One of my biggest sources for hobby ideas is YouTube. I find SO much inspiration from the plethora of content creators there. It’s like a free subscription to hundreds of hobby magazines. Every day, new issues come out, and each puts its own spin on whatever subject that could strike my fancy.
Over the last several months, a new game has been making waves in the miniature and gaming community (and as a result, it’s been HUGE on YouTube.) There was a Kickstarter campaign that has generated close to $3.5 million for this project. I am admittedly ignorant as to the workings of crowdfunding (and, thus, have never been involved in one.) I am usually one of the LAST to know about the latest, biggest thing. That’s OK, though. Most of my interests gravitate toward the vintage and retro, so NEW isn’t usually even a consideration.
That notwithstanding, this game looks awesome. Trench Crusade (by Factory Fortress) is a skirmish tabletop wargame that combines an alternate history set in World War 1 with Gothic horror. In a nutshell, the Crusades of the Middle Ages went WAY worse in this fictional setting, and Hell was given the opportunity to join in the battles. Unlike its usual wartime participation – by proxy – in Trench Crusade, Hell shows up in person. The game sets humanity against the supernatural, and after 800 years, the conflict continues. It feels kind of like if H.P Lovecraft had taken LSD, and then fought in the first world war.
The project is a gaming version of a rock super-group. It was started by 3 creative forces; artist Mike Franchina (of Diablo IV fame,) Tuomas Pirinen (formerly of Games Workshop’s Mordheim creative team,) and James Sheriff (freelance sci-fi and fantasy miniature sculptor,) brought this abomination to life. The aesthetic is incredible, and I’m sure that is the major draw. It is grim and dark, but without the ornate pageantry of the “forty-first millennium.”
There are two aspects of this game that make it especially appealing to me. Although the hardback books and supplements are available for purchase, the core rules are available online for free, and the game is “miniature agnostic” – meaning, you are welcome to use whatever gaming miniatures you like. They offer “official” ones, but unlike the long-established king of tabletop wargames, they welcome variety, and don’t discriminate against kitbashers and 3rd party figures. This is a 3d printer’s dream!
As I’ve mentioned in other articles, I haven’t been much of a “gamer.” I paint miniatures. This new player is very tempting, though. I’m feeling a draw toward the terrain building and dice rolling. Maybe this could be a tipping point into a new(ish) aspect of my hobby.
Or I could end up reading through it, getting bored, and just painting up some WWI soldiers fighting monsters and demons. Which, in and of itself, sounds pretty cool, too.
So, win – win, right?
-Toph
