The morning of Saturday 2 September, 2023 saw Nottingham blessed with glorious sunshine, ready for us to welcome a swarm of fervent hobbyists and wargamers for our annual Open Day! Well over 250 were in attendance, and thanks to the buoyant enthusiasm of all involved, we think it was one of our most successful Open Days thus far! Here’s a taster of what went down during the day.
Talking Miniatures
Our Open Day saw a grand gathering of a very talented bunch of people involved in Talking Miniatures, the new book detailing the formative years of Games Workshop and Citadel Miniatures by Warlord Games’ CEO John Stallard and Robin Dews. There was a huge part of wargaming history in a single room, with each amongst this group – whether they be sculptors, artists or games designers, having made an indelible mark on miniature wargaming. There was opportunity for guests to have their copies of Talking Miniatures signed and glean some wisdom or hear some stories of Games Workshop yore from these veterans of the industry.
Tours
Ever the highlight of our Open Days, our tours invited guests to follow the journey of a miniature, from concept and design, through production and eventually out through the warehouse to hobby stores or customers worldwide. The journey began in the studio where guests were introduced to our sculptors and figure painters, and had a chance to revel in the studio’s collection of miniatures both present and future – such as the next Bolt Action plastic vehicle (news on this very soon indeed) and the upcoming 2000 AD range, ABC Warriors.
From there, guests were guided into our manufacturing areas, learning how exactly miniatures are made in metal, resin and Warlord ResinTM, and with their newfound knowledge, were gifted with some freshly made figures.
The casting team also put on a display of their own (in some cases fairly extensive) collections:
The final leg of the tour was through our packing department and into the warehouse proper, where complimentary hot drinks awaited.
Seminars
There were four seminars held throughout the day. The first saw John Stallard and Warlord Games Head of Studio Paul Sawyer dish the dirt and answer your questions on all things Warlord Games – discussing recent and upcoming projects. Other speakers included Bolt Action rules designer Alessio Cavatore, designer of Blood Red Skies and our 2000 AD range of games, Andy Chambers, and venerated game designer Rick Priestley.
Participation and Demo Games
There was plenty to sample from across all of our game ranges – from Epic Battles showdowns to stompy urban mech warfare with Konflikt ’47. Here are just a few of the games in action.
Build a US Airborne Squad
Following the popularity of last year’s Build a Tank, this year we had Build a Squad – specifically a Bolt Action US Airborne squad. Taking part was free; it was just the thing to sit and do after a tour or seminar – and you could take your newly built troops away with you!
Spot the Sniper
Six of our ghillie-suited figures were secreted throughout the building. Spotting them all was rewarded with free figures to take away. Many failed to find the elusive sixth figure…
Once again, we’d like to thank all who came to celebrate the hobby with us. It’s the community that makes the hobby special. We hope to see you again next year, or some of you for the first time. Here’s a special message, recorded as the day was winding down, from Warlord CEO, John Stallard:
1 comment
Great day and myself wife and son enjoyed no end.
I spotted my good lady wife in three of the pictures above well two are clearly my wife and I recognise the back of her head in another shot.
I found 5 of the 6 snipers I had spotted the one in the plant pot so Im still no wiser to the one I missed.