Alaska ‘wargamers’ take over Palmer, Wasilla, beyond

WASILLA — It’s both old school and futuristic, artistic and strategic — it’s Warhammer 40,000.

The tabletop, fantasy battle game that started in the 1980s is one of many types of “wargaming” that has amassed a following of hundreds of thousands of people around the world. In Alaska, a group of 467 Facebook users have come together to share their love of this style of gaming, especially Warhammer 40,000.

“It’s definitely the most popular war game in the state,” said Wasilla player Joseph Peterson, who serves as one of three administrators for the Alaska Wargaming Facebook group.

In the last five years or so, Warhammer 40k has “exploded,” Peterson said, with multiple tournaments being hosted at various locations throughout Southcentral Alaska every month now.

“There used to be just one event a month in Eagle River or at a school gym,” he said.

The game’s increased popularity is, in part, what has allowed Peterson to host the first-ever “Brewhammer” tournament this Saturday at the Palmer Depot, where players are invited to enjoy a beer or two — or more — while waging war on each other in miniature.

“It’s a cool game,” Peterson said.

What is it?

Alaska Wargaming administrator Nathan Hovis — who helps host weekly Warhammer demonstrations at Tier 1 Cards and Games in Anchorage — said the game is “a lot like” the board game Risk, “with a bunch more rules and specific factions fighting for galactic dominance.”

The third group administrator, Jonathan Quennell, offered a more pragmatic explanation to those unfamiliar with wargaming.

“Essentially you get your plastic army and I get my plastic army and we move our pieces around a board and roll dice to see what happens,” Quennell wrote in a Facebook message.

But Warhammer, in reality, is much more than that.

The “40,000” tacked onto the generic name of the game refers to the year in which the battles take place, which drives a detailed narrative of stories that describe an entire alternate universe. This narrative is contained in a 128-page “history” book — which is separate from the 208-page rulebook — where beings such as the Eldar (elvish aliens) and Orks (a la J.R.R. Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings”) exist among humans and a plethora of other species, races and groups.

“The game itself is very engaging and (relatively) easy to pick up and learn … (and) there are a lot of materials and references to help out,” Hovis said.

Players are further invested in the game by individually purchasing and painting the actual pieces for gameplay — the models — and developing their own take on a single character or faction’s physical appearance as well as its back story.

“It’s a creative outlet for some really talented guys and gals to sculpt, paint, make up stories,” Quennell wrote. “The modeling and painting are just as much a factor as the playing.”

Peterson said individual players’ budgets for the game vary, with the average veteran spending between $200 and $600 a year on models, paints and supplies to build terrain for each battle.

“Other guys only drop a little money when the (permanent fund dividend) comes around, but some guys dedicate their entire hobby budget to this game,” he said.

A ‘close community’

Though many of the Alaska Wargamers, like in any club, are a tight-knit bunch — on the Facebook page, one member even appealed to his “fellow nerds” for housing suggestions — the wargaming community can take some getting used to.

Quennell, for example, said his enthusiasm for the Warhammer culture waned in the late 1990s, despite the fact that he was “a full on nerd” at that point.

“Miniature Wargaming didn’t exactly draw in the ladies at the end of high school,” he wrote.

(Though the game is still dominated by male players, at least in Alaska — less than 1 percent of the Facebook group is female — all are welcome to join.)

But when Quennell returned to the scene three years ago, thanks to a co-worker, he found himself welcomed back with open arms.

“We are a pretty close community,” Quennell wrote.

Peterson agreed, adding that there are many sub-groups within the Alaska Wargaming community that are starting to develop their own specific interests.

“I encourage anybody who’s even interested in getting into (wargaming) to join the group,” he said. “There are a bunch of people who are be more than happy to do demo games.”

Tournaments

Anyone over 21 may attend the upcoming Brewhammer event at the Palmer Depot, but it is geared toward experienced players. Doors open at 9 a.m. on Saturday, July 2 and tournament play begins at noon. Admission is $25 and covers lunch, though participants should bring their own beverages. Designated drivers are strongly encouraged and do not have to pay entry.

For more information and to RSVP for the tournament, visit www.facebook.com/events/249444908755875/

Another Warhammer 40k tournament better suited to beginners will be held at MJ’s Cards and Comics in Wasilla next weekend. For more information, call 907-357-4263.

Contact reporter Caitlin Skvorc at 352-2266 or caitlin.skvorc@frontiersman.com.