An Unexpected Podcast: Recent Episodes
Tim
Sorry for all who were the victims of my miss post (Alisher). I this episode, Matt, Evan, and Alisher review the most recent Errata/FAQ and provide their thoughts on the changes.
In this episode, Matt, Evan, and Alisher review the Angmar profile and begin to delve into the legions!
In this episode, Matt, Evan, and Alisher talk about their experiences at Adepticon and The Nations Cup. They review their lists, talk about the format, and discuss their games.
In this episode, Matt, Evan Alisher, and (surprise surprise, he's not dead) Rainier, finish up reviewing the Rohan factions and also talk a bit about Adoption.
In this episode Matt, Evan, and Alisher continue to review the Lord of the Rings era Rohan factions!
In his episode Matt, Evan, and Alisher begin reviewing the Rohan profiles and offer their thoughts on the competitive merits of the factions.
In this episode Matt, Evan, Rainier, Mik and Alisher talk about Rainier's journey returning to the game and review the Gondor profiles and corresponding legions. We talk about the lists' competitive viability and overall enjoyment!
In this episode Matt, Even, Alisher, and returning host Rainier talk about his return to the game! We also have a spotlight discussion about the differences between the Veto System and Random Scenario Selection.
In this episode the crew review the six new scenarios, discuss their experience playing them, and talk about how they factor into VETO decision making.
In this episode, Matt, Evan, Alisher and special guest Trey Haupt discuss all things Nova Open (America's largest GT). At this event our very own Matt Iverson took home the gold, and Trey became the youngest Nova placer by securing third in the event. The crew discuss the competitive predictions they got right, and review some of the surprising armies that found their way into the top 10 at the event.
In this episode, Matt, Evan, and Alisher talk about the current competitive landscape of the Middle Earth Strategy Battle game. We discuss Ardacon tournament performance, and take a closer look at a few of the more competitive choices in the game currently.
In this episode the crew discuss the current competitive landscape now that the new edition is out in its entirety!
In this Episode, Matt, Evan, Mik, and Alisher take a look at some of the remaining good profiles in the Armies of the Lord of the Rings book! They review the ins and outs of how the lists work and give them a competitive ranking.
In this episode, Matt, Evan, and Alisher begin to break down the good army lists/profiles in the Lord of the Rings profile book and offer their analysis on the competitive merits/deficiencies of each of the lists.
In this episode of the Unexpected Podcast the crew review the Evil Hobbit Armies and provide their competitive analysis on which lists they believe will integrate well into the new meta!
In this video Matt, Evan and Alisher take a look at the remaining good Hobbit army lists/profiles and offer their perspectives on the competitive merits of the lists!
In this video, the crew begins to look over "good" faction profiles and lists from the Armies of the Hobbit book! Evan, Matt, Devin, and Alisher discuss the rules of the factions and analyse the competitive merits of each faction list (including what points they may be good at).
In this episode of an Unexpected Podcast, the crew talk about their early impressions of the new edition including some of they play experiences along with their likes, dislikes, and takes on what will represent the new meta.
In this episode of the Unexpected Podcast, the crew discuss the recent pre-order announcement of the new edition and discuss/analyze the the competitive implications of some leaked rules!
In this episode of the Unexpected Podcast, the crew discuss their experiences playing some of the different legions in the new Rise of Angmar MESBG Supplement and offer competitive analysis on some of their specific game play. Additionally, the team talks about everything related to the upcoming new edition, the War of the Rohirrim movie, and the current season of the Rings of Power (hot takes incoming?.....).
In this episode the crew recaps their Ardacon experiences with fellow Team America teammate Ted Cantu. We discuss our favorite moments from the Masters and Grand Tournament, before pivoting and talking about all things Rise of Angmar!
In this Episode we preview and discuss Ardacon 2024 and take a look at the most recent MESBG teaser for the Arnor Supplement. In our Ardacon Preview we take a look and discuss the thought process behind several of the "Team America" lists and Matt, Evan, and Alisher discuss their Ardacon Masters lists.
The crew is back the Nations Cup to discuss their adventures in Antwerp! Joining us today is special guest John from the Any Heroics Podcast, to talk all things international SBG.
Make sure to check out our friends over at Ardacon SBG International: www.ardaconsbg.com!
Monsters! Monsters! Monsters! Join as we discuss all things Monster in SBG. Who (what?) do we like? Who (what?) do we not! What do we think is viable? Join us and find out!
Make sure to check out our friends over at Ardacon SBG International: www.ardaconsbg.com!
Hello again friends! Join us as we discuss the latest FAQ. We then dive into a discussion about some unusual cavalry you have more than likely seen across the table... chariots, camels, basically if it spits or slides we cover it!
