Thomas Brandstetter
@thomasbrandstetter.bsky.social
Miniature wargames, role-playing games, boardgames, game studies, game design, history. He/Him.
First game of Aces: Scouring Sands, the new cooperative supplement to Battletech Alpha Strike with @cgoepa.bsky.social and @battlebrushstudios.bsky.social. Very interesting game, works quite well and was fun to play. Looking forward to the full campaign! #battletech
December 18, 2025 at 8:13 AM
First game of Aces: Scouring Sands, the new cooperative supplement to Battletech Alpha Strike with @cgoepa.bsky.social and @battlebrushstudios.bsky.social. Very interesting game, works quite well and was fun to play. Looking forward to the full campaign! #battletech
Exploding robots! What can it be? I'm successfully spreading the Battletech gospel of @cgoepa.bsky.social and have converted another new player to Alpha Strike. I'm really having a lot of fun with this at the moment. #battletech
December 2, 2025 at 7:20 PM
Exploding robots! What can it be? I'm successfully spreading the Battletech gospel of @cgoepa.bsky.social and have converted another new player to Alpha Strike. I'm really having a lot of fun with this at the moment. #battletech
Also, this happened. There went my Phoenix Hawk. Omnimechs are brutal.
November 29, 2025 at 11:48 AM
Also, this happened. There went my Phoenix Hawk. Omnimechs are brutal.
Battletech Alpha Strike with @stephan-ja-der.bsky.social in Sweden - that is, he is in Sweden, not me. It's good to be able to play remotely, because the alternative would be not playing together at all, which would be much less fun. #battletech
November 29, 2025 at 11:45 AM
Battletech Alpha Strike with @stephan-ja-der.bsky.social in Sweden - that is, he is in Sweden, not me. It's good to be able to play remotely, because the alternative would be not playing together at all, which would be much less fun. #battletech
We had the second session of our Wildsea RPG campaign yesterday. I really enjoy the world, with ramshackle ships sailing over treetops in a world covered by a gigantic forest. And I'm playing a spider colony! Looking forward to further discovering the ways of this strange place. #wildsea #ttrpg
November 26, 2025 at 8:21 AM
To get a little variety from painting ships, I joined the local Battletechmania initiated by @cgoepa.bsky.social. And I've finally settled on a colour scheme for my mercenary force, Tanit's Talons. This Catapult is from a box Christoph kindly gave me. More mechs will follow! #battletech
November 22, 2025 at 3:10 PM
To get a little variety from painting ships, I joined the local Battletechmania initiated by @cgoepa.bsky.social. And I've finally settled on a colour scheme for my mercenary force, Tanit's Talons. This Catapult is from a box Christoph kindly gave me. More mechs will follow! #battletech
As the release date of Torpedoes and Tides approaches, I have filmed material for a playthrough video. Now for the editing... worst part is going to be hearing my own voice over and over again while putting the video together. #torpedoesandtides
November 15, 2025 at 11:54 AM
As the release date of Torpedoes and Tides approaches, I have filmed material for a playthrough video. Now for the editing... worst part is going to be hearing my own voice over and over again while putting the video together. #torpedoesandtides
Battletech Alpha Strike with @battlebrushstudios.bsky.social and @cgoepa.bsky.social at a friend's house yesterday. Maybe I found the Battletech game I actually enjoy playing. Classic Battletech is far too procedural and slow for my taste. Alpha Strike gives a fast, furious and fun game.
November 10, 2025 at 12:58 PM
Battletech Alpha Strike with @battlebrushstudios.bsky.social and @cgoepa.bsky.social at a friend's house yesterday. Maybe I found the Battletech game I actually enjoy playing. Classic Battletech is far too procedural and slow for my taste. Alpha Strike gives a fast, furious and fun game.
