A Package from America: "Fire in the Lake" COIN Board Game - GMT P500

In the hedonistic (pre-Covid) days where the UK pound was much stronger than the dollar, so transatlantic shipping(*) from America was offset by the nice GMT P500 discount, I saw the jewel of the COIN crown was being reprinted so I jumped on that P500 train without hesitation. Now, my long term investment (years of waiting/forgetting) has paid off as the postman passed on a suitably (or dare I say delightfully) heavy parcel to me (see below, the box art is beautiful, the Huey is so iconic of Vietnam [got to make one of those in 1/72] and the scene below seems straight from "Apocalypse Now" - the red setting sun and steaming jungle):

(*) Note: Appreciation and kudos goes out to Second Chance Games as they partially offset this cost with their Euro Friendly Shipping arrangement with GMT.  

Inside the geography jumps up from a beautifully mounted map board (see below, a geography map straight from teh classroom, bended with some lovely photo art, class!): 

Then there are the meeples, the event cards, the rules, the bot instructions and the scenarios (see below, a long winter night or two will be spent around this one for sure): 

It is a thing of pure beauty to behold and a nice companion to "A Distant Plain". 

Labyrinth - Interview

Behold a mighty game (see below, Labyrinth):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9jCUoxAW9o&utm_source=GMT+Games&utm_campaign=b412aab6a8-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2020_01_15_07_28&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_a53b26436f-b412aab6a8-16020641

This game is on my "wish list" but I also have to play "A Distant Plain"

An "Electronic" version no less:
https://www.playdekgames.com/?utm_source=GMT+Games&utm_campaign=b412aab6a8-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2020_01_15_07_28&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_a53b26436f-b412aab6a8-16020641

Listen Up: Interesting Podcasts from People associated with GMT Games

Wargaming and Board Gaming Podcasts:

GMT Games: Gene Billingsley
Part1 :-
https://soundcloud.com/harold-buchanan/podcast-16-gene-billingsley-part-1-of-2?utm_source=GMT+Games&utm_campaign=4983b50a86-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2019_02_20_10_08&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_a53b26436f-4983b50a86-16020641

Part 2:-
https://soundcloud.com/harold-buchanan/part-2-of-podcast-16-gene-billingsley-of-gmt-games-part-2-of-2?utm_source=GMT+Games&utm_campaign=4983b50a86-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2019_02_20_10_08&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_a53b26436f-4983b50a86-16020641

Note: Gene Billingsley is the editor of GMT Games

Volko-Ruhnke :-
https://soundcloud.com/harold-buchanan/harold-on-games-podcast-1-with-volko-ruhnke?utm_source=GMT+Games&utm_campaign=4983b50a86-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2019_02_20_10_08&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_a53b26436f-4983b50a86-16020641

Brian Train :-
https://soundcloud.com/harold-buchanan/harold-on-games-podcast-12-with-brian-train?utm_source=GMT+Games&utm_campaign=4983b50a86-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2019_02_20_10_08&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_a53b26436f-4983b50a86-16020641

Note: Brian Train and Volko-Ruhnke are the Designers/Authors of " Distant Plain"

Bruce Mansfield and Mike Bertucelli :-
https://soundcloud.com/harold-buchanan/bruce-ts-interview-final?utm_source=GMT+Games&utm_campaign=4983b50a86-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2019_02_20_10_08&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_a53b26436f-4983b50a86-16020641

Ananda Gupta :-
https://soundcloud.com/harold-buchanan/ananda-final?utm_source=GMT+Games&utm_campaign=4983b50a86-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2019_02_20_10_08&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_a53b26436f-4983b50a86-16020641

Mark Herman :-
https://soundcloud.com/harold-buchanan/podcast-14-mark-herman?utm_source=GMT+Games&utm_campaign=4983b50a86-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2019_02_20_10_08&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_a53b26436f-4983b50a86-16020641

Jeff Grossman :-
https://soundcloud.com/harold-buchanan/podcast-15-jeff-grossman?utm_source=GMT+Games&utm_campaign=4983b50a86-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2019_02_20_10_08&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_a53b26436f-4983b50a86-16020641

Morgane Gouyou-Rety :-
https://soundcloud.com/harold-buchanan/podcast-17-morgane-gouyon-rety?utm_source=GMT+Games&utm_campaign=4983b50a86-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2019_02_20_10_08&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_a53b26436f-4983b50a86-16020641

As of time of posting I had not as yet listened to them, but this post is my back catalogue of Podcasts I want to listen to!

GMT Board Game: "A Distant Plain" Third Reprint

This one has been on the "bucket list" for some time now - alongside Matrix Games. "Out of Print" and at ridiculous eBay prices prohibited my earlier attempts at getting it. However after signing up on the GMT P500 reprint scheme (one year later) I am the proud owner of said game (see below, see Board Game Geek listing: https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/127518/distant-plain):

It is part of the Counter Insurgency (COIN) genre of games, asymmetrical warfare. It has also been promoted by various speakers over the years at the Connections UK Conference. More impressively it has been acknowledged as a respected and informed narrative on the dynamics of the conflict. The co-designers Brian Train and Volko Ruhnke alongside their keynote addresses at UK Connections 2018 gave de-construction insight to a military replay by active serving officers and governmental officials. So in the same vain that I "had to" get Advanced Squad Leader (ASL) because the 1st Royal Irish Commander Ivor Gardiner recommended it, this was a "bucket list" must for me! The hidden bonus is that it has "high" solitaire play (bots can run three of the sides) so there is no excuse in not getting it played over Xmas.

You Tube Videos explaining the game:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJnCTsej-0o
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=a+distant+plain