Kings of War Hobby Spotlight: Rob Phaneuf

Today we’re handing over blog duties to Joe Neet again, as he interviews one of the titans of the Kings of War community: Rob Phaneuf.

Blues City Brawl, Counter Charge, Nashcon, WarDogs what do all these things have in common? One man, and that is Robert Phaneuf! While the humble Mr. Phaneuf will point to the many helping hands that he has, today I wanted to shine some light on the great community contributions Rob has made to Kings of War!

Two words come to mind when I think about Rob: events and clubs. An avid hobbyist, accomplished painter and player, Rob has made it his duty to enlighten as many people as he can about Kings of War and all things Mantic. So, let’s peer into the mind of this social genius and see how us mere mortals can try to emulate him!

Rob, real quick give us the scoop on who you are and how you came across Mantic?

Thanks for the warm introduction!  I’m Rob Phaneuf from Memphis and I’ve been playing tabletop miniature games for most of my life.   I first heard about this brash, upstart gaming company that had some nice model ranges on a podcast over 10 years ago.  I headed over to website and bought my first Mantic Models in March 2010.  This started my current love affair with Kings of War and converted my passing interest in podcasting into a full-blown obsession that’s now going on seven years.  

What is the aspect of the hobby that you love the most?

While I’ve always been a pretty vocal supporter of all facets of the hobby, I have to admit that my favorite aspect is the painting and modeling.  Aside from the obvious creative expression that it enables, the painting and modeling is a great stress reliever.  Plus, there is nothing like that high you get from sharing your creations with the world and seeing the originality and amazing stuff others create.  The community is a daily inspiration to me and is the reason I continue to play this game.

How did you come to join the War Dogs?

2019 saw the opening of a much-needed gaming store, War Room Hobbies (www.warroomhobbies.com), here in Memphis.  This store has a strong emphasis on miniature war-gaming and the owner’s passion for the hobby shows through in everything they do.  He is also an amazing supporter of Kings of War and Mantic Games.  So, it was only a matter of time before a gaming club sprouted from the patrons of the store.      

In your opinion what is the most important factor in a successful club?

It’s the people.  I have had the luxury of being in several really fun, successful clubs over the years.  The one thing they all have in common is a core group of like mind folks that are that are in this hobby for the fun of the game and the comradery of the people. 

What steps should our readers take if they too want to start a club?

First, realize you can’t do it alone.  Identify those 2-3 key gamers with a shared vision for the club that are willing to help shoulder the burden.  Second, find a place to congregate and play.  If the place is a public space, like a gaming store or pub, all the better as it will make your task of evangelizing your game to new players and recruiting new club mates all the easier.  The final step is to reach out to the community and spread the news of your existence or to ask for help if you need it.  

What are the current events that you are running or involved in?

Over the years I’ve had a great pleasure in helping with several Kings of War events. Unfortunately, circumstances what they are, we were unable to run the 4th Blues City Brawl event here in Memphis this year.  But rest assured it will be back in 2021.  For the remainder of this year we’ll be helping run a Kings of War tournament in St. Louis as part of the long-standing Siege World event.  We are also very excited to help bring the Kings of War “Big Game” experience, usually reserved for Adepticon, to Nashville as part of this year’s Nashcon.  Be sure to checkout Nashcon here: www.nashcon.org!

All of us enjoy this hobby in different ways, what makes an event great from your point of view?

The best events leverage the greatness and diversity found within our community and are welcoming to everyone regardless of skill level.  They support all the aspects of our hobby so that everyone can feel at home whether they are there to win Best General or Best Painted.  

In closing, what event are you most looking forward to after we have come out of the quarantine Deadzone (see what I did there…)?

Good one Joe!  To be honest I am looking forward to whatever event I’m able to attend first once this madness subsides.  There are so many great events each year, run by some amazingly talented folks it’s impossible to find a bad one!