March of the Idiots: Beards of Phwoar!

Hi, I'm Paul, and welcome to The Asylum. Today I bring you the latest in our March of the Idiots series, in which I detail Asylum Wargaming's misadventures in many and varied tournaments.

I had the pleasure of competing at Beers of War: the Second Draught over the weekend. A Kings of War tournament that mixes organised play with alcohol consumption, this is the second Beers of War event, and one I have been looking forward to for some time.

Why was I looking forward to it so much? Because I thoroughly enjoyed the first event in February, that's why. Asylum Wargaming's Steve JohnSnow and I entered under the team name Kings of Phwoar!, and we didn't win a single thing other than the Wooden Spoon (you can read all about it here). But it didn't matter; we had a great time playing a cool wargame with sporting opponents who were drinking beer; what's not to like?

Unlike the first Beers of War, however, I wasn't teaming up Steve JohnSnow, as the angry hobbit was suffering with a migraine. Instead I found myself partnered with seasoned Kings of War player Steve Wallace. As Steve is, like me, blessed with a magnificent ginger beard, we altered our team's name to Beards of Phwoar!. Steve fielded Abyssal Dwarves, and I took to the field with the same trusty Undead who served me so well at the first Beers of War...

Steve and I in the process of losing to the prosaically named  BOLLoCKS

...Three matches later and we were dead last with no wins, having lost in turn to the Grim Squeekers (Tom Robinson's Salamanders and Ian Davies' Ratkin), BOLLoCKS (Kevin Haney's Basileans and Chris Cowburn's Ogres)* and newbies Eastern Bloc (Rob Czechwyn's League of Rhordia and Josef Makosz's Goblins).**

But who cares? Well, maybe Steve, but certainly not me. As with the first event I had a great time and met some cool people. Not only that, but organisers Lee and Luke Fellows made sure we were all well fed with a free and decent lunch. So, I ask you once again ... what's not to like?

Another aspect of Beers of War I really enjoy is the Arbitrary Army Award, in which the competitors vote for the tournament's best painted army. For some reason my motley assortment of incomplete and only partially painted Undead failed to win a single vote (outrageous! I demand a recount!), but Kev Haney's third-placed Basilians, Chris Cowburn's second-placed Ogres and Ben Casey's winning Herd army richly deserved each and every vote. I salute them.

Ben Casey's Herd

Chris Cowburn's Ogres

Kev Haney's Basileans

In conclusion, the Fellows brothers can be very proud of their event. They've put together a great little tournament with a cool theme. It's relaxed and played in a friendly manner by players who want to enjoy both the game and a few beers, and aren't interested in being power players or rules munchkins. It's a challenge for experienced players, and welcoming to new ones. Hell, they're even tolerant to borderline mentards like yours truly.

So if you're in Yorkshire and you like Kings of War and/or beer, you could do a lot worse than contending any future Beers of War events. Needless to say, I'll be there, and I presume I'll be partnered with someone called Steve...

...And who knows; maybe we'll finally win a match?

Beers of War: the Second Draught was held at the Westgate Common Club, Wakefield, and was won by the National Elf Service (Chris Prince's Elves and Richard Tomlinson's Brotherhood), with the Cult Armies of Bacchus (Mat Green's Romans and Ben Casey's Herd) and the Scottish Renegades (Andy Meechan and Craig Alexander's Undead) taking second and third respectively. If you're interested in attending the next Beers of War event, then keep an eye on the Facebook page for details...

...I'll see you there.

*Who won despite team members Kev Haney and Chris Cowburn knocking it back like George Best...

**...Who also won despite being so new to the game they might as well have been reading the rulebook for the first time.

Another Round? Another interview with Luke Fellows

Hi, I'm Paul, and welcome to The Asylum.

As part of Asylum Wargaming's continued support and enthusiasm for organised play, Steve JohnSnow and I are pleased to announce we are attending the this year's Beers of War event. A Kings of War tournament, Beers of War is a relaxed combination of wargaming and ... yes, you guessed it ... beer. Regular readers will know Steve and I attended the inaugural event last year as the Kings of Phwoar! team*, and we're very much looking forward to this year's event.

In anticipation of Beers of War 2, I recently interviewed the organiser—and star of YouTube smash Luke's APS—Luke Fellows about both last year's event, and his expectations for this sophomore tournament.


