100th Episode of the Tabletop Miniature Hobby Podcast!

October 17, 2024October 17, 2024 wilbur

A mighty warband has assembled to celebrate a centenary of Tabletop Miniature Hobby Podcast episodes.

Unfortunately, this warband is not tournament-legal because it’s exclusively made up of heroes.

Those heroes are Jervis Johnson, Andy Chambers, Trish Carden, Gav Thorpe, Joe McCullough, Tuomas Pirinen, Mike Hutchinson, Alessio Cavatore, and Rick Priestley.

Subscribe and listen on your podcast app of choice.

Can you think of a better way to spend the next 30 minutes than listening to these folks? No, me either.

The clips from Andy Chambers, Gav Thorpe, Tuomas Pirinen, and Alessio Cavatore were taken from episodes they appeared on in 2023, whilst the clips from Jervis, Trish, Joe, Mike, and Rick are brand new material. These tackle the subject of our September question of the month: Which person (dead or alive) would you love to play a miniatures game with, and why? Also, what game would you play?

A massive thank you to this group of brilliant people for giving up their time to get involved in this humble podcast. To the best of my knowledge, here’s where you can check out what they’ve been making, recently:

Andy & Jervis: Heroes or Might & Magic
Andy & Gav: Zeo Genesis
Mike: Hobgoblin
Trish: HarrowHyrst
Tuomas: Trench Crusade
Joe: Deathship One
Alessio: River Horse Store

Bring Out Your Lead 2024: Weirdomunda, Travel 40k, & Perky Picts

August 5, 2024August 5, 2024 wilbur

This is a whirlwind report of Bring Out Your Lead 2024, the world’s finest celebration of Oldhammer. Check out the full range of pictures here, as well as an interview with organizer Garth about the event’s roots.

Mike Hutchinson Talks Hobgoblin, Chess 28, & the Rule of Carnage

May 24, 2024May 24, 2024 wilbur

It’s embarrassing to think that the Tabletop Miniature Hobby Podcast has hit 80+ episodes without having Mike Hutchinson on. That said, it was well worth the wait, and the timing was definitely right, with lots of cool new projects in the pipeline.

Mike’s hobby origin story, as well as his thoughts on Gaslands and A Billion Suns, have been well-covered elsewhere. For an excellent fix on that front, I’ll point you to two episodes of the Paint All The Minis podcast (here and here).

And, speaking of podcasts, Mike co-hosts a superb show of his own with game designer pal Glenn Ford. Rule of Carnage is essential listening (or viewing!) for anyone in this hobby. It’s a true masterclass on games design, and has led to the pair writing an academic textbook on the subject, too!

Mike’s rank-and-flank fantasy battle game Hobgoblin is the Box Office topic right now, and I took the opportunity to learn more about it before my inevitable purchase. He’s also been tinkering with Chess under the “Chess 28” banner and has created a new open-source ruleset called Flagstone.

Mike runs a Patreon to help support his income now that he’s gone full-time into game design. It’s brilliant news for our hobby that Mike’s brain can be put to work around the clock now, so be sure to help keep the jar topped up with fluid.

Song of Blades & Homebrew, & Talking 28 Magazine

April 15, 2024April 15, 2024 wilbur

If you’ve come across 28 Magazine before, you’ll know about its striking aesthetic, stunning artwork, and incredible photography. On this episode of the Tabletop Miniature Hobby Podcast, I’m joined by editor Sampsa Nylund to find out more about 28, not just as a magazine, but as a community.

There’s also an audio battle report of a slightly homebrewed version of Song of Blades & Heroes. I set the scene for this scenario a few weeks ago (see Telling Stories in Your Miniature Games), and it was time to get down to it and roll some dice.

A big thanks to Warbases for sponsoring this episode. Here’s a pile of their single figure movement trays.

I’ll be using them to identify monopose or similar-looking miniatures in warbands for things like turn order and wound tracking. No more dice following them round the battlefield!

