A Reading List for 2026

No, gentle reader, it's not a reading list for me... it's for you.

I was responding to a thoughtful post from artist/author Wes Molebash yesterday and what was intended to be a quick affirmation of his wisdom with a bit of added "spiritual stuff" from me turned into an epic list of novels/graphic novels/series that I heartily recommend. 

Here's the original post from Wes:

I replied that reading fiction has had the same kind of impact on my faith in God... both the reality of sin and the hope of truth & grace stand in stark relief in well-written stories. And then I was off to the races.

So, rather than waste all that effort on a mere Facebook post, I decided to revise my list and share it with the kind souls who read my blog. I've arranged the list in alphabetical order by author name.

• Shardik (Richard Adams)
• He's better known as the author of Watership Down... but this epic fantasy novel explores the nature of faith, religion, and politics in ways that profoundly affected me.
• Astro City (Kurt Busiek)
• superhero graphic novel series set in its own universe that focuses on characters & motivations rather than fight scenes
• currently published in six really large (nearly 500 pages each) Metrobooks
• I've re-read the series multiple times - it's tremendous.
• also recommended by Kurt Busiek - Superman: Secret Identity (the best "Superman" story ever... yes, even better than Alan Moore's "For the Man Who Has Everything" and "Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?")
• Codex Alera (Jim Butcher)
• a six novel fantasy series that surprised me over & over as it built a fascinating world and developed characters over time
• also recommended by Jim Butcher - the Cinder Spires fantasy/steampunk series... so far there are only two books of a planned six books, but what is out there is really good.
• Saint Ben (John Fischer)
• a slice-of-life story from late 50s Southern California that turns out to be much deeper than anticipated.
• also recommended by John Fischer - his non-fiction book entitled Real Christians Don't Dance.
• Amulet (Kazu Kibuishi)
• I'm not sure how to describe this nine-volume graphic novel series... it has elements of science fiction, fantasy, and definitely pays homage to Studio Ghibli. 
• In the process, there's a lot about loyalty, trust, healing from abuse, facing tragedy and death... though intended for middle schoolers, the series got under my skin.
• Bright Empires (Stephen Lawhead)
• a five-volume time-travel (sort of!) epic filled with wild settings, characters who actually grow and change, and fascinating plot twists
• also recommended by Stephen Lawhead - I'd recommend his Pendragon Cycle (seven books) as well as Empyrion (two novels) and the Celtic Crusades trilogy
• I have specifically chosen not to watch the new streaming series of the Pendragon novels - it is financed and broadcast via the Daily Wire. 

• To Kill A Mockingbird (Harper Lee)
• chances are excellent you read it as a student (it's often taught/read in 8th grade)... but you should read it again as an adult
• on the other hand, I would not recommend reading Go Set a Watchman - it is essentially an early draft of what became To Kill a Mockingbird and has a much darker/nastier tone
• Travis Daventhorpe (Wes Molebash)
• These funny & family-friendly graphic novels are filled with lots of pop-culture references and homages, esp. for kids who love video games. The tinges of "afterschool special" conversations are offset by some great twists, clever Easter eggs, and thoughtful bits of philosophy/theology.
• The third book is due out this year!
• The Twenty-One Balloons (William Pène du Bois)
• this Newberry Award-winning book builds an amazing world and then tells a fantastical story (with lovely illustrations)
• it was a favorite of mine as a kid... and reading it to my boys when they were younger made me fall in love with it all over again
• Mouse Guard (David Petersen)
• a graphic novel series with stunning artistry and stirring tales of faithfulness and betrayal
• I'm reasonably sure that these tales of brave mice inspired not only the role-playing game directly based on the Mouse Guard books (and the Bloomburrow Magic: The Gathering set that included some Petersen art)... but also board games like Mice & Mystics and Everdell.
• Wingfeather Saga (Andrew Peterson)
• the four book series is whimsical, nail-biting, heartbreaking, hopeful... evil isn't glossed over, heroes can be hurt, and actions have consequences - and I love it.
• also recommended by Andrew Peterson - well, he's one of my favorite singer/songwriters
• Usagi Yojimbo (Stan Sakai)
• Stan Sakai has been writing the story of Miyamoto Usagi, a rabbit samurai (ronin) in a world of anthropomorphic animals set in 17th-century Japan for forty-two years.
• I rejected reading this for years... but finally tried it and was sucked into the excellent storytelling, sly humor, and real emotion.

