The Podcast Junkie - Week of 01/12/2015

Ohiohammer – Episode 67

This episode begins with hobby updates and a brief discussion about the newest Hobbit movie.  I personally thought the movie was pretty good, but could have been a little shorter as I started to get battle fatigue from all of the epic scenes.  The shows discussion of the movie was lite on details, but I appreciate them doing that to avoid spoilers (though Andrew makes a good point that the book is 40+ years old).

The main topic of the episode was their review of End Times: Glottkin.  I must say this review was leaps ahead of what the show did with their review of End Times: Nagash.  Their review of the fluff was detailed without being ridiculously drawn out.  I also felt that it helped that this episode was recorded after they had started to read End Times: Khaine as they avoided some mistakes in the fluff that I noticed in the Nagash review. 

The Podcast Junkie - Week of 01/05/2015

The 11^th Company 40K Podcast – Episode 215

The episode opens with a review of some of the recent dataslates that were released in White Dwarf.  I felt like the reduced cast for this episode really helped with the review as it seemed more focused.  The first segment also contained some discussion about what they are expecting with the next Necron codex.  On a personal level, I really enjoyed the part about pariahs.  I still have fond memories of using them in 3^rd edition to scare an opponent’s army off the board at Adepticon.

The next segment was an interview with Steve, owner of the Miniature Market.  At first, I felt the interview was insightful on how the relationship between retailer and GW works.  That said, as it progressed, the interview became a series of complaints about the company.  I get that GW is notorious for their business practices, but this interview came off as bitter and unenjoyable. 

When it came to the listener email segment, the discussion about reviewing bad units stood out the most to me.  I don’t know if I share the show’s opinion that a review cannot be honest and still maintain an air of positivity.  It seems to me that a good review can point out potential uses while still presenting a case for why there are better options. 

The Podcast Junkie - Week of 12/29/2014

The dreaded week between Christmas and New Years tends to be a barren wasteland when it comes to new podcast episodes.  Fortunately, there were a couple new ones released this week that I found quite enjoyable.


Ohiohammer - Episode 66

Once the episode moves past talk about college football, the discussion turns into an informative talk about the limited nature of the End Times books and their thoughts about using iBook/ebooks. I felt this was a great topic and really gave some helpful insight into the experience of using digital books.

The episode next shifts into a discussion about End Times: Khaine. A lot of what was expressed in this segment was reflective of what can be read across forums and twitter. I did find myself disliking the term garage-gamer that was batted around as it felt at times like they were implying a different class of gamer from those that frequent the tournaments. Overall, it was a decent discussion on the topic, but not one that I felt gave me knew insight into the End Times.

The hobby section of the episode was good as always. I really liked the talk about the show’s plans for the Adepticon WFB Team Tournament. It is an interesting theme that ties into some personal motivation for the host. It is a great idea and one that I plan on checking out at Adepticon.

As a side note, I really did like the short discussion about smoking and their experience of trying to quit it. It felt like a very honest moment between the show and its audience. The trials of the host and his health problems were a very interesting conversation that helped to remind us that there is more to life than Warhammer.

The main topic of the show was their review of 2014. The first half of the topic was their worst of review for 2014.  It was a decent mix of personal disappointments and general thoughts on what happened in the overall hobby. Of particular note, I agree with the rant about the digital magic cards and the inflated price. I may just need to bleep this review because of that particular topic.  I must also say that I loved the first part of Andrew's number 1 worst of for 2014.  I couldn't agree more with his comments about the nerd rage against the End Times.

As for the best of portion of the segment, I kind of felt that it was flat and not as interesting.  Again it was the same mix of personal triumphs and happenings in the hobby, but it just lacked something.  It may be that their choices didn't resonate with me in the same way as the first portion.  Overall it was a good listen, but not the highlight of the episode.



Forge the Narrative - Episode 77

While I wish Obama would use an executive order to remove Tasty Taste from the internet, his presence on this episode was not a distraction.   The opening discussion about formations and the rules around them was very helpful in understanding how they function within the game.  I also found the talk about Dante to be a fun one as it took me down memory lane a bit while talking about his role in the current game.  Lastly, the discussion about an army rental service was hilarious.