Chaos Reborn

As for our game, the focus was on Rannveig Whitebeard and his Reavers, who had travelled South from Norsca to Morbid Moor, escorting the evil Hierophant X’ulthar the Abhorrent on a mission to summon Az’Rath the Blackhearted.

Morbid Moor is an isolated and sinister settlement on the forgotten edges of the Empire. Built on and around the shrine of Az’Rath, its residents worship him. Utilising the talents of their young shaman Jimmy Shadowcaller, they, too, seek to complete their own summoning ritual.

And so, a fight it was.

A (Sort of) Blades & Heroes

Here’s how it all worked.

Instead of Quality rolls to activate, it was a deck drawing system to clearly define the turns
At the end of each turn, an Event card was drawn (see events below)
At the end of each turn, both players rolled a D6 for the summoning ritual
The first shaman to hit 21 completed the ritual
Both players then rolled off to see who had recruited Az’Rath, with the summoner getting a +2
There were no wounds, pushing back, or knocking over – you lose a combat, you die
Each miniature had two activations per turn
All miniatures (except the wolf) moved a short stick’s length.
All villagers and both shamans were unmodified in combat
All marauders were +2 in combat
Az’Rath and the wolf were +3 in combat

Event Cards

An event card was drawn before the beginning of a new turn. The deck contained ten cards, five of which were “no event.”

Here are the actual events:

Wolf

A massive wolf leaps from the darkness, attacking the next character whose card is drawn. Place them in base contact on the standing stone side.

Storm

The dark clouds can hold their weight no longer, a torrential downpour soaks the landscape, reducing visibility and turning the ground into a boot-sucking bog. Reduce activations to 1 in this turn.

Laughter of the Dark Gods

The Gods are amused by the events unfolding below and watch on with interest. They decide to test someone’s faith. Draw the next card and roll a D6. On a 1-3, the character is struck dead by lighting. On a 4-6, they are blessed with a combat bonus (+2 for villagers, +1 for marauders)

Blessed Stone

The nearest character to the stone is blessed with a combat bonus (+2 for villagers, +1 for marauders)

Cursed Stone

Any characters within a long stick’s distance to the stone are blasted back in a straight line to the table edge or nearest obstacle. They take no damage or face any further penalty.

Telling Stories in Your Miniature Games

March 21, 2024April 5, 2024 wilbur

Do you ever glance at your miniature collection only to see a story materialising in front of your eyes? This happened to me recently, and I’ve since been trying to organise it into a fun and workable game. Here are the main players, as well as some background on the setting.

Rannveig’s Reavers

Rannveig Whitebeard and his Reavers have travelled South from Norsca to Morbid Moor, escorting the evil Hierophant X’ulthar the Abhorrent on a mission to summon Az’Rath the Blackhearted.

Az’Rath the Blackhearted

Az’Rath the Blackhearted was a legendary Champion of Chaos who was slain on this site many thousands of years ago. Some say he was killed in battle, whilst others claim he was struck down by the Chaos Gods themselves due to his arrogance. Tonight, dark stars have aligned to enable a summoning ritual.

Morbid Moor

I talk some more about the miniatures, the story, and the scenario, on the latest episode of the Tabletop Miniature Hobby Podcast.

A Recent Game of Planet 28 (via Sci-Fi Skirmish Scenarios)

We also played a game of Planet 28, using the Strut Your Stuff mission from Sci-Fi Skirmish Scenarios. Again, full details on the podcast, but it was good fun.

A group of mercenaries led by Agent Jake Ette were sent to a long-dead industrial world to retrieve a corpse raising (and weaponising) device.

But they weren’t the only ones coveting this artefact. The space necromancer Skully and his band of revenants had their eye sockets on it, too.

Skully was backed up by warp priest Mal’Gorath the Voidbinder. His Chain Lightning spell was one of the new AI-generated traits and abilities we tested out in this game.

Rictus, Bones, and Marrow represented the group’s “muscle”, even though theirs looks to have long since rotted away.

Latest Paintjobs (via Ral Partha)

On another note, some miniatures have just left the painting table.

Mr Pumpkin Spiced Latte was bought from Ral Partha.

