The Covenant Cast

We're back after seven months with one of our favorite creators in the tabletop gaming industry, Andrew Navaro (former Fantasy Flight Games Head of Studio, founder of Earthborne Games), for a deeper look at independent publishing through the lens of someone who has been on both sides of the equation. Recorded in the midst of the second highly successful Earthborne Rangers crowdfunding campaign, Andrew expounds upon the challenges faced since the launch of the game, the influence of distribution on production, and the importance of holding to your vision.

We've been following Alpha Clash since 2022, and have consistently been impressed with the drive and output of the people behind it. Join us for a conversation with Ridge Kiley, founder of Rising Empire Studios and creator of the Alpha Clash TCG, as we learn more about the game, Cirque de Soleil, collegiate wrestling, and the ambitious plans ahead.

A remarkable moment - a random comment on our Nighmare Before Christmas TCG stream turns into a conversation and relationship with its designer, Andrew Parks, who then blows us away with fascinating stories from the early days of tabletop (Z-Man, Ed Beard Jr., Iron Crown Enterprises, NECA, Wizkids, and more). Every conversation brings more context to this industry, how we got here, and where we're going - we hope you'll join us for a listen.

Zach has been taken in by the upcoming Lord of the Rings "Universes Beyond" set of Magic: The Gathering. So much so that he's now learning everything about what to buy, where to buy it, and where to play it. Join us for a conversation about how it has been going, and what things are like for a brand new player - even one quite experienced with TCGs.

Conversations around expandable games and the LGS continue to swirl online, especially amid things like Magic's continued embrace of direct sales, Flesh and Blood's presence (or non-presence) at retail, and Sorcery's "one set a year, play how you want" approach. Join us as we attempt to cut through it all and get down to the basics of how incentives for publishers, distributors, and retailers continue to alter the simple act of getting products to players.

We recently hosted our first big event since COVID shut everything down (technically our biggest to date!). As those of you following for the past few years are certainly aware, we've been fascinated by the competitive v casual paradigm, especially as it relates to local events and our plan for Covenant Tulsa 3.0. We finally got a chance to test a lot of those theories during FuseFest, and in this episode we let you know exactly what we found!

As 2022 wraps up, in many ways it signals the end of the "pandemic" era of thinking, both professionally and personally. Join us for a recap of 2022 in the context of the past few years, and a look ahead to a world that is once again full of possibility.

These two words seem to haunt the tabletop gaming landscape, and after many decades of exposure there still is not broad agreement as to what they mean. Behind these terms is a more accurate understanding of what each of us is looking for in the hobby, knowledge that has the potential to fundamentally improve everything about the gaming space, so join us as we take however much time is needed to get to the bottom of it.

A lesson to publishers, and to every human being who communicates - Ghost Galaxy's "Dis In Formats" article is everything we could have hoped for as concern over new Organized Play formats spread throughout the online community. Even if you've never heard of KeyForge, join us for a breakdown of this illuminating story.

Who better to see KeyForge through its next era than the founder of Fantasy Flight Games - Christian T. Petersen. Join us for a wonderfully candid conversation about GameFound, crowdfunding, retail, organized play, PvE, and the future of the first unique deck game with an undeniable visionary of the tabletop gaming space.

Card games - and so many things in life - aren't always about having it all. As the expectations around "instant" card access and competitive advantage skew the original TCG (and LCG) equation, we look to our recent Sorcery One Box Meta series as proof that a more joyful approach may well be available to all of us.

When the largest TCG marketplace buys one of the largest TCG content and event management entities, it's sure to have an impact on the industry. Join two non-Magic players as they look into the future - and inevitably dig up old questions about the concept of collectibility.

This week, Ghost Galaxy (run by former FFG founder Christian Petersen) announced that their reboot of KeyForge would be kicked off by a GameFound campaign for the first "new" set, Winds of Exchange. The questions this raises, and their potential answers, says as much about the industry as it does about KeyForge - so join us as we try to unpack it all. We'd love to hear your thoughts about this podcast on the #podcast-discussion channel of our Discord - cov.link/discord!

Hot on the heels of SolForge Fusion's release and our subsequent podcast (Ep 194) about the Future of Unique Deck Games, Christian Petersen's Ghost Galaxy Games announces their acquisition of KeyForge and a full release of two PvE scenarios - Keyracken and Abyssal Conspiracy. Does the future look different for either of the unique deck games now that there's more competition in the space? Join us as we entertain that exact question!

Confused or overwhelmed by all the seemingly insane things that players say in this hobby? Join us as we define terms like "aggro", "limited", "bounce", and even TC classics like "bugatti". You'll be up to speed in no time!

For the final episode of the series, Steven and Zach tackle the issue of "free" effects in games with an approach now influenced by all of the previous Power Seven conversations. Notably, can anything really be "free"?

Concepts like "mana screw" and "non-games" have existed in card gaming from the start, stemming from the reality that sometimes you do not draw the resource cards you need to play out your deck. With more recent designs doing away with resource cards entirely, we call up Isaac Vega (Dead of Winter, Ashes, Rose Gauntlet) to ask if this approach to game systems still has value, or if it is simply an outdated mechanic with more downside than upside.

Designers often employ powerful effects that target specific cards or archetypes when a meta becomes unbalanced. But is this ever the right answer? Our dear friend Alex Davy (Star Wars: X-Wing, Star Wars: Legion) joins us for an enticing conversation about silver bullets, with clear examples from Star Wars: X-Wing and Lord of the Rings TCG!

Huge board states, compounding static effects, unlimited stacked triggers - some games can get to a point where simply operating the rules is difficult and making meaningful decisions feels impossible. We've brought in Justin Gary (Ascension, SolForge, Magic PT) to unpack the benefits and drawbacks of certain mechanics as they relate to the memory tax, and whether or not modern game design should include them.

How many metagames have been ruined by a deck that just simply says "no" to whatever you want to do? And yet how many of your friends absolutely love playing said decks? Denial mechanics might be the most difficult game design needle to thread. That's why we've brought in Nick Conley (Ashes Reborn) to unpack the ins and outs of denial - and where it can go wrong.