In which Mike and Catalyst Demo Team XO James Topa talk about everything to do with being and becoming a demo agent.

Useful links:

• the Demo Team site
• the Demo Team application form (it’s linked off the site, but just for ease of finding it, it’s also right here!)
• Contant Topa via email here
• Contact me (as ever) by email here.

In which Josh Derksen revisits Tales From The Periphery to tell Mike all about Adepticon and Snowblind (the next Aces set), as well as some teasers for the 3rd and 4th sets, and a few other odds and sods.

Useful links:

• Josh’s page on BoardGame Geek
• Lynnvander Studios
• The upcoming Snap Ships Tactics Kickstarter (see, Josh, I did promise!)

And remember – it’s not too late to book for UKGE!

In which Mike and Nat Hardacre talk.

A lot.

Nat may have broken the record for the longest and most indecisive quickfire round ever. More importantly, here’s your chance to find out everything that is planned for UK Games expo in the BattleTech (and Shadowrun and Leviathans) world.

Useful links:

• UKGE BattleTech Events
• UKGE Leviathans Events
• UKGE Shadowrun Events
• The new Tales… Discord. Currently largely being used to discuss the Crown Tourney ruleset.

In which Mike gets to interview Jon Reid, honorary member of Peterborough Wargames Club, and we think the Middle East’s only Catalyst Demo Agent! The chat covers a range of stuff including how to draw new players in, as well as a look at the new Core rules for BattleTech.

Useful links:

• Fortress Miniatures and Games loyalty program is on their website – you can’t miss it, it’s a big red button bottom right once you’ve signed in!
• BattleTech in the UAE: Jon can be reached at battletechuae@gmail.com, and there’s an Instagram page as well.
• Catalyst’s BattleTech Refit page, with links to the new boxes and the core rules update.

In which Mike aten’t ded (to quote Nanny Ogg). Also, he gets to have a long (and rather delayed) chat with Aces designer Josh Derksen.

The obligatory useful links:

• Josh’s page on BoardGame Geek
• Lynnvander Studios
• A 480p rip of Fang Of The Sun Dougram (you’ll need to listen to understand why) – there are probably better quality rips out there.
• Twine – “an open-source tool for telling interactive, nonlinear stories.”
• My interview with Ed Jones and the sadly missed Kendall Leask.

And finally, there’s a small prize for the first person to comment and tell me what I messed up when I put all the audio for Episode 15 together…

In which Mike finally gets to chat to Ed from Buy The Same Token about their fabulous AS tokens.

Useful links, as ever:

• the tokens themselves can be found here along with some better photos than mine!
• the BTST discord (this link shouldn’t expire)
• the Krita open source drawing software Ed mentioned that BTST use – runs on Mac, Windows and Linux.

I will grab some decent ‘posed’ token shots when I get back from Germany next week.

In which Mike is back from UKGE, and mostly awake again! Featuring interviews with a bunch of the demo agent team from the show.

Useful links:

• SciFi Trader. Note that this site is in German, but most modern browsers will do a decent enough job of translating if you ask them to, to enable you to sign up, sign in and buy stuff.
• Fortress Miniatures and Games.

In which Mike mostly gets to catch his breath, and report back from a game with the Enfield crew, some painting, listening and a whole load of admin!

Useful links:

• The Hexperts Podcast – Spotify | YouTube
• Recent Loren Coleman blog posts on tariffs and how they affect Catalyst – 1 | 2
• CGL acquire IWM!
• Upcoming events
• UK Games Expo BattleTech Events
• Bryan Young’s “Lone Wolf And Fox” anthology – Amazon
• Loren Coleman’s “Double Blind” – Amazon
• Randall Bill’s “Fall From Glory” – Amazon

In which Mike gets to chat with BattleTech author Tom Leveen about his experiences as an author, and the upcoming “Blood Will Rise”

Useful links:

• Blood Will Rise – Tom’s intro | Amazon UK | Catalyst Store (link coming soon)
• Tom’s “How To Write Awesome Dialogue” – Amazon UK
• Blood Will Tell – Amazon UK (print, Kindle or audiobook)
• Embers of War – Amazon UK (Kindle or audiobook)
• Mike on OnTableTop from Salute
• UK Games Expo BattleTech Events
• Element Games
• Leisure Games of Finchley
• Upcoming events

Also not mentioned in the podcast (for reasons of time!), the new UK BattleTech podcast Hexperts who, being more organised and efficient than me, already have six episodes out and I’ll talk more about next time!

In which Mike talks to BattleTech author Bryan Young about Fox Patrol, his recent IlClan era novels, and the upcoming VoidBreaker. And fails to remember to mention the date of Bedford Tabletop Expo (see the events page :D)

Useful links:

• Voidbreaker: Amazon UK pre-orders | Catalyst Preview
• Honor’s Gauntlet: Amazon UK | Catalyst
• A Question of Survival: Amazon UK | Catalyst
• Without Question: Amazon UK | Catalyst
• Fox Tales (compilation of the first few Fox Patrol Stories): Amazon UK | Catalyst
• Bryan’s Sarna page
• Upcoming events