As was my 15mm cannon and crew.

15mm Houses

Finally, the first of my 15mm houses from Alternative Armies have been painted up, too.

Remember to get your answer in for our next Question of the Month episode!

Joe McCullough: Go Deeper on the Parts of the Hobby That You Love

February 4, 2024February 4, 2024 wilbur

With the obvious exception of Games Workshop stuff from the mid-90s, Joe McCullough’s games probably get more coverage on the Tabletop Miniature Hobby Podcast than any other. Fortunately, Joe’s a lovely guy as well as a brilliant games designer, and has been gracious enough to guest on the show not once, not twice, but three times!

Joe McCullough on creativity, inspiration, and gnolls (March 2022)
Frostgrave, Stargrave, Silver Bayonet, and the Worlds of Joe McCullough (Sept 2021)

A game of Rangers of Shadow Deep: Blood Moon

In our January 2024 round, we’ve some new releases to catch up on, including Frostgrave: Fireheart, Old Bones, and Rangers of Shadow Deep: Tenebrous Citadel. On top of that, there are some listener questions and a few of the recurring ones I’ve been asking other rules writers.

On that last note, I’ve also started to compile answers to the “favourite game mechanics” question into one blog post, too. You’ll also find answers there from Gav Thorpe, Andy Chambers, Tuomas Pirinen, Jervis Johnson, and Alessio Cavatore.

Sci-fi Skirmish Scenarios: My Favourite Hobby Book To-Date

January 12, 2024March 26, 2024 wilbur

Sci-fi Skirmish Scenarios by John Lambshead was released in November 2022, but I didn’t know of it til a year later when it was mentioned in the Tabletop Miniature Hobby Podcast Discord Community.

I’d already read Tabletop Wargames: A Designers’ and Writers’ Handbook, which was co-written by John and Rick Priestley, so I was familiar with his work. I thought the handbook was decent, but I read it more out of curiosity rather than any serious attempt to write my own game.

Buy Sci-Fi Skirmish Scenarios on Amazon or Amazon UK.

Sci-fi Skirmish Scenarios, on the other hand, felt like it was written just for me. I’ve been avidly collecting rulesets and rulebooks since my return to the hobby five years ago. I enjoy reading them and learning the various mechanics and ways a tabletop battle can be fought.

There are more than a few miniature agnostic games I’ve played and grown to love dearly. But I’ve come to realise that, if a game existed which had “the perfect ruleset”, it could only take you so far if you just played pitched battle after pitched battle.

In my opinion, a pretty average set of rules, played under an engaging and compelling scenario, will trump a slick mechanical system where the objective is simply to kill or be killed.

So, finding a book packed full of things to do, obtain, and achieve, was a “take my money” moment. And, it wasn’t exactly “take all of my money”, being priced at only £12. I could see the use-to-value ratio being extremely high, here.

As much as I was almost certain I’d love Sci-fi Skirmish Scenarios, nothing was guaranteed until I had it in my hands and started to leaf through the pages. I wasn’t disappointed. The book really is top-notch, packed cover-to-cover with useful and interesting content. A big part of which is obviously…

36 Sci-fi Skirmish Scenarios

The main event is in the book’s name – there are 36 scenarios here. I’m not going to say that they’re all completely unique, as there is the odd slight overlap or similarity, but it still gives you a tonne of options for moving away from the “let’s try to kill one another” objective we see all too often in our hobby.

John brings a flavour and depth to these scenarios by weaving them into his own story world of The Sprawl, which isn’t a million miles away from the dystopian hive cities of Necromunda. The default narratives for each mission describe how (and why) gangs, cultists, or futuristic squads of “law enforcement” troopers are to face one another, and what needs to be done to win the day.

Is This Only for Sci-Fi Wargamers?

A major reason that this book is such good value is that the sci-fi element is really just a skin that can be peeled off and re-skinned in any way you like. I totally understand why John has opted for this theme, as it would be far too generic and filled with caveats otherwise. But these scenarios and missions can easily be adapted for any fantasy or historical setting. The framework is all there – the hard work has all been done; all the player needs to do is swap out the miniatures, terrain, and ammo for whatever fits with their own preferred sandbox.

