27: Alternating Activations and Alternating Identities: A study of Medievalism within Modern Tabletop Wargaming

James Reah, @jamesreah123, Independent Scholar

Miniature Wargaming (MWG) is often an overlooked representation of Medievalism and is yet one of the best examples of liberal Neo-medievalism. Both developers and consumers mine the medieval world for both lore and narrative, and how models aesthetically appear. Miniature Wargaming reaches audiences of millions across the globe, and ever-increasing developers, games and events show this. Games Workshop, the current leading company in MWG, for example is expected to be worth £12bn by 2023. The majority of MWG formats take place in a fantasy setting – which lends itself to “pitched battle” style games. These fantasy settings predominantly present a medievalised world: this is represented both within accompanying lore, and in models’ appearance and nomenclature. Within rules, aesthetics, and unit composition, Neo-medievalism appears through tropes and stereotypical representations. Historical wargames will aim for a more authentic medieval theme, but fantasy wargames will use the liberties that Neo-medievalism offers.

Conquest: The Last Argument of Kings aims to replicate the brutality of medieval warfare within a fantasy setting. It achieves this modern viewpoint through focusing on combat as the primary mechanic and special rules for units such as armoured knights who charge. The human faction within The Last Argument of Kings allows players to create their own medieval fantasy kingdom through a unit roster that covers several tropes of medieval culture. This can include heavily armoured knights, and units that are related to a radicalised monotheistic religion.

Warhammer 40,000 (40K), presents a theme around Gothic Medievalism, as well as focusing on religious fanaticism that is often associated with the Middle Ages - the entire society being willing slaves to a “god-emperor” and the presence of numerous inquisitions.

Mortem et Gloriam originally focused on the ancient world, but expanded to include medieval eras. The game has a strong historical focus and attempts to authentically replicate historical warfare through the rules and authentically represented medieval model ranges.

These Miniature Wargames, while guided by a firm ruleset, invite people to engage with medievalism in a personal and tailored way. Players will collect and play with select armies often based on their appearance and lore, enabling players to focus on favoured neo-medieval themes. Moreover, the hobby offers expression with Medievalism through painting miniatures. Many may refer to historical and artistic sources to convey a sense of authenticity in their models' appearance. Others may use this as a platform to express their own interpretation.

Miniature Wargaming can be applied edutainment and ludology. Students can use the rule set and armies to “play-out” a battle and discuss tactics, disciplines and historical parallels, or create a new ruleset, with critical considerations on history, authenticity, and entertainment. Games in this genre encompass a range of representation, such as narratives, model aesthetic and rules designed to critically simulate aspects of medieval battles. Miniature Wargaming encourages self-expressive engagement with the medieval world and its most defining features in modern culture.

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