Podcast Roundup - Spring 2014

I've been meaning to write this post for a few months, but I just haven't gotten around to it with a busy personal life and tons of work. The last few years have seen a boom in hobby podcasts - tons of new podcasts are coming out on a far more regular schedule than we've seen before.

Some people will scoff at the idea of listening to podcasts about toy soldier games but for those of us with a commute or jobs where we can wear headphones there is nothing better. I gave up satellite radio (and lots of sports talk :[ ) for podcasts. I'm going to catalog the podcasts I listen to here and tell you how I access them.

My podcast list hasn't changed much in the last few months. I sometimes remove or add a podcast based on my current interests and how well that podcast is doing at the time. A few things will kill any enthusiasm I have for a podcast: poor audio quality, infrequent episodes, and garbage time (in-jokes, fart jokes, wasted time, lack of agenda, etc).

I use the app Doggcatcher to pull down podcasts on my Android phone. It is easy to either search for podcast names or add RSS urls to the feeds area. Once you've added them to your list the app will automatically download new podcasts to your list and you can play them in the car or listen to them on your headphones.

A listing of some of the podcasts I subscribe to. I have a ton in my list, but I don't listen to every single episode.

It does cost money but it is definitely worth it. Many podcast apps are clunky or won't work correctly. Intuitive design is HUGE and Doggcatcher definitely gets it. You can even add 'custom podcasts' where you download MP3s or some other file to your phone then set it up as a feed. You could use that for books or other types of sound files.

I don't use Apple stuff but if you have a good podcast manager for Apple or other Android apps let me know in the comments. For each podcast below I've listed their essential details like site, RSS, length, release frequency, and whether or not they have podcast notes on release (ie. they show timestamps for each time they talk about certain topics - this is essential).

I don't listen to every episode of every podcast listed. Sometimes I skip one if they're talking about stuff I don't care about (I'm looking at you, Cygnar).

Podcast List

Garagehammer: a Warhammer fantasy podcast that I've listened to for a long time. In the recent past they transitioned a host out and a new host in. Dave W. has stayed the entire time and Chris Yu is newer. I was concerned because I thought perhaps the show would lose some quality but it definitely lost nothing in the process - Yu has picked up the ball and is running with it. If you like Warhammer Fantasy I would definitely recommend this one - they talk about campaigning, army book reviews, events, etc. 

Website: http://garagehammer.net/

RSS feed: garagehammer.net/feed/

Average Length: 2 hrs

Released: once or twice a month

Podcast notes: Yep

Point Hammered: another Warhammer fantasy podcast. I listen to Point Hammered mostly to hear Johnny's thoughts on Beastmen and his amazing hobby ideas. He is an amazing hobbyist, doing tons of conversion work and putting in lots of time on painting. They talk about the events they attend, the events they put on, the campaigns they're playing, etc. They have a funnier take on WHFB than others - I end up laughing a LOT when listening to their podcast. Rodge's methods and thoughts on hosting events are really important to hear.

Website: http://pointhammered.com/

RSS feed: http://pointhammered.com/rss/rss.xml

Average length: 2 hrs

Released: once or twice a month

Podcast notes: Nope

Chain Attack: this podcast is solely for Warmachine and Hordes caster reports, basically. Each warlock / warcaster is talked about at length: their spells, their feat, their stats, their special rules. Then they talk about the list used for that caster. Then they match the two casters up and do a battle report. 

This podcast was essential to me learning the game. Each time I went to use a new caster or pick up one I haven't used in a while I listened to the Chain Attack where that caster was reviewed. They do a great in-depth but non-rambley review of each one and really give you some ideas of what to do with that caster. The three hosts each have different presenting style and they mesh well together. This is one of my favorite podcasts. Shout out to Trevor for playing Skorne at a high level.

Website: http://www.chain-attack.com/

RSS feed: http://www.chain-attack.com/category/episodes/feed/

Average length: 1 hr

Released: weekly

Podcast notes: Yep

Chain Attack Dojo: the CA dudes put out a 'subscription' podcast that you pay $20 a year for. I have to say that it has been well worth the price so far. They don't do warcaster reviews - instead each episode is on a separate subject. Sometimes they take listener questions and use that as the topic for the whole episode. The only issue I have with it is that my app can't download the episodes automatically, but it doesn't take a lot to get around that.

Website: http://www.chain-attack.com/

RSS feed: http://www.chain-attack.com/category/episodes/feed/

Average length: 1 hr

Released: weekly

Podcast notes: Yep

Privateer Press Primecast: this is Privateer Press' official podcast. They talk about upcoming model releases, No Quarter, etc. They have a high production value and great audio quality. There ain't much else to say - expect marketing stuff, in-depth background looks, etc., not army reviews or tactics.

