Is this hobby the one remaining place we can still escape from digital technology and leave the phones, tablets, etc at the door? Or, are there benefits to be had by implementing certain tech to run “hybrid” style gaming experiences? That’s just one of the topics we touch on in this episode of the Tabletop Miniature Hobby Podcast.
We talking about storytelling, and worldbuilding in miniature agnostic games, referencing some of our own favourites like Open Combat, Song of Blades & Heroes, and Rogue Planet. Does providing a universe or setting limit players, or does it help them to build their forces and play out more meaningful encounters?
We couldn’t have a chat with Robey without dipping into game mechanics. What are some of the most innovative ones he’s come across? What are the mechanics he’s most proud of creating himself? Are there only so many different variations of miniature wargame rules out there? And while we’re at it, what makes a hobbyist gamer want to start writing their own rules in the first place anyway?
Robey also offers his thoughts on how he’d go about adapting a popular miniature game into a solo or co-op ruleset, and whether or not you could make a “tiny” game with only 2 minis.
No conversation on this podcast would be complete without touching on Games Workshop either. Does GW have more or less of an influence and hold over this industry than it did, say, 25 years ago?
Do you need to paint every day? Do you need to play every week? Is a “seasonal hobbying” approach the answer to navigating busy or unexpected life events?
In this episode we bring you a conversation with Dan Adam. Dan is the founder of the essential and long-running Paint All The Minis Podcast, where he chats with “a wide-ranging set of individuals from both inside and on the outside of the Tabletop/RPG/Boardgame industry about their experience, insight, & motivations.”
“Paint in the winter… you only paint in the winter!”
We cover a lot of ground in this chat. The starting point is a discussion around new and early parenthood. Babies and young kids demand a lot of your time and attention. Can we really justify painting and playing with toy soldiers during such a period? And if we can, how do we even begin to carve out the time for such things? Is a seasonal hobbying approach the answer here? Or do you just need to get the finger out and find a spare ten minutes each day?
We muse over whether the time you have available should dictate the types of games you’re into. If you’re strapped for time, is there any point in getting into a mass-battle game like Kings of War? Would you be better off playing smaller warband-based skirmish games like Stargrave? Or even trying out solo wargaming?
Finally, we talk about the content tightrope. Listening to podcasts, watching YouTube vids, and following social media groups and pages can be great for inspiration and motivation. On the flip side though, you can easily get bombarded with all the latest “must-have” miniatures and games. How can we navigate this so we can be more mindful about the new things we buy into, whilst still getting all of the benefits of hobby content consumption?
Taking a nostalgic look at the Herohammer era with Wargames Orchard presenter Nathan Stone.
“The Wargames Orchard is podcast dedicated to exploring Warhammer in a whole new way! We dive into the lore, rules, armies, and units from 1st to 8th edition Fantasy and 40k! You’ll also find a bit of news, hobby talk, and silly games inside. The perfect podcast to accompany your hobby!”
On this episode, we’re joined by Wargames Orchard presenter Nathan Stone – someone with an encyclopaedic knowledge of Warhammer lore. We talk about the Herohammer era and why it’s so compelling. Where did regiments of skeletons find nice matching shields and shiny red-handled spears? Why did Space Marines fight Orks and Genestealers on lush green grass under stunning blue skies? Couldn’t they have enjoyed a picnic together instead, basking in the idyllic scenery? And why did the Herohammer era gradually fade to be replaced by a much more grimdark alternative?
The grass was always greener in the Herohammer era
We also talk about what every sane and normal person would do if they had access to a time machine – travel back to shop in a Games Workshop store in the mid-90s. If Nathan had $100 in his wallet, what would be on his shopping list, and why?
Painting and has been a bit slower recently due to the better weather, easing of restrictions, and a few other commitments taking up a bit of my free time. Nevertheless, I’ve still managed to get another wee batch of minis finished up, starting with these Chaos Space Raiders from Diehard.
I recently picked up my own copy of Stargrave, and I’ve barely put it down since (in fact, the one time I did put it down, my pet rabbit seemed to take a liking to it). Stargrave is a much anticipated miniature agnostic sci-fi skirmish game. Brought to us by the creator of the legendary Frostgrave, it’s tempting to refer to it simply as “Frostgrave in space”, though I don’t think that quite does it justice. In any case, I’m not here to dive into the rules, but rather, the Stargrave minis (or miniature options, as it were).
I mentioned that the game – just like Frostgrave – is miniature agnostic. Miniature agnostic games take the approach of “use whatever you own”, which is interpreted by many hobbyists (myself included) as “use whatever you would like to own”.
