What is Oldhammer? Bring Out Your Lead!

November 4, 2021November 4, 2021 wilburLeave a comment

The term “Oldhammer” means different things to different people. On this episode of the Tabletop Miniature Hobby Podcast, we’re in conversation with Garth James, who’s one of the organisers behind the annual Bring Out Your Lead event.

Nothing screams Oldhammer more than Citadel Combat Cards

Bring Out Your Lead

Founded in 2013, the latest Bring Out Your Lead gathering took place in early October 2021 after taking an enforced year out in 2020, just like the rest of the world. One of the many great things about this event is its venue. BOYL is hosted by Foundry Miniatures – a company whose roots can be traced all the way back to the origins of Citadel Miniatures.

Subscribe on your podcast listening app of choice. Recent episodes include Warhammer Fantasy Battle Alternatives, and Shopping in a Mid-90s Games Workshop Store.

Garth is keen to point out that Bring Out Your Lead is not a tournament. Rather, he likens it to a classic car meetup. In these types of meets, people will admire and drive the cars, but they won’t necessarily race them.

“I think one thing that’s fairly constant in anyone’s Oldhammer, is the desire for narrative.”

Going back to the question of “what is Oldhammer?”, Garth feels this is purely down to each individual. Oldhammer may be seen as the nostalgic period where a person found and fell in love with the hobby. The ethos of Bring Out Your Lead seems to encapsulate this and doesn’t try to dictate what “is” and “isn’t” Oldhammer to anyone.

Elsewhere in the episode, we touched on Citadel Combat Cards, the aesthetic of monopose miniatures, modern Oldhammer miniature companies, and using contrast paints on old models. There’s also some serious discussion over which vehicle from the Warhammer Old World would make the best car, and which creature the best pet.

Garth’s blog is called Warhammer for Adults, and he also speaks highly of an Oldhammer-focused blog called Somewhere the Tea’s Getting Cold.

Be sure to check out the Bring Out Your Lead website to find out more about future events, and, as always, please subscribe to this show on your listening app of choice – that way you’ll never miss a future episode!

Warhammer Alternatives for Mass Fantasy Battles

October 27, 2021November 4, 2021 wilburLeave a comment

Big units of troops marching across a scenery packed 6 by 4 table – there’s no aesthetic quite like it. For most of us growing up, there was only one option when it came to fighting out mass fantasy battles and that was Warhammer. And whilst the Old World is returning at some point in the future, there really is no need to hang around waiting on that day, whenever it might be. There are plenty of good Warhammer alternatives you can pick up and start playing today.

Warhammer Alternatives

Heads up! I’ve included some affiliate links when linking to certain games here. This enables the site to earn a small commission should you choose to buy through them, though at no extra cost to yourself 😀

For starters, there’s absolutely nothing to stop you from playing whatever edition of the game you own or liked the best. There are also projects like The 9th Age and Warhammer Orchard Edition which remain lovingly supported by their own respected communities.

Then there’s Kings of War by Mantic games. This is perhaps the most famous and popular of the Warhammer alternatives out there on the market today. You can use your old and existing miniatures to play this game, or buy from Mantic’s ever-increasing range of original units and figures.

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On a previous episode of the Tabletop Miniaure Hobby Podcast we heard from Joe McCullough who’s most famous for games like Frostgrave, Stargrave, and Rangers of Shadowdeep. Joe has also created one of the big Warhammer alternatives out there though, in the form of Oathmark. Have a listen to our episode with Joe to find out more, or, check out our roundup of miniature agnostic games.

A lesser-known (but still definitely worth checking out) game is Mayhem by award-winning game designer Brent Spivey. Brent is known for a popular sci-fi skirmish game called Rogue Planet. Mayhem is his mass fantasy battles contribution and lends itself particularly well to dropping down to 10mm or even 6mm scale wargaming.

Warpack – A Diceless Mass Fantasy Battle Game

On this episode, we’re adding another option to the ever-growing list of Warhammer alternatives. It’s called Warpack, and we’re going to hear all about it from the game’s creator, Joe Prince of Prince of Darkness Games.

Here, we’ll learn about the game’s mechanics and structure. This includes its use of a deck of playing cards rather than dice to work our way through the tactics and turns. We’ll also find out a bit about the motivations and inspirations that lead Joe to create Warpack, and, naturally, we’ll chat a bit about Games Workshop.

You can get a copy of Warpack by supporting Joe on his Patreon, and you can also follow him on Twitter at @JoeJPrince.

As always, please subscribe to the show on your listening app of choice, and we’re always keen to hear your feedback and opinions!

Frostgrave, Stargrave, Silver Bayonet, & the Worlds of Joe McCullough

September 28, 2021January 4, 2024 wilburLeave a comment

Frostgrave is one of the most recognisable games in the tabletop miniature wargame hobby. It’s also one of the most popular outwith the Games Workshop Empire.

On this episode, we’re joined by the architect of the frozen city himself – Joe McCullough. We’re going to talk about the lay of the land when this miniature agnostic fantasy skirmish game was released back in 2015, and speculate on the key factors behind its success.

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Joe’s no one-trick pony though, and his scope extends well beyond Frostgrave. Stargrave may sound similar in name (and certainly shares a few core mechanics), but this sci-fi skirmish game is much more than just “Frostgrave in space”.

Die Hard Chaos Space Reavers — Get yourselves ready for Stargrave, lads!

Then there’s Rangers of Shadow Deep – a solo and cooperative game that became a firm favourite during the year of global lockdowns that was 2020.

More often than not, Joe has appeared to release games in the right place and at the right time. One notable exception, however, is Oathmark. This mass fantasy battle rank and flank game was undoubtedly subdued by its Spring 2020 release date – a point in time where very few people could actually play it. Joe offers his thoughts on that as well as how the game might recover from this setback going forward.

One of the reoccurring themes of this conversation was that of miniature wargame terrain. Frostgrave and Stargrave in particular benefit from their tables being extremely busy. But does this create a barrier for players with no existing terrain collection or no budget? Joe tells us about many players using simple wooden blocks or polystyrene packaging to build their frozen cities and intergalactic outposts, and why it doesn’t need to look “real” to capture the imagination.

You can keep up with Joe on his blog The Renaissance Troll where he posts updates on his games, his hobby, his painting, and his thoughts in general. You’ll find the official range of Frostgrave miniatures over at North Star Military Figures, if you want to go down that route, as well as a raft of other games and supplements on DriveThruRPG.

We’re also looking for future guests or co-hosts for this podcast and if you’re interested in coming on, we’d love to hear from you. Head on over to the podcast section of the website, fill out the short form, and we can get the ball rolling from there!

Does Digital Technology Have a Place in the Hobby?

September 18, 2021September 18, 2021 wilburLeave a comment

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.

Terminators — *Brace yourselves, SkyNet are coming*

This time around, we’re joined by Robey Jenkins of Precinct Omega. Robey is the creator of the Horizon Wars games series, as well as the Precinct Omega News & Game Design Podcast. You can find his games (as well as a whole trove of others) on Wargame Vault.

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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?

As always, please subscribe to the show on your listening app of choice, and we’re always keen to hear your feedback and opinions!

Seasonal Hobbying, Consumerism, & the Value of Passion

August 21, 2021August 21, 2021 wilbur2 Comments

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?

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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.”

treeman: seasonal hobbying — *“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?

There’s also a deeper aspect of, not just this hobby, but any type of hobby or passion. We listen to a clip from The Surprising Science of Stress with Dr. Rangan Chatterjee, which is episode 376 of The Model Health Show.

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?

Be sure to subscribe to this podcast on your listening app of choice so you never miss a future episode. Also, if you’d like to be a guest on the podcast in the future, here’s how you can get involved.

Herohammer, & Shopping in a Mid-90s Games Workshop Store

August 13, 2021August 21, 2021 wilburLeave a comment

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!”

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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?

Chaos Dwarf from the Herohammer era — *The grass was always greener in the Herohammer era*

We also talk about Games Workshop alternatives, from the rank and flank mass fantasy battle title Kings of War, to Knightmare Miniatures and other manufacturers with a classic Citadel aesthetic.

*Evidence of a 1997 Games Workshop spending spree*

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?

This is the first episode of the Bedroom Battlefields Tabletop Miniature Hobby Podcast, and it’s the aim to push out new episodes on at least a semi-regular basis. Just like this episode, we’ll be covering various aspects of the hobby, often with a nostalgic twist. Be sure to subscribe on your podcast listening app of choice so you never miss an episode.

Want to be a guest on a future episode? Here’s how.