Website: http://privateerpress.com/primecast

RSS feed: http://primecast.libsyn.com/rss

Average length: 1 hr

Released: monthly

Podcast notes: Nope

Muse on Minis: this is the 'prime' podcast for Muse on Minis network. There are about five? regular hosts on this and it is one of the most popular ones out there and one of my favorites. Phatasian is one of the nicest people I've met at a con and he's doing some great things with his business. They sometimes get into tangents but not enough for me to unsubscribe. The level of strategy detailed in this podcast is pretty amazing.

Website: http://museonminis.com/

RSS feed: http://museonminis.com/feed/

Average length: 2 hrs

Released: Weekly

Podcast notes: Yep

There are a few other regular podcasts on the Muse on Minis network:

Crippled System: this podcast out of Wisconsin is focused on Warmachine / Hordes but also talks about movies, TV and board games quite often. The hosts are all good friends so sometimes there are in-jokes but not often. One of the hosts, Nathan, is a judge so the level of technical detail they can get into is pretty awesome. Brian also plays Skorne so they get a bro-fist for that.

Website: http://www.crippledsystem.com/

RSS feed: http://www.crippledsystem.com/?feed=rss2

Average length: 2 hrs

Released: Weekly

Podcast notes: Yep

Muse on Minis Miami: MoM recently split off into two podcasts. I'm not super sold on the idea but it seems like they are doing a great job so far. One of the hosts, Colin, plays Skorne so I like listening to his thoughts. They do seem to keep on an agenda.

Website: http://museonminis.com/muse-on-minis/

RSS feed: http://museonminis.com/feed/

Average length: 2 hrs

Released: Weekly

Podcast notes: Yep

Warmans: our good buddies Bill and Brian (Roastbill and Paintvagrant) have started their own podcast and are doing an amazing job. They focus on a few different things: list builds, high level strategy, and playing the game. When I say 'playing the game', I mean things like winning cultures, staying in the game when something bad has happened, or good tight play practices. I squee with delight anytime I see this in my list. These dudes are from the metro Detroit area - listen to them!

Website: http://museonminis.com/warmans/

RSS feed: http://museonminis.com/feed/

Average length: 2 hrs

Released: Monthly

Podcast notes: Yep

The Independent Characters: the gold standard for hobby gaming podcasts. Geoff has left but will return once in a while to talk about 40k. Carl has done an amazing job holding down the fort and the podcast has only gotten better since the beginning. Their Forge World book reviews are essential listening. If you're a 40k fanboy and you don't listen to this podcast you're wrong. Carl can come off a bit 40k fanboy-y at times but I can deal with it. They've been talking about 30k a lot lately and I don't really care so I may skip those. Recently they've brought on Justin and Adan, new hosts, and they've stepped in with no loss of quality.

The quality of this podcast is top notch. Every time I get really bored with 40k I listen to IC.

Website: http://theindependentcharacters.com/blog/

RSS feed: http://theindependentcharacters.libsyn.com/rss

Average length: 2 hrs

Released: Every other week

Podcast notes: Yep

Clockwork Vox: I haven't been listening to this episode as long. The production quality is top notch and they do have some pretty awesome tech. They have a format they use every episode which is pretty sweet, and the episodes are not super long. A half hour podcast is almost my entire commute so I don't have to 'pick up' where I left off and possibly forget what they were talking about.

Website: http://www.clockworkvox.com/

RSS feed: www.clockworkvox.com/feed/podcast/

Average length: 30 mins

Released: Weekly

Podcast notes: Nope

Handcannon Online Forgot to Feat: this podcast is put on by members of Dark Omen Gaming Club. Each episode they bring on a different member of their club as a guest host and interview them then move on to their topic of the day. Sometimes I skip forward through the interviews but they have some pretty awesome strategy sessions. The RSS feed is for the entire set of podcasts HCO hosts, so that is kinda annoying, but I delete the stuff I don't want to listen to.

Website: http://handcannononline.com/blog/category/podcasting/forgot-to-feat/

RSS feed: http://handcannononline.com/feed/

Average length: 2 hrs

Released: Weekly

Podcast notes: Nope

Mayacast: the hosts of this show used to host Infinity O12. They moved on to Mayacast and brought the same great quality from the previous cast. Tom is an amazing painter so I like hearing about what he is doing, and Kip's enthusiasm for the game is massive. 

Website: http://mayacast.com/

RSS feed: http://mayacast.com/feed/

Average length: 2 hrs

Released: Twice a month

Podcast notes: Yep

WWPD News From the Front: The BAR: The only Bolt Action podcast I listen to so far. I've listened to a ton of back-episodes because I've had a ton of enthusiasm for the game lately. They have two hosts - Judson and Dano. Dano seems to connect via Skype so the audio quality suffers really bad sometimes. Despite that I think they have fixed it and the strategy and history they talk about is pretty great. Their RSS feed covers a ton of different podcasts so you basically have to mark the ones read that you don't want.

Website: http://www.boltaction.net/

RSS feed: http://wwpd.libsyn.com/rss

Average length: 2 hrs

Released: Once a month

Podcast notes: Nope

That's it for now. At some point in the future I'll cover YouTube channels and our blogroll. Start listening to these sweet podcasts and enhance your hobby.