Podcasts about heavy infantry

At Gen Con this year, we kicked off Ascension's 15-year anniversary celebration. I had the chance to meet so many fans who have been part of this community for over a decade; the experience was both humbling and rewarding.We just launched the Gamefound Campaign for the Ascension 15th Anniversary Collector's Edition and I've been reflecting on the incredible journey that brought us here. What began as a casual prototype I created to play with friends between rounds of Magic tournaments has grown into a game that connects millions of players around the world.Here are the five most important lessons I've learned, each has transformed Ascension from a prototype to a global phenomenon.Lesson 1: Prototype and Iterate FastWhen I first started working on Ascension, I never expected it to become the success it is today. It was 2009, and I had just quit my job to start my own game company. The funny thing about starting a company is that until you're making money and collaborating with others, the difference between “CEO/Game Designer” and “guy sitting on his couch” is mostly a matter of attitude.At the time, I had spent over a hundred hours playing the deckbuilding game Dominion. This game pioneered the genre, offering the fun of deckbuilding without the hassle of collecting cards. As a Magic: The Gathering Pro, I loved that it delivered the joy of constructing a deck without buying packs or managing a collection. Eventually, however, the game became predictable. Because each setup of available cards was fixed from the start, I rarely needed to change my strategy. I also found that the game took too long to set up, impacting the ratio of fun to busy work in a way I thought could be improved.The secret to creating Ascension was simple: remove the things from Dominion that get in the way of fun.My first prototype was literally just a shuffled pile of Dominion cards, which instantly cut 20 minutes off setup time. Mind you, this prototype wasn't good, but it gave me a quick sense of how the gameplay might feel, and I could see a spark of something great there. My next prototype was nothing more than sharpie scribbles on blank cards. Since my prototypes were quick and ugly, I had no problem throwing them out and making rapid changes. That freedom allowed Ascension to go from idea to store shelves in under 18 months.The lesson: Your first prototype should be so ugly you're embarrassed to show it to anyone. That embarrassment is freedom—freedom to fail fast, change everything, and find the fun without falling in love with your first ideas.Lesson 2: When in Doubt, Cut it outMost new designers try to solve problems by adding things to their games. The correct answer is almost always to cut instead.Ascension started by cutting Dominion's purchase and play restrictions. This streamlined the game and gave players more choices each turn, but also required me to add a second resource [power] to keep tension high. This change was just the start, the biggest cut came much later in development.Ascension's signature innovation was the ever changing center row, which dramatically increased the variety in each game. At the same time, this mechanic also created the risk of a stalled board state, meaning that if players weren't able to buy anything from the center, nothing would change and the game would drag on. My original solution was a “conveyor belt” mechanic, where, at the end of each turn, the rightmost card was banished and everything slid down. This guaranteed movement and created tension as cards neared the edge.The problem was that players kept forgetting to slide the cards down. Every. Single. Game.I tried everything: special cards that interacted with the conveyor belt, giant reminder text on the board, entire mechanics to make sliding feel essential. Nothing worked. Then one playtester asked the question that should have been obvious but I was blind to: "What if we just cut that rule?"We shuffled up, played without it, and never looked back. The game was cleaner, faster, and more fun. Did the board stall occasionally? Yes, but we could mitigate that by subtly adjusting card costs and adding banish effects players could buy when needed. In this case, the conveyor belt cure was far worse than the occasional stalled board disease.The lesson: Every mechanic costs mental energy. When facing a design challenge, always ask first: "What can I eliminate to solve this problem?" Remember, "dead now" doesn't mean "dead forever." Cut mechanics make great expansion content later.Lesson 3: Perfect Your Pitch Through RepetitionEvery game needs a killer hook, and the only way to find it is through repetition. Brutal, exhausting repetition.I learned this the hard way at my first Gen Con booth, where we sold the first copies of Ascension 15 years ago. Over the course of the show, you pitch the game a hundred times. You refine, adjust, and figure out what works. By the end, I could pitch and demo Ascension in my sleep. I knew exactly how to get someone hooked, and the moment I no longer needed to be there (for Ascension, it's usually