WHAT IS COFFEE TABLE COMBAT?
COFFEE TABLE COMBAT is the companion blog to The Sage Brush page. While the TSB page will continue to cover all aspects of the hobby - painting, modeling, tutorials, painting showcases and product reviews - the focus of COFFEE TABLE COMBAT is specifically on tabletop skirmish-level adventure wargaming.
WHAT KIND OF GAMES WILL THIS BLOG COVER?
You can expect to see campaign write-ups, battle reports, and crew logs for a variety of science-fiction skirmish games. Current focus will be oriented towards Core Space, Stargrave, and especially Five Parsecs from Home, but you may eventually and occasionally see content for many other games such as Zone Raiders, StarBreach, Chrome Hammer: Ascension, Gangfight, Rogue Stars, Starport Scum and more!
From time to time you might also see content for skirmish games that are not strictly science fiction, such as Zona Alfa, Five Klicks from the Zone, and others as we explore the vast variety of skirmish games, especially if they are suitable for solo play.
Other games that will be featured here are DUST 1947 and Battletech (Classic and Alpha Strike varieties). Who knows, if something new catches my fancy, you might see it covered here too.
WHY "COFFEE TABLE COMBAT"?
There are a couple of reasons for the name of this blog. Primarily, it's a means to describe the scope of the action that will be taking place in most of the battle reports and crew logs that you will see on this blog. Though I will more accurately be playing on our dining room table, most of the battles will take place on a playing area that's anywhere from 2'x2' (60cm x 60cm) up to 2'x4' (60 cm x 120 cm). This is something that you could conceivably play on your coffee table while relaxing on the sofa, perhaps while playing co-op or against friends.
The other reason for the name is a reference to my other true passion in life - coffee. I was a barista for a few years and if there's one thing I know as well as gaming, it's a lifetime love of a quality cup of coffee. It's not as costly a habit as wargaming, perhaps, but one pays more than usual for the very best stuff. Coffee is what fuels me when I'm burning the midnight oil writing or getting in "one more turn".
WHAT'S A MINIATURE AGNOSTIC GAME?
The term "miniature agnostic" is used to refer to any tabletop game that does not mandate (and may not even produce) a dedicated line of miniatures to be used in the game. Some games (such as Stargrave) have "official" miniatures (by way of the North Star line of figures), others (such as StarBreach or Grimdark Future) tend to have factions that are heavily influenced by particular lines - allowing you to keep playing with your favorite miniatures without having to buy new rules and army books every 2-3 years, only to find that your favorite units are now obsolete or useless.
Some agnostic games don't have any particular type of miniature in mind at all! Five Parsecs from Home is a good example - you have certain attributes of your character such as species. If they are human or a robot, find a suitable figure in your collection or seek out one that really suits you! If the character is an alien, there may be some vaguely mentioned traits but it's all up to how you imagine them. This allows you a great deal of creative freedom.
Another benefit of a miniature agnostic game is that most of them are also scale agnostic. People might play with 28mm figures, or 32 or 40 - or even 15mm! Some players even use 6mm figures. Certain aspects of the game might change based on scale - most commonly being movement and combat ranges. If the game is usually played in 28mm scale, but you want to use 15mm miniatures (and there are some great ones!) then simply change any reference from inches to centimeters. Voila!
WHAT ABOUT SOLO SKIRMISH GAMES?
There are a great many tabletop games that are easily adapted to, or are primarily designed for, solo play. Especially in light of all the recent events that have kept most of us at home, rather than gaming with friends, solo gaming has been booming. These games use various types of "AI" to determine the actions of the opposition - whether that is determined by rolling dice, drawing cards, or following a flowchart of behaviors. This allows solo players to know how the enemy will behave, and can often be modified to accommodate the desired level of challenge.
While many of these games allow for campaign play, some of these games even have a degree of role-playing or narrative development to them. Five Parsecs from Home, for instance, allows players to determine the origins and motivations of each character, as well as handling events during the "downtime" between missions, interplanetary travel, and finding work.
There are many skirmish games that fit into one or both of these categories. Some of these games (such as Core Space) have provisions for co-op or multiplayer play, while others (like Five Parsecs) are more or less dedicated to solo play. But there's such a great variety, you're sure to find something you like!
Thank you for joining me!
- HeadHunter
(The Sage Brush)