• Stormlight Archive (Brandon Sanderson)
• Sanderson is brilliant at world-building and writing intriguing characters... and the events/revelations of the last section of the book wouldn't land with the same impact if you hadn't lived with the characters through the admittedly long lead-up portion of the first novel.
• I'm midway through Oathbringer (the third book) and enjoying it immensely.
• East of Eden (John Steinbeck)
• As part of working on an honors thesis in college, I read almost everything John Steinbeck wrote. This massive novel is - in my opinion - his magnum opus. (The thesis - which I did not finish - was titled "Theodicy in John Steinbeck's East of Eden" - and I just noticed that Steinbeck himself thought East of Eden was his magnum opus. Great minds think alike!)
• Also recommended by John Steinbeck: You likely had to read The Pearl, Of Mice and Men, and/or The Grapes of Wrath in high school. While I think The Grapes of Wrath is brilliant, I'd recommend Cannery Row & Sweet Thursday.

Finally, I would remiss if I didn't heartily endorse C.S. Lewis' Space Trilogy & Chronicles of Narnia as well as J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit & The Lord of the Rings. (And, for that matter, the excellent graphic novel about their friendship entitled The Mythmakers.)

aka preaching archive (January 2026)

As some of my long-time readers know, I spent nearly 15 years as a church planter & pastor (after 13+ years in youth ministry)... which came to end in early 2013. (You can read more about that on my posts aka former pastor guy and Kenny Rogers, Toffee, and a Hatmaker.)

For nearly ten years, I didn't preach. (That's not entirely true - I officiated at funeral services for friends and former congregation members - but I didn't deliver the message for a Sunday morning service.) 

In March of 2023, that changed - thanks to the leadership and encouragement of Aarron Schwartz and our church family at Restoration Church Nashville. It's been humbling and wonderful and a bit scary to be back "in the pulpit" (even if we don't actually use a pulpit). The Restoration Church family has been so supportive. (A special shout-out to Bethany and the worship team... it's a privilege to speak after they've helped us prepare our hearts and minds.)

I need to also say "thank you" to a number of folks who encouraged me to take Aarron up on his offer to be part of the preaching rotation - including my wife (Shari Jo), my sons (Braeden & Collin), and even some of the folks I know through my "day job" (thank you, Teri & Denette.)

I decided that I needed to pull those messages into a single place... so that's what this post is for. I'll update it as needed. I'm putting the time stamp for the start of the message - but you're missing out if you don't get the worship team as well.

January 11, 2026 - Joshua 3 & 4 - Upstream Faith

• message starts at the 31 minute mark
• the video quality is not as good due to WiFi issues at the church (the A/V team had to use the old system in order to stream the service)
• "Now faith is the assurance (title deed, confirmation) of things hoped for (divinely guaranteed), and the evidence of things not seen [the conviction of their reality—faith comprehends as fact what cannot be experienced by the physical senses]." (Hebrews 11:1 AMP)
• Managed to name-check Disney parks, Star Wars, and my Romantic poets professor at Baylor in the process of telling Joshua's story.

February 23, 2025 - 2nd Samuel 6 - When The Ark Comes to Town...

• message starts at the 40 minute mark
• I left out another 80s reference from my notes to the 1984 film "Footloose"
• Eugene Peterson quote from his book, Leap Over A Wall

God will not be put and kept in a box, whether the box is constructed of crafted wood or hewn stone or brilliant ideas or fine feelings. We don't take care of God; God takes care of us.

September 1, 2024 - Exodus 35 - More Capable Than You Realize

• message starts at the 35 minute mark
• "Sing to him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy." (Psalm 33:3 NIV)
• C.S. Lewis quote I use is from his classic book Mere Christianity

Every faculty you have, your power of thinking or of moving your limbs from moment to moment, is given you by God. If you devoted every moment of your whole life exclusively to His service you could not give Him anything that was not in a sense His own already. So that when we talk of a man doing anything for God or giving anything to God, I will tell you what it is really like.

