Climbing the Mythic Mountain

Play-Cast Name: Mythic Mountains RPG OD&D Actual Play Playlist System: Swords & Wizardry (White Box?) Where I Watched: YouTube

Chain & Shield

Thoughts and Review

A year or two ago - I became peripherally aware of Mythic Mountains RPG: a group of designers and players who shared a love of fantasy adventure and who regularly posted content - video, long-form, and social - about it. I would later be invited to join a community - one where I have been ungraciously inactive (for which, I hope, they will forgive me) - but since trying turn around, making an internet acquaintance into an internet friend, I found an 0e-compatible actual play refereed by none other than the primary voice of Mythic Mountains - at least, to whom I had spoken.

It had been a while since I had done an AP review - admittedly, I had lost a lot of love for the genre: they just didn't hold me like they use to. The luster was gone. But I gave this one a shot - I wanted to see if I just needed to dive back in: like a lone wolf finally attending a gathering and finding they liked the pack around them more than they thought. I like 0e - and Mythic Mountains was recently interviewed by my friend Kevin over at The Redcaps Podcast - so they can't be all bad. And what I found? I was not disappointed.

The Mythic Mountains RPG Original Dungeons and Dragons (OD&D/S&W/White Box etc.) YouTube playlist - a name I have abbreviated hereafter and heretofore for the benefit of pixel count - follows a continuing campaign: delving the depths of Rappan Athuk, Echoes from Fomalhaut, as well as several injections of interlude alternatives like Castle Xyntillan or Gardens of Ynn: critically acclaimed and well established OSR adventures and accouterments, well known to me by name if not by played experience. The player cast is fairly consistent and the schedule is unrelenting: a beautiful example of a campaign run right. I am forced to reminisce of how gaming use to be at my own home table, before the child-times in my own life, when food came first but adventure was a close second.

As a caveat for this review - I have not had a chance to listen through the entirety of the playlist. However, I've been through enough that I should think I have information sufficient for an opinion on it: and I continue to use it to fill the air at work or on the elliptical in the mornings prior to the start of my regularly scheduled day.

What I Liked

One of the most important things about actual plays - apart from their ability to retain an audience and be an enjoyable experience - the primary value that comes from actual plays is taking on the role of examples of play: where, in the past, one might observe and play with a group who had been playing the game already to get a feel for the experience - so also actual play casts can and should outline how the game works and feels. For the game they are playing - Mythic Mountains does a decent job. While I am not an expert on Swords & Wizardry, I have played several other games with the same 0e compatibility goal - and from there, as far as I can tell, Mythic Mountains does S&W correctly enough to learn a bit about the mechanics through osmosis.

In particular - of note in Swords & Wizardry, there is a shortage of some of the wargame aspects of the original edition: while Mythic Mountains (in my viewing so far) does not particularly engage in wargaming elements as part of the OD&D actual play playlist, they do include on regular basis overland travel - with use of a hex map for overland as well as smaller area maps when zooming in on smaller sections of the map. The inclusion of map exploration is in particular important - as while the evasion rules can get a low level party out of trouble, it's also essential - regardless of level - to include a retinue of hirelings: something that the party takes extra care to do: both in recruiting and in retaining them.

For Further Watching

As indicated, the 0e playlist is prolific, with over 100 episodes available to the general viewer. In addition to this - if you like the cut of the table jib - at the time of this writing, there are 30 additional playlists of different games and different systems - some of which being fewer and some of which matching the scale of the playlist under review.

They are all well-labeled:

...but as of this writing, I have only paid clear attention to the specific playlist linked and listed under review: thus, I cannot speak to the nature of their content. The reader is advised to enjoy as their own taste advocates.

Further - the playlist is long. As I have confessed to point, I have not watched all of the videos: making a judgement based on the ones I have seen along the way - both older ones and new. However, this is - in my estimation - understandable - as the OD&D playlist contains over 100 videos: averaging two hours in length each. And OD&D isn't the only game that is played on the channel! 

While I have not been on board for the whole of the campaign's duration - I have been aware of it for some time: and initially, I had been reluctant to write a review - in part because of the immersiveness of the actual play. They don't, offscreen, roll dice to hire mercenaries; they don't, offscreen, figure out buying/selling - instead, in session, on screen, they visit merchants, taverns, bürgermeisters - and role play the experience. This had been a turn off for me - the game is meant for dungeons! Why aren't they crawling? But in watching - in giving the AP a chance - I realized this is a selling point: not the opposite. This is the way most tables operate - sure, we joke about spending a whole session shopping, knowing full well we can't play again for two weeks: however the exaggeration derives from a real element of gameplay - one that I had, in the era of online gaming, myself forgotten. Starved of time, my own experiences tried to hyper-focus on the mechanics - doing all the "peripheral" activities in other channels prior to the game: "maximizing" the time spent at the table. 

But that's a characteristic of online tabletop; not real life.

By doing these things on screen, by exploring the world personally, Mythic Mountains shows the game as a new player to the OSR might actually experience it, might actually identify with it - if coming into our corner of the hobby from more modern ones. And so while this might have been an "Aspect to Note" in the first draft of this post - under further review, the call is reversed.

Aspects to Note

None of the players play Chaotic characters. This is intentional - the referee wants nothing to do with the inner-party implications nor the in-world implications of Chaotic player characters mucking about in the game campaign. This is - to my own experience - prudent: Chaotic characters tend to be disruptive to party dynamics and more prone to damaging the table experience when in mixed company. While I'm not personally against this style of play - nor against player versus player adversarial interaction - it has to fit the table in order to execute well: and at the Mythic Mountains table, the stage is set against it. 

Contact & Community

In addition to YouTube, Mythic Mountains RPG maintains a presence on FaceBook, X (formerly Twitter), and authors articles and posts related to gaming and gaming experience on Substack.

Further - Mythic Mountains has a small catalog of fantasy adventure gaming material published on Itch.io and DriveThruRPG - which I would normally claim to be the best way to support their endeavors, but the products appear to be mainly free to download - posted and shared for the love of the hobby.

Good on you, Mythic Mountain.

Normally, this is not particularly a noteworthy difference - but it does amount to some degree of Law-mongering: that is, one of the primary motivators for the party, and one that they use to hire hirelings, is the desire to abolish Chaos: which may distract some from the gold-loop associated with typical OSR design. Again - I am not opposed to Law-mongering (I tend to be a Law-monger myself, playing Clerics of course) - but it is something you will encounter during the playlist.

Next - something that usually does get my goat - character voices.

