Skip to content
Sign in
Artwork for Grown Men Playing with Toys
LeisureGamesHobbies

Grown Men Playing with Toys

Steve and Erik

Join us as friends (strategic, stoic “Erik” and observant, energetic “Steve”) discuss topics and experiences that surround their world of Warhammer gaming.


Our goal is to explore the intersection of casual and competitive 40K thru a balance sharing stories about our funniest, most frustrating, or straight up craziest Warhammer experiences (Steve’s goal) with deep, analytical thinking about the game and how to improve at it (Erik’s goal).  Beyond that, it’s an excuse for two friends to talk and share how the lessons learned playing with our toy soldiers have enriched our lives and deepened our friendship.”

Play
Open in
  • 20 episodes
  • weekly
  • Avg 1 hr 12 min
  • English

Episodes 20

NewestOldestLongest
All20Unplayed20In progress0Played0
  • Saturday · 1 hr 16 min

    47 - Shake the Snow Globe: A Check In On Some Of Our Favorite Factions

    Send us Fan Mail Cousin Josh joins the chat (literally) for the first time, heckling Erik and Steve from the sidelines while they take a step back from the week-to-week to talk macro direction of where their favorite factions are headed. The guys trade perspectives, Erik on rules and direction, Steve on models and aesthetics, and work through their factions to figure out who's cooking, who's stalled, and who just needs someone to "shake the snow globe". Along the way they cover: League of Votann's identity crisis — Steve likes where the rules are going but isn't sold on the trench coat aesthetic, and the guys agree "Rock and Stone" should just be the whole pitch Space Marines get elite — why adding toughness granularity across armor types and pointing marines to be more elite could speed up games and make Phobos, Tacticus, and Terminators feel different from each other Guard's too-many-cooks problem — Steve is not feeling Guard right now and Erik argues it is because Guard has an identity problem where it is split across several aesthetically different regiments all competing for the same design space CSM needs a shakeup — Erik loves the new models and lore flexibility but is bored of Defilers being the correct way to play. The guys really just want the balance team to shake things up a bit Death Guard's redemption arc — Steve declares Death Guard back on the menu and commits to bringing them to the next Barnhammer game weekend Necrons and Tyranids, the calm ones — Erik hopes the Necron Warriors get left as chaff instead of also getting buffed up with Space Marines and both guys are cautiously optimistic waiting on a Tyranids codex Whether you're here for the faction deep dive or just want to hear Erik lose a bet to Cousin Josh when Steve is able to make it an hour without mentioning wings, this one's for you. 📖 Read Erik's battle reports at gmpwt.blog 📺 Watch on YouTube at @GrownMenPlayingWithToys

    • Transcript
    • Chapters
  • August 30 · 1 hr 13 min

    46 - The Nerfing Eye of Sauron: Erik's Favorite Factions Take One on the Chin

    Send us Fan Mail A balance update dropped this past week and several of Erik's favorite factions got hit with nerfs. Steve declares it a "feelings podcast" and the guys work through Erik's frustration before landing on the real point: how to pivot a list instead of just complaining about it. Along the way they cover: The nerfing Eye of Sauron comes for Slaanesh — why Erik's strongest lists in Emperor's Children and Chaos Daemons ate the biggest points hikes in the update and how he is pivoting as a result Custodes lose their combo — Lions of the Emperor jumps from 2DP to 3DP and can no longer pair with Might of the Moritoi, why the change was well-designed, and how it introduces additional detachment options even though it stings The Balance Update upset — Steve catches a rules change before Erik does for what he swears is the first time ever and Erik has to admit it on air Force disposition shuffling — small, targeted swaps like Huron's Marauders and Aspect Host switching to new Force Dispositions quietly open up entirely new ways to play old favorites and why Erik's oldest son is thrilled about one of them Crusher Stampede vs War Dog spam - Erik's youngest son challenges him to a game of bug vs robot and proceeds to blow up all of his Norns on the way to a ton of fun Whether you're here for the balance update postmortem or just want to hear Steve's victory lap for catching a change before Erik, this one's for you. 📖 Read Erik's battle reports at gmpwt.blog 📺 Watch on YouTube at @GrownMenPlayingWithToys

