On the 5th Day of Xmas: an Interview with Andy Burdis

Hi everyone,

By now, you’ve probably heard that we have a well-known face joining us at Mantic for 2024!

Since November 2016, Andy has been an established name in online miniature wargaming content with his fantastic BlackJack Legacy community and channel. From livestreams to hobby hangouts, plus all the latest awesome news – he’s been entertaining and inspiring hobbyists and gamers for years.

And now, we’re excited that Andy is joining us as a full-time member of Team Mantic. So before he gets started in January, let’s all have a quick catch up with the man himself!

Hi Andy, welcome to Team Mantic! Can you tell the community a little bit about yourself?

Thanks for the warm welcome. I guess I’m a little unusual as my path to tabletop gaming didn’t start as a kid – I picked it up in my 30’s! I started purely painting minis, then discovered the wide range of games available and dabbled in a few different systems at tournaments. I then had a bit of a break, but got back into it when Mantic launched The Walking Dead.

The thing that has always given me a passion for this hobby is the community: being able to meet up with folks you’d never normally cross paths with, and come together over the love of painting minis or playing tabletop games. That’s where I really get the most enjoyment!

Tell us a bit about BlackJack Legacy, and what inspired you to create the channel.

I was fascinated by what it would take to make videos for YouTube. I decided to give it a go when my youngest son was first born as I knew I was going to be home a lot more often. I’d just received my Kickstarter copy of The Walking Dead miniatures game by Mantic (foreshadowing much!), and so I decided to do an unboxing to see what was involved. I enjoyed doing it, folks enjoyed watching it, and so BlackJack Legacy was born! That was just over 7 years ago and it grew so much that it later became my full-time job for 3 ½ years.

What are your favourite kind of tabletop games?

My gaming tastes have changed over time, but some things have stayed consistent: a love of miniatures, straightforward rulesets, and a theme or story that I can really immerse myself into. One of the things I’ve always loved about Mantic games are the rulesets. I’ve always found them easy to learn, play, and teach, but with a depth that really gets me thinking tactically.

How did you discover Mantic?

I discovered Mantic while shopping in Hobbycraft (a UK store along the lines of Hobby Lobby for our US friends) probably around 2010. I didn’t have a FLGS close by, so this is where I first saw the Kings of War Dwarfs and Undead in the old video-style cases. I picked some up to paint, but didn’t really get playing Kings of War straight away as I was more of a sci-fi fan. However I got interested in what Mantic were doing, and got more involved when the original Warpath box launched back in 2011. I even remember going to the  launch event where my oldest sons got their Warpath posters signed by Ronnie! Who knew back then that I’d be working for Mantic all these years later…

What new hobby projects are you personally lining up for next year?

Well, I’ve been dabbling with some test paint schemes for a new Kings of War army! I think I’ve settled on a frosty theme where my Ogres are from the frozen north of Pannithor, and so I’ll be starting that up very soon. Of course, with Epic Warpath on its way I’m looking forward to being able to get my hands on some of those models, and I’m massively excited about something else we’re going to announce very soon…

What are you most looking forward to bringing the community in 2024?

I’m excited to be able to dedicate time to bringing some really fun, informative and entertaining content to the community. Tabletop gaming fans will have something to look forward to themselves, and also share to entice new players to join them in playing their favourite games! If we keep getting the word out about how fantastic the games and miniatures are then we’ll all have more folks to play games with. That means we can keep releasing bigger and better things for the community – so everyone wins. I’ve got some very exiting ideas, but I’m always interested to hear what folks in the community want to see – so feel free to let me know!

Thanks Andy, we can’t wait – see you in January 2024!