Ignorance Strikes Again: Thank You, Pat Robertson!

A little gem y'all might enjoy:

Please, let us know in the comments section below what would be your response to Pat Robertson's comments in this clip.

Zombicide: It's All Fun & Games Until Someone Eats Your Brain...

Zombicide is a cooperative game for 1 to six players where you get to play a survivor trying to complete a variety of missions in an area spanning a few city blocks and which will shortly become zombie-hell unless all players work together.  It comes in a big box chock full of minis, which makes the game even more fun.  You get minis for the players as well as minis for the four different types of zombies that can spawn.  I've been playing this game quite a lot lately and thought I'd write a little something for those still undecided about getting this gem.

Wanda's special ability is that she can move
two zones per move action.

The Good

There are many things that are good about this game.  For starters, every survivor has a special ability that sets it apart from the rest.  One can be slippery, allowing him to move through zombie-infested zones without having to spend extra actions, while another can move double the usual number of zones in each move action.

The rules are simple.  Every time I play this game, I am surprised at the simplicity of the zombie movement rules, and how effective they are at pressuring the survivors and making the game challenging.  Basically, they move towards a survivor if they can see him or towards the zone where the most noise was generated (this is easily tracked with noise tokens).  If zombies have two paths of equal length to get to their destination, they split.  If the number is uneven or it is only a single zombie, you add another zombie so that you can split them in equal numbers.

Survivor rules are just as simple.  You start with three actions that you can use to move, search, attack, make noise, trade items, open a door, activate an item, enter/exit a vehicle, etc.

The survivors level up with experience.  There's a zombie kill tracker on every survivor card.  Everyone starts with zero kills, at the blue level.  On your seventh kill, you enter the yellow level and get an extra action.  At the orange level you get to choose an additional ability from two that are indicated in your survivor's card.

As the survivors level up, the game gets more challenging.  At the end of every round, you spawn zombies in the areas designated in each scenario.  For each area, you draw a zombie card.  All zombie cards have four colors: blue, yellow, orange and red.  They correspond to the survivors' experience level.  Initially, you will look at the blue color to find out what type of zombie and how many will be spawning.  The moment one of the survivors hits the yellow level, you will now look at the yellow color instead of the blue one, and so on as survivors keep reaching the orange and red levels.  Of course, at orange level the spawns are more and tougher zombies than at yellow or blue level.  In fact, at times you will find yourself asking a teammate to run away instead of killing a zombie and clearing a path just so that he won't reach the orange level and increase the difficulty of the game.

Survivors above.
Walker, fatty, abomination and two runners below.

Not all zombies are created equal.  Most of the zombies you will be dealing with will be slow stupid walkers that have only one action per round and die from one hit.  Every so often, fatties will spawn.  Fatties are always accompanied by two walkers.  Also, fatties cannot be killed unless hit with a weapon that does two or more points of damage.  I believe there are only three such weapons: the sawed-off shotgun, the chainsaw and the fire axe.  You also have runners, which get two actions per round.  They can either move twice, move and attack, attack and move, or attack twice.  Finally, there's the abomination.  It can only be killed by a weapon that does three points of damage, and there is only one such weapon: the molotoff cocktail.  Good luck finding the empty glass bottle and the gasoline to make one.  There can only be one abomination on the board at any time, but I've had games where an abomination spawns just a few rounds after you killed the first one.

Multitude of scenarios.  The rulebook comes with ten scenarios.  Each scenario has different victory conditions, starting conditions and some have special rules.  There are a lot of scenarios that can be downloaded from Guillotine Games' website.  Guillotine Games also makes freely available a program that includes all their map tiles so that you can create more scenarios and upload them to their website.

The Bad

At $89.99, the game is definitely on the expensive side.  You *do* get 71 minis, nine double-sided map tiles, and a bunch of markers and tokens, so it is not necessarily an unreasonable price...  but it is still a lot of money.  You can probably get it for around $70, maybe even less, if you decide to backstab your friendly local gaming shop and order online.

I missed the kickstarter and then I missed the Zombicide Season II kickstarter!!  I am so pissed at this that I could eat someone's brain...

The Gamer

I have played this game with several different groups of people and it has been a huge hit evey time.  Personally, I haven't gotten tired of playing it yet.  After the first three games, I thought that it was impossible to lose as long as you played hard and smart.  However, we got our asses spanked so badly on Thursday evening that I actually had nightmares that night about being surrounded by zombies!

