'Scaper-of-the-Month #88
Posted September 14th, 2013 at 11:54 AM by truth
Scaper-of-the-Month #87 is...
MattHelm
PROFILE:
Who are you really?
I would have thought that by now you guys knew what the spy game was all about. Who you really are is a[b] question that never gets answered. Yeah I could lie with some philosophical answer explaining how, "who you were before is one person and who you become is another, so we all live this life not knowing who we really are". Or I could play the game and tell you that I'm an Arabic/Irish double agent named, Emir O'Scape. The truth is more simple though, I'm Matt Helm... nothing more would be of any use to you.
(Note: Check out this prior C3G interview if you'd like to push the issue)
How old are you?
Pick a number between 40 and 45... you probably got it right.
What is your occupation?
So you're saying that "government agent" isn't good enough of an answer? Would you rather I say "assassin", or simply "spy"? I do have to play games in my business with all sorts of undercover work so let's just say that I'm in the insurance industry. Sounds boring I know, but that's what makes it a great cover.
What other interests do you have?
A good cover story also includes a family complete with wife and kids. They are my most important interest so whatever it takes to keep them happy is what I do. Luckily for me, the boys share some of my same interests like our local underdog sports teams (Mets, Jets, Isles and Knicks), superhero/sci-fi entertainment (I've got two Browncoat-Whovians), and riding as many different roller coasters as we can. I'm also still playing softball even though I noticed this year that I just can't hit like I used to.
What's another board game you enjoy and why?
I was never really into gaming and really always preferred to play card games such as Poker, Hearts, Pinochle, or even branded games like Five Crowns, Phase Ten or The Great Dahlmuti. Unlike that Brit who wishes he was me, I never really did like Baccarat. Recently though, Santa Claus found a game from my youth that I now play with the kids called "Scotland Yard". Funny how an agent like myself is drawn to such a game that involves British law enforcement.
Who, or what, is you avatar and how did you come up with your username?
Geez, do I have to answer that? I'm Matt Helm... I thought we covered that part. The history behind it is pretty simple. The first website I actually joined was commanderbond.net because I do have a life long obsession with all things Bond. I'm particularly a fan of the literary Bond created by Fleming and continued through the works of Amis, Wood, Gardner, Benson... etc. When I joined that site, I felt I wanted to separate myself from all of the "Bondlovers" and ""007-4-Evers" so I assumed the identity of my other favorite super spy. Before you ask, although Dean Martin has a special place in my heart, I'm a fan of Donald Hamilton's original creation. Please check out "Death of a Citizen", finally back in print, and then try to tell me that you don't want to shine my shoes.
HEROSCAPE:
When and how did you first get into Heroscape?
I had seen Heroscape a few times in stores but thought it looked like an expensive hobby to invest in when my kids were just babies. Then about 2008 or so my wife and son were looking for a birthday present to buy me and since he was a 5 year-old superhero fan, he and I agreed that they should pick up the Marvel set on sale for $19.99 for us to kid around with. When I played the advanced rules once with my teenage nephew, we both were amazed and the obsession began.
What is your favorite aspect of Heroscape?
At first it was the fun of a strategy game like chess with the uniqueness of each figure and a dice rolling battle system. Then as I collected terrain, it became the fact that every game was different due to the layout of the board. But ultimately as the addiction grew, it was this site and the ability to design an endless number of custom figures; the game became timeless.
To whom is your allegiance and why?
The Valhalla generals are all the same to me and I hate to admit that I could care less about the Heroscape story line. If I had to pick an "official" allegiance, I'm going to pull a cheap one and say, "Make mine Marvel". Since that is not really a general though and doesn't play into any synergy, how about some self promotion and I say that I'm a fan of the "Nexus Rebellion". If you don't understand the Havok reference, check out my less known custom thread.
Who is your favorite Common hero and why?
I'm not a fan of common heroes but the most useful seems to be the Swog Rider.
Who is your favorite Unique squad and why?
Wow, not much choice here. I'll go with the Nakita Agents simply because they were the first squad I picked up. In my early days, I was avoiding common squads due to my limited terrain and my son's obsession with superheroes. The Nakitas fit into his comfort zone and the gladiators were all unique heroes that could be weaker opponents in superscape so I purchased a dusty pack in Walmart.
What is your favorite Special Ability and why?
Who doesn't like Counter Strike?... but it doesn't compare to Stealth Flying. Flying is the most powerful ability in the game and to couple it with disengage is just sick. When I play in Valhalla with my nephew, I only seem to win when I have Cyprien soaring around in my army. He may just be my favorite figure of all.
