Catching Up on the Hobby Desk

It feels like ages since I last posted anything here. Life has been doing that thing it does—between a few health hiccups, family commitments, and just generally not being in the hobby headspace, the weeks have slipped by faster than I’d like. But, despite all that, I have managed to sneak in some hobby time here and there, so I thought it was about time I gave you a proper catch-up.

The Racing Game – Hitting the Brakes, Rebuilding the Engine

So, the racing game. This project has been both exciting and frustrating in equal measure lately. The main issue I’ve been wrestling with is the upgrade system—particularly the way weight was affecting performance. In my original design, if you went full throttle on speed upgrades, your racer would absolutely blitz around the track. Great fun if you were the one with the nitro-fuelled rocket, not so great if you’d taken a more balanced loadout with armour or utility upgrades.

It turned into a bit of a “win more” situation where the speed-focused racer had such a huge advantage that the slower one barely stood a chance. That’s not what I want from this game. Racing, at its best, should feel tense and unpredictable—you should always feel like you’re one daring corner away from stealing the lead.

So, back to the drawing board I went. After a few tweaks and rewrites, I’ve now got a system that feels much more balanced. It’s not perfect yet—it needs a lot more playtesting before I’ll be happy to release it—but the races already feel more exciting and fairer. I’ll keep sharing thoughts as the testing goes on.

Ironclads of Ferrosia – The Skies are Opening Up

When I’ve not been tearing my hair out over racing mechanics, I’ve been diving back into Ironclads of Ferrosia. The next supplement is shaping up to be a fun one because… flyers are coming!

Yes, the seas will soon be patrolled not just by mighty iron warships, but also by steam-powered flying contraptions of all shapes and sizes. Expect Zeppelin-style giants drifting above the waves, rotary-wing oddities buzzing around like mechanical wasps, and even some heavily armoured flying warships that look like they’ve defied both gravity and good sense.

Of course, if you’re going to have flying machines, you’ll need something to shoot them down. Enter the new flak-ships—bristling with guns designed to fill the sky with lead. I’ve also added some new weapons for the flyers themselves, ranging from quick-firing light guns to heavier ordnance, and yes, there will be bombs. Because what’s a flying war machine without the ability to rain destruction from above?

To make it all even better, there’ll be a set of new 3D print files so you can get these flyers and anti-flyer ships on the table straight away. I can’t wait to see the first proper fleet-vs-fleet games where the skies matter just as much as the seas.

Something New – Fantasy Battles!

And then there’s the new kid on the block. I’ve have started work on a set of fantasy battle rules. If you’ve played any of my other systems, you’ll know my approach: rules that are easy to pick up, quick to play, but still capable of creating those big cinematic moments we all love in wargaming.

This fantasy set will follow the same philosophy, but on the battlefield scale. The rules are being designed to work across different miniature scales, from massed 6mm forces right up to 28mm armies. At the moment, I’m testing things with 10mm figures because they strike a nice balance between detail and affordability.

I’ve even started putting together two forces of my own: an Elf army and a Chaos army. They’re still in the building stage, but I’m itching to get some paint on them and start showing off the progress. The core rules will come with a good mix of factions to get people started, but I’m also planning little “faction packs” later on, so the armies and options can keep growing.

Looking Ahead

So that’s where things stand at the moment—three projects all bubbling away at different stages. Hopefully, it won’t be too long before I can post a battle report or two, especially once the fantasy armies start to take shape or the flyers get airborne.

In the meantime, if you want to see updates a bit earlier (or just fancy chatting about rules, minis, or hobby in general), come hang out on my Discord. The link’s in the Community section of the site, and it’s always great to have more voices in the mix.

Until next time—happy gaming, and may your dice roll true!