Make sure to check out our friends over at Ardacon SBG International: www.ardaconsbg.com!
Hello friends! Today we take some time to drool over the exciting new model teaser for Arnor... before transitioning to a more serious topic. Has the meta stagnated? Is the game in a rut? And what can be done about it? Join us!
Make sure to check out our friends over at Ardacon SBG International: www.ardaconsbg.com!
Join us as the crew recounts their experiences at the Dutch GT with special guest Jeroen Felix!
Make sure to check out our friends over at Ardacon SBG International: www.ardaconsbg.com!
In the last episode, we took a look at the Pits of Dol Guldur legion and how to beat it. Today, we put our money where our mouth is as Matt pilots the Return of the King against Evan's Pits build.
Make sure to check out our friends over at Ardacon SBG International: www.ardaconsbg.com!
Gluten tag friends! Azog and his pita dwelling buddies have been at the upper crust of SBG for some time. Today we chew on this legion, and how you can bring the heat and rise to the challenge when it shows up!
Make sure to check out our friends over at Ardacon SBG International: www.ardaconsbg.com!
Nothing like having a perfect plan, and watching it all go sideways due to the vagaries of fate. Join us for a discussion of some of our favorite 'unlikely' moments we've had in our games!
Make sure to check out our friends over at Ardacon SBG International: www.ardaconsbg.com!
Following up on our chat discussing the Easterling Dragon Emperor and his fearsome legion, we have a clash of the titans to put theory to the test. Join us as Matt pilots his proven Easterling list against Evan in a mock battle!
Make sure to check out our friends over at Ardacon SBG International: www.ardaconsbg.com!
The Dragon Emperor continues to slice his way through the world of SBG without mercy. So who can stand up to such a terrible foe? Join us as we put together some lists to counter the infamous Easterling menae.
Make sure to check out our friends over at Ardacon SBG International: www.ardaconsbg.com!
Coming off the heels of our adventures in the UK, We are lucky to be joined by this years Ardacon International Masters winner Kylie Stevenson for a recap of the NOVA Open!
Make sure to check out our friends over at Ardacon SBG International: www.ardaconsbg.com!
We finish our recap of our experiences at Ardacon 2023! Join us to see how the podcast crew fared!
Make sure to check out our friends over at Ardacon SBG International: www.ardaconsbg.com!
Ardacon 2023 has come and gone. Help us get over our post tournament blues by joining us for our first Ardacon Recap!
Make sure to check out our friends over at Ardacon SBG International: www.ardaconsbg.com!
Assault on Assault on Lothlorien! Helm's Deep? Never heard of her. Master of Laketown? More like Master of Everytown. This FAQ was a doozy! Join us as we break it down!
Make sure to check out our friends over at Ardacon SBG International: www.ardaconsbg.com!
It's the event of the year! So very soon, the team is going to Ardacon once again! Join us as we preview the lists that will be storming the World Team Championships. Oh and I guess we review a listener list from some traitor maggot named Rob or something.
Make sure to check out our friends over at Ardacon SBG International: www.ardaconsbg.com!
Did you hear that? Nah... I'm sure it was nothing. Just jumping at shadows... Anyway, come join us in a discussion of everyone's favorite soft list for casual game night: the Assault on Lothlorien.
Make sure to check out our friends over at Ardacon SBG International: www.ardaconsbg.com!
Join us for a large discussion covering a wide variety of topics, from the US competitive scene to Ardacon with special guest Alisher Aminov of Philly SBG.
Make sure to check out our friends over at Ardacon SBG International: www.ardaconsbg.com!
The Canadian SBG scene continues to thrive, . Join us as we take a look at the meta up north with a special guest, the one and only Justin Betrand!
Make sure to check out our friends over at Ardacon SBG International: www.ardaconsbg.com!
The reign of men is over. The time of the Orc has truly come. Or at least the Uruk Hai, 10,000 at least. Tell me, what can men do against such reckless hate? ... We Will! Join us as we discuss a list that has dominated since the day it dropped. With returning special guest Alessandro!
Make sure to check out our friends over at Ardacon SBG International: www.ardaconsbg.com!
Come join us as we review a mountain of lists from the ETC!
Make sure to check out our friends over at Ardacon SBG International: www.ardaconsbg.com!
Playing cavalry armies can be tricky, but luckily the Unexpected Crew are here to talk it through! We also go over some major changes coming to the NOVA Open format later this year!
Make sure to check out our friends over at Ardacon SBG International: www.ardaconsbg.com!