More power to you if you enjoy them - but I don't like character voices. They are not poorly done, they distract me a little, but don't take me out of the moment - and if you are neutral on them, they won't bother you either. It's not professional voice acting - but it's also not intended to be: arguably, this is how use of character voices would work at a home game that a new player might join - so in that sense, it's beneficial: an accurate depiction of the hobby. Thus, again - something of which to be aware.

On a particularly low note - and truthfully, the most stand-out element that one must be conscious about prior to entering in to this playlist... the epic wizard hat worn by the referee.

In character, yes - appropriate to the genre, of course: but man... your cranial attire will never be as epic as this. 

Setting everyone else up for disappointment in their home campaigns, Ross.

In Conclusion

Mythic Mountains RPG's Original Dungeons and Dragons playlist, primarily composed of S&W White Box as the system of choice, is a solid entry into the ever-growing library of OSR actual plays. It encompasses the breadth and width of the ruleset - which encompasses the common experience of OSR tables. S&W is not perfect - namely, S&W emulating the home table of its original author, does not contain elements of domain and overmap conflict - but that's OK. The number of tables at which I have played that incorporated those elements of play over my own experience can be counted on one hand. For that reason, I've personally rated it Chainmail, with Shield. It's a good showcasing of a good game - with pacing, experiences, and assumptions all consistent with actual game experiences.

Delve on, readers.

Solo Dungeon Crawler - LBB Dungeons & Dragons (with Chainmail!)

Play-Cast Name: Solo Dungeon Crawler OD&D Solo Campaign System: Original Dungeons & Dragons Where I Watched: YouTube

Chainmail (Because he's using it!)

Thoughts and Review

Two years ago now - I saw an announcement on X (then Twitter) - that a new solo play for original edition was being broadcast: hosted on YouTube in video. While not an uncommon occurrence - actual plays come and go with some degree of regularity - an uncommon note, one which has since become much more common, was that this new AP was to incorporate Chainmail into its execution! Of course, naturally, I was intrigued.

Solo Dungeon Crawler - our host - introduces himself modestly, if his PayPal tip-jar is to be believed, as Tom Garner from Leeds: a nondescript and inviting informality which aligns well with the atmosphere of a wargaming club - taking time after the "real" gaming is complete to try out this new and different skirmish scale adventure game. After - recognizing his voice - I would find that Tom is also the host of a well-storied Karameikos campaign: one which I had listened to in years past and which, as a solo game, has - in audio format - dozens of episodes spanning several years.

Credibility having been established - I spent the next few months listening live as episodes were released: but only recently had the thought - with 0e and Chainmail again on the wax, to bring attention back to this under-appreciated product.

What I Liked

A Note on Reviewed Content

As of this writing, Solo Dungeon Crawler plays and publishes multiple OD&D content elements: including a second 0e AP, almost a sequel to the first, the Castle of the Quest. The scope of this review is for exclusively the first season: and while the viewer is not discouraged from watching (or listening or otherwise consuming) the second, this review does not speak to the virtues of those other playlists: as the content is different from series to series, though the game (and host) remain the same.

As a long-standing proponent of Chainmail both as a stand-alone game and as an accouterment to your D&D experience, it made me very interested to see an 0e actual play which utilized the Chainmail game. However - like many clones and 0e-analogs (Wight Box and Delving Deeper v4 (or in print) come to mind) - he does not substitute out Chainmail for the combat resolution system: instead, he injects Chainmail where the text indicates Chainmail should be (such as when a monster is listed as behaving "as in Chainmail") or where a rule in the LBBs is absent (such as rules regarding combat initiative, turn sequence, or when and how to roll morale). 

Arguably - unlike my own attempt - this is how 0e was supposed to be played: with, as Tom puts it, the words in the 0e booklets overlaid on top of Chainmail - covering them, supplanting them, in the same way that the changes in Chainmail, itself, regarding Man to Man or Fantasy Combat replace corresponding default rules, as pertaining to mass combat. While I admit to deviating in the sense that I have historically tried to treat the alternative combat system as entirely alternative - leveraging Chainmail instead - the approach mentioned above where 0e is overlaid to replace elements of Chainmail is a better way to introduce people to the original game (three brown books, expressly): it's familiar enough with the d20 and hit points and all that jazz to be comfortable, but foreign enough with universal d6 damage, different hit dice quantities per level, and absent Thief class to appeal on novelty. This is, of course, in addition to his exploration of the rules.

The second point I planned to raise about the Solo Dungeon Crawler OD&D campaign was actually going to be a point of contention on first draft. I consumed this content as it came out - one episode at a time - and as such, I watched this unfold in regular action: the author was learning. He makes mistakes - he makes rulings where rules exist: and while I was watching at the time, I fumed over where his interpretations differed from my own!

But then he adapted. 

Then he changed.

And then he came back and played it by the book where before he did not see the words as written.

He even comes back and talks about the "change ability scores" vs "use ability scores" debate over prime requisite! He does not ret-con previous episodes - which empowers the emerging narrative to continue developing, something appropriate for an actual play: half the appeal of which is to serve as entertainment - but does change the way he plays as he gets better at the rules to adhere to them: experiencing the game as it is written and, to the best of his ability, through eyes uncontaminated by other editions of the game. He is not perfect - some mistakes go uncaught and uncorrected: e.g., a character falling into the water, but not rolling for drowning (which is, interestingly, corrected in his second playlist, Castle of the Quest - linked below); the use of dungeon speed, scale, and procedure in the outdoor environment; etc. - but you the viewer, as you watch his adventure unfold, will learn with him: as a lesson from error often sticks more readily than a lesson from success. So I have since changed my opinion on this: where originally this was a "be wary" point - instead, having waited through the duration of the first series, having watched him evolve: this element of the AP, from my point of view, becomes instead a selling point.

For Further Listening

For listeners whose fancy is tickled by the Solo Dungeon Crawler in their exploration of the recommended LBB fantasy campaign, additional amterial is available for consumption by the same author - and thus, may tickle further fancies, according to taste.
As of this writing, I am aware of the following additional OSR content produced by the Solo Dungeon Crawler:

• Tales of Mystara (Solo BECMI Campaign): Video / Audio
• Castle of the Quest (Allegedly solo LBB Campaign, but wrought with procedure and advice): Video
• Solo Dungeon Crawler Podcast (musings & advice): Video / Audio
• Solo Dungeon Crawler Blog (musings & advice): SoloDungeonCrawler.blogspot.com
• Solo Dungeon Crawler X / Twitter

Note, I have not read, listened, or watched all of these - nor of the ones I have read, listened, or watched, have I finished the whole of avaialble content. As such, I cannot speak to the nature of said content as I have spoken in this review of the OD&D Solo Campaign playlist.

In terms of procedure - in an act absolutely essential to working with the original booklets, sans supplements - he applies procedures and rules in inventive places: rulings, perhaps, but rulings leveraging the rules that the situation calls for. Everyone is familiar with the classic OSR saving throws - "Do I roll for Wands? Or would this be more a Petrification???" - but in a more interesting, inventive example, Tom uses the "does the trap go off" chance-in-six to determine if a given damaged platform gives way. It's not a trap, but it is a hazard - and thus can benefit from the trap rules where no rules exist for a rotting wooden floor. This is a fine trick and a good practice: one which I likewise adopt when the opportunity presents itself.

Lastly, the host takes a great deal of effort to create a retro esthetic. The maps looks like pencil and paper, the audio cracks like an analog recording, and the video has intentional distortions in it akin to aging film. This inspired me in running my own 0e-compatible solo AP, which - despite. being much shorter and in woeful need of a new episode - takes on an analog appeal. 

The attention to artistry in the visual presentation of this AP makes me want to play D&D - namely, it makes me want to play it at a table: ideally, my mom's fold-out table in the basement of our old house: or on the family ping-pong table, net removed, of the buddy in the neighborhood up the way who introduced me to D&D in the first place all those years ago when TSR was still king.

Aspects to Note

One thing of which old school editions are undeniably guilty is their unforgiving challenge. The goal is to produce better players: your first character will not be your last - and as you get better at the game, get better at understanding the table, your characters will survive better. However - in this AP - Tom squeezes the orange a bit hard on this note: intentionally making bad (or at least, sub-optimal) decisions that appear to make the game more difficult than it is. For example, in the creation of characters, he assigns their classes prior to seeing what the other characters' ability ranges are: in one instance in particular, a 16 natural Intelligence - eligible for a 10% XP bonus for a Magic User - is wasted: being used to trade for a 12 Strength - offering no bonus whatsoever - on a Halfling Fighter so as to "represent the full diversity of classes"... with a 12 Strength and 13 Intelligence naturally rolled! For those following at home - to assign the former his Halfling Fighter and the latter to his female Magic User would result in a marginally better Halfling (as at least it would have a bonus language) and a markedly better Magic User. He does the exact same thing with a Cleric character - opting for a quite average Cleric (all abilities between 8 and 12) over a stat range which could be eligible easily for an XP bonus - which he acknowledges, saying "But we already have a Cleric, so..." he trades Wisdom 3 for 1 to make a Dwarf with no bonuses!

While the math has been done - and we know that in LBB D&D, the ability scores don't matter remotely as much as they do in future editions - it's frustrating to see this and other, in-game instances of "in-character" sub-optimal decision making artificially inflate the lethality and hazard of the original edition.

Finally - one other element which might concern a potential viewer - the host was actually severely injured (an outside event which he mentions in an explanation for hiatus), which brought his 0e adventure to an unexpected halt. While he does pick it up again in a subsequent attempt, the original characters, the original party, doesn't survive the jump - a new party, a new story begins. This is totally understandable, based on events - but it does also mean that the story doesn't wrap up as cleanly as some of the storylines in other podcasts, other playlists, and other APs that Tom produces.

In Conclusion

The delivery is a bit disjointed - and the playlist is not as long as some of his other work - but Solo Dungeon Crawler's Solo OD&D Campaign is worth your investment. Tom learns as he goes, incorporates house rules where necessary, but by and large, stays within the RAW - making the learning process valuable to someone looking to get into the original edition.

Further, his exposition on why Chainmail is necessary is the most insightful and most comprehensive argument for Chainmail that I have yet seen - one which I have linked otherwheres many times. For that reason - a bit of tongue in cheek appropriateness - I've rated this playlist as Chainmail as well.

Delve on!

Under a Dark Sun - Eleven Foot Pole

Play-Cast Name: Eleven Foot Pole: Dark Sun Actual Play System: 5e Where I Watched: YouTube Where I Listened: Spotify (Audio Only)

Bone-Mail Bondage Bikini

Thoughts and Review

Eleven Foot Pole is a (now defunct) tale of high adventure run by a Dungeon Master by the name of Glen. Alongside a catchy name, Eleven Foot Pole has two playlists: one, older, playing Dolmenwood; and the other, newer, playing a very unique approach to Dark Sun: specifically, adapting the content of the Wizards of the Coast module, Rime of the Frostmaiden from the frozen reaches of Icewind Dale to the burning sands of Athas. 

Having been partial, myself, to Athas - Dark Sun being the primary example within my own experience of the campaign I never got to play - this caught my attention. Having some idea of what lies within the Icewind Dale from watching Dungeon Musing's Legacy of the Crystal Shard actual play series, the ten towns could theoretically be mapped out and adapted to the city-states of the Sorcerer Kings or to the free places around their periphery.

So, out of curiosity, I gave this a try.

What I Liked

I am always partial to actual plays which utilize physical media. It's a beautiful mixture of the digital and the analog - bringing to life memories of how we use to play before online video streaming was feasible for the technology we had or the bandwidth of our connections at the time. Eleven Foot Pole - in this actual play - utilizes paper minis (a cost effective alternative to painted ones) alongside thematic terrain, set in a light box streamed to the players live as they adventure.

This reminds me of some of the heavyweights I've rated in this series - like Lord Gosumba or Matt Finch - and harkens to an experience I've never been able to pull off: if only for lack of time. It's refreshing to see miniatures on a table, dice in a tray, even if the players are remote and connected via video conferencing. The terrain, theme, and tone of the AP match well to how I imagine Athas - and while watching, I felt like I was almost there.

Further, while I claim at the top that I watched on YouTube, I found this originally as its playlist on Spotify: listening through three episodes in the car while traveling alone for work. Glen and his players kept me company on a long cruise through Georgia - and as someone who will spend a lot of time listening, either in the car or in the gym in the morning, I truly appreciate the extra effort to put up an audio-only edition of the AP: as many people with limited data plans or who don't have time to sit and watch video for hours on end are enabled to participate in the event by it.

Lastly, I appreciate the unapologetic representation of the setting. The different races and species of Dark Sun are present and serving the narrative purpose in the campaign that they were intended to convey in the print material; the relationships between the desert folk and the city folk influence the direction of play, and while the players do banter - that banter does not take away from the experience, the ambiance: the quintessential elements that make Athas, Athas.

Oh - and it's complete. The story, while not wrapped up (the DM had other things come up in life which were priority and has had to take his leave from streaming/recording) - when you get into this AP, you aren't in for endless continual play. If that's something that appeals to you - the bounded nature of the AP: you have about a dozen episodes for this one - which will be sufficient to sate your thirst or perhaps inspirational to dive into the channel's other content.