If you are playing with a full group, set aside a good two hours.  The game plays pretty fast but once the zombies start zoning in on your position, you'll spend more time than you think dicussing strategy, attacks and moves with your fellow survivors.

Marvel Comics Scouting For Artists In Puerto Rico

The Puerto Rico ComicCon will be held May 25 and 26, 2013 at the Puerto Rico Convention Center. Billed as the biggest entertainment convention in all the Caribbean, they recently announced in their Facebook page that Marvel Comics's C.B. Cebulski (Marvel Fairy Tales, X-Men Fairy Tales and Spider-Man Fairy Tales) will be present at the Puerto Rico ComicCon and will hold a Marvel Now Open Panel!  Not only that, but Marvel Comics will hold a Portfolio Review for aspiring artists.  Here are the preliminary details for the Marvel Comics Portfolio Review:

1. All participants should bring ONLY copies of their work, originals will NOT be accepted.  Up to 12 pages of artwork.  The copies will not be returned.
2. The participants have to deliver their copies to the Puerto Rico ComicCon Info Booth during the event (Booth #600).
3. Each day in the afternoon, Marvel Comics will publish a list of the people they want to interview.  For details of interview times, visit the Puerto Rico ComicCon Info Booth.

This is a rare opportunity to get noted by a comic book powerhouse!  If you've been wondering how to get a foot into this industry, this may be an excellent opportunity if you have the kind of talent that Marvel Comics is looking for.  Don't let it pass you by.

For more information on Puerto Rico ComicCon, special deals on hotels for your stay, becoming a sponsor, operating a booth or anything else, go to their Facebook page.  If you still have questions unanswered, contact Bad DM and we will do our best to help you out.

Puerto Rico is a beautiful place to visit.  Puerto Rico ComicCon is the perfect excuse to do so!

Origins Awards 2013 Nominees Announced

The nominees for the 39^th Annual Origins Awards have been selected by the Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts and Design.  The winner will be selected by the attendees at the Origins Game Fair and announced on Saturday June 15^th, at the Origins Awards Ceremony.  The fifteen categories and the five runner ups for each category are as follows:

Best Roleplaying Game
Iron Kingdoms Full Metal Fantasy RPG Core Rules – Privateer Press
Marvel Heroic Roleplaying Basic Games – Margaret Weis Productions
Monsterhearts – Buried Without Ceremony
Nights of the Crusades – Aetheric Dreams
Primeval RPG – Cubicle 7 Entertainment Ltd.

Best Roleplaying Supplement
Marvel Heroic Roleplaying Civil War Essentials Edition Event Book – Margaret Weis Productions
Menzoberranzan: City of Intrigue – Wizards of the Coast
Mutants & Masterminds: Threat Report – Green Ronin
Rimward: The Outer System – Posthuman Studios
The Mythos Dossiers – Cubicle 7 Entertainment

Best Board Game
Hot Rod Creeps – Cryptozoic
Kingdom Builder – Queen Games
Lords of Waterdeep – Wizards of the Coast
Mage Knight – WizKids
Mage Wars – Arcane Wonder

Best Collectible Card Games
Card Fight! Vanguard Breaker of Limits – Bushiroad
Kaijudo: Rise of the Duel Masters – Wizards of the Coast
Legend of the 5 Rings: Embers of War – AEG
World of Warcraft: War of the Ancients – Cryptozoic
Yu-Gi-Oh! Battlepacks – Konami

Best Traditional Card Game
Doctor Who the Card Game – Cubicle 7 Entertainment/Treefrog Games
Legendary – Upper Deck
Locke & Key – Cryptozoic
Penny Arcade: Rumble in R’lyeh – Cryptozoic
Smash Up – AEG

Best Family, Party or Children's Game
Catan Junior – Mayfair Games
Escape: The Curse of the Temple – Queen Games
Love Letter – AEG
Once Upon A Time 3^rd Edition – Atlas Games
Quarriors! Dice Building Game – WizKids Games

Best Gaming Accessory
Castle Panic: The Wizard’s Tower – Fireside Games
Dungeon Tiles: Castle Grimstead – Wizards of the Coast
Metal Steampunk Dice Set – Q Workshop
Pathfinder Battles Miniatures: Rise of the Runelords – WizKids games
Pathfinder Serpent’s Skull Dice Set – Q Workshop

Best Miniatures Rules
Dungeon Command: Curse of Undeath – Wizards of the Coast
Heavy Gear Blitz! Perfect Storm: The NuCoal Field Guide – Dream Pod 9
The Battlefield: Miniature Modern Warfare – Bombshell Games/Brent Spivey
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Campaign Starter Set – WizKids Games
WARMACHINE: Colossus – Privateer Press

