Chris
@cfarrell317.bsky.social
Boardgame blogger and writer since 1991, classical clarinetist, and software developer.
I mention in the last newsletter how the strongest force in the universe is human self-rationalization. But the second most powerful may be fandom 😄. Loved this geeky engineering challenge.
youtu.be/0QArAMtBGx8?...
youtu.be/0QArAMtBGx8?...
Building the Impossible Lightsaber
YouTube video by HeroTech
youtu.be
November 5, 2025 at 9:17 PM
I mention in the last newsletter how the strongest force in the universe is human self-rationalization. But the second most powerful may be fandom 😄. Loved this geeky engineering challenge.
youtu.be/0QArAMtBGx8?...
youtu.be/0QArAMtBGx8?...
This week’s newsletter! Philharmonix, the new Quartermaster General, and Band of Brothers: chrisfarrell317.substack.com/p/philharmon...
November 3, 2025 at 9:08 PM
This week’s newsletter! Philharmonix, the new Quartermaster General, and Band of Brothers: chrisfarrell317.substack.com/p/philharmon...
The world seems to be on fire 😢, so more Unstoppable. Roux Silver on Expert. Still can’t quite manage the Become Unstoppable achievement. Tiny the Octophant seems awesome and goes great in this deck but once the threat level hits 4 she becomes kind of pricey.
June 16, 2025 at 9:24 PM
The world seems to be on fire 😢, so more Unstoppable. Roux Silver on Expert. Still can’t quite manage the Become Unstoppable achievement. Tiny the Octophant seems awesome and goes great in this deck but once the threat level hits 4 she becomes kind of pricey.
Mannerheim Cross, BFP-155 (Leningrad Reds). I’m never sure how much ASL content to put in the newsletter - it’s such a specific and small niche that I try to include it only when there is something interesting and more general to say? Anyway, this scenario is fine. BV Finns are *nasty*.
June 13, 2025 at 11:49 PM
Mannerheim Cross, BFP-155 (Leningrad Reds). I’m never sure how much ASL content to put in the newsletter - it’s such a specific and small niche that I try to include it only when there is something interesting and more general to say? Anyway, this scenario is fine. BV Finns are *nasty*.
Gah, so close. Unstoppable, Zephyr vs Harbinger on Expert. Tough break on the last reshuffle, with two Acolytes in the threat zone and not cycling. I think Zephyr is a more challenging character to play. I was proud of that Double Tap card though. Tough to run out of time with it in hand.
June 13, 2025 at 11:45 PM
Gah, so close. Unstoppable, Zephyr vs Harbinger on Expert. Tough break on the last reshuffle, with two Acolytes in the threat zone and not cycling. I think Zephyr is a more challenging character to play. I was proud of that Double Tap card though. Tough to run out of time with it in hand.
Playing Unstoppable, Kai Silver vs Duomo’ Menace on Expert. Comfortable win. Almost hit the Become Unstoppable achievement, which I haven’t done yet. I had pretty good luck on the card drafts.
June 12, 2025 at 7:33 AM
Playing Unstoppable, Kai Silver vs Duomo’ Menace on Expert. Comfortable win. Almost hit the Become Unstoppable achievement, which I haven’t done yet. I had pretty good luck on the card drafts.
Iliad (Reiner Knizia/Bitewing) has definitely been growing on me as I’ve played it more.
June 10, 2025 at 4:19 PM
Iliad (Reiner Knizia/Bitewing) has definitely been growing on me as I’ve played it more.
This is what I originally intended to write about in the coda to this week’s newsletter - a powerful, far-reaching video about history and identity from one of my favorite YouTubers. It turned out to be just too hard though, I couldn’t do it. I highly recommend it though!
youtu.be/qew_l4SjRyo?...
youtu.be/qew_l4SjRyo?...
Why The Most Dangerous Border on Earth needs a Wildlife Bridge
YouTube video by DamiLee
youtu.be
June 9, 2025 at 4:18 PM
This is what I originally intended to write about in the coda to this week’s newsletter - a powerful, far-reaching video about history and identity from one of my favorite YouTubers. It turned out to be just too hard though, I couldn’t do it. I highly recommend it though!
youtu.be/qew_l4SjRyo?...
youtu.be/qew_l4SjRyo?...
Something for this Sunday’s newsletter … Columbia’s Alliance. Interesting game. It has me thinking about table-balancing and reading complex game state, things which came up in the context of Weimar and Arcs: The Blighted Reach.
June 9, 2025 at 4:12 PM
Something for this Sunday’s newsletter … Columbia’s Alliance. Interesting game. It has me thinking about table-balancing and reading complex game state, things which came up in the context of Weimar and Arcs: The Blighted Reach.
New newsletter is up! I rediscover the simple joys of Total Domination and New Frontiers. Plus some other stuff.
chrisfarrell317.substack.com/p/new-fronti...
chrisfarrell317.substack.com/p/new-fronti...
June 8, 2025 at 3:21 PM
New newsletter is up! I rediscover the simple joys of Total Domination and New Frontiers. Plus some other stuff.
chrisfarrell317.substack.com/p/new-fronti...
chrisfarrell317.substack.com/p/new-fronti...
Trying out some new stuff in Up Front.
June 6, 2025 at 7:59 PM
Trying out some new stuff in Up Front.
I knew the while Dire Work extinction thing was very sketchy. I did not intuit the degree to which it was sketchy AF.
youtu.be/21IAqp6o6zQ?...
youtu.be/21IAqp6o6zQ?...
