the switch:

Arriving Soon

SG2002

Survive: Escape From Atlantis

$49.95 SRP

2-4 Players

Ages 8+

60 Minutes

An underwater volcano has erupted and the island of Atlantis is sinking into the sea! Unless the people of Atlantis escape before the volcano explodes, all the inhabitants are doomed! In this game you try to lead your people from the sinking central island of Atlantis to the safety of one of four islands nearby. Your people can get there by boat (if they find one) or by swimming but avoid the Sea Serpents, Whales, and Sharks! The player with the most survivor points wins.

Survive is a cutthroat game where players seek to evacuate their pieces from an island that is breaking up, while remembering where their highest-valued pieces are located to maximize their score.

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Boardgame Avalanche

Boardgames today remind me of Black and White comics during the 80's, the collectabel card game deluge of the mid 90s or, more recently, all the OGL stuff that released after D&D 3.0 launched, with over 100 items released per month.

After the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle became a hit in B&W comics during the mid 80's, we saw Radioactive Adolescent Black Belt Hamsters, Aristocratic Time Traveling Extraterrestrial Thieves and so forth, until the racks filled with piles of two color 3 adjective and a noun titled comic books. None but the Turtles still get published. After Magic hit big, the next couple of years saw 40+ different CCGs released, of which only about 3, counting Magic are still around. Of the publishers that rode the OGL wave, I can count on my fingers the number still publishing products that hit the shelves with any regularity.

So, as Yogi Berra put it, "This is like deja vu all over again" when I received an email from a distributor with fourteen boardgame releases scheduled for December. Fourteen new boardgames isn't that large of a quantity, but these are all from one publisher, Rio Grande Games. Three new ones from Avalanche Press, three from Indie Board and Game Press, and 32 more from assorted publishers. That's 52 boardgames coming out in December and I've probably missed a few. We're selling more boardgames than we did 5 years ago and the market has certainly expanded but I"m seeing the same sort of glut that hit the market in each of the categories mentioned earlier and I fear a lot of companies will go out of business before it's over.

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Fantasy Flight Releases

Fantasy Flight Games has announced the following games will hit distribution next Tuesday so we should have them by the 20th:

CI01 Civilization
SL06 Death Angel
WHC13 Warhammer Invasion: The Fourth Waystone

Friday, November 5, 2010

Starstrike Blast Details

Starstrike Blast Sneak Peek is this Saturday at 1 p.m.


Details Released for ‘YGO: Starstrike Blast’

Out this Month

Published: 11/04/2010, Last Updated: 11/05/2010 03:45am
Konami has announced details of its Yu-Gi-Oh!: Starstrike Blast set (see “Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG Q4 Releases”), out November 16th. The 100-card booster set will contain 48 Commons, 20 Rares, 14 Super Rares, 10 Ultra Rares, and eight Super Rares.

Big Synchro Monsters in the set will include Shooting Star Dragon, Red Nova Dragon, and Formula Synchron, the first Synchro Monster that’s also a Tuner.

A new Monarch, Delg the Dark, is introduced, along with new Karakuri monsters, who constantly change battle position.

A new Spell Card, Tuning, is introduced ot make it easy to summon Yusei’s top Synchro Monsters. New Tuners, including Glow-Up Bulb and Scrap Mind Reader, are introduced.

Other new cards introduced in the set include Skull Meister, Droll & Lock Bird, Spellstone Sorcerer Karood, and Psi-Blocker.

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Yu Gi Oh

Scheduled for January Release

Coming in January

KOI88539

YGO: Yusei 3 - Duelist Pack

$42.53 NPI

January 25th Street Date

KOI88556

YGO: DB: 5Ds Double Deck Box

$4.74 NPI

For the sixth consecutive year, five-card Duelists Packs are an easy and affordable way for even the youngest or most casual Yu-Gi-Oh! fans to “Rev It Up!”

This 30-card set brings Duelists more of Yusei’s latest and greatest cards!

Featuring 8 brand new, powerful cards (4 new Monsters, 2 new Spells, and 2 new Traps), plus a second chance to get 22 more of Yusei’s favorites.

30-card complete set: 17 Common Cards, 7 Rare Cards, 4 Super Rare Cards, 2 Ultra Rare Cards, plus 10 Strategy Cards

Duelists can carry their cards with confidence in this durable, double-wide Deck Box!

Emblazoned with the full Mark of the Dragon, from Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D’s, the Double Deck Box can hold everything needed to Duel anywhere, anytime! This quality Deck Box is magnet-fastened to make sure its contents remain safe and sound, even through the rigors of competition.

Each Double Deck Box features a magnetic closure and contains two removable trays and two index boards.