A teaser rather than a “ report” as such this time. As the Dice Studz gathered this Friday I was set a pondering on just what a diverse and interesting group our hobby attracts…

The competitors were gathering for Saturday’s To the Strongest tourney and the conversation turned of course to the beautiful armies that have assembled. The above army had been brought down from the Isle of Skye to compete! Now that’s dedication!

On the other side of the table we had Saladin- the pronunciation of which I always argue about with my K’urdish barbers! Again beautiful miniatures and peels of laughter!

Talking of peels of laughter, Mr Lane had assembled his usual host of naked male bodies to take on a newcomer! A tense see- saw battle ensued ( as Mike got his cards caught in his cardigan pocket and we narrowly avoided a display of his legendary paratrooper roll).

Meanwhile, I was suckered into a “ friendly” with an Italian Condotta army!

130 points and only two pike blocks! I really like the compactness of the TTS armies at this point allocation. My Bactrian Greeks were less appreciative of plate armoured veterans and crossbow bolts from half way down the table.

A cunning mix of lights and heavy hitters was destined to make my timid tactics the wrong choice…

The Venetian foot in the centre looked like the only chance! The Bactrian pikemen started to fall and then the general was slain! I actually had the battlefield ruse “ Patrocius”. which would have saved the commander, but I was too busy trying to plan another Late Roman build.

My centre stalled and the Venetians danced around me like a drunken tap dancer in a minefield! Borrowed armour indeed!

My screen of Companions was cast asunder and my infantry flanked! Even the camp was about to be stormed by knights! If there ever was a time for Achilles to stop mooching and put his armour on, it was now? But, he didn’t and we were slaughtered for the cost of just four army points!

And so finally to make reference to the title of this rambling piece of reportage! I’d already opined on the quality of modern miniatures versus the 1990s. I’d conversed with a by- stander about Late Roman army composition and held forth on the greying/ imminent hospitalisation of veteran gamers! ( Get well soon Don btw!). It was time to visit the younger prospective members of the wargaming fraternity; the Kindling club.

On the way down stairs I fell into discussing whether 40k is fascist (I decided it wasn’t and that the Emperor is perfectly entitled to drain 10,000 minds a day if it means “ peace”. The next topic was working parents and we decided that someone at least should stay at home to stop whole nations like the Japanese going extinct! And finally when asked about Trump and Greenland I echoed our Ukrainian members’ idea that he was on the verge of discovering ancient Thule under the icecaps but that’s for another article! ( spoiler alert)

So in short, the hobby is in rude health, miniatures have never been finer and our Firestorm home is a beacon of light. Population collapse has replaced the population explosion and the age of the toned warrior, the fat merchant and the thin priest is returning from Thule. All in all a very positive evening!