Podcast

Battle Bards Episode 192: Mabinogi

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Is Mabonogi a muppet, a Welsh adventure, or a Korean MMORPG? It’s certainly an odd title, but its music is worthy of the Battle Bards’ time. This week, the trio sails through the soundtrack to this anime fantasy sandbox — and gives proper attention, respect, and love to the country of Wales.

Episode 192 show notes (show page, direct download)

  • Intro (feat. “Main Theme (Piano),” “Afternoon Tea,” and “Prince of Denmark”)
  • “Sidhe Finnachaid”
  • “Merlin”
  • “Tears of Memory”
  • “Avalon Theme”
  • “Bangor”
  • “An Old Story From Grandma”
  • “Belita: Hunter at World’s End”
  • Which one did we like best?
  • Listener notes from Katriana and Danny
  • Jukebox picks: “Main Theme” from The Long Return, “Cowboystrats 3” from Railway Empire, and “Climbing” from Spirit of the North
  • Outro (feat. “Deeper and Deeper”)

Battle Bards Episode 191: Digging up the past

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Today’s episode of the Battle Bards was phoned in — phoned in with 2800-baud modems from the 1990s, that is! Steff, Syl, and Syp return to the early era of graphical MMOs to see what video game music existed in that time. From the bleeps to the bombastic, this show digs deep into the past to see what is waiting to be uncovered…

Episode 191 show notes (show page, direct download)

  • Intro (feat. “Toxxulia Forest” from EverQuest, “Main Theme” from Asheron’s Call, and “Idiotic Ghost” from Lineage)
  • “The Streets of Furcadia” from Furcadia
  • “Corloth” from Meridian 59
  • “Main Theme” from AOL’s Neverwinter Nights
  • “The Dark Theme” from The 4th Coming
  • “Whispers” from Dark Eden
  • “Age of Heroes” from Dark Sun Online
  • “Ocllo” from Ultima Online
  • Which one did we like best?
  • Listener notes from Dorian
  • Jukebox picks: “Main Theme” from Ecco the Dolphin, “Forest of Secrets” from Ikenfell, and “Main Theme” from Treasure Planet
  • Outro (feat. “Tavern 1” from The Realm Online)

Battle Bards Episode 190: Genshin Impact

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It was the FOMO title of last fall, and now Genshin Impact is in your ears! On this episode of the Battle Bards, Syp, Steff, and the Other One explore the varied and delightfully cheerful soundtrack to this online RPG. Unless you have headphones made of live kittens, it’ll be the most adorable thing you’ll listen to all day!

Episode 190 show notes (show page, direct download)

  • Intro (feat. “Make Haste, Partner,” “Liyue Defense,” and “Dusk in Mondstadt”)
  • “Beats of Water Drops”
  • “Spring in Clouds”
  • “Bustling Afternoon of Mondstadt”
  • “Welp, Didn’t Expect That”
  • “Chasing the Torrents”
  • “Symphony of Boreal Wind” 
  • “Against All Odds”
  • Which one did we like best?
  • Listener notes from Katriana
  • Jukebox picks: “Space Trip” from The Light Corridor, “Main Theme” from Desperados III, and “Expedition” from Epic Seven
  • Outro (feat. “Happy Journey”)

Battle Bards Episode 189: Spooky and Magical 3

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Is that a chill creeping down your spine? Did your ears just perk up at the hint of fae music in the trees? Is Tinkerbell blasting you with a cannon full of musical confetti? Then you must be in a good place to listen to some more spooky and magical music from MMORPGs with the Battle Bards!

Episode 189 show notes (show page, direct download)

  • Intro (feat. “Emerald Labyrinth” from FFXIV, “Wizard City Tower Golem” from Wizard101, and “Jawaii Town” from Ragnarok Online 2)
  • “Enraptured” from Final Fantasy XIV 
  • “Uralia” from Glitch
  • “The Lullaby of Praxis” from Elder Scrolls Online
  • “A Very Exile Shade’s Eve” from WildStar
  • “Bow and Jubilate” from Runes of Magic
  • “Floating Whispering” from Aion 
  • “Bloody Moon Melody” from Black Desert 
  • Which one did we like best?
  • Listener notes from Valheim Composer Patrik Jarlestam and Pheeb Hello
  • Jukebox picks: “The Cemetery” from Pumpkin Jack, “Dungeon” from Sword of Vermillion, and “Rain” from Call of the Sea
  • Outro (feat. “The Fortune Teller” from Star Stable)

Battle Bards Episode 188: World of Warcraft Shadowlands

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While the Battle Bards tend to agree that World of Warcraft: Shadowlands isn’t as strong of an expansion soundtrack compared to the last few, it’s still WoW, and it still has some gems worth uncovering. Join Syl, Steff, and Syp as they journey into the afterlife and see what the freshly dead listen to in their eternities!

Episode 188 show notes (show page, direct download)

  • Intro (feat. “Bastion Kyrian,” “Ardenweald Nocturne Mischief,” and “Revendreth Decadence”)
  • “Through the Roof of the World”
  • “Oribos the Eternal City”
  • “Only Human”
  • “Ember Court Band”
  • “Revendreth Venthyr”
  • “Ardenweald Nocturne Melancholy Dream”
  • “Bastion Steward Hoot ‘n’ Doot”
  • Which one did we like best?
  • Listener note from Michał Korniewicz
  • Jukebox picks: “Login Theme” from World of Warcraft, “Celebration” from Greedfall, and “Testing the Passionate Bonds” from Tales of Zesteria
  • Outro (feat. “Death is a Battlefield”)

Battle Bards Episode 187: Sewers and swamps

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Oh yeah, this is destined to be our most-downloaded show ever, because the Battle Bards are bringing the THRILLS of sewer systems and the EXCITEMENT of swamps right to your eardrums! Decaying organic matter and waste disposal are always fun times in the music department! Syp, Steff, and Syl comb through their MMO soundtrack archives to see what intriguing specimens they could pull out. It’s gonna be gross, people.