    • Transcript
    • Chapters
  • August 22 · 1 hr 15 min

    45 - Finding Your Nemo: Faction vs Force Disposition Specialization

    Send us Fan Mail Team USA won WTC and Steve blindsides Erik by admitting that he has fanboyed over it a bit. The guys break down how a Guard player ground out key tournament-clinching wins and why "keep it simple and execute flawlessly" beat out other teams that tried to cook up secret-sauce lists. Somewhere in there it turns into a full discussion of force disposition specialization vs faction specialization. Along the way they cover: WTC's grind — how a Guard player known for playing a grind it out, death-by-a-thousand-cuts list sealed the WTC title for Team USA and why the tactic was more genius than luck Team USA's "keep it simple" strategy — why the winning approach wasn't secret tech or off-the-wall lists, but trusting elite pilots to execute simple, proven lists better than anyone else in the room Faction specialist vs. force disposition specialist — the theory Erik and Steve build out live, that your favorite army might not be the reason you win or lose, it might be whether that army's best force disposition actually fits how your brain plays The kid outplays the dad — Erik's son builds a 30-point lead against him, hangs on to win despite getting outscored in the later rounds, and then calmly explains why Erik was playing the wrong force disposition the entire game The Blood Angels pop quiz — Erik reads Steve a Take and Hold list cold and Steve's "board control, board control, board control" read is close enough to the list's design philosophy to be awkward Whether you're here for the WTC postmortem or just want to hear Erik's son casually call his Dad out for self nerfing via a Force Disposition mismatch, this one's for you. 📖 Read Erik's battle reports at gmpwt.blog 📺 Watch on YouTube at @GrownMenPlayingWithToys

    • Transcript
    • Chapters
  • August 15 · 1 hr 13 min

    44 - My Other Army Is a Flowchart: The Deliverability Problem

    Send us Fan Mail Erik is back on Orks and built a "just for fun" Da Big Hunt list that somehow tabled a CSM Defiler heavy army despite calling the Waaagh! in Round 1. This has Steve's attention and the guys dive into why this strategy might have been the correct move, not just dumb luck, and what they can learn from it to help with future games. Along the way they cover: The defensive Waaagh! — Erik calls the Waaagh! turn one, but instead of using it for damage, he uses it to tag and pin two Defilers against terrain. Deliverability, durability, damage — the three-part framework from top tier competitive players that Erik leans on to explain why his Ork list worked and why his CSM list did not. The engineer's flowchart — Erik distills 11th Edition mission design into four questions every list has to answer every turn and can confirm that it is kid-approved by his son Archetype vs. identity — why "my faction's lore says it shouldn't play this way" isn't a real excuse and why playing the mission matters more than playing the vibe Cousin Josh's callout — the "Orks are an army with no plan" jab that kicked off the whole experiment and Erik's very smug rebuttal Knights Thunderdome, coming soon — Erik and Steve pencil in a cross-faction deployment breakdown using Chaos Knights and Imperial Knights, protractor optional but strongly implied Whether you're here for the tactical deep dive or just want to hear Erik's horror that Steve wants to bring a protractor to a tabletop game, this one's for you. 📖 Orks vs CSm game discussed: https://gmpwt.blog/2026/08/14/orks-da-big-hunt-vs-chaos-space-marines-pactbound-zealots/ 📖 Read Erik's battle reports at gmpwt.blog 📺 Watch on YouTube at @GrownMenPlayingWithToys

    • Transcript
    • Chapters
  • August 7 · 1 hr 10 min

    43 - Are You Not Entertained?

