Magic: The Gathering has come a long way since it debuted at Gen Con in 1993. Last year, it became a billion-dollar brand. The genius behind it, mathematician Richard Garfield, left Wizards of the Coast, Magic's publisher, shortly after it was sold to Hasbro in 1999 and has subsequently expressed an apparent disillusionment with what the game has become. Defector's Nick Zarzycki interviewed him about this, his perception of the existential threats to Magic, and why he left the company. [Story may be paywalled]
Tell me all about your #FridayFinds! What cool #TabletopGames and #TTRPGs have you discovered or played for the first time recently? What do you like about them? What drew you to them?
These are my most played with monsters for RPGs, but never got painted. They're Reaper Bones, the white material, and cleaning them up sucked! I ended up slicing as much of the mold lines as I could, then I covered the rest with some thick layers of primer. I took this opportunity to try some speed painting techniques. I used contrast paints (xpress) and oils, but also traditional acrilycs as a final step. Despite my frustrations with the material, I'm very happy with the result (for the time it took) so I think I might try to replicate this process on some other appropriate models (plague bearers??)
Playing Ancient Games: History & Mythology With John Bucher
Starts Mon, Apr 15, 2024
3 sessions, $210 per person
Who said stones and runes can’t be all you need to have fun? Certainly not the gamers of ancient times. In this course led by Dr. John Bucher, we’ll dive deep into the world of ancient games, exploring the symbols, cultural context, and uses of games played over 1000 years ago. We’ll look at the history and mythology that gave rise to them, as well as basic tenets of game theory & human psychology as they apply to game playing. Along the way, we’ll have the opportunity to play some of these games together, trying our hands at a different game with ancient origins each week. By the end, not only will you have a deep understanding of the ancient roots of games, but also a sense of why games have always been an important part of making sense of our world and the ways in which they remain a part of how we play today.
First #solo game of #TheFoxExperiment was pretty fun. I lost by 9 points (65 to 56) but the AI is a beast at completing study cards, so I don't feel too bad.
Check out the pics for some shots of my upgrade board and some of the fox pups I bred.
Check out Six Forms, "a 'chess style' trading card game crafted for players with a competitive spirit and desire for evocative high-fantasy art," which launched today on Kickstarter. Congrats @kevindees!