It is like a small child going to its father and saying, "Daddy, give me sixpence to buy you a birthday present." Of course, the father does, and he is pleased with the child's present. It is all very nice and proper, but only an idiot would think that the father is sixpence to the good on the transaction. 

May 5, 2024 - Luke 22:31-38 - When You Turn Back

• message starts at 31 minute mark
• book I reference: Saving the Bible From Ourselves
• "I have prayed [especially] for you [Peter], that your faith [and confidence in Me] may not fail; and you, once you have turned back again [to Me], strengthen and support your brothers [in the faith].” (Luke 22:32 AMP)

March 17, 2024 - Luke 20:27-40 - Jesus & the Theobros

• message starts at the 38:30 minute mark
• balloon illustration is borrowed from N.T. Wright's Luke for Everyone
• Yeah, I somehow managed to combine Narnia, levirate marriage, and Admiral Ackbar into the message.

September 24, 2023 - Luke 14:25-35 - Counting the Cost

• message starts at the 38:30 minute mark
• my personal notes call this message "The Symphony Bar"
• “Simply put, if you’re not willing to take what is dearest to you, whether plans or people, and kiss it good-bye, you can’t be my disciple.” (Luke 14:33 MSG)

March 26, 2023 - Luke 8:22-25 - Master of the Storm

• message starts at the 33 minute mark
• The message here is NOT “Jesus will calm all the storms in your life”… it is “Jesus will not leave you alone in the boat”.
• "If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast." (Psalm 139:9-10 NIV)

It's Still Personal: Mark's Five & Dime Games for 2025

Here's my own personal Five & Dime list (the games I played 5+ and 10+ times in 2025). I may have stopped collecting the Five & Dime stats for everyone else - but I haven't stopped collecting my own!

As always, I include only face-to-face games and games played with human opponents over apps/online. What that means is that games that I play only solo via an app or website (examples: Next Station: London, Ascension, Draft & Write Records, etc.) are not counted. (All three of those would be 50+ plays if I did.)

Games with an asterisk [*] were on my Five & Dime list last year. Each asterisk indicates another year... and each plus sign indicates five years! Believe it or not, there's actually one game that has been on this list for 15 years [+++].

If you're curious, here's the games that have been on my Five & Dime list for 5+ years

• Race for the Galaxy (15 years)
• Jump Drive (8 years)
• Unmatched: Batlle of Legends (6 years)
• Can't Stop (5 years)

Dollars

• Memoir '44 134 ***

Quarters

• Arydia: The Paths We Dare Tread 38 

Dimes

• Unmatched: Battle of Legends 16 +*
• Clank! Catacombs 12
• Flamme Rouge 12
• Ticket to Ride: Legends of the West 12
• Can't Stop 11 +
• Undaunted 2200: Callisto 11
• Distilled 10 *
• Lost Ruins of Arnak 10 *
• Path of Civilization 10 *
• Pirates of Maracaibo 10 *

Nickels

• Endeavor: Deep Sea 9
• Galactic Cruise 9
• It's a Wonderful World 9
• Race for the Galaxy 9 +++
• Sniper Elite: The Board Game 9
• Terraforming Mars 8 *
• Fast Food Franchise 7 *
• Heat: Pedal to the Metal 7 ***
• Heroscape 7 *
• Jump Drive 7 +***
• New Frontiers 7 *
• Small World 7
• Thunder Road: Vendetta 7
• World Wonders 7
• 7 Wonders: Architects 6 ***
• 7 Wonders Duel 6
• Ancient Knowledge 6 *
• Minigolf Designer 6 ****
• Return to Dark Tower 6 ***
• Ticket to Ride & City versions 6 *
• Sea Salt & Paper 6
• SETI: Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence 6
• Tales of the Arthurian Knights 6
• The Guild of Merchant Explorers 6
• Canopy: Evergreen 5
• Draft & Write Records 5
• Dune: Imperium & Uprising 5 ****
• Everdell 5 ***
• Fill or Bust 5
• In the Footsteps of Darwin 5
• Innovation 5
• Let's Go To Japan 5 *
• Lost Cities 5
• Rise 5
• Roll for the Galaxy 5
• Unstoppable 5
• Waypoints 5

Just Missed (with 4 plays)

A caret [^] denotes that they were on the Five & Dime list last year... and a pound sign [#] marks games I'm pretty sure will return in 2026. A dollar sign [$] indicates that the game was on the "Just Missed" list last year.

