Happy Christmas

Every December, as the paint dries a little slower and the dice start behaving like they’ve had too much mulled wine, I like to pause and look back at the year we’ve shared as a wargaming community. This year’s Christmas message on Miniature Adventures TV is something truly special, because 2025 has been one of the most exciting and transformative years the channel has ever had, with subscribers nearly doubling in a year. An extraordinary surge made possible entirely by the enthusiasm and encouragement of hobbyists who enjoy the same mix of history, painting, modelling and tabletop gaming that brings this whole channel to life.

In the video, I take time to reflect on how this growth happened, from posting far more content, such as YouTube Shorts, to engaging with the lively comments and conversations that follow each upload. The best part of the year hasn’t just been the numbers, though; it’s been the collaborations, friendships and shared hobby moments that emerged from meeting viewers, creators and fellow enthusiasts across the UK. That sense of community has given the channel more energy than ever.

2025 has also been packed with unforgettable milestones from the UK historical wargaming scene. Salute was as vast and inspiring as ever, overflowing with demo games, new miniatures, and painters who make the rest of us question whether we’re using the same brushes. Partizan continued its reputation for stunning, historically rich layouts that spark ideas for whole new projects. Warfare grew once again, filling Farnborough with gamers, clubs and creators showing what makes the hobby so vibrant. New releases, updated rulebooks and an influx of new players made 2025 feel like a golden year, full of momentum.

This video also looks forward to 2026, where even more shows, collaborations and video projects are planned. Next weekend, I will be undertaking my annual ritual of discussing New Year's resolutions and laying down my own ones for the new year. But as we wrap up this year, the message is simple: thank you. Your support makes everything possible. Here’s to a joyful Christmas and a new year full of paint, dice, terrain and tabletop adventures.

Why Wargamers Should Always Make Lists

Every December, tabletop wargamers quietly brace themselves for Christmas morning. Not because they’re ungrateful, but because they know the odds. Somewhere under the tree lurks a gift chosen with love, enthusiasm, and absolutely no understanding of the hobby. A mystery paint set. A novelty mug. Socks with tiny tanks on them. Again. In this accompanying video, I dive into a deceptively simple question: should wargamers make Christmas lists, or leave it all to chance? What starts as a light-hearted reflection quickly turns into a deeper discussion about how niche hobbies like historical wargaming and miniature painting collide with traditional gift-giving expectations.

Wargaming isn’t a casual pastime. It’s precise, personal, and often expensive. The difference between the right paint and the wrong one can mean the success or failure of a project. Brushes, primers, tools, books, and rulesets aren’t interchangeable, yet to non-hobbyists they all look roughly the same. That’s where well-meaning mistakes happen, and where the humble Christmas list becomes a quiet hero.

Rather than killing surprise or feeling transactional, a good list acts like a mission briefing. It gives friends and family clarity, confidence, and direction while still leaving room for creativity. It reduces stress, avoids wasted money, and ensures that gifts are genuinely enjoyed rather than politely shelved. In the video, I share personal examples, hobby horror stories, and practical advice on how to build a list that works, including how to keep the element of surprise alive.

The discussion also looks at the wider benefits of lists: helping loved ones understand the hobby, encouraging thoughtful gift-giving between hobbyists, and even strengthening connections when people take an interest in what those miniatures are actually for. From Secret Santas and gaming groups to partners trying their best, communication turns out to be the most underrated hobby tool of all. This isn’t about greed or control. It’s about respect for time, money, and the joy that comes from giving and receiving gifts that truly land. For historical wargamers, miniature painters, and tabletop enthusiasts, it’s a reminder that a little organisation can preserve the magic of Christmas rather than diminish it.

Because if Santa works from a list, there’s probably a lesson in that.

Hobby Update from the Operations Room - December 2025

This latest Update from the Operations Room includes a candid hobby update after a November/December in which real life thoroughly ambushed gaming time. Illness, injury, and work commitments conspired to keep the dice in their bags, but that pause provides a useful reminder that the hobby ebbs and flows — and that stepping away doesn’t diminish enthusiasm when you return.

On the workbench, I share the completion of a unit that has been a long time coming: 28mm Russian Tartar Uhlans from Perry Miniatures, painted for the 1812 Retreat from Moscow. Drawing on the regiment’s role during the Berezina campaign, I talk through the historical inspiration, sculpting details, and painting choices that balance uniform colour with campaign wear. This unit now anchors another small piece of the wider 1812 project on my tabletop.

