Company Profile - Warlord Games

Small soldiers

Warships gather in the choppy waters off the coast, bombers soar overhead to replenish their payloads back at the airfield, and in the ruins of a once bustling village, an enemy battalion is wiped out by a well-placed mortar. No, it’s not the latest blockbuster war movie from Steven Spielberg or Ridley Scott – it’s just another day at Warlord Games’ Nottingham base, which plays home to its manufacturing hub, warehouse and dedicated public shop. Rachael Simpson-Jones (and special guest) paid a visit to find out about the company’s retail expansion plans and what makes its wargaming ranges stand out from the rest.

Founded 16 years ago by managing director John Stallard - a 25-year veteran of Games Workshop until his redundancy from the company Warlord Games specialises in highly detailed, affordable, historically accurate wargaming models: soldiers, ships, tanks planes and so on. John has long had a passion for tabletop wargaming, so he used his £40,000 of redundancy money to create the first ever Warlord product: a box of plastic Roman soldiers. They were a hit. Celts for the Romans to battle with swiftly followed, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Nowadays, the company creates metal, plastic and rapeseed-based resin miniatures and has a team of 97 people, 10 of which are based overseas (five in the US, two in Germany and one each in France, Spain and Poland). Warlord also has a sister company, Skytrex Miniatures, based in Loughborough. From the off, John’s aim was to create a range that combines the excitement of Airfix, with its stunning cover art, along with the classic elements of tabletop gameplay and the educational nature of history books: indeed, many sets contain engaging guidebooks detailing the background of the soldiers within, their most important battles and notable individuals.

“If I had to choose between historical accuracy and fun, in terms of which way to skew the range, I’d choose fun,” John explains. “There have been plenty of wargaming rulesets to follow over the years, many of them no fun whatsoever and designed to keep youngsters out. Kids would have to find an adult to teach them how to play. Accessibility was a founding principle of Warlord. Our starter box sets, for example, contain two armies and guidebooks explaining who’s who and how to play, all at a very attractive price.”

John agrees with the general industry consensus that geek is now chic, with far more adults proudly engaging in gaming or toy collecting that previously would have raised eyebrows. I should probably disclose at this point that my husband, Lewis, is a huge wargaming fan, and that we have a roomful of Warlord product in our house. (Lewis was left downstairs, merrily playing a campaign with the Warlord shop team, while I was interviewing John.) John also agrees that painting wargaming figures, a fundamental part of building out an army, provides numerous mindfulness and mental health benefits. For these reasons, more and more consumers are taking up the hobby, making wargaming a category retailers should take notice of.

Warlord’s team of 10+ passionate salesmen currently works with around 650 trade accounts, selling in some 18,000+ SKUs ranging from ancient Egyptians to the Second World War and scales from 28mm to the Epic 15mm line. The Warlord range looks truly impressive on-shelf, as visitors to the Nottingham shop will see for themselves. The boxes feature stunning artwork – John has the original paintings hanging proudly in his office and around the HQ – and clearly detail what’s within.

Retailers considering stocking the range are usually provided with free samples, an approach that Warlord says really pays off. Sampling demonstrates the company’s confidence in its products and proves to retailers that they don’t hang around on-shelf long. And once that sampling has retailers convinced, there’s no MOQ for a first order (though Warlord has put together various New Customer bundles which can be tailored to any budget), carriage paid is only £200 + VAT, and an FSDU is available which is not only beautifully decorated but very easy to assemble too. This comes as part of a wider POS pack which includes posters, window stickers and more. New releases each and every month keep consumer interest high and drive repeat footfall. As John says: “The great thing about history is that is keeps happening.”

Warlord staff unfailingly put consumers first, taking a ‘do first, ask permission later’ approach that has seen the company win no less than five customer service awards from specialist magazine title Wargames Illustrated. Faulty product is exchanged on a no-questions-asked basis, and each box contains a small note showing who it was packed by. It’s a small gesture, but one that shows the big heart behind the company and the passion of its people.

One of those people is Craig Nixon, Warlord’s new business manager, who has been with the company for five years this month, and in his current role for five months. Craig is laser-focused on opening new accounts, particularly in the aftermath of Covid, which he says hit Warlord’s customer base quite hard. Since he moved into this role, he and his team, Jonathan and Bojan, have opened some 100 new accounts and counting, but he feels there is vast potential for further expansion in this under-indexed category, especially within indie toy shops looking to explore exciting new categories and attract new demographics, such as Toymaster members, garden centres, museum shops and more.