You've run your inaugural Beers of War event since we last spoke. How did that go?

It was great for a first event, and we [Luke and event co-organiser Lee Fellows] loved running it. To be honest, I don't remember much after dinner as I was drunk! Jokes aside it was great, and we learnt a lot. We were glad it came together as well as it did; for a first event it went really well.


Tell us a little more about Beers of War 2: the Second Draught.

Beers of War 2 is being held on 8th July in Wakefield. This time it's in a new venue, Westgate Common Club. It's a bigger place with cheaper beer for the people that don't win games...

Last year's event in full swing.

 So what are you changing this time?

Nothing much has changed apart from the venue. Also the terrain I've built will be more suitable for a movement-based game like Kings of War. The terrain I built for last year's event looked great, but was a little hard to navigate around, so I've fixed that for this year's tournament.

And how’s your YouTube channel going?

The channel is going from strength to strength, but looking after our baby daughter has reduced the time I have available to paint and film. I still aim to post one video a week, and I'm sure my regular viewers understand.


Kromlech Iron Reich Goblins, as recently seen on Luke's APS.

Luke's shiny new bike.

Aside from Beers of War and Luke’s APS, what else is new and shiny in the world of Luke Fellows?

Funny you should ask! I've bought myself a new motorbike, just so when I have some down time I can let my hair down by riding around the Yorkshire Dales and Moors. I've also launched a new YouTube channel called Luke's Ride Outs, so anyone into bikes can watch me on there as well.


And to sign off, what does Luke Fellows do when he’s not painting toys or ruling YouTube?

Changing my baby daughter's dirty nappies. Washing my baby daughter. Feeding my baby daughter. Watching In the Night Garden with my baby daughter...

...But if I get a few hours here and there I go out on the bike for a ride. It's surprising what a ride can do to my productivity!

Thanks for your time, Luke. Steve and I are lookforward to seeing you at the event.


Tickets for Beers of War 2: the Second Draught are still available here. Steve and I will see you there, and a full report of our misadventures is coming your way next week.

*Last year Steve and I won two and drew one on our way to winning the Wooden Spoon; this year we're going one better by losing all three matches. You heard it here first!

Check out Luke's superb YouTube channel for stacks of
miniature paintin', terrain makin', ass-kickin' goodness! 

March of the Idiots: Asylum Wargaming at Beers of War, part two

Hi, I'm Paul, and I'm here to tell you all about Asylum Wargaming's misadventures at Beers of War...

If you're joining is us for the first time and don't know your Beers of War from your beer goggles, then let me fill you in. Beers of War is a Kings of War tournament organised by the mighty Luke Fellows of Luke's APS (if you don't know what Luke's APS is either, then why not check out my interview with Luke?) with combines organised play with free beer. Winner. Entrants form teams of two, with each fielding 750 points each, so quick yet challenging games are guaranteed.

As promised, Asylum Wargaming were in attendance. Our very own media star and host of Chilling Wargamers, Spud Tate, joined forces with Mr. Nick Williams to form the team Nick Marine Sunday. Meanwhile Asylum Wargaming's very own angry hobbit, Steve JohnSnow, had the misfortune of forming Kings of Phwoar! with yours truly. I use the word 'misfortune' advisedly, as I played my first game of Kings of War on the evening of 10th February. Beers of War was held on 11th February...



Spud Tate: king of war!

Luke and his brother (and co-organiser) Lee were a lot better organised. Not only were all the tables adorned with excellent gaming mats, but they also sported a wide variety of top-quality scenery, all created by Luke himself.

Suffice to say Spud's day went a lot better than mine and Steve's. With two wins and one draw, he and Nick finished third in the rankings, AND his force of Abyssal Dwarves was voted third best painted. Bravo, Brother Spudly, Bravo!



Mr. Nick Williams, everybody.

And Kings of Phwoar!? Well, we won something too ... even if it was only the Worse Team award.


Yep, with a record and two loses and one draw out of three games, we didn't exactly cover ourselves in glory. But no matter, we were there and we enjoyed ourselves, so job done. S'only a game, right?

