Welcome to Mana Burn Codex

Welcome, fellow gamers, to my first-ever blog! I’m Matt, and I have been addicted to the plastic crack that is the world of tabletop wargaming for about 25 years. And I have no desire to stop this addiction! This blog is a way for me to interact with our fantastic hobby in yet another way! In this first post, I just want to let you get to know me and my hobby journey.

My Excitement as a Wargamer

I started my journey as a wargamer back in the year 2000 when I was only 17. A friend got his first copy of White Dwarf issue 241. In that issue, they highlighted the Warhammer 40,000 Eldar army, featuring what I thought were the coolest-looking models of Swooping Hawks. That brief sight sold me; he and I each started an army—he with Orks and I with Eldar. 

I lost my first Eldar army; I can't recall where I put them or whether I gave them away. But my second army, the one I still have, is Tyranids that I have been collecting and adding to for some time. Though I did take a break when my kids were young, fearing they would swallow a model, I spent a few years in Dungeons and Dragons and other TTRPGs, as well as board games. However, in the last couple of years, as my kids have grown older, I no longer fear they will eat my precious models. With the advent of 3-D printing and model-agnostic games, my passion for wargaming has sprouted anew and with great enthusiasm! There is a small part of me that knows I'm getting back into the hobby as a midlife crisis. Sure, most men get a car or worry about their clothing. Those are things they did when they were in high school; however, I played with plastic army men, painted, built lists, and played games. I have to say, the memories the game gave me when I was young got me through that awkward time in high school. While I loved the gameplay, painting and list building have always been my favorite parts of the hobby.

Early on, we lived in a small home, and I did my painting on a bar stool; I still have that stool in my workroom today, covered in paint from my early armies. I spent so many breaks at my old job with my Eldar codex and notebook paper, fussing with points to find the perfect army designed to table my foe. Of course, I learned a valuable lesson from a friend who played Orks: tabling is not the best way to win; objectives matter far more. He proved this by keeping his Warboss alive during an endless assault where I kept bringing back Wraithguard and Wraithlords. It was my first (of many) losses over the years.

Currently, the wargames I am playing are One Page Rules, Warhammer 40,000, Trench Crusade, Maladiction, and Hardwar. For role-playing games, I play Dungeons and Dragons, Starfinder 2E, and Pathfinder 2E. As for board games, it is easier to say what I don't play, though I plan on posting blogs about my favorites over time!

What to Expect from Mana Burn Codex

The goal I have for Codex is to explore these growing passions with others, as well as document my own journey. I want to not just explore my own journey, but also other wargames that are out there! The biggest issue I had was where to host my blog; I don't know anything about the world of blogging. Thankfully, my friend Devin is creating a company that focuses on daily life and brings our love for games into said daily life. He was more than happy to let me post a blog here!

Join the Conversation

As I hope this grows into a community, I would love to hear from you about all of this. Please tell me what you think and what you would like to know more about!