Beyond the Scenarios

The 36 sci-fi skirmish scenarios alone are more than value for money. But the book doesn’t begin and end there.

John opens by offering advice on world-building and storytelling in your games. He may have fleshed out his own setting to demonstrate the missions and objectives here, but he’s in no way insisting that you have to play in it.

Towards the end, we also get a random scenario generator, which gives you limitless possibilities. Then, there are a couple of really nice solo scenarios combined with tips for making these games more interesting and thematic.

Finally, there’s a guide on how to tie your scenarios together into a narrative campaign. It’s more than just a guide, really, as there are three blueprints already laid out for you to get started right away.

Key Highlights

I honestly didn’t think there was a wasted page in the book, and it has immediately become my favourite hobby-related book to date. I’ll get years of use from it, setting up scenarios to play everything from Stargrave, Rogue Planet, and Planet 28, to Song of Blades & Heroes, Open Combat, and Brutal Quest. As I say, you’re in no way limited to the sci-fi genre, here.

If I had to pick three notable sections, though, I’d go with:

Drone Dance (Scenario 3.6): This is a really cool idea where warbands compete to catch a drone which is bouncing around the table edges like a ball. This mechanic got me thinking about some ideas for single miniature or arena-based games, too.

Electric Screen (Scenario 6.5): Here, an electric screen has been erected to separate two feuding gangs. The technology controlling the screen is unreliable, though, and a few lucky miniatures might still be able to make it through for some bloodletting. Potential for some fun cinematic moments.

Wandering Monster (p. 126): This one’s a random event for any scenario. The monster is an NPC, but players roll off to control it at the start of each turn. A great way to spice up a pitched battle with no other real objectives or narrative.

Sci-Fi Skirmish Scenarios

Thanks for reading my review of Sci-Fi Skirmish Scenarios. If you’re keen to get yourself a copy right away, you can find it on Amazon or Amazon UK.

More Tabletop Miniature Hobby Podcast Episodes

October 6, 2023May 24, 2024 wilburLeave a comment

Did you grow up collecting and painting Citadel miniatures and playing games like Warhammer, Warhammer 40k, HeroQuest, Battlemasters, and Space Hulk? Did you gradually grow out of the hobby only to find yourself plunging back in many years later, discovering great new games like Frostgrave, Stargrave, and Kings of War?

The Bedroom Battlefields Tabletop Miniature Hobby Podcast brings you conversations about collecting, gaming, painting, terrain, and much more – often with a nostalgic twist.

Check out our full list of episodes to get a look at what’s in store.

Subscribe on Your Podcast App of Choice

The Tabletop Miniature Hobby Podcast is available everywhere podcasts are found. And if it isn’t, please let us know and we’ll fix that ASAP.

iTunes/Apple Podcasts
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Or just search “Tabletop Miniature Hobby Podcast” in your listening app of choice!

Miscellaneous Podcast Episodes

I haven’t always managed to create individual blog posts for every podcast episode. Here are the shows that don’t have one.

Reworking an Existing Rules System Into an Entirely New Game

Paul, aka Gribbles Miniatures, from our Discord community, joins me to discuss the development of his Our Town zombie survival ruleset.

Also mentioned on this episode:

Introducing 40k/AoS Players to non-GW Games

The question of the month for April 2024 was around introducing Warhammer 40k or Age of Sigmar players to non-Games Workshop games. How did you do it, what did you play, and what was the response?

Being Raised in a Wargaming Family

Father and son duo Rob and Norman join me for a chat about wargaming in the family, their local wargaming club, and their imagi-nations campaign.

Burning Armies, Sculpting for TV Sets, & Making a Boglin

Our guest this week is Kevin from our Discord community, who talks about his hobby origins going up in smoke and then returning years later via his young son. He also enjoyed a career sculpting for TV sets and designing costumes, and we talk about the overlap between this and the tabletop miniature hobby.

