last updated:
21.08.08 | 18:45 gmt
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The history of the Dragon Slayers
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The individual members of the Dragon Slayers have played Warhammer and attended tournaments for many years, but it's only in the past few that we've banded together to become the club we are now (and all that's mainly the fault of the
Warhammer Players Society
. This here page documents what we've been up to!
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The Sheffield Dragon Slayers - at that time, a core of
Adrian McWalter,
Pete Scholey,
Darren Dabell and
John Hoyland - were the first group of lads to use the name, and they started attending tournaments in the mid nineties.
Adrian McWalter was second with Dwarfs at the
GW UKGT
in 1996, only losing out to Bill Edwards in the second to last game, so it was clear from the start that there was a fair bit of talent in the area.
When the SDS began attending
Warhammer Players Society
events in 1997, they met a wide group of people from the club scene in the UK. At that time the Dorset Werewolves and the Birmingham Trollslayers were dominating Warhammer, although individually the Dragon Slayers were already making a name for themselves.
Pete Scholey won the first
WPS GT
in 1997 with his Lizardmen, and in 1998
Adrian McWalter again did well at the
GW UKGT
, coming in fifth with Chaos Warriors.
Then came the meeting that would create a club to take on the country's best. At the second
WPS GT
late in 1998, the Sheffield Dragon Slayers met the Mansfield Warriors -
Greg Chambers,
Rob Lane and
Paul Scrivens-Smith - and we realised just how close we actually lived to each other, and how alike our attitudes towards gaming were. The Sheffield boys began to attend the Mansfield Wargames Club, and in 1999 the Sheffield & Mansfield Dragon Slayers were born.
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The Sheffield Dragon Slayers at the
Ribble Rumble
in 1999!
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Weren't you the SMDS at one time?
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The Dragon Slayers were created from the ashes of the Sheffield & Mansfield Dragon Slayers, retaining the core that started it all but with a few additions and omissions. Originally the premise behind the SMDS was to present a united front at tournaments around the country - we all played each other every week, so we thought it would be a good idea to carry this further. Our first tournament was our very own - the
Sheffield Slaughter at the back end of 1999, run ostensibly by the Sheffield lads. It was at this tournament that we first met the GIMPS, another club in Sheffield, and they began to play in our gaming circles.
John Dale began to come down to the club night at Mansfield regularly, and in time the GIMPS decided to play under the banner of the SMDS at tournaments.
Throughout the end of 1999 and into the next year, the SMDS were incredibly successful.
Adrian McWalter won just about every tournament going, and those he didn't win were won by
Rob Lane,
John Dale or
Pete Scholey. Many of our other players -
Darren Dabell,
Paul Scrivens-Smith and
Nathan Hoole just to pick a few - attained placings at various tournaments, and the future looked bright for the SMDS. We held tournaments in Mansfield and we had our very own website, and we felt very confident when the
Warhammer Players Society
'
Club Challenge
came around that year - the ultimate test for any club.
That year's
Club Challenge
was our first as the SMDS, and
John Dale was the Captain (being a Captain of Industry and all). Unfortunately we missed out on the ultimate prize by one point, even though individually we were a match for anyone.
Adrian McWalter won the fantasy event with
Rob Lane third, and the rest of the boys weren't far behind; but we felt down because we hadn't fulfilled our potential. One point! We resolved to set the record straight the next year.
And so 2000 turned into 2001, and we continued our individual success. Additionally, we were also attracting members from the Nottingham Games Club, who were fed up of playing kids every night and wanted a challenge. This brought some cracking players to the club -
Martin Bunting and
Andrew Chesney to name but two - and the future looked even rosier. Then the ultimate happened; we attained the
Club Challenge
that year, largely on the strength of our fantasy players, who ran in first, second, third, fourth and sixth.
John Dale - again Captain - found himself pulled on stage at the awards ceremony once more, and the trophy was ours!
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So why change to the Dragon Slayers?
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Towards the summer of 2001 we began to feel a little bloated. We'd grown incredibly fast, swallowing up the GIMPS and the Nottingham boys, and we felt we were losing a bit of our identity in the process. Few of the GIMPS attended at Mansfield because they held their own club night in Sheffield and some of the Nottingham boys - originally very keen - were now slipping a little and we didn't really see them until another tournament came around. We were still very successful, holding a tournament in early 2001 and enjoying a good spread of success - past tournament winners
Adrian McWalter and
Rob Lane were joined by
John Dale and
Martin Bunting - but something was missing.
