Rob Phaneuf
Host
Originally from Michigan and now reside in Memphis, Tennessee. Growing up I was into board games, video games, art and most importantly action figures. When I hit my teens I got into deeper board games and started to enjoy the social aspects of gaming. Then one day everything changed when I stumbled onto a magazine ad for Star Wars Miniature Battles designed by Bob Crane and published by West End Games. This kicked off my obsession with collecting and painting miniatures for tabletop war gaming. Then while living in Southern California in the 90’s I stumbled onto Warhammer Fantasy Battle and my fate was sealed. I was going to be a Ranks and Flanks player for the rest of my life.
These days I mostly play Kings of War which I started with the beta edition back in 2010. Over the years I’ve played Undead, Dwarves, Ogres, Kingdoms of Men and Salamanders with an equal amount of other armies waiting in the wings to hit the table. I’ve also been known to play Star Wars Legion and other Mantic offerings like Armada and Vanguard. I’m more of a hobby guy than a competitive guy and I’m completely obsessed with really cool terrain. I'm part of the War Dogs Club based out of War Room Hobbies here in Memphis, very active in the US Masters scene and can typically be found at a bunch of Kings of War events every year. Finally, I'm the host of Counter Charge and we look forward to being Your Podcast For Ranks, Flanks and Kings of War! Anyway, I am happy to have you visit the site and of course I hope you enjoy the show.
Until next time, keep Counter Charging!
Jeremy Duvall
Host
I grew up in the Bay Area in Northern California in a family that loved playing games! Some of the first miniatures I ever owned were Squats. My love of miniature wargaming landed me working at Gamescape North, the premier game store of the North Bay, during the late 90s and early 2000s. After doing my stint working at the FLGS I received a Bachelors and Masters in Ancient Mediterranean history from UC Berkeley and Sacramento State. My love of history has always helped to inspire my miniature gaming and painting. Now I am fully behind Kings of War. I am the West Coast Region rep for the US Masters so anyone playing in our region should message me! I am a community and hobby guy and believe strongly that this hobby should be approached in a holistic way. Come by After Dark and paint with us! Rubber bands are optional…
Matt Croger
Host
I live in Canberra, Australia’s bush capital, where it is normal to have to dodge kangaroos on the way to work in the early hours of the morning (true story). Interestingly there is not much gaming in the early years of my origin story but I did grow up ready almost exclusively fantasy books with some of my early favorites being the David Eddings series.
I very briefly dabbled in Warhammer at around the age of 12 but only really returned about a year before 2nd edition Kings of War dropped. After 2nd Ed was established I took up running almost all the events in our local area and also took over running our biggest event at Cancon each year, Clash of Kings Australia. I don’t play any other tabletop games but do enjoy some Total War on the PC or gaming on the PS4. I am certainly not an elite gamer but am passionate about growing Kings of War!
Jordan Nichols
Hobby Contributor
With 20+ years of tabletop experience, I have always found myself enthralled with the physical aspect of miniature gaming; from the beautiful miniatures cascading across the span of a 6ft table, 3D terrain creating new-world experiences and the engagement of peeking down at eye-level to check lines of sight. As a teenager, rich and colorful studio schemes pulled me into various games systems and always focused much of my attention on the painting aspect of the hobby even to this day. This has led to me owning far more gray plastic than I would ever care to admit, leading the charge on the forever uphill battle in committing to painting said plastic at an “above average” tabletop standard. While I enjoy close and competitive games, I have always focused on the social and relationship-building aspect of getting together across a table rather than the tournament scene or the “win”. I have played most tabletop games out there. Yet, I have arrived and plan to stay within the systems Mantic Games has to offer. I have never encountered a more engaging, simple to play, yet, rewarding and difficult to master set of games before. I play all of Mantic’s tabletop systems including Armada, Deadzone, Firefight and Kings of War. As a 2023 Brush with Death winner and hobby enthusiast, I am thrilled to teach and grow the Mantic community as part of the Counter Charge Podcast.
Nathan Arnold
Lore Contributor
I started wargaming in my late 20s, finding Kings of War shortly before the major migration with second edition. I have a long history of fantasy reading, starting as a kid with King Arthur and Robin Hood, but with significant interest now in general mythology and how it is seen in modern eyes. The developing lore for both Pannithor and the Warpath universe are rife with options for deep stories that can be interpreted through authors and armies alike. For me, a story can be best enjoyed when it pokes at cultural stagnation and asks emotional and surprising questions of the consumer, instead of just feeding the same product in a slightly different way. Talking about the world we play in is just as important to me as the tactical discussions and hobby conversations that we all enjoy as wargamers. On a personal gaming note, I moved from Texas to Colorado with my family, and am hoping to contribute to the growing community here. I am hoping to influence my children to play as they get older, but only time will tell if they appreciate the hobby as much as I do.