What Hobby-Related Thing Have You Recently Changed Your Mind About?

Let’s hear your answers to the question of the month for March 2024.

Josh (Crown of Command/Eavy Lead) on Paint Tutoring & Commissions

Josh—a former Eavy Metal painter from the Goblin Green bases/Red period—started the Crown of Command podcast early on in the pandemic. It has since become one of the best podcasts for the HeroQuest generation, and he’s also grown a brilliant YouTube channel around it.

The Crown of Command has also enabled Josh to run a thriving Patreon where he delivers painting lessons and has gone full-time as a commission painter.

Carl Brown on Open Combat, Lucrum, & Creative Inspiration

Open Combat is one of my original and favourite miniature agnostic skirmish games. On this episode, I’m joined by Carl Brown who created it along with a cool little medieval strategy board game called Lucrum. You can find all of Carl’s games on his website secondthunder.com

Will YOU Be Playing Warhammer: The Old World?

It’s vox populi time, our question of the month for February 2024 was: Warhammer: The Old World – Will you be playing it? (If so, why? If not, why not?)

Thank you so much to everyone who submitted.

And a massive thanks to Alternative Armies for sponsoring this episode. Here are the 15mm fantasy buildings I was talking about.

Are Narrative and Competitive Gaming at Odds With One Another?

I’m joined by Ed from our Discord community, who drinks a staggering 17 pints during the course of this episode and lambasts me for my anti-competitive views.

Man O’ War and Playing Remote Games

Chris Snyder joins me to talk about his two favourite topics – Man O’ War and remote gaming. Special thanks to Warbases for sponsoring this episode.

The Bittersweet Act of Opening a Blister Pack

I’m joined by another lovely member of our Discord community, David of the 5thHammer Youtube channel. On this episode, we discuss his hobby origin story, opening old blister packs, and the art of having patience.

Painting Eyes, Passing the Torch, & the Slow Hobbyist Manifesto

Cam’s another positive member of the Bedroom Battlefields Discord Community, and he joins me for a chat about his hobby origins, being a good steward of the hobby, and his love of Man’O’War.

Also mentioned on this episode:

Painting One Miniature a Week

Jamie, AKA Kazdok from our Discord community joins us to talk about his hobby origin story, writing his game Of Knights & Quests, and the simple tactic of painting one miniature a week.

Collecting More Scenarios, as Opposed to More Rulesets

Mark’s back for a wee chat about various hobby topics, including:

Survey: What’s been your game of 2023?
Hobby goals, resolutions, and hopes for 2024
Collecting more scenarios, as opposed to more rulesets
Sci-fi Skirmish Scenarios – great book by John Lamshead
Stargrave: Dead or Alive
Labyrinth
The Argos Catalogue

Setting Sail With Mantic’s Armada

Mark and I chat over a range of hobby topics, including ImagiNations, painting 15mm, Space Weirdos, and getting into Mantic’s naval combat game Armada. I also talked about a recent narrative scenario I’ve been planning for Song of Blades & Heroes.

What’s It Like to Manage a Games Workshop Store?

Stuart from Great Escape Games joins us to talk about his journey from Games Workshop store manager to Wild West gunslinger. As well as running the Cardiff store, Stuart also had a couple of his armies featured in White Dwarf and even won a WFB staff tournament whilst working at GW.

These days, Stuart has traded in his red jersey for a Stetson, as one of the big focuses of Great Escape Games is Dead Man’s Hand. For the past decade, DMH has given players the opportunity to fight out gun battles in the Old West, and it’ll be given some TLC in 2024 with its new edition Dead Man’s Hand Redux – coming to Kickstarter at the end of the month!

From Rogue Trader to Planet 28

I took one of those notions recently to get myself a copy of Warhammer 40,000 Rogue Trader, leading me to this post on the Tales From Farpoint blog. Aside from learning that GW was employing a somewhat absurd “just pop into the shop” policy, I started to browse through all the other great content here. Fast forward a few weeks, and I managed to grab a chat with Richard, the fine fellow who runs it. As always, I learned many new things, including the existence of a couple of cool-sounding games called Planet 28 and Brutal Quest.

