From Heathrow to Heroics

Warhost and The Barons' War at Adepticon 2025

Our second trip to Adepticon was always going to be special—but this year, it turned out to be genuinely unforgettable. After months of planning, sculpting, painting, writing, and dreaming, we finally brought Warhost, our fantasy version of The Barons' War, across the Atlantic and into the spotlight, alongside an exciting announcement for The Barons' War Second Edition.

We flew out of Heathrow on Monday, touching down in Chicago with a couple of days to spare. Those early days were all about acclimatising (read: eating as many hot dogs as we could manage), looking at armour for inspiration for Hicksy's Halflings and soaking in the Windy City before things got going. On Wednesday, we scooped up Peachy and hit the road for Milwaukee, heading to Old Guard Games for an evening of sculpting demonstrations and sneak peeks of Second Edition. It was a fantastic night—intimate, enthusiastic, and capped off with what we all agreed was probably the best pizza ever. High praise, but well earned.

Thursday marked the start of the real adventure. Adepticon's new venue was enormous—honestly, it was a gaming sensory overload. Everywhere you looked, there was something to marvel at, someone to meet, or a game to get excited about. We were set up at the Badger Games stand, where we were looked after wonderfully by Emily and Josh—two of the most welcoming and hardworking people you could hope to meet.

Running Barons' War demos across three packed-out days was Matt, who brought his A-game and a tonne of enthusiasm. Watching him in action on the Saturday, with everything set up inside the booth, was an absolute joy. His energy, warmth, and deep knowledge of the game made the whole experience richer for everyone who stopped by.

We were once again hosted by the legendary Ben Checota, who has become something of an Adepticon guardian angel to us. His generosity and hospitality elevated the whole trip. On Thursday evening, he treated us to a meal at a German restaurant complete with massive wooden furniture and mountains of meat and beer—no complaints there! Friday night took a surprise turn as we found ourselves courtside at an NBA game watching the Milwaukee Bucks, much to Andy's uncontainable delight. And on our final evening, we tucked into arguably the best meal of our lives—a perfect send-off.

As for the convention itself, the days were a blur of conversation, laughter, dice rolls, and inspiration. We had the pleasure of introducing Warhost, complete with our new Orcs and Elves, to hobbyists from across the globe. We reconnected with old friends, met passionate new fans, and shared countless moments of creative excitement with those who visited the stand.

Looking back, it was a massive milestone for us. At Adepticon 2024, we first spoke aloud the idea of a fantasy range—just a spark of a concept. It was powerful to stand there in 2025, physically holding the results of that idea in our hands and watching people fall in love with it. The response was heartwarming and has left us energised to charge ahead with the Dwarves and, beyond that, to see what else we can bring to Adepticon 2026.

To everyone who stopped by, played a demo, asked a question, or shared a kind word—thank you. And to Ben Checota, Badger Games, and Old Guard Games: your support, hospitality, and friendship mean the world. Once again, thank you for hosting us so warmly.

Until next year—
Andy & Paul