2 German S-boats use the Hearty Knoll light vessel as cover to approach an East Coast convoy. I've just finished my convoy mini-campaign with mixed results: Of 12 freighters, 4 were sunk by the E-boats and one by a mine. One of the freighters was an easy target because she had run aground... 1/3
October 26, 2025 at 9:23 AM
2 German S-boats use the Hearty Knoll light vessel as cover to approach an East Coast convoy. I've just finished my convoy mini-campaign with mixed results: Of 12 freighters, 4 were sunk by the E-boats and one by a mine. One of the freighters was an easy target because she had run aground... 1/3
The SS Queensland, one of the convoy's largest ships, is torpedoed and sunk. At least the escorts heavily damaged and drove off four boats. But the night is still young, the moon is bright and the escort commander fears that more is yet to come... 2/2
October 25, 2025 at 10:27 AM
The SS Queensland, one of the convoy's largest ships, is torpedoed and sunk. At least the escorts heavily damaged and drove off four boats. But the night is still young, the moon is bright and the escort commander fears that more is yet to come... 2/2
Mayhem on the East Coast! A southbound convoy is attacked by E-boats off Cromer. I'm trying out a mini-campaign/scenario generator for Torpedoes and Tides. Will I be able to safely escort the sluggish merchantmen through E-boat Alley? 1/2
October 25, 2025 at 10:27 AM
Mayhem on the East Coast! A southbound convoy is attacked by E-boats off Cromer. I'm trying out a mini-campaign/scenario generator for Torpedoes and Tides. Will I be able to safely escort the sluggish merchantmen through E-boat Alley? 1/2
Look what I found at my parents' house. We didn't play either much, to be honest. I must have been 13 when I bought D&D on a holiday trip to England. Didn't find people to play it with though. Two or three years later, I had found some and we played GURPS instead.
October 17, 2025 at 6:48 PM
Look what I found at my parents' house. We didn't play either much, to be honest. I must have been 13 when I bought D&D on a holiday trip to England. Didn't find people to play it with though. Two or three years later, I had found some and we played GURPS instead.
In my game, this is exactly what happened: Due to the high speed of the Italian cruiser (represented as a high Q value in this game), the British torpedoes that could be launched didn't hit. One MTB was destroyed and another was heavily damaged. Very quick and fun scenario! #navalwargaming
October 11, 2025 at 8:33 AM
In my game, this is exactly what happened: Due to the high speed of the Italian cruiser (represented as a high Q value in this game), the British torpedoes that could be launched didn't hit. One MTB was destroyed and another was heavily damaged. Very quick and fun scenario! #navalwargaming
A small and quick scenario for Torpedoes and Tides: In the night of 17 July 1943, Italian cruiser Scipione Africano encountered four British MTBs while through the Straits of Messina. In a high speed encounter that lasted three minutes, she sank one MTB and heavily damaged another.
October 11, 2025 at 8:33 AM
A small and quick scenario for Torpedoes and Tides: In the night of 17 July 1943, Italian cruiser Scipione Africano encountered four British MTBs while through the Straits of Messina. In a high speed encounter that lasted three minutes, she sank one MTB and heavily damaged another.
Some East Coast Colliers and a tanker. Scratch built in 1/1250 out of cardboard, balsa wood and plastic, as I'm working on a short campaign (or series of linked scenarios) about East Coast convoys for Torpedoes and Tides. I'm especially interested in exploring the escort's side. #navalwargaming
October 5, 2025 at 10:08 AM
Some East Coast Colliers and a tanker. Scratch built in 1/1250 out of cardboard, balsa wood and plastic, as I'm working on a short campaign (or series of linked scenarios) about East Coast convoys for Torpedoes and Tides. I'm especially interested in exploring the escort's side. #navalwargaming
SGB 8's torpedo attack also missed, and while Albrighton's gunnery had badly damaged the freighter, it managed to limp to safety. Subdued, the British ships disengaged, but not before the plucky little sub chasers damaged the destroyer. Not the Royal Navy's finest day...
September 26, 2025 at 6:10 PM
SGB 8's torpedo attack also missed, and while Albrighton's gunnery had badly damaged the freighter, it managed to limp to safety. Subdued, the British ships disengaged, but not before the plucky little sub chasers damaged the destroyer. Not the Royal Navy's finest day...
Fire from the ex-French CH-5 class sub chasers (now used by the Germans) sank SGB 7. Albrighton shelled the freighter, while SGB 8 tried to get into position for a torpedo attack. This was a historical result, as in reality, SGB 7 exploded due to a hit in its unprotected boiler room.