Orcs & Goblins Vs Empire: Mayhem – Audio Battle Report

Following our episode with Mayhem creator Brent Spivey it was time to give the game a wee playthrough. We really enjoyed it and it’s certainly one we’ll be adding to our regular rotation.

Reflections on the Partizan Wargames Show 2023

Roving report Mark drove his Empire Steam Tank to the Partizan Wargames Show, got absolutely tanked up on Bugman’s XXXXXX, and attempted to start fights with several gamers and traders. On this episode, we hear his apology in full.

40 Years of Warhammer Fantasy: What Next?

Warhammer (in its various iterations) turns 40 this year. We’re told the game is coming back… but will it be released by 2063? On this episode, I chat all things fantasy with GJ. He’s someone you’ve likely heard before, talking passionately and knowledgeably about the game on shows such as The Wargames Orchard, The Crown of Command, and now, his new show, Forces of Fantasy.

Toybashing, & Running a Wargames Club

Karl of Chicago Skirmish Wargames joins me to discuss the history and ethos of the club, as well as how they defend their fruit. We also talk about “cheapskate hobbying” – particularly the art of “toybashing” miniatures and terrain.

Creating Content in the Hobby

Podcasts are long-form content that enables us to really dig into a topic and spend some time with it. Whilst some folks enjoy Instagram and short videos, they can’t deliver that same level of depth and engagement. But is the podcasting market already too saturated to jump in? Or worse still, are podcasts dying out?

The Discipline of Painting Big Armies

I’m joined by Jason, who’s a valued member of our Discord Community. We chat about the goal setting and project management of painting big blocks of troops, as well as the long-term patience and planning required to eventually get them on the tabletop.

Chaos Horde Vs Small Band of Good Guys: SoB&H – Audio Battle Report

We make a return to playing Song of Blades & Heroes, one of the most simple and accessible skirmish games on the market. And, in this battle, we’re focusing on storytelling over points, fairness, and balance. The defenders can’t possibly win. But how well can they hold out against a huge Chaos force?

View the pictures from our game.

Solo Kill Team Rules? (No Stranger to Shadow Deep!)

Warhammer 40,000 Kill Team isn’t a game that gets much (any!) airtime on this humble podcast. But listeners might be interested to hear about a cool homebrew solo ruleset heavily influenced by Rangers of Shadow Deep and Rogue Trader. On this episode, I’m joined by Rob who pulled it all together in the form of Acolyte.

Episode Resources

Re-Skinning Existing Wargaming Scenarios Vs Writing Your Own

Friend of the show Mark Smith returns to discuss what’s new in his own hobby life. One big topic of discussion here is that of ‘re-skinning’ established scenarios in games, so that the mechanical framework is already tried and tested.

Building Terrain for Mordheim & Skirmish Games

Ryan from the Adventure Built Gaming YouTube channel joins us to talk about his hobby life. A big part of that is building terrain, in particular, for skirmish games like Mordheim, Frostgrave, Rangers of Shadow Deep, and Stargrave.

Ryan’s YouTube channel has some absolute masterclass videos on scratch-building terrain and is well worth checking out.

Miniature Wargames Magazine – A Chat With the Editor

I’ve been subscribed to Miniature Wargames Magazine for a few months now, and I’m thoroughly enjoying it. On this episode, I’m joined by editor John Treadaway to talk about print publication in the hobby, as well as his own projects and interests.

Also mentioned

Dice Men: The Origin Story of Games Workshop
Grimdark: A Very British Hell
October 2022 Paint Challenge – the finished miniatures
Hungry Like the Wolf – miniatures completed for RoSD Blood Moon
Our Community on Discord

How do they organise games of Blood Bowl in the Warhammer world?

Isn’t administration fascinating? But seriously, what are the logistics of getting a team of Chaos daemons into Altdorf for a sporting event? On this episode, I’m joined by Josh of the Crown of Command podcast for general hobby catchup, with the usual nostalgic twist.

