This Week in 40K Podcasting – 05/23/2014 – 05/29/2014

Welcome to another installment of “This Week in 40K Podcasting,”  Here is this week’s top 5!

Preferred Enemies – Episode 77 ***Explicit***

Highlights:  This week the boys have the 7^th Edition Rulebook in hand and are sitting down to review the new rules for everyone!  They kicked off the show with the production value of the book, the look and feel of the books, the art, the color, and much more.  They then moved on to some of the specific rules changes, such as how Flying Monstrous Creatures work now, how the USRs have been tweaked, Strength D weapons getting toned down, and more.  They moved on to each phase of the games, with movement the only tweak being 6” vertical coherency and then it was on to the whole new Psychic phase!  They go into all of the details on how to generate warp charges and how ‘Deny the Witch’ now works.  They also ask the question ‘is this unbalanced system right out of the gate?’  They also talked about how the Psychic powers have changed and how they work in the new phase.  They summed up some of the changes to the assault phase, including charging a vehicle you cannot damage and difficult terrain’s effects on assault.  They moved on to talk about the unit types and rules, such as how the Jinx Save works, Walkers now have ‘Hammer of Wrath’, Grounding tests for FMCs, and more.  They then talked about the changes to the vehicles rules like how the Vehicle Damage chart has changed and how flamer templates wound passengers in an open-top transport.  They then moved on to discussed some of the changes to terrain, such as ‘Area Terrain’ being removed from the rules and mysterious terrain is now gone away.   Then it was on to the ‘Choosing Your Army’ and how this has really changed, including ‘Unbound’, and ‘Battle Forged’ and more clarifications on what ‘Battle-Forged’ armies are and how detachments and formations now work.  Next, it was on to the new Allies Matrix and how it has changed, how Battle Brother has changes, and how ‘Come the Apocalypse’ is very different, how the Warlord Traits have been tweaked, Night Fighting selection, and the new Tactical Objectives and how they will affect the game with the old Missions.  They then go through and pick out some of the most interesting changes they have seen in the book, like Precise Shot on character, and the Terrain Kit special rules.  They closed out the show with the final thoughts on the book and the new edition.  

Opinion:  Well 40K Podcast fans, prepare for the avalanche of 7^th Edition shows over the next few weeks.  This week the top of the heap for me was clearly this show.  The guys broke down every facet of the game, making sure to hit all of the big changes and some of the more subtle ones.  I found it to be quite comprehensive and complete and I highly recommend it.  If you are looking for your first taste of new 7^th Edition info, check here out first!  Great show guys! 

Jaded Gamercast – Episode 177 ***Explicit***

Highlights:  This week the boys are joined by a special guest, Ciaran from the Overlords podcast, and they are discussing the release of 7^th Edition!  Ciaran started off with an introduction on himself and the Overlords podcast before the boys moved on to what they have been up to lately in gaming and the hobby.  They lead into their review of 7^th Edition with the question of ‘why did I have to buy a catalog to get the rules?’  They moved on to their gut reaction to 7^thEdition, mostly this could have easily been an FAQ/Errata as opposed to a new rulebook and they most and least favorite changes to the game.  The glanced over the Movement Phase moved on to discuss the new Psychic Phase and how it works and if it is completely unbalanced or not?  They moved on to the Shooting Phase and some of the subtle changes found there, including the new wound pool.  They then moved on to the Assault Phase and the few tweaks found here, including charging through cover, changes to Challenges, and how wounds can spill over on both sides.  They also covered other adjustments in the rules like changes to Flying Monstrous Creatures, the changes to the Vehicle Damage Chart, and the new Warlord Traits.  Then it was on to the next big change to the game, ‘Unbound and Battle-Forged’ armies and how the new detachments system works.  They also discussed the new missions and how this adds so much to the game.  They then moved on to the new Allies Matrix and how they changed the rules for ‘Come the Apocalypse’.  They closed out the show with their final thoughts on this new rule set and what they are really looking forward to seeing on the table. 

Opinion:  Coming in with a very close second on the 7^th Edition coverage is a personal favorite show for me!  Nathan and Lange are great and hearing from Ciaran was a real treat as well, as he really does have a great tactical mind and I value his opinion.  The guys do a great job of looking at this new book and finding some of the gaping holes rather early.  I am happy to hear that this new edition has drummed up some interest for the guys and hopefully they’ll get to more 40K gaming!  Great job guys!

Forge the Narrative – Episode 53

Highlights:  7th Edition is here and the boys sit down with the new book and discuss all of the big changes.  They kicked off the show with discussion about live broadcast they did on release day of 7^th Edition.  They moved on to their review of the new books and the high level of quality they are.  They moved on to discuss what rumors had been debunked and how this is really an update to 6^th rather than a 7^th Edition. They then moved on to discuss some of their favorite rules ‘fixes’, including the rules for blast and barrage weapons in ruins which has been removed and how the rules that define cover have changed. They talked a little about how important terrain is now in the game and Stronghold Assault/Escalation being part of the main rules.  They then moved on to Army List deign and how it will change under 7^th Edition.  This included how ICs can join units, the Combined Arms rules and how they work, and how this mixes up our thoughts on detachments.  They moved on to talk a little about ‘Unbound’ Armies and how they work.  Next, they discuss the new Psychic Phase, the new Psychic powers, and their thoughts about its effects on the game.  They then discussed which lists have been broken up thanks to 7^th Edition and which lists will still be viable in the new edition.  They also looked at some of the statistically odds of getting some of these powers off in the new Psychic Phase. 

