Ep 1: Building a Gaming Sanctuary

In the first episode of Sword & Board Sessions, host Rob Peche sits down with Sword & Board co‑founders Brennan Healey and Steven Wassink to tell the story of how a shared love of Warhammer grew into one of South Africa’s leading hobby communities. From childhood encounters with display cabinets and computer games to late‑night dice rolls and early community meetups, this episode traces the origins of Sword & Board and the people behind it. The conversation explores what makes Warhammer such a powerful hobby: creativity, commitment, and connection. Brennan and Steven reflect on building a physical space focused on play as much as product. They dig into the challenges of turning a passion into a business, and why the hobby remains a meaningful escape in an increasingly digital world. It’s a relaxed, story‑driven introduction to this new podcast series and the community at its heart. In this episode: How Brennan and Steven first discovered Warhammer The journey from home games to a dedicated hobby store Building community around the tabletop, not just the product Why Warhammer appeals to different people in different ways The role of Sword & Board as a “third space” (or gaming sanctuary) for hobbyists Making the leap from admiring models to playing the game Get involved: Visit the Sword & Board website  Send the team an email Connect with Sword & Board on Facebook