    Send us Fan Mail Erik and Steve were supposed to sneak out for a game at the Local Game Store (LGS) this week and instead got stuck at home, so naturally they spent forty-five minutes turning that disappointment into a full breakdown of why playing 40K at the LGS hits different than Barnhammer, Officehammer, or TTS ever will. Somewhere in there it also becomes a card game vs. tabletop philosophy seminar, and Erik accidentally reveals that he has no interest in running clubs and only exercises to "not be fat". Along the way they cover: The LGS effect — why playing on neutral ground in front of an audience of strangers and excited store owners adds something Barnhammer and TTS just can't replicate Cards vs. minis — Erik's hot take that he thinks trading card games are more one-dimensional than 40K and why it hits a nerve with Steve harder than either of them expected The "I don't want to be fat" tangent — an endurance-sports rabbit hole that somehow explains why community matters more than either of them wants to admit Deck stacking, but make it transparent — how WTC's first defender/attacker pairing system turns the thing that would ruin a casual LGS game into the actual point of the tournament, while somehow still also being open and transparent WTC list geek out — a Squighog Boyz Waaagh built entirely to run people over, a Slaanesh Daemons alpha strike, and a Blood Angels Sanguinary Guard charge out of a Land Raider that neither of them saw coming The next LGS attempt — Erik and Steve pencil in a rematch and its definitely not just an excuse to buy more models Whether you're here for the "are you not entertained" energy of playing at your local shop or just want to hear two grown men overanalyze why cardboard hits different than plastic, this one's for you. 📖 Read Erik's battle reports at gmpwt.blog 📺 Watch on YouTube at @GrownMenPlayingWithToys

    • Transcript
    • Chapters
  • S2 · E24
    July 31 · 1 hr 13 min

    42 - I'm Not Dead Yet: 40K's First Balance Update

    Send us Fan Mail Steve is fighting off a Nurgle infection, Erik is fighting off bad habits with Cursed Legion Necrons, and everybody on the internet is convinced their faction is dead. Spoiler....they're not dead yet. Erik and Steve are back to discuss 11th Edition's first balance update, dig into what's really going on across Erik's now ten-army tour of the new edition, and somehow turn the whole thing into a conversation about Agile development methodology. Along the way they cover: The first balance update — why this wasn't a major Nerfing Eye of Sauron event and why the guys think GW is running what amounts to a data normalization exercise disguised as a balance patch Agile Warhammer — Steve connects the dots between sprint planning, backlog management, and how to actually play your secondaries in 11th Edition and neither of them can quite believe the conversation they're having Ten armies, every force disposition — Erik's running observations from playing across the full breadth of 11th, including why he's not sure he's a great Purge the Foe player despite being one of the most aggressive players in the room The Cursed Legion problem — why Erik keeps going back to a list he can't quite make work, what he's getting wrong, and why he's pretty sure it's a him problem and not a list problem WTC roster hot take — the rosters are out, the lists are coming, and Erik has a cautionary tale about why "everyone at WTC is playing X" doesn't mean X is the best way to play that faction Papa Nurgle weighs in — Steve sounds like a Muppet, Erik recommends the Emperor's Children approach to cold medicine, and somehow they end the episode with a Death Guard game on the calendar Whether you're here for the data engineering deep dive or just want to hear Steve suffer through forty minutes of podcast while visibly dying, this one's for you. 📖 Read Erik's battle reports at gmpwt.blog 📺 Watch on YouTube at @GrownMenPlayingWithToys

