Warlord Games

Warlord Games is a UK-based designer, manufacturer, and distributor of tabletop wargames and accompanying 28mm scale miniatures. The company was founded in Nottingham in October 2007 by John Stallard and Paul Sawyer, two former Games Workshop employees who were made redundant. Their initial vision was to create plastic historical miniatures, a market they felt was underserved, and they began operations around Stallard's kitchen table. Their first product was a set of plastic Roman Legionaries, designed by Bob Naismith.

The company's business model revolves around the in-house design, manufacturing, and distribution of finely detailed miniatures in plastic, metal, and resin. It sells directly to consumers via its website and also through a network of over 600 distributors. The firm's product lines are centered around several core rulesets that cover various historical periods and genres. Their most popular and commercially successful game is "Bolt Action," a World War II skirmish wargame first released in 2012 and designed by Alessio Cavatore and Rick Priestley. Other significant game systems include "Black Powder," which covers the horse-and-musket era from 1700-1900 (including the Napoleonic Wars and American Civil War), "Hail Caesar" for ancient battles, and "Pike & Shotte" for the Renaissance period. The company has also expanded into science fiction with "Beyond the Gates of Antares" and licensed properties like the "Judge Dredd Miniatures Game".

A key milestone was the 2008 acquisition of the "Bolt Action" miniatures range, which provided a strong entry into the popular World War II wargaming market. This was followed by the development of the accompanying rulebook, which has become a de facto standard for 28mm WWII gaming. In July 2023, the model and hobby product company Hornby acquired a 25% stake in Warlord Games for £1.25 million, valuing the company at £5 million. This partnership aims to leverage Hornby's distribution network to accelerate growth. Co-founder Paul Sawyer passed away in March 2025 after a battle with cancer.

Keywords: historical wargaming, 28mm miniatures, tabletop games, Bolt Action, Black Powder, Napoleonic Wars, World War II gaming, miniature manufacturing, Hail Caesar, Pike & Shotte, ancient wargaming, horse and musket, model soldiers, wargame rulesets, plastic miniatures, metal miniatures, resin miniatures, Nottingham, John Stallard, Paul Sawyer