Knightmare’s Chaos Space Mari… I, er, mean Chaos Space Raiders
There’s actually an official range of Stargrave minis by North Star Military Figures. Here, you’ll find some nice looking soldiers and characters, and you can pick up some dice and tokens for the game whilst you’re at it, too.
Stargrave. A rather tasty ruleset… apparently…
For my own tastes, I was looking for an aesthetic that was slightly more “retro”. Though Rogue Trader was before my time (I came into the hobby in the early 90s) I’ve always loved the look of that game and the 40k universe as it was in those hazy days.
Stargrave Minis With a Rogue Trader (or Early 40k) Feel
I did a roundup of Oldhammer miniature companies with that classic 80s Citadel vibe a while back. A lot of these companies I hadn’t heard of before. After doing the writeup, I felt obliged to buy quite a lot of miniatures from most of them. Strictly for the purposes of research, you must understand.
Leafing through my Stargrave book, my imagination started to conjure up images of how I’d like my crews to look. As usual, these are a far cry from anything you’d buy out of GW in the year of our Emperor that is 2021. So it was time to get the long-suffering wallet out once again.
And now, here we are with a rundown of the Stargrave minis that I’ve either already bought or are on my “next to buy” list.
When it comes to Stargrave minis, Knightmare has a lot of great options, too. Immerse yourself in their Space Raiders range and brace yourself to spend some money. Chaos and Orcs (I don’t think we’re allowed to use a K in Orc, are we?) make up the bulk of the offerings here, and they look fantastic.
Space Orcs by Knightmare Miniatures
My final stop – at least, for now anyway – is onwards to CP Models. CP has a wide and diverse range of miniatures at multiple scales. But it was their 28mm sci-fi range I was interested in for my Stargrave minis project.
These fit with the Stargrave ethos really well, and there are some nice nods to IPs like Mass Effect and Fallout there too.
CP Models undead aliens
CP’s Grey Aliens range are – and I don’t think I’ve ever used this word in my life before – adorable. Those tiny zombie aliens fill my black heart with joy, they really do.
I’m going to wrap this up now because I already feel another spending spree coming on, and that’s before my first batch of Stargrave minis has even dropped through the letterbox. As always, I’ll be posting updates of my fledgling paintwork as and when I get them finished, so be sure to subscribe to the blog to stay tuned.
I’ve been on a bit of a roll with my painting recently, and it’s largely down to Midlam Miniatures. They’re one of my favourite miniature manufacturers, and I talk more about them in my Oldhammer Miniature Companies article.
My projects recently have been fairly straightforward. Collect and paint any fantasy miniatures I like the look of for either skirmish-level or dungeon crawler games.
“Keep your eye on the ball, son. Right, watch this…”
Moving away from robes and slithering tentacles, I’m also a sucker for a Chaos Warrior. Not those joyless modern types though. I mean real Chaos Warriors.
The first one I’ve named Brother Rust. He’d have fitted in with my retro Chaos Warrior warband, but alas, he will never know them.
I’m not sure if the second guy is an actual Chaos Warrior or if he’s just cosplaying as one. Another lovely little miniature nonetheless, though.
So these guys will all go into the mix for future dungeon crawler adventures. They’ll make ideal opponents for my party of heroes.
This Cave Lurker reminds me a bit of the old Ambull from the Citadel Combat Cards.
And speaking of Citadel, let’s temporarily leave the Midlam universe. I found a pile of old metal Blood Bowl beastmen in a box in the attic last year. I very nearly stuck them on Ebay, but I decided to paint them up instead.
I’ve got 9 in total, so this might well be an excuse to complete a full team and hunt out a copy of the game.
Back to Midlam, these two guys are pals of the Cave Lurker. I actually managed to prime, paint, and base them both in one single day.
Same with this guy. I wonder if he’s related to the big sweetcorn salesman?
Well, not quite “masters”… minions, more like… these Battlemasters baddies are coming to a dungeon near you…
I’ve just finished painting up my latest handful of miniatures. If you’ve been following along, you’ll know that I’ve been dabbling with Dungeon Saga. I wanted to populate the dungeons with my own unique miniatures, so I have formed up a party of heroes, and some Lovecraftian horrors to pit them against.
I had a few miniatures from the classic Battlemasters game of my childhood lying around. I decided to put an orc-goblin duo to work as dungeon minions.
This Chaos Dwarf is another old monopose plastic miniature getting a lick of paint and a fancy shield. I found him in my nephew’s Lego toybox of all places. His spear is slightly bent, probably an injury inflicted by a Lego batman or something. He looks slightly better than he did, in any case.
