Midlife Heresy: A Warhammer Podcast

We are LIVE from the floor at Comic Con London! 🚀 In this episode, we’re bringing you straight into the chaos: dodgy microphones, epic cosplay spot-checks, weird and wonderful finds, and our first ever hosting of an eBay Live! Grab your badge and step into the convention hall with us! Many thanks to those that took time to stop and chat with us on the day including: @Adampaintsbadly @ironwarriorcosplay @7thcitycollectables @ebayliveuk

Today on Midlife Heresy , we’re joined by YouTube’s ultimate rumour hunter and Imperial Fists loyalist, Chapter Master Valrak! Rather than just talking about the latest leaks, we went deep. We explore how Valrak turned a childhood passion into a full-time career, his unfiltered thoughts on the state of 11th Edition, and we also put Valrak in the hot seat: If he was appointed Warmaster tomorrow, which Primarchs would he pick to conquer the galaxy—and who would backstab him first? Grab a brew, get your paints out, and settle in for 20 core questions with one of the biggest names in the Warhammer community.

Two armies entered the battlefield. One fighting for the glory of the God-Emperor, the other fighting for the Dark Gods. Both were convinced they were right—but only one of us remembered how his army actually worked. In this episode, Matt and Lucas dissect their latest tabletop battle between the fanatical Black Templars and the corrupted Chaos Space Marines. Expect tactical analysis, questionable decisions, sibling rivalry, and plenty of accusations of heresy.

Welcome back to Midlife Heresy , the podcast where two middle-aged brothers get together to debate 40K with absolutely zero adult supervision. This week, after a proper cold open recap of our latest match— Orks vs. Imperial Fists (featuring some truly questionable tactical blunders)—we pose a terrifying hypothetical: What if Matt and Lucas were handed the keys to Games Workshop for 24 hours? We step into the corner office as Joint CEOs of GW to fix, tweak, and overhaul the tabletop universe we love. From untangling the release calendar to solving starter sets, we’re running through the ultimate hobby wishlist.

Eighteen (well...twenty...) original Space Marine Legions went out to conquer the galaxy—but which one was actually the best ? We aren't picking our favorite Primarchs, arguing over the coolest armor schemes, or settling "who would win in a fight." In this episode, Matt and Lucas are ranking every single Legion (that we know about) from 18 to 1 based purely on cold, hard metrics: battlefield effectiveness, adaptability, real achievements, Heresy performance, and their lasting legacy on the Imperium. To keep things fair (and prevent instant civil war), we’ve established strict rules—including the most important one of all: we are ranking the Legions, not the Primarchs.

What if Erebus stubbed his toe and died on Day 1 of the Great Crusade? What if Magnus actually listened to Malcador? And what if Guilliman tried to manage Angron’s anger with an Excel spreadsheet? On this episode of Midlife Heresy , Matt and Lucas pull on the loose threads of Warhammer 40K lore to test the Butterfly Effect . We take tiny, seemingly insignificant changes to the history of the Imperium and follow the dominoes as they crash down across 10,000 years of grimdark history.

What happens when you give two beginners with very little Warhammer interest and zero Warhammer knowledge access to the Games Workshop webstore with a strict 1,000-point budget, and a theoretical limitless credit card? Complete tactical anarchy, surprisingly expensive taste, and far more Titanic units then is sensible. In this episode, Matt and Lucas put their marriages (and their wallets) to the test as they reveal the 1,000-point Warhammer 40,000 lists built entirely by their wives. One went full speed demon with the White Scars , while the other was drawn to the sleek, space-elf aesthetics of the Aeldari . Neither had any idea what the rules were — they followed the ultimate rule of cool. Join us as we break down the lists, run through the official Midlife Heresy Wife Army Rating System™ , and ask the ultimate question: Has she accidentally made a new meta?

Power Creep, Codexes, and 11th Edition Chaos. Three months into 11th Edition and Games Workshop is already ripping up the rulebook. In this episode, Matt and Lucas sit down to tackle the big questions every middle-aged tabletop gamer is asking: how do we deal with the 40k power creep? And are the rules, detachments and changes getting so bloated we can’t keep up without staring at our phones? We break down the massive shift for Space Marines, controversial Legends moves and the brand-new Ork Codex as well as taking an overall look at the 11th Edition Arms Race. Oh and Matt finally changes his t-shirt.

***SPECIAL GUEST ALERT*** This week on midlife Heresy, Matt and Lucas sit down with the one and only James from Tabletop tactics. We talk about his origin story, what happens when your hobby becomes your job, and the behind the scenes of creating one of the hobbies most popular video series. This is not one to miss.

We Pick Our Inquisitorial Retinues The Emperor has personally summoned us, handed over an Inquisitorial Rosette, and sent us to investigate a planet where everything has gone catastrophically wrong. The catch? We have no idea if we're fighting Chaos, Xenos, Heretics, or all three—so we’re drafting our ultimate 8-man retinues to handle the mess. Join Matt and Lucas as we take on the roles of newly appointed Inquisitors, setting up a competitive draft to build the most functional (or completely unhinged) squads in Warhammer 40K. Help us find the other middle-aged idiots who rediscovered Warhammer! If you enjoyed this episode, copy the link and drop it into your local gaming WhatsApp group, send it to a mate, or share it with your club. Help us hit our target of 50 new followers before the next drop! Have a heretical 40K opinion or a confession of your own? Send it in to be featured on the next show.

