Games from the Abyss: An interview with Call of Cthulhu Champion Tom Capor (Part Two)

In Part One, Tom Capor and I discussed the Living Card Game (LCG) Call of Cthulhu. We got to know about Tom's history with the game, his influence on the community, and why we should all respect the Black Dog. Here is were things get a little emotional, as we discuss the discontinuation and the baggage that came along.

(CF) The game was discontinued last September. Was it an emotional change for you?

(Tom) "Definitely. After my first championship win in 2009 and being able to insert a piece of myself into the game, I was attached to the game. As my success continued, the game defined me as much as I began to define it. It became a major part of my life and I would accredit it for a lot of the relationships I hold today. So, now that it’s over, I feel lost. Tried playing other games and I’ve yet to find a game that offers the same level of play that Cthulhu had. So for now, I’m not gaming too seriously. Despite my intentions to compete in up to several games later this year. It should do wonders for my health though."

Games from the Abyss: An interview with Call of Cthulhu Champion Tom Capor (Part One)

In the fall of 2014 I was introduced to Call of Cthulhu: the Card Game. In the fall of 2015, the game was discontinued after ten plus years. It was one of the few games in which I played tournaments and was pretty upset when it came to an end. As a huge H.P. Lovecraft fan, I could appreciate how this game had mechanics that perfectly matched elements from the books... not to mention the art on the cards was captivating. I met some pretty amazing people through this game, including multi-World Champion winner, Tom Capor. He has the experience of play-testing for Fantasy Flight Games, creating customized lists for expansions, and even has his face featured on a few cards. More than any other player, he has helped shape the community and is so strongly tied to the game. I recently had the chance to talk with him about his love of the game and wanted to ask if there is any reason to play a dead Living Card game. 

Just a heads up, this goes into game play on a much more intricate level than usual. Tom goes into just enough detail for those who haven't played before that you can follow along. I, for one, recommend checking out Call of Cthulhu: the Card Game, but I'll get to that in Part Two.

The Void and The Rubik's Cube: Playing RPG's with Mixed Skill Levels

Expect the unexpected; this is the law of game masters and character players. No one knows what devious plots the GM concocts, and the GM can't always predict how the players will react. I could probably start an entire blog based on DnD games gone horribly wrong, and I'm sure a few of you can, too. For now, let's focus on my first campaign ever and how the GM was able to maintain interest in a game where everyone was divided - in and out of character.

Mastering the Rainbow: How to tackle drafting tournaments in Dice Masters

There are many ways to experience a game for the first time. My first exposure to Dice Masters wasn't even playing the game proper, it was a draft. A local store was holding a tournament and invited me to make a selection for someone who no-showed. Not going to sugar coat it: I am a sucker for opening mystery packages and looking at the art on cards. Of course I was going to love the draft, but I wasn't expecting to like the game itself. As it turns out, it's not only great to play casually, the Rainbow Draft/ Tournament combination is good introduction for anyone wanting to test their competitive game skills. I'd like to give a few tips for anyone interested in playing Dice Masters but have little experience playing in tournaments.

Star Wars: Rebellion - A Review from a Casual Player

*This was originally published on 4/8/16 on the Armada Tactics at Steel Squadron HQ blog, ran by my better half. Check out Biggs IRL and his posts here*
“Casual” gaming is sometimes confused with gaming set on “easy mode”. While I rarely play in tournaments, I do enjoy playing games with more strategy and finer mechanics. Meta-gaming doesn’t always hold my interest, but I can appreciate a system that continuously blends its engineering with its atmosphere. Yes, I fly casually, but I also enjoy the long hours spent playing games like Twilight Imperium. Actually, part of why I recommend Rebellion is because of how much similar it is to Twilight Imperium. It’s a universe that changes throughout the game and each player is given a pretty hard winning condition to meet. Anyone who regularly plays games like X-Wing Miniatures or Armada will like Rebellion, but it can pose as an interesting experience for anyone who enjoy the Star Wars series. I want to talk about this game from the perspective of a casual player – not only get other casual players to try this game, but to encourage more veteran players to challenge their counterparts with more complex gameplay.