Aspects to Note

One element of the AP that I found a tad tiresome - it is obvious that the DM is aware of YouTube's algorithm preferences.  There are no soy-jack faces, no tonsil-shots, which I appreciate - but it feels in some places that the game is trying too hard to be a spectacle. It is a home game - and it runs like a home game - but its a home game that is being crafted and run in such a way as to seem entertaining. 

Is there anything wrong with trying to appeal to a mass demographic? No - but if over-reaction, if over-emoting, puts you off, there will be some episodes where you will skip ahead a tad. In particular, the DM will pretend to be adversarial - complaining that the players didn't take enough damage, expressing glee when they are making a bad decision: it's obviously show - it's obviously part of the banter and dynamic of the friends who are sitting around the Zoom/Discord/Skype call: but it is a bit over the top for my personal tastes.

Apart from that... one of the key elements of OSR play is resource management: where combat is an option and often inevitable, it is something to be approached with caution and planning. Don't pick a fight you can't win - and retreat from fights where the cost isn't worth the progress said cost purchases.
Technically unrelated to the AP...
but NGL: I really enjoyed these
comics when they came out. By contrast - in this AP, combat is essential - combat happens every episode, typically, and can take a bulk of said episode to resolve. It's not really the fault of the campaign - per se: but a feature of the system. Because they are playing WotC D&D compared to TSR D&D, the focus of the game is more on skirmishes and exposé of character powers: so as long as they are playing 5e, that's going to be a part of the experience. Which, truth be told - leads us into the main concern that readers of this article will likely have:

The elephant in the room - which I might should have been more conscious of up front - they are playing 5th edition Dungeons & Dragons. 

While there is nothing expressly wrong with 5e, the entire purpose of the OSR was to reject the changes made to the system, and more so to the changes made to the focus of the game that result from the changes to the system, that Wizards of the Coast brings. So in order to truly facilitate Dark Sun, a lot of changes would need to be made either to the system - making it less useful to learn from - or to the setting: making it less authentic to its 1990s roots. Further - recall, AD&D 2nd Edition came out in 1989: Dark Sun, published two years later expressly for the new system. Defining the OSR as being a movement harkening to the Gygaxian tradition - the first 10 years of the game, prior to his ouster from TSR - the system and setting don't really lend a nod to the OSR ethos. Nothing about this playlist is OSR - and although I did enjoy listening through it, to you - the readers of this article - I recognize that posting about it might have been somewhat of a betrayal in terms of the tone of everything else I tend to do.

Why then, if it's not OSR, did you watch it? Well - like I mentioned - the group did have an Old School Essentials playlist set in Dolmenwood: so I assume that the group and DM must have some old school chops - or at least old school tendencies - which might be of use or value when converting 5e players into the old school mindset or of use to add new elements to an OSR game: as Dark Sun, as a world, absolutely could be run with 1st edition.

If they have a Dolmenwood/OSE playlist, why didn't you write a post about that one? Good question, actually.

In Conclusion

Eleven Foot Pole is a home game using a setting I hold in regard, but doesn't necessarily present the old school feel or old school mechanics that would typically appeal to your workaday grognard. The setting and the feel is right - so if you were jonesin' for some edification of Dark Sun and how it would handle in the current edition? This is for you.

As such, I am rating this Bone-Bikini: it's not really an armor class ... because this AP isn't really OSR ... but it's tonally appropriate. And who knows - after an episode or two, maybe you'll let Eleven Foot Pole keep you company for a long drive across Georgia, too.

Delve on!

Solo Adventures with Scutifer Mike

Play-Cast Name: OSE Solo Play, Scutifer_Mike System: Advanced Old School Essentials Where I Watched: YouTube

Chainmail with Shield

Thoughts and Review

What I Liked

First and foremost - lands-a-livin', RULEBOOK!

Among the foremost purposes of the original inclination in writing reviews of actual play presentations like this one was expressly to provide insight on the pedagogic merits of the myriad of actual plays that line video and audio networks alike: and the first thing that stood out to me, even in the first video or two, was the adherence that Mike keeps to the book. 

Is adherence to the book the most important thing about an actual play? About a game? No - however, when you are learning the game (as he was in this video series and as the potential viewer, interested in Old School Essentials or Advanced Old School Essentials coming into the OSR for the first time would be, learning the rules is key to experiencing the genre and experiencing the game in a manner consistent with its design. Further, someone who has never played AOSE or an OSR game (or someone who has played other OSR games and is curious about AOSE) will benefit from a by-the-book presentation of the game in that it will present to them the kind of adventure the game is going to produce as well as illustrate how the mechanics work and feel at the table: informing their decision to pursue or not to pursue the game system based on that illustration. 

For that reason - it is a selling point for actual play productions to adhere to the rules: and on that selling point, Mike deserves triple kudos. Not only does he present the rules, play the rules, present the experience, illustrate the experience, but all the while - he has the book in front of him and cites the actual text by which he is playing. Scutifier Mike has produced a brilliant learning tool - and in so doing, does an immense service to the hobby.

But wouldn't it get boring, if it's just a dude walking through the solo play rules? Not hardly. Mike deserves credit for keeping it interesting - allowing the dice to tell the story - and using the results of the rolls to help inform the emerging narrative. For example, the party meets a group of not-Bullywugs: the reaction rolls are initially positive, but turn against the party in subsequent negotiations. From these rolls, Mike infers that the not-Bullywugs are friends or kin to another group of not-Bullywugs encountered earlier: whom the party had massacred. As some other dice-driven solo-players have done, Mike rolls the dice... then interprets the results: producing a story that is new even to him as he films it. This serves a dual purpose from the perspective of the audience: first, in keeping things interesting; and second, in illustrating for the viewer a perfect example of emergent narrative.

This is not - of course - to state that your planning as the DM is meaningless as the dice make the connections for you in play: but instead an example of something that does come up; that you can do in the referee hot-seat. And moreover, it illustrates for audience members who might have been more familiar with "narrative gaming" meaning that the DM had a plot in mind before for you to follow - that's not how OSR games work: and that it's something to be treasured!

And the game evolves. 

At the beginning (and truly throughout) there is a focus on dungeons and underground exploration: but also, as the party gains more resources, they hire mercenaries: and there is overland combat, mass combat, with faction politics within the hex map driving the interaction. Mike showcases - solo - most elements of the game: including several of those elements which do not make a show in more modern-focused actual plays: the overland adventure and wargame roots.

Lastly - I like that Mike, over these videos, was learning the game.

He makes mistakes, he rolls with the corrections, and he makes fewer mistakes as the game rolls on. This attitude is essential for the learner - and I respect him for putting it out on the air and for the effort he put in to trying to get better at simultaneously playing and running the game. From experience, solo gaming (especially trying to record solo gaming) isn't as easy as it may seem.