Episode 186 show notes (show page, direct download)

  • Intro (feat. “Freeport Sewers” from EverQuest II, “Marsh of Peril” from Vanguard, and “Swamp of Silence” from Aion)
  • “Dalaran Sewers” from World of Warcraft
  • “Purple Lotus Swamp” from Age of Conan
  • “Wetlands” from World of Warcraft
  • “Swamplands” from EverQuest Online Adventures 
  • “Battle in the Swamp” from Star Wars: The Old Republic 
  • “Swamp of No Hope” from EverQuest II 
  • “Empyrea Zanadu Sewers” from Wizard101
  • Which one did we like best?
  • Listener note from Katriana
  • Jukebox picks: “Landing Zone” from Chex Quest, “Bastion” from Spellforce 3, and “Day 10” from Viva Pinata
  • Outro (feat. “Swamp” from The 4th Coming)

Battle Bards Episode 186: Lineage

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While Lineage II is one of the absolute favorite soundtracks of the Battle Bards, the first game in this series has been shamefully overlooked on the show. No longer! In today’s episode, Syl, Steff, and Syp dig into this rather lovely and expressive score for an MMO that’s been around longer than some of their listeners have been alive. From the sappy to the sublime, Lineage has more than a few surprises in store for the adventurous listener!

Episode 186 show notes (show page, direct download)

  • Intro (feat. “The Fog of Dawnlight,” “Before Sunset,” and “Town Market Stargaze”)
  • “Against Odds”
  • “Phantasmal Island” 
  • “Across the Sea”
  • “Eternally”
  • “The Adventure of Racoon” 
  • “Take a Rest Here”
  • “Waltz on the Cloud”
  • Which one did we like best?
  • Listener note from R. Ellen Ferare
  • Jukebox picks: “Learn Step Turn” from Creaks, “Quicksilver” from Super Burnout, and “Main Theme” to Spider-Man: Miles Morales
  • Outro (feat. “Singing of Shepherd”)

Battle Bards Episode 185: Taking Flight

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Flying has always been both beloved and controversial in MMORPGs, but no matter what your stance on it, at least you can agree that when you slip the surly bonds of earth, you need an amazing soundtrack for that moment. Thankfully, captain Steff, co-pilot Syl, and navigator Syp are here to point out some of the best flying-themed tunes found in online games. So raise your tray tables to their locked position, because this episode’s about to take off!

Episode 185 show notes (show page, direct download)

  • Intro (feat. “Boundless” from Final Fantasy XIV, “Skybound” from Entropia Universe, and “Gryphons Soar in the Sun” from Elder Scrolls Online)
  • “Main Theme” from World of Warplanes
  • “Eagle Flight” from Guild Wars 2
  • “A Glorious Flight” from War Thunder
  • “Adventure” from Guns of Icarus
  • “Fly into the Sky” from Blade and Soul
  • “Flying Sky” from Trove
  • “Flying” from Flyff
  • Which one did we like best?
  • Listener note from Bullwraith
  • Jukebox picks: “Main Theme” from Star Wars Squadrons, “Menu Theme” from Medieval Dynasty, and “Salutations” from Subnautica
  • Outro (feat. )

Battle Bards Episode 184: MapleStory 2

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Nexon’s late, doomed MapleStory 2 gets a resurrection of sorts, as the Battle Bards salvage the soundtrack and deliver it, shining and sparkly, to you. It’s a surprisingly good score with lots of interesting themes, and as such, Steff, Syl, and Syp are excited to talk about it. So rest in peace, MapleStory 2, we think you left behind a delightful musical legacy.

Episode 184 show notes (show page, direct download)

  • Intro (feat. “Rune Blader Cave,” “Black Star,” and “Ice Age Field”)
  • “Knight Theme”
  • “Perion Field 1”
  • “Tria”
  • “Dream”
  • “Dungeon”
  • “Lapenta”
  • “Historic Desert”
  • Which one did we like best?
  • Listener note from Katriana
  • Jukebox picks: “Flying in the Sky” from Super Robot Wars F, “Rey’s Theme” from Sims 4: Journey to Batuu, and “Volcano” from Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom
  • Outro (feat. “Wizard Theme”)

Battle Bards Episode 183: Theme parks

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This episode is your ticket to the greatest amusement park experience known to gamers! With cotton candy and ride tickets in hand, the Battle Bards rush into the gates of their favorite theme parks — and theme parks WITHIN theme park MMOs! So what do amusement parks sound like in online roleplaying games? Find out in this fantastic spectacle of an episode!

Episode 183 show notes (show page, direct download)

  • Intro (feat. “Shopping Arcade 1” from MapleStory 2, “Nar Shadda” from SWTOR, and “Dream Carnival” from Hello Kitty Online)
  • “Themepark Overture” from Lineage 2
  • “Mudskipper Calliope” from RuneScape
  • “Darkmoon Faire Hero” from World of Warcraft
  • “Fantastic Theme Park” from MapleStory 
  • “Blizzard World” from Overwatch
  • “Carnival of Death” from The Secret World
  • “Gold Saucer” from Final Fantasy XIV
  • Which one did we like best?
  • Listener note from Katriana
  • Jukebox picks: “A Sit By the Water” from A Monster’s Expedition, “Forest” from The Smurfs (NES), and 
  • Outro (feat. “Fairie Funland Trailer Theme” from Revelation Online)