What is your favorite custom and why?
Oh boy, picking a favorite after I've created so many is tough. I'm very happy with all of the customs that make up the HelmAverse. Mighty Thor and Doctor Strange see a lot of playing time at my house. Namor and Wonder Woman make my personal squad often but that may be because I just like the characters they are based on. If I had to pick just one favorite... I couldn't and would pick four. The HelmAverse Fantastic Four are my favorite as I love to see them played as a team together. Outside of the superheroes, I think Col. Peter shabnek is my favorite but I don't really have a good reason why. As far as other people's custom's I totally love looking at group projects such as VC and C3G but I don't use either at my table for no other reason then I couldn't find the time to start collecting that many more minis.
COMMUNITY:
What do you enjoy most about HeroScapers.com?
The ability to interact with friendly people from around the world is awesome. I mean, in my own egocentric corner of the website, I write up a custom card design in New York, A3n creates a graphic design masterpiece in Australia, and some curious scaper in Europe can print it and play a game with his or her family. Heroscape has brought a lot of happiness to my family. Without heroscapers.com, I cannot be sure that it would have happened.
Describe your favorite HeroScape moment.
Ha, as a guy who loses very often, that's a tough one. When I scape with the family, I usually test out obscure cards while my kids use the staples that seem to kick my pants in regularly. Don't get me wrong, I love so many of the moments that involve them high fiving so I just couldn't pick out one. I did really enjoy bringing Helm Jr. to a Grishnakh run superbattle played with Sherman Davies' customs. I also loved seeing Lil'Helm win a four player battle royal in the first HelmAverse game that he ever played.
Is there any member of HeroScapers.com you’d really like to play against?
Of course I would love to visit Australia and play a few games with A3n. I hope he would understand however, that I'd have to pick Grungebob as my first priority so that I could try and peek through his collection of Marvel Reinforcements. "What's that GB? You have to step out of the room to make a phone call? No problem, I can wait for you to get back. Take your time whle I mistakenly open the lock-box containing the unreleased Marvel cards."
LIE DETECTOR:
1. I've never dated girls named "Irene" nor "Sandy" yet they have both visited my house uninvited and trashed the place in conscutive years.
2. A "007" gun barrel tatoo on my shoulder thankfully covers up an older embarrassing choice.
3. Although I'm not a conspiracy theorist, I do beleve that "New Coke" was just a diverson that allowed Coca-Cola to switch its classic formula from sugar to corn syrup.
4. I'd choose John Pertwee or Peter Davidson over Tom Baker any day.
THREE FUN FAVORITES:
Favorite Song:
Dependng on my mood it could be "Rock and Roll All Nite" by Kiss or "Hysteria" by Def Leppard. Either way I seem to like my music with a little hair in it.
Favorite Game:
Wthout a doubt that would be "Game 6 of the 1986 World Series."
... I bet you didn't expect that answer to this question.
Favorite Book:
"Casino Royale" by Ian Fleming.
CLOSING:
What message do you have for the ‘Scaper community?
"Remember, wherever you go, there you are."
Whom do you pick for the next ‘Scaper of the Month?
Of course that would have to be... A3n.
Thanks again for your time!
... No, thank you, I had a blast.
MattHelm
PROFILE:
Who are you really?
I would have thought that by now you guys knew what the spy game was all about. Who you really are is a[b] question that never gets answered. Yeah I could lie with some philosophical answer explaining how, "who you were before is one person and who you become is another, so we all live this life not knowing who we really are". Or I could play the game and tell you that I'm an Arabic/Irish double agent named, Emir O'Scape. The truth is more simple though, I'm Matt Helm... nothing more would be of any use to you.
(Note: Check out this prior C3G interview if you'd like to push the issue)
How old are you?
Pick a number between 40 and 45... you probably got it right.
What is your occupation?
So you're saying that "government agent" isn't good enough of an answer? Would you rather I say "assassin", or simply "spy"? I do have to play games in my business with all sorts of undercover work so let's just say that I'm in the insurance industry. Sounds boring I know, but that's what makes it a great cover.
What other interests do you have?
A good cover story also includes a family complete with wife and kids. They are my most important interest so whatever it takes to keep them happy is what I do. Luckily for me, the boys share some of my same interests like our local underdog sports teams (Mets, Jets, Isles and Knicks), superhero/sci-fi entertainment (I've got two Browncoat-Whovians), and riding as many different roller coasters as we can. I'm also still playing softball even though I noticed this year that I just can't hit like I used to.
