Pike & Shot(te) Video game review

In a new departure for this site, here's a link to a YouTube video I managed to create in which I do a very bad job of playing Slitherine's new Renaissance video game based on FoG:R, Pike & Shot.

You can see it on YouTube here.

Here also are a couple of screen-grabs of the YouTube video of the game.

Overall it's very simple to pick up, the game rattles along at a decent pace and the AI appears to be sensible - no MTW-style clouds of units milling around aimlessly here!  However the graphics are a little basic to say the least, and it's hard to imagine why they haven't included at least a simple form of Campaign Mode in the core game (I think it's under way and planned for an update soon).

That, for me, means the current price of close on £40 (I think £36 as I write this..?) is probably a little bit on the steep side - even accepting the "this is for a limited audience so the price will need to be different to a Total War type title" argument. Once this isn't "shiny and new" and Slitherine presumably decide to knock a few quid off and it will start to look a lot more sensible - add the campaign mode and this will be even more true. Anyway, a decent game and also your only choice for this relatively obscure and poorly served period in the games market.

See how much it costs on Slitherine's site now!

The Maratha In The Southern League

Don "The Don" McHugh organised a round of the Southern League one-day FoGR competition in chilly Clevedon recently and this encouraged me to field yet another new army (made up of rather dubiously morphed old figures) - the Maratha.

Now, in 3 fully detailed and historically accurate match reports you can see how the Renaissance Indians did against Samurai, Jin Chinese and finally full widescreen Technicolor Aztecs.

The reports also feature expert critique and analysis from a new member of the Madaxeman.com Pundits Panel, our resident expert on Indian armies, the legendary General and Indian King Hannibalipuripathi

Godendingdag FoG:R Lists

5 lists from Godedingdangdag 2012 now added into the "still in beta but you can try it" FoG:R Wiki. They include Hugenot, Early Imperial Spanish, Hindu Indian, Early Danish (which came 1st) and Later Imperial Austrian

Britcon 2011 Match Reports

Finally - the 6 match reports from Britcon 2011 are now completed and published on this site.

Marvel at the skill of the Louis XIV Frenchies as they line up and advance to the sound of the guns, usually swearing violently in French as they go!

Gasp at a fabulous array of almost incomprehensible battle maps !

And luxuriate in the insightful post-game analysis of Sir Henry "Renaissance" Hannibal !

Final Oxford FoG:R Report

See what happens when Sir Henry Hannibal meets Swiss Tony !

"Playing FoG:Renaissance is like making love to a beautiful woman...."

Oxford - FoG Renaissance Game 3

A Right Royal Catholic Civil War takes place. Click the photo to go to the Report

First FoG Renaissance Battle Reports

The first two reports (of 4) from Oxford FoG:R Doubles have been posted - TYW Catholics vs Swedes and then Ottomans. Get a feel for how the forthcoming rules work, and also meet the greatest general of the Renaissance age, Sir Henry Hannibal!

Clink on the links in this post to go to the report.