Rumour has it Beers of War 2 is heading our way July. Rumour has it Kings of Phwoar! and Nick Marine Sunday will be competing once again. Rumour also has it the only way is up for Steve and I, right...?

In full swig ... sorry, swing.

March of the Idiots: Asylum Wargaming at Beers of War, part one

Hi, I'm Paul, and welcome to tonight's edition of The Asylum.

Last time out I detailed the forthcoming Beers of War event, a Kings of War tournament hosted and organised by our friend Luke Fellows at Luke's APS. What I didn't mention is that myself and the pocket rocket that is Steve JohnSnow—my friend and partner at Asylum Wargaming—will be entering Beers of War under the moniker The Kings of Phwoar! Tonight therefore, as part of our March of the Idiots series—in which I detail Asylum Wargaming's entry and misadventures in various tournaments—I bring you an insight into The Kings of Phwoar!'s entry, and the mighty miniatures we'll be packing.

Beers of War is a co-op tournament of two-man teams fielding 1500pts (750pts per team member) worth of death and destruction. Steve has variously gone for
Undead
Abyssal Warriors
Gloranthan Ducks
Orcs
and I've elected to been told by Steve that I'm using Undead. This works just fine for me as I've been collecting Undead—more specifically Skeletons—for decades, and have a metric ton of those boney bad boys in the attic. Time to dust some off, me thinks...

So, here are some of the miniatures (in varying degrees of readiness!) I'll be fielding at Beers of Beer:

A Revenant King

A Troop of Revenants

Some Skeleton Archers

Some partially completed Skeleton Archers

Some Wights

 
This is, of course, just the beginning of the 750pts, and I'll be adding a few bits and pieces between now and Saturday (Saturday? That soon?!? Zoinks!) So stay posted, Inmates, 'cos I'll keep you up to speed. Until then...

...Stay crazy.

An Interview with a Hobbyist, part two: Beers of War

Welcome to part two of our interview with Luke Fellows, professional hobbyist and star of the YouTube channel Luke's APS (Affordable Painting Service). Herein we'll learn about his current - and arguably most challenging - project, the forthcoming Beers of War tournament. So buckle up, Inmates ... things are gonna get boozy!

Not content with making a success of freelance miniature painting and having a stonkingly good YouTube channel, you’ve also organised a Kings of War tournament called Beers of War. Can you tell us a little about it?

Free Beer. Do I have to say more…?

…Oh, I do? Okay.

It’s a Kings Of War doubles tournament with an emphasis on fun and socialising without removing the competitive nature of the game. Each side plays three games rather than the usual four. This allows for more time between each game and a long dinner during which people can chat, eat and drink, or even slip in a fourth game if they so desire.

Me and my brother organised the tournament. Lee has been involved in organising music festivals and shows from the age of 16, and I, as a musician, have been in the entertainment industry from around 18. We have plenty of experience, and we’ve applied it to this event. Hence the free beer. People are suckers for free beer. We’ve also sourced plenty of good prizes.

What challenges did you face when organising the event?

One of the main challenges was finding a venue and knowing how big a venue we needed for our first venture.

One thing we notice when people talk about organising a wargaming event is they can’t find a good space for it. But they only look at hobby spaces and shops where everything is ready to go. You can put on a wargaming event anywhere. So we used our knowledge of venues in the area and found one we thought would work. You would be surprised how cheaply you can find a space to hire for a full day. Do your research, do the maths, and take the risk. We’re prepared to lose money in the beginning as an investment and make our money back from future events.

Another challenge has been getting all the tables and scenery sorted ourselves. However, we see it as once it’s done, it’s done. We can now put an event on anywhere using the same materials, or even sell the terrain for extra money on top.



In view of the fact Beers of War is already sold out, is it safe to assume you’ll be organising another?

Yes. In fact, we’re in the process of confirming a larger venue, and we have big plans for the future.

And what else do you see in both your tabletop future, and the future of your Youtube channel? Do you, for instance, have any more events lined up?


I hope to see the channel grow to the point where I can make a living from the hobby alone and set up a small business with a couple of friends and family. That’s the dream. I’m not going to pretend I’m in this for just the hobby alone and it’s all been about the art. It’s part of it, but if I can do it for a living and not have to work weekends and can support my family doing something I love, then I’m going to do it.

