As the year draws to a close and the days grow a little quieter, I wanted to take a moment to wish everyone who stops by here a very warm and heartfelt Merry Christmas.

Tabletop gaming has always been about more than rules, figures, or dice. It’s about creativity, shared stories, late nights around the table, and the simple joy of spending time with good people doing something we love. This year has been full of inspiration, ideas, and encouragement, and I’m hugely grateful to everyone who has read, commented, shared, or gotten involved in any way.

Barons War: King John Sourcebook

Looking ahead, the new year is shaping up to be an exciting one. There are quite a few new things on the horizon, with especially big plans and developments coming for The Barons’ War. Chief among these is the King John Sourcebook, a substantial project totalling almost 250 pages. Having an entire book devoted to the period has allowed us to look far beyond the civil war of 1215–17 and dive into the full, chaotic sweep of King John’s reign from 1199 to 1216. This was an age of intrigue, betrayal, shifting loyalties, and near-constant conflict, presided over by a king whose realm stretched from the Cheviots to the Pyrenees - for wargamers, it’s a goldmine of inspiration.

The King John Sourcebook presented the perfect opportunity to expand the Feudal European retinue list from the second edition rulebook by including the changes from the FAQ and bringing the king’s allies, enemies, and rivals to life on the tabletop. The result is six new historical retinue lists, each offering its own distinctive character, playstyle, and tactical challenges:

• Feudal European (revisited)

• Flemish

• Poitevin

• Mercenary

• Scottish

• Welsh

• Outlaws

It’s important to say that this project was led by Benedict Coffin, who undertook the mammoth task of writing, researching, structuring, and pulling the whole book together. The credit for the Sourcebook belongs squarely with him, and the depth, clarity, and coherence of the finished work are a testament to the effort he’s poured into it.

As The Barons’ War continues to grow, so too does the team behind it, and I want to take a moment to say a heartfelt thank you to Benedict Coffin, George Asling, and Mark Vance, along with our fantastic playtesting group, which also includes Kieran Kirkham and Rune Hoff Lauridsen. Working alongside them makes the whole experience fun, informative, encouraging, and an absolute delight - exactly how a creative project like this should feel.

Classic Fantasy Battles

Alongside historical projects, one of my first major tasks for 2026 will be to finish off Wargames Atlantic’s 10mm Classic Fantasy Battles. This is shaping up to be a dynamic, engaging, and immersive rank-and-file fantasy game that gives players control over their armies while preserving the excitement and unpredictability of large-scale battles. From how orders are issued to the way units clash on the tabletop, every aspect of the design aims to capture the chaos, momentum, and decision-making of the grand battle scale. I’m really looking forward to sharing just how far this project has come and getting it into players’ hands.

Warhost

I’ve also been spending time thinking about the future of Warhost. I’ve come to the conclusion that there’s a real need for a proper map - something to ground the setting and give it a sense of place. With this in mind, I have been working with Marco Capparoni to visualise the world of Warhost, and I have to say, so far, he has been very patient with me. I’ve also felt the pull to explore more rules and narrative depth, which has led me to my first new idea, the Broken Warhost of Byland: the ragtag remnants of a shattered kingdom after the orcs smashed through the gates, seized their lands, and destroyed farms, livelihoods, and lives as they occupied the region.

Exploring what’s left behind, the survivors, the bitterness, the desperation, has been a huge amount of fun in my spare time. I’m hoping to share the background, new rules ideas, and a fully kitbashed Byland Warhost with you in the new year. Better still, I’m planning to put them to the test on the tabletop against George Asling’s Orc Warhost, as we make a conscious effort to play more games of "Fantasy Barons’ War" together.

Personal Plans for 2026

On a more personal note, I’m really looking forward to getting back to my Warring Clans hobby project in the new year with fresh enthusiasm, as I have lots of newly painted samurai and ashigaru miniatures to play with. In the meantime, I might test them out with a few games of Test of Honour over the festive period. Even more than that, I’m excited about dedicating more time to getting miniatures on the tabletop and spending more time miniature gaming with friends as we head through 2026 - because at the end of the day, that’s what it’s all about.

However you celebrate, I hope your Christmas is filled with warmth, rest, laughter, and maybe even a little hobby time. Thank you for being part of this journey, and I wish you all the very best for Christmas and a happy, creative New Year ahead.

*The Black Desk
The Black Desk was given to me by my wife when my study was first made ready. It is an old desk, carefully restored and painted black, blackened not by dragon fire, but by design, chosen to belong to that room and the quiet mischief worked there. Whatever its earlier labours, it now bears the shaping of rules, the naming of heroes, and the memory of long campaigns, and seems content with the arrangement.