For the final BWU podcast of 2024 I was joined by my old friend and founding BWU member, Nick Lawson! Nick and I chatted about the old days of the Privateer Press Gang, what goes into founding a gaming community and with everyone's hobby pledges looming in the New Year, we talked about how to create workable hobby goals and keep yourself motivated to meet them. Nick is writing a book related to this subject, so be sure to follow him on social media and sign up for his mailing list for news on what's sure to be a great project!



As usual, this podcast was exclusive to Brush Wielders Union members for a few days before being released to general audiences.

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My guests this month are from a website that needs little introduction, Eric Benson and Jerry "Tycho" Holkins! Penny Arcade has been a force in gaming for decades, and while it had its start in the realm of video games, it's become a powerhouse in tabletop gaming. Eric and Jerry joined me ostensibly to hype up their upcoming convention PAX Unplugged, but instead we mostly just talked about the wargames they love (we did get to chat a bit about the con towards the end, including an exclusive reveal of the Official Sandwich of PAX Unplugged), but mostly we blathered about why we love different miniatures games like Warhammer 40k, The Horus Heresy, Saga, and board games like War Room, and Jerry's passion for Command & Colors, and the different itches scratched by different games.

As usual, this podcast was exclusive to Brush Wielders Union members for a few days before being released to general audiences.

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In this month's podcast I spoke with fellow gamer, Washington State Secretary of State, Steve Hobbs! Steve and I spoke about his love of gaming, his time serving in the army in both Kosovo and Iraq, his work as a politician here in Washington State, and how gaming has intersected with all of those parts of his life and career. Steve shared some fascinating stuff about Washington's table top gaming industry and how he's worked with that industry on trade missions to Japan and state legislation that affects gamers, game stores, and even therapeutic roleplaying games for prisoners. We wrapped up with some discussion of how wargamers reinvent small unit tactics and finally the BWU gives its first ever political endorsement!

Check out Steve's campaign page here and learn more about the Tabletop Game Alliance now.

As usual, this podcast was exclusive to Brush Wielders Union members for a few days before being released to general audiences.

brushwieldersunion.com

My guest this month was Doug Wheeler, owner of my favorite friendly local gaming shop, Terracrux Games, right here in Tacoma, WA! Doug was kind enough to give me part of his Friday night to talk about the trials and travails of running a successful game shop and how he's managed to succeed in a challenging field. We talked about business planning, community building and more.

Be sure to check out Terracrux Games online, even if you're not in the Tacoma area, and join their community on Discord.

As usual, this podcast was exclusive to Brush Wielders Union members for a few days before being released to general audiences.

brushwieldersunion.com

Regular friend of the BWU podcast, Andy Hobday, returns to talk all about the current Kickstarter for The Baron's War Fantasy Skirmish miniatures range! Currently on Kickstarter and knocking down stretch goals, this campaign will help launch this line of miniatures and a classic fantasy setting for the Baron's War but will also help establish Andy and Paul Hick's new company, Hobday and Hicks. Andy shared their inspiration for the line and dropped some juicy teasers about their future army plans including some very cool hints about the undead...

Back the Kickstarter now and join their Facebook community to learn more about the future of their game.

As usual, this podcast was exclusive to Brush Wielders Union members for a few days before being released to general audiences.

brushwieldersunion.com

This month's podcast guests are the founders of Rascal News, Lin Codega, Rowan Zeoli, and Chase Carter. Rascal is a new reader supported a tabletop roleplaying game and culture outlet striving to sustainably publish voicey journalism that is compelling, deeply-reported, and fearlessly honest. Lin, Rowan, and Chase were kind enough to spend their time talking with me about the state of tabletop games media, why they feel journalism is important even in the arena of hobbies and gaming, the challenges of organizing labor in gaming, and what they hope to accomplish with a wholly independent reporting platform.

Rascal media is currently running a pledge drive and I hope you'll join me in supporting their endeavors. Their ethos is very much in tune with that of the BWU and I'm looking forward to seeing their work for many years to come.

As usual, this podcast was exclusive to Brush Wielders Union members for a few days before being released to general audiences.

brushwieldersunion.com

My guest on this month's podcast, Bjarni Dali joined me all the way from the Faroe Islands to talk about his grimdark masterpieces. I first became aware of Bjarni's work on his fantastic Howling Gryphons diorama few years ago and have since come to appreciate all of his gritty, narrative driven dioramas and minis. We talked about where he finds inspiration, how he avoids burnout, and what it takes to paint a model as big as a 28mm Warhound titan!

Find Bjarni on Patreon, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube and be sure to check out his book, The Art of Bjarni Dali, available now.

As usual, this podcast was exclusive to Brush Wielders Union members for a few days before being released to general audiences.

brushwieldersunion.com

Joining me this month on the BWU podcast is one of the true titans of miniatures painting, Roman Lappat! Roman's work helped redefine how we viewed miniatures painting not just as a hobby, but as an art form in its own right. Roman's work is being featured in the latest volume of The Art of' now on Kickstarter and we spoke about that book but first chatted about his journey as a painter and illustrator and his philosophy of art.

Back The Art of Roman Lappat on Kickstarter now.

Follow Roman's work on Facebook and Instagram and visit his own site, as well as his contributions as a founder to Massive Voodoo.

As usual, this podcast was exclusive to Brush Wielders Union members for a few days before being released to general audiences.

brushwieldersunion.com

My guest this month was legendary game designer, Tuomas Pirinen! Tuomas was the creator of Mordheim, the lead developer of Warhammer Fantasy Battle 6th Edition, Warhammer Siege, and countless other miniatures games as well as video games, having worked at EA, Ubisoft and other companies. Most recently, Tuomas has signed on to create the rules for the upcoming Trench Crusade miniatures game and he was kind enough to talk to me about all of the above, including why he thinks Mordheim's popularity has endured for a quarter of a century, and most of that time unofficially supported! We also talked at length about the gameplay of Trench Crusade and what he loves most of all about this upcoming gritty and bleak skirmish game.



Follow Tuomas on Facebook and learn more about Trench Crusade, take part in their open playtest, and join their community on Facebook.

As usual, this podcast was exclusive to Brush Wielders Union members for a few days before being released to general audiences.

brushwieldersunion.com

Sean Sutter, creator of Relicblade, might just be the hardest working man in miniatures gaming but he took the time out of his busy day to talk about his latest project, Cursebreaker! Cursebreaker is a stand alone minis game set in the same universe as his ongoing skirmish game, Relicblade, but offers a unique play experience. Sean spoke with me about what went into this new project, the joys of game design, and what he's most excited about with this latest foray into the world of Relicblade and the Shattered Lands. 

Find Cursebreaker now on Kickstarter and follow Sean and his company Metal King Studios on Facebook and Instagram. 

As usual, this podcast was exclusive to Brush Wielders Union members for a few days before being released to general audiences.

brushwieldersunion.com