Part Two: Dire Wolves, Dr. George Church & The De-Extinction Grift | BEHIND THE BASTARDS
YouTube video by Behind the Bastards
youtu.be
June 6, 2025 at 7:57 PM
I knew the while Dire Work extinction thing was very sketchy. I did not intuit the degree to which it was sketchy AF.
youtu.be/21IAqp6o6zQ?...
youtu.be/21IAqp6o6zQ?...
Newsletter is up! Got to play some Argent: The Consortium this week!
chrisfarrell317.substack.com/p/argent-the...
chrisfarrell317.substack.com/p/argent-the...
June 3, 2025 at 6:24 AM
Newsletter is up! Got to play some Argent: The Consortium this week!
chrisfarrell317.substack.com/p/argent-the...
chrisfarrell317.substack.com/p/argent-the...
Ah, Argent: The Consortium. Such a fun game.
May 31, 2025 at 6:52 AM
Ah, Argent: The Consortium. Such a fun game.
Playing some Dead Reckoning with the Letters of Marque expansion. Can’t believe this is the first time I’m breaking it out! Miss this game, hopefully again soon.
May 28, 2025 at 12:46 AM
Playing some Dead Reckoning with the Letters of Marque expansion. Can’t believe this is the first time I’m breaking it out! Miss this game, hopefully again soon.
New newsletter is up! I get my hands on an early copy of Fate of the Fellowship, plus Purple Haze, Pax Haspanica, and more. This one was very challenging to write so I hope you find it interesting. Don’t forget to like and subscribe 🙂.
May 25, 2025 at 3:40 PM
New newsletter is up! I get my hands on an early copy of Fate of the Fellowship, plus Purple Haze, Pax Haspanica, and more. This one was very challenging to write so I hope you find it interesting. Don’t forget to like and subscribe 🙂.
Reposted by Chris
There’s so much in @cfarrell317.bsky.social latest blog entry that I had to go past the Purple Haze and Pandemic-LotR stuff to get to what wanted—a critical look at the “history” in Pax Hispanica. Worth it.
open.substack.com/pub/chrisfar...
open.substack.com/pub/chrisfar...
May 25, 2025 at 12:56 PM
There’s so much in @cfarrell317.bsky.social latest blog entry that I had to go past the Purple Haze and Pandemic-LotR stuff to get to what wanted—a critical look at the “history” in Pax Hispanica. Worth it.
open.substack.com/pub/chrisfar...
open.substack.com/pub/chrisfar...
New newsletter up! Weimar, Congress of Vienna, Fellowship of the Ring: The Trick-Taking Game, and more!
chrisfarrell317.substack.com/p/week-of-12...
chrisfarrell317.substack.com/p/week-of-12...
February 2, 2025 at 5:21 PM
New newsletter up! Weimar, Congress of Vienna, Fellowship of the Ring: The Trick-Taking Game, and more!
chrisfarrell317.substack.com/p/week-of-12...
chrisfarrell317.substack.com/p/week-of-12...
So, I have a gaming blog on Instagram that I’ve been doing for 12-ish years. It has a lot of content! Some of it is good! But with Meta going the way of X its longstanding toxicity is now impossible to ignore. The question is … where should I go? I’ve never found a satisfactory option. (cont)
January 9, 2025 at 6:23 AM
So, I have a gaming blog on Instagram that I’ve been doing for 12-ish years. It has a lot of content! Some of it is good! But with Meta going the way of X its longstanding toxicity is now impossible to ignore. The question is … where should I go? I’ve never found a satisfactory option. (cont)
I hadn’t thought about the Vienna Philharmonic in a while until a friend sent me a concert notice with a photo. Good lord, people. How, in the year of our Lord 2025, does one manage to organize a symphony orchestra that looks like this? Seriously? *Seriously*?
calperformances.org/events/2024-...
calperformances.org/events/2024-...
Vienna Philharmonic conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin
The magnificent Vienna Philharmonic returns to Cal Performances with three electrifying programs of symphonic masterworks.
calperformances.org
January 3, 2025 at 5:53 AM
I hadn’t thought about the Vienna Philharmonic in a while until a friend sent me a concert notice with a photo. Good lord, people. How, in the year of our Lord 2025, does one manage to organize a symphony orchestra that looks like this? Seriously? *Seriously*?
calperformances.org/events/2024-...
calperformances.org/events/2024-...
Just your occasional reminder that if you’re not following @jamellebouie.net (TikTok/Insta feed)and @lizdye.bsky.social (Law & Chaos podcast) in these trying times, you’re doing it wrong. Good luck, let’s just try to make it to the midterms.
December 19, 2024 at 5:21 PM
Just your occasional reminder that if you’re not following @jamellebouie.net (TikTok/Insta feed)and @lizdye.bsky.social (Law & Chaos podcast) in these trying times, you’re doing it wrong. Good luck, let’s just try to make it to the midterms.
Hank has been able to synthesize a lot of historical precedent with his intimate knowledge of the influencer economy. This piece is super-smart in my opinion and far more relevant than a bunch of pundits who are either trying to justify their own opinions or chasing clicks. youtu.be/d8PndpFPL8g?...
Populism, Media Revolutions, and Our Terrible Moment
YouTube video by vlogbrothers
youtu.be
November 24, 2024 at 7:59 AM
Hank has been able to synthesize a lot of historical precedent with his intimate knowledge of the influencer economy. This piece is super-smart in my opinion and far more relevant than a bunch of pundits who are either trying to justify their own opinions or chasing clicks. youtu.be/d8PndpFPL8g?...