Aspects to Note

For folks who are interested - after partaking in this playlist, finding some other videos, maybe checking him on X (formerly Twitter) - you will find he is fallen in with the BrOSR. This is not an endorsement nor condemnation - but if you have a thing against points of debate and rule interpretations that arise in context of BrOSR, you may find deeper diving to be against your taste. Alternatively, the exposition of certain BrOSR-flavored concepts, most immediately 1:1 time, may serve as an anodyne way to get a peak at what the fuss is all about. Admittedly, I almost titled this article "BrOSE" - but didn't want to appear like I was farming clicks.

More personally, Mike can be very ... enthusiastic. It appears to be working - as between when I started writing this review and when I released it, his channel had gained 200 followers - but as an early Millenial / arguably last-second Gen X - the gleeful exuberance can make me occasionally cringe a bit on his behalf. That in mind, I know that I get excited about things and have my own way of expressing them - surely, proverbial "young people" see my presentation, my mode of expressing excitement, and think to themselves, "Damn, Grandpa, who taught you there was a wider internet than Facebook and Nextdoor?" So I won't judge. And honestly, after the first dozen or so episodes, I'd gotten use to it.

More relevantly - however - and more fair to the material - one last thing to note, if you are coming in and learning the game: he uses some supplemental material which many will argue with you is not OSR. In particular, the 5e DMG comes to mind: why use the 5e version when the perfect version is so easily available? However - he does clearly identify what he uses when he uses it - and by whom it is written. So - while some of it may open your eyes to potential utility in additional product - it likewise, on occasion, may expose you to more wide a range than some more purist avenues of the OSR may be.

In Conclusion

Scutifer Mike's solo Advanced Old School Essentials playlist is a great expose on the rules, on the experience, and a testament to the enjoyment you can have playing with yourself. It's not perfect - but that's OK: as it is consistent. You only need to watch a handful of episodes - where there are dozens available - to benefit: making it easy to be off to the races. For that reason, and because I lost the platemail .GIF file for the ratings uploads, I personally rate this playlist Chainmail with Shield. (Does anyone actually pay attention to the rating AC? The actual review may be long - but just seeing the title is how far I figure most folks get into these things.)

But all that aside - Scutifer Mike has done the hobby a service by producing this playlist. I truly believe it is worth the time to invest - and even if you don't have much time to invest in it, the value, the quality of the playlist is consistent: and it will continue to earn returns for your gaming edification the longer you invest in it.

Delve on, readers - and delve on, Mike!

Guerrilla (Miniature) Warfare

Play-Cast Name: Guerrilla Miniature Games Play-List Name: Throwback Thursday: Mordheim System: Mordheim (Games Workshop)

Gambeson Glorious Rainbow Gambeson

Thoughts and Review

Guerrilla Miniature Games is a gaming entertainment conglomerate devoted to the play and exposition of miniature war and skirmish games. Operated by Canadian game designer Ash Barker, the channel is awash with miniature wargaming: including playlists and scheduled content around reviews, actual plays, and hobby - painting, collecting, and related media: games, books, films, and so on - updated on what seems to be a daily cadence. 

I found out about Guerrilla Miniature Games when searching on a whim for actual play videos of Games Workshop's Mordheim: a discontinued skirmish campaign game wherein you take on the role of adventurers hiring a crew of mercenaries and delving into the heart of a ruined city for fame, glory, and most importantly - treasure! This theme should resonate with any classic OSR/TSR gamer - and may likewise with many others - though there is a shortage of actual play content for these old systems. Reviews abound, but play remains elusive.

So, in authoring this review, I wanted to bring to light Guerrilla Miniature Games' Mordheim series - a great playlist with over 70 videos as of this writing to vicariously experience a classic game.

What I Like

When watching wargame replays - the first thing that I don't notice is the terrain. Or, I don't want to notice. I want to think of the terrain as a compliment to the game - an element contributing to individual strategies employed by the participants. You want terrain on the table - but you don't want the artisanship of the terrain to overshadow the game, itself. 

Guerrilla Miniature Games finds the perfect balance.

The terrain used on the channel is appropriate and pretty - but likewise, not so elaborate or over-done such that I could expect the terrain I see at their table to appear at a given hobby shop. It works for the game, it works for the table, and it makes me think back to the days when I was playing the same game, four other tables around me working through their own league confrontations, and answering the occasional question from a young kid who may or may not have mistakenly moved one of my rat-men. And those are good memories to remember.

So, you have... rocks and ruins. Now try me a reason to actually care. Glad you asked! When watching these kind of programs - I look for two things: one, entertainment value (which, to be fair, is subjective); and two, educational value (which largely is not). While I cannot vouch for other playlists - as my interests led me to Mordheim - in the Mordheim playlist, Guerrilla Miniature Games does a phenomenal job in teaching the game. They follow a format - in the first episode of the series, they talk a bit about the rules: and before each match, they talk a bit about the different army lists in use. Further, they expose the rules - highlighting which one they are doing and how it works, if there is any nuance to it, during play. 

Parry - for example - comes to mind: where a character armed with a sword may attempt to thwart an inbound hit.

Orkish animosity comes to mind likewise: where a specific condition applied to and otherwise overpowered (in my humblest of opinions) army list and impacts play, introducing an element of spice to the list.

So if you are aiming to learn the game while still keeping a fast pace at the table, seeing the armies move, how they interact, and how the game operates - this channel is for you.

What Are the Hold-Ups

The strength, however, of the playlist ties in to the weakness of the same playlist for my usual audience. This blog - and its corresponding YouTube and Podcast and other social media - focuses on the OSR: games and gaming which emulate or recreate the experience of the first ten years of D&D: the Gary Epoch - where fantasy adventure meets tabletop wargaming and crashes into personal role-play. In order to truly be OSR, a product must conform to TSR Dungeons & Dragons - and while Games Workshop, the company behind Mordheim, did build wide acclaim as the importer and distributor for Dungeons & Dragons during the Gary Epoch in the United Kingdom, the Mordheim and Warhammer systems are not built to be compatible with the D&D game - representing instead the company's own foray into fantasy: initially in the form of rank-and-flank battles.