What's another board game you enjoy and why?
I was never really into gaming and really always preferred to play card games such as Poker, Hearts, Pinochle, or even branded games like Five Crowns, Phase Ten or The Great Dahlmuti. Unlike that Brit who wishes he was me, I never really did like Baccarat. Recently though, Santa Claus found a game from my youth that I now play with the kids called "Scotland Yard". Funny how an agent like myself is drawn to such a game that involves British law enforcement.
Who, or what, is you avatar and how did you come up with your username?
Geez, do I have to answer that? I'm Matt Helm... I thought we covered that part. The history behind it is pretty simple. The first website I actually joined was commanderbond.net because I do have a life long obsession with all things Bond. I'm particularly a fan of the literary Bond created by Fleming and continued through the works of Amis, Wood, Gardner, Benson... etc. When I joined that site, I felt I wanted to separate myself from all of the "Bondlovers" and ""007-4-Evers" so I assumed the identity of my other favorite super spy. Before you ask, although Dean Martin has a special place in my heart, I'm a fan of Donald Hamilton's original creation. Please check out "Death of a Citizen", finally back in print, and then try to tell me that you don't want to shine my shoes.
HEROSCAPE:
When and how did you first get into Heroscape?
I had seen Heroscape a few times in stores but thought it looked like an expensive hobby to invest in when my kids were just babies. Then about 2008 or so my wife and son were looking for a birthday present to buy me and since he was a 5 year-old superhero fan, he and I agreed that they should pick up the Marvel set on sale for $19.99 for us to kid around with. When I played the advanced rules once with my teenage nephew, we both were amazed and the obsession began.
What is your favorite aspect of Heroscape?
At first it was the fun of a strategy game like chess with the uniqueness of each figure and a dice rolling battle system. Then as I collected terrain, it became the fact that every game was different due to the layout of the board. But ultimately as the addiction grew, it was this site and the ability to design an endless number of custom figures; the game became timeless.
To whom is your allegiance and why?
The Valhalla generals are all the same to me and I hate to admit that I could care less about the Heroscape story line. If I had to pick an "official" allegiance, I'm going to pull a cheap one and say, "Make mine Marvel". Since that is not really a general though and doesn't play into any synergy, how about some self promotion and I say that I'm a fan of the "Nexus Rebellion". If you don't understand the Havok reference, check out my less known custom thread.
Who is your favorite Common hero and why?
I'm not a fan of common heroes but the most useful seems to be the Swog Rider.
Who is your favorite Unique squad and why?
Wow, not much choice here. I'll go with the Nakita Agents simply because they were the first squad I picked up. In my early days, I was avoiding common squads due to my limited terrain and my son's obsession with superheroes. The Nakitas fit into his comfort zone and the gladiators were all unique heroes that could be weaker opponents in superscape so I purchased a dusty pack in Walmart.
What is your favorite Special Ability and why?
Who doesn't like Counter Strike?... but it doesn't compare to Stealth Flying. Flying is the most powerful ability in the game and to couple it with disengage is just sick. When I play in Valhalla with my nephew, I only seem to win when I have Cyprien soaring around in my army. He may just be my favorite figure of all.
What is your favorite custom and why?
Oh boy, picking a favorite after I've created so many is tough. I'm very happy with all of the customs that make up the HelmAverse. Mighty Thor and Doctor Strange see a lot of playing time at my house. Namor and Wonder Woman make my personal squad often but that may be because I just like the characters they are based on. If I had to pick just one favorite... I couldn't and would pick four. The HelmAverse Fantastic Four are my favorite as I love to see them played as a team together. Outside of the superheroes, I think Col. Peter shabnek is my favorite but I don't really have a good reason why. As far as other people's custom's I totally love looking at group projects such as VC and C3G but I don't use either at my table for no other reason then I couldn't find the time to start collecting that many more minis.
COMMUNITY:
What do you enjoy most about HeroScapers.com?
The ability to interact with friendly people from around the world is awesome. I mean, in my own egocentric corner of the website, I write up a custom card design in New York, A3n creates a graphic design masterpiece in Australia, and some curious scaper in Europe can print it and play a game with his or her family. Heroscape has brought a lot of happiness to my family. Without heroscapers.com, I cannot be sure that it would have happened.
Describe your favorite HeroScape moment.