How Do You Decide When to Buy New Stuff?

I placed a few orders recently, in order to play Blood Moon (Rangers of Shadow Deep) in the near future. But do you need a reason to buy new miniatures, paints, or even, games?

Other topics in this episode include the new Citadel contrast paints, season four of Stranger Things, and Discord. A big thanks to Midlam Miniatures for sponsoring this episode, too.

Dungeon Saga, White Dwarf Freebies, & Hidden Hobbyists

Is there a bunch of hidden Warhammer players in your neighbourhood? That’s just one of the topics Jason and I cover on this episode of the Tabletop Miniature Hobby Podcast. We also talk about our shared love for Mantic’s Dungeon Saga, reminisce about getting free miniatures on the front of White Dwarf, and explore the world of DIY terrain.

Cross-Game Campaigns, & the Terrain Conundrum

Terrain is an essential part of the tabletop hobby. What kind you use and how you get it can throw up a few dilemmas, though. Do you make or buy your buildings and scenery? And do you go ultra-realistic but limited, or for a “wooden blocks” approach that can become literally anything you need it to?

As we’re usually limited in our terrain collections for any one genre, I’m talking on this episode about the idea of cross-game campaigns. This gives us the opportunity to tell a sweeping and cinematic story, as opposed to hanging around outside the same three farmhouses for all eternity.

Miniature Board Games, Fighting Fantasy Books, & Bretonnian Paints

It’s time for another eclectic wander around the hobby, and this time, I’m joined by Grant. He’s a fan of miniature board games and we talk about their appeal when compared to some of the more open “tape measure” games. We also talk Fighting Fantasy (with a nod to Escape the Dark Castle), and the trials and tribulations of painting miniatures.

Be sure to check out BedroomBattlefields.com for recent posts and paintjobs. And, nice reviews of the show are always welcome on Podchaser, too!

Should You Try to Become a Great Miniature Painter?

A wee solo episode covering a range of topics.

What I’ve been painting recently, including a range from CP Models
Space Crusade for the Commodore 64
Four Thousand Weeks – an excellent book I just finished
Using 6mm scale to create a “travel Warhammer”

DIY Terrain, Goblin Green Bases, & HeroQuest

Should you buy miniature wargaming terrain or make your own? That’s just one of the points of discussion in this chat with Tom Holden of the 2 Shelves of Gaming podcast. We also talk about the appeal of miniature agnostic games that let you use any minis, tree and castle terrain, basing miniatures, movement trays, Warbases, HeroQuest, Dungeon Saga, and Oldhammer-esque miniature companies.

Alessio Cavatore – “There Is No Such Thing as ‘Too Simple’ a Game”

October 5, 2023October 5, 2023 wilbur

There are few names as respected and influential in this hobby as Alessio Cavatore. Known for his work on iconic games like Warhammer 40k, Bolt Action, and Kings of War, Cavatore has left an indelible mark on the hobby. However, what sets him apart isn’t just the games he’s worked on, but his philosophy that rulesets can be smaller and simpler, and that big, heavy rulebooks don’t necessarily make for better games.

Just like our episodes with fellow industry legends Gav Thorpe, Andy Chambers, and Tuomas Pirinen, Alessio will be asking the same lineup of recurring questions. These throw up some interesting angles, including:

The fact that he doesn’t paint miniatures
His surprise at GW blowing up The Old World
His new-found appreciation for K-Pop
What’s the latest with Alessio’s game design company River Horse

If you’re new to the podcast, thanks so much for giving it a shot. Here’s where you can follow, subscribe, and find a full list of episodes.

Battle Systems Terrain: It’s Like IKEA for Necromunda

September 13, 2023October 25, 2024 wilbur

Battle Systems terrain has been on my radar for a few years now. It appealed to me when I first heard about it, and I’d always planned to pick up a box or two at some point.

Having recently got into Planet 28, the timing felt right. My sci-fi terrain has, until now, been pretty non-existent, and my skirmish terrain, in general, has lacked depth, levels, and floors.