In this episode we talk about the important, albeit very subjective, topic of competitiveness and sportsmanship. How competitive is too competitive? When does the competitive drive go too far? Where do you draw the line between pushing the competitive line and outright cheating?
We also give some tips on how to survive the brave new world that is the post-FAQ meta...
Make sure to check out our friends over at Ardacon SBG International: www.ardaconsbg.com!
As with all miniature wargaming communities, 3D Printing has increasingly become a part of our hobby ecosystem. Join us for a discussion on what this means for SBG as a whole, for events, and general questions surrounding ethics and the practice. We are joined by special guests Harry Parkhill of Entmoot Podcast and James Clark of Ardacon SBG.
We apologize for some audio issues early in the episode. Please stick around, it gets better!
Make sure to check out our friends over at Ardacon SBG International: www.ardaconsbg.com!
We all have them. Those profiles we dislike. And usually for good reason... but in this episode, we don't got one! Join us for a completely irrational subjective rant about profiles, with which there is nothing objectively wrong at all, that we simply just can't stand all the same!
Join the crew as they discuss their top three favorite factions in SBG and why they chose them!
Join us as we (Lord of the) Ring in the New Year with our first record of 2023! In addition to our usual list review, we discuss some exciting upcoming releases and then revisit an old topic, our personal top 5 favorite profiles, revised after a year of new releases, updates and errata.
Happy New Year from an Unexpected Podcast!
Have a favorite model that you feel is under represented on the tabletop? So do we. Join us as we discuss ways to incorporate models we feel are underused in your competitive lists. Furthermore, as a bonus, the crew is joined by special guest, Italian SBG sensation Alessandro Sganzerla to chat about his recent experiences at Masters level tournaments.
We've all been there. The round timer is short and the clock looms over your game. You may wish you had been given just a few minutes more, and so do all who go to play at such events. But that is not for us to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us... Join us for a discussion on how to effectively manage your time in events with short rounds!
And Happy Holidays to all our listeners!
The glorious Battle for Osgiliath boxed set has arrived, and with it a brand new rulebook. Has anything changed? Surprisingly, yes! Join us as we review the new boxed set and take a look at some of the subtle changes to the rules with the newest iteration of the Strategy Battle Game.
Happy Thanksgiving to all our listeners!
In this episode, we talk through the bespoke scenarios in the forthcoming Shadow in the East event in Rhode Island. In addition to our standard fare of list reviews and banter, the crew also take some time to share what we are thankful for in the world of SBG during this holiday season. So strap in and join us!
With several of the Ardacon SBG International System Opens on the books, the crew take a look at the winning lists from the USA, Italy, Germany, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland.
Rainier, Devin and Rob discuss their experiences at the Battle of Lancaster Fields tournament as part of the Fall In! Convention. How do the crew fare and why is it Faramir's fault? Tune in!
Then the crew do a bit of a list building workshop, going through the various elements they consider when build competitive lists... including a 'live' list build by Evan.
Join us for a short-ish discussion on recent events past and future while we sit in the eye of the hurricane between a flurry of tournaments!
Rings of Power season one has come and gone! Join the crew for a spoilerific discussion of the season Finale followed by a group brainstorm of how to best represent the characters and armies from the show on the tabletop using current SBG profiles!
Henry joins the crew once again as we unpack the winning lists of the recent Australian Masters event, and Mik gives us an overview of his experience at the London GT.
Continuing our 'around the world' series of diagnosing the global SBG meta, the group is joined by special guest and friend of the podcast Henry Kerr for a fascinating discussion on the state of the game in Australia!
As the long shadow of Evil continues to blanket the land, the crew explore ways Good armies can start to fight back in an unfriendly meta. Join us as we discuss ways players can leverage Good armies’ strengths to taste competitive success. And most important of all, this episode features the much anticipated and very welcome return of Rainier!
On this episode, we are joined by a very special guest, and great friend of the podcast, James 'Ardacon' Clark to discuss our take on the UK meta, backed up by some great analytics from the world's largest SBG event!
In addition, Mik has his list savaged by the crowd, and we engage in some fun (spoilery) discussion of Rings of Power!
The NOVA Open has come and gone, and over 80 players from around North America fought for the title of Champion and a ticket to the Ardacon Masters Invitational. With the dust settled, we take a look at what lists showed up, which ones did well and what this all suggests about the state of the SBG Meta!
Our Ardacon coverage comes to a close with part four of our series, wrapping up with Matt and Evan's storied recounting of their glories in battle. Ish.
On this episode, Evan finally learns how bow limit works, and Matt injures his back carrying the team. Join us!
With the Masters and Doubles done and dusted, the Unexpected crew finally tackle the Ardacon World Team Championship. On this episode Mik and Rob give a rundown of their games while Evan dutifully heckles.