turn three, when players start seeing the new cards they purchased and get excited about improving their decks).Whenever possible, use things your audience already knows as a reference, combine two familiar concepts, or give a twist to something they've seen before. You need to get information about your target audience and customize the pitch to them. Once they're hooked, you can guide them into a demo and, hopefully, into buying the game and sharing it with friends.In 2010, if I knew my audience played Magic, my go-to pitch was:“Imagine all the fun of drafting card packs in Magic, all with just one lifetime purchase.”If they were familiar with Dominion, an effective pitch was:“Ascension is like Dominion, but with a fun fantasy theme and you can play an entire game in the time it takes to set up a game of Dominion.”If they weren't familiar with either game category, I would usually start with a more theme forward pitch:“Ascension is a 30 minute card game where you recruit mighty heroes and weapons to defeat monsters and earn honor.”At first, pitching this way feels awkward. You have to train yourself to read the audience, adapt, and take feedback from their reactions. The best games also make it easy for players to teach friends, and those people become your best marketers. The more you practice pitching and running live demos, the more it will shape your design choices, helping you create games that are not only fun to play, but also fun to learn and teach.The lesson: Practice pitching your game early and often. Alex Yeager's 2-2-2 demo framework is a fantastic tool for game designers (you can hear more about it on my podcast with Alex here). Whether you need a two-sentence pitch, a two-minute overview, or a two-player demo, tailoring the level of detail to your audience is key. This approach prevents overwhelming your audience with too much information at once while still providing a clear and concise introduction to your game.Lesson 4: Know Your Core Tension and Protect ItEvery great game revolves around one central tension that hooks players.* In Uno, you're trying to empty your hand without unlocking your opponents' cards.* In chess, you protect your king while threatening your opponent's king.* In poker, you want to win the pot but must risk chips without knowing what others hold.* In Magic: The Gathering, the one-land-per-turn restriction forces agonizing tradeoffs about which spells to cast.For Ascension, the core tension is this: adapting to an ever-changing market while your opponents threaten to snatch the exact cards you need.The game sings when there are multiple exciting cards supporting your strategy, but your opponent might grab them first. Every choice matters because the board state is temporary. Purchasing a Mechana construct early makes each successive mechana construct better, but if your opponent cuts you off from the cards you need then your strategy could fall apart.Understanding this core tension has guided 15 years of expansions. Every new mechanic is built to enhance this central dynamic, but never replace it. Our newest expansion, Ascension Legends, turns faction choice into a higher-stakes decision than ever with the Legendary Track system. As you climb each faction's track, you unlock powerful bonuses. Suddenly, that “meh” Lifebound hero becomes essential because it pushes you toward a game-breaking legendary power. Multi-faction cards become contested treasures. The tension ratchets up, but the heart of Ascension remains intact.In the 15th anniversary campaign, I've designed an entirely new card type that impacts every game called Chronicles. Chronicle cards were an interesting challenge to design, because I wanted to make something that honored Ascension's history, impacts every game, and could work with whatever expansion(s) you chose to play it with. But I've always believed constraints breed creativity and these constraints were no exception. There are 17 Chronicle cards available in this campaign. At the start of the game, you can select any two of them and set them beside the center row. Each one adds a new game rule or unique cards to the game. Each of these 17 cards was designed to highlight one of our previous expansions and compress its impact on the core tension into a single effect. Because they are promos and players can opt in to which ones they want to play with, I also felt more free to make more powerful abilities that I would never put into a normal set. For example, one card representing Darkness Unleashed, where we first introduced transforming cards, adds the rule: “At the start of the game, each player removes one Apprentice and one Militia from their Starting Deck and Transforms them into one Mystic and one Heavy Infantry.” These cards are a great way to radically shake up the game and have some fun reevaluating old cards and strategies in the light of new mechanics. You can learn more about the new card type in our update here.The lesson: Identify your game's core tension in one or two sentences. Write it down. Frame it. Before adding any new mechanic, ask: "Does this enhance