Rindis
LightNews LightNews
banner
rindis.bsky.social
Rindis
@rindis.bsky.social
210 followers 150 following 320 posts
Old-time wargamer, and into all sorts of geekery.
http://www.rindis.com/blog
http://www.rindis.com/fox-den/
Posts Replies Media Videos
rindis.bsky.social
I've been sucked into Europa Universalis V over the last week. Enough so, that I've written down my first impressions:
www.rindis.com/blog/8968
#EU5 #PDS
Screenshot of EU5, showing the production of goods.
November 11, 2025 at 10:47 PM
rindis.bsky.social
Issue #105 (Sep-Oct 1981) of Campaign magazine is now available in PDF on Wargame Vault! #Campaign-magazine #wargames
www.wargamevault.com/en/product/5...
www.rindis.com/fox-den/camp...
Cover for issue #105 of Campaign: The Magazine of Strategy Gaming. Featuring: Strategy in War At Sea and Drive on Stalingrad; Review of AH's New Bulge '81; and Three Views of Pacific Origins.
November 3, 2025 at 7:02 PM
rindis.bsky.social
My review looking at the early version of Imperator: Rome (through patch 1.2) is up. It's a great subject, and a better game than EU: Rome, but launched as a bit of a mess. An under-appreciated part is that you get a look at the later fights between the diadochoi.
Review: www.rindis.com/blog/8952
Original opening menu for Imperator: Rome from Paradox Interactive. A grand strategy game covering Europe, North Africa, and parts of Asia from the time of the initial rise of Rome as a regional power to the fall of the Republic.
November 1, 2025 at 12:03 AM
rindis.bsky.social
If you see this, quote with a robot that isn't from"Star Wars", "Star Trek", "Doctor Who", or "Transformers."
1970s edition of The Caves of Steel, showing R. Daneel Olivaw.
October 31, 2025 at 6:28 AM
rindis.bsky.social
My wallpaper check-in. Ask again in 10 minutes, it'll be different.
October 27, 2025 at 8:11 PM
rindis.bsky.social
New Advanced Squad Leader goodness! The Journals are an auto-purchase for me, and then I also got the new Fall of France-focused Action Pack, which should be good. @multimanpublishing.bsky.social #ASL #wargame
October 26, 2025 at 2:48 AM
rindis.bsky.social
Patch and I recently played the Battle of Bibracte from Commands & Colors: Ancients Ex 3. I managed a win with the unfavored Helvetii side, and then completely diced Patch as the Romans. @gmtgames.bsky.social #CCA #wargames
Session Report: www.rindis.com/blog/8942
Ending state of game 1 of 2 of Bibracte from C&C:A Expansion 3. Ending score: Helvetii 7, Romans 6.
October 22, 2025 at 10:59 PM
rindis.bsky.social
Saul David's biography of the 7th Earl of Cardigan is good, but I think a bit overzealous as a corrective to over a century of bad rep. He doesn't deserve a lot of blame for the Charge of the Light Brigade, but was still a poor leader.
Review: www.rindis.com/blog/8940
October 20, 2025 at 8:54 PM
rindis.bsky.social
Mark and I tried out GMT's Congress of Vienna. It looks very good, and we need to introduce it to the full group. The 2-player rules don't properly hold back the inherent 'groupthink' of playing three sides, but I lost anyway on a goof.
@gmtgames.bsky.social
Session report: www.rindis.com/blog/8934
The diplomacy table at the end of turn 2 in Congress of Vienna. This was the intro scenario, which starts on turn 2. As a two player game, it's the French vs everyone else, and Mark's hand melted away as I arranged for a Russian diplomatic victory (which turns into a VP).
October 16, 2025 at 8:29 PM
rindis.bsky.social
Welcome to California.
October 14, 2025 at 8:40 PM
rindis.bsky.social
Recently read Orlando Figes' history of the Crimean War. Thorough, with lots of background, as well as covering the war itself. Decidedly recommended.
Review: www.rindis.com/blog/8930
The cover to 2011 Kindle edition of Orlando Figes' The Crimean War: A History.
October 11, 2025 at 2:56 AM
rindis.bsky.social
Just finished up the seventh Hatten in Flames scenario with regular nemesis Patch. I had a good start to the attack, but ran out of steam in the last couple turns, especially with the reveal of a well-placed ATG. @multimanpublishing.bsky.social #ASL
After Action Report: www.rindis.com/blog/8909
Opening turn of ASL scenario HF7 "Gotta Get Out", showing the full board in play. The Americans are entering from the SW (bottom left) under cover of smoke and low-light (dawn).