I didn’t put the Chaos Dwarf in the dungeon because I’d already been painting this fellow. I am sure I got him from CP Models.
Not had enough 90s throwbacks yet? Fair enough. We move from Battlemasters to Warhammer 40k, and the pious loudmouth that is Redemptor Kyrinov, Confessor of the Ministorum. He’s backed up by two Warmonger Miniatures’ Plague Apothecaries. This is all part of my sci-fi dystopia project.
Kyrinov will be placed in responsible charge of these endoskeleton miniatures from Terminator Genesys.
That’s all for now, though. We’re all waiting to see who comes through that dungeon door next. Will it be more Battlemasters characters? Someone from HeroQuest, perhaps?
Podcasts are a great way to keep in close touch with the hobby, even after the year we’ve just had, and the limited opportunities it has presented us with. Sticking on a good podcast episode is the ideal accompaniment to painting your miniatures. Podcasts can get you motivated to push on and keep working on your projects, or get you thinking about your next game, campaign, or that homebrew solo ruleset you’ve been playing around with. There’s an ever-growing number of great miniature wargaming podcasts out there these days. But instead of throwing myself into writing up an exhaustive list, I wanted to simply recommend my 3 favourites.
“These miniature wargame podcasts are a lot of fun, guys…”
What Do I Mean By “Miniature Wargaming Podcasts”?
It’s a bit of a wide term, I know. The shows I listen to tend to cover a bit more than miniature wargaming. Not all miniature games are about war, after all. Things like painting, terrain, lore, and worldbuilding hold a lot of my interest. Then there’s stuff like industry news and the business side of it all. Throw in a bit of chat about rules, systems, and mechanics, combined with wider philosophical questions such as what makes the whole hobby experience so appealing to begin with, and we’re just about there. That’s a lot more than miniature wargaming, but there’s only so long-winded you can be with the titles and labels of things.
With that all said, let’s jump into my top 3 miniature wargaming podcasts recs…
Paint All The Minis
The Paint All The Minis podcast started as a show about… well, you can probably guess. But this show goes way deeper than the act or art of miniature painting. It’s a long-form interview podcast and there have been some industry titans on there (The GW old guard Rick Priestly, Andy Chambers, and Gav Thorpe have all been on, to name but a few). It’s incredible to hear background stories from such household names, as well as folks running companies and creating the products that we know and love. But host Dan’s conversations with “the average Joe” are every bit as compelling. In these episodes, we walk through the guest’s journey into the hobby and learn about their own unique perspectives, experiences, and thoughts. With a back catalogue of over 200 episodes, and still going strong, Paint All The Minis is a must-add for your subscribe list.
Some skeletons I painted in the mid 90s. The “Herohammer” era.
The Wargames Orchard
There’s a certain generation of folks who grew up in the “Herohammer” era of the 90s. You know, goblin green bases, bright colours everywhere, red spear shafts, and blue skies shining down over even the bloodiest of 40k battles. For this generation (ie; mines!), The Wargames Orchard offers a nostalgic trip down memory lane. Host Nathan (and occasional co-host Scott) goes the extra mile when it comes to delving into the lore, interpreting the rules, and just generally waxing lyrical about this golden era of Warhammer Fantasy and 40k (1st to 8th editions). Some of Nathan’s deep-dives cover things like life as a Lord of Change, Genestealers touring around in limos, and why face cloths were deadly in the Rogue Trader era. The Wargames Orchard is a captivating and engaging listen, and it’s clear that a tonne of effort goes into putting each episode together.
My third miniature wargaming podcast recommendation is this cracking little show by Precinct Omega. It’s a weekly news and discussion show, and I initially subscribed as a handy way to keep up-to-date with the latest goings-on in the industry. That’s undoubtedly a big part of what makes the podcast great, but it was host Robey’s regular masterclasses on rules, systems, and mechanics that pulled me in even more. Precinct Omega’s podcast will get you thinking about gaming, as well as the industry as a whole, at a much deeper level. Thoroughly recommended for anyone who’s ever thought about writing their own game, or is simply interested in learning more about how they all work. Precinct Omega has published games including Horizon Wars and Zero Dark, which are well worth checking out if you’re into miniature agnostic systems.
Miniature Wargaming Podcasts: Top 3 Picks
Hopefully you’ve found this short roundup useful. If you’re a podcast listener and don’t already subscribe to these shows, then definitely check them out. If you have any miniature wargaming podcast recommendations of your own, too, then please feel free to drop them into the comments section below.