or dilute our core?" As your game inevitably grows more complex, staying true to its core ensures it evolves in the right direction.Think Like A Game Designer is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Lesson 5: Create Space for Community and ConnectionAt GenCon, a father approached me with his 11-year-old daughter in tow."I just wanted to thank you," he said. "Ascension has become our special thing. We play together almost every night, and it's given us this amazing way to connect."His daughter beamed and jumped into the conversation, eager to tell me about her favorite faction (lifebound) and the strategies she'd discovered.What struck me wasn't just their enthusiasm—it was the math. She wasn't even born when Ascension first released in 2010. Yet here she was, fifteen years later, experiencing the same joy of discovery that's captivated players from day one. That's when I realized we hadn't just created a game—we'd built something that bridges generations.From the beginning, Ascension was deliberately designed to feel less confrontational than other strategy games. You're not attacking other players—you're all racing toward your own goals while your opponent does the same. Only the shared center row and occasional monster effect encourage direct competition.This makes Ascension approachable to partners, friends, and family members who might be intimidated by more aggressive games. I've heard from hundreds of players who say Ascension was their entry point into tabletop gaming. Even the partner of a hardcore gamer can enjoy Ascension because even when you lose, you still get to build something cool and feel progression throughout the game.This design philosophy has created a community where parents can genuinely enjoy playing with their children, where couples can bond over evening games, and where someone whose only card game experience is Uno can sit down and have fun within minutes. The rules are simple enough to teach quickly, but the strategy is deep enough to reward returning players.The secret to lasting community is making everyone feel welcome at the table. Even competitive card games like Magic have benefited enormously from more social formats like Commander which allow new players to enjoy the experience without as much direct conflict. Even for SolForge Fusion, the game I co-created with Richard Garfield as a very competitive game, we created a campaign mode and storyline tournaments that make players allies against a common cause, helping them root for each other and take on challenges that are less directly antagonistic with other players.The lesson: Your game's community will outlive any individual player if you design it to include rather than exclude, to welcome rather than intimidate, and to create shared positive experiences rather than zero-sum conflicts. Think about how your design allows players of different skill levels to enjoy the journey together. The best victories are the ones you can celebrate with the person across the table, not at their expense.Fifteen years ago, I was just a guy on a couch with a dream and a Sharpie. Today, Ascension connects hundreds of thousands of players across the world—parents and children, partners and friends, veterans and newcomers. As we launch our 15th anniversary campaign on Gamefound, featuring exclusive anniversary editions and the brand-new designs, I'm not just grateful for the game we've built. I'm grateful for the community you've helped us create.I am beyond grateful for the community that has supported the last 15 years, and I can't wait to continue to grow together over the next 15!Join our 15th anniversary celebration at Gamefound and get exclusive anniversary rewards available nowhere else.— Justin Gary This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit justingarydesign.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome back to TACTICAL AWARENESS - a Canadian Podcast about Corvus Belli's landmark Sci-Fi Wargame; Infinity N5. Come along with our hosts Ash, Owen and Dan for a whole new ITS Edition of Infinity! Want to mix and match medium-awesome Heavy Infantry to your heart's content? The State Empire has the faction for you! The Invincible Army allows for a ton of customization in forces with a huge array of 2 Vita options in this Heroes to Zeros!Owen'sgMwPaW52aW5jaWJsZS1hcm15ByBNb3dpbmeBLAEBAQAKAITcAQQAAITmAQUAAITmAQMAAICDAQcAAH8BAgAAhN4BBAAAgKIBBAAAfwECAACE3gEEAACE3AECAAAshgMwPaW52aW5jaWJsZS1hcm15CE4gQyBVaE9ogSwCAQEACACE3AEEAACGPwEBAACAgwEFAACF2QECAACE5gEGAACE5gEGAACAjgEBAACAjgEBAAIBAAUAhPsBBAAAgKIBAQAAgKIBAQAAgIkBAQAAgKEBAQADangMwPaW52aW5jaWJsZS1hcm15EXlhbiBodW9zIGFyZSBiYWNrgSwCAQEACgCAgAEDAACAogEEAACAlgELAAB%2FAQsAAICAAQQAAIcxAQQAAIcxAQMAAITcAQYAAICOAQEAAICOAQEAAgEABQGGAwEBAAB8AQEAAHwBBgAAgKIBAQAAMgECAA%3D%3DListener Mailbag: ⁠https://docs.google.com/document/d/1sZBGrL7XqK03lyU5bunLkIMDMPce4GnI0278hi3PeRI/edit⁠ Join us on Discord HERE: ⁠⁠https://discord.gg/5hndYxvpTuAdd us to your favourite Podcasting App using the RSS Feed: ⁠⁠https://anchor.fm/s/cfa52998/podcast/rss⁠⁠ Music "Built to Last" by NEFFEX used via Creative Commons