With that in mind - Mordheim (and thus the Guerilla Miniatures Games playlist on Mordheim) is not OSR: but I would argue that it carries some elements that translate over. Mordheim brings several elements to the table which will resonate with an OSR RPG campaign:

1. A core of heroes who represent the main protagonist.
2. A squad of henchmen which must be managed.
   
3. A focus on gold at the end of the adventure.
   

For the third point - Mordheim does, by memory, award experience for Wyrdstone (a precious resource sold for gold and the primary reason for warbands to be in the city) acquired: whether that is scenario specific or core, I would have to look up - but at the core of it, gold is how you keep your warband moving. The logistics aspect is abstracted - that is, when playing a campaign, you don't need to feed your troops (where in an OSR game, you would) - but you will need to equip them, replace casualties, upgrade equipment, and perform other administrative concerns tantamount to resource management. What Mordheim can teach you in this regard is a skirmish game mindset - which is how TSR D&D operates.

• The core of heroes - your stable and your player characters - represent the main protagonist.
• Your hirelings and henchmen - bought, paid for, and managed - represent the warband.
• Gold-provisioned XP focuses on treasure at the end of the adventure.
  

So - in that sense - Mordheim can get you into the right mindset: where the battlefield on the screen might be a ruined city, the battlefield in your campaign may be a cramped tunnel in a dungeon. But - if you enjoy (or are curious about) the domain aspect, this game might be a good spark for your interest. 

Lastly - speaking to my own experience of Mordheim - the story is what you make of it. Some players would simply do the upkeep/advancement aspect and keep playing, others would keep campaign journals where they detailed the intents and opinions of the warband chieftains. In this sense - the Guerilla Miniatures Games channel, while it does follow the campaign rules - players come back, warbands make repeat appearances, grow, shrink, win, and lose: some coming back for rematches against one another - it does not weave a story with it. With essentially all OSR actual play channels, there is a central story - either forced by a mediocre DM or emerging from the experiences of an active player base - with this playlist: you need to be here for the game, expressly. 

And that's not necessarily a bad thing. Like I mentioned, some players are there for the game. And if that is the case - if you're looking for a story - you will want to look elsewhere. It's right there in the name: Guerilla Miniatures Gaming is about... guerilla miniatures gaming.

Further Consideration

In terms of the game, itself, Mordheim has sadly been discontinued (though GW appears to have kept Blood Bowl, which is nice) - however, miniatures from any fantasy range can be used (including Age of Sigmar or upcoming Old World miniatures from Games Workshop / Citadel) and a quick internet search can easily uncover PDF versions of the old rules.

In terms of Guerilla Miniatures Gaming - if you enjoy his style and content, there is a plethora of other, similar content available on the over-arching YouTube channel. In addition, they can be found on social media - including a WordPress blog, on Facebook, and on Instragram - as well as operating a Patreon, which - while I am not a member - does have a free tier and does put out content regularly.

Lastly, for folks curious about Mordheim but who do not want to shell out for a dozen miniatures and a hobby shop at which to play, a video game version - Mordheim: City of the Damned - has been released for Windows and console, available on multiple platforms. I have not played the video game version, so I cannot speak to its quality or fidelity, but it did look neat when I watched the preview.

In Conclusion

To conclude, does Mordheim really belong on an OSR review column? Probably not. But as mentioned above - the game has some OSR-compatible elements and brings to the table a real mindset that can get you into the mood for the domain tier of the game. For that reason, I've rated it Gambeson: Glorious Rainbow Gambeson - for the wonderful paint schemes that I remember classic Empire armies having back in the day when I first learned about tabletop wargaming... and for the widely utilized armor that somehow didn't make it into (or, at least not by name in) TSR D&D.

I enjoy Guerilla Miniatures Gaming - and if you enjoy tabletop battles - I think you will too.

Delve on, readers!

Mordheim cover art sourced from BoardGameGeek.com but is property of Games Workshop. Still of Orks vs Reikland taken from Guerilla Miniatures Gaming YouTube, Throwback Thursday: Mordheim playlist, episode 12 (link) and is property of Guerilla Miniatures Gaming. Cover art for Mordheim: City of the Damned - Complete Edition retrieved from the Microsoft Store and is property of Microsoft, Focus Home Interactive, and Games Workshop. All images included and all trademarks referenced are included as under Title 17, Chapter 1, Section 107 as non-commercial review and remain property of their respective owners - Clerics Wear Ringmail makes no claim of ownership nor to rights over them.

The bones! Look at the bones!

Play-Cast Name: Legend of the Bones Where I Listened: Google Podcasts Where It's Available: Podbean: with numerous supported podcatchers. Plus: Blogspot System: B/X | OSE

Plate

Thoughts and Review

Legend of the Bones is a solo-play actual-play audio podcast distributed, it would appear, by Podbean and made available on a plethora of platforms. Our host, Simon Williams, takes us through the struggles of a classic B/X party - exploring adventure sites, overcoming obstacles and adversaries, and traversing the world's wider map.

What I Like

First and foremost - listening even to the introduction of one episode - you'll note the quality of the audio production. Music is infused seamlessly, mixed at a volume so as to compliment rather than distract from the narration and sound effects, and the vocals are crisp and intelligible. The author indicates his objective is to provide a modicum of quality that might pale to compare to that of Tale of the Manticore - another audio solo-play production and one that I've advertised on my own, extremely poorly mixed, podcast - and to that end, I feel the paling has instead tanned into a rich olive. Legend of the Bones is, without doubt, done by an individual with equipment and expertise, one who is investing himself into the production quality, and it shows. Listening through the "session 0" episode, the first of the series, I was taken aback at how good it sounded. Hats off, in that regard. 

Secondly - something Simon stresses at the beginning of each episode - I appreciate the power of the dice in the game. The purpose of dice in any game - fantasy adventure or otherwise - is to introduce an element of chance: to produce a narrative that wouldn't otherwise have arisen as a result of randomization, of injection of failures or avenues that would not have occurred to a storyteller in a non-gaming environment. He does not pull punches - though I would argue, at one point or two, an NPC takes an action that vaguely favors the PCs (but, in that it's a solo play, are all characters player characters? For another time!) - and he allows encounters and an oracle to determine essential questions as they arise. In particular, I noted this in character generation: when he rolled abilities, the character with the high results in prime requisites were assigned classes according to those prime requisites. This is illustrative of a cognitive divide between old and new schools - stressing the original purpose of the ability scores: ability scores determine and reinforce an archetype, but are not the driving factor behind the character in OSR style games. Comparatively, in new school gaming, abilities are infused into every aspect of play: making them far more essential. Because of this divide - new school characters require good stats in order to be most effective: old school characters become more effective as they level - while good stats give them some initial survivability and may help with the leveling process, class and level are primary determinants of success. 

But that's a rant for another day.

This podcast illustrates - in combat, in exploration, in character generation, and everywhere - the importance and effectiveness of dice: that infusion of entropy that turns a role playing fantasy adventure gaming experience into a story worth telling.

