Say Hello to Tom

1: How and when did you start wargaming?

 

Was a gradual progression. At school when i was 7 years old we read The Hobbit and i loved it. I loved board games like Advanced HeroQuest and Risk. My older sister went to university when i was 11 and started Roleplaying a lot with her friends. Traveller mostly from what i recall. Her then boyfriend was GM and during visits we’d play games of Call of Cthulu and others. I had already started painting old lord of the rings models and others and was having White Dwarf delivered to my local hobby shop. This was long before the days of GW having a store in every town and city in the land! After graduating my sister and her boyfriend moved back to my home city. It was then that i really started wargaming. So i was 13 or 14 years old. I collected a WFB army and also a couple of Space Marine (6mm now called Epic) armies and my brother and i used to go to my sister’s flat then house to wargame. After my sister and her boyfriend parted company i continued painting the occasional model but didn’t game for quite a while due to lack of space and opponents.

2: What was your 1st wargaming purchase?

 

My first purchase of pure wargaming wouldn’t have been the Space Marine boxed set as i’m sure i got that for Christmas or my birthday. My first purchase would have been with gift money from Christmas or my birthday and i’m sure it would have been 6mm imperial guard sprues.

3: Do you remember you 1st painted models? How bad/good were they and do you still have any examples?

Say Hello to Cortez

1: How and when did you start wargaming?

Started when I was about 13 so 25 yrs ago, best friend Tim had an older brother who was into 40k and both of us looked at the marines he had built from RTB01 and were amazed about the whole idea.

2: What was your 1st wargaming purchase?

Surprisingly nothing to do with 40k it was the Warhammer metal Orc bolt thrower. 

3: Do you remember you 1st painted models? How bad/good were they and do you still have any examples?

See above, absolutely shocking although for a 13yr old I thought it looked great.

 
4: How long have you known the other Lonewolves/how did you meet?

How long....umm not sure really, all started with Neil (Lordy) getting me back into gaming at Cribbs with a quick game of BB back in 98/99, then started working with him in GW in 99, I guess both of us then met Zed, Cyrus, Jonno, Dave around the same time in Zed's garage with a single 6x4 table after being dragged along by Neil some time in 2000/01 maybe. Chris (Binx) moved from being a regular at Cribbs to working and was introduced to the fold, there was a few yrs before the next which was Tom and lastly Ball Boy Elliot.

 

5: Do you have a game that sticks in your memory (for good or bad reasons) that you'd like to recall?

For some reason my mid normally goes blank after games (being blonde doesn't help) but I reckon the 2 week game with Zed is my favourite due to the constant back and forth of who may win.

6: What’s your all time favourite games system?

Don't have a favourite, although 40k has taken a dip with the new set of rules....

7: Any wargaming regrets/ things you would have done differently with hindsight?

The amount of stuff I purchased when working for GW.....still looking at it thinking "I'll paint that next......" never happens though.

8: Any wargaming experience/ army/ model/ story that you are most proud of/ like to brag about?

Crimson Fist Landraider (only one painted)....Got it before release due to working at GW at the time, the model came in a bag with no instructions, had it built and painted within a week then it went into the Cribbs cabinet.

9: What do you see happening to your wargaming wise over the next 5 years?

Bolt Action and FOW being purchased, possibly painting a complete army.........you can all stop laughing now!!!

10: Any final thoughts?

Umm.........Nah!!

Bonus section, for those that have worked at GW

A: How long did you work for GW?

About 3 yrs

B: Which Stores?

Cribbs Causeway and Bristol.

C: Fondest memory

The occasional pre release free stuff inc the Lord of the Rings book set. Although the Sunday big games were great.....maybe the night before helped :-)

D: Least fondest memory

The money.

E: If the money was good enough, would you go back? and why?

If the money was good defo, you get paid for doing your hobby why wouldn't you.

Hello Big Papa

Once again its that time, so please say hello to Big Papa

1: How and when did you start wargaming?
 

Actual gaming would have kicked off for me around 1989/1990 with a few games of rogue trader era 40k against my a couple of my friends from school.  Collecting/painting models started back in 1987 with grandiose ideas of using models in D&D games that never came to fruition.  I remember someone brought a couple of minis into school, and they really captured my imagination.  Twenty-five years on, I still find myself mesmerised by nice new models.

 

Say hello to Lordybloke

1: How and when did you start wargaming?