• 7 Wonders Dice 4
• Ascending Empires: Zenith Edition
• Buffet Boss #
• Cabanga!
• Carcassonne: Hunters & Gatherers
• Cartographers: A Roll Player Tale ^
• DC Comics Deck-Building Game $
• Fishing
• Fliptoons
• Great Western Trail: El Paso
• Hamlet: The Village Building Game #
• Marvel Champions: The Card Game
• Pixies
• River Valley Glassworks ^
• Sanctuary #
• Spooktacular
• The Lord of the Rings: Duel for Middle-earth ^

After All These Years

These are games that fell off the list... after years of repeated play. I felt compelled to say a few words at their passing.

• 7 Wonders
• After nine years, this classic game dropped out of the Five & Dime (despite playing it just last week!). I will need to fix this in 2026 - it's too good to leave behind.
• Yeah, there was just this one that dropped off despite being played year after year. Don't know if that's good or bad. :-)

Merry Christmas from the Jackson Family (2025)

It's been a very long time since we've sent out Christmas cards - probably the first decade of our marriage. Since we've been married thirty-five years, that's a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.

So, rather than trying to build a Christmas card list, I decided to make a Christmas card blog post... 

Here's the ho-ho-ho-highlights of 2025 for Mark, Shari, Braeden, and Collin:

• I'm still working for the TN Department of Education - and is about to finish my 12th year with the agency. (Profoundly thankful for my supervisor and the team I work with.)
• Shari has been volunteering with NAMI (the National Alliance on Mental Illness).
• Braeden is seeking a Masters degree online from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary while working part-time at Essential Church in Huntsville, Alabama.
• Collin is halfway through his junior year at UT Chattanooga and is working part-time at Rocket Fizz in downtown Chattanooga.
• The boys & I were able to attend Gulf Games in February in Asheville, NC (just Mark & Braeden) and in July in Lexington, KY (all three of us). 
• Shari & I had an amazing two week vacation through portions of Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia in May... including a detour to make sure Shari got to see Niagara Falls. (I highly recommend hiking the Gorge Trail at Watkins Glen State Park, btw.)

Yes, I acknowledge that "ho-ho-ho-highlights" is a level of Dad joke-ness and cheese that I should not have attempted. But I did and you kept reading, so we both lose. [grin]

Top row: Lake Erie, Halloween, Gulf Games
Bottom: Grammy & all of her grandchildren & great-grandchildren (Thanksgiving)

On the more difficult side, my mom passed away in February after a long fight with Alzheimer's. My grief is a weird mixture of sadness and relief - and the certainty that she is present with the Jesus she loved and served throughout her life.

Mom playing Qwirkle with us in 2014

May your Christmas be blessed - not only merry but also meaningful. May your New Year be filled with truth, beauty, and grace - and may you be an instrument of His peace to folks around you.

Merry Christmas

Mark

No Kings

My support of the No Kings protests is not about policy agreement with a platform or allegiance to a particular political party. It's simply this: our current president (and his administration) are choosing to act in ways that clearly indicate a desire for an imperial presidency that is not constricted by social norms or constitutional guardrails. 

And that is decidedly bad for our country... and, due to our outsized influence in world affairs, everyone else.

“Not that I don’t have the right to do anything I want to do. I’m the president of the United States." 
Donald Trump in an August 2025 Cabinet meeting (talking about use of the military inside the U.S.)

In his first 10 months in office, Mr. Trump has 

• pardoned 1,500+ rioters who breached the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021
• given free reign to Elon Musk and the DOGE group to pry into private information as well as destroy life-saving development support around the world and vital scientific research here in the U.S.
• allowed RFK Jr to undermine our public health system, particularly support for vaccines
• dithered away precious lives and resources trying to coax Putin to stop attacking Ukraine rather than taking action
• openly campaigned and whined about not getting the Nobel Peace Prize
• orchestrated the prosecution of political enemies for dubious causes
• ordered the unprovoked attack on five boats of suspected drug smugglers in international waters without any evidentiary proof given
• more recently, he acknowledged giving the CIA the green light to conduct covert operations in Venezuela and also mused about air strikes
• teased his intention to run for president in 2028
• imposed multiple and conflicting destructive tariff plans
• blatantly ignored the emoluments clause of the U.S. Constitution
• just as blatantly ignored the Hatch Act
• refused to enforce the law dealing with TikTok and the potential security risks of the app
• pushed various mass deportation actions that have deprived both U.S. citizens and migrants with legal status of their rights
• federalized national guard troops to explicitly target cities with Democratic administrations
• utilized flimsy excuses to invoke "emergency" authority in order to accomplish his desires

