On this episode of Battles & Banter, Avery, Codie & Tony conclude their Overland Campaign series by discussing the final battle before the transition to the Petersburg Campaign: the Battle of Cold Harbor. Perhaps the most misunderstood battle of the campaign, popular history has heralded Cold Harbor as Robert E. Lee's last great battlefield victory and the clash that gave Ulysses S. Grant the moniker of "BUTCHER" in both southern and northern newspapers alike. The guys take a stab at these myths while also dissecting this crucial engagement and it's larger importance in context with the Civil War. Also, Codie has perhaps the greatest introduction in BnB history...so far...so strap in for an awesome ride. Enjoy!

On another solo episode of Battles & Banter, Avery continues the story that followed Task Force Smith's stand at Osan, the first battle between American & North Korean forces in the Korean War. Avery charts the fights that followed and what inevitably led to the last stand of the U.S. 24th Infantry Division at the city of Taejon (modern day Daejeon), located 100 miles south of Seoul and 124 miles northwest of Pusan (modern day Busan). The Korean War is currently in it's 70th Commemoration and Avery wants to cover as much as possible to help bring attention and awareness to one of the most overlooked and bats**t crazy military conflicts in U.S. history. This episode is released as the Battle of Taejon began 70 years ago today. Enjoy!

The Overland Campaign series continues on this episode of Battles & Banter, as it is just Avery & Codie on a nice, bromantic evening as they discuss the fighting that took place between the Union Army of the Potomac and the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia along the banks of the North Anna River, just 40 miles north of the Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia. The guys discuss this mostly overlooked engagement of the Overland Campaign and why it is so important to the bigger outlook of things in 1864. There's also much talk of "Hamilton", as Codie's finally on the bandwagon (thanks Disney+), and Tony's presence is greatly missed. Enjoy!

On this unique episode of Battles & Banter, Avery goes solo on this one to complete a spur-of-the-moment episode on the 70th anniversary of the United States' first battle with North Korean troops during the Korean War: the Battle of Osan. On July 5th, 1950 an infantry battalion of the 21st U.S. Infantry Regiment and a howitzer battery of the 52nd U.S. Field Artillery Battalion took on nearly 5,000 North Korean troops & 34 tanks just outside the South Korean village of Osan, 25 miles south of Seoul. Avery discusses the groundwork that led to the conflict on the Korean Peninsula and eventually, Task Force Smith fighting for their lives outside of Osan. Since this is the first solo episode, we'll treat it like an experiment; if you like it, there will be more and if not...well that's not up to you! Enjoy!

Oh yeah! This was a long time coming! On this episode of Battles & Banter, Avery is joined by Julia Wall, Mary Challman of the "Monster Movie Happy Hour" Podcast, and Patrick McGuire & Matt Borders of "The History Things Podcast" to discuss perhaps the most popular military engagement in all of fantasy: The Battle of Helm's Deep, as seen in "Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers". The gang discusses the tactical pros and cons of both the Rohan defenders under King Theoden and the Uruk Hai hordes of the White Wizard Saruman. Things get super nerdy and they hype for this episode among the host and co-hosts is very real. This may very well be the beginning of the Fantasy battle crew on Battles & Banter. Enjoy!

In the explosive conclusion of the Spotsylvania Court House trilogy, Avery, Codie & Tony discuss the final days of the longest single battle of the American Civil War. Myers' Hill, the brief engagement between Thomas Rosser's Virginia Cavalry and Edward Ferrero's USCT regiments, Grant's final assaults on Lee's line on May 18th, and the botched Confederate counterattack at the Harris Farm are all the main points of discussion as the guys tumble through the end of the fighting at Spotsylvania. Also, Codie can't stop messing with his hair and it's hilarious. Enjoy!

Avery, Codie & Tony, along with a brief cameo by Jake Wynn of "Pennsylvania in the Civil War" & the Clara Barton Missing Soldiers Office, pick up with the second installment of the Spotsylvania Court House trilogy. On this episode, the guys talk about the horrendous scene of combat that took place at the "Mule Shoe" Salient at the center of the Confederate line. Between May 12-13, 1864, the Union Army of the Potomac & Confederate Army of Northern Virginia engaged in 22 hours of sustained hand-to-hand combat in the pouring down rain! The guys try to make sense of such a harrowing display of carnage on the battlefield, while keeping calm and carrying on. Enjoy!

On this special episode of Battles & Banter, Avery is joined by recurring guest host Jeff Martin to discuss a piece of American history that has not been heavily examined until recently: the 1985 raid and bombing of the MOVE Black Liberation group by the Philadelphia Police Department. In these uncertain times, it is important to examine the past and hopefully learn the lessons it can teach us. In this episode, Avery & Jeff discuss the forgotten standoff between police and MOVE, and examine what led to the police dropping an aerial bomb on a Philadelphia neighborhood. DISCLAIMER: the point of this episode is not to get political or offend certain parties out there, but to bring this topic to light and relate it to current events. It's an emotional and sensitive subject, but we still hope you enjoy.

On this episode of BnB, we continue into the Overland Campaign of 1864 with the beginning of a new trilogy of Civil War episodes. Avery, Codie & Tony convene to discuss the first days of the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House, Virginia, which was the single longest individual battle of the American Civil War; fought from May 8-21, 1864, the fighting between the forces under General Grant and General Lee would see the continuation of the bloody trench warfare that began at the Wilderness on May 5-6. The guys discuss the shifting of the armies as they began the fighting in the more open terrain around Spotsylvania, as well as various foods, drink and Codie's seemingly flawless transformation into Michael McDonald. Strap in for a good time and enjoy!

On this fictional battle episode of "Battles & Banter", Avery is joined by Patrick McGuire of "History Things with Pat", Rebekah Oakes Ryer of Martin Van Buren Historic Site, Mary Challman of the "Monster Movie Happy Hour Podcast" & University of Alabama graduate student, Julia Wall. Their topic: The Battle of Winterfell from the final season of Game of Thrones. (SPOILERS AHEAD) The group dissects the battle from all angles, analyzes the tactics on both sides, and even does some crossover arguments from other franchises like Harry Potter & Lord of the Rings. It's a hilarious ride so strap in for an entertaining stroll through nerdy fandom! Enjoy!