Way back in the mists of time!

I can trace it back to getting some book tokens (do they still exist!?) one Christmas as a young lad in the mid 80's and buying some fighting fantasy books (Deathtrap Dungeon and Island of the Lizard King!). I was hooked on those books and picked up Warlock magazine (dedicated to FF) which opened a world where I could buy miniatures of the beasts I'd been fighting in the books along with floor plans to fight these battles out in 3D. Terribly exciting stuff!

About the same time I was reading Lord of the Rings which added massively to the whole fantasy melting pot.

Say hello to Cyrus

Hi!

Anyway, as some of you may know, I started doing Q&As for the members of the Lone Wolves, so we could learn a little more about them, it started well, and then I forgot...

Anyway, after a bit of prodding from Lordybloke, they are back, and to fit them all in before the end of the year, I'll post one every few weeks in the order I get them back via email...

So here we go...

Say hello to Elliot

Thanks to Zed's reminder, here is the 2nd in our series of interviews. This time its the newest Lone Wolf.

1: How and when did you start war gaming?

It was just over three years ago when i got into war gaming, and basically i wanted a hobby. I was a new dad and had this fear that i wouldn't have any time to do anything...because would be so busy looking after the little one. I used to walk past a GW store in Bath every lunch and used to look at the models and used to be amazed about how cool they were and how well painted they were and somehow i took it up as a hobby, for the first 9 months it was just painting as i didn't know anyone who played, then i met the wolves!

2: What was your 1st war gaming purchase?

My first purchase was a Warhammer 40k starter set. 5 marines, 1 paintbrush and 8 paints. Just to get me on way. About two weeks later...i got assault on black reach, the starter paint set a painting station.......i was hooked! 

 
3: You're the newest member of the Lone Wolves, how did you get involved and what was your 1st impressions of the club?

I heard about the club though Lordyblokes wife (to be) she put me in touch with Lordybloke and hey presto, i came along one week was welcomed warmly and haven't really looked back since! 

1st impressions were "wow!" look at all this stuff! from the tables, to the scenery and the amazing models in the cabinet! It was pretty scary being put in front of a load of veteran gamers as the new guy...nothing like being thrown in at the deep end! ;-)

4: You haven't been playing that long compared to the other Wolves, how did you find taking on such experienced wargamers, and how do you think you've done in such a short space of time?

I don't really know how i have done, i suppose you better ask the guys...i would say i have done well, built a few armies and painting wise have come on well over the last few years! 

Playing the guys can be tough, half the time they all know what i am going to bring in my army even before i do! Having played for such a long time they know all the units strengths and weaknesses, how they are best used etc so winning can be tough! I often wonder " am i just very bad at this game?!" but when i do win it feels great! (except when i beat Simon!) 

5: What’s favourite games system?

Hands down Warhammer Fantasy! Magic...dragons....monsters...what's not to love! 

I also like that there is no "almighty" army....like 40k you have the marines....i feel Fantasy is more balanced! 

6: Any war gaming regrets/ things you would have done differently with hindsight?

1. Buying a stompa...never used it....and the money could have been better put to something else. Although i just love the big stuff! 

2. Not listening to Zed the first time he met me when he said, "don't buy anything until you have painted what you have got" i've now got £100 of Tau still in its box, loads of elves unpainted, blood angels unpainted....the list goes on! 

7: Whats your proudest moment in your wargaming life so far?

good question.....probably sticking with it!!

I have had so many hobbies in my life that last for 5 minutes...but three years in i am still going strong and about to start army number 6! This is in no small part down to the club, without them who knows if i would have carried on! 

Thank god i did though! 

8: What do you see happening to you wargaming wise over the next 5 years?

Hopefully getting better at painting...creating my own campaigns, trying my hand at conversions etc. 

Most importantly still enjoying it! 

9: Having integrated with all the wolves very well in the short space of time, how would you sell the Lone Wolves to anyone else who wanted to join?
 Well if they can handle the banter, and enjoying getting home at 1.30am on a Thursday morning not being able to sleep because you are thinking...."what i should have done was...." or "next time i will try this..." then join. A great bunch of guys who make you feel welcome straight away! 

Also if you are new that would be great because then i might have a chance as winning! 

10: Any final thoughts?

Finecast is shit....greenstuff is alright. 

