My name is Brent, and I am the Licensing and Contract Manager here at Privateer Press. I’ve been with the company for nearly a decade, and during that time, I have always believed that you, the player, deserve the best we can provide for your hobby.

Anything less is an insult to your craft. You spend innumerable hours painting your armies, pouring your heart and soul into telling a story even before your models hit the 4′x4′ battlegrounds of WARMACHINE and HORDES. Once you get your forces on the field, you dedicate countless hours honing your tactics. Any craft that merits that kind of dedication and devotion demands accessories to mirror your passion. So, I work very hard to find partners who can fill that need in a way that honors your hobby.

At Gen Con of last year, I had the pleasure of being introduced to Wyrmwood Gaming. Although they had a relatively small booth at the convention, their presence was huge. Parting the sizable crowd enchanted by their wares, I was overwhelmed by a collection of domestic and exotic hardwoods, lovingly crafted into gaming accessories for any type of dice or card game.

Now, I have seen others attempt this kind of product before, so I was skeptical. It’s one thing to make products in hardwoods; it’s another to do it with any sort of skill. So, I shook off the intoxicating scent of crafted hardwood and bound my focus to the workmanship of the pieces themselves. Every hand-sculpted line in the product was beautifully straight, almost inhumanly machine-like in their perfection. The artist had paid attention to the grain of the hardwood so that it flattered the shape of the product as a whole. When I opened the dice vault, I was shocked by how much resistance the magnets offered, showing me that the artistry of the dice vault certainly didn’t come at the cost of function.

I can report that after four months of consistent use and living full-time in my bag (which I treat very poorly) in a pocket with objects that are hard and sharp, the vault shows no visible wear. I couldn’t be happier with the purchase (except if I could get it in tiger maple; that would probably make me happier). More important, after researching the company and getting to know their leadership and corporate philosophy a bit, I knew Wyrmwood Gaming would be a great fit for Privateer and would take care of our audience.

I recently asked Eric a few questions about Wyrmwood in general and their impression of our games.

***

Who’s behind Wyrmwood Gaming?

The Costello Brothers and longtime friend Ed Maranville founded Wyrmwood on a simple belief: that gamers appreciate and deserve fine craftsmanship. Wyrmwood’s first outing was a tournament I was running at a local game store, and I joined their team shortly thereafter. We’ve grown from humble beginnings to a group of over 20 dedicated craftsmen, united in their passion to make the finest tabletop gaming products available today. By supporting our project, you support these craftsmen and our mission, and we sincerely thank each and every one of you.

What is your favorite wood to work with?

I can’t pick just one, but I can narrow it down to two. We chose the woods for this campaign because they are among our favorites. Cherry is such a classic American hardwood. It’s smooth and highly workable, and it acquires this beautiful golden patina as it ages. It engraves perfectly, and so it was the clear choice for this campaign.

The other is ebony, one of the hardest woods to work with, and it’s reserved for true master woodworkers. It is one of the world’s densest woods—it’s almost like working with metal. The combination of its hardness, the challenge it poses to work with it, its unbelievable black color, and its overall rarity made it the most exclusive wood possible for this highly limited Masterwork series.

Why partner with Privateer Press?

No player base has been more vocal about or appreciative of our craftsmanship than the players of WARMACHINE & HORDES! If I had to guess, I think that’s because when you spend hours painting and creating an army, you understand about working with your hands and reaching for the highest level of craftsmanship. Both the Faction Vault and Dice Tray Systems improve the experience of every battle, so we were thrilled to team up with Privateer Press to give those players a chance to show where their loyalty lies while simultaneously taking their games to the next level.

What is the craziest or coolest thing you have ever made?

It’s a real challenge to pick favorites. When we create a unique piece or design, it becomes part of our story as craftsmen, and those pieces and designs each hold a special place in the hearts of everyone involved. In our custom shop, I think about when we are able to work with ebony and precious metals as part of the composition. I love the contrast of the dark black of the ebony with the purity of the silver, and that’s why we selected that particular pairing for this campaign. It’s always a privilege to work with such rare materials.

If I had to pick just one piece for craziest…Doug made a stunningly beautiful dresser without the use of any sandpaper or other abrasives. The finish was achieved with countless thousands of strokes from a hand planer. For coolest, Doug and Ian are classically trained furniture makers, and they are without a doubt among the finest craftsmen I’ve ever worked with. For Ian, I’d point to some of his bespoke furniture for clients with exceptional means. For Doug, I’d go with one of his innovative designs, like the Magnetic Dice Tower.

Are there any big gamers at Wyrmwood?

The biggest gamer we have is Tony. His favorite faction is Circle Orboros, and as he’s 6′″11″ none of us are in a position to challenge him for that title. Most of us at Wyrmwood are very much into gaming, and our interests range from miniatures to card games to general board games. It’s a great mix of tournament players and casual gamers, all drawn together by a love of gaming and craftsmanship.

***

You can find the Wyrmwood Kickstarter for WARMACHINE and HORDES-branded Dice Trays and Dice Vaults live right now. Please take a moment to head over and see what Wyrmwood has to offer you!