Episode 255 of The Independent Characters is all about our experience at Adepticon 2025! We are back from Milwaukee and along with Josh, Chelle, and Carl will be a host of interviews with those of us who went to AdeptiCon in 2025.

We had to repost this since Chelle decided she wants to join this episode. She says that she has "Things to say" about AdeptiCon. What that is... is any of our guesses!

We will talk about the events and classes we attended as well as the people we met and spoke with. Finally we will give our opinions on this years AdeptiCon and how it performs in it's new location!

We hope you enjoy Episode 255.

Time Stamps:

• 0:00:00 - Show Intro, Elite Choice
• 0:12:45 - Hobby Progress, & Games Played
• 0:54:00 - Adepticon 2025 Review
• 1:42:45 - Interview with Blake & Ed of LAtCS
• 2:09:45 - Interview with Craig & Skye
• 2:35:45 - Interview with Travis of LAtCS
• 2:54:00 - Final Thoughts and show closing

Relevant Links:

• The Independent Characters Patreon
• Tablewar! - SPONSOR
• Herrick Games & Hobbies - SPONSOR
• Adepticon
• Goblin Hobbies - Makers of the Stampin' Plates
• Creature Caster
• Arsenal Miniatures Game
• Bushido Miniatures Game
• Maelstrom Mixer
• Basement of Death (the Space Hulk guys!)
• Games Workshop
• The Black Library

Episode 254 of The Independent Characters brings in a couple of amazing guests to join us in The Warrior Lodge! First we have Liz Apke, prolific painter and awesome IC's Community Member. You're going to love what she has to say about the Grand Narrative.

We also bring in Troy Weis. One of the amazing event coordinators of the now famous Space Hulk event at Adepticon and one of the hosts of the Playin' and Slayin' Podcast from the Basement of Death guys.

There is some really great conversation this episode. Some things that made our hosts really stop and consider different opinions here. We hope you enjoy listening to it as much as we did recording it.

Welcome to Episode 254

Time Stamps:

• 0:00:00 - Show Intro, Elite Choice, Hobby Progress, & Games Played
• 0:45:10 - The Warrior Lodge - 6 Questions!
• 2:16:05 - Final Thoughts and show closing

Relevant Links:

• The Independent Characters Patreon
• Tablewar! - SPONSOR
• Herrick Games & Hobbies - SPONSOR
• Goblin Hobbies - Makers of the Stampin' Plates
• Maelstrom Mixer
• Playin' & Slayin' Podcast
• Games Workshop
• The Black Library

Episode 253 of The Independent Characters explores the age old questions of 'How do you get your significant other into Warhammer 40k?'. To help us explain her journey into the Grim Darkness of the Far Future, we are joined by Chelle Tuttle. For those who don't know by now, Chelle is Carl's wife and has had an on again, off again relationship with 40k. She is also managing all of the tracking of everyone's hobby progress in the Hobby Progress Challenge for 2025. For which we are very grateful!

While we take a trip down memory lane on her exposure to the game, we also get some insights on what worked for her, to get her invested in the game. I want to thank Chelle for taking the time to join me on this discussion as I know this is a bit outside her comfort zone.

We hope you enjoy Episode 253.

Time Stamps:

• 0:00:00 - Show Intro, Elite Choice, Hobby Progress, & Games Played
• 0:18:30 - Introducing your partner to 40k
• 1:29:20 - Final Thoughts and show closing

Relevant Links:

• The Independent Characters Patreon
• Tablewar! - SPONSOR
• Herrick Games & Hobbies - SPONSOR
• Goblin Hobbies - Makers of the Stampin' Plates
• Maelstrom Mixer
• Games Workshop
• The Black Library

We are joined by two very special guests for Episode 252! Welcome David and Adam (known as Chaos Dave - or Wargaming Dave, and Uncle Adam of Tabletop Minions fame) who are here to talk about the growing influence of online content in our hobby. How does it impact your gaming for the positive, the negative, and what can be done better from both a producer and consumer side.

