The year saw Fortified Niche and pod crew face many challenges - and a few games! What were the good ones? Did the lads learn anything? Did Jc's audio quality have to be that bad? Can love bloom on the battlefield - or a miniature game podcast survive into the year 2026?
Support Fortified Niche on Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/fortifiedniche
Follow the creators of Fortified Niche on social media!
JcDent:
Cassa:
Show editing by Serf McSerfington
Show logo by Kristina Amuan
Show intro/outro by Bevan Tanttu
The pod forgets the concept of infantry as they rush their steel behemoths into the fray in Hypersteel Nightmare, a miniature skirmish game of brutal vehicular combat across the multiverse.
Find the Hypersteel Nightmare rules here:
https://hypersteelnightmare.com/product/hypersteel-nightmare-core-rulebook-pdf-only/
Don't look for the companion post, as this episode was recorded before Chain of Command 2E without me writing a companion. It's far too late for that now.
Support Fortified Niche on Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/fortifiedniche
Follow Fortified Niche on BlueSky:
https://bsky.app/profile/fortifiedniche.bsky.social
Follow the creators of Fortified Niche on social media!
JcDent:
Cassa:
Show editing by Serf McSerfington
Show logo by Kristina Amuan
Show intro/outro by Bevan Tanttu
The pod says "hello" to Ford and partial-fucking-dice-spend to defeat the Nazis in Chain of Command 2nd edition, the long-awaited update to TooFatLardies' hit World War 2 wargame.
Find the Chain of Command rules here:
https://toofatlardies.co.uk/product/chain-of-command-2-pdf-rules-2/
Find the companion post here:
https://www.barreldrill.com/chain-of-command-2e
Support Fortified Niche on Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/fortifiedniche
Follow Fortified Niche on BlueSky:
https://bsky.app/profile/fortifiedniche.bsky.social
Follow the creators of Fortified Niche on social media!
JcDent:
Cassa:
Show editing by Serf McSerfington
Show logo by Kristina Amuan
Show intro/outro by Bevan Tanttu
The plod pledges to defend Umberland till their last card and their last echo in Malediction, a deck-building miniature wargame from Loot Studios.
Find the Malediction rules here:
Find the companion post here:
https://www.barreldrill.com/malediction-review-fortified-niche/
Support Fortified Niche on Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/fortifiedniche
Follow Fortified Niche on BlueSky:
https://bsky.app/profile/fortifiedniche.bsky.social
Follow the creators of Fortified Niche on social media!
JcDent:
Cassa:
Show editing by Serf McSerfington
Show logo by Kristina Amuan
Show intro/outro by Bevan Tanttu
The pod gets their halfling mercenaries ready for another expedition into the dark woods of ArcWorlde 2nd edition, the "narrative fantasy battle game" from Warp Miniatures!
Find the ArcWorlde rules here:
https://www.warpminiatures.com/pages/arcworlde-rules-downloads
Find the companion post here:
https://www.barreldrill.com/arcworlde-review/
Support Fortified Niche on Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/fortifiedniche
Follow Fortified Niche on BlueSky:
https://bsky.app/profile/fortifiedniche.bsky.social
Follow the creators of Fortified Niche on social media!
JcDent:
Cassa:
Show editing by Serf McSerfington
Show logo by Kristina Amuan
Show intro/outro by Bevan Tanttu
The pod has been inserted into the temporally-forward AO to improve METT-TC data for successive operations against the Dark Lord in Forgotten Ruin, a solo skirmish "adventure wargame" by Nordic Weasel himself, Ivan Sorensen, published by Modiphius. Yes, it's based on that book series!
Find the Forgotten Ruin rules here:
https://modiphius.net/products/forgotten-ruin-the-adventure-wargame
Find the companion post here:
https://www.barreldrill.com/forgotten-ruin-review
Support Fortified Niche on Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/fortifiedniche
Follow Fortified Niche on BlueSky:
https://bsky.app/profile/fortifiedniche.bsky.social
Follow the creators of Fortified Niche on social media!
JcDent:
Cassa:
Show editing by Serf McSerfington
Show logo by Kristina Amuan
Show intro/outro by Bevan Tanttu
The pod crew uses their at-will power "Podcasting" to discuss the world's biggest fantasy wargame - Dungeons & Dragons 4E!
Support Fortified Niche on Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/fortifiedniche
Follow Fortified Niche on BlueSky:
https://bsky.app/profile/fortifiedniche.bsky.social
Follow the creators of Fortified Niche on social media!