When 1,500 points of Chaos Space Marines clash with ancient Necron steel, plans don't survive contact with Turn 1. In this episode, Matt and Lucas sit down for a complete post-match autopsy of their latest Warhammer 40k battle. We’re breaking down everything—from deployment blunders and game-changing swings to the exact moment it all went off the rails.

This week, we share the magic of introducing new players to the tabletop, break down how 40K actually works at a high level, and reveal the golden rules for picking your very first army (hint: rule #1 is "coolness over meta"). Plus, we tackle: Major beginner mistakes to avoid (including the dreaded immediate pile of shame). Essential tips for surviving your first game without melting your brain. What we’d do differently if we were starting from scratch today. Whether you're battling painting anxiety or just trying to decide between Space Marines and Tyranids, grab your clippers, pour a coffee, and join us for some midlife hobby wisdom. 👉 Listener Question: If you could give just one piece of advice to someone buying their very first Warhammer army, what would it be? Drop your answers in the Spotify Q&A!

Everything You Need to Know Without Reading 400 Pages of Rules (from 2 Idiots). Warhammer 40k 11th Edition is here, and if you’ve ever looked at a tournament stream, stared blankly at a wall of rules, or charged a squad into certain death purely because "it looked awesome," this one’s for you. We aren’t tournament champions, but we have made every tactical blunder humanly possible so you don't have to. In this episode, we break down the core essentials of 11th Edition into plain, jargon-free English using our own recent game as a cautionary tale.

With the World Cup final only days away, Matt and Lucas pick their Warhammer 40k starting 11.

Everyone thinks their favorite fictional hero could conquer Warhammer 40,000. But we aren't asking who wins, who's strongest, or who has the best plot armor. Today, we are asking one brutal question: Who simply survives? We’re dropping 10 iconic pop-culture icons—including Master Chief, Batman, Luke Skywalker, and the Doom Slayer—into the grim darkness of the far future to see if they can last a single year. Will the Adeptus Mechanicus worship Optimus Prime or strip him for parts? Is the Warp trapped in there with the Doom Slayer? And how many seconds does a "Inquisition Speedrun" actually take? Hit play for our most chaotic, tangent-filled lore debate yet. Who did we miss? Drop your survival picks in the comments!

I'm out… or am I? Welcome to the grimdark Den. In this episode, Matt and Lucas are trading their dice for business suits and pitting two completely original, homebrew factions against the ultimate test: each other. The rules are simple: We’ve each designed a brand-new, completely original 40k faction from scratch. We have 10 minutes to pitch the lore, the aesthetic, the army mechanics, and the centerpiece model. Then, the investor takes the gloves off for their brutal due diligence. Get involved in the Spotify Q&A: Which faction gets funded, and which one is heading straight to the FAQs?

A few weeks ago, we dug through the galactic rubbish heap to crown the ultimate villain of the 41st millennium. Today, we’re trying to cleanse our souls. Welcome back to Midlife Heresy, and welcome to The Golden Aquila Awards ! This week, Matt and Lucas are looking at the other side of the coin: Who is the greatest hero in Warhammer 40,000? From the administrative exhaustion of Guilliman and the literal depression of Dante, to the xenos defiance of Farsight and the pure human grit of Commissar Yarrick, we are putting them all to the test. Can anyone actually top the tragic nobility of Sanguinius? Or will a grumpy Space Wolf steal the crown? Listen in to find out, and let us know: Did we get it right?

This week, the brain behind Deathcompany Dropout joins Lucas and Matt to discuss how he became the internet's favorite 40k rules translator. We chat about his hobby origins, favorite lore, and how he's rating 11th Edition so far. Stay tuned until the end to hear our deep, dark hobby confessions—because even a Space Marine has secrets.

Today, we are launching the ultimate Exterminatus . No fixes. No balance dataslates. No "maybe they'll get better in the next Codex." We are permanently deleting one faction, one unit, one legendary hero, one rule, and one toxic hobby practice from existence. Forever. Will the T'au get binned? Is Guilliman heading back to his stasis pod permanently? And which one of us is about to lose our hobby license for our take on unpainted armies? And once you're done screaming at your headphones, we want to hear from you. If you could permanently delete one thing from the hobby—a faction, unit, hero, rule, or hobby trend—what is going in your personal incinerator? Drop a comment and let us know!

Grab your power armor and your scorecards, because the Midlife Heresy boys are tackling the ultimate grimdark question: Who is the absolute greatest villain in Warhammer 40,000? This week, Matt and Lucas lay down strict judging criteria based on evilness, setting impact, miniature coolness, and just how badly you want to hit them in the jaw. We put eight of the galaxy’s worst offenders on trial—from Abaddon’s "meme-escaping" black crusades to Fabius Bile’s human-skin trench coat chic.