Welcome to 2021, it’s just like 2020 but with a more infectious version of Covid and America trying even harder to become a failed state!
On Monday evening the UK Government announced a third national lockdown, not how we wanted to start the new year but if it finally gets Covid under control then I’m all for it!
Continue reading Lockdown 3 – Revenge of the VirusYou’re probably (hopefully) familiar with a Matt ramble by now – basically I dump all the thoughts in my brain onto our website and hope they make sense and that people actually read them…
2020… well, what can I say that hasn’t already been said! (or that doesn’t involve screaming and lots of swearing).
Looking Back…
In short 2020 was a train wreck, although that’s probably insulting to trains if I’m honest (this line, or at least the inspiration for it, comes from “Death to 2020”, it’s on Netflix, go watch it!)
The (what felt at times as a never ending) year started well with us dreaming on new premises and planning multiple events each week. That all quickly fell apart as Covid took hold and what was meant to be a great year soon became sleepless nights wondering if we would have a store at the end of it. Personally, I feel like I’ve aged a good few years and have gained a number of new grey hairs!
Being adaptable has definitely been the key to surviving 2020! We’ve overhauled the website and have the majority of stock on there, we’ve canned the play space and converted it into useful sales space – it’s odd just being a shop but needs must in this most challenging of years. Once things settle (roll on Summer/Autumn 2021) we hope to bring back in store gaming and go back to how things used to be pre Covid.
2020 has caused casualties, we’ve seen local games store close their doors for good which is never easy as the community that they served is then left in a void. If I’m honest I think a combination of factors has stopped us from avoiding the same thing, namely the website, a cash reserve (we’d hoped to move), low outgoings, and a strong customer base. Without these things I wouldn’t want to be taking bets as to if we would still be here.
Despite how rubbish 2020 has been though it’s not all bee doom and gloom (honest!). We’ve seen a number of new customers find us for the first time, we’ve increased our stock levels, we’ve got a shiny new till, and we even manged the best month we’ve ever had (August 2020) which still feels quite surreal against the backdrop of the pandemic.
It’s definitely been a mixed bag of a year!
Looking Forward…
Do I think that everything will be magically ok on 1st January 2021? No, that would be madness, we’re in Tier 4 and will probably be like that until Easter…
Don’t worry though we’ll still be providing Click & Collect, Local Delivery and Mail Order services, if you need hobby supplies, we’ll find a way of getting them to you.
If I was a betting man, I think things will get worse before they get better (insert Batman quote about nights being darkest before the dawn…). We’re effectively in lockdown and with new strains of Covid popping up and people blatantly ignoring the guidelines we’re in for a rough time (we also don’t know what impact Brexit ‘deal’ will have, but that’s a whole other mess).
But, even with all this there is hope. Multiple vaccines have been developed and as soon as a mass rollout can be facilitated, we should see normally beginning to return, although what the world will look like at that point is anyone’s guess!
Our aim in the short term is a really simple one – SURVIVE.
Once Covid is behind us we can then start looking forward properly, one day we’ll get that shop front! One day!!
#SuppotYourLocalGamesStore
All I have left to say really is thank you!
Thank you to all our customers
Thank you to all those that have written an article for our website
Thank you to all those that have helped out
Thank you to all those that have sent a supportive message
Thank you to all that have recommended us to others
Thank you to all those that took part in events (we miss events!)
I’ve said it multiple times before but the store is only as good as its customer base, and you guys are simply the best!
With that for the last time in 2020 it’s time to sign off
Stay Safe
Look After Each Other
Wear a Mask
We Love You!
M x
Part 1: Khorne Flakes, Part of a Bloodthirsty Breakfast!
Welcome Heretics to this brand-new miniseries of articles! Over the next few weeks, I will be your heretical guide to all things chaotic and where to begin when diving into the complete madness of the forces Chaos!
This series will be a basic look over the lore of the four Chaos Factions in both Age of Sigmar (AoS) and Warhammer 40,000 (40K) and will also help you choose which faction would be best for you and where to start when collecting them! Today we are sharpening our axes and cracking skulls in the name of Khorne!
