Table Talk

In this episode, we share highlights from our recent travels to the Flesh and Blood TCG Pro Tour in Las Vegas and to the Erik's Curiosa offices in New Zealand (Sorcery TCG). The filming and conversations at each were enlightening.

• 00:06:12 Here Be Monsters TCG News
• 00:08:57 Hubworld: Aidalon News
• 00:25:26 Alpha Clash TCG News
• 00:32:07 Flesh and Blood TCG News
• 00:37:35 Warlord TCG News
• 00:42:07 Marvel Champions LCG and Arkham Horror LCG News
• 00:45:46 Main Topic: There and Back Again - New Zealand & Vegas

We can all feel it. So many new TCGs on the market, so many new products from the old games, digital repacks, exclusives, stretch goals, and a seemingly endless supply of gimmicks. Perhaps we've lost our way. Perhaps it's time to return to the fundamentals.

• 00:02:36 Here Be Monsters TCG News
• 00:09:05 Alpha Clash TCG News
• 00:20:48 TCGs in the Internet Age
• 00:22:03 FAB TCG News
• 00:25:37 Sorcery TCG News
• 00:43:53 Ashes Ascendancy News
• 00:44:19 Warlord TCG News
• 00:44:27 Earthborne Games News
• 00:47:39 Arkham Horror and Marvel Champions News
• 00:48:14 Covenant News
• 00:51:34 Social Segment
• 01:13:59 Main Topic: The TCG Fatigue Is Real

This week, Here Be Monsters TCG launched their Kickstarter campaign with a game-changing business model. Are they the first to solve the problem of TCGs without jettisoning all the upsides? We think that just might be the case!

• 00:00:00 Intro
• 00:08:32 Here Be Monsters TCG News
• 00:12:02 Zattic News
• 00:13:39 Alpha Clash TCG News
• 00:14:56 Flesh and Blood TCG News
• 00:19:07 Sorcery TCG News
• 00:19:31 Subjective Assessment of Art
• 00:24:34 Earthborne Games News
• 00:31:22 Viewer Question 1
• 00:32:28 Viewer Question 2
• 00:38:31 Ashes Ascendency News
• 00:43:13 Covenant News
• 00:48:35 Canadian News
• 00:54:16 Lightning Round!
• 01:04:13 Main Topic: Is Here Be Monsters the Perfect Indie TCG?

Get your own demo deck: https://www.teamcovenant.com/games/here-be-monsters-tcg

Learn more: http://cov.link/here-be-monsters

It's time we addressed the perennial question.

• 00:36:38 Main Topic: Are TCGs Gambling?

On a fateful Monday, BradW shared an ad for Rush of Ikorr, the TCG from Upper Deck, coming to their ePack platform. What's the ePack platform, you ask? An abomination. It's not what tabletop is, and it misses the point completely. Digital integration? We don't want it, and it's ruining the hobby. Join us for a direct message to publishers thinking this is the future—it isn't.

• 40:30 Main Topic

Our current crowdfunding and tcg-heavy tabletop gaming era necessitates a question: is there nobility in removing overtly FOMO-creating elements from your campaigns and product design, or are you just losing sales?

• 00:00:00 Intro
• 00:04:42 Sorcery TCG News
• 00:07:23 Warlord TCG News
• 00:07:44 Alpha Clash TCG News
• 00:08:03 Arkham Horror The Card Game & Marvel Champions News
• 00:21:42 FAB TCG News
• 00:22:04 Covenant News
• 00:23:24 Main Topic: FOMO

A few weeks ago, the Earthborne team came to our office to share a vertical slice of their new game, Earthborne Trailblazer, with us, our team, and three fans of Rangers. Now, with the launch of the Earthborne Trailblazer Kickstarter, we are excited to share our thoughts with the world!

Earthborne Trailblazer Kickstarter: cov.link/earthborne-trailblazer

• 00:50:49 Main Topic: Earthborne Trailblazer First Impressions

Traditional distribution serves a critical function for tabletop gaming, but for many publishers it is often a hindrance to success—that's why we launched Covenant Fulfilled earlier this year. With the platform receiving a number of updates this week, including the addition of Earthborne Games, we're diving into exactly how our approach to distribution was a necessary improvement for indie publishers.

• 27:51 Steven Rafts the Valley
• 41:07 Main Topic: Why Distribution Had to Change

All last week we stared at the beautiful Earthborne Trailblazer board, created by Evan Simonet and inspired by Jaro Hess's "The Land of Make Believe". This week we wake up to a fresh controversy involving long time Magic: The Gathering artist Dan Frazier. There is clearly a line somewhere between the kind of artistic inspiration that both grounds and elevates a project and sticking so close to your reference that whatever you create lacks soul. Join us as we dive into the murky but refreshing waters of references, inspiration, and the act of creation in a post-modern world.

Fresh off of their Earthborne Trailblazer announcement, Andrew Navaro joins us to answer your questions and ours!