    • Transcript
    • Chapters
  • S2 · E23
    July 21 · 1 hr 7 min

    41 - Hi-Ho, Hi-Ho, It's Off to 11th Steve Goes

    Send us Fan Mail Erik is back from vacation to find that Barnhammer has been played without him. He's definitely not feeling jealous, FOMO, or left out and DEFINITELY is not punishing Steve for organizing it without him by making Steve lead the episode as a result. Along the way they cover: Barnhammer 11th Edition recap — first impressions from the play group, why the missions kept every game close, and what it felt like to finally get 11th on the table with friends Steve's surprise Votann list — Needgaard plus Hearthguard Covenant, deep striking Einheryr, and a brand new way to play an army that had been frustrating him for all of 10th Edition The Champion, the Dunce Hat, and the Ones — some things never change, and Steve's Votann Champion remains aggressively, historically bad at his job Cousin Josh goes full aggro — why watching a naturally defensive player come out swinging with Cursed Legion Necrons was the highlight of Barnhammer and what it says about what 11th is encouraging players to do The Pink Pony Club — Steve teases his fourth army and talks about how he thinks about Imperial Knights like a modern military tactician defending Helm's Deep Guard, Death Guard, and what's next — why Imperial Guard is calling Steve's name, why Death Guard isn't, and Erik drops a closing bombshell about what he's most excited to play Whether you're here for the Votann deep strike, here to see Cousin Josh channel his inner snapping turtle, or just want to hear Steve put a dunce hat on his champion, this one's for you. 📖 Read Erik's battle reports at gmpwt.blog 📺 Watch on YouTube at @GrownMenPlayingWithToys

    • Transcript
    • Chapters
  • S2 · E22
    June 29 · 1 hr 14 min

    40 - I Feel the Need...The Need for 11th

    Send us Fan Mail Erik is back from the tabletop trenches with a full debrief. He is two games deep into 11th Edition, has played four factions, and is ready to hype Steve up for an upcoming week of Barnhammer gaming. Along the way they cover: First impressions of 11th Edition — Erik's surprisingly enthusiastic early verdict and why going from 10th to 11th feels nothing like the chaos of 9th to 10th Asymmetrical missions and force dispositions — why playing two different missions at once makes the game feel more dynamic, more narrative, and a whole lot harder to just list-hammer your way through Raven Guard vs. Grey Knights — Shadowmark Talon meets Hallowed Conclave, Terminators and Paladins finally get their moment, and Erik discovers mid-game that the scoreboard doesn't care how well the Grey Knights are playing 10th Edition. Read the full battle report here. Emperor's Children vs. Necrons — Fulgrim goes absolutely feral on turn one, crosses the entire board, and the Necrons win anyway. Read the full battle report here. Recalibrating your instincts — The autopilot moments, the ingress rule surprise, and why the thing that wins you the game is rarely the unit or combo you built your list around Rapid fire observations — the new charge rules, activation economy is a thing, lethality, hidden, and why the "and then" moments are alive and well in 11th Whether you're here for the hot takes on Force Dispositions or just want to hear Erik chastise his own Grey Knights, this one's for you. 📖 Read Erik's battle reports at gmpwt.blog 📺 Watch on YouTube at @GrownMenPlayingWithToys

    • Transcript
    • Chapters
  • S2 · E21
    June 19 · 1 hr 10 min

    39 - Thanos-Snapping My 10th Edition Lists

    Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the "Grown Men Playing With Toys" podcast, Erik and Steve dive headfirst into the early days of 11th edition. Fresh off the MFM drop, deep in terrain mechanics, and (for one of them) staring down a freshly nuked wasteland of 10th Edition lists, the guys approach the discussion from a perspective of "there's a green field of list-building possibilities". Along the way they cover: The Hidden Mechanic That Isn't — a deep dive into terrain's new Ballistic Skill penalties, the "hidden" rule and why it may not be as good as it looks Run and Gun, Move Shoot Move — how cover changes are about to reward fast, mobile armies, and punish anyone who can't find a re-roll Thanos-Snapping the App — app crashes, the gut-wrenching decision to delete 40 lists, and why starting from a clean slate turned out to be a blessing in disguise Carnival of Excess, Reimagined — Erik breaks down his rebuilt Emperor's Children list and how losing his old lists led him somewhere he never would've gone otherwise Surprise! Steve Built a List — Steve unveils a Votann Death Star list built around Einhyr Hearthguard deep strikes, double Land Fortresses, and a dare to come take his objectives To Infinity and Beyond — Erik's list-building bender reaches an absurd, slightly concerning number and Steve has thoughts Whether you're rebuilding your own army from scratch, still mourning your favorite 10th edition list, or just want to hear two grown men argue about whether Purge the Foe is actually the best Force Disposition or just the most comfortable.....this one's for you. Check out our other content: https://gmpwt.blog/ | https://www.youtube.com/@GrownMenPlayingWithToys

    • Transcript
    • Chapters
  • S2 · E20
    June 12 · 1 hr 10 min

    38 - Where's the Beef (List)?

    Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the "Grown Men Playing With Toys" podcast, Erik and Steve take a hard left turn from their planned agenda and end up somewhere much more interesting. The cliffhanger from the All-Star Game has been rattling around in Steve's head, Erik has been 3D printing armies at an alarming rate, and somewhere in there "we lost Dad". Along the way they cover: Pedal-Down Erik Strikes Again — two armies printed and painted in three weeks, a third in progress, and a theory about force dispositions that has already consumed most of his waking hours Where's the Beef (List)? — how a single offhand comment at the All-Star Game unlocked Steve's entire 10th edition play style and why he's been accidentally playing stompy robot armies this whole time The Wonder Mode Manifesto — why the space between editions is the best time to be a 40K player and why both hosts are fully, unashamedly in their feelings about it Force Dispositions: The Good — agency, modularity, different targets for the Nerfing Eye of Sauron, and why "2DP plus 1DP" may be Erik's new favorite term Force Dispositions: The Itchy Parts — deck stacking at the table, potential staleness in tournament play, and 3DP detachments getting counter intuitive Force Dispositions The Army Reveals — three new armies are coming in hot and Steve is already buying paints for a model he doesn't own yet Whether you're deep in your own 11th edition wonder mode, still processing the end of 10th, or just want to hear two grown men figure out that they've been playing the same list archetype for an entire edition without realizing it.....this one's for you. Check out our other content: https://gmpwt.blog/ | https://www.youtube.com/@GrownMenPlayingWithToys

    • Transcript
    • Chapters
  • S2 · E19
    June 4 · 1 hr 20 min

    37 - You Had One Job

    Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the "Grown Men Playing With Toys" podcast, the GMPWT 10th Edition All-Star Game gets its dramatic conclusion. The lists are built, the terrain is set, the store owner has been recruited as celebrity dice roller, and absolutely nobody is ready for what the Einhyr Champion is about to do to Steve's blood pressure. Along the way they cover: Roll For Initiative, Lose For Free — why who was going first felt like a gift to both players and why only one of them was right about that Turn One: Steve the Rhino Hunter — two transports dead, two Deadly Demise rolls courtesy of your guest celebrity roller, and a Winged Hive Tyrant who showed up, looked scary, and then embarrassed everyone involved Bile and the Chosen: Still Not Your Problem Until Suddenly It Is — why Fabius Bile with 10 Chosen in a Rhino is Erik's favorite unit in 10th edition and Steve's least favorite thing to look across the table at You Had One Job — the Einhyr Champion and Steve's endless love/hate relationship with him. The Void Dragon Cleans Up — Cousin Josh's Necron Warriors twiddle their thumbs on their home objective while the C'tan does literally everything MVP and Magnus Awards — the heroes, the zeros, and one very expensive model who functioned primarily as a Distraction Carnifex with better hair The 11th Edition Cliffhanger — Steve's MVPs reveal a pattern and a new army might be on the horizon heading into the new edition Whether you're here for the dice fails, the end-of-edition nostalgia, or just want to hear a store owner get genuinely invested in two grown men's war dollies.....this one's for you. Check out our other content: https://gmpwt.blog/ | https://www.youtube.com/@GrownMenPlayingWithToys

