Introduction

 I feel it's worthwhile to have some kind of post explaining what this blog actually is supposed to be as I imagine in a few months or so it's probably going to appear as a rather muddled mix of varying topics and article styles.

In short, this is primarily a way for me to collect and review my thoughts on the hobbies I participate in - and while primarily that's going to mean a lot of posts related to tabletop wargames, I also hope to occasionally post my thoughts on some books, board games, video games, and sports.

To give some specifics on what I expect to be the main topic of this blog - wargames - I am by nature interested in most wargames from a competitive point of view. I'm by no means a top tier player of any of the games I play, but I like to think I'm decently competitive in some of them and one of the things I hope this blog helps me do is focus and refine my thoughts and strategies. I am far, far from being an especially skilled painter, but I'll also post hobby updates if nothing else just to keep myself honest.

The wargame I've been playing the most consistently for the longest period of time is Corvus Belli's Infinity. I've been playing the game since 2022 and for the most part play Vanilla Haqqislam and Hassassin Bahram. I might expand my collection to include the Kestrel Colonial Force, but that probably won't be for a while if that happens. I've had experience playing in both in person tournaments in tabletop simulator based tournaments and I've participated the most in excellent tournaments run online by IGL. I'm yet to win an Infinity tournament, but it's the game where I am at my most competitive and I've had some decent results both in and outside IGL.

Infinity is something I've stuck with because of my fondness for the core rules and ideas of the system. The F2F mechanic to me is very elegant in how it lets the players manage the level of risk they want to take, while the way it interacts with the system of orders combines to make a very tense and interesting game of moment to moment decisions. The system's focus on free form movement with a lot of room for verticality is also something I very much enjoy.

For around a year now I've also been playing a lot of Para Bellum's Conquest - The Last Argument of Kings. In terms of factions I've mostly been sticking to the Spires, but I've been thinking of eventually expanding into either the Sorcerer Kings or Old Dominion. While I've got a decent enough understanding of the core rules and competitive fundamentals of Conquest I think I am at best a mediocre player. Ironically despite this, I have actually won a Conquest tournament - albeit a small local tournament.

Conquest has something I've really gotten into because of the dynamics created by the combination of the movement and strategy deck system. Like a great many rank and file wargames, Conquest makes something of a puzzle out of movement, incentivizing careful planning and thinking ahead, trying to get your units to where they need to be while also accounting your opponent's movements. However, system of alternating activations with the pre-round construction of the strategy deck really elevates the movement puzzle - allowing for interesting tactics and mind games. The faction design of Conquest is also something I really enjoy - each faction feels very distinct, with their own unique rules and feel.

The final game I've been getting into a lot very recently is Dream Pod 9's Heavy Gear Blitz. While I have a decent handle on the core rules of HGB at this point, I've been playing it for less than three months at this point and am still very much getting a feel for the game. I've decided to go with the faction of Utopia, but I might eventually expand into Peace River - one nice thing about HGB is that it is by far the most affordable wargame I have gotten into. Competitive HGB doesn't really exist, at least not in my local meta and not on tabletop simulator - but given my experience, I can't imagine I am an especially strong player.

HBG has drawn me in with it's emphasis on combined arms and large room for experimentation and variety with list building. The game's objective system also contributes to these elements, creating an overall experience where you both have to forward your own game plan and objectives while attempting to disrupt your opponent.

These are the three main games that I expect to be focusing on the most for the next while, but I feel I should at least mention the other tabletop wargames that have my eye.

• I've been trying out Corvus Belli's Warcrow recently and while I like a lot of the ideas within it, I simply need to get more games in to figure out if it's something I'll want to commit more time and energy to.
• I'm a long time fan and follower of TTC's Dropfleet Commander, it being the first ever wargame I've played. I've been trying to make some time to try out and evaluate the recently released second edition of the game.
• TTC's Dropzone and upcoming Striketeam Commander are also games I have some interest in.
• I've been planning to try out the A Song of Ice and Fire rank and file.
• My local community has a group for the fan supported Epic 40k rules. I've enjoyed the games I've played of Epic so far, but more in a casual capacity. Still, I plan to get an Epic Necron force 3d printed.
•  I have never sat down and played a full, proper game of 40k but I do have a small collection of Necrons. I might eventually give the game a shot, but I struggle to see myself becoming very invested in it based on what I know of the game.

 Hopefully this article ages with some degree of grace!