For two days, a meeting hall at the Royal Canadian Legion鈥檚 Aldergrove branch was a world that included malevolent Chaos Daemons, along with the largest fighting force in the galaxy (the Astra Militarum, or Imperial Guard) as well as the ancient Aeldari, or Eldar species, and other elements of the popular Warhammer 40,000 game.

It was the 鈥淗eroes of the Mid Table鈥� grand tournament, with 36 competitors battling it out on tabletop battle settings, organized by Burnaby resident Shayne Mitchell and Mid Table Tactics, a 91原创-based studio with its own to broadcast Warhammer competitions.

Mitchell, who was wearing a referee鈥檚 shirt to underline his role in the event, called it a 鈥渕edium-sized event.鈥�

He described it as a battle for 鈥渂ragging rights and an excuse for all of us to get out and socialize. The last few years have been rough [due to COVID]. So, it鈥檚 good to get out into the community and get everyone back playing and having a good time together again.鈥�

One of the top-ranked players, Dan Miner from the Mid Table crew, explained the appeal.

鈥淚t鈥檚 just a lot of fun,鈥� Miner, a Coquitlam resident, explained.

鈥淲e get to continue to be kids, basically right into our adulthood.鈥�

Miner, who has been organizing and running Warhammer 40K events for close to 20 years, said some competitions can draw big numbers.

鈥淚n the U.S., there鈥檚 events that are up to a thousand players,鈥� Miner said. 鈥淣ext Easter weekend in Richmond, I鈥檓 running a 200-person event.鈥�

Set in the distant future of the 41st Millenium, 鈥�,鈥� Warhammer 40K, created by , is said to be the most popular miniature wargame in the world, mixing magical and science fiction elements, and played with highly detailed miniatures on tabletop battlefields that can include buildings, hills, trees, and other terrain features.

A Wikipedia entry explains each player takes turns moving their model warriors around the battlefield and fighting their opponent. Fights are resolved 鈥渦sing dice and simple arithmetic.鈥�

At the Aldergrove event, the overall winner was J.T. McDowell from Mission, who went undefeated through the entire tournament.

The next Aldergrove Warhammer event is planned for the weekend of Feb. 24 and 25, once again at the legion.