Wage war in Ireland

Welcome to the war zone. There you are, staring across the battle plain somewhere in Athlone (Blyry estate, actually). Ancient, gnarled oaks punctuated the horizon as if they had been placed there purposefully. Bright, roughly-painted shields dangle from soldiers’ arms, as if a giant’s brush had done the artwork. Suddenly, huge gemlike cubes fall from above, striking the ground violently and tumbling toward your armies, knocking the first few rows from their feet.

Yes, Warhammer has come to Athlone in the form of Valhalla Games.

If the smooth pieces on your chessboard are looking a little dull, if you enjoy pretending there are legions of puny, immobile minions to do your bidding, if the world somehow seems a bit too . . . large . . . for ya or if you just want to make the most of your good eyesight and fine motor skills before age and arthritis catch up with you and you happen to live in the Irish midlands then REJOICE, BROTHERS! For Valhalla Games, purveyors of teeny tiny figurines and tabletop-size thrills have opened in Athlone’s Blyry Estate.

Wifey, who, for reasons unbeknownst to her loving husband, likes painting tiny little people went to check out their opening night this week. Here’s the hilarious thing – there were two prizes to be won. The first was a door prize by draw everyone got to enter just by coming and the second was a test of mental arithmetic wherein competitors were given some random figures and tried to calculate where a spear would land based upon them. The grumpy frenchman won the first prize and wifey the second.

Had the teeming masses known I designed the shop’s logo I’m quite sure there would have been cries of tampering with the results . . .

Valhalla Games | 10 Centre Court Blyry Estate, Athlone, Co Westmeath | +353 (0) 87 921 0030