Another question from Miles, what defines heavy infantry in the ancient world? Were Phalangites considered heavy infantry at the time? Join us on Patron patreon.com/ancientwarfarepodcast  

On their way to South Tower, Heppa and Tric meet some human farmers who provide yet another perspective on the war with Mal-Ravanal. To Heppa's delight, she also gains more insight into the human condition from them. Scene 8Scene 9 GM Notes Once again, units from the Battle for Wesnoth video game inspired characters in this arc. Roombledoombledeur is from the Wose unit line. The so-called fancy skeleton, Mal-Uldhar is a Lich, and specifically one from the first scenario of Eastern Invasion. Tilyn, with his straw hat and pitchfork, is a Peasant, and his father Gumreddoc, back in his adventuring days, was Heavy Infantry. Our character art by Del Borovic and the map we refer to (by me!) can be found here. Our music is sampled from Return to Wesnoth by Matthias Westlund (aka West), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0, part of The Battle for Wesnoth Project. Visit them at wesnoth.org. Need context? Jump to the start of the series!

This time we cover Yu Jing's Invincible army. Join us as we do an in depth dive into an army we actually understand for once! We cover infinity new releases, the entire invincible army lineup, how to buy into this army, and review 3 lists we made for specific missions to help show how this army can be built and used. This is an awesome faction, and one that you need to be prepared to face!Patreon Shoutouts:https://robothouse27.com/Support the show

Join Julian, Kev and Nick as they discuss the role of Heavy Infantry in N4 and break down their strengths and weaknesses, the rise of the S5 Chonker and give a run down of their favourite heavy units in the game.   Don't forget to join us for the memes and in depth discussion on our Lol Discord server! https://discord.gg/U7pA4KaHDd   Thanks for listening!

Bill, Chris, and Larry revisit the collecting week's news including Mezco, Hot Toys, Hasbro, and more. The spotlight figure this week is the S.H. Figuarts Heavy Infantry Mandalorian.

Bill, Chris, and Larry revisit the collecting week's news including Mezco, Hot Toys, Hasbro, and more. The spotlight figure this week is the S.H. Figuarts Heavy Infantry Mandalorian. Check out Bill's video review of the this week's spotlight figure on the DorkLair YouTube channel. "Master of the Hunt" will help collectors keep track of bargains, releases, restocks, and buy-nows. Don't forget to pick up your DorkLair t-shirt, available on TeePublic. Follow the DorkLair Instagram for daily photos, news and deals. In the news: Black Series Wrecker Hot Toys Boba Fett (Mandalorian) Hot Toys Miles Morales (2020 Suit) MAFEX The Butcher from The Boys Mezco Toyz Fair Preview Night: Toyz Chest Exclusive Mezco Toyz Fair Day One Mezco Toyz Day Two Mezco Toyz Fair Day Three Come hang out with the DorkLair hosts and listeners in the RetroZap Discord server, and get up-to-the-minute action figure news and drama-free collecting chat. figure Email the show at podcast@dorklair.com with chat topics and news you'd like the hosts to discuss. And head over to the DorkLair YouTube channel for more action figure reviews. Other Links DorkLair logo created by Mike Uziel @MikeUziel. DorkLair theme music is by Luke Schreiber aka LukeSells.