Like most hobbyists, I don’t have much room for storing terrain (and certainly not for leaving it set up), so the idea of Battle Systems’ “flat-packed” cardboard offerings was quite irresistible.

There’s also a strange nostalgic appeal of cardboard terrain, from those classic Warhammer 40k ruins and Epic Space Marine skyscrapers to the little cottages White Dwarf would teach you to make out of old Cornflakes boxes.

So I reached out to the good folks at Battle Systems and enquired about reviewing two kits that caught my eye, and they very kindly agreed to send them out to me. The kits are the Frontier Core Set, and the Art Deco High Rise.

I should clarify that I don’t do this often, if ever. Not that there’s anything wrong with the strategy, but I only want to spend my limited hobby time with stuff that I really like, or, like the look of. And like the look of Battle Systems, I do. So, let’s see what to make of it all…

Battle Systems Terrain

The first thing I noticed upon opening the boxes was just how much terrain is packed into them. I mean, it’s pretty obvious from looking at the box covers, but it’s worth reaffirming that you get a lot of stuff, here.

I actually found it quite intimidating at first, looking at everything in its flat-packed form. I watched a couple of YouTube videos to see examples of other folks putting Battle Systems terrain together, but it is pretty self-explanatory. Once I got started and stuck a couple of walls together, I quickly lost myself in the task. I found it quite therapeutic, actually. Like building a big 3D jigsaw.

Taking a break for a bit, I rolled out the neoprene mat from the Frontier Core Set. Whilst the detail on it is excellent, the overall quality I’d describe as “fine”. I have a few neoprene mats from GameMat.eu, and they’re of superior quality. But it’s possible that Battle Systems make them this way as it’s easier to fold them in boxes.

Back to the cardboard terrain, the attention to detail in the artwork design is second to none. It’s almost telling you a story of its own as you pop bits out and join them together. They’re double-sided too, so you don’t need to pay too much attention when you’re building it.

I’m curious as to how others put their Battle Systems terrain together. I imagine it’s a bit like fiction writers: You have the meticulous planners who know every tiny detail before they get to work. Then, you have the “seat of the pants-ers” who just start and see where it takes them. I think I identify more with the latter, though maybe the more experienced you get with the kits, the more likely you are to dream up some grand designs.

Battle Systems terrain is almost the polar opposite of the 2D neoprene terrain I talked about recently, and yet, I like these 3D cardboard structures just as much. As ever with this hobby, there are no right or wrong ways to do things. Everything is an option, and everything has its place.

battlesystems terrain: art deco high rise kit

I’ll admit that I don’t see me getting much use from the scatter terrain in these kits. I found them a bit fiddly to put together and didn’t do a great job with some of the smaller parts. This wasn’t a major selling point for me anyway. I was really after the big stuff – walls, stairs, walkways, etc.

I’m excited to bring more of a multi-layered, multi-platformed experience to my skirmish games. I do own a lot of cool terrain, but my miniatures are almost always fighting out their battles on the ground floor. Now, they’ll have the opportunity to climb, jump, and fall from two or three-storey structures. That adds so much to the narrative, the scenario objectives, and the potential for a good tale at the end of it all.

So, in summary, these kits get two big thumbs up from me. I can see myself getting a lot of use out of them, and the potential for variety is limitless. I often joke about our terrain collections having us fighting over the same three farmhouses on the tabletop. With Battle Systems terrain, there’s no danger of that.

It’s worth noting, too, that although I’ve got sci-fi and apocalypse settings here, Battle Systems also has an excellent-looking fantasy range on their website.

Hopefully, you’ve enjoyed this whirlwind review, and it has answered some of the questions you might’ve had. Here’s a quick recap:

Pros

Flat-pack storage takes up very little room.
Limitless variety of build options.
Beautifully illustrated card.

Cons

Increased setup time – This is definitely not a time-saving tool.
Relatively fragile – you’ll need to take very good care of it.

Now, who wants to get some meatballs?

The Frontier Core Set is available for £84.99, whilst the Art Deco High Rise costs £37.99. Thank you very much to Battle Systems for sponsoring this content!