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Every Wednesday, Alfie goes off to the Wig and Pen for a couple of hours to play Warhammer. I was intrigued by this unique pastime, so I decided to interview him about it, because it is evident from all the hours he devotes to the game that it is one of his greatest passions.
First of all, what on earth is Warhammer?
‘It’s a tabletop miniatures game. Basically you build and paint little plastic soldiers and then you get them to fight other people’s little plastic soldiers… but it’s cooler than it sounds!
It has a lot of very detailed lore and background.
I like that it’s quite silly. Like, it doesn’t take itself too seriously, because the whole point is that it’s in this very over the top sci-fi universe in the 41st millennium.’
Alfie first discovered Warhammer in 2020, in lockdown. He was originally just looking to kill a weekend, but it ended up becoming a long-term hobby. When I asked him why he loves it so much, and he said:
‘It’s escapism, I can sit down and turn off my brain and paint some miniatures, and then every Wednesday I can go and hang out with these people who have this shared interest, and for a couple of hours we hang out and have a couple of pints and chat about this dumb thing that we like, and you know, just play this very fun, very engaging game.’
For Alfie, Warhammer is how he escapes the everyday madness of Oxford life. It’s a way to shut off his brain and have some fun. But it’s more than a hobby, it’s also a community.
‘Everyone’s very welcoming, and if you’re new, people are very happy to teach you how to play. It is very much a community, we always have a bit of a chat and it’s all very chill and relaxed. It is definitely a friendly atmosphere.’
When we spoke about the importance of hobbies in general, he agreed with me that doing something separate from our degrees is essential in such a high-pressure academic environment as the one we experience at Oxford. He explained:
‘Obviously it’s quite intense here, and I think if you don’t have something to do in between all the work, you’ll go a bit mad.
It is important to have something to do, so that you can just say: right, I’m gonna put an hour aside and just do this thing I enjoy, and not feel stressed or guilty about doing it.
I definitely recommend Warhammer. When I went into it, I thought, oh, you know, this is a thing I’ll do for a little bit and then lose interest, but I’ve just absolutely fallen in love with it.
If you have any inclination to do this, it’s really fun and you’ll meet some great people involved in the hobby, make some good friends and also maybe pick up some new skills! For example, I am not the most artistic person, but I’ve got quite good at painting miniatures through Warhammer.
I feel like I’ve improved quite a bit and that’s just in itself, really satisfying to see. It’s personal growth! And so it has encouraged me to try this thing, painting, that I would never have otherwise engaged with.
I just can’t recommend it enough.’
So from personal growth, to a close-knit community, to escapism from the craziness of assignments and deadlines, hobbies like Warhammer can bring so much joy into the everyday.
