Today’s blog post I am shining the spotlight on the two Warhammer Narrative events at Southern Hemisphere Open. I realise as I sit here ready to type this up that my first problem is going to be what do I call the lovely man that has written the players packs for these events and will be ensuring their smooth running at the event. We all know and love him as GW Joondalup’s Michael, or as some older customers might know him – Kurgan. So for now that’s how I will start.
What is the system you will be running at SHO?
I will be running two systems at SHO, Warhammer 40,000 and Age of Sigmar! Both one day narrative events. This is the first time we have been able to offer narrative events but both communities have been asking for them so here we are. Listening and delivering!
Tell me a bit about yourself
Outside of gaming I enjoy Dungeons and Dragons, Theatre, a cheesy pizza and a lovely cup of tea with a good Black Library book. Within gaming I love immersing myself in the Narrative of whatever I am playing, and my passion for Games Workshop extends from what I believe to be the most complex and fascinating narrative setting of all. My favourite system is the Middle Earth Strategy Battle Game, and I love painting the characters and drawing inspiration from Tolkien’s wonderful novels. (We hope that the new release of the rules for Middle Earth will see the one ring return in 2019 for SHO! ed)
What is your gaming history?
I began my gaming journey with the old Lord of the Rings magazines, and eventually discovered that there was such a store called Games Workshop! From there I spent many happy Saturdays in the Perth store being guided to Hobby glory by the mighty Stuart Knox, who now runs our awesome Warhammer Baldivis store. I have been gaming for 15 years, and collect Middle Earth Strategy Battle Game, Warhammer 40,000, Age of Sigmar, Blood Bowl and Shadespire!
Tell me about this system
I’ll start with Age of Sigmar, as I am very passionate about the incredible potential for it’s narrative setting. The Age of Sigmar has eight Mortal Realms, each with a myriad of fascinating stories interwoven with every possible aspect of the Fantasy genre imaginable, set against the gargantuan back drop of epic wars where the Gods themselves do battle. Whether you love tales of blood slick bravado with sword and sorcery, or the nuances of maniacal schemes played out over eons with pivotal battles that determine the very future of the Realms, Age of Sigmar is for you.
As for Warhammer 40,000, the sheer scale and magnitude of this science fantasy setting has always inspired me to discover its stories and tell my own across the table top. In the darkness of the 41st Millenium, the brutality of galactic war reaches every world and the stars themselves are obliterated with corruscating energies unleashed from uncounted battles. Collecting an army and playing games in this grim setting allows for complete narrative immersion, from adventures in the hives of Necromunda, to tense close quarter duels in Kill Team, to massive world ending battles with multiple armies in Warhammer 40,000.
What is this systems history in WA
This Saturday (8th September at time of writing) GW Perth celebrates 20 years, and prior to that Warhammer Hobbyists would have to order through the White Dwarf or other means. I have played in tournaments for 14 years, starting with the GW organised play events Conflict and Grand Tournaments, and then Skulls 40k, the Grand Pre Des Arms and others. Over this time I have had the pleasure of meeting hundreds of Hobbyists who are passionate about our systems, and my favourite part of GW releasing the best editions of the games ever, is seeing so many old faces returning to our Hobby!
How is the game supported in WA
Games Workshop stores always have tables and activities aplenty, Outpost South provides a place to enjoy a plethora of games, and WA has several stockists which also gave gaming areas available.
What is the history at SHO?
In the first year of SHO, Warhammer 40,000 and Age of Sigmar featured prominently with two fantastic tournaments, one of which I was lucky enough to play in! We also featured Shadespire for the first time ever which was super exciting!
How are you associated with the game?
I have the unique privilege of working at Games Workshop Joondalup where over the past six years I have met phenomenal hobbyists that I share my love of our Hobby with, and being involved with SHO and Objective Secured’s other fantastic events has allowed me to meet even more wonderful people brought together by the best miniatures in the world.
What is unique/exciting about this event at SHO?
Both events I am running are the first narrative Events for Games Workhsop run at SHO, and I am very excited to champion this marvellous aspect of gaming. I have written a unique story for each, and when you fight the tense battles across the day, your results will directly impact the story we play through! The fun of this is that playing in a narrative Games Workshop event is like living through a Black Library novel yourself, where your miniatures are the ensemble cast and the memorable moments can be woven into your colour schemes, modelling and more!
Why should people come and play this event at SHO?
If you are an experienced hobbyist then this will challenge your hobby with a new way to enjoy gaming in Age of Sigmar and Warhammer 40,000. If you are new to Warhammer, then this is a great chance to play unique armies and develop a story for your chosen force by charging head long into their first campaign! The best part is rather than being a competitive environment, the Narrative events are pure fun and intended to build excitement as your chosen side celebrates heroic victories and curses bitter defeats. After the event, it is great to model perhaps a new battle scar on your General, or maybe add a victory banner to your favourite unit to represent the campaign that they fought in.
Anything else you want to add
If you are also passionate about narrative gaming and have already got your ticket, I cannot wait to watch your games throughout the day and hear about the glorious moments! If you don’t know what all the fuss is about and want to see if Narrative gaming is for you, then this is the Event to challenge yourself. I promise that both days will be full of fun and hobby madness and I look forward to weaving a tale based of the games you play!
If you want to check out the players packs they are both on the website
If you haven’t yet purchased your ticket, tickets are available through Humanitix