    • Transcript
    • Chapters
  • S2 · E18
    May 29 · 59 min

    36 - Our 10th Edition All-Star Game

    Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the "Grown Men Playing With Toys" podcast, Erik emerges from his mad science cave with an idea to help Steve with the end-of-edition doldrums. The result is the most creative thing they've attempted yet.....the GMPWT 10th Edition All-Star Game. The rules are simple. Pull from up to three factions within the larger groupings of Imperium, Chaos, and Xenos Faction 1 units get access to their army rule but no detachments rules, stratagems, or enhancements Faction 2 units get access to a single detachment's rules, stratagems, and enhancements Faction 3 units get access to a single wild-card stratagem from any of their detachments. Build your team not around what's strongest, but around what has a story. that reminds you of 10th edition. Put it all on the table and see what happens. Along the way they cover: Hold Our Dice, One Last Time — why the end-of-edition doldrums are real, and why the best cure is the silliest possible idea executed with full commitment The All-Star Game Format — how Erik built a three-faction list structure that keeps things competitive, legal, and just chaotic enough to be fun Team Chaos — Fulgrim, Fabius Bile, Cultists with a grudge, and a Knight Rampager with a stratagem that makes him everyone's problem even after he dies Team Imperium — Whoopsie Daisy the Grand Master who cannot make a five-inch charge, Crowe and his Purifiers, and enough tanks to give Steve Ironstorm flashbacks Team Xenos — Necron warriors that refuse to stay dead, dwarves coming out of their box of shame for one last shot at redemption, and Tyranids that all blow up The Dating Show — Steve picks his team live, on mic, and pretends it was a difficult decision Whether you're in the end-of-edition doldrums, a die-hard fan of models that have Deadly Demise, or just someone who wants to hear two grown men get genuinely enjoy a silly but strangely nostalgic idea.....this one's for you. Check out our other content: https://gmpwt.blog/ | https://www.youtube.com/@GrownMenPlayingWithToys

    • Transcript
    • Chapters
  • S2 · E17
    May 18 · 1 hr 9 min

    35 - Nobody Told Me the Dice Hit Back

    Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the "Grown Men Playing With Toys" podcast, Erik shows up to record still licking his wounds, this time from a rough road race -except this time his own son quoted the podcast back at him like a tiny, devastating life coach. Steve is delighted. Erik is not sure how to feel about that. What follows is an off-the-cuff deep dive into one of the most underrated reasons we play this game in the first place — the test. Not the winning. Not the math hammer. The test and what it says about you. Along the way they tackle: Hold My Dice — why we voluntarily sign up for hard things.....on the tabletop, behind the mics, and on the pavement The Bags Don't Hit Back — what list hammer and math hammer can't prepare you for and why that's actually the point Dice Gods, Dice Demons — the completely irrational and deeply relatable ritual of switching dice mid-game and blaming the French judge when it still doesn't work Concede or Commit — what a Votann vs. Chaos Knights blowout taught one of us the hard way about why staying in the hard thing is a part of the test The Clock Is Also Your Opponent — time as a resource, a weapon, and an excuse all at once Whether you've ever switched dice out of pure superstition, rage-conceded on turn three, or just needed someone to remind you that showing up to the starting line is already passing the first test — this one is for you. Check out our other content: https://gmpwt.blog/ | https://www.youtube.com/@GrownMenPlayingWithToys

    • Transcript
    • Chapters
  • S2 · E16
    May 14 · 1 hr 23 min

    34 - Pantheon of Woe: Population.....Me

    Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the "Grown Men Playing With Toys" podcast, Erik confesses to a crime against his own hobby — being a grouch for two days because he played poorly in a game that he was playing against himself. Steve holds it together long enough to let Erik tell the story......Barely. What follows is a full autopsy of a Necrons vs. Ultramarines battle report that had no business being as close as it was.....until all of the sudden it wasn't close anymore. Erik walks us through every decision point, the impulsive miscalculations, and every moment where the Necrons had the Space Marines exactly where they wanted them before snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. Along the way they tackle: Quicksand — why some games don't go wrong all at once but instead feature a slow build up of mistakes that can bury you The CP Economy is Undefeated — one impulsive re-roll and a cascade of consequences that would make an accountant weep Deathmarks: Gone But Not Forgotten — the minor unit that haunted an entire game from the comfort of strategic reserves Split Personality at Its Finest — the unique psychological torment of losing and knowing exactly whose fault it is A formal apology to Cousin Josh — this one's real Whether you've rage-quit a game, tilted at a tournament, or just love watching a perfectly laid plan unravel one CP at a time, this one is for you. Formal Battle Report of the game in question: https://gmpwt.blog/2026/05/12/necrons-awakened-dynasty-vs-ultramarines-blade-of-ultramar/ Check out our other content: https://gmpwt.blog/ https://www.youtube.com/@GrownMenPlayingWithToys