October 3, 2025 at 4:02 PM
rindis.bsky.social
Issue #104 (Jul-Aug 1981) of Campaign magazine is now available in PDF on Wargame Vault! #Campaign-magazine #wargames
www.wargamevault.com/en/product/5...
www.rindis.com/fox-den/wp-c...
The cover of issue #104 of Campaign magazine, July-August 1981. Features an illo by Don Lowry.
October 2, 2025 at 1:35 AM
rindis.bsky.social
The oldest of three outstanding Kickstarters (all of which are at least a year old), came in yesterday! I now have the full original Dirty Pair TV series on Blue-Ray with an all new dub!
(Now to find time to get it in the viewing schedule.) #anime #DirtyPair
Photo of the Nozomi/Crunchyroll Dirty Pair blue-ray set, opened to show the front and back covers. Four disks with the entire original TV series are inside.
September 30, 2025 at 11:58 PM
rindis.bsky.social
I read the second novel of the Expanse series just a bit ago.
It both is, and isn't, like the first novel. More than enough similarity to notice, but with a different top-level structure that works a lot better. Also, a lot less pure horror elements.
Review: www.rindis.com/blog/8907
September 30, 2025 at 4:58 PM
rindis.bsky.social
Mark and I finally got back to PSC's The Great War. Two rounds of WWI Commands & Colors: #CommandsAndColors #wargame
After Action Report: www.rindis.com/blog/8901
Ending situation of a game of The Great War from PSC. Specifically, our first play of scenario 4, "Loos (Hohenzollern Redoubt)" with a German 6-5 win.
September 21, 2025 at 3:48 AM
rindis.bsky.social
Recently re-read Robert Massie's Dreadnought, which is the best one from him I've seen (with stiff competition). How German and Britain went from close to opposite sides of WWI.
#books #Victoria
Review: www.rindis.com/blog/8899
September 20, 2025 at 5:04 PM
rindis.bsky.social
A good Saturday lunch!
September 13, 2025 at 8:51 PM
rindis.bsky.social
My fifth review for Hearts of Iron IV is up, looking at the Man the Guns expansion, and the ship designer.
@hoi.paradoxinteractive.com
#Stellaris #PDS
www.rindis.com/blog/8888
Screenshot of Hearts of Iron IV, showing the US Congress display in the decisions section. This feature was added in patch 1.6, and is discussed in my review.
September 4, 2025 at 8:59 PM
rindis.bsky.social
Mark and I did a full game of No Peace Without Spain from Compass Games recently. I got, and kept, the initiative for pretty much the entire game, and got a minor victory. There really needs to be more on the War of Spanish Succession out there. #wargames
www.rindis.com/blog/8870
Situation in No Peace Without Spain at the start of 1705. France spreading thin with garrisons, while Marlborough has a large army to take fortresses with.
August 20, 2025 at 9:12 PM
rindis.bsky.social
My fifteenth review of Europa Universalis IV is up, looking at the Golden Century expansion, focusing on Spain and surrounding countries.
@europauniversalis.paradoxinteractive.com #EU #PDS
www.rindis.com/blog/8858
Europa Universalis IV loading screen of Philip II of Spain, which was added in patch 1.28 of the game.
August 11, 2025 at 7:42 PM
rindis.bsky.social
Mark and I tried out The Little Land from Compass Games' Company Scale System. CSS is a pretty good simplification of GTS, but this set tends towards fairly static high-wristage situations. #wargame #GTS
www.rindis.com/blog/8849
August 4, 2025 at 9:50 PM
rindis.bsky.social
Got to see a SturmTiger in operation in J256 "Mortal Wounding" from ASL Journal #15. It did a lot more than that with one shot, but one vehicle does not a victory make, and Patch collapsed my defense. Again. @multimanpublishing.bsky.social #wargaming #ASL
www.rindis.com/blog/8816
A shot of ASL scenario J256 "Mortal Wounding" showing activity in the first player turn, with Americans advancing through an out-of-season orchard, and working through brush while a wall of concealed Germans wait for them.
July 12, 2025 at 8:35 PM
rindis.bsky.social
My seventh review for Stellaris is up, looking at the Megacorp expansion, and the introduction of districts. @stellaris.paradoxinteractive.com #Stellaris #PDS
www.rindis.com/blog/8800
Screenshot of the Stellaris loading screen introduced alongside MegaCorp, which shows a giant planet-spanning city.
June 29, 2025 at 8:21 PM
rindis.bsky.social
Narrator: It is not open.
Former Pep Boys storefront became Advance Auto Parts, which then closed after two months. The "Now Open" banner still hangs in front of the closed store, rotting away.
June 22, 2025 at 2:06 AM