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! 

The Complete and Unabridged Guide to ChillCon '17

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

As you may have heard, we at Asylum Wargaming are hosting our very own wargames show on May 27th, 2017. It's called ChillCon '17, and it's going to be mega. Want to know more? Then you're in luck, because I've prepared this Complete and Unabridged Guide to ChillCon '17! Why have I prepared it? Because we at Asylum Wargaming love you...

...And once you've read this, you'll love us too.

The Traders

 

Manufacturers of the wargaming miniatures and resin scenics.



Producers of high quality painting and miniature hobby products.

Official show stockists of 4Ground, Crann Tara Miniatures, Heroes of the Dark Age, the Depot Battalion range and used figures, books and rule books.



Specialising in wargames miniatures and rules for the golden age of cult TV.

Creators of lovingly made custom embroidered dice bags.

Creating delicious handmade cakes and other confectionaries.

Producers of quality wargaming terrain and accessories.



Co-sponsor of ChillCon, and the official home of S.L.A Industries: CS1.

Specialist in quality military books and wargame related titles.




Miniatures for collectors, by collectors.



Purveyors of Greenskins and the forces who oppose them.



Specialist commission painter.

PLEASE NOTE: Saddle-Goose Design's handstitched custom dice-bags will be exhibited at ChillCon by Glennbrook Games. Those of you who wish to pre-order a custom bag for collection at ChillCon, however, should contact Saddle-Goose Design beforehand.

Bringing you the highest quality and the best value in custom cut trays and cases.



Producers of lasercut scenery, accessories, movement trays and bases.

Creators of 6mm scale resin cast models and scenics.



The home of affordable wargames miniatures and fantastic tabletop games.



Home of the Nightfolk range of 28mm white metal Goblins, Dwarves and other things that go bump in the night...

Creators of fantasy and sci-fi miniatures and the skirmish game, Burrows and Badgers.

 Purveyors of the hobby's most popular wargames models and accessories.

Creators of high quality 28mm figures & vehicles.



Publisher of hobby rules and games.



Producers of high quality cast resin and metal miniatures.

Home of the world's largest range of 28mm wargaming miniatures.

Your first stop for Rubicon's range of wargaming products.

28mm historical and sci-fi wargames miniatures.

The home of the unique fantastic skirmish game, Arcworlde.

Producers of highly detailed resin miniatures for both 15mm gaming and the starfighter dogfighting wargame, Shattered Void .



Co-sponsor of ChillCon, and masterminds behind such games as  Devil's Run and Cheekz.

The Tournaments

It that's not enough for you, we have more awesome up our sleeves, including Kings of War AND Bolt Action tournaments. Should you wish to compete, tickets for these two mighty clashes can be purchased on our website.

The Participation Games

As well as the tournaments we have these participation games available for those wishing to play in a less competitive arena:

Aliens vs. Predator

Batman Miniatures Game

Gav Thorpe's Big Stompy Robots

Command and Colours

Doctor Who

Guild Ball

Halo Ground Command

Horizon Wars

Konflikt '47

The Walking Dead: All Out War

Scud Alley

Shattered Void

S.L.A. Industries: CS1

Time Bandits 

The Bring 'n' Buy

We're also hosting a Bring 'n' Buy. Should you be interested in bringing and/or buying, then please see our website for more details.

The Venue

ChillCon '17 will be hosted at Ecclesfield School, Chapeltown Road, Sheffield, S35 9WD on Saturday 27th May, 2017. Click here for a useful guide on how to find us.

The Tickets and Goodie Bags

Tickets are available here, and the first 100 entrants on the big day are guaranteed a goody bag stuffed with ... well ... goodies. You can also save £1.00 by buying your tickets in advance.

The Charities

We will donate £1.00 from every ticket sold to our preferred charities:

The three of us involved in the organisation of ChillCon—Steve, Spud and myself—have picked these charities as they all mean something to us on a personal level. Please take a moment to visit their sites and consider making a donation. Thank you.

So that's it, Inmates. ChillCon '17 is coming, and it's going to be awesome. #Fact.



ChillCon '17 is sponsored by Daruma Productions' S.L.A. Industries: CS1...

...And Word Forge Games.