Professor Hans van Wees Hans has been Grote Professor of Ancient History since 2011, having previously held posts as Lecturer, Reader and Professor since joining UCL History in 1995. His research centres on the archaic period of Greek history (c. 750-450 BC), but also includes the classical period, and is focused above all on developments in society, economy, and warfare. PhD supervision Among students who have recently completed a PhD under Hans' supervision are Errietta Bissa (Government Intervention in Trade in Archaic and Classical Greece, published in 2009), and most recently Alex Millington (on representations of Ares), Roel Konijnendijk (Classical Greek Tactics: a cultural history, published in 2018), and Cezary Kucewicz (on the treatment of the war dead, to be published by Bloomsbury). Current students are Vincent Fourcade (classical Greek navy), Alix Harmer (Cimon and Athenian foreign policy), Beatrice Pestarino (structures of government in archaic and classical Cyprus), Sotirios Peithis (military communications in classical Greece), and Joe Whitchurch (revenge and the state in ancient Greece). In addition to the range of topics included above, Hans would particularly welcome PhD proposals in the area of archaic or classical Greek social and economic history. Major publications Ships and Silver, Taxes and Tribute: A fiscal history of archaic Athens (London: IB Tauris, 2013) Greek Warfare: Myths and realities (London: Duckworth/Bloomsbury, 2004) (with Nick Fisher as co-editor) Aristocracy in Antiquity: Redefining Greek and Roman elites (Swansea: Classical Press of Wales, 2015) (with Kurt Raaflaub as co-editor) A Companion to Archaic Greece (Malden: Wiley-Blackwell, 2009) For a full list of publications, see Hans's Iris profile. Teaching Cultures of War in Ancient Greece (special subject) The Economy of Ancient Greece (thematic course) The Economy of Archaic Greece (MA module) The Economy of Classical Athens (MA module) Approaches to the Ancient World (Classics module for first-year students) Approaching History (first-year undergraduate core course) Sources and Methods in Ancient History (MA Ancient History core course) The Greek World, 800-386 BC (survey course) "Aristocracy" in Ancient Greece (advanced undergraduate seminar) Homer and History: Epic Evidence for Early Greek Society (research seminar)

In episode 3, Andrew, Ian, and Nathan explore the theme of list-building, beginning with an examination of the various Unit Types that are standard within N4. They define the common characteristics of Light Infantry, Medium Infantry, Heavy Infantry, Tags, Skirmishers, Remotes, and Warbands, and how those unit types function within effective tournament lists. While you're listening, you might jump on our Discord server, to talk more Infinity. (https://discord.gg/4WJtJXcYjP) And if you want access some cool benefits while helping us keep the show going, check out our Patreon.(https://www.patreon.com/MetaChemistry)

A short one this week as Garry runs down the week in Star Wars news while Mark is on a well-earned break. J.J. Abrams mentions how well the scenes starring Carrie Fisher look in EPIX, the recently released Force Collector novel almost spoiled a big chunk of Abram's script for EPIX, the new Heavy Infantry figure from Hot Toys looks awesome and apparently John William's score for EPIX includes "every theme you ever heard". This is Spark of Rebellion, the weekly Star Wars podcast for casual fans and veterans alike. We are your hosts, Garry and Mark and every single Saturday we release a brand new episode bringing you Star Wars news, reviews & discussion, our famous "top threes" and of course, the random spotlight, where we highlight a character, place, ship, object or something else peculiar from a galaxy far, far away. For exclusive content, laptop stickers, merchandise, guest opportunities and even producer credit on the show, head to our Patreon page at www.Patreon.com/SparkOfRebellion and tell all of your Star Wars loving friends that the show is available to listen to, completely free anywhere that you can find podcasts. And for more Spark of Rebellion, head to Instagram.com/SparkOfRebellionShow for behind the scenes of the show and to interact with us every single day. Now, go explore and may the Force be with you... always! This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy

A short one this week as Garry runs down the week in Star Wars news while Mark is on a well-earned break. J.J. Abrams mentions how well the scenes starring Carrie Fisher look in EPIX, the recently released Force Collector novel almost spoiled a big chunk of Abram's script for EPIX, the new Heavy Infantry figure from Hot Toys looks awesome and apparently John William's score for EPIX includes "every theme you ever heard". This is Spark of Rebellion, the weekly Star Wars podcast for casual fans and veterans alike. We are your hosts, Garry and Mark and every single Saturday we release a brand new episode bringing you Star Wars news, reviews & discussion, our famous "top threes" and of course, the random spotlight, where we highlight a character, place, ship, object or something else peculiar from a galaxy far, far away. For exclusive content, laptop stickers, merchandise, guest opportunities and even producer credit on the show, head to our Patreon page at www.Patreon.com/SparkOfRebellion and tell all of your Star Wars loving friends that the show is available to listen to, completely free anywhere that you can find podcasts. And for more Spark of Rebellion, head to Instagram.com/SparkOfRebellionShow for behind the scenes of the show and to interact with us every single day. Now, go explore and may the Force be with you... always! This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy Support this podcast

In Episode 209 of MayaCast, Tom and Kip talk about the Invincible Army, the brand new Heavy Infantry-centric Yu Jing sectorial from the Third Offensive. There are Patreon giveaways and a reminder about the Xenotech painting contest. Check out Infinity The Game at infinitythegame.com Thank you to all of our generous Patrons helping us out and supporting the show at Patreon.

Hi All We're back with another podcast.   This week; Paul, James and Simon discuss the K47 news and rumours, including some new sculpts that they've seen Paul and Simon discuss the lists that they were going to take to Barrage before Simon realised that he'd double booked himself (what a plum)  We have a brief but spirited discussion about the merits of Heavy Infantry within K47 since the introduction of defiance.      Here is a link to Paul's article on his Barrage Army so far James and Paul also indulge in some epic breaking of the 4th wall when discussing our "sekret" text chat that helps gather minds and focus discussion (such as it is) on air!    You can find information about Barrage 2018 and how to book a spot in Avanti'47 here Finally please don't forget to check out Boss Minis for all your gaming needs 

Welcome to Ammertime Podcast, Episode 9: The Gunline of Death. In this episode we discus Rasmus's "groin bashing" Empire of Sonnstahl list. We challenge you, the listener to come up with a list that can reliably defeat this army! The list can be seen below: Rasmus "the groin-punisher" list Lord: Prelate, Altar of Battle, Armour of Volund, Locket of Sunna, barded, sheild, dusk stone, great weapon 374 Hero: Captain, bsb, lucky sheild 95 wizard, scroll, light, lvl 2 125 wizard, lvl 2, Book of arcane lore, light 105 Core: 50 Heavy Infantry, fc, Banner of speed, swap shield for helbards 335 20 Heavy Infantry, standard, musician 100 10 militia, skirmish, bows 70 10 militia, skirmish, bows 70 10 militia, skirmish 50 Special: 30 Flaggelants, champion 270 24 Flaggelants, champion 222 Cannon 100 Cannon 100 mortar 110 Rare: Steam tank 230 Arcane Engine, Foresight 140 2496

Remote Presence, an Infinity Podcast.  Episode 5! Today the Regulars discuss their plans for the upcoming ITS and Narrative events at WaaaghPaca 2016, and as a result of such plans, go into some discussion on Heavy Infantry and more specifically, Heavy Infantry Fireteams!   We also spend some time talking about tournament preparation and how to approach your games at a tournament: what to bring with you, how to approach both wins and losses, and how to pace your day so that you walk away from the event with the best possible feeling down in the cockles of your heart. Finally, Joel gets a little long winded replying to a listener request about Corregidor and it's units. Timestamps: 00:02:00 - New Terrain releases 00:16:35 - Let's talk about WaaaghPaca 2016 00:19:30 - Now let's talk about Heavy Infantry Pain Trains 00:53:05 - And then we talk about the WaaaghPaca Narrative game 01:02:30 - Let's get another drink and take a break 01:03:10 - Tournament Prep discussion 01:55:10 - Listener feedback discussion on Corregidor Our Heavy Infantry Lists: Sean's Suryat MAF Pain Train: http://1drv.ms/1R64ReF Joel's Mobile Brigada Corregidor Pain Train: http://1drv.ms/1R64W1W Greg's Wu Ming ISS Pain Train: http://1drv.ms/1R653up Sean's Rodok MAF alternate list: http://1drv.ms/1R658yg Social: sean@rempresence.com greg@rempresence.com joel@rempresence.com Twitter: @rempresence Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/remotepresence/