Who is Khorne and What are they About?
Khorne, also known as the Blood God or the Lord of Skulls, is the god of war, blood and murder. It’s all about that pure brutality, if its anything to do with hatred, anger, rage, battles or killing, Khorne would probably want something to do with it. (TL;DR Khorne is in real need of anger management! Matt)
His soul desire is to sweep a slaughter so endless, bloody and ravage, that it consumes everything in existence, leaving nothing but blood, bones and burning ruins in its wake. Khorne, even though bloodthirsty, see’s it’s self somewhat noble and honorable and considers the weak to be nothing for it and its followers to waste their time on.
Khorne doesn’t play well with others, and its fellow Chaos gods are no exception. Khornates (Khorne’s devote followers), will actively seek out followers of Tzeentch, who they see as degenerate scum, to mash them into red paste. They also feel that followers of Slannesh are as equally shameful in their pursuit of pleasure through pain, so show them real pain with their spikey axes, scalding hot magma swords and bare fisted punches.
Every single act of killing or murder in the material universes feeds Khorne, so his devotees make sure to be always filling their kill quotas in blood-crazed slaughters. To do this they are kitted out with all manner of nasty armaments, from the sharp toothed Gore-Axe to the Slayer Sword (who top tier painters can actually WIN from the Golden Demon competition!) the followers of Khorne have no lack of ways to spill blood.
Ok, I’m Digging Khorne’s style! Where can I start!?
So you’re hooked, understandably, so let’s get you started! First things first we will jump into the deep future and lower our Gellar Fields in the grim dark of the 41st Millennium (Note – lowering Gllar Fields is not advised! – Matt) with Warhammer 40,000 units.
As with all Chaos armies you are a lucky little heretic as you get to pick from a nice pool of chaos twisted mortals, summoned daemons, and monstrous creatures or a mix of all of them! However, if you are just starting out, I would lean to pick one of these paths first and then blend them a together a little later on!
The obvious start for Khorne would be Start Collecting Boxes! Now Khorne in 40k doesn’t have its own dedicated Start Collecting Box for non-Daemon units (To quote the meme – Soon, soon…! – Matt), but you can start off nicely with the awesome Start Collecting! Chaos Space Marines box!
This bumper box of baddies comes with a fantastic spread of units to start you on your way towards a bloodthirsty horde of maniacs. The box contains the following:
1x Master of Possession
1x Venomcrawler
2x Obliterators
2x Greater Possessed
1x Chaos Space Marines unit (10 miniatures)
Now obviously you wanna paint your mini badass marines so they look all spruced up and ready for the killing fields! For that, I have grabbed some examples of known Khornate Legions for you to feast your skull hungry eyes on!
As you can see, Khorne likes red, gold and black, so it’s a nice smooth set of colours to start off with! Here is a list of Citadel branded paints to help you get yourself started with these schemes:
You Mentioned Daemons?
Well yes indeed I did! Daemons are a really neat feature in Warhammer as they are an army that can be used in both Warhammer 40,000 and Age of Sigmar, so you can get two armies for the price of one!
The best place to start with Khorne Daemons is the blood-soaked Start Collecting! Daemons of Khorne box. Again, these boxes really are a fantastic place for any beginner and really get you straight into the army you wanna play, so let’s take a look at what is contained within the cardboard fortress of this box.
Armed to the (literal) teeth, the Daemons of Khorne are vicious and fiery lot that will look absolutely terrifying on any tabletop! This box nets you:
1x Herald on Blood Throne
3x Bloodcrushers (Bloodletters on Juggernauts)
1x Bloodletters unit (10 miniatures)
Remember these daemons will also be usable in Age of Sigmar so if you want to go more fantasy, this is also a perfect option for you! Speaking of AoS lets take a quick look at the Start Collecting! Khorne Bloodbound Goreblade Warband box.
