Don’t Forget the Struggle, Don’t Forget the Streets: Building a Modular Ruined City

So at the end of April we gathered in San Diego for our first official Corehammer West Coast Chiller. A month or two before that I had gotten the crazy idea of building a modular ruined city for the event so that at least I’d wander up with something to add to the festivities. I ended up only having something like 3 weeks to build the thing starting at the beginning of April, but in the mad dash to produce something I did manage to document the process so I figured I’d share it with you all now. That way you can learn exactly what I did, ignore it, and make something way cooler on a normal human schedule. I’m going to describe what I did, and not go too far down the rabbit holes of ideas not considered or techniques not used. Feel free to ask questions in the comments about anything you want though. Corners were cut, designs were simplified, but in the end, I had a table that can host a number of games in all sorts of different setups.

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And They Shall Know No Fear: Female Space Marines in Warhammer 40k

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Warhammer 40k is the most popular wargame on the planet, full stop. It is a sprawling franchise that encompasses novels, video games, a theatrically released film, RPG’s, board games and miniature games (that happen to dominate its industry). The grimdark future world created by the Games Workshop design team decades ago still captures the imagination of gamers across the world and drives sales of a massive product line and supporting hobby supplies. This doesn’t surprise me; the world of 40k (and 30k) is pretty fucking cool. Even as I’ve aged out of their core demographic, Games Workshops dark vision of space has a lot that can draw me back in. Powerful imagery, insane power struggles and every aspect of military cultures turned up to 11. Massive hive cities where 100’s of millions of inhabitants live on top of each other in Dickensian despair, in their midst hide alien conspiracies and brutal gang warfare. Powerful manifestations of chaotic gods pour forth from a rip in space and time so massive its swallowed whole planetary systems.A devout order of space fascists, sitting in a fortified monastery on a surviving chunk of their destroyed planet, secretly hunting traitors from their own order. This world is batshit crazy and insane in some of the best possible ways. It’s a Tolkien fantasy world ripped to pieces, thrown into deep space andstitched back together with a punk rock ethos, space opera drama and a heaping helping of gothic trappings. Warhammer 40k is without question the showpiece game of the hobby (for better or for worse). It is the most popular, best selling, widely known and most visible game of the entire wargaming world. Sadly, it’s a game that is still lacking in female representation, and that’s some shameful shit. It’s a world that quite frankly deserves female Space Marines.

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Corehammer/PaintXDestroy collabo: Rogue Trader Challenge

image1For this months Single Figure Challenge I decided it was high time we shook it up a bit. When things stay the same for too long stagnation and inertia sets in and I am not having any of that on CH, we are agents of change goddamnit! My plan then, was to start introducing occasional themed challenges into the mix and encourage some experimentation with miniatures outside the realm of the obvious contemporary 40k/WHFB/Warmahordes stuff.

Somewhat fortuitously, our (apparently warp tainted) homie Jake over at PaintxDestroy decided to surprise us with a box of vintage Rogue Trader era 40K figures with the proviso that the crew paint them up and send him pictures of the finished minis. A crossover of sorts then, like the blogging equivalent of the Judgement Night soundtrack. So here’s Part 1 with Part 2 coming as soon as the rest of us quit dicking around and finish our miniatures. HUGE shout out to Jake for donating the minis and kicking us down with some serious grind, good looking out buddy. Also much love and respect to the Oldhammer community for inspiring this months challenge, hopefully the first of many!
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‘We are a blaze in the northern sky’ – The Dark Throne Tournament 2014

Phil Millar: No Joke

Phil Millar: No Joke

April 26th saw the arrival of the first Corehammer 40K tournament The Dark Throne. Hosted by Chris Kaye & myself and (ably assisted by the rest of the crew) at the North West Gaming Centre in tropical Stockport, Dark Throne was something we’d all put a lot of time and love into setting up and running in a style that best refelcted our attitude and approach to gaming. A lot of new players are put off from entering tournaments because of the (sadly often true) preconception that they are teeming with gobshites wearing fedoras and them daft leather trenchcoats bellowing Family Guy quotes and getting on everyones tits. That’s not what Corehammer is about brah, we try to run things like a hardcore show, keep the door price low, the spirits high and the attitude chill. Filth lists were actively discouraged as were gamey twats and annoying neckbeard sensibilities. This was to be a day for relaxed gaming and some laughs with other somewhat functional humans. Continue reading