Warhammer “The Opposite of ‘Chillaxing'” says Ed Miliband

May 24, 2012 by brennon

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With all the hype over Warhammer 40,000 its easy to forget its Fantasy brother. Thankfully news today proclaims that in the upper echelons of power Warhammer Fantasy Battles enjoys pride of place.

Yes that's right. It seems the leader of the Labour party Ed Miliband enjoys a spot of Wargaming when he isn't trying to unseat the ConDem party...

Ed Miliband

He said: “It’s quite the opposite of ‘chillaxing’ – rather it is a military simulation of the type practiced by great leaders since Roman times.

I don’t even enjoy it, I do it from a sense of responsibility. For example last week I confronted the moral complexities associated with weapons of mass destruction when I used a siege catapult on some elves. The fantasy context does not appeal to me especially. The game could represent any theatre of war – Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran – it just happens to be populated by highly detailed miniature orcs with hand-painted banners.

Obviously though if my mighty chaotic orc battalion causes a puny elf army to rout and flee there’s a certain frisson, I won’t deny it.”

Via The Daily Mash

But we've delved deeper and discovered its not just Ed Miliband who enjoys a game of WarhammerFantasy!

Vince Cable

The Secretary of State for Business Vince Cable, or 'The Dark Lord of the Undercity' as he likes to be called when down at the Hobby Centre, loves to get his Skaven out onto the battlefield. "I love the backstabbing and political intrigue in their army"

Lembit Opik

On the other side even former minister and failed London Mayoral Nominee Lembit Opik enjoys a game or two. Interestingly he revealed "I always enjoyed Warhammer but it really took off when my then partner Gabriela Irimia (of Cheeky Girl fame) got me into the Vampire Counts army. I guess I was lured by her Transylvanian roots."

Warhammer fever seems to have gripped the entire political spectrum with even people like John Prescott admitting his love of Ogre Kingdoms "They love eating and punching folk, so it worked for me".

It's not all roses though for our war gaming ministers. Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg enjoys the game but according to other gamers he usually "...ends up sitting by the side lines and hopelessly advising David Cameron".

Are there any personalities from the media or politics you know who play?


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