“Human sacrifice, dwarves and elves living together, mass hysteria”
Once more the hour had come upon us for that finest of recent traditions,the Corehammer Christmas social. Typically plans were made, promises of attendance sworn in blood and games organised. In previous years we have held court at Warhammer World, Foundry and the Element Gaming Centre in Stockport. But I like to mix it up and visit new places so this year we gathered at Mantic HQ. Tucked away on the edge of a residential estate in Bullwell, Nottingham, it took Ager and I a few goes to try and find the place. After successfully navigating a gaggle of nightmarish traffic calming bollard children, we arrived. We were greeted by our host for the day Mantic’s very own perennially enthusiastic Scotsman, Andy Meechan, and ushered inside.
For those who’ve not visited Mantic HQ it is a perfect venue for a modest event of this size. A nice, clean well lit gaming space with enough tables and terrain for our attendees and space to hang around and take the mickey out of each other without interrupting anyones game.
Friends old and new travelled from as far away as Kent to make the trip and hangout. As is often the case when we gather, more time is dedicated to talking absolute rubbish and taking the piss out of each other than actually playing a game.
Nevertheless there were busy tables of Infinity, Warhammer 40K/30k, Shadespire, Walking Dead – All Out War and Bloodbowl amongst others. Andy Meechan did a sterling job of keeping everyone entertained and demonstrating Walking Dead – All Out War to a packed crew. The feedback from the boys was overwhelmingly positive. Andy also offered a preview of Mantic’s brilliant new boxed game Space Saga (full review/unboxing video up here next week!) and that seemed to go over well too. Some of the crew got involved with a talk given by one of the sculptors, breaking down the process of miniature design through to manufacture.
Owain and I were treated to a quick tour of the design studio. It’s incredible how Mantic have upped their game over the past couple of years in terms of quality and playability whilst keeping prices reasonable. Moving away from ‘Restic’ was a prudent move that is’ definitely reflected in the quality and design of the miniatures.
Many slices of pizza were consumed and with tea and pop in abundance, our energy levels and spirits remained high throughout the day. Finally the time came for the Corehammer Charity raffle. In the weeks prior to our gathering I’d harangued, pestered and bullied our friends and allies to chuck a little something into the prize pit. The squad came correct and with some really juicy prize lots including massive contributions from Annie Bad Squiddo Games and Colloseum Rex in particular, we managed to raise a decent chunk of cash for our chosen charity The St Marys Sexual Assault Referral Centre. Thanks to EVERYONE who bought a ticket at the gig or online, y’all are cool.
Once again I have to give huge props to both Mantic and Andy specifically for their generosity and willingness to be involved. That’s an investment in community I can get behind and I hope that we can arrange another visit in the not too distant future.
In the style of the school Harvest Festival we insisted that everyone who turned up came with a tin or a packet of non perishable grub and we managed to donate a decent hamper for the local food bank. A small thing but easily done and hopefully made a difference to those in need of a bit of help.
The thing I always take from these events is community. All to often we think of that word in terms of our local surroundings or our immediate circle of friends. Certainly in this instance that is no longer the case. Plenty of new faces rocked up on a whim just to hang out and I love that.It’s very satisfying to see people getting involved, rolling dice and having a laugh. Donations for the charity raffle came not just from the gaming community but an expanded circle of ethical business and generous individuals. It’s that defiant spirit, the ‘us against the rest’ attitude that makes these events so rewarding and invigorating. If you don’t like the values and direction of the social situations around you, fuck it off and build your own. Like minds will gravitate toward one another and together you can make a change collectively. Haters will call it SJW bullshit, I like to call it our shout at the Devil.
Our sincerest thanks to the following stand up individuals for their generosity and willingness to participate in what was a fun day, shout out to: Great Escape Games Adam – Three Crows tattoos, V Rev – Manchester, Temple Coffee & Donuts, Old Woden Art & Prints, Soaked In Torment Records, Mantic Games, Alec Worley/ 2000AD , Mark Smith – Deep Earth Treasures,Jamie Fox, Josh Bottomley and Dom Robinson
We’ve plans for a lot more events in 2018 so if you fancy joining us, keep your eyes on the blog for information. See you then.