Apart from that, i hope the guys have enjoyed having a chubby manc in there midst every Wednesday talking rubbish and asking questions about the rules!

Say hello to Zed

Happy new year! ( I'm writing this on the 26th of December, so if the world has ended or WW3 has broken out then drop the happy part)

In the 1st of a new collection of posts I present below a few questions I posed to Zed about the hobby we all love. Over the coming year I'll be posing questions to all of the Lone Wolves so get thinking of your answers, although not all the questions will be the same.

1: How and when did you start wargaming?

A: It was about 1990 and I was the Night Orderly Sergeant.  A knock at the door and a trooper said "you are the dwarf" my immediate thought was, you're getting dropped!  Turns out they were playing advanced heroquest and the NOS always played the dwarf. 

2: What was your 1st wargaming purchase?

A: My first purchase was Space Hulk, quickly followed by Rogue Trader

3: Do you remember you 1st painted models? How bad/good were they and do you still have any examples?

A: My first figures were the Terminators from Space Hulk; I didn't like the bone white on the box so painted them green.  A lot of dry brushing; I had read a few issues of White Dwarf and some of the painting articles.  I don't have them any more, they weren't that bad though.  My first marines were worse, layering and highlighting took a long while for me to get. I have a couple of them somewhere.

 
4: How long have you known the other Lonewolves/how did you meet?

A: I have known Matt the longest, over 18 years.  He used to work for me. I think it was Chris next, a couple or three years later, due to my high level of visiting the Games Workshop Bristol and Cribbs stores, Simon the same year I think by association with Chris.  Then Jon about 12 ish years ago; again he used to work for me.  Neil I think was a little before Jon brought along by Chris and Si.  Tom about 10 years ago he sent an email when we used to have our contact details on the Clubs section of Games Workshop Site.  Lastly Elliot who was a couple of years ago vouched safe by Neil.   Somewhere in there is Dave who I knew through Fred and was more involved with the pre Wolves RPG days.

 

5: Do you have a game that sticks in your memory (for good or bad reasons) that you'd like to recall?

I'll try one of each.  The bad; Playing at Dark Stars against a boy who appeared to be about 18 but had the high pitched voice of someone of about 10 and unfortunately the social agility of someone much younger, he had an awful space marine army of badly painted silver, which is saying something.  He had named a lot of his figures including " this one is called Kenny as he always dies first"  I lost the game because rules were just an inconvenience to him moving figures and rolling dice.  It was all I had in me not to abuse those less fortunate than myself.  Good; there have been a lot of good games over the years, more than is easy to recall which is nice.  One that stands out is an early game with my Dark Elves following the Tale of some Gamers.  I was struggling to understand how to make them work against the other armies I was facing.  Neil suggested that I use a hydra.  I'm not one for buying my way out of trouble (at least not any more) I had the model from the army box and it was built.  So I painted it and added it to my army.  The irony was that I think I was supposed to be playing Simon or Tom and they dropped out so I played Neil and the Hydra just rampaged through his High Elves.  The irony was not lost on either of us.

6: What’s your all time favourite games system?

A: Tricky.  All time I would have to say 40k I have played it the most, have the most armies for it but with version 5 I felt its star fading.  The new version is out in 2012 maybe that will help. 

7: Any wargaming regrets/ things you would have done differently with hindsight?

A: Being bad tempered for so long, I can still have a moment but I am much improved.  I think a lot of my 'blow outs' were more to do with other stuff going on that wasn't hobby related.  My life is less stressful and I am better at separating the two.

8: Any wargaming experience/ army/ model/ story that you are most proud of/ like to brag about?

A: There are a number of things that I am proud of, mostly it is trying new things; whether they are new games, new techniques such as dipping or airbrushing etc.  My Scottish blood bowl team and my Dark Elf Army as a cohesive whole.  As for bragging, I think it will have to be the Royal Round Robin, zero losses.

9: What do you see happening to your wargaming wise over the next 5 years?

A: I think there will be more branching out into historical games.  I am sure there are some other good sci-fi and fantasy games to play but I think they would just be another flavour of 40k and WFB.  Historical gives plenty of scope for modelling, converting, collecting and painting against a back drop every bit as fantastic as the GW'verse.

 

10: Any final thoughts?

A: I've made and have some great friends through gaming and can only see that continuing.  Who would have thought that Wednesday would be one of the highlights of the week?