This final Start collecting box is the perfect way for a Khornate worshipper to begin their ritual slaughter across the mortal realms! In this box you will get yourself:
1x Mighty Lord of Khorne
1x Bloodsecrator
1x Bloodstoker
1x Khorgorath
1x Blood Warriors Unit (5 miniatures)
1x Bloodreavers Unit (10 miniatures)
Also, because these mini’s have some more fleshy details and different armour types compared to their future brothers, maybe try picking up some extra paints on top of the ones above to help you get those murders looking their best! Here are some more suggestions to get you more kitted out:
Well, I hope you have been convinced to join the bloody crusade across the 41st Millennium and the Mortal Realms with our first look at the Chaos gods and their followers!
For now: BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD! SKULLS FOR THE SKULL THRONE!
Jalen Rose
Jalen Rose has been painting, playing and reading everything Warhammer over the last year. He plays Age of Sigmar with Nurgle and Seraphon and 40K with Necrons and Tyranids / Genestealer Cults.
Jalen loves giant monster units and is incredibly excited to paint the Mega Gargant he will eventually own! (Jalen may now need to update his bio 😉 – Matt)
Follow Jalen on Twitter here: @ChungusisHungus
Now that the UK has entered “Lockdown 2: Electric Avenue, the infection rates are higher,” I am sure a lot of hobbyists, old and new, will be continuing to crack on with their fun filled projects! Be it a slimy and rotting Death Guard army for 40K or a proud light bathed Realm Lords force for AoS, there will be a lot of us building and painting units to play across all sorts of games when we can finally see one another safely again.
However, I would like to focus on the building part of the hobby today, a quick look into a slightly controversial subject in the Warhammer community and one I am actually kind of in defense of: ‘Push-Fit’ or ‘Easy to Build’ model kits.
Continue reading Push-fit Models: A Curse or a Blessing?Wizard’s year of commander hasn’t gone as we’d all hoped and expected (Thanks Covid! – Matt). However, that doesn’t mean there’s not reasons to still get excited about the format. Commander groups online are still a hive of activity from people discussing new cards to offering to host games on webcams.
With Commander Legends spoiler season now in full swing people are busy brewing new lists, updating their old favourites and falling in love with the new cards being shown off. I’m firmly on the hype train for this set so I thought I’d take a look at 5 of the legendary creatures spoiled so far which have got my attention to sleeve up for when we eventually return from our hibernation.
Continue reading Commander Legends – Matt’s Commander Musings…It’s November 3rd and barring a massive revolt in the Commons, we’ll be back in lockdown again from Thursday! Fun!!
The one (and only) positive about Lockdown 2 – Back in the Habit, is that it’s the second one! Strange as it sounds, we’ve been through this before, so we have experience of how to operate. As a result the shop may be closed but we can still meet your hobby needs.
Continue reading Lockdown 2 – Electric Boogaloo: The Langden Games Update!This weekend (October 31st) marks both the awesome Warhammer Day and Halloween, so today Jalen has decided to look at his top favourite monster (sized) models!
I absolutely LOVE monsters in all shapes and sizes, but I especially love the ones on the bigger side! Getting to grab that enormous box off the shelf, getting home and cracking it open to pull out those giant sprues and begin to monster mash your creation to stomp across the battlefield, its an unbeatable feeling for me. I want to own so many of these monsters, some of them multiple of, and today I want to go through a few of the big bad lads and ladies that I cannot WAIT to build, paint and field!
Continue reading A BIG Day Means BIG Models!This weekend the fantastic new Warcry starter set, Warcry: Catacombs, bursts onto the scene for pre-order! Warcry: Catacombs is a fantastic place to start the Warcry Skirmish game, it comes with absolutely everything you need to start your campaign of glory across the Eightpoints.
In the box you get the following goodies:
We’re handing over to Jalen to look at this weeks pre-orders!
Anything take your fancy? Head over the pre order section of our website (from 10am on Saturday 17th) and get your order placed.
Carrying on with the ‘Year of Commander’ theme, Zendikar Rising features two new Commander decks as a gateway for players to enter Magic’s most popular format. If you wanted to try out Commander but uncertain of where to start, these are an ideal entry for format beginners.
Continue reading Product Review: Zendikar Rising Commander DecksNow that I’ve actually opened some Zendikar Rising product, I wanted to give my thoughts on the newest type of Booster, the Set Booster!