There’s also a look ahead to the Analogue Hobbies Winter Painting Challenge, a long-running tradition that turns the darkest months of the year into a shared burst of creativity. This year’s plans include a Winter War project using 28mm figures, with basing choices designed to support both Bolt Action and Chain of Command.

Finally, the episode features a book review of Roman Cavalry Equipment by Ian Stephenson and Karen Dixon, assessing its value as a visual and practical reference for painters and historical wargamers interested in Late Roman armies. 

The Great Wargaming Food Controversy!

Food around the games table is one of those topics every tabletop wargamer has an opinion on, whether they’ve ever said it aloud or not. Some players swear that a mug of tea and a biscuit elevate the whole experience. Others treat their gaming boards like sacred relics where crumbs must never tread. This blog post accompanies my latest video, where I unpack the whole debate with a mix of humour, experience, and a strong appreciation for well-painted miniatures.

The heart of the conversation is etiquette. For some, snacks are part of the ritual of gaming — they help create a relaxed, social, welcoming atmosphere. Club nights especially tend to become snack-friendly zones, whether through convenience, tradition, or the fact that many are hosted in pubs where the line between “gaming table” and “bar table” is surprisingly thin. A pint and a packet of crisps during a late-night skirmish game is practically a cultural institution in some communities.

But others feel differently. They’ve witnessed spills, greasy fingerprints on tanks, salt scattered across lovingly built terrain, and entire units drowned under toppled drinks. For them, food anywhere near a board is a risk not worth taking. And they’re not wrong — a cup of coffee and a 300-hour painting project are a deeply incompatible pairing.

The setting matters too. Home games can be relaxed; club games depend on local customs; tournaments and conventions demand much stricter rules. No one wants a £500 display board ruined because someone wandered over with a sausage roll.

The video also touches on the playful idea of “tea-and-biscuit generals” and “pie-and-a-pint wargamers.” Do our snack choices reflect our gaming styles? Are these real archetypes or just affectionate myths we tell ourselves? There’s no definitive answer, but exploring these cultural quirks of the hobby is part of the fun.

If you enjoy the social side of the hobby, have strong feelings about crumbs near terrain, or just like hearing wargamers debate the slightly odd things that make our hobby unique, the video linked below is for you. Join the conversation and share your own food-and-wargaming stories — the good, the bad, and the gravy-based.

Are miniature painters doomed?

Occasionally, a question pops into the hobby that stops you mid-brushstroke, and the one I tackle in this video definitely fits that description. It came from Evangelos Georgopoulos, who reached out to me through my blog to highlight an article he’d written and to ask for wider opinions on a rather provocative topic: will AI eventually paint our miniatures? It’s the kind of question that makes you smile nervously, look at your paint desk, and wonder whether the machines are quietly plotting behind your back.

This blog post accompanies the full video discussion, where I take a deeper look at how developments in 3D printing, colour-print technology, and AI-assisted tools might reshape the future of our hobby. Only a few years ago, colour 3D printers were clumsy, experimental machines that produced chunky, multicoloured blocks. Today, they’re edging toward the ability to print miniatures in full colour at resolutions sharp enough to compete with hand painting—at least at tabletop distance. When those printers eventually become affordable for everyday wargamers, the landscape could shift dramatically.

The video explores this evolution from early 3D printing to the modern resin revolution, and into the rapidly expanding world of AI. Sculpting tools are already becoming smarter, slicing software is increasingly automated, and digital workflows are accelerating. The next logical step is a printer that produces fully 'painted' miniatures straight out of the machine... and it is starting to feel less like science fiction and more like something quietly creeping over the horizon.

But the real heart of the discussion isn’t just technological; it’s psychological. Will wargamers choose convenience over craft? Will traditional painting become a niche pursuit? Or are miniature painters simply too passionate, too stubborn, and too invested in the creative process to be replaced? Add in the wider issue of “AI slop” on social media, and the question gets even more complex. We’re already learning to spot fake images online; the physical world might turn out to be far less forgiving.

If you’re curious about where all of this might lead, the video digs into the possibilities, and as always, the conversation is the best part.