Joseph A. McCullough is a tabletop wargames designer, and writer from Greensboro, North Carolina.[1] who now lives in Kent, UK.[1]

He is most well known for Frostgrave, a fantasy miniatures game where the player has control over a powerful wizard and their soldiers.

Early life and education

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Joseph A. McCullough was born in 1976 in Greensboro, North Carolina.[1] McCullough grew up watching science-fiction such as Star Trek and Star Wars.[2] McCullough graduated with a degree in history from the University of North Carolina.[1]

Career

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McCullough lived in Washington, D.C. where he wrote for a medical journal and worked in a gaming store.[1] McCullough went to North Wales to study for a creative writing degree from Bangor University, although he did not finish the degree.[1] McCullough got married while in England and stayed there to work for the military history publisher Osprey Publishing, working in production, marketing, editorial, and games for 15 years before becoming a freelancer full-time.[1]

McCullough has written for Black Gate.[3] McCullough wrote or co-wrote books for the Dark Osprey line including Steampunk Soldiers: Uniforms & Weapons from the Age of Steam, Steampunk Soldiers: The American Frontier, and Zombies: A Hunter’s Guide.[4] McCullough became Project Manager for the Osprey Adventures imprint of Osprey Publishing in 2011.[3] McCullough wrote Dragonslayers, the first book in the Myths and Legends line from Osprey.[5] McCullough edited the 2015 anthology Frostgrave: Tales of the Frozen City.[6]

Miniature wargames

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  • Frostgrave: Fantasy Wargames in the Frozen City.[7][8]
  • Rangers of Shadow Deep: A Tabletop Adventure Game.
  • Stargrave: Fantasy Wargames in the Ravaged Galaxy.
  • Oathmark: Battles of the Lost Age
  • The Silver Bayonet: A wargames of Napolenic Gothic Horror
  • Frostgrave: Ghost Archipelago - Fantasy Wargaming in the Lost Isles
  • Deathship One
  • Operation: Last Train

[9]

Books

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Fiction

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  • Victory's Knife

Non-fiction

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  • Steampunk Soldiers
  • Steampunk Soldiers: The American Frontier
  • Zombies: A hunter's guide.
  • Dragonslayers: From Beowulf to St. George.
  • The Science-Fiction & Fantasy Quizbook
  • The Story of Santa Claus
  • The Military History Quizbook
  • The Civil War Quizbook
  • A pocket History of Ireland

Awards

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Frostgrave

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  • UK Games Expo – Best Miniatures Game 2015[10]
  • Beasts of War – Best Miniatures Game 2015[11]
  • Silver ENnie – Miniature Product of the Year 2016[12]
  • Origins Awards Nominee – Miniatures Game of the Year 2016[13]
  • Wargames Illustrated – Best Rules 2019
  • Bleeding Cool – Best Tabletop Miniature Game 2018 and #2 Tabletop Game of 2018.
  • Drive Thru Review  – Top 50 Games of All Time #4
  • Rob’s Tabletop World – Top 10 Non-GW Miniature Games #1

Frostgrave: Perilous Dark

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  • UK Games Expo – Judge’s Award for Best Miniature Rules 2020
  • UK Games Expo – People’s Choice Award for Best Miniature Rules 2020

Stargrave

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  • UK Games Expo – Judge’s Award for Best Miniature Rules 2021
  • UK Games Expo – People’s Choice Award for Best Miniatures Rules 2021
  • Tabletop Gaming Live – Best Miniatures Game 2022

Oathmark

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  • Tabletop Gaming Live – Best Wargame 2022

The Silver Bayonet

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  • UK Games Expo – Judge’s Award for Best Miniature Rules 2022
  • UK Games Expo – People’s Choice Award for Best Miniatures Rules 2022

Rangers of Shadow Deep

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  • DriveThruRPG – Mithral Best Seller
  • Guerrilla Miniature Games – Top 5 New Games of 2018
  • Drive Thru Review – Top 50 Games of All Time #3
  • Drive Thru Review – #1 Solo Game

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g "About – Joseph A. McCullough". Retrieved 2022-11-24.
  2. ^ https://www.ospreypublishing.com/ca/osprey-blog/2021/aw-shux-joseph-a-mccullough-ask-me-anything/
  3. ^ a b https://www.blackgate.com/2011/12/24/osprey-adventures/
  4. ^ https://www.blackgate.com/2017/11/11/dark-osprey-the-shadowy-worlds-of-cthulhu-alien-bug-hunts-and-a-nazi-moonbase/
  5. ^ https://www.blackgate.com/2013/06/07/a-review-of-ospreys-dragonslayers/
  6. ^ https://www.blackgate.com/2015/06/17/future-treasures-frostgrave-tales-of-the-frozen-city-edited-by-joseph-mccullough/
  7. ^ https://www.tabletopgaming.co.uk/features/core-mechanics-in-wargame-design/
  8. ^ https://icv2.com/articles/reviews/view/37659/review-frostgrave-ulterior-motives-game
  9. ^ "Wargames – Joseph A. McCullough". Retrieved 2022-11-24.
  10. ^ "UKGE Awards". UK Games Expo. Retrieved 2022-11-24.
  11. ^ "Beasts of War 2015 Gaming Awards: The Winners – OnTableTop – Home of Beasts of War". Retrieved 2022-11-24.
  12. ^ "2016 Nominees and Winners – ENNIE Awards". Retrieved 2022-11-24.
  13. ^ "Links: Nominees for the 2016 Origins Awards, Mensa Select for 2016, and Ernest and Peterson's Game Golem | BoardGameGeek News". BoardGameGeek. Retrieved 2022-11-24.