Things came to a head after the
SMDS Challenge Cup, a tournament we held in GW HQ Lenton. At this tournament, all the various "chapters" of the SMDS - Mansfield, Sheffield, GIMP and Nottingham Lad - fought for the coveted prize of Best Chapter, which eventually the Nottingham Lads won, with
Rob Lane winning the overall trophy. After this event we felt that the club was creaking under its own weight, and this just wasn't on.
So, we sat down and begin to think about what we should do, and this boiled down to two things. Firstly, "trim" the club's members to only those who attended the weekly club meet regularly - which meant most of the GIMPS and most of the Nottingham Lads were out. Secondly, we desired a "proper" club, with our own finances, committee, constitution and whatnot. We felt this was essential to creating a club atmosphere - beforehand, we were just a group of lads who teamed up at tournaments and played each other at the Mansfield Wargames Club.
With typical laziness, this didn't happen until early 2002, mainly because we didn't want to rush things. In the end we did the opposite, but when the Committee of
Greg Chambers,
Rob Lane and
Andrew Chesney finally got together the Dragon Slayers were born. A tournament was held early in the year, the
Dragon Slayers Bash, and during the summer the club was really moving, with this very website started and such things as club shirts and newsletters rearing their beautiful heads...
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What's the club's future?
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Hopefully it's rosy! Individually we're still as good as we always were (although some would have you believe we're all washed up), but we have a lot to live up to. The Club Challenge is always there to be won and with the new rules, we have to branch out into games other than Warhammer; simple dominance of the fantasy event will not guarantee our success. With a couple of new members here and there to keep our ideas fresh, we're getting there!
Watch this space!
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We're still as good as we ever were!
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What are the key dates in the club's history?
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Some of you may be interested in history, in which case you'll understand why this kind of thing is important. Nostalgia is good, folks!
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1998 - October: the Sheffield Dragon Slayers and the Mansfield Wargames Club meet at the
WPS GT
for the first time. The SDS begin to attend the MWC sporadically.
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1999 - March: the SDS hold the
Dragon Slayers Bash, at which the MWC attend and first put forward an idea of a combined club.
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1999 - June: after the
Champion of Champions
event the SDS begin to attend at the MWC regularly.
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1999 - September: the SDS hold the
Sheffield Slaughter. The GIMPS make themselves known.
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1999 - October: the members of the SDS and the MWC agree to attend tournaments as the Sheffield & Mansfield Dragon Slayers.
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1999 - November: A few of the GIMPS begin to attend at the MWC, notably
John Dale, and agree to attend tournaments as the SMDS.
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2000 - February: the SMDS have their own website.
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2000 - March: the SMDS hold the
Mansfield Maul, at which the Nottingham Lads attend.
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2000 - April: the SMDS miss out on the
Club Challenge
trophy by one point.
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2000 - June: the Nottingham Lads begin to attend at the MWC regularly.
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2000 - December: the SMDS hold the
Mansfield Maul II.
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2001 - March: after an absence of a year, the SMDS hold the
Sheffield Slaughter at the Davy Sports Club, and it's another sell-out.
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2001 - April: the SMDS finally lift the
Club Challenge
trophy, winning on the strength of their fantasy players. After this event the Nottingham Lads decide to attend future tournaments as SMDS players.
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2001 - June: at the
Weymouth Waaagh!
, the first musings of a "trimmed" club are spoken of.
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2001 - July: after the
SMDS Challenge Cup, it is felt that something must be done about it and plans are formed. The club's website is neglected in anticipation of this.
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2002 - February: with typical laziness, it is six months later before the club is officially formed, with the first Committee being
Greg Chambers,
Andrew Chesney and
Rob Lane.
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2002 - April: in the absence of the
Club Challenge
, the Dragon Slayers hold their first tournament under their new name,
Dragon Slayers Bash.
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2002 - August: the club finally gets its own shirt and is worn proudly at the
Warhammer Open II in GW HQ, Lenton. At this event we win all but two of the awards.
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2002 - December: the club fails to hold on to the
Club Challenge
trophy this year, mainly because the rules have changed - it can no longer be won on the strength of one event.
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2003 - May: more club shirts in time for the
Club Challenge but it still fails to inspire us to win again. Maybe next year...?
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2003 - June: a week later and its all smiles - we win every fantasy award going, plus the best club award, at the
Warhammer Open V!
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Thursday, 20 November 2008
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