What is a Set Booster?
In short it’s a new type of product that lets WOTC have a bit more freedom, in a draft booster there is a need for there to be set amounts of Commons and Uncommons and a good colour spread, the same is not true of a set booster!
They have 12 cards (14 with the token and art card included) in a booster and come in boxes of 30 rather than 36, they are also slightly more expensive than draft boosters, all seeming like negatives so far, but don’t worry there are positives!
Continue reading Set Boosters – My Thoughts….Here are the results of our September 2020 painting competition. We had hoped to run monthly events however Covid-19 has really got in the way of that, however we did manage to get an event successfully run in September!
Standards in this single model competition have been very high and judging was made incredibly difficult by these fabulous models.
Any of these models could have easily been crowned the winner as each was beautifully done.
Continue reading Langden Games September 2020 Painting Competition‘May you live in interesting times…’, I now fully understand why this is seen as a curse! I know that I, for one, would like the much simpler times where global pandemics were movie plots and social distancing was an unused phrase, but as you all know 2020 had other ideas!
Continue reading Matt’s Annual Ramble – A Birthday in Interesting Times…We recently tested out the Army Painter Wet Palette while Rich was doing a commission for a French Revolutionary War Napoleonic Battalion, here’s what he thought:
Contents:
The government recently announced that non-essential retail can reopen from 15th June 2020 (yay!), so that raises the question “when will the store reopen?”.
The answer is not the 15th, our plan is to reopen with reduced hours from Saturday 20th June.
Below is a list of questions about our plans around reopening:
What will the store hours be?
We plan to initially open on Saturdays and Sundays only from 10am to 4pm starting from 20th June, we’ll review this on a regular basis starting from July.
Continue reading The Road to ReopeningHere are the results of Model of the Month and Modeller of the Year so far.
Last updated – January 2020
Continue reading Model of the Month & Modeller of the Year ResultsWhat is Model of the Month (MotM)?
MotM is Langden Games monthly model painting competition, to enter you need to bring in your model by 12 noon on the last Saturday of each month, it’ll then be voted on by visitors to the shop. The winner is whoever gets the most votes. That person will get a Model of the Month certificate and will be in with a chance of winning Model of the Year!
Continue reading Model of the Month, Model of the Year, and Modeller of the YearAs promised recently, here is another trademark Matt ramble regarding the store (I do love a good ramble…)
Here goes…
THE TOILET HAS BEEN REDECORATED!!
End of ramble…
Ok, here’s the actual update.
Continue reading Store Update – 17/11/2019The keen eyed among you will be wondering why I’m publishing this in October, well, it’s due to us recently having started our new financial year (our year runs 1st September to 31st August). Anyway, on to more interesting things!
Looking Back…
Firstly, thank you to everyone who has been a customer of the store over the last year, thanks to your support we continue to grow and develop.
Continue reading Matt’s Annual Ramble – A Round up of 2018-19 and looking forward to 2019-20
Recently a few members of the community were talking about doing a ‘Tale of Gamers’, and we loved the idea so decided to get involved (it also means I may end up with a full painted army! – Matt).
For those that don’t know a Tale of Gamers is where a group get together and all build and paint a new army over a few months – that’s exactly what we plan to do!
Our Tale of Gamers will commence on October 1st 2018 and will run for 6 months. Continue reading Join us for ‘A Tale of Gamers’
MTB Pens
by Graham Bricknell
Army Painter: Green Stuff
by Anthony Archer
Necrons: Canoptek Doomstalker
by Anthony Archer
Magic: the Gathering - Secret Lair: Thalia: Beyond the Helvault (Sealed)
by wilsoninktoners
Tyranids: Genestealers
by Graham Bricknell
Lumineth Realm-lords: Archmage Teclis
by James Sadler
Datacards: Necrons (9th Edition)
by Anthony Archer
Warhammer 40,000: Indomitus Boxed Set
by Anthony Archer
Warhammer 40,000: Mission Pack - Open War
by Anthony Archer
Army Painter: Wet Palette
by Patrick Hamilton
