I attended ArcFest this weekend. Being at the Sandown motor and horse racing track the venue is huge with hundred of participants across two floors of the main grandstand. ArcFest is the premier gaming event on the Australian calendar.

ArcFest is a celebration of tabletop wargaming and the miniature hobby.

For all hobbyists and creators, ArcFest is a playground of inspiration: explore painting competitions, hobby demonstrations, basing workshops, paint-and-take sessions, and conversations with experts and creators. Fans can meet YouTubers, streamers, and industry legends, and discover the latest in miniature design, terrain, and accessories.

​ArcFest’s 4 pillars are for all hobbyists no matter the level of involvement.

• Play for fun
• Challenge Your Hobby
• Create Collect
• Play it forward.

Information above for the ArcFest website.

For many years I attended as an organiser or player, but this year was my first time as a vendor. I had fun catching up with old mates looking at superb minis and terrain and even selling some “stuff”

I had a participation game designed to teach people the Dinosaur game and hopefully entice them to nuy.

I generally just take my game rules along but decided this time to take some of the historical books I have written and to my surprise I sold quite a few of them.

Other than my stand, the highlight of the convention was a chance to catch up with Thoumas Pirinen and have a chat about games design.

Tuomas Pirinen is a Finnish game designer best known for his influential work with Games Workshop during the 1990s. He played a central role in shaping the tone and mechanics of Warhammer Fantasy Battle, particularly through his authorship of the sixth edition rules, which emphasised narrative cohesion, army character, and a more grounded battlefield dynamic. His design approach moved away from abstraction toward systems that reflected friction, command limitation, and the feel of pre modern warfare.

Pirinen is also closely associated with the creation of Mordheim, a cult classic built around campaign progression, injury, and long term consequence. More recently, he has returned to the foreground of design through his involvement in Trench Crusade, a dark, war torn setting that fuses First World War imagery with apocalyptic religious themes. Across these works, his design consistently centres uncertainty, asymmetry, and the human dimension of conflict, leaving a lasting imprint on narrative driven tabletop wargaming. (Photo from the ArcFest website.)

I am looking forward to listening to Thomas’ lecture when it is uploaded to the ArcFest site, as I was busy at my stand when he was speaking.

Thanks to Dan and his team for running another great event.