If you love Warhammer lore and playing games, the Grand Narrative might just be the best gaming weekend you’ve ever had. This year it’s taking place in November, in Atlanta Georgia.
That still feels like a long way away, so we’re taking a look back at the 2022 event to give you a taste of what’s in store for this year.
Hundreds of Warhammer fans gathered in New Mexico in November 2022 for the inaugural Grand Narrative – the largest Warhammer 40,000 narrative gaming event in the world, and the only one whose outcome becomes “official lore”. But the main reason most people attend is to play a series of fun narrative games of Warhammer 40,000 against great opponents.
The Grand Narrative is about community, immersion, and story. It has a very different feel from a competitive tournament – for a start, there’s no winner, and personal glory is secondary. Instead, attendees are playing to advance the story in favour of their faction’s goals.
Players battled across various war zones over that long weekend, each represented by its own room of custom tables that leaned into the theme. This went way beyond just the table’s terrain – the decor and environment of each room was tailored to that war zone.
For example, the temperature of the ice world room was kept a cool 4° below the rest of the event, while the forest room boasted a pleasant pine scent. Plenty of players found that their favourite room was the cathedral – ambiently lit by candles and complete with a Ministorum preacher* who periodically proclaimed prayers to the Emperor that no doubt bolstered loyal Imperial attendees.
In fact, most of the staff running the event were also part of the story, which was delivered and updated through narrative briefings at the end of each round. The cast featured a dour Imperial Lord-Commissar, an enigmatic Aeldari Farseer, and a slightly unhinged and increasingly irate Traitor General.
Ultimately it was Ilthalech Starblade’s xenos forces who claimed true victory in the Szabryne System, after exploiting the conflict between the loyalists and heretics, and manipulating other alien factions.
The calibre of painted armies was incredibly high – many of the armies were the product of years of loving collection, and it showed. Equally, many armies were clearly built and painted specially for the event, with their own unique narratives on display.
Here are a few of our faves:
Elsewhere at the event, there was a Titan painting class in which an entire demi-legio of Warhound God-Machines was painted up in record time. They even marched to war on the last day of the narrative, in a titanic mega-battle that shook the story of the campaign.
On the opposite end of the gaming size-scale, the campaign also saw a huge Space Hulk drift into the war-torn system. This gave players an opportunity to enjoy an impromptu evening of Kill Team: Into the Dark. A little bit of extra Warhammer to go with your weekend of Warhammer!
All in, the event was an absolute blast, and the whole atmosphere and mood of the weekend was electric. All involved got into the spirit of the occasion – and all came away with their own story to tell.
This year’s Grand Narrative is set to be even more spectacular. The 2023 venue will be the luxurious Hyatt Regency Atlanta, which also gives easy access to some highlights of the city for those that want bit of a city break to mix up their immersive Warhammer weekend.
At the same venue, we’ll be welcoming over 100 qualifying players for the hugely expanded World Championships of Warhammer, making this a massive occasion that celebrates the full spectrum of Warhammer gaming. We’ll even have a Warhammer Preview, so you get the first chance to see some amazing forthcoming releases.
Tickets for the 2023 Grand Narrative, as well as the US Open events in Kansas City MO, Tacoma WA, and Tampa FL, go on sale next Friday, 10th February. We’ll see you there.
* Though he did become increasingly purple and pro-xenos as the event went on…