JcDent:
Cassa:
Show editing by Serf McSerfington
Show logo by Kristina Amuan
Show intro/outro by Bevan Tanttu
The pod discusses whether carrying the four-Move order card in your helmet brings good luck as they storm the beaches in V for Victory, a World War 2 miniature game of platoon-on-platoon violence by Studio Tomahawk.
Find V for Victory rules here:
https://www.studio-tomahawk.com/en/v-for-victory/
Find the companion post here:
https://www.barreldrill.com/v-for-victory-review/
Support Fortified Niche on Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/fortifiedniche
Follow Fortified Niche on BlueSky:
https://bsky.app/profile/fortifiedniche.bsky.social
Follow the creators of Fortified Niche on social media!
JcDent:
Cassa:
Show editing by Serf McSerfington
Show logo by Kristina Amuan
Show intro/outro by Bevan Tanttu
The pod operators kinetically insert into the AO to get eyes-on the HVT in the POI in Spectre Operations, the third edition of spec ops miniature rules from Spectre Miniatures.
Find Spectre Operations rules here:
https://spectreminiatures.com/pages/spectre-operations
Find the companion post here:
https://www.barreldrill.com/spectre-operations-review/
Support Fortified Niche on Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/fortifiedniche
Follow Fortified Niche on BlueSky:
https://bsky.app/profile/fortifiedniche.bsky.social
Follow the creators of Fortified Niche on social media!
JcDent:
Cassa:
Show editing by Serf McSerfington
Show logo by Kristina Amuan
Show intro/outro by Bevan Tanttu
The pods sends another enemy champion to sleep on the red snow in Midgard: Heroic Battles, a (fantasy) rank-and-flank by James Morris that emphasizes heroic deeds.
Find Midgard: Heroic Battles rules here:
https://mogsymakes.net/where-to-buy-midgard-heroic-battles/
Here there be army builders and such:
https://mogsymakes.net/resources-for-midgard-heroic-battles/
Find the companion post here:
https://www.barreldrill.com/midgard-heroic-battles-review/
Support Fortified Niche on Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/fortifiedniche
Follow Fortified Niche on BlueSky:
https://bsky.app/profile/fortifiedniche.bsky.social
Follow the creators of Fortified Niche on social media!
JcDent:
Cassa:
Show editing by Serf McSerfington
Show logo by Kristina Amuan
Show intro/outro by Bevan Tanttu
The pod boys load stripper clips with order dice in Bolt Action 3rd Edition, a World War 2 game of clashing platoons by Alessio Cavatore and Rick Priestley.
Find Bolt Action 3rd Edition rules here:
https://eu.warlordgames.com/products/bolt-action-third-edition-rulebook-includes-book-figure
or here:
https://www.ospreypublishing.com/us/bolt-action-third-edition-9781472863799/
Find the companion post here:
https://www.barreldrill.com/bolt-action-3e-review/
Support Fortified Niche on Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/fortifiedniche
Follow Fortified Niche on BlueSky:
https://bsky.app/profile/fortifiedniche.bsky.social
Follow the creators of Fortified Niche on social media!
JcDent:
Cassa:
Show editing by Serf McSerfington
Show logo by Kristina Amuan
Show intro/outro by Bevan Tanttu
The pod crew respawns together with their destroyed mecha in ignition:core, an anime miniature wargame that is the closest we'll ever get to a Titanfall RTS.
Find ignition:core rules here:
https://www.ignitioncoregames.com/game-downloads
Find the companion post here:
https://www.barreldrill.com/ignition-core-review/
Support Fortified Niche on Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/fortifiedniche
Follow Fortified Niche on BlueSky:
https://bsky.app/profile/fortifiedniche.bsky.social
Follow the creators of Fortified Niche on social media!
JcDent:
Cassa:
Show editing by Serf McSerfington
Show logo by Kristina Amuan
Show intro/outro by Bevan Tanttu
The pod compose their death poems before riding off to fight for the control of Hymukai in Kensei: The Awakening, a game of (fantasy) Japanese warfare from Zenit Miniatures.
Find Kensei: The Awakening rules here:
https://web.zenitminiatures.es/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/kensei_theAwakening_v2-5.pdf
Find the companion post here:
https://www.barreldrill.com/kensei-review/
Support Fortified Niche on Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/fortifiedniche
Follow Fortified Niche on BlueSky:
https://bsky.app/profile/fortifiedniche.bsky.social
Follow the creators of Fortified Niche on social media!
JcDent:
Cassa:
Show editing by Serf McSerfington
Show logo by Kristina Amuan
Show intro/outro by Bevan Tanttu
The causes an uproar in the admiralty over whether their super science ships are supersized or not in Dystopian Wars, a tabletop wargame of naval battles from Warcradle Studios.
