Warlords - Back on the Chain Gang

My local club is the Wellington Warlords and I have been a member since 1998. In the early 00s I was on the Committee and in 2004 became President (as a result of an SGM that removed a dysfunctional Committee - you've gotta love wargaming politics).

I remained as President for 5 years and in that time membership grew to 120 members. In 2008 I stepped down and in the interests of fairness to the new Committee moved into the background. Over the past couple of years the Club has gone through hard times as membership fell and meeting attendance withered. From a weekly meeting - due to financial and attendance issues - the Club has reverted to its alternative Saturday meeting. There was a failed experiment with weeknight meetings but again these weren't sufficiently attended.

My own attendance has decreased to the point whereby I have only played one game at the Club in the past few years. The GW games, previously stalwarts of the Club, have dwindled and the inability to get a pickup game saw me turn my attentions elsewhere.

All clubs go through cycles as periods ebb and flow and people's real life circumstances change. I've found it very easy to organise games at home - with the benefit of better quality terrain and onsite espresso!

Yesterday the Club had its AGM. Membership has fallen to around 50 people and due to a number of factors the Club incurred a $1500 loss for the year. At the outset of the meeting I had no intention of getting more involved but as it proceeded I decided that I should make a renewed contribution. As a result I put myself forward for the Committee and was appointed.

So what am I going to focus on - the regrowth of the GW games at the Club. Ten years ago the interest in 40k at the Warlords - whether it was campaigns, multiplayer or tournaments - was unrivalled. Fantasy was a largely dormant period. Now both struggle at the Warlords. However Fantasy has a very vibrant scene here in Wellington with events regularly attracting 25+ participants. I'm going to see if I can grow the involvement at the Warlords leveraging off this.

Yesterday I sat and watched (advised) a couple of members playing a 1200 point game. One or two others showed interest and asked me about armies. Similarly there were 3-4 players having a game of 40k. Small acorns but I appreciate that time spent now will likely be rewarded with renewed interest in the period.

To encourage the regrowth subs were dropped to $40 for the year - about $1.50 per meeting - or about the cost of a Hero figure. I urge the local Fantasy players and 40k gamers to come along and try out the Warlords. If you want a game contact me here and I'll be happy to play you (or alternatively organise a game for you).

Really you haven't got a lot to lose - your first couple of meetings are free and then you can decide whether it is worth the $40 value for 12 months gaming.