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. 5d ago

    50 – Hold On to Your Butts: Riding the 11th Edition Codex Rollercoaster

    Send us Fan Mail Erik opens with a feeling of the day that turns Steve's stomach. With the Orks codex out, Space Marines days away, Custodes about to be on preorder, and balance updates coming fast, 11th Edition feels like the top of a rollercoaster's first hill. The guys dig into why 15-detachment codexes and rapid balancing can cause analysis paralysis and how to get your footing back, both as the player and as the opponent across the table. Along the way they cover: The Ork paralysis problem — Erik explains why he hasn't put the new Orks codex on the table despite it dominating the meta and why he expects whatever list he builds to get nerfed this weekThe identity crisis — Steve argues that Orks have too many viable identities, which sparks a light-bulb moment for Erik: his favorite ways to play Orks are the weakest options in the new bookCalling your shot on hobby — why Erik stopped letting list-building drive his hobby backlog and how he's picking a play style (melee, Terminators, Rhinos) to paint toward before the Space Marine codex landsThe shape-shifting list — Steve lays out his 11th Edition mission: a take-all-comers list that can change its strategy mid-game, which earns high praise from ErikSnowflaking for advantage — the guys discuss why 11th may reward lists your opponents have never seen before and how to use the complexity of 11th responsiblyWhether you're here for the list-building theory or just want to hear Steve get dragged onto a rollercoaster he hates, this one's for you. 📖 Read Erik's battle reports at gmpwt.blog 📺 Watch on YouTube at @GrownMenPlayingWithToys

    50 – Hold On to Your Butts: Riding the 11th Edition Codex Rollercoaster

  2. Sep 21

    49 - Michelangelo vs. the Assembly Line: Three Perspectives on Painting in Warhammer 40K

    Send us Fan Mail Cousin Josh joins Erik and Steve for a full hobby episode on the painting side of 40K. Erik sits at the assembly-line extreme, Steve at the masterpiece extreme, and Josh in the middle, where the guys hypothesize that most of the community lives. Walking through their process step by step, they find that how you paint depends less on skill than on what you think the point of the hobby is. Along the way they cover: Michelangelo vs. the assembly line: Erik frames the three approaches, with Steve painting his Sistine Chapel, Erik cranking out the Model T, and Josh somewhere in betweenFive stages of painting: Steve's framework of prep, base coating, layering and detail, washes and effects, and finishing touches, with each host explaining what they do and what they skip entirelyPainting to play: Erik never buys a model until it's in a list, gets his kids to assemble for a couple of bucks, and leans on contrast paints and shades to get a battle-worn look that gets his models to the table quicklyChore or passion?: Josh calls painting a chore, Erik throws the challenge flag, and Josh explains how leaving models off their bases keeps him from rushing to play with themPrecision and prep: Steve makes the case for sanding mold lines, airbrushed base coats, zenithal priming from one direction for coherency, and dry brushing with his wife's old makeup brushTools, tips and no wrong way: The hosts debate super glue vs. plastic glue and how to varnish. Steve makes his pitch for a couple of good brushes and all three land on "find what you enjoy."Whether you're here for the painting tips or just want to hear Steve wince at Erik's paintbrushes, this one's for you. Blog: https://gmpwt.blog YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@grownmenplayingwithtoys

    49 - Michelangelo vs. the Assembly Line: Three Perspectives on Painting in Warhammer 40K

  3. Sep 14

    48 - Burning Bright: Playing as the Underdog in Warhammer 40K

    Send us Fan Mail Cousin Josh joins Erik and Steve again as they break down a game between Erik and his oldest son that turns into a masterclass on underdog strategy. Erik's son, fully back into 11th Edition, decides he can't beat his dad's Custodes in a straight fight, so he doesn't try. Instead, he turns the game into a race to 100 points, trades units for board position instead of value, and nearly pulls off the upset. The guys turn it into a full discussion of playing as the underdog versus the overdog and how knowing which one you are should change your win condition. Along the way they cover: The boat race strategy — Erik's son writes off killing Custodes entirely and instead sprints for 100 victory points, forcing Erik to play a perfect final three turns just to surviveTrading for board space, not points — why sacrificing Fuegan and five Fire Dragons on a bad points trade made total sense once you realize he was trading for tempo and secondary pressure insteadCousin Josh's quadruple C'tan callback — the guys connect the dots between Erik's son's plan and Josh's own C'Tan spam overdog strategy from a prior Necrons gameOverdog vs. underdog theory — Erik and Steve build out a framework for identifying which one you are before the game startsStrategy vs. plan — Cousin Josh admits he never plans while the guys work through the difference between a rigid tactical plan and a flexible overarching strategyNext Barnhammer teaser — Erik pitches deliberately assigning underdog and overdog roles at the next event, while Steve makes his pitch for a hobby-focused episodeWhether you're here for the underdog theory or just want to hear a kid race his dad to a nail-biter finish, this one's for you. 📖 Read Erik's battle reports at gmpwt.blog 📺 Watch on YouTube at @GrownMenPlayingWithToys