Got all your terrain on the table? Your lovingly painted miniatures in place? Still feel there’s something missing from your games? Then why not try some tabletop audio ambience in the background?
Here are some free resources I’ve created for you to use. They’ll help you add that extra layer of atmosphere and cinematic depth to your miniature and RPG experience. You’ll find a download button on the top right-hand corner of each audio player.
They’re for personal use in your games. If you’d like to use them in any content you create and publish online, please credit Bedroom Battlefields with a link back to this page. It’d be nice if you could reach out to me and let me know too – I’d love to take a look.
Busy Marketplace Tabletop Audio Ambience
An accompaniment to your characters stocking up on weapons and potions ahead of their next big adventure. Hopefully your marketplace isn’t overrun by a warband of Chaos fiends, as did happen to the residents of Middenbury.
Bustling Tavern Tabletop Audio Ambience
Whether you’re kicking back after a successful quest, or busy planning your next one, grab a tankard of ale and pull up a stool. If you’re looking for some great tavern visuals too, then check out my Etsy Wargaming Terrain roundup.
I hope you enjoy these tabletop audio tracks, and that they might add an extra dimension to your mini-worlds.
I aim to add lots of new audio tracks to this page over time. If you’ve any particular requests for tabletop or RPG atmospheres and ambience, please get in touch and let me know.
You can also subscribe to Bedroom Battlefields to be kept up-to-date on any new resources I create, as well as my ramblings about the hobby in general.
The residents of the small village of Middensbury had all heard the rumours. A vile and depraved band of Chaos worshipers had been slaughtering their way through neighbouring settlements. Middensbury would surely be next, and what chance would they stand?
Hope arrived in the form of a bounty hunter known as Red Kate. She too had heard the rumours, and was keen to profit from them. The leader of this band of fiends’ head would fetch a fine price from the local Duke, and she intended to deliver it.
Red Kate was backed up by two of her own comrades. Greybeards, well past their prime, but with long years of experience in the field. This rallied the villagers, and soon they had assembled a sizeable force. Confidence began to grow, and when a young boy returned, breathless, to tell them he’d spotted the enemy, a grim determination swept over this makeshift militia.
Confidence and determination turned to fear for much of the villagers when they finally caught a glimpse of their foe. From cruel and lethal goblins, to warped mutants and hulking Chaos Warriors, they began to realise the odds that were stacked against them. Yes, they had the numbers. But could they really defeat these monsters? And if so, at what cost?
Red Kate and her two hired helps rally the townsfolk of Middensbury
This is the first battle in my Song of Chaos & Vengeance campaign, using the Song of Blades & Heroes system. Playing solo, I’ve not yet nailed down any one way to optimise this, so I’ll be testing and tweaking as I go. For this battle, I aimed to simply do my best with both sides. This means there would be no real surprises or randomness in any of the movement or tactics (something I’ll look to introduce in the next game).
The battle lines are drawn
My activation strategy would generally be to opt for the best ‘Quality’ characters first when attacking, and aiming to deal with the most imminent danger whilst defending.
Kate and her men step up to earn their pay
The early part of the battle saw Tebaud the Butcher and his deputy Mallüs Bloodaxe getting stuck right into the Middensbury vanguard. To be fair to Red Kate and co, they held well for several turns. There was a lot of jostling, parrying, and dodging, and it looked like the forces of Chaos might not have it all their own way after all.
Then, disaster struck for the villagers as Tebaud dispatched of one of Kate’s veterans. His body had barely hit the ground before the bounty hunter herself was brutally slain by Mallüs Bloodaxe. Even though the Chaos Warrior was outnumbered, his 6 roll to her 1 ensured that she wouldn’t be collecting any gold this day. Or, on any other for that matter.
Thorburn the blacksmith leads by example
With only one mercenary warrior remaining, it seemed like the two Chaos Warriors would now be free to cleave a bloody path through the rest of the villagers. That wasn’t to be. A humble blacksmith by the name of Thorburn had seen enough of this needless butchery, and he intended to put a stop to it.
The old metalworker charged Tebaud, smashing his giant hammer into the Chaos Champion’s helm. This blow was enough to knock Tebaud over, but a re-roll via his Hero perk meant he somehow stayed on his feet. Tavern landlord Portly Alf, inspired by his friends bravery, charged as they doubled up on Tebaud. Unfortunately, the pair couldn’t make their advantage count, and the overweight swordsman became the next villager to decorate the floor with his guts.