    • Transcript
    • Chapters
  • S2 · E15
    May 4 · 1 hr 21 min

    33 - There Is Only War... and Middle Child Syndrome

    Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the "Grown Men Playing With Toys" podcast, Erik and Steve do something they probably should have seen a therapist about first — they apply the science of birth order psychology to the entire Warhammer 40K universe. The guys break down the stereotypes of oldest, middle, and youngest children and then systematically sort every faction in the game into one of those three buckets. Spoiler alert: some feelings may have been hurt in the making of this episode. Along the way they tackle: The Big Three — why the Imperium, Chaos, and Xenos super-factions map almost perfectly onto the birth order archetypes, and why it works both in lore AND on the tabletop Daddy's Best Boy — The unambiguous oldest child of 40K and why everyone else is basically wearing their hand-me-downs The Forgotten Middle Children — They're here but didn't think anyone noticed Youngest Child Energy — They're trying so hard to outshine their older siblings while also enjoying (expecting?) being babied by GW. Lore vs. Tabletop — why several factions have a split personality depending on whether you're reading the books or rolling dice A formal apology to Cousin Josh — just kidding, there isn't one Whether you're a firstborn who color-codes their army list, a middle child who plays Orks while munching on a choice crayon or two, or the youngest who expects GW to buff your faction at every dataslate — this one is for you. Check out our other content: https://gmpwt.blog/ https://www.youtube.com/@GrownMenPlayingWithToys

    • Transcript
    • Chapters
  • S2 · E14
    April 27 · 1 hr 3 min

    32 - Be Excellent to Each Other

    Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the "Grown Men Playing With Toys" podcast, Erik and Steve do something a little different — Steve takes the wheel while Erik rides shotgun, and together they explore what happens when you step completely outside your comfort zone and learn a brand new game from scratch. While Erik was on away, Steve spent the weekend with Cousin Josh diving headfirst into Age of Sigmar — a game he had never really played before. What started as a casual hobby weekend turned into something surprisingly meaningful. Together they explore: The power of Faction Identity — why understanding what your army wants to do is the first and most important step when learning anything new Macro before Micro — how applying a strategic framework to an unfamiliar game can get you immersed and competitive faster than you'd think Playing with Intent — why being transparent about what you're trying to do makes the game better for everyone at the table, and how it turns every mistake into a learning moment The Joy of Discovery — why the feeling of learning something for the first time is one of the best things about this hobby, and how Steve found it again in the most unexpected place What all of this means for 11th Edition — and why the upcoming rules shake-up might be exactly what we all need Whether you're feeling burnt out on the current edition, intimidated by a game you've never played, or just needed a reminder of why you fell in love with tabletop gaming in the first place — this one's for you. Check out our other content: https://gmpwt.blog/ https://www.youtube.com/@GrownMenPlayingWithToys

    • Transcript
    • Chapters
  • S2 · E13
    April 20 · 1 hr 12 min

    31 - Where We're Going, We Don't Need Roads

    Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the "Grown Men Playing With Toys" podcast, Erik and Steve do something a little different — they look backwards and forwards at the same time, connecting the dots between the past seven months of Erik's Crusade League and the most anticipated edition change in years. Erik is approaching the finish line of his local game store's Crusade League and has thoughts — a lot of them. Steve, meanwhile, has been deliberately avoiding 11th Edition previews, which means you're getting his completely unfiltered reactions. Together they explore: The Crusade League retrospective — the highs, the lows, and the moment Erik just let go of the rope on all that bookkeeping Why "narrative" and "competitive" have never actually been opposites — and why 11th Edition might finally admit that Detachment mixing and the 3-2-1 point system — game changer or balance whack-a-mole waiting to happen? Force Dispositions — and why Erik and Steve will never have to do the awkward mission chicken dance again (we hope) Whether you've ever shown up to a casual Crusade game only to discover every unit across from you is a hard counter to your army, argued uncomfortably over the pregame board setup, or just wanted your hobby to feel a little more narrative and balanced - this one's for you. Check out our other content: https://gmpwt.blog/ https://www.youtube.com/@GrownMenPlayingWithToys

    • Transcript
    • Chapters
  • S2 · E12
    April 13 · 1 hr 14 min

    30 - I'm Terribly Sorry Sir. I'm Afraid You Are Mistaken.

    Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the "Grown Men Playing With Toys" podcast, Erik and Steve do one of the most uncomfortable things in 40K — they turn the camera on themselves and ask the question: what kind of mistakes do I actually make, and why do I keep making them? Erik spent the downtime between episodes doing what any self-respecting 40K nerd would do — combing through every battle report he's ever posted and building a full scouting report on himself. What he found wasn't pretty. Steve, meanwhile, discovers that he's been living inside his own set of mistakes without ever naming them. Together they explore: The macro strategy mistake — why building the "meta list" can be the worst thing you do if it fights your natural play style The micro strategy mistake — why the most exciting moment in your turn might also be the one that costs you the game The emotional tells that every player has — and why knowing yours is half the battle Rules mistakes — why they're inevitable, why they sting differently than every other kind, and why the community sometimes loses its mind over them Whether there's ever a good way to resolve a rules dispute when it's just you, your opponent, and a barn full of painted plastic Whether you've ever rage-rolled into a Repulsor Executioner, burned your entire CP budget on a unit that was already going to win the fight, or found yourself in a tense standoff over whether a rule means what you think it means — this one's for you. Check out our other content: https://gmpwt.blog/ https://www.youtube.com/@GrownMenPlayingWithToys

    • Transcript
    • Chapters
  • S2 · E11
    April 2 · 1 hr 6 min

    29 - Mo' Models, Mo' Problems

    Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the "Grown Men Playing With Toys" podcast, Erik and Steve tackle one of the most common experiences in the Warhammer 40K hobby — the impulse buy — and discover that they couldn't possibly approach it more differently. Steve is the guy who walks into a GW store for a battle line unit for his current army and walks out with a flashy monster for a faction that he has never played. Erik is the guy who spends months talking himself into a new faction but then goes "all in" to collect the entire army once he is committed. Somewhere in between, they manage to explore: What even is an impulse buy and do you have to be standing in the store for it to count? The good, the bad, and the "I paid to paint an entire army I gave away" How nostalgia and pop culture fuel some of the hobby's best (and worst) financial decisions The impulse that lives inside the game — and why "I choose violence" is a completely valid tactical framework What happens when your impulse collides with everyone else's at the table? Whether you've ever fallen in love with a model you'll never field, talked yourself into yet another army, or just stood in a GW store knowing full well you're about to make a terrible decision — this one's for you. Check out our other content: https://gmpwt.blog/ https://www.youtube.com/@GrownMenPlayingWithToys

    • Transcript
    • Chapters
  • S2 · E10
    March 27 · 1 hr 22 min

    28 - No More "And Then....."

    Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the "Grown Men Playing With Toys" podcast, Erik and Steve do what grown men do best — argue about made-up words on plastic soldiers and ask the question no Warhammer 40K content creator has been serious enough to tackle: are the game's keywords and abilities actually fun? The guys work their way through the most common keywords and special abilities in the game and rate them on pure enjoyment, covering things like: Does the ability create interesting decisions or memorable moments? Is it fun to use, fun to play against, or neither? Does it add to the drama of the game or just make your brain hurt? Whether it's the satisfaction of calling the Waaagh! or the soul-crushing experience of watching your opponent Reactive Move out of Charge range, the guys break it all down with the seriousness the topic absolutely deserves. The full Tier List can be found HERE. Check out our other content: https://gmpwt.blog/ https://www.youtube.com/@GrownMenPlayingWithToys

    • Transcript
    • Chapters
Showing 1–20 of 20 episodes