Best of 2022: Gaming Media

I consume a lot of hobby-centric media. I read blogs, listen to podcasts, and watch videos. What, then, are my picks for the best blogs, podcasts, and YouTube channels of 2022. This is definitely a subjective metric, being based on what I personally have enjoyed this year, rather than by any objective standards. That said, step we gaily, on we go!

Best Blog of 2022

Honourable Mentions

Plastic Craic

Plastic Craic continues to produce my favourite Age of Sigmar articles. Hands-down, these are great. I’ve never not enjoyed a post from Plastic Craic. The only thing stopping me from giving it the number 1 slot this year is the frequency of posts. Like a buttered 8 year old in Victorian London looking for breakfast before being stuffed up a chimney, I want more!

I also really love the focus on Destruction, bestest of Grand Alliances.

Some highlights from this year:

Burn After Running

My favourite RPG-focused blog of this year, Burn After Running is one of those blogs that makes repeated appearances in my 5 on Friday posts, and one which I’m always really happy to read. The blog consistently gives the most pragmatic, solid advice. That’s what I go there for. Occasionally, they post something else, like some thoughts on current stuff, like OneD&D.

I’d like to get some more, different, non-D&D RPGS to the tabletop this year, and this blog will be invaluable in helping me prepare.

The Winner

Woehammer

This has been quite a year for Woehammer, seeing rapid growth and a sense that they have found their direction.

I like the variety of posts on Woehammer. The Top 3 list articles are inspiring, and it’s really interesting to watch the evolution of list building throughout the year in real time. I’d actually love to see an article where they take a couple of armies that have seen an evolution and track some trends over the course of the year.

I like it when they do different sorts of articles that break out of their stat-heavy approach. The stats are great, and they put a lot of work into them, but it’s nice to see something different, as well.

Some highlights from this year:

Best Podcast of 2022

Honourable Mention

Sprues & Brews

I actually read the Sprues & Brews blog more consistently than I listen to the podcast. It’s my go-to blog for Games Workshop-related reviews. The blog is definitely worth following.

The podcast is also fantastic. I like the roundtable feel. I like that it just comes across as some friends chatting about their favourite hobby. It’s just nice. That feeling is totally backed up by their Holiday Special, which is literally a group of friends sitting and discussing their hobby:

The Winner

Game Classy

You know, I keep starting podcasts before getting fed up and giving up on them. I just find a lot of these gaming pocasts tend to either be overly reverential to the hobby, or overly negative. There’s rarely a good balance. Game Classy, meanwhile, is just fun.

I know that when I put this show on, as I have been doing for years, it’s like slipping into a conversation with some old friends? Is that odd? I dunno, but it’s what I always liked about listening to Kris Straub’s various podcasts over the years.

In the spirit of that conversation, the show is pretty freewheeling, sometimes not mentioning much about games at all. I sometimes worry about their view on brown sauce, but otherwise I really love this podcast.

Youtube Channels

Honourable Mentions

Guerrilla Miniature Games

GMG has been going for a good while now and Ash is a prolific creator. He puts out so much content about loads of different games. He’s even designed some of his own games at this point. I feel that the channel really is built entirely on Ash’s consistent positivity. You go for the content, but you stick around for his personality.

I like his AoS content, which is important, but also Mordheim, Infinity, and more. I like the Let’s Play series, and his reviews are pretty good, too. Of course, the channel’s bread and butter are the battle reports, which are always completed in good spirits and with decent editing.

Some highlights from this year:

Season of War

Despite only having been around for a couple of years now, Season of War is the most consistent, high-quality place for Age of Sigmar battle reports. The videos are fantastic, and I love the regular rotation of players. The format works well, with lists being clearly presented and scenarios clearly laid out.

If I could make one improvement, it would be to consistently give a nice, close-up view of each army at the start of the game. We sometimes get some good shots on some units, but we rarely get a good group shot of the armies.

Some highlights from this year:

The Winner

Pete the Wargamer

Pete is an absolute beast of a hobbyist. He consistently creates truly fantastic kitbashes and conversions. I took a look at some of his videos previously for one of my Wishlisting Projects posts. Not only are his videos really creative, but they’re also edited well and good for following along with.

He’s got a lot of cool, bigger conversions, but I actually think I like the smaller, more infantry-focused videos. His work on making lots of things more Nurgley is truly God’s work.

I also like his live videos where he gives feedback on conversions done by members of the community. There’s lots of love on this channel.

Some highlights from this year: