My Pile of Potential

Most of us have a pile of shame of some magnitude. Me? I have a shed of shame. It is my lair, my treasure trove, and, like Smaug, I know every piece of it intimately. I buy every piece with the intention of painting it. I mean to paint it, I want to paint it and I dream of painting it. It is all bought with good intentions, but they say the road to Hell is paved with good intentions.

So, is this shed my own little hell? Am I ashamed of it? No, I am not. Just like the aforementioned dragon I love my treasure trove. I have grown in understanding of myself. This buying of Warhammer kit is, for me and I guess for many, a valid part of the hobby. Just as if it was painted, I have to care for it. I have to find storage space for it. I plan what I am going to do with it. In return, even unpainted just sitting in its box, it gives me the joy of this experience. Take my “potential” Slannesh Army here.

I have built this collection over quite a few years. I imagine how it will look on the table and taking it into battle. It is a real joy and, as I said, It is a valid part of the hobby for me.

Now, I admit that it might, might I say, be even better to actually stop dreaming about it and get it done! For some people it would not be enough to just buy the model. However, no matter how much we might like to think otherwise, for many of us it is more than enough. So I am not going to have anyone wagging a finger at me and trying to shame me for enjoying my hobby my way. We are all different, just enjoy this wonderful hobby your way.

Disclaimer: No, I am not on commission!!!

Published in: on August 14, 2026 at 7:54 am  Leave a Comment  
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Just In Case

I do get rather envious as I browse the endless stream of Warhammer pictures that just happened to display the owners lovely, permanent, paint station as well as delicious models. I can’t help but be human and think, rather bitterly, ‘Smug gits!’ as I begin setting up, taking over the dining table and going through the long process of getting everything out, again! I especially love the way they have all their paints set out neatly before on perfect shelves. I realise that this is not the way most of us have to work. I am not alone in my regular set up routine. This is my work in progress tray…

But how do I store it all when it is not a work in progress? Some 11 years ago I did an article, on this very blog, about storage cases for my guys. By the way all five of those cases are still in use holding my collection of “Old World” Warhammer. Anyway, as I was pouring over my old friends one day, yes I like to sit and look over my old models sometimes, I was struck by a thought. These nifty little cases are just about the right size to hold   Warhammer/Citadel paint pots. So turning to good old Amazon I bought another one. By the way they have gone up by about 50% in the intervening years.

Sadly, they are no good, as is, for Two Thin Coats or Army Painter* etc. But if you have a large collection of Warhammer Paints you might like to try out this idea.

*Different inlays are available.

Published in: on August 7, 2026 at 7:40 am  Leave a Comment  
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A Family Affair

Tuesday night is games night and oft times it is the rest of the family who are far more keen on games night than me. I feel I am such a fortunate guy every time the four of us sit down to play. Perhaps my enthusiasm, or rather my obsession, with all things GW has rubbed off more than I thought it would on them. Whatever the case, Tuesday night is Games night.

It is not always Warhammer. The odd board game creeps in and sometimes we have a Magic round robin. Mostly though it is Warhammer. The last three game nights have been; 40k, Bloodbowl and Age of Sigmar. Each was a success in its own way. 40k was the first game of 40k we had played as a family and ended up with a The Alimo type last stand by the Space Marines on the central objective. It was a great hit despite the fact that practically everything was unpainted (we really don’t like playing with grey models but we were impatient).

The game of Age of Sigmar was typical of our approach to all our games. We seldom play by the book. We read the rules and then promptly forget most of them. We play an approximation of the game, our own version of it. We play fair we play happy. The set up for this game was unique. We had played many Spearheads recently and fancied a bigger game. However we ran out of time to generate Army Lists and ended up playing with four Spearheads, one each. Idoneth and Stormcast V Skaven and Slaves to Darkness and used one of the new missions from the Generals Handbook. Quite a mix but it was fun.

One of the best bits of this game was the special little rule we made up. The Order guys could talk tactics during the game but, to simulate the chaos guys sneaky spies they could not whisper. The Chaos guys, on the other hand, just could not discuss tactics at all. We all bought into it and it all came out nicely.

So that is our approach to Warhammer. I have always thought that Warhammer games have a feeling of, “flying by the seat of your pants”. We don’t go chasing the Meta, we are just family and friends playing games. We bend it and shape it how we like. We make it game we want it to be.

I used to be a tournament player but I have not got the stamina for that any more. I have returned to my roots and simply play for fun. That is the great beauty of this hobby, obsession, it is playable on so many different levels.

Have Fun!

Published in: on July 31, 2026 at 7:53 am  Leave a Comment  
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Room and Board

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The trouble with inviting several hundred goblins into your home is finding the room to put them up. Really how do you accommodate such a vast quantity of green skins? Ok so to begin with you can shove them in a box and hide them under your bed but at best this is just a temporary measure.

It is a natural first instinct to want to show off all your beautifully painted new friends and so it begins. The Goblins fill up one shelf, then another and another. With the green skins breeding faster than rabbits you soon run out of shelf space. Somehow, despite all this procreative activity, the little gits gather dust as if it were orc teef! You invest in feather dusters and air dusters but all to no avail; the dust still gathers. With the box under the bed calling to you once again as the best solution you frantically cast about for a better home for your little fellers.

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Perhaps you are smiling to yourself in smug affluence secure in the knowledge that your guys are snuggly tucked up in a sturdy G.W. case. There can be little doubt that G.W. cases are the best home for your guys but, my, they are expensive. As your collection creeps beyond the 1000 figure landmark you realise just how much storing your models is going to cost.

I bit the bullet, something had to be done, more to the point something had to be bought. I think I was rather fortunate to discover the KR Multicase, or rather several of them. They are well made of heavy duty card with foam inserts capable of holding 200 guys. Amazon will charge you £22.50 (+4.48 pp) for this little beauty. As they stand they are no good for cavalry or standard bearers but they could be modified. As a cheap and cheerful solution to mass figure storage I heartily recommend them.

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Published in: on June 9, 2015 at 11:40 am  Comments (1)  
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More Than Just Playing With Soldiers

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While games of Warhammer and 40k are great any hobbyist will tell you that the  actual games are just a small part of our pastime. Engaging in the collecting and painting of your little guys is a much bigger part of the war gaming hobby than actually playing the game. Some folks see this preparatory work as a bit of a downer; just let me at those filthy skaven, they rage. However for the majority of war gamers collecting and painting the miniatures is even more fun than the battles themselves.

Not content with collecting, painting and fighting with their little guys some hobbyists also feel the need to share there adventures with fellow gamers. Once-upon-a-time the only  way to share your armies with others was over the battle table or at club nights. Now-a-days for those with the desire or need to share, show off or simply enjoy the company of fellow hobbyists there are blogs and there is Twitter. All of a sudden a whole new aspect of the hobby opens up!

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For  me and for many others I am sure that is the beauty of this hobby; the depth of involvement it offers and often demands. This is one of those hobbies that the more you put in the more you get out. It matters not to me that perhaps this article will be read by only one or two people, if I am lucky, what matters is that I have fun preparing and presenting this missive. So not only do I have the fun of playing with my toy soldiers but I get to play with lights and cameras and get to set up nice scenes with my little guys as if it really matters. It is all harmless fun anyway.

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Published in: on April 16, 2015 at 10:11 am  Leave a Comment  
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White Dwarf 375

WAAAAAGH! Yes this white dwarf is just chock full of Da Boyz! Ok so yeah as a hardened
orc player it is exciting to get all these models and especially that fantastic spider but… Oh my there is a new army book to buy, new ors and gobos to buy and yet another change to the animosity rules! So yes it is really cool to get new stuff for your favourite army but come on guys give me a break, I have a High Elf Army I want to buld!
It is not all Orcs and goblins. There is a very sexy Dark Eldar Succubus and other juicy bits. I think I am going to have to get some of those wytches! There is yet more 40k with the Blood Angels and Armageddon.
This issue also features two campaigns; one for LOTR and the other for Warhammer. It is nice to see some extra rules and gaming bits in the Dwarf, they do not do that often enough for me.

Published in: on March 2, 2011 at 11:09 am  Leave a Comment  
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