Wherein Gulavhar terrorizes the Masters, Elrond is lured to his death by a chicken, and Mik's rise back to glory doesn't last Forlong.
Here we talk about the relevance and strategy of Good Vs Evil tournaments in Middle Earth SBG.
Here we go over the Fall of the Necromancer Supplement
List Review: Beginning of the video
Legendary Legions Review: 26:30
The Podcast give their thoughts on the Meta of SBG and review the latest tournament in the East Coast of America
List Review: Beginning of Video
Legendary Legions we want to see: 17:01
Chaos in Arda: 27:45
Tournament Strategies: 34:00
Stick to one Army? Or keep switching? 1:00:00
NOVA Replacement 1:14:56
MESBG Analysis: 1:18:18
Members of the British Columbia Canadian community talk on this episode about the meta in their part of the world.
Here we go over the Fiefdoms faction
Easterling Acolytes Profile Review: Beginning of Episode
NOVA Cancellation: 19:13
List Review: 21:45
Fiefdoms Review: 35:48
Here we talk about the top 5 profiles we try to fit into every single list.
Main Topic: 13:17
Here we talk about questions you have for the podcast crew
Armies we own/favorite armies
Tournaments we host
Azog's Hunters help
Rules we like
Rules we would change
Master of Battle Conundrum
How necessary is the Shadow Lord
Here we give some corsair of umbar list ideas for various point levels. This is for the Middle Earth Strategy Battle Game
Here we talk about an in depth review of Corsairs of Umbar for Middle Earth SBG.
List review: Beginning of the episode
Main Topic: 19:49
Here we go over some unique competitive lists in Middle Earth SBG. These are hopefully lists that you have never seen before on the table top and would still do well in tournaments
Here we give our thoughts on the February 2021 FAQ for Middle Earth Strategy Battle Game
Here we go over our ideas for Easterling and Khand lists in Middle Earth SBG
00:00 Mordor Seige Bow list review
31:55 Lothlorien List Review
58:09 Easterling List reviews
Here we review the Army of Laketown
TIMESTAMPS
List Review: Beginning of Video
Army of Laketown Review: :25:20
Here we review the Survivors of Laketown Faction
TIMESTAMPS
List Review: Beginning of Video
Survivors of Laketown Faction: 19:20
Radagast, Gandalf the Grey, Gandalf the White, Sarman, Evil Saruman.......WHO IS THE BEST??
List Review: Beginning of the Video
Wizard Debate: 28:50
Here we talk about the Barad Dur Faction for Middle Earth SBG
TIMESTAMPS
List Review: Beginning of the video
Barad dur Review: 17:30
In this scenario, the Podcast crew will be going over the Destroy the Supplies scenario!
Today we go over the Breakthrough scenario from the new 6 scenarios in the General's Handbook
The podcast goes in depth on our review of the Retrieval mission
TIMESTAMPS:
Easterling List Review: Beginning of Video
Scenario Review: 23:50
1st List: Battle of Five Armies: 3:45
2nd List: Minas Tirith 27:52
3rd List: Mordor 46:54
4th List: Moria (Spiders) 1:07:24
The Duel: 1:26:52
The podcast talks in depth about all of Angmar!
Main topic: 19:30
MiddleEarthSBG #Angmar
Here we talk about ALL the Minas Tirith Heroes and our competitive analysis of them
Timestamps:
Thoughts on the Balrog Legion: Beginning of Video
List Review: 14:24
Minas Tirith Heroes (MAIN TOPIC): 30:36
This is our full competitive analysis of the Quest of the Ringbearer book for Middle Earth SBG
QuestoftheRingbearer
Here we talk about magical spells or abilities that we would have liked to see in the game. In some cases its existing rules that we would like to see changed.
Quest of the Ringbearer talk: Beginning of Video
List Review: 15:50
Main Topic: 30:28
The Duel: 1:15:00
Here are our choices for the top 5 worst heroes in SBG and what we would do to fix them.
Timestamps
Thoughts on new models: Beginning
List Review: 9:15
MAIN Topic: 34:50
The Duel: Skipped for this video
Here we review many of the Hobbit era Dwarven Factions! Erebor Reclaimed, Army of Thror and Iron Hills!
List Review: Beginning of Episode
Army of Thror Review: 16:28
Erebor Reclaimed/Iron Hills: 56:30
The Duel: 1:36:10
Here are our top 5 Heroes under 100 points in Middle Earth SBG! We all give our own top five
Here we talk about the Dark Powers of Dul Guldur faction. This will include what we think of the faction competitively in Middle Earth SBG as well as looking at each unit