Beware the Dream Crusher formation… 


 

The Podcast Junkie - Week of 12/22/2014

The Heroic 28s Podcast – Episode 107
The focus of this episode is the Heroic 28s review of the Dark Eldar codex. There was a decent amount of detail and thought into each unit, but the overall review seemed to lack the energy of prior episodes. What makes this episode interesting is that the lack of energy is explained at the end of it. Needless to say, 2015 will be a very interesting year based on the announcement at the end.

The Southern State of 40K – Episode 31
There has been a lot of talk around the recent changes to base sizes in 40K, but this was the first discussion I have heard that was a well thought out view on the topic. This episode also does a great job of sharing the hosts’ love of the Imperial Guard.

Super Hero Speak – Episode 85
One of the fun things about podcasts in December is to hear the various year-in-reviews that each one does. One of the things that stood out to me in this episode was their talk about this season’s Doctor Who and the new doctor. I found it very entertaining to hear them refer to him as “Angry Eyes” and really found myself agreeing with many of their opinions about the show.

As for their usual discussion about all things Marvel and DC, this episode was very balanced when it came to talking about the two “factions” in the comic book industry. I was a bit surprised by their thoughts on Agents of Shield as I personally have not been enjoying this season. On the flip side, I totally agree with them when it comes to the Flash. Again, if you are looking for a non-GW podcast to enjoy, you cannot go wrong with SHS.

Preferred Enemies – Episode 90
This episode begins with the show venting about the limited nature of recent book releases like End Times: Glottkin and Shield of Baal: Leviathan. It was a very balanced discussion that got across the one host’s frustration with the situation while not becoming a diatribe against GW. This episode also dives into the change in base size, doing a similar job to the guys from SS40K when talking about the subject. When it came to reviewing the Shield of Baal: Leviathan and Shield of Baal: Deathstorm, the review was handled well.

The Podcast Junkie - Week of 12/15/2014

I recently decided to bring back an old article series that I did on my personal blog. The idea of the series was to provide brief reviews of podcasts that I had listen to in the last week. Since this is the first article in the new series, some of the episodes reviewed were released a little further back than last week.

T3 the Warhammer Podcast – Episode 6
This episode begins with a breakdown of the podcast’s experience at the North Star tournament in Minnesota this past year. During the discussion, they covered their experience at the event and provided a decent critique of the venue and system.

After recapping the North Star, they gave a review of the new Glottkin book. I felt this part of the episode was a bit biased against special characters and the End Times in general. It was an engaging conversation, but I would have preferred hearing one that was a little more balanced.

Overall, I felt it was a good show that has some room to grow. It had a regional feel to it with all of the references to Midwest events. This tends to be a mix bag as I enjoy hearing how the game varies based on location, but I also found the self-promotion of their gaming group a little annoying at times.

Signals from the Frontline – Episode 299
While I admit to listen to SftF on a regular basis, I find most episodes to be nothing more than a commercial for whatever Frontline Gaming is trying to sell at the moment. Episode 299 is no different, as the hosts (Reece & company) pretty much blast threw a few topics. If you are looking for a recap of the latest releases and rumors, this is a decent choice. If you are looking for in-depth discussion about 40K and the scene, I wouldn’t prioritize this episode.

The Heroic 28s – Episode 106
On the other end of the spectrum is the Heroic 28s, episode 106. This episode delivers a fantastic review of the Space Wolves codex while also providing a high level of entertainment. What I appreciated most with this review was that involved a couple of players who clearly had a love for the army but could also be honest with highs and lows of the new book. Of the 40K related podcasts I listened to this last week, this is the one I would most recommend.

Ohiohammer – Episode 65
I am not quite sure what to think about episode 65 as it is the second part of their review of End Times: Nagash. A lot of the discussion felt dated and conflicted with stuff we already know about in terms of the fluff and future ET books. Overall, the episode was reflective of the usual quality of the show; I just didn’t enjoy the content because of its age.

Super Hero Speak – Episode 84
This podcast has nothing to do with the Games Workshop hobby. That said, I loved listening to their banter about the latest in DC and Marvel television and movie news. If you are tired of hearing about WFB or 40K, I would recommend giving this episode a listen.

If you would like for me to start listening to your podcast, please drop me an email at unstabledice@gmail.com