Of further note - I appreciate the lack of balance. Challenges are what they are regardless of the party approaching them. The enemies that spawn do not scale with the party: instead present a verisimilitude in their organization and appearance as to reinforce the environment and milieu. This is something I try to do in my own home campaigns - and is something that can occur in dungeons, as well. Reviewing the wandering monster tables provided for dungeoneering - say, in the Moldvay Basic book, on which the podcast is based - while the majority of the monsters are of hit dice appropriate to the level, a great deal of them are not. You may run into something you can, as a group, dispatch easily - alternatively, there are certain encounters that can occur, rules as written, from which a party with half a brain in their heads should flee. This is an important difference - again - for a new school player to learn going into an old school game: one which I appreciate being highlighted (and demonstrated) in the Legend of the Bones actual play.

Lastly - the reason I felt I needed to review this as early in its cycle as it is - the educational value for B/X | OSE as a system is phenomenal. The host plays by the book, by and large, and tells you what he's doing as he does it - for example, as the party moves across the over-map, he specifies that - depending on terrain type - there is a chance to get lost: and when he rolls that they do, he follows through with the procedure and the party loses that day, having gotten themselves turned around. 

There - that's an even extra bonus points educational moment - he illustrates hex crawling! On an audio podcast, no less!

There are house rules in the game - and there are some rules interpretations I disagree with (Simon relies on, for example, the optional roll against ability, Charisma, where I would use a reaction role): but those disagreements are minor and moreover, he specifies - typically on each event, but at least once the first time - where a house rule is applied, how it works, how the RAW rule works by comparison, and (in most cases) provides a link to the Legend of the Bones blog where the house rule, the custom spell, or otherwise deviating procedure can be found, reviewed, and - if you like it - applied to your own game. I respect that - as a consumer of houserules myself - and it provides perspective for a new-to-OSR listener.

Things to Keep in Mind

A bit of a spoiler - but nothing too big...

...the actual play starts with a shipwreck: bringing the party together by necessity as they try to navigate their way out of the situation they're in - finding their bearings, their way, and their plan of action. This is a great way to start the game - but be wary, fledgling DMs, to take heed of the almost immediate provisioning of actual gear and a place to rest.

While this can undermine resource management a bit - in that the party hasn't the ability to plan in advance acquiring said resources - it is conversely a valid test of player skill, working with what they find, working with what they have, etc - but at the end of the day, HP are precious and rest is essential. Thus, the need for a "home base" - at least a temporary one - is a need you'll want to note.

Tried to hide that behind a details panel - but last time I did that, Blogger decided it needed to be open by default... which is weird. Good luck, reader.

Relating to the above - of note - the host does not use the traditional XP for GP loop. The purpose of that loop - which he grazes, but I don't know if it rings the bell - is to reinforce a particular style of play. By focusing on treasure, the game will proceed as a treasure hunting game: prompting creative solutions and courageous explorations in attempt to reach the dangerous, far-away places where that treasure - and thus reward structure - can be found. In Legend of the Bones, the host uses an alternative system of advancement that is based more around "sessions survived" - with a number of episodes being necessary for each character to level. This fits his format - as he doesn't have a big focus on treasure, instead trying to produce a narrative and an intriguing story. However, it's not something that you'll necessarily see in an OSR game and - if you, the aspiring referee - are tempted to change it: be advised as to its original purpose and be aware that, as you change the source of advancement, so also it will change the tone. If you give more XP for fighting - then the players are going to fight more and the campaign will focus on fighting; if you give more XP for     Social Media
Sound interesting so far?

Follow the podcast (@LegendBones) or the podcast's creator (@simonjhwilliams) on Twitter!
  role play - then the players are going to role play and you may find yourself running a town sim rather than a dungeon delver, as the hazards are still there, but the reward is not.

Last thing to note - Simon invests a fair bit in backstory. Each character has a vignette that introduces how they came to the world, how they came to the campaign, and ties them to potential plot hooks later down the line. This is well and good - there's nothing wrong with a brief backstory - but there are also "flashback" instances later where the history of characters are expounded upon. This might be an opportunity for "emergent backstory" - where a character's history is increased and defined more and more as they advance - but I haven't seen evidence of it yet: and that isn't a concept that's really defined, indoctrinated into the OSR experience. I suspect he's doing it to lend depth to the characters - which, again, would be a decision directed at improving the quality of the story in a production intended to tell a good story - but it'll be interesting to see how it handles later on, in the event that the bones decide one of the invested characters are at the end of their rope.

Who knows - the depth may make it all the sweeter, as neither we - the listeners - nor Simon - the host - know who is doomed among them!

In Conclusion

The solo play actual play Legend of the Bones podcast is a gem of a find. It is interesting to listen to, convenient in episode length (roughly one CWR commute each), and mixes mechanics with roleplay in such a way that neither takes control and drowns out the other. It's a great resource for learning how to play, as well, and showcases all of the aspects of the game essential to an OSR play-style: something few actual plays are able to do. For that reason, I rate Legend of the Bones as Plate.

Well done, Simon - and though, as of this writing, you've only got seven episodes, I look forward to however many more you put out between now and the end of the story your bones aim to tell.

Thank you for reading!

Legend of the Bones show logo and Taynemoor regional map are property of Legend of the Bones, retrieved from https://legendofthebones.blogspot.com/ and included (with permission) for the purpose of review under US Code Title 17 Section 107.

The Joy of Chainmail

Play-Cast Name: Chainmail Where I Listened: The Joy of Wargaming Where It's Available: YouTube System: Chainmail

Chainmail

Thoughts and Review

The Joy of Wargaming is a YouTube channel run by one Mr. Wargaming (definitely not by Jon Mollison) which specializes in showcasing different wargames, primarily in the 2mm to 15mm scales, as well as the hobby (painting, assembly, ...) surrounding them. The host is a talented miniature artisan who loves wargaming and loves the hobby around it: both acquisition and implementation of the models and rulesets which they support.

I found The Joy of Wargaming via Wargame Culture (and actually linked to The Joy of Wargaming (hence abbreviated JoW) in an aside panel of my review of Wargame Culture) and as such, while JoW has a dozen playlists that run the gamut of different games (Chainmail, Dragon Rampant, Gaslands, ...) and diverse subjects (streaming conversations, painting, reviews, ...), to cater to my core competency and primary purpose, I am going to focus exclusively on the applicability of JoW's Chainmail videos to running and playing OSR-style campaigns. As always, however - be not contained by my editorial constraints if your interests exceed them. At the end of the day - we're here to game.