Find Dystopian Wars rules here:
https://www.dystopianwars.com/resources
Find the companion post here:
https://www.barreldrill.com/dystopian-wars-review/
Support Fortified Niche on Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/fortifiedniche
Follow Fortified Niche on BlueSky:
https://bsky.app/profile/fortifiedniche.bsky.social
Follow the creators of Fortified Niche on social media!
JcDent:
Cassa:
Show editing by Serf McSerfington
Show logo by Kristina Amuan
Show intro/outro by Bevan Tanttu
The wheel has turned once more - time to decide the best without dunking on the rest! It's the Three-Year Anniversary Nichee Awards Episode! Join us as we discuss which games we liked the most - and why - and get lost in nostalgic reverie.
Supplemental episode art provided by friend of the show Karol Blaky, previously seen illustrating our Xenos Rampant supllement:
https://www.instagram.com/karolblaky/
Support Fortified Niche on Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/fortifiedniche
Follow the creators of Fortified Niche on social media!
JcDent:
Cassa:
Show editing by Serf McSerfington
Show logo by Kristina Amuan
Show intro/outro by Bevan Tanttu
The pod leads a platoon of green army men to glorious death in Combat Storm 2nd Edition, a miniature warfare game for actual plastic soldiers by Strategy Wave Studios.
Find Combat Storm rules here:
https://combatstorm.com/products/combat-storm-2nd-edition-digital-edition
Find the companion post here:
https://www.barreldrill.com/full-spectrum-dominance-review/
Support Fortified Niche on Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/fortifiedniche
Follow the creators of Fortified Niche on social media!
JcDent:
Cassa:
Show editing by Serf McSerfington
Show logo by Kristina Amuan
Show intro/outro by Bevan Tanttu
The pod catches scurvy the old-fashioned way in Blood & Plunder, a 28mm historical skirmish game where the action is on land, sea, and/or boat! Developed by Firelock Games.
Find Blood & Plunder rules here:
https://www.firelockgames.com/product/blood-plunder-rulebook-pdf/
Find the companion post here:
https://www.barreldrill.com/blood-plunder-review/
Support Fortified Niche on Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/fortifiedniche
Follow the creators of Fortified Niche on social media!
JcDent:
Cassa:
Show editing by Serf McSerfington
Show logo by Kristina Amuan
Show intro/outro by Bevan Tanttu
The pod tries to use their SAGA dice in Full Spectrum Dominance, a "combined arms wargame for small scales" by Giacomo "The Lazy Forger" Pantalone and Federico Valsecchi.
Find Full Spectrum Dominance rules here:
https://www.myminifactory.com/object/3d-print-full-spectrum-dominance-rulebook-262512
Find the companion post here:
https://www.barreldrill.com/full-spectrum-dominance-review/
Support Fortified Niche on Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/fortifiedniche
Follow the creators of Fortified Niche on social media!
JcDent:
Cassa:
Show editing by Serf McSerfington
Show logo by Kristina Amuan
Show intro/outro by Bevan Tanttu
The pod clan scrounges up some dough for AEK-971 season pass in The Battlefield: Miniature Modern Warfare, Brent Spivey's game that mushes together multiplayer FPS and RTS.
Find The Battlefield: Miniature Modern Warfare rules here:
https://www.wargamevault.com/product/102355/The-Battlefield%3A-Miniature-Modern-Warfare
Find the companion post here:
https://www.barreldrill.com/battlefield-miniature-modern-warfare-review/
Support Fortified Niche on Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/fortifiedniche
Follow the creators of Fortified Niche on social media!
JcDent:
Barrel Drill blog
Cohost
T-shirt store
Cassa:
Instagram
Show editing by Serf McSerfington
Show logo by Kristina Amuan
Show intro/outro by Bevan Tanttu
The pod prepares to ambush a patrol of GEV APCs in Stargrunt II, a science fiction combat game from Jon Tuffley, Ground Zero Games.
Find Stargrunt II rules here:
https://downloads.groundzerogames.co.uk/sgii.pdf Find the companion post here:
https://www.barreldrill.com/stargrunt-2-review/
Support Fortified Niche on Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/fortifiedniche
Follow the creators of Fortified Niche on social media!
JcDent:
Barrel Drill blog
Cohost
T-shirt store
Cassa:
Instagram
Show editing by Serf McSerfington
Show logo by Kristina Amuan
Show intro/outro by Bevan Tanttu