Battlechat 112 with Dr Phil Hendry

At long last, I’ve managed to get the marvellous Phil Hendry on the show, after chasing him for several years!

Many of you will know Phil already, especially if you are an Ancients gamer, but for those unfamiliar with his work, you’ll discover that he gained a reputation in two ways. Firstly, as a very intelligent chap, he became a highly respected Ancients gamer in particular, which led to him eventually creating his own ruleset, Augustus to Aurelian which is still available direct from him and which Neil Shuck reviewed very favourably in Battlegames issue 32.

Secondly, he caused something of a storm in the miniatures painting world by becoming one of the first people in the UK, at the behest of the then nascent Warlord Games, to use the now commonplace ‘dip’ for shading figures, created by The Army Painter. It’s hard to remember just how much outrage and sputtering this created at the time! See the cover of MWBG 385 above featuring some of his Sassanid cataphracts.

Phil’s wargaming interests have wandered far and wide, though firmly rooted in his love of Rome, and I was delighted to discover that he too has a passion for the Peninsular War – which he intends to pursue in 6mm. What a marvellous coincidence! You probably know my own plans for Salamanca in that scale, as yet unrealised, so Phil’s interest may just be the shot in the arm I need.

Our chat ranges far and wide to reveal a great deal about the man behind the smile, his career and his journey into and through the hobby. But the show is also noteworthy, I hope, because Phil bravely discusses his recent diagnosis of autism, a condition that he has lived with all his life, but he has only recently begun to unravel the way it has affected his life up to now, bringing him much deeper understanding of his own personality.

My thanks to Phil for a most enjoyable chat. He’s fairly shy online these days, but used to run a regular blog and you’ll catch him at the shows. See more details below for contacting him.

Henry