Ha, as a guy who loses very often, that's a tough one. When I scape with the family, I usually test out obscure cards while my kids use the staples that seem to kick my pants in regularly. Don't get me wrong, I love so many of the moments that involve them high fiving so I just couldn't pick out one. I did really enjoy bringing Helm Jr. to a Grishnakh run superbattle played with Sherman Davies' customs. I also loved seeing Lil'Helm win a four player battle royal in the first HelmAverse game that he ever played.
Is there any member of HeroScapers.com you’d really like to play against?
Of course I would love to visit Australia and play a few games with A3n. I hope he would understand however, that I'd have to pick Grungebob as my first priority so that I could try and peek through his collection of Marvel Reinforcements. "What's that GB? You have to step out of the room to make a phone call? No problem, I can wait for you to get back. Take your time whle I mistakenly open the lock-box containing the unreleased Marvel cards."
LIE DETECTOR:
1. I've never dated girls named "Irene" nor "Sandy" yet they have both visited my house uninvited and trashed the place in conscutive years.
2. A "007" gun barrel tatoo on my shoulder thankfully covers up an older embarrassing choice.
3. Although I'm not a conspiracy theorist, I do beleve that "New Coke" was just a diverson that allowed Coca-Cola to switch its classic formula from sugar to corn syrup.
4. I'd choose John Pertwee or Peter Davidson over Tom Baker any day.
THREE FUN FAVORITES:
Favorite Song:
Dependng on my mood it could be "Rock and Roll All Nite" by Kiss or "Hysteria" by Def Leppard. Either way I seem to like my music with a little hair in it.
Favorite Game:
Wthout a doubt that would be "Game 6 of the 1986 World Series."
... I bet you didn't expect that answer to this question.
Favorite Book:
"Casino Royale" by Ian Fleming.
CLOSING:
What message do you have for the ‘Scaper community?
"Remember, wherever you go, there you are."
Whom do you pick for the next ‘Scaper of the Month?
Of course that would have to be... A3n.
Thanks again for your time!
... No, thank you, I had a blast.
Total Comments 22
Comments
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Great read Matt, as if we expected anything less. Thanx for the shout outs also.
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Posted September 17th, 2013 at 08:38 PM by A3n
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Re: SotMYesss indeed, GREAT interview. And of an almost neighbor. I spent most of my life on the Jersey side of Hudson Bay, often eyeing Long Island in the distance when I walked the beaches. Now I'm down in the Cape May Peninsula, but someday hope to make it to an Island-Scape Event. I too was a James Bond fan for many years, primarily from Ian Fleming's books that I read in High School, AND played too many card games before discovering HeroScape, War Gaming with miniatures, and assorted Euros.
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Posted September 19th, 2013 at 01:33 AM by Johngee
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Matt, I am shocked how much we have in common! I also played only card or board games before Scape. Still have Five Crowns and Phase 10 in my game closet, they sit right on top of Scotland Yard! A favorite since I got it at 12. Also, a Kiss fan, though more so when I was young (my first Halloween costume I got to choose for myself was Gene Simmons as the Demon!) Last thing I want to add is that not only do you like you music with hair, but also make-up! Great read, man! Thanks for taking the time to do this.
Oh and your customs have always been some of the best too! You and Garada's Hellboyscape is the definitive set of customs in that realm, IMO. |
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Posted September 20th, 2013 at 09:08 PM by Spidey'tilIDie
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What capable of withstanding impact pressures of 300,000 pounds per square inch,and is sweet, juicy and vitamin-packed?
Clue : New Jersey |
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Posted September 20th, 2013 at 10:25 PM by Lord-IVD
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Thanks for taking the time to read the interview fellas. And thanks for all the positive comments.
Since Sherman was the only one with a guess, I feel I didn't do such a good job with the choices. He was correct in that the tattoo was the lie. Johngee... I stare at the Jersey shore every time I sit on the beach. Next time I'll try to wave. Spidey... You inspired me to break out a card game last weekend and teach my boys to play. We had a total of 8 playing when my niece and nephew each brought in their dating partners. It was a blast! It took Matt Helm all night to rise from second peasant to Great Dahlmuti but I finished the game on top. Maybe Five Crowns will be next. A3n... One thing I want you to clear up for me in your upcoming interview. Do Australians sell globes with the Southern Hemisphere on top? |
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Posted October 6th, 2013 at 03:16 PM by Matt Helm
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If they don't, they totally should.
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Posted October 9th, 2013 at 10:50 AM by quozl
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Isn't it time for a new one?
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Posted October 22nd, 2013 at 03:29 PM by Kinseth
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