    48 - Burning Bright: Playing as the Underdog in Warhammer 40K

  4. Sep 5

    47 - Shake the Snow Globe: A Check In On Some Of Our Favorite Factions

    Send us Fan Mail Cousin Josh joins the chat (literally) for the first time, heckling Erik and Steve from the sidelines while they take a step back from the week-to-week to talk macro direction of where their favorite factions are headed.  The guys trade perspectives, Erik on rules and direction, Steve on models and aesthetics, and work through their factions to figure out who's cooking, who's stalled, and who just needs someone to "shake the snow globe". Along the way they cover: League of Votann's identity crisis — Steve likes where the rules are going but isn't sold on the trench coat aesthetic, and the guys agree "Rock and Stone" should just be the whole pitchSpace Marines get elite — why adding toughness granularity across armor types and pointing marines to be more elite could speed up games and make Phobos, Tacticus, and Terminators feel different from each otherGuard's too-many-cooks problem — Steve is not feeling Guard right now and Erik argues it is because Guard has an identity problem where it is split across several aesthetically different regiments all competing for the same design spaceCSM needs a shakeup — Erik loves the new models and lore flexibility but is bored of Defilers being the correct way to play.  The guys really just want the balance team to shake things up a bitDeath Guard's redemption arc — Steve declares Death Guard back on the menu and commits to bringing them to the next Barnhammer game weekendNecrons and Tyranids, the calm ones — Erik hopes the Necron Warriors get left as chaff instead of also getting buffed up with Space Marines and both guys are cautiously optimistic waiting on a Tyranids codexWhether you're here for the faction deep dive or just want to hear Erik lose a bet to Cousin Josh when Steve is able to make it an hour without mentioning wings, this one's for you. 📖 Read Erik's battle reports at gmpwt.blog 📺 Watch on YouTube at @GrownMenPlayingWithToys

    47 - Shake the Snow Globe: A Check In On Some Of Our Favorite Factions

  5. Aug 30

    46 - The Nerfing Eye of Sauron: Erik's Favorite Factions Take One on the Chin

    Send us Fan Mail A balance update dropped this past week and several of Erik's favorite factions got hit with nerfs. Steve declares it a "feelings podcast" and the guys work through Erik's frustration before landing on the real point: how to pivot a list instead of just complaining about it. Along the way they cover: The nerfing Eye of Sauron comes for Slaanesh — why Erik's strongest lists in Emperor's Children and Chaos Daemons ate the biggest points hikes in the update and how he is pivoting as a resultCustodes lose their combo — Lions of the Emperor jumps from 2DP to 3DP and can no longer pair with Might of the Moritoi, why the change was well-designed, and how it introduces additional detachment options even though it stingsThe Balance Update upset — Steve catches a rules change before Erik does for what he swears is the first time ever and Erik has to admit it on airForce disposition shuffling — small, targeted swaps like Huron's Marauders and Aspect Host switching to new Force Dispositions quietly open up entirely new ways to play old favorites and why Erik's oldest son is thrilled about one of themCrusher Stampede vs War Dog spam - Erik's youngest son challenges him to a game of bug vs robot and proceeds to blow up all of his Norns on the way to a ton of funWhether you're here for the balance update postmortem or just want to hear Steve's victory lap for catching a change before Erik, this one's for you. 📖 Read Erik's battle reports at gmpwt.blog 📺 Watch on YouTube at @GrownMenPlayingWithToys

