Warhammer is the most popular miniature war game in the world. On Feb. 7-8, Fishers High School juniors Kyle Chapman and Jacob Grogan began competing in the Warhammer 40,000 Hoosier Hammer Cup, losing their first round of five. The Hoosier Hammer Cup consisted of players across the nation, primarily in the Midwest. Chapman and Grogan entered the competition with the team “Too Many Tentacles.” Both students joined for similar reasons.
“I’m really just here because I got invited by three very good friends,” Chapman said. Grogan echoed the sentiment.
“I just got added [to the group] one day and I’m like ‘cool, guess I’m in it now,’” Grogan said. “It [just] veered off from that and I became one of the main guys, it’s pretty cool.”
Both juniors have competed in multiple tournaments in the past. Grogan won a few tournaments prior to competing in the Hoosier Hammer Cup. The competitive landscape constantly changes as each tournament varies in format and team composition.
“I’ve competed in [about] four other tournaments,” Chapman said. “They’re extremely different than this one. I’ve only competed in ‘singles’ tournaments where I was on my own, not shown the ropes, [or really] anything.”
The team expects to place well in the tournament. There is no expectation of winning since they lost their first round, however the members have some ambitions. Chapman hopes to finish 4-1 overall. This ambition is echoed by team captain Coda Cyders and teammate Riley Reed.
“I think we [want to] go positive [with our] win record,” Cyders said. “That would be three wins and two losses minimum, but stuff happens. If not, I’d rather we have five good games of Warhammer.”
Reed agrees, further emphasizing ideal scoring.
“I’m thinking because we lost round one we [want to] go either 4-1 or 3-2.” Reed said. “I think that’s a reasonable goal. We got our butts kicked by one of the best teams in the world so we kind of knew that was going to happen. I think we [have] got a shot at getting some more round wins in.”
Members of the team practice to improve their abilities in the game of Warhammer. This contributes to their ability to attain wins in a tournament setting. Some members try to keep a practice schedule, with life circumstances playing a role in consistency.
“I try and play about once a week, [but] I don’t always get to do that,” Reed said. “I’m currently working a full-time job and doing hybrid law school in the evenings so that doesn’t always happen.”
He is not the only member who has to balance life and practice.
“I try to get at least two games in a week.” Cyders said. “With college it gets a little more complicated, but [practice] absolutely matters. What we say [most] of the time is that it’s better to be comfortable with what you are running and know your rules.”
Knowing how to best play is very important to success. Reed encourages joining the hobby, noting positive impact it has had on his life.
“Everyone should play 40,000; it’s an amazing game,” Reed said. “[The game is] life-changing. It will demolish your bank account but the community that you get into with this [is] fantastic. [You’ll make] some of the coolest, longest lasting friends you will ever have.”
