Warhammer enthusiast has $20,000 worth of models

Damian McFetridge is a dedicated Warhammer fan and often holds games in his garage with other followers.Photo/George Novak

Warhammer enthusiast Damian McFetridge has $20,000 worth of models and 13 armies.

Mr McFetridge, 43, prefers to describe his passion for "good versus evil fantasy warring" as a hobby rather than an addiction.

He has played Warhammer and 40K for more than two decades.

Enthusiasts build their miniatures from kitset and paint them by hand, often spending countless hours applying the perfect brush strokes, while the more fanatical create their own models with mechanised parts.

Names such as White Scars Master of the Hunt, Spew of Macragge and War of Shadows are legendary, while legions including Dark Elves, Tomb Kings and Chaos Mortal are just the tip of the iceberg. The dice rules and manoeuvres are determined by each roll.

"I think it's a cross between chess and draughts and very strategic," Mr McFetridge said.

"You roll dice and each model has a characteristic and you use those characteristics to determine what can happen.

"Every model has a certain point value and you build your army up to an agreed points limit."

Games could go for 30 minutes or last all day, but Mr McFetridge once battled an opponent for nearly five days - that tussle ended in a draw.

"We had breaks for dinner, but it kept us occupied for four-and-a-half days. It was a good get-together because we had no distractions."

The social side of Warhammer appealed to his friendly nature, he said.

Twice a month, the Tauranga Table Top Gaming Club meets at the Gateway Cyber Cafe.

Established in 1976, the club has about 26 members, aged from 15 to 57.

However, more people were setting up battle stations and garage gaming and Mr McFetridge had hosted an apocalypse event over a weekend, he said.

"There were 10 guys and five tables. It's everything you own against everything they own and you smash each other.

"It was a real buzz."

Mr McFetridge said a sense of humour was needed.

"There are recorded instances where guys have had a go at each other over the tables."

It was an expensive pastime and he once spent $600 in one month on four models.

"It's not cheap. A single, small dragon can be $98, while the bigger specialised pieces can be upwards of $400," he said.

"I love building the models, painting the models and the people you get to socialise with. It sure beats sitting in front of a computer or on the PlayStation."