Many people think that content production is all about the fame, glory, and swimming pools of money. I mean, it is. But that really isn't the actual goal of most content producers. Most are incredibly passionate about their gaming, whether that is 40k, Ravaged Stars, Reign in Hell, or Trench Crusade. Expect to hear the thoughts of these two very successful content producers about how they see their role within the hobby space and what responsibilities content producers have, and why you should (or should not) listen to them. You will get a unique view of what goes on behind the scenes for most productions!

We hope you enjoy this discussion!

Time Stamps:

• 0:00:00 - Show Intro, Guest Intros, & Elite Choice
• 0:23:30 - The Influence of Online Content: Pt 1
• 1:08:30 - The Influence of Online Content: Pt 2
• 2:22:30 - Interview: Dave Taylor on 28 Collected Kickstarter
• 2:46:00 - End of Show

Relevant Links:

• The Independent Characters Patreon
• Tablewar! - SPONSOR
• Herrick Games & Hobbies - SPONSOR
• 28 Collected Kickstarter
• Tabletop Minions
• Miniwargaming Dave
• The Army Painter
• Games Workshop
• The Black Library

Episode 251 of The Independent Characters takes a deep look at Warhammer 40k and how it is played in both competition, more casual play, and why it matters. How this impacts not only the types of units considered 'good' by those folks on the Internet, but also how the game is played by different sets of players and how it may shape new players approach and introduction to the game. To bring differing views on this, we once again have Campbell McLaughlin joining us to help us understand the importance of the tournament scene standpoint.

We hope you enjoy Episode 251. There is a lot to unpack here, and we hope you get out of it as much as we put into it!

Time Stamps:

• 0:00:00 - Show Intro and Elite Choice
• 0:09:30 - Hobby Progress & War on The Shore
• 1:26:30 - Why Terrain & Layouts Define 40k
• 2:06:40 - Final Thoughts and show closing

Relevant Links:

• The Independent Characters Patreon
• Tablewar! - SPONSOR
• Herrick Games & Hobbies - SPONSOR
• Grimdark Compendium
• Games Workshop
• The Black Library

The end of 2024 brings us around to our annual Warhammer 40k Year in Review Episode. Typically we go down an entire list of all releases for the year and weigh in on our opinions of them. However, this year we have a lot to celebrate here and so we are going to change it up a little bit. Not only is it the end of 2024 and the beginning of a new year, it is the 250th Episode of The Independent Characters Podcast. And although we took a couple of breaks on the way here, we have indeed made it to this milestone episode.

However, for us it isn't about quantity so much as it is about quality. So we will take some time to discuss a little bit of the history of the show, where we see it going, and what is going on currently.

Then, instead of boiling 2024 down to a list of releases by Games Workshop, we will discuss our various favorites of the year in depth. What was our favorite game played of the year? Who was our favorite opponent? What was our favorite release? All of this and more will be discussed as we meander through our opening episode of 2025!

And while we don't know exactly how much longer we will have Campbell on our staff before he heads back to the 40k Badcast, we have him now.

We hope you enjoy Episode 250!

Time Stamps:

• 0:00:00 - Show Intro, Elite Choice, Hobby Progress, and Games Played
• 0:48:00 - 2024 Year in Review: Pt 1
• 1:28:30 - 2024 Year in Review: Pt 2
• 2:02:00 - Final Discussion and Show Closing

Relevant Links:

Relevant Links:

• The Independent Characters Patreon
• Tablewar! - SPONSOR
• Herrick Games & Hobbies - SPONSOR
• Goonhammer Media Network
• Adepticon
• Games Workshop
• The Black Library
• SeeWaaagh's (Andrew) Instagram Feed

Episode 249 of The Independent Characters has Carl, Josh, and Campbell discussing the merits of Collaborative Wargaming. What does that mean? Well you will find out more when you listen, but at it's core it involves working together to improve your gaming experience.

Whether you are playing in a Team Tournament, or launching the greatest narrative campaign this side of the Cicatrix Maledictum, you are going to want to take a listen to this episode for tips, tricks, and inspiration!