The prior list is decidedly not exhaustive - I could continue writing at greater length and in greater detail. 

“The line is that I’m a dictator, but I stop crime. So a lot of people say, ‘You know, if that’s the case, I’d rather have a dictator.’”

“Most people say … if he stops crime, he can be whatever he wants.”

Donald Trump in an August 2025 Cabinet meeting (talking about use of the military inside the U.S.)

Look, I'm not arguing or campaigning for a president of a different party - I want a president of a different character. Someone who would respect the law, not simply pay people to find loopholes. Someone who chooses to champion the hard work of passing bills to effect change rather than issuing blizzards of executive orders. Someone who values smart people who disagree with them over loyalist lap dogs. Someone who sees their role as an opportunity to serve others rather than profit themselves.

And I want Congress to do their dadgum job: holding the president accountable for his actions, writing laws that reign in the power of the Executive branch, and actually taking care of the needs of their constituents rather than performing for social media likes and viral camera moments.

We don't need a king, a "dictator for a day", or even an imperial president. We need men and women of character to lead our country. When we choose leadership based on our tribes or the willingness of a candidate to say the stuff we want about our pet issue, we get the kind of leadership we deserve.

"In 2016, I declared: I am your voice. Today, I add: I am your warrior. I am your justice. And for those who have been wronged and betrayed: I am your retribution."

Donald Trump (March 2023 at CPAC)

"If I happen to be president and I see somebody who’s doing well and beating me very badly, I say go down and indict them, mostly they would be out of business. They’d be out. They’d be out of the election."
Donald Trump (November 2023, interview with Univision)

Put another way, we've been warned about kings and character before.

Fed up, all the elders of Israel got together and confronted Samuel at Ramah. They presented their case: “Look, you’re an old man, and your sons aren’t following in your footsteps. Here’s what we want you to do: Appoint a king to rule us, just like everybody else.”

When Samuel heard their demand—“Give us a king to rule us!”—he was crushed. How awful! Samuel prayed to God.

God answered Samuel, “Go ahead and do what they’re asking. They are not rejecting you. They’ve rejected me as their King. From the day I brought them out of Egypt until this very day they’ve been behaving like this, leaving me for other gods. And now they’re doing it to you. So let them have their own way. But warn them of what they’re in for. Tell them the way kings operate, just what they’re likely to get from a king.”

So Samuel told them, delivered God’s warning to the people who were asking him to give them a king. He said, “This is the way the kind of king you’re talking about operates. He’ll take your sons and make soldiers of them—chariotry, cavalry, infantry, regimented in battalions and squadrons. He’ll put some to forced labor on his farms, plowing and harvesting, and others to making either weapons of war or chariots in which he can ride in luxury. He’ll put your daughters to work as beauticians and waitresses and cooks. He’ll conscript your best fields, vineyards, and orchards and hand them over to his special friends. He’ll tax your harvests and vintage to support his extensive bureaucracy. Your prize workers and best animals he’ll take for his own use. He’ll lay a tax on your flocks and you’ll end up no better than slaves. The day will come when you will cry in desperation because of this king you so much want for yourselves. But don’t expect God to answer.”

But the people wouldn’t listen to Samuel. “No!” they said. “We will have a king to rule us! Then we’ll be just like all the other nations. Our king will rule us and lead us and fight our battles.”

Samuel took in what they said and rehearsed it with God. God told Samuel, “Do what they say. Make them a king.”

1st Samuel 8:4-22 MSG

These six things the Lord hates;

Indeed, seven are repulsive to Him:

   A proud look [the attitude that makes one overestimate oneself and discount others],

   A lying tongue,

   And hands that shed innocent blood,

   A heart that creates wicked plans,

   Feet that run swiftly to evil,

   A false witness who breathes out lies [even half-truths],

   And one who spreads discord (rumors) among brothers.