Opinion:  Next up in a solid third was the FTN podcast.  Overall this was a pretty good show; they hit on a lot of the key changes and speculated on how things will play out in the competitive community.  I usually find that this show is often off topic and meanders its way through the show hitting on whatever comes to mind at that moment, but this one did a pretty good job of staying on target.  I am really looking forward to their thoughts over the next few shows to see how they are receiving this new edition. 

The Heroic 28s – Episode 95

Highlights:  This week the boys are fresh back from the Alamo GT and talking about 7^th Edition!  They kicked off the show with some news about the new website and some announcements.  They moved on to talk about what they have been doing lately in gaming and the hobby.  Next, the boys discussed their recent experiences at the Alamo GT!  They started off by discussing the lists that they brought and the lead up to and preparations for the event, which included what they did at the event prior to rolling dice.  Next, the guys talked about their games, giving some brief descriptions of their games and their results for each round.  This included quite a few tales of the great beer available there and just the good times had by all!  Then, the guys took a quick look at the new 7^thEdition of the game and their first impressions.  They started off with the costs and layout of the three new books and their thoughts on this format and how much they liked each of the three books.  They then moved on to discuss some of the rules changes and their initial reactions to them, which included rules being written a bit more clearly, however outside of the new psychic phase, this edition seems like more of the same.  They then moved on to things like the newly defined phases of the game, how supporting the competitive community is good for a company, and more.  They then highlighted the Psychic Phase and how it works and what has changed, including the change to Force Weapons, Powers, the new phase and more.  They closed out the show with what is standing out about 7^th Edition so far to them. 

Opinion:  This show really was a nice shift from all of the 7^th Edition talk for a better part of their show.  I really appreciated their coverage of the Alamo GT, it sounded like a really good time and it sounds like Chumby and I need to hang out at an X-Wing event sometime soon!  They boys did scrape the surface of 7^thEdition and I am looking forward to hearing what they have to say after some time to absorb the material.  Good show guys!

Screaming Heretic – Episode 64 ***Explicit***

Highlights:  This week the cast is joined by James to help them celebrate their three year anniversary!  They kicked off the show with what they have been up to lately in gaming and the hobby.  This included some ‘other games’ being played and painted, and some reading of the 7^th Edition rules.  They then moved on to talk about a ton of new releases, from Forgeworld, Black Library, third party, GW, and much, much more.  They moved on to discuss the swirling Ork rumors and what they are hoping to see with that new release.  Next, on ‘Girl on Gaming’ Jen discussed some new and exciting Kickstarters that are out there, including Arcane Factories and Wargamers Consortium, and their coverage of an Anime Convention.  Then, Larry was back with another ‘Models Workshop’ and this week he discussed Sable brushes and why these fur brushes are hard to find right now.  Next, Jen had an interview with Justin Tan from Arcane Factories and they discussed his Kickstarter and how they are making and designing their miniatures.  Next, the guys sit down to discuss how to ‘Run a Narrative Campaign’.  They gave some tips on the critical factors of a successful campaign, such as having a dedicated story teller, allowing for multiple outcomes, adjusting points or fortifications, updates/news letters to keep players updated, and much more.  They then did a quick review of the new missions/mission cards, how they are used and their thoughts on them. 

Opinion:  Wait, what?  A show NOT about 7^th Edition!  Yep, and thankfully so!  This week Joe and the crew chimed in with a really nice shift from what everyone else is doing.  I do wish that they would post some of those pics from that Con, it sounded like a blast.  And the interview with Justin Tan was really interesting.  It amazes me who is breaking into our little niche corner of the hobby world.  The topic on running campaigns is always a crowd pleaser as well.  Great show guys, thanks!

Honorable Mentions– All great podcasts that just missed this cut this week, but you should still check them out, in no particular order:

Signals from the Frontline ***Explicit*** 7^th Edition First Thoughts!

Wolfkin Podcast – Episode 11  Review of 7^th Edition

The 2nd Wave – Episode 15 Review of 7^th Edition: Part 1

Masters of the Forge – Episode 4  Review of Enslavers, Ork Kommandos, and Cultist Infiltrators! 

Boltgun Battle Brothers A Quick first look at 7^th

Trapped in the Basement – Episode 23  6^th Edition to 7^thand what’s new?

X-Wing Podcasts – And if you’re looking for a few good X-Wing Podcasts, please check these guys out!

The Kessel Run Brought you by the Heroic 28s!

Scum and Villainy  The Team Covenant X-Wing Podcast

The X-Wing Podcast ***Explicit*** Ben Curry & Ben Johnson’s UK Show