Enraged, Thorburn again launched himself at the Chaos Champion. Incredibly, he bested him for a second time. The Dark Gods were clearly smiling on Tebaud this day though, who was saved by his Heavy Armour perk. Would the blacksmith get another chance?
Amos the Executioner tried to take advantage of Thorburn’s heroism by attacking Tebaud. He was no match for the big champion though, and was only saved by the blacksmith fighting at his side, which meant a -1 deduction to Tebaud’s combat rating. His luck didn’t hold out much longer though, he was knocked over and murdered without another thought. The Butcher, armour coated in blood, turned his eyes back to that pesky blacksmith…
On the other side of the battlefield, Jakub Daemonhands arrived in a furious frenzy of whirling limbs and blades. He’d grown tired of watching those armoured idiots huffing and puffing against a bunch of peasants. It was time to show them how the real work was done.
“Cheers to you, my four-armed friend!”
The mutant’s first “opponent” came in the form of Middensbury’s favourite down-and-out, Drunken Dudley. Dudley was oblivious to the attack and had interpreted the afternoon’s events as some sort of street celebration. He was promptly dispatched and sent off to that big tavern in the sky, where his landlord was already setting a jug on the table for him. Rest in Peace, Dudley.
Back down at the box-office event, Thorburn the blacksmith lands a power blow on Tebaud the Butcher. This time, he’s a mere 1 point away from killing the Chaos Champion. Sadly, it was to be his last act of heroism, and the beginning of the end for the Middensbury defence. The Butcher replied with a power blow of his own, and this time, he trebles his score for a gruesome kill.
It’s morale checks all round for the horrified villagers who witnessed this brutal slaughter, many of them scattering towards the edge of the table, their spirits broken.
Bloodaxe was kept busy by Red Kate’s last remaining warrior
One defender who wasn’t turning tail to run was Old Nicholas the mercenary swordsman. A former army man, he’d fought in more battles than he cared to remember. If this was to be his last, he’d make sure he died on the front foot. Perhaps he’d even take one of these loathsome creatures with him?
And he nearly did, too. Knocking Mallüs Bloodaxe right onto his arse, laughing and taunting the bested Chaos Warrior who scrambled to regain his feet, as well as his pride.
“Run for your lives!”
Unfortunately, the villagers who could’ve provided some much-needed backup to Old Nic had already fled, running for their lives after the brutal killing of Thorburn the blacksmith. Isolated and alone, Nicholas smiled grimly to himself as Bloodaxe charged, roaring to some black-hearted God. There were no more heroics for the veteran swordsman who suffered the second gruesome kill of the afternoon.
This prompted more morale checks all round, as the dead now outnumbered the living on the Middensbury side. Tebaud’s warband hadn’t even activated half of their forces, and victory was now within touching distance.
Middensbury’s last hope – an ancient beggar
Any dying embers of fight were knocked out of the remaining survivors, who turned and fled for their lives. All except one. An old beggar, leaning heavily on a crutch and upon two wooden legs, rolled three 5s to pass his Morale test.
Perhaps this harmless-looking old man was once a great solder, who’d lost his legs fighting heroically in a long-ago war. He turned towards Jakub Daemonhands and advanced, holding out his begging bowl. The big mutant rolled his eyes at yet another idiot who’d mistaken this massacre for some sort of festivity. But as the beggar got close enough, he threw the contents of his cup into Jakub’s face, following it up with a blow from his crutch.
There was to be no blood spilt against Tebaud’s warband this day though. The attack was easily swatted aside, and the old man’s belly was opened by another of Jakub’s knives.
The massacre of Middensbury was emphatic. And it was over.
Khongor “Did I miss anything?”
As the Dust Settles
And so it was the two Chaos Warriors, Mallüs Bloodaxe and Tebaud the Butcher, who were at the centre of the carnage in this battle. They spilled a lot of blood, but both were matched for a period of time by brave and determined opponents. On another day, one of them could’ve easily fallen to one of the many blows landed upon them.
Jakub Daemonhands was the only other member of the party who really saw any action. Khongor the shaman made his way over to witness the final few exchanges, but didn’t have any real part to play. The others were stuck in their deployment positions, poor quality activation rolls keeping them there for the duration of the battle.
Kills & Casualties
Tebaud the Butcher – 4 kills
Mallüs Bloodaxe – 2 kills
Jakub Daemonhands – 2 kills
Casualties – 0
As for their next battle, I’ll have more details on that pretty soon. In the meantime, be sure to read about this gruesome warband’s background and history in Song of Chaos & Vengeance.
