Cult Of Games XLBS: Which Tabletop Game Is Your Greatest Of All Time?
November 5, 2023 by avernos
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Happy Sunday CoGs and OTTers! Best game ever was Mordheim. The theme, the miniatures, the rules and the setting was the perfect blend. There wasn’t a momment of that game that wasn’t stress and fun inducing. Even the post-game result ro9lls were tension filled. The best thing was released when you could have your warband from the same faction as your Warhammer army, your Warmaster army and your Man O’War fleet.
Gloomhaven: Crimson Scales. Hand management, spatial puzzles, and killing things.
I have to agree with Ben – overall, taking every gaming aspect into account, LOTR is overall the best gaming system.
I love ‘Kings of War’ and I will be starting a campaign early next year and an army project soon. I also agree that the rules are tight and streamlined, but if I am allowed to criticize KOW, I think that is also were its weakness lies.
I always said that Warhammer was a skirmish game pretending to be a mass battle game – and Mordheim proved that point for me. KOW is a mass battle game but the way the game evolves looks like a skirmish game. At times (let’s say in the 3rd turn) if you take away the units and placed single miniatures it looks like the way a skirmish game would play out. It is not a linear affair like most ancient battles.
The issue might be because it completely lacks command and control, group movement, fatigue limitations and at times has a problem with heroes and monsters being a bit too strong.
I have sorted these problems out with house rules, but it does reduce the game’s speed (which is one of its main strengths). I guess there is a price to pay which ever way one likes to play.
Imperial Assault for me
That game has story, has competition, has Uber competition and pretty cool dice and movement mechanics
It’s also one of the few board games that you can buy that you get two fully fleshed out games for the price of one
My top 5 boardgames that I own are
1. Anachrony
2. Perseverance
3. Raiders of the North Sea
4. Barbarians the Invasion
5. Kemet
As for wargames,
1. Burrows and Badgers
2. Warhammer ECW
3. Hail Caesar
4. Pike and Shot
5. Warhammer Ancients
Happy Sunday!
For me, I would have to say WRG 6th Ed Ancients. I have never found another system that really does large scale ancient battles as well! Maybe it’s because this is where I started out in wargaming, but I still return to it now and then despite my now very tatty rulebook!
My second choice would be Spearhead for WW2, simple mechanics but an extremely challenging game!
I struggle with questions like this as there are so many factors to consider. My favourite game is a boardgame, Scythe as I really like a complex 4X engine-builder. As a gaming group we play Wingspan most frequently which has a similar engine-builder quality but you finish in under an hour. The best for gaming experience is SAGA, especially Age of Vikings which delivers interesting match-ups and some of the closest finishes I’ve had playing wargames. That said I find the rules are difficult to understand and I’m not sure we’ve ever actually played a whole game “properly”. Best overall game, factoring in model availability and quality, list building, joy of painting, look of the game on the table, production quality of rules, usability, game experience and outcome is Congo.
I hate questions like this as I think it doesn’t exist, it changes for me as to what I am looking for at a specific moment.
Like Gerry, the game I have been playing longest is Warhammer Fantasy battles but I didn’t like every editions as much as an other.
The game I enjoy now the most is Infinity: Code One because I like the fast flow and aro system, plus I don’t need a lot of models either.
Hi XLBSers an COGz.
Almost Monday!
00:00 I haz coffee.
01:45 Pray away the Shay? oO
02:22 Do a Chez T-Shirt (the red and black one) but with Shay on it XD
04:36 Same Gerry, so much the same!
04:45 Maybe tumbleweed was the inspiration for tribbles? Quick! Someone ask the author!
06:45 Under pressure
07:40 Drugs! All drugs!
10:30 Clan wars?!
12:25 I helped! @brennon since you couldn’t win anything with Terrain Fest this was a way better option for you. Also your terrain was ready a month early and you could just sit and play while the rest was frantically painting!
13:15 I would love to have a mini car boot sale here but the last time we tried to make it happen the feedback was so abysmal it didn’t really work.
14:40 Stranger Danger!
16:00 Eisenhorn FTW!
18:00 repackaged and FRESH BASES!
19:15 @johnlyons nothing to do? Start a podcast! Hit me up mate! XD
24:45 Tear it up!
26:00 It stays in the family
29:00 It rattles a lot
30:00 Gastank defies gravity!
33:00 STL – Sexually Transmitted Laziness
35:00 All original parts!
36:30 Buy all the guns! DAKKA DAKKA DAKKA
40:15 Cartman: RED ROCKET! RED ROCKET!
42:00 in the Philippines?!
44:00 Beeeeeeer
44:30 If the French had waited much longer someone might have taken those tonks back home…
48:00 Network cables!
53:30 I don’t know how it’s priced else where but every time I look at balsa wood it’s insanely expensive. Especially around here where you can grab XBS foam from building site because they need to get rid of the cut offs as hazardous waste.
57:00 Excessive use of camo?! How dare you!
59:00 Event Horizon is a nice little family film
1:06:00 War… war never changes.
1:10:00 Strapping young lad. Will be seen more.
1:11:45 DAS BOOT! Tauchen! Tauchen! Tauchen!
1:20:00 Beeeeewbs!
1:26:00 Gerry isn’t *that* old
1:27:00 W’Hamster with squaaaaare bases
1:35:00 WHFB
1:36:30 Nooooooo! The poster was load bearing!
Best game… I have no answer. I can’t decide. Not currently. Maybe next week.
GOOD BUY!
Anything is possible to family talk to each other.?
Ooh nice not a U carrier but pretty close John.
Man down man down Ben.
John go’s 1>1 scale hobying this week.