Proverbs 6:16-19 AMP

Whitewashing bad people and throwing mud on good people are equally abhorrent to God.

Proverbs 17:15 MSG

Those who sow injustice reap disaster, and their methods of oppression will fail.

Proverbs 22:8 VOICE

A leader who is a great oppressor lacks understanding and common sense [and his wickedness shortens his days], But he who hates unjust gain will [be blessed and] prolong his days.

Proverbs 28:16 AMP

--

pictures above:

• top row (left to right)
• the President welcoming Putin to Alaska with red carpet
• screengrab from AI-generated video of Gaza makeover shared by Mr. Trump on Truth Social
• the President sharing the Liberation Day tariff rates
• middle row (left to right)
• declassified screengrab of Venezuelan boat destroyed by U.S. military
• Mr. Trump meeting with Democratic senators to avoid government shutdown with "Trump 2028" hats on his desk in the Oval Office
• courtroom drawing of former FBI director James Comey
• bottom row (left to right)
• January 6, 2021 as rioters attempt to breach the U.S. Capitol
• signage for the now closed "Alligator Alcatraz"
• Mr. Trump & Volodymyr Zelenskyy in front of prodigious amounts of gold ornamentation added by the President to the Oval Office

Accurately Handling the Word of Truth (Part V)

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”

And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”

He said, “Go and tell this people: “‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’ Make the heart of this people calloused; make their ears dull and close their eyes.[a] Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts,

and turn and be healed.”

Isaiah 6:8-10 (NIV) 

There’s a Bible verse I think about sometimes. Many times. It goes, “Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?’ And I said, ‘Here am I. Send me.’”

U.S. Homeland Security "hype" video posted on X (transcript source)

-----

I started this series of posts back in 2020 - calling out a variety of politicians on both sides of the divide for their misuse of Scripture to justify policies and positions:

• then-Vice President Pence (August 2020)
• then-President Biden (August 2021)
• Governor DeSantis (September 2022)
• then-candidate Trump (April 2024)

I get it. I understand rhetorical flourish and echoing classic passages of literature to evoke emotion.

But we as followers of Christ are called to "be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth." (2 Timothy 2:15, NASB). What DHS (the department of Homeland Security) did yesterday is not accurately handling Scripture.

Zach Lambert (a pastor and author) summed up my feelings brilliantly last night in a X (Twitter) thread:

Using Bible verses to justify violence against immigrants is not only the opposite of what Jesus teaches, it’s also a direct contradiction to the passage cited in this video.

“Here am I, send me” was the prophet Isaiah’s response after being called by God to deliver a message to the people and their leaders. What was the message?

“Your leaders are rebels, the companions of thieves. All of them love bribes and demand payoffs, but they refuse to defend the cause of orphans or fight for the rights of widows.” Isaiah 1:23

What were these corrupt and rebellious leaders doing?

“Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees, to deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people, making widows their prey and robbing the fatherless. What will you do on the day of reckoning, when disaster comes from afar? To whom will you run for help? Where will you leave your riches?” Isaiah 10:1-3

God is sending Isaiah to warn the people, and more specifically their leaders, that if they do not turn from their corrupt ways and begin caring for the most vulnerable among them, they will suffer God’s judgment. Isaiah answers that call by saying, “Here am I, send me.”

For a corrupt government to use these verses to justify the very marginalization and oppression being condemned in this passage is the height of blasphemy.

-----

I wanted to come up with something wise and convicting to close this post with... I wanted to turn on my "pastor mojo" and finish with marching orders to my fellow followers of Christ.

But I'm tired. So tired of watching Biblical truth being used as a prop... by both political parties.

So, I once again leave you with this.

Pray always. Pray in the Spirit. Pray about everything in every way you know how! And keeping all this in mind, pray on behalf of God’s people. Keep on praying feverishly, and be on the lookout until evil has been stayed.

Ephesians 6:18 (VOICE)

Heroscape News: Zed Nesbitt Soars into View Whilst The Good Folks At Renegade Deal With Tariffs

Welcome, Heroscape friends (and those who don’t play/collect the game but actually like reading my oddball takes on board games laced with pop culture references and other nonsense)! We’ve got two items to deal with today.

