Build, Paint, Play – A Day to Remember at Bay Games

Saturday was something special.

We headed into Bay Games for our Warhammer 40,000: Armageddon launch day event not quite knowing what to expect — and came away genuinely buzzing. A huge thank you to Kieren and the whole Bay Games team for opening their doors and giving us the space to make it happen. Events like this only work with a venue that gets what we're about, and Bay Games absolutely delivered.

For anyone who hasn't visited, Bay Games is one of those places that just feels right the moment you walk in. Tucked in the heart of Whitley Bay, it's a proper hobby space — warm, welcoming, and stacked with everything a tabletop gamer could need. Kieren and the team have built something genuinely special on the North East coast, and it's become a real home for the Wildlings over the past year. If you've never made the trip, Saturday was a perfect example of why you should. The atmosphere, the layout, the friendly faces behind the counter — it all adds up to somewhere you want to spend your day.

And spend the day we did.

Throughout the afternoon and evening, Gareth ran game after game of the new edition, introducing players to the updated rules in the best possible way — on the table, with dice in hand. His marines looked absolutely stunning in their striking black and white scheme, and they drew plenty of admiring glances between rolls. There's something about a beautifully painted army hitting the table that just sets the tone for the whole day, and Gareth's force did exactly that. If you played a game against him on Saturday, you'll know exactly how good it felt to finally get hands-on with Armageddon.

Alongside the games, I was running building and painting sessions throughout the day using my painted sets, and the response genuinely blew me away. We had people picking up a model for the first time, getting a brush in hand, and walking away with something they'd made themselves. We had seasoned hobbyists bringing their own projects along, sharing tips with newcomers, and getting stuck into the kind of relaxed, creative hobby time that can be hard to find in everyday life. There was a real energy to it — the kind you can't manufacture, it just happens when the right people are in the same room.

And that really is the heart of it. What made Saturday work wasn't just the new edition, or the venue, or the painted models on the table — it was the people. The Wildlings community has always been something we're proud of, and days like this are a reminder of why. We're a club that genuinely looks out for one another, where beginners are welcomed, where you can ask a daft question and get a helpful answer rather than a raised eyebrow. That culture doesn't happen by accident. It's built by every person who turns up, who makes space for someone new, who shares their hobby and their enthusiasm without expecting anything in return.

We saw all of that on Saturday.

So — thank you. To everyone who came through the door, whether you played a game, built a model, slapped some paint on, or just came to see what all the fuss was about. Thank you to those who brought their own models and got involved. Thank you to the Wildlings who turned up to support the day — your presence made a real difference, as it always does. And a huge, heartfelt thank you to Kieren and the Bay Games team for being the kind of venue that makes events like this possible.

This is what the club is about. More of this, please.