Warlord’s sales team takes the view that retailers aren’t just customers for six months, but rather for six or 16 years. Indeed, the company has customers who have been with it for 15 years and counting. The company’s dedicated account managers are keen to forge strong, lasting relationships with stockists, something that will be music to the ears of a many a reader. Craig highlights the strong margins offered by its products (35% is standard, going up to 43% on some lines), as well as their ease of access: the 2-player Blood Red Skies and licensed Judge Dredd games start at just £60 RPP, each containing two different forces. Split between two friends, that’s a very affordable way to enjoy hours of painting and gaming, especially when compared to some legacy boardgames that offer comparatively less playing time.

Lowering the barrier to entry is something Craig is always keen to discuss: a low MOQ and generous credit terms once initial orders are done, as well as demo kits, prize giveaways and Starter Sets at low cost, allow customers to get into the games easily.

I asked Craig if there was anything he feels are holding retailers back from giving Warlord’s range a go. The perceived ‘glorification’ of war appears to be a barrier to some, though Craig notes that many best-selling games throughout the ages have been based upon a conflict between players. “Pokémon, Magic the Gathering, Risk –crikey, who among us has never fallen out over a game of Monopoly?” he asks with a laugh. He also reiterates what John says regarding the educational aspect of wargaming. Some gamers collect armies based on regiments local to their country or region, so they can learn more about their equipment, uniforms and notable skirmishes; the Vikings play a big part in the history of York, so Viking SKUs from the Hail Caesar range, for example, could be expected to sell particularly well there.

The company’s order forms detail a lot of products, but to make things easier, retailers can opt for starter bundles that will ease them into it, featuring a selection of Warlord’s Top 250. Toymaster members, meanwhile, receive smaller, more focused order forms from which buyers can select only the cream of the crop, the lines most likely to appeal to a wide demographic and those that offer the best value for money.

“There’s a lot of people out there who will have grown up watching the likes of Sharpe, or films such as Master & Commander and Saving Private Ryan,” adds Craig. “We tap into the evocative nature of history with games that bring people together round a table, and this style of gaming is only growing in popularity as in-store gaming, tournaments and wargaming clubs pick up speed. Even people who want to do nothing but sit and paint can enjoy our products for just that purpose. I like to say that tabletop wargaming is a bit like a bag of hot chips: you walk past someone eating chips and what happens? You want some too. Wargaming is the same. You see it and you want to play. As for where to begin, I’d always advise starting off with our Bolt Action range, which comprises 50% of our sales and is a year-round best-seller.”

Behind the scenes, the company has recently expanded its warehouse space and web store, and is also working on a tournament programme which retailers are invited to get involved in. Warlord has also had some investment in the form of Hornby, that perennial best seller of Airfix and Corgi Models, investing in a 25% ownership stake. Craig says it shows that Hornby appreciates the customer focused, long term mentality Warlord has and that it is keen for the two companies to work together. He adds: “We appeal to the same markets: people who appreciate the artistry and detail of these models and how it can bring generations together. We just happen to have the game to go alongside it.”

Warlord also recently held its annual open day, which gave consumers a look not just at the warehouse and a chance to speak to John himself, but a sneak peek at the manufacturing of Warlord’s products including the metal/resin/plastic casting and de-moulding processes. Lewis and I were treated to the same during our visit: metal and resin casting take place downstairs, where the warehouse and shop, with its huge wargaming table also reside, while plastics moulding, mould-making, painting and publishing are all based upstairs. Our tour really highlights the human knowledge, experience and care that goes into making these products: the metal casting demo by casting coordinator Peter Hely was a particular highlight. Warlord takes pride in its British manufacturing, exporting around 70% of what it makes here in the UK (which accounts for around 90% of the entire product range). The Nottingham base offers room for further growth, too, meaning production can be scaled up further as expansion demands.

“We might not be a family company, but we’re a family here nonetheless,” John finishes. “Warlord is easy to stock, easy to sell and easy for people of all ages to play, and I’d invite anyone out there still unsure about stocking it to get in touch ASAP so we can show you what you’re missing.”