Time Stamps:

• 0:00:00 - Show Intro and Elite Choice, Workbench, and Hobby Progress
• 1:10:30 - Collaborative Gaming: Part 1
• 1:50:50 - Collaborative Gaming: Part 2
• 2:20:25 - Final Discussion and Show Closing

Relevant Links:

• The Independent Characters Patreon
• Tablewar! - SPONSOR
• Herrick Games & Hobbies - SPONSOR
• The 40k Badcast
• Tablewar Charities
• 40kHamslam on Instagram
• Hawaii 'War on the Shore' Charity GT 2025
• Games Workshop
• The Black Library

Episode 248 of The Independent Characters has Carl, Josh, and Campbell talking about where Warhammer 40k terrain originated from, where it currently stands, and where it might be going.

Yep! Still new intro music you are hearing at the beginning of the episode. We are going to stick with it for awhile, at least as long as Campbell is guest starring on the show, and see how you folks adapt to it! Be sure to let us know your feedback!

Time Stamps:

• 0:00:00 - Show Intro and Elite Choice, Workbench, and Hobby Progress
• 0:50:25 - Evolution of 40k Terrain: Part 1
• 1:35:30 - Evolution of 40k Terrain: Part 2
• 2:08:30 - Final Discussion and Show Closing

Relevant Links:

• The Independent Characters Patreon
• Tablewar! - SPONSOR
• Herrick Games & Hobbies - SPONSOR
• The 40k Badcast
• Tablewar Charities
• 40kHamslam on Instagram
• Hawaii 'War on the Shore' Charity GT 2025
• Games Workshop
• The Black Library

Episode 247 of The Independent Characters witnesses the return of Josh to the show! We continue to have Campbell from the 40kBadcast as our adopted Podcast Partner while Dan is on Paternity leave! (Congrats Dan by the way!)

In this episode Carl, Campbell, and Josh discuss the benefits and drawbacks of two different styles of lists. On one hand, there are those who never, or rarely change anything in their list. While on the other hand, you have those who enjoy changing up their lists every game.

We will go into the pros and cons of each option, and maybe a few ideas on how you might want to adjust your approach.

And yes, that is still new intro music you are hearing at the beginning of the episode. We are going to stick with it for awhile, at least as long as Campbell is guest starring on the show, and see how you folks adapt to it! Be sure to let us know your feedback!

This episode will drop on November 15th.

Time Stamps:

• 0:00:00 - Show Intro and Elite Choice, Workbench, and Hobby Progress
• 1:05:00 - Fixed Lists and List Fixers
• 2:13:00 - Final Discussion and Show Closing

Relevant Links:

• The Independent Characters Patreon
• Tablewar! - SPONSOR
• Herrick Games & Hobbies - SPONSOR
• The 40k Badcast
• Tablewar Charities
• Goonhammer Trench Crusade Interview
• Hawaii 'War on the Shore' Charity GT 2025
• Games Workshop
• The Black Library

Episode 246 of The Independent Characters brings onto the roster Campbell McLaughlin of The 40k Badcast fame to join us! While his regular Podcast partner Dan takes some much deserved paternity leave, Campbell will be joining The Independent Characters army roster on a regular basis. We couldn't ask for a better partner!

In this episode, Carl and Campbell talk about the ways that Campaigns, in pretty much any system, fail. We discuss what types of speedbumps campaigns often run into, and how those become dead end streets. Then we take a look at what strategies you can apply to ensure that you campaign is a successful one!

Even with some choice edits, this episode rolls in at about two and a half hours. But we think this is a solid topic of discussion and we hope you enjoy listening to it as much as we enjoyed recording it!

And yes, that is new intro music you are hearing at the beginning of the episode. We are going to stick with it for awhile, at least as long as Campbell is guest starring on the show, and see how you folks adapt to it! Be sure to let us know your feedback!

Time Stamps:

• 0:00:00 - Show Intro and Elite Choice, Workbench, and Hobby Progress
• 0:52:15 - Why campaigns fail
• 1:35:00 - Tips to make your campaigns successful
• 2:22:00 - Final Discussion and Show Closing

Relevant Links:

• The Independent Characters Patreon
• Tablewar! - SPONSOR
• Herrick Games & Hobbies - SPONSOR
• The 40k Badcast
• Tablewar Charities
• Hawaii 'War on the Shore' Charity GT 2025
• Games Workshop
• The Black Library