Strategic manoeuvres, indecipherable tomes, and a healthy dose of chance. The worlds of politics and tabletop gaming have significant overlap. The leading proponent of tabletop wargaming is that staple of the high street: Games Workshop synonymous with their Warhammer game system.
In response to the Black Lives Matter protests Games Workshops issued a statement on their social media channel asserting that “Warhammer is for Everyone”. A statement which asserted that they would “not accept any form of prejudice, hatred, or abuse in our company or in the Warhammer hobby” and furthermore “if you feel the same way, wherever and whoever you are, we’re glad you are part of the Warhammer community. If not, you will not be missed.”. For the full effect I would direct you to the dramatic reading by one of their audiobook narrators. The pedant with a penchant for prejudice may try to state that ‘Warhammer is for Everyone’ is not a sentiment that chimes with declaring that those at odds with equality ‘will not be missed’. However Warhammer is a game for more than one player. By its very nature it requires a community and a community where sportsmanship and enthusiasm are at its heart.
Now, I am indebted three times over to Games Workshop: as a collector of two and half decades I am indebted to them for the hours I have spent immersed in their world(s), I am indebted for the bond that forged the friendship with my best mate at school (later best man), and I am also indebted to Games Workshop fiscally because, well, have you seen how much it costs? It is for all of these reasons why their recent foray into public solidarity matters to me and many others.
Representation of equality strands has until comparatively recently been patchy. Even when equality strands are represented the execution may leave something to be desired. Debates around nudity and objectification of female models being as fiercely waged as those around whether the Balrog has wings (another debate in which I have been embroiled).
When I was first introduced to The Hobby (as it is known to its adherents) My parents being of a conscientious disposition were concerned that my exposure to the medium may result in my developing violent tendencies (unfounded – such tendencies are purely a result of our tawdry economic and social system). Clandestine readings of Games Workshop publications by my parents ensued and they were found to pass muster. Indeed, I am informed that my vocabulary improved with words like ‘arcane’ and ‘eviscerate’ being added to my lexicon (‘lexicon’ as well for that matter). For my parents my Warhammer hobby was acceptable as it was positively Reithian: educate, inform, entertain. While some decry wargaming as childish it was the maturity that appealed: the language, the themes, the grand sweep of the narrative and it can become all-consuming in the most positive way imaginable. This is why representation matters so much as it may easily occupy the lion’s share of an individual’s media.
Female, BME and LGBT+ presence has been decidedly uneven. In part this is probably due to the preponderance historically of a decidedly straight white male base both in terms of player and creative bases. However, Games Workshop have been taking steps to address these issues. While it is true that the ability to locate a black background and a friendly san-serif font in Canva appears to be the extent of the activism of some companies in contrast Games Workshop have made material adjustments to their working practices. Their afore mentioned statement asserted that “We will continue to diversify the cast of characters we portray through miniatures, art and story telling so everyone can find representation and heroes they can relate to.” There is always more to be done but from both their words and their actions it appears that Games Workshop are on the right path.
There have been of course naysayers who have dismissed this action as a marketing stunt or indeed that the action itself is reprehensible. I believe the genuine and tangible efforts they have made undercuts the former while the latter is undercut by its sheer Stupidity (for which they did not pass a Leadership Test prior to posting).
The idea that there should be no political element in Warhammer requires a person to overlook the vast sardonic take of the Warhammer 40,000 universe which is a testament to the dangers of intolerance, fanaticism, dogma, and leaving vehicles in line of sight of lascannons.
One delicious anecdote I have come across is that an Ork Warboss of some renown glories in the title of Ghazghkull Mag Uruk Thakra which appears to incorporate a homophone of a former head of state in his moniker (say it fast). Far from me to infer that this despoiler of industrial communities who has iron grafted into their being bears any resemblance to a former leader of a group of like-minded individuals… [EDIT - subsequent to the publishing of this piece We Need To Talk About Bevan have discovered from an online exchange with Tuomas Pirinen (Father of Mordheim) that according to Andy Chambers the 'Ghazghkull Mag Uruk Thraka name reminding you of Thatcher is a coincidence, albeit one that he is proud of!'. We Need To Talk About Bevan are convinced it went in via osmosis.]
In idle moments I often muse on what armies would be played by political figures. The cheap gag would be to say that Boris Johnson plays Skaven; the subterranean, rodent denizens with a penchant for backstabbing in the pursuit of power (of whom a drastically small minority of their player base interpret cheating as in character). Frankly fealty to a single faction (other than himself) appears to be beyond Johnson. Johnson’s nimbler than that – I suspect that if he did play his would be an army of convenience – whatever was in the meta at the time that exploited loopholes, won games, and ruined everyone’s fun. The T’au Devilfish trick, Imperial Assassins secreting motorbikes and terminator armour on their person, and the like.
The fact is Warhammer matters. The collector base of Games Workshop is of sufficient size that the company is worth approximately the same as British Gas (although there is no consensus for the nationalisation of the former...yet…). As such it is of note and it is of import that they are prepared to amend practices in the name of equality despite the potential loss of some players.
There is more to be said on the subject of the relation between pastimes and identity. Of the way in which an increasingly fractured society still find forms of clubs that were hitherto thought to have fallen by the wayside. ‘Give us bread but give us roses too.’ For some our roses are fashioned at 32mm heroic scale .