Best Historical Miniature Figure/Line
Ancient Greeks - Victrix Ltd
Austrian Napoleonic Infantry – Perry Miniatures
Early Imperial Romans – Aventine Miniatures
Early War Polish WWII – Forged In Battle
German BP44 Armored Train – Battlefront Miniatures

Best Historical Board Game
1812: The Invasion of Canada – Academy Games
Andean Abyss – GMT
Clash of Wills – Mayfair Games
Frontline General: Spearpoint 1943 Village and Defensive Line Map Expansion – Collins Epic War Games
Samurai Battles – Zvezda

Best Historical Miniature Rules Supplement
Bolt Action: Armies of Germany – Osprey Publishing/Warlord Games
Clash of Empires: Age of Ravens – Great Escape Games
Flames of War: Nuts – Battlefront Miniatures
Hail Caesar Army Lists: Late Antiquity to Early Medieval – Warlord Games
SAGA: Raven’s Shadow – Gripping Beast/Studio Tomahawk

Best Historical Miniature Rules
Brink of Battle: Skirmish Gaming Through the Ages – Strategic Elite
Bolt Action: WWII Wargaming Rules – Osprey Publishing/Warlord Games
Deus Vault – Fireforge Games
Flames of War: Open Fire! – Battlefront Miniatures
Mad Dogs With Guns – Pulp Action Library

Best Miniature Figure Line
The Aberration (Carnevale: The Miniature Game) – Vesper-On Games
Marvel HeroClix: Galactic Guardians – WizKids Games
Mountain King (Trollbloods Gargantuan) – Privateer Press
Radru-Rashaar (Carnevale: The Miniature Game) – Vesper-On Games
Trontek 29ers Corporation Team – Mantic Games

Best Game-Related Publication
Death’s Heretic – Paizo Publishing, LLC
Battletech: Weapons Free – Catalyst Game Labs
Time Traveled Tales – GAMA
Eighth Day Genesis: A World Building Codex – Alliteration Ink
Never Unprepared: The Complete Game Master’s Guide to Session Prep – Engine Publishing

Also announced is the shortlist for the 39^th Annual Origins Awards.  Voting for these will be by retailer attendees to the GAMA Trade Show in Las Vegas and announced the week after the Trade Show.  The nominees are:

Best Roleplaying Game
Durance - Bully Pulpit Games
Iron Kingdoms Full Metal Fantasy RPG Core Rules – Privateer Press
Marvel Heroic Roleplaying Basic Games – Margaret Weis Productions
Monsterhearts – Buried Without Ceremony
Nights Black Agents - Pelgrane Press
Nights of the Crusades – Aetheric Dreams
Our Last Best Hope - Magpie Games
Primeval RPG – Cubicle 7 Entertainment Ltd.
Shadows of Esteren - Agate-Editions, Inc.
Yggdrasill RPG - Cubicle 7 Entertainment Ltd.

Best Roleplaying Supplement
Children of the Revolution - Onyx Path Publishing
DC Adventures: Heroes & Villains, Vol. 2 - Green Ronin
Marvel Heroic Roleplaying Civil War Essentials Edition Event Book – Margaret Weis Productions
Menzoberranzan: City of Intrigue – Wizards of the Coast
Midgard Campaign Setting - Kobold Press
Mutants & Masterminds: Threat Report – Green Ronin
Rimward: The Outer System – Posthuman Studios
Streets of Bedlam: A Savage World of Crime & Corruption - FunSized Games
The Mythos Dossiers – Cubicle 7 Entertainment
Unhallowed Necropolis - Atomic Overmind Games

Best Board Game
Alien Frontiers: Factions - Clever Mojo
Edo - Queen Games
Empires of the Void - Red Raven
Fantastiqa - Eagle Games
Hot Rod Creeps – Cryptozoic
Kingdom Builder – Queen Games
Lords of Waterdeep – Wizards of the Coast
Mage Knight – WizKids
Mage Wars – Arcane Wonder
Rolling Freight - APE Games

Best Collectible Card Games
Card Fight! Vanguard Breaker of Limits – Bushiroad
Kaijudo: Rise of the Duel Masters – Wizards of the Coast
Legend of the 5 Rings: Embers of War – AEG
World of Warcraft: War of the Ancients – Cryptozoic
Yu-Gi-Oh! Battlepacks – Konami

