Grown Men Playing with Toys

Steve and Erik
  • 5.0 (6)
  • GAMES

Join us as friends (strategic, stoic “Erik” and observant, energetic “Steve”) discuss topics and experiences that surround their world of Warhammer gaming. Our goal is to explore the intersection of casual and competitive 40K thru a balance sharing stories about our funniest, most frustrating, or straight up craziest Warhammer experiences (Steve’s goal) with deep, analytical thinking about the game and how to improve at it (Erik’s goal).  Beyond that, it’s an excuse for two friends to talk and share how the lessons learned playing with our toy soldiers have enriched our lives and deepened our friendship.”

  1. 33 - There Is Only War... and Middle Child Syndrome

    2D AGO

    33 - There Is Only War... and Middle Child Syndrome

    Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the "Grown Men Playing With Toys" podcast, Erik and Steve do something they probably should have seen a therapist about first — they apply the science of birth order psychology to the entire Warhammer 40K universe. The guys break down the stereotypes of oldest, middle, and youngest children and then systematically sort every faction in the game into one of those three buckets. Spoiler alert: some feelings may have been hurt in the making of this episode. Along the way they tackle: The Big Three — why the Imperium, Chaos, and Xenos super-factions map almost perfectly onto the birth order archetypes, and why it works both in lore AND on the tabletopDaddy's Best Boy — The unambiguous oldest child of 40K and why everyone else is basically wearing their hand-me-downsThe Forgotten Middle Children — They're here but didn't think anyone noticedYoungest Child Energy — They're trying so hard to outshine their older siblings while also enjoying (expecting?) being babied by GW.Lore vs. Tabletop — why several factions have a split personality depending on whether you're reading the books or rolling diceA formal apology to Cousin Josh — just kidding, there isn't oneWhether you're a firstborn who color-codes their army list, a middle child who plays Orks while munching on a choice crayon or two, or the youngest who expects GW to buff your faction at every dataslate — this one is for you. Check out our other content: https://gmpwt.blog/ https://www.youtube.com/@GrownMenPlayingWithToys

    1h 21m
  2. 32 - Be Excellent to Each Other

    APR 27

    32 - Be Excellent to Each Other

    Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the "Grown Men Playing With Toys" podcast, Erik and Steve do something a little different — Steve takes the wheel while Erik rides shotgun, and together they explore what happens when you step completely outside your comfort zone and learn a brand new game from scratch. While Erik was on away, Steve spent the weekend with Cousin Josh diving headfirst into Age of Sigmar — a game he had never really played before. What started as a casual hobby weekend turned into something surprisingly meaningful. Together they explore: The power of Faction Identity — why understanding what your army wants to do is the first and most important step when learning anything newMacro before Micro — how applying a strategic framework to an unfamiliar game can get you immersed and competitive faster than you'd thinkPlaying with Intent — why being transparent about what you're trying to do makes the game better for everyone at the table, and how it turns every mistake into a learning momentThe Joy of Discovery — why the feeling of learning something for the first time is one of the best things about this hobby, and how Steve found it again in the most unexpected placeWhat all of this means for 11th Edition — and why the upcoming rules shake-up might be exactly what we all needWhether you're feeling burnt out on the current edition, intimidated by a game you've never played, or just needed a reminder of why you fell in love with tabletop gaming in the first place — this one's for you. Check out our other content: https://gmpwt.blog/ https://www.youtube.com/@GrownMenPlayingWithToys

    1h 4m
  3. 31 - Where We're Going, We Don't Need Roads

    APR 20

    31 - Where We're Going, We Don't Need Roads

    Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the "Grown Men Playing With Toys" podcast, Erik and Steve do something a little different — they look backwards and forwards at the same time, connecting the dots between the past seven months of Erik's Crusade League and the most anticipated edition change in years. Erik is approaching the finish line of his local game store's Crusade League and has thoughts — a lot of them. Steve, meanwhile, has been deliberately avoiding 11th Edition previews, which means you're getting his completely unfiltered reactions. Together they explore: The Crusade League retrospective — the highs, the lows, and the moment Erik just let go of the rope on all that bookkeepingWhy "narrative" and "competitive" have never actually been opposites — and why 11th Edition might finally admit thatDetachment mixing and the 3-2-1 point system — game changer or balance whack-a-mole waiting to happen?Force Dispositions — and why Erik and Steve will never have to do the awkward mission chicken dance again (we hope)Whether you've ever shown up to a casual Crusade game only to discover every unit across from you is a hard counter to your army, argued uncomfortably over the pregame board setup, or just wanted your hobby to feel a little more narrative and balanced - this one's for you. Check out our other content: https://gmpwt.blog/ https://www.youtube.com/@GrownMenPlayingWithToys

    1h 12m
  4. 30 - I'm Terribly Sorry Sir. I'm Afraid You Are Mistaken.

    APR 13

    30 - I'm Terribly Sorry Sir. I'm Afraid You Are Mistaken.

    Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the "Grown Men Playing With Toys" podcast, Erik and Steve do one of the most uncomfortable things in 40K — they turn the camera on themselves and ask the question: what kind of mistakes do I actually make, and why do I keep making them? Erik spent the downtime between episodes doing what any self-respecting 40K nerd would do — combing through every battle report he's ever posted and building a full scouting report on himself. What he found wasn't pretty. Steve, meanwhile, discovers that he's been living inside his own set of mistakes without ever naming them. Together they explore: The macro strategy mistake — why building the "meta list" can be the worst thing you do if it fights your natural play styleThe micro strategy mistake — why the most exciting moment in your turn might also be the one that costs you the gameThe emotional tells that every player has — and why knowing yours is half the battleRules mistakes — why they're inevitable, why they sting differently than every other kind, and why the community sometimes loses its mind over themWhether there's ever a good way to resolve a rules dispute when it's just you, your opponent, and a barn full of painted plasticWhether you've ever rage-rolled into a Repulsor Executioner, burned your entire CP budget on a unit that was already going to win the fight, or found yourself in a tense standoff over whether a rule means what you think it means — this one's for you. Check out our other content: https://gmpwt.blog/ https://www.youtube.com/@GrownMenPlayingWithToys

    1h 14m
  5. 29 - Mo' Models, Mo' Problems

    APR 2

    29 - Mo' Models, Mo' Problems

    Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the "Grown Men Playing With Toys" podcast, Erik and Steve tackle one of the most common experiences in the Warhammer 40K hobby — the impulse buy — and discover that they couldn't possibly approach it more differently. Steve is the guy who walks into a GW store for a battle line unit for his current army and walks out with a flashy monster for a faction that he has never played. Erik is the guy who spends months talking himself into a new faction but then goes "all in" to collect the entire army once he is committed. Somewhere in between, they manage to explore: What even is an impulse buy and do you have to be standing in the store for it to count?The good, the bad, and the "I paid to paint an entire army I gave away"How nostalgia and pop culture fuel some of the hobby's best (and worst) financial decisionsThe impulse that lives inside the game — and why "I choose violence" is a completely valid tactical frameworkWhat happens when your impulse collides with everyone else's at the table?Whether you've ever fallen in love with a model you'll never field, talked yourself into yet another army, or just stood in a GW store knowing full well you're about to make a terrible decision — this one's for you. Check out our other content: https://gmpwt.blog/ https://www.youtube.com/@GrownMenPlayingWithToys

    1h 7m
  6. 28 - No More "And Then....."

    MAR 27

    28 - No More "And Then....."

    Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the "Grown Men Playing With Toys" podcast, Erik and Steve do what grown men do best — argue about made-up words on plastic soldiers and ask the question no Warhammer 40K content creator has been serious enough to tackle: are the game's keywords and abilities actually fun? The guys work their way through the most common keywords and special abilities in the game and rate them on pure enjoyment, covering things like: Does the ability create interesting decisions or memorable moments?Is it fun to use, fun to play against, or neither?Does it add to the drama of the game or just make your brain hurt?Whether it's the satisfaction of calling the Waaagh! or the soul-crushing experience of watching your opponent Reactive Move out of Charge range, the guys break it all down with the seriousness the topic absolutely deserves. The full Tier List can be found HERE. Check out our other content: https://gmpwt.blog/ https://www.youtube.com/@GrownMenPlayingWithToys

    1h 23m
  7. 27 - List Hammer, Math Hammer, Feelings Hammer

    MAR 14

    27 - List Hammer, Math Hammer, Feelings Hammer

    Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the "Grown Men Playing With Toys" podcast, Erik and Steve discuss the community’s negative reaction to a recent Warhammer 40K Balance Dataslate. The conversation frames players’ reactions as a progression thru the steps of:  “Slate Hammer” - establishing pre-slate expectations that a Dataslate needs to meet to be "good""List Hammer" - having fun through list building and optimizing your list through mental reps"Math Hammer ” - using various resources to calculate and optimize the power of your list into various opponents based on "statically average dice rolls"Warhammer - actually playing the game where variation comes from various sources: dice variance, Invulnerable Saves, Feel No Pains, Re-rolls, terrain formats, and misunderstood rules They encourage assessing your play environment and close by reinforcing the importance of communicating, trying games before doom-spiraling, and experimenting with lists/opponents/terrain. Check out our blog for more content: https://gmpwt.blog/

    1h 12m
  8. 26 - We've Forgotten What We're Fighting For

    FEB 26

    26 - We've Forgotten What We're Fighting For

    Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the "Grown Men Playing With Toys" podcast, Erik and Steve discuss being intentional about monitoring the pace of a game of Warhamer 40K.  They share a framework for breaking pacing into two approaches—“tempo and trade”  versus “stage and push.  They then explore how codex rules and lore can nudge armies toward one style while sometimes creating traps or opportunities for the player to slip into autopilot play. They connect tempo awareness to list building, matchup selection for close practice games, and in-game adjustments when an opponent disrupts expected pacing.   They close by framing micro-strategy as a tempo tool and discussing some of their favorite micro tools related to game tempo. Content Mentioned in this Episode: Erik's Grey Knights vs Harlequins Battle Report Check out our blog for more content: https://gmpwt.blog/

    1h 1m
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
6 Ratings

About

Join us as friends (strategic, stoic “Erik” and observant, energetic “Steve”) discuss topics and experiences that surround their world of Warhammer gaming. Our goal is to explore the intersection of casual and competitive 40K thru a balance sharing stories about our funniest, most frustrating, or straight up craziest Warhammer experiences (Steve’s goal) with deep, analytical thinking about the game and how to improve at it (Erik’s goal).  Beyond that, it’s an excuse for two friends to talk and share how the lessons learned playing with our toy soldiers have enriched our lives and deepened our friendship.”

Information

  • Creator
    Steve and Erik
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    33
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Grown Men Playing with Toys
  • Show Website
    Grown Men Playing with Toys

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