First, I’ll give a quick review/recommendation about Air Marshall Zed Nesbitt, the newest BIG figure that released this month. Second, we’ll talk a little bit about tariffs and the workaround (of sorts) for summer 2025 Herospace releases from our friends at Renegade Game Studios. It’s a distinct possibility that I may insert a bit of personal political opinion into the second discussion. 

Zed Nesbitt: Any Landing You Can Walk Away From Is a Good One

The first thing you’ll notice about Zed is how large the zeppelin is… seriously, look at it!

For comparison, the only figure larger than the Air Marshall (from the last year of Heroscape) is the golden dragon, Xenithrax the Vineweaver. However, due to the unique shape of the figure (see the picture above), the airship is a lot more maneuverable than other recent “biggies” like Queen Maladrix or the Iron Lich.

Beyond his rather obvious flying powers, Zed can also Skyhook up other small & medium Vorid figures and carry them with him. I think this will be especially helpful once the Tanuki Trickster common squads are released this summer. Zed can also Crash Land – taking a wound to his figure and getting a FIVE dice attack on every adjacent figure. (I’ll note from personal experience that this is [a] lots of fun to do, and [b] needs to be used judiciously, as the airship can quickly be set upon by those figures who survive the impact.)

I’m pleasantly surprised how well this figure turned out – this was always one of the most fanciful designs of the HasLab version of Age of Annihilation. It’s actually better balanced than Xenithrax – though I would be careful about knocking it over mid-game as it is big enough to rearrange a number of smaller figures when it goes down.

Tariffs and Heroscape

In late April, the good folks at Renegade Game Studios let those of us here in the U.S. know that the next wave (Boiling Tension – releasing around GenCon in August) will be affected by the ridiculously high tariffs currently in place.

The recently imposed tariffs came after we had already started manufacturing on August Heroscape titles. They significantly increase what we pay to bring these releases to life. Unfortunately, an increase of up to 145% to our manufacturing cost is not something we can fully absorb. We are doing our best to absorb part of them with the hopes that they at least come down to a more manageable level in the future. We waited until the last possible minute to make this decision but now we are at a point where we must ship the next wave or miss our release date. 

So, due to tariffs, Heroscape items will have the following new MSRPs:

• Scavorith, Lord of Ruin UNPAINTED – $30
• Scavorith, Lord of Ruin PAINTED – $40
• Imperator Kayne UNPAINTED – $30
• Imperator Kayne PAINTED – $40
• Revnan Acolytes & Grave Grim UNPAINTED – $40
• Revnan Acolytes & Grave Grim PAINTED – $60
• Molten Crustaceans & Tanuki Tricksters UNPAINTED – $40
• Molten Crustaceans & Tanuki Tricksters PAINTED – $60
• Heroscape Glyph Pack – $30
• Heroscape Lava Fields of Valhalla – $70

Here’s the good news:

• They are still on track for August and the Fall releases.
• All Gen Con events, Store Championships, local tournaments, and Valkyrie Trials support remains unchanged. 

More good news from my perspective – the tariff bump is only $5 for each item.

I’ve written about the foolishness of tariffs more than once on my personal blog – most recently with an extensive series of quotes from game publishers. W. Eric Martin and BGG News are doing a great job of keeping us informed about how this unbelievably short-sighted (and quite possibly unlawful) imposition of these tariffs is damaging our hobby. Please do yourself a favor and keep informed about this – and reach out to your congressional representatives to let them know your opinion.

It’s hard to get a good picture of Zed himself due to the airship blocking overhead light – but I made sure you got one!

I received review copies of the new Heroscape material – Wave 1, Wave 2, and Wave 3. Back in the day, I did receive some promo figures, a couple of Volcarren Wasteland boxes, and a wave of figures as a “thank you” for my work as a playtester. (I also received a very cool Heroscape T-shirt which fit 42 year old Mark but isn’t as kind to 60 year old Mark. But I still have it hanging in my closet.)

A version of this review originally appeared on the Opinionated Gamers site.

Please note: any political commentary about tariffs and/or the current administration is my own and does not necessarily reflect the views of the Renegade Game Studios.