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Zero to Spearhead

Collecting · 1k Expansion

A Day in the Shops: Ranged Units, a Battletome and Friendly Faces

After my Prosecutors carried the last game, I went looking for more ranged units, and found the hobby scene friendlier than I expected.

1,000 Points Harry 2 min read
A Travelling Man bag and an Element Games bag on a metal pub table, next to a pint of lager.
Two bags, one pint, no regrets.

After the last game, one thing was obvious: my army needs more ranged units. My three Prosecutors did some of the best work all game, and everything else had to walk across the table first. So I drove into Newcastle to see what was out there.

First stop: Travelling Man

Travelling Man is where I've bought nearly everything so far: my Skaven vs. Stormcast starter box, clippers, files, glue, a cutting mat, and the Citadel paint set that matches the starter box. This time it was really busy, with a couple of staff doing their best, and there wasn't as much stock on the shelves as I'd hoped. I still came away with a Knight-Judicator with Gryph-hounds: a Hero with a big bow and two very good dogs.

Second stop: Element Games

Element Games in Newcastle was the highlight of the day, and that's down to Matt.

I'd come in looking for a Knight-Incantor, a model I'd read about while researching, partly from a shopping list an AI chatbot had helped me put together. Matt explained it's an older model that isn't sold on its own any more, and showed me a replacement. Lesson learned: check what's actually on the shelves before you get attached to a plan.

He helped me pick out paint too, and I opened an account with them. You get 10p back for every £10 you spend, which doesn't sound like much until Matt told me he'd got £30 back last year. I did the maths and told him he must have spent an absolute fortune. Proper friendly service, and I've left them a Google review.

From Element Games I came home with:

  • Vanguard-Raptors: ranged Stormcast who come with three birds. They look brilliant.
  • The Stormcast Eternals battletome: after the last game, this was non-negotiable.
  • Citadel Chaos Black spray: I'm curious whether my Zealot Yellow Speedpaint Markers look better over black than over white.
The day's haul laid out: a Knight-Judicator with Gryph-hounds box, the Stormcast Eternals battletome and a box of Vanguard-Raptors.
Knight-Judicator with Gryph-hounds, the Stormcast battletome, and Vanguard-Raptors (£29.50 down to £25.10 at Element Games).

The scene

Going in, I'll admit I was a little worried about how welcoming it would be. Would people be cliquey? Would I feel out of place asking basic questions? Honestly, the people I've met have been friendly and happy to help.

One tip for anyone starting out: independent shops are often cheaper than buying direct, and the advice can be just as good, if not better. Everything I've bought so far has come from independent shops.

Tomorrow I'm building the Raptors, and I'll report back on whether black primer saves my orange.

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