Afternoon all. Good question….. Commercial game has to be Battletech, have played it in various sports pretty much since middle 80’s. Its had highs, and kept me sane in some lows. Love the meta, the game , years of classic and now Alpha Strike. My other is my own grown set of rules which hasn’t been played for a bit based on the 50’s movie ‘Them’ with Giant Ants which was one featured in the sci-fi edition of Minataur wargames , and if I can ever find them morphed into my own set.
‘I have those B movie Blues’to include Spiders, Zombies etc. There was even a version for Gerry Ants vs Dark Age Armies.
Windows on space ships that’s like rigging on sailing ship’s.?!?
It’s a Kelly’s hero’s Tiger.
It’s the boobies prizes.
The wagon driver named Fred Bell.?
Good interesting show guy’s.
Happy Sunday.
It’s always a tough question to answer. Space Hulk is up there for me as it’s a very neat asymmetrical system that creates a lot of tension and requires careful planning. It’s a game I have never owned and have only had a handful of games in the past but it’s left a lasting mark.
My current favourite games would probably be Five Leagues From The Borderlands for its pure story telling moments. You really get the sense of exploring a fantasy land and has a wide variety of tabletop options, including dungeons.
Happy Sunday, i agree with John, Bolt Action is my favourite game and for all the reasons that John gives. I just find it a pure joy from the kits to the modelling to the playing and the Warlord website and articles on BOLT ACTION.
Justin you could just get, the kings of war ratkin which are better and is also a great game
Dude, @avernos Legend game sounds amazing
The first reaction when I saw the video title: Dropzone Commander (1st edition). So many things with it clicked: the scale, terrain building options, amazing models and fun but varied gameplay with great focus on combined armed.
After watching the video, I would have to agree with John on Bolt Action. In last 10 years that’s the game I’ve played the most and much like John said, always had good time. I’ve seven (I think…) painted armies 28mm WW2 armies, two more in boxes waiting their turn. Suitably Hollywood rules for me, ridiculous amounts of great miniatures available and you can’t beat WW2 as a setting. What also help is having a big local player base around it.
My favourite ever was Dreadball. I loved Blood Bowl as a nipper but this was so much faster. The mechanics were great, the fluff was ok and it was just a laugh. I’ve played a few tournaments, almost always good humoured (one bad opponent ever). Also the best game of Dreadball I ever played was a defeat, but the winning score was just ridiculous. I hope the Mantic staffer who beat me is still talking about it like I do.
Best game.
The Walking Dead All Out War.
I flew on a plane to play it.
It introduced me to a community.
When I played it at my club people always enjoyed it.
It’s not dead just because it doesn’t get new models. Once you have a medium sizes collection you have enough choice and enough terrain to provide a gaming package that two or three people can play easily.
List building isn’t really a thing because once the event cards get drawn any minmax list and grand plan can fall apart fast.
It doesn’t require anyone else to invest in the game.
It wasn’t extortionate price wise.
It is easy to teach.
The mechanics really suited the game genre.
The game really suited the IP. i.e., at the beginning of the series (TV and comics) you Walkers are the scary part, but later the other human elements are the scary part. In game at the start the sides are cautious of all the Walkers, but towards the end are fighting other humans to get the most loot.
Rangers of Shadow Deep and The Silver Bayonet run TWD close. (RoSD helped me get through the lockdown and The Silver Bayonet has been a great hobby and gaming experience.)
Best board games
1. Hnefatafl – bought a copy in Cumbria with my brother and we played it each evening on a fondly remembered holiday around Scotland.
2. SPIVs – Self-Propelled Interstellar Vehicle (SPIV) seeking a (slightly dishonest) fortune in a dangerous part of space known as Quadrant 13.
3. Spanish Main – be a pirate, invest in cannon and manpower, turn over hex tiles for coastlines and have an adventure.
4. Pennycoat Lane. Invest in inflatable Igloos and Snakeskin Bedsocks.
5. Firefly – Cool series, fun mechanics.
Hi Gerry. On xlbs a few weeks ago you showed off your basius basing plates and advised you used super sculpey.
I have several of these plates and had so many issues with clays and green stuff sticking to it and almost ruining the plates.
How do you use the sculpey? Do you prep the basting plate with anything before hand? Use the sculpey right out the pack?
If you roll the sculpey onto the plate how do you lift it without destroying the detail and ensure all of it comes out the mould?
Thanks for any help in advance.
AHHA! I knew I saw this but then I was off and forgot to reply.
So I have a spray on wax for moulding called MACWAX. I got it when I started doing moulds at home.
it works great, but it’s pricey I’ve since found that brushing in vaseline or vegetable oil works just as well a thin layer is all that is needed.
I’ve thought about trying to use talc to see how it goes but that’s for another day.
you will get some distortion when you pull it from the mould but that doesn’t bother me as it’s for a base it doesn’t need to be perfect.
Hope that helps
Wolsung – easy rules, plenty of flexibility. super fun and you can try do almost everything. wlking dead for fun ans same reason x wing with friends not tournament
This was a tough question as there are quite a few miniatures games I really enjoy but none that I feel like I get to play enough. But, pound for pound, I think the one that I get the most enjoyment out of is Gaslands. Buying and modding the toy cars is hopelessly addictive, and the game system is smooth and easy to understand.
In the early days of Warmachine MK2, I had more fun playing small 25pt skirmishes with my friends than I have with any other game before or since. I loved the metal minis, the steampunk setting and the (reasonably) balanced rules. For me it was the perfect game.
The best game is Deadzone!
It’s like Chess, but in 3 dimensions, with aliens and guns. It’s super cool!
And Deadzone is life.
Middle-earth SBG aka Lotr SBG aka Hobbit SBG is overall the best game I ever played considering fluff, rules, models. It is probably the only game GW improved in his last/current incarnation and probably their best system for the competitive scene.