What I Like Lots

First and foremost - above all else - I appreciate the focus of the playlist on learning Chainmail. The host presents the game through the lens of someone who is gaining mastery - he starts having never played, reading the rules, and trying to put them to use solo at the table. Then, over each successive video, more rules, more complexity, more elements of the game are introduced: building on the lessons he's mastered in previous episodes. It plays almost literally like an academic class would: starting with the basics and working its way into advanced features, intent to culminate in system mastery. This is extremely conducive to learning: so, someone seeking to learn Chainmail (which, although I don't agree with all of the rulings he makes, that's all good - the important part is fundamentals, and he explains what he's doing and why along the way) would be able to do so very easily through this program. Does  he make mistakes along the way? Yes - he does. But he highlights them, identifies them, and corrects them in subsequent videos: building up his own knowledge,     For Further Watching
In addition to Chainmail battles, of course, Mr. Wargaming runs a plethora of other games - some larger and some smaller in scale. Consider, if you have some time, Fighting Sail.

While not OSR - neither tonally nor mechanically nor intended to be - Fighting Sail is a naval battles wargame which I thoroughly enjoyed watching (maybe from my background in real sailing, maybe from my pent up desire from never getting to field my old Battlefleet Gothic miniatures) but which stood out to me because of its satisfying take on points of sail.

That perennial question regarding having a pirate-themed RPG?

Play Fighting Sail - then zoom in and do  your boarding actions or land-adventures with your preferred role-playing system!inspiring the viewers to verify based on their own experience or understanding in the same breath. Thus - the successes and failures, both, contribute to the educational value of this series.

Second - something that I have experienced and enjoyed in my own wargaming background - the Joy of Wargaming highlights how Chainmail can fit into an ongoing campaign: both from the perspective of a map based wargame and from the perspective of an ongoing tabletop RPG. 

To speak to the use of Chainmail in a map based campaign - the first half dozen videos in the series are learning the game. One off battles that highlight how to make the game work. However, after these have been established, the nature of the videos changes: following instead a crusade on the part of a fictional fantasy polity, the Broman Empire, to retrieve a lost artifact from the orcish wild lands to the north. Over the next handful of videos, the host then follows the campaign - alternating between planning and book-keeping and playing battles - illustrating organically an emergent narrative wherein the Broman forces seek out their long-lost prize. This reminds me of hex or map based games I'd played - Mordheim: I'm looking at you! - where warbands would maneuver around, seize and release objectives, trying to gain the advantage outside the battlefield, before the game was fought: because the worst fight to get into is one that's totally fair. 

This bleeds over into the secondary point - the use of mass combat (specifically Chainmail) in a role playing campaign. Chainmail is not uniquely suitable to one-offs: although there are suggested point values for balancing forces in the booklet, they are essentially optional: if you (the player) send a small force, the referee is under no obligation to match you with a fairly balanced force to oppose; similarly, if you (again, player) send an overwhelming force, the referee is bound to respond according to the ability of the enemy: if they are unable to match you on the field, they either march into failure or must respond with unconventional tactics or otherwise try to find their own advantage. The incorporation of Chainmail battles into an RP campaign - which Joy of Wargaming does: providing proxy resolution to some battles submitted from an AD&D campaign of a friend - promotes domain play: it justifies the 30-300 or 40-400 no. appearing results that appear in some of the monster entries as handle-able by a planning party; and lastly, it allows the characters to graduate: to become something more than themselves - being heroic in their upper levels, but also retaining an element of mortality in that even Conan can be overcome with enough bodies piled upon him.

Finally, I want to cite the host. I like the host. He has a genuine enjoyment for the hobby, he seems to have an enjoyment of involving his audience in the game and spreading the wonderful infection of miniature wargaming to people around him, and he is open and encouraging of people who want to get engaged to get engaged. Admittedly, his humor isn't for everyone - especially certain elements of the hobby who are unable to detect humor targeting talking points about which they, themselves, are passionate - but nothing I have seen as of this writing could be ascribed to malice of forethought. If anything - the host exudes a positive vibe: one which any hobby would benefit from flooding itself with.

What I Like Less

Regarding the intrinsic character of the host - and regarding the infusion of external games into the playlist - The Joy of Wargaming and Mr. Wargaming, himself, falls in with the BroSR: evidenced by his published videos on winning at RPGs. If this bothers you, cool. Simply avoid those videos and focus on the gaming content. The BroSR persona does not bother me. While I admit, I don't ascribe to all of the tenants of gaming presented, his take on "rule zero," for example, for those who follow the Clerics Wear Ringmail podcast, is actually pretty close to the Jason compromise and the actual advice he gives is either solid or at minimum aimed at improving the game you, the viewer, is playing. 

So - again - if it bothers you? Watch the Chainmail stuff and be happy. 

If that is curious to you? Wander out into the wider pool of videos.

Secondly - a more tangible complaint - in the building of community, in the invitation of friends to participate in the campaign, some battles are outsourced - their results reported and incorporated into the book of the campaign. This is great for the community - this is interesting, from the perspective to promote the patron-play concept that is championed by BroSR proponents: illustrating not only that it can, but how it does, work - but in the process, it does mean that not all of the Chainmail games are illustrated or demonstrated to the same extent as the in-house videos and also that some battles are run in systems other than Chainmail. In terms of following the campaign as a story - this detracts none: the host will argue, and I will agree, that it introduces an element of uncertainty, an element of change, that affects the narrative in ways that aren't something a lone referee will accomplish. However, it does mean we, as the potential learners of Chainmail, are one video shy in each case when attempting to accomplish our goal. 

That said - fortunately for us, the audience - the benefit of the other videos is sufficient to teach how to play: such that, later on in the series, when the focus is more about the campaign, managing the campaign, and the story that has emerged, we've learned the game fairly well and become engrossed in the actual happenings. Additionally, another benefit of the community aspect: Mr. Wargaming, who is a larger channel by comparison to most of the channels I've seen using Chainmail, is consistently involving other channels, other creators, and as such: we who may not have been exposed to those creators, those personalities, otherwise are exposed to them - serving to broaden our horizons, so long as our horizons are looking for expansion.

In Conclusion

To conclude, I would rate the Joy of Wargaming: Chainmail as Chainmail - because that's what he's playing in the playlist I'm talking about! Ha! That joke hasn't gotten old yet.

But in seriousness - if you want to expand your knowledge of the Chainmail game and if you want to consider introducing mass battles as an element of domain management into your home TTRPG campaign, The Joy of Wargaming channel is a great place to start. The videos are accessible, the content is entertaining and edifying, and I personally look forward to each new episode - even some of those episodes which showcase games that I don't own.

So C-Dubs: are you going to be doing any more actual role-play reviews any time soon? Yes. I'll do an OSE one next time. I promise. 

Delve on readers - and thanks for reading!