In terms of events I’m already planning a painting series to the tune of ‘paint good, quick’ in just a few simple steps. Companion videos will be a little more ‘advanced’, but they'll still stick to my ‘That'll do’ attitude, which a lot of my viewers appreciate. The majority of us just want to paint something good and play with it at the end of the day, don’t we?

And here endeth the sermon, Inmates. Please join us in thanking Luke for his interview.

So that's it for this edition of Asylum Wargaming's Writes of Asylum. We hope you join us next time when we'll bring you more tabletop awesome.    

An Interview with a Hobbyist, part one: A Talented Fellow

Welcome to The Asylum's first interview ... and we're kicking off in style!

 

Luke Fellows is a commission painter who's really making a splash. With content that includes unboxing videos, battle reports and tutorials on terrain construction, his YouTube channel enjoys 16,000  subscribers and features videos attracting in excess of 8,000 views. Not content with this, he's also a professional musician in the band Twice Nightly and he's the brains behind February's inaugural Beers of War tournament. We're pleased to say he's taken some time from his busy schedule to talk to us here in The Asylum.

 

 

 

Can you tell me a little a bit about your background and what first attracted you to the hobby?

My mum bought me the 5th Editon Warhammer Fantasy set (the one with the Bretonians and Lizardmen) when I was 8 years old. You can imagine how well they were played with and how badly they were painted.

After that I pretty much forgot about wargaming. I made a very brief return when I was 16, but soon got bored after a series of awful experiences being ‘taught’ how to play at the local GW shop. My first experience was going down with the five Terminators and Dreadnaught I’d painted up because I thought they were cool, but the store manager refusing to teach me how to play unless I bought some ‘core choices’ and fielded a legal army. He didn’t understand that I just wanted a feel for the game. It was a sour experience which led to me learning from my brother Lee instead. I lost interest soon afterwards.

Three years ago, however, I started again after talking to my brother about having a lot of free time on my hands as a working musician and only working weekends for most of the year. I said I wanted to try wargaming again, but something that wasn’t 40k or Warhammer; something cheaper and with simpler rules. We did some browsing and settled on Bolt Action.

Long story short I then painted my first miniatures in years just using some simple techniques I picked up online, and posted them here and there on the internet. My officer model got over 100 likes on one page and people were shocked at how well I did for someone with very little painting experience. A lightbulb went off and—as I did with music—I set about seeing how I could make money out of something I enjoy, so I started doing commissions. Soon people were asking me for videos on how I do things, and so I created my YouTube channel.

 

 

 It’s clear you’re a gifted miniature painter. Do you think being a good miniature painter relies on natural talent, or can any cack-handed individual learn to paint to a high standard?

I wouldn’t say I’m gifted. I think to a certain extent anyone with one hand, a set of brushes and paints can learn to paint to a good standard, especially at 28/32mm scale. It’s just about technique. I learnt by watching countless hours of YouTube videos and deciding what I thought was a waste of time and what wasn’t in order to paint a miniature I was happy with.

E.g. I won’t spend time doing the iris and the pupil on a miniature of that size, or going round the entire miniature highlighting every dimple and arse crack when you can achieve almost the same effect with drybrushing, a wash and glaze, using trios of colours and contrasting those colours to make the mini pop from four feet away. That’s the key to a good looking miniature.

I would definitely say doing decorating, fine arts and antique furnishings/restoration clued me in on things like drybrushing, glazing, thickness of paint, types of paint, stripping, spraying etc. I had all this basic knowledge before I even applied it to miniatures.

 

 

Your YouTube channel—Luke’s APS—is pulling in a ridonculous amount of subscribers right now. Any idea why?
 

People already knew who I was via the Kings Of War Fanatics on Facebook, and I think what really helped. People also really started to pay attention when I knocked out a 2000pt Slayer army within a week and then went to win Best Painted at my first tournament. 

I like to think the growth of my channel is reinforced by a combination of my personality and informative content. Also, it isn’t all down to me. I’ve had help from people such as Asylum Wargaming’s very own Spud the Wargamer Viking, Pezapoo etc. That helped me become established and ‘accepted’ within the online community.

 

Here endeth part one, Inmates. Be sure to join us on Tuesday night when we bring you part two of this illuminating interview. You'd be mad to miss it.