September 26, 2025 at 6:10 PM
Fire from the ex-French CH-5 class sub chasers (now used by the Germans) sank SGB 7. Albrighton shelled the freighter, while SGB 8 tried to get into position for a torpedo attack. This was a historical result, as in reality, SGB 7 exploded due to a hit in its unprotected boiler room.
This #Torpedoes&Tides scenario was based on a historical action: in the early morning of 19 June 1942, three Steam Gun Boats of the 1st SGB flotilla, reinforced by the Hunt-class destroyer HMS Albrighton, attacked a German convoy. In our game, the first torpedo attack by SGB 8 missed the freighter!
September 26, 2025 at 6:10 PM
This #Torpedoes&Tides scenario was based on a historical action: in the early morning of 19 June 1942, three Steam Gun Boats of the 1st SGB flotilla, reinforced by the Hunt-class destroyer HMS Albrighton, attacked a German convoy. In our game, the first torpedo attack by SGB 8 missed the freighter!
Just finished scratch-building two French CH-5 class sub chasers in 1/1250. The proportions are off, but the things are tiny - only 3cm long. Commerical models are available, but I need them for a game on Friday, so no time for ordering. Tomorrow I'll paint them and then off we go. #navalwargaming
September 24, 2025 at 3:53 PM
Just finished scratch-building two French CH-5 class sub chasers in 1/1250. The proportions are off, but the things are tiny - only 3cm long. Commerical models are available, but I need them for a game on Friday, so no time for ordering. Tomorrow I'll paint them and then off we go. #navalwargaming
A S-boat is covering two battered comrades with smoke while British MTBs are closing in for the kill. Playtest of the "Hunting the Hunters" scenario for Torpedoes & Tides - one of four generic scenarios to be included in the book. I'm approaching the finishing line! #torpedoes&tides #navalwargaming
September 13, 2025 at 8:24 PM
A S-boat is covering two battered comrades with smoke while British MTBs are closing in for the kill. Playtest of the "Hunting the Hunters" scenario for Torpedoes & Tides - one of four generic scenarios to be included in the book. I'm approaching the finishing line! #torpedoes&tides #navalwargaming
Yesterday, we played Mythic Bastionland for the first time. I admit that I was a little sceptical (although I suggested & ran the game), but it worked quite well. I had some difficulties merging the mechanical and the narrative levels of the game, but I'm sure it will be better next time. #rpg
September 9, 2025 at 10:16 AM
Yesterday, we played Mythic Bastionland for the first time. I admit that I was a little sceptical (although I suggested & ran the game), but it worked quite well. I had some difficulties merging the mechanical and the narrative levels of the game, but I'm sure it will be better next time. #rpg
There's place for both. I buy ships, but some are very expensive, or not available, or just look like fun to build, so I try to scratch build them.
August 21, 2025 at 6:55 AM
There's place for both. I buy ships, but some are very expensive, or not available, or just look like fun to build, so I try to scratch build them.
I did one once: wargamingraft.wordpress.com/wp-content/u...
August 19, 2025 at 12:44 PM
I did one once: wargamingraft.wordpress.com/wp-content/u...
and we also had our old tavern brawl game for a quick bar fight in between. All participants had a lot of fun! #guardsoftraitorstoll #sellswords&spellslingers #miniaturesgaming #wargaming
August 17, 2025 at 10:54 AM
and we also had our old tavern brawl game for a quick bar fight in between. All participants had a lot of fun! #guardsoftraitorstoll #sellswords&spellslingers #miniaturesgaming #wargaming
We had an absolutely fantastic gaming event yesterday. With four games it was almost like a mini-con! @cgoepa.bsky.social presented a spectacular Guards of Traitor's Toll table, Martin game-mastered Sellswords & Spellslingers, I did an ancient Roman gang fight with Song of Shadows and Dust 1/2
August 17, 2025 at 10:54 AM
We had an absolutely fantastic gaming event yesterday. With four games it was almost like a mini-con! @cgoepa.bsky.social presented a spectacular Guards of Traitor's Toll table, Martin game-mastered Sellswords & Spellslingers, I did an ancient Roman gang fight with Song of Shadows and Dust 1/2