Best Traditional Card Game
Doctor Who the Card Game – Cubicle 7 Entertainment/Treefrog Games
Farmageddon - 5th Street Games
Fleet - Gryphon Games
Four Taverns - Rather Dashing Games
Legendary – Upper Deck
Locke & Key – Cryptozoic
Morels - Two Lanterns
Penny Arcade: Rumble in R’lyeh – Cryptozoic
Pirates of the Spanish Main Shuffling Deck Card Game - WizKids Games
Smash Up – AEG

Best Family, Party or Children's Game
Catan Junior – Mayfair Games
Escape: The Curse of the Temple – Queen Games
Kill the Overlord - APE Games
Love Letter – AEG
Once Upon A Time 3^rd Edition – Atlas Games
Quarriors! Dice Building Game – WizKids Games
Red Hott Silly Peppers - Rather Dashing Games
Speedeebee - Blue Orange Games
Spot It! Jr. Animals - Blue Orange Games
Tell Tale Fairy Tales - Blue Orange Games

Best Gaming Accessory
Castle Panic: The Wizard’s Tower – Fireside Games
Dungeon Tiles: Castle Grimstead – Wizards of the Coast
Horse, Character Mount Marker Set - LiTKO Game Accessories
Metal Steampunk Dice Set – Q Workshop
Pathfinder Battles Miniatures: Rise of the Runelords – WizKids games
Pathfinder Serpent’s Skull Dice Set – Q Workshop

Best Miniatures Rules
Dropzone Commander - Hawk Wargames Ltd.
Dungeon Command: Curse of Undeath – Wizards of the Coast
FreeBlades - DGS Games
Heavy Gear Blitz! Perfect Storm: The NuCoal Field Guide – Dream Pod 9
Infinity Campaign: Paradiso - Corvus Belli S.L.L.
Kings of War Hardback Rulebook - Mantic Games
The Battlefield: Miniature Modern Warfare – Bombshell Games/Brent Spivey
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Campaign Starter Set – WizKids Games
WARMACHINE: Colossus – Privateer Press

Best Historical Miniature Figure/Line
Ancient Greeks - Victrix Ltd
Austrian Napoleonic Infantry – Perry Miniatures
Early Imperial Romans – Aventine Miniatures
Early War Polish WWII – Forged In Battle
German BP44 Armored Train – Battlefront Miniatures

Best Historical Board Game
1812: The Invasion of Canada – Academy Games
Andean Abyss – GMT
Clash of Wills – Mayfair Games
Frontline General: Spearpoint 1943 Village and Defensive Line Map Expansion – Collins Epic War Games
Mounted Samurai - Zvezda
Samurai Battles – Zvezda
Samurai Commanders - Zvezda

Best Historical Miniature Rules Supplement
Bolt Action: Armies of Germany – Osprey Publishing/Warlord Games
Clash of Empires: Age of Ravens – Great Escape Games
Flames of War: Nuts – Battlefront Miniatures
Hail Caesar Army Lists: Late Antiquity to Early Medieval – Warlord Games
SAGA: Raven’s Shadow – Gripping Beast/Studio Tomahawk

Best Historical Miniature Rules
Brink of Battle: Skirmish Gaming Through the Ages – Strategic Elite
Bolt Action: WWII Wargaming Rules – Osprey Publishing/Warlord Games
Deus Vault – Fireforge Games
Flames of War: Open Fire! – Battlefront Miniatures
Mad Dogs With Guns – Pulp Action Library

Best Miniature Figure Line
The Aberration (Carnevale: The Miniature Game) – Vesper-On Games
Doctor of the Morgue and the Being (Carnevale: The Miniature Game) - Vesper-On Games
Enforcers Strike Selection - Mantic Games
Greenmoon Smackers - Mantic Games
Marvel HeroClix: Galactic Guardians – WizKids Games
Mountain King (Trollbloods Gargantuan) – Privateer Press
Radru-Rashaar (Carnevale: The Miniature Game) – Vesper-On Games
Scarface & Cordelia Mercenary Armored Team - Corvus Belli S.L.L.
Trontek 29ers Corporation Team – Mantic Games
Warlock' Miniature Figure (FreeBlades) - DGS Games Ltd.

Best Game-Related Publication
Battletech: Weapons Free – Catalyst Game Labs
Death’s Heretic – Paizo Publishing, LLC
Eighth Day Genesis: A World Building Codex – Alliteration Ink
Never Unprepared: The Complete Game Master’s Guide to Session Prep – Engine Publishing
Time Traveled Tales – GAMA