    46 - The Nerfing Eye of Sauron: Erik's Favorite Factions Take One on the Chin

  6. Aug 22

    45 - Finding Your Nemo: Faction vs Force Disposition Specialization

    Send us Fan Mail Team USA won WTC and Steve blindsides Erik by admitting that he has fanboyed over it a bit.  The guys break down how a Guard player ground out key tournament-clinching wins and why "keep it simple and execute flawlessly" beat out other teams that tried to cook up secret-sauce lists. Somewhere in there it turns into a full discussion of force disposition specialization vs faction specialization. Along the way they cover: WTC's grind — how a Guard player known for playing a grind it out, death-by-a-thousand-cuts list sealed the WTC title for Team USA and why the tactic was more genius than luckTeam USA's "keep it simple" strategy — why the winning approach wasn't secret tech or off-the-wall lists, but trusting elite pilots to execute simple, proven lists better than anyone else in the roomFaction specialist vs. force disposition specialist — the theory Erik and Steve build out live, that your favorite army might not be the reason you win or lose, it might be whether that army's best force disposition actually fits how your brain playsThe kid outplays the dad — Erik's son builds a 30-point lead against him, hangs on to win despite getting outscored in the later rounds, and then calmly explains why Erik was playing the wrong force disposition the entire gameThe Blood Angels pop quiz — Erik reads Steve a Take and Hold list cold and Steve's "board control, board control, board control" read is close enough to the list's design philosophy to be awkwardWhether you're here for the WTC postmortem or just want to hear Erik's son casually call his Dad out for self nerfing via a Force Disposition mismatch, this one's for you. 📖 Read Erik's battle reports at gmpwt.blog 📺 Watch on YouTube at @GrownMenPlayingWithToys

  7. Aug 15

    44 - My Other Army Is a Flowchart: The Deliverability Problem

    Send us Fan Mail Erik is back on Orks and built a "just for fun" Da Big Hunt list that somehow tabled a CSM Defiler heavy army despite calling the Waaagh! in Round 1.  This has Steve's attention and the guys dive into why this strategy might have been the correct move, not just dumb luck, and what they can learn from it to help with future games.    Along the way they cover: The defensive Waaagh! — Erik calls the Waaagh! turn one, but instead of using it for damage, he uses it to tag and pin two Defilers against terrain.Deliverability, durability, damage — the three-part framework from top tier competitive players that Erik leans on to explain why his Ork list worked and why his CSM list did not. The engineer's flowchart — Erik distills 11th Edition mission design into four questions every list has to answer every turn and can confirm that it is kid-approved by his sonArchetype vs. identity — why "my faction's lore says it shouldn't play this way" isn't a real excuse and why playing the mission matters more than playing the vibeCousin Josh's callout — the "Orks are an army with no plan" jab that kicked off the whole experiment and Erik's very smug rebuttalKnights Thunderdome, coming soon — Erik and Steve pencil in a cross-faction deployment breakdown using Chaos Knights and Imperial Knights, protractor optional but strongly impliedWhether you're here for the tactical deep dive or just want to hear Erik's horror that Steve wants to bring a protractor to a tabletop game, this one's for you. 📖 Orks vs CSm game discussed: https://gmpwt.blog/2026/08/14/orks-da-big-hunt-vs-chaos-space-marines-pactbound-zealots/ 📖 Read Erik's battle reports at gmpwt.blog 📺 Watch on YouTube at @GrownMenPlayingWithToys

  8. Aug 7

    43 - Are You Not Entertained?

    Send us Fan Mail Erik and Steve were supposed to sneak out for a game at the Local Game Store (LGS) this week and instead got stuck at home, so naturally they spent forty-five minutes turning that disappointment into a full breakdown of why playing 40K at the LGS hits different than Barnhammer, Officehammer, or TTS ever will. Somewhere in there it also becomes a card game vs. tabletop philosophy seminar, and Erik accidentally reveals that he has no interest in running clubs and only exercises to "not be fat". Along the way they cover: The LGS effect — why playing on neutral ground in front of an audience of strangers and excited store owners adds something Barnhammer and TTS just can't replicateCards vs. minis — Erik's hot take that he thinks trading card games are more one-dimensional than 40K and why it hits a nerve with Steve harder than either of them expectedThe "I don't want to be fat" tangent — an endurance-sports rabbit hole that somehow explains why community matters more than either of them wants to admitDeck stacking, but make it transparent — how WTC's first defender/attacker pairing system turns the thing that would ruin a casual LGS game into the actual point of the tournament, while somehow still also being open and transparentWTC list geek out — a Squighog Boyz Waaagh built entirely to run people over, a Slaanesh Daemons alpha strike, and a Blood Angels Sanguinary Guard charge out of a Land Raider that neither of them saw comingThe next LGS attempt — Erik and Steve pencil in a rematch and its definitely not just an excuse to buy more modelsWhether you're here for the "are you not entertained" energy of playing at your local shop or just want to hear two grown men overanalyze why cardboard hits different than plastic, this one's for you. 📖 Read Erik's battle reports at gmpwt.blog 📺 Watch on YouTube at @GrownMenPlayingWithToys

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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
    50
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Grown Men Playing with Toys
  • Show Website
    Grown Men Playing with Toys

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