I love the honest wargamer cinematic universe. This episode definitely should have been called "the value of labor". keep up the great work brother

Without going into too much detail I am a frontline worker who often assists people who have been through trauma. For me, a big part of my downtime and release of stress is Warhammer and because I often don't actually have time to play or paint, your content is vital.

Former GW employee (retail/Mail Order) and its nice to see that GW still hasn't changed from when I worked there nearly 2 decades ago. The company prioritises management who haven't a clue and treat their frontline staff terribly. They'll continue treating staff terrible as they have a massive pool of people wanting to work for them as they think it's a dream job. They'll continue raising prices as enough people will pay it and justify to everyone why the price increases are the best thing ever. I earn more now and get treated like a human being working for the public sector than GW ever could.

That impression is 10/10 😂😂😂

This was pretty eye opening, appreciate you sharing Rob (and for standing up for content creators).

I just stumbled upon your work last week. You might be quickly becoming one of my heroes. Well done, m8. Thogh the number of people that find corporate bullying acceptable, and even reflect it in their own responces, is disappointing to say the least. Bullies sucks!

Another GW employee here (ex). Only in a store but I saw enough of upper management to know what is being said here is so painfully true. Cheers mate.

Rob this was an eye opening video and really thought provoking, whilst as usual being very entertaining. Keep up your stellar work and standing up for the content creating community. Your streams and videos are something I always look forward to and enjoy, it's clearly the same for many others as well. Great job! (Pete - Bright Mini Painting!)

If there's no spot for you in the spaceship, I ain't leaving

The Compassionate Wargamer. You're an inspiration, Rob. Thank you. ✊

Your content is a key part of my AoS experience without your stuff I would be one hell of a lot more bored. You, Vince, and AoS coach are my main source of content. Did not know you worked for them this is a crazy story thanks for sticking with their games after that experience you are part of why i got into this game and love the game.

The astounding depth of insight you bring to the table is the reason you are my number one favorite presenter. Don’t sell yourself short man, art is one of the few things that helps bring real depth and enjoyment to life, and you’re commitment to helping others enjoy the beauty of this game is a serious service to not just all who play, but ESPECIALLY those who began this game because they loved the fun of it, and then lost it somewhere along the way. Helping ME rediscover my love for painting and miniature wargaming has really helped restore some balance to my life. Huge thanks.

I worked in the retail arm of GW, echo a lot of experiences mentioned here, very poor experience, gatekeeping, dismissed mental health issues I raised and paid much much lower than market value from such a profitable company. Could not recommend anyone working there, or at least in the retail arm I worked in. Glad this conversation is being had in the public space. I hope staff elsewhere in the business may be treated better and genuinely enjoy their day to day.

Love this discussion and a great call to action to finish. Cheers sir.

i know you said to do this for someone else and i shall do that as well, but this was a lovely, insightful video and your compassion and empathy for other people clearly shows through. you are a great human being and i hope you have a wonderful day. you've more than earned the like and the subscribe

Rob you are the face of wargaming! Love what you do man, always keep up with your amazing personality ❤

new to the hobby and I didnt know any of this was going on. Thank you for opening my eyes to this! Great video

There is something really cathartic hearing about Rob's experiences with GW. I worked for them in retail in the US for nine years and was treated very poorly so to hear about someone who (to the outside world) was such a big name experiencing the same things makes me realize that it was GW that was fucked up rather than me. Rob talking about his depression and PTSD stemming from working for GW is very familiar. Rob I'm glad you left and went on to do something you love and GW didn't kill your passion!

Hey bro, it's 2 weeks after the fact so you probably won't see this but still I want it to be out there. Creators like you a super important and you are worth more than you think. Your content makes alot of people happy and witht the current state of the world and division all throughout society now and the dreary mainstream media, your content and people who create wholesome level headed content are super vital for alot of people's mental wellbeing and I know it certainly has a positive impact on me. Don't doubt your worth Rob, you do an important job and I'm greatful I am able to enjoy your content. Thanks mate.

Love the content, mate. It’s so important to have these sorts of talks because I love this hobby but I don’t want my enjoyment to be at the expense of other people. GW is just a company, if they were to disappear the hobby would still be here. Reality is what we as a collective make it to be, and wargamers are already great at creating new realities! Keep up the great work, Rob, we support you and other creators all the way! Sry for bad english.

I’m late to the party on this one, Rob. I had a year of corporate bullying about 5 years ago. I’m still in therapy. I remember puking in the parking lot before I went in every day because of the stress and even pooping my pants during meetings. I’m so sorry you went through it.

I really appreciate your values and how you can convey them to a wargaming audience. I hope that people can start to think about these issues outside of the miniature wargaming hobby. It is so important to treat each other with kindness and compassion because we are all trying to get through this tough society.

The Duncan impression/monologue was amazing (even if not actually a good impression).

Good insights and well said.

Games Workshop only understands one thing: Immediate, short-term money. They let Duncan, Peachy, Louise, Hatty (a GW video editor now working on camera with Guy at Midwinter Minis!) and everyone else quit because they couldn't imagine paying the few thousand pounds it was going to cost to entice them to stay. They can't see that letting these popular creatives go, and take their followers with them, so they can paint (and therefore promote) other companies' minis and paints, will eventually cost them millions in lost sales. The massive success of Duncan's paint line is the most obvious loss, but every time Duncan paints a Star Wars Legion mini, he's NOT selling GW products, and he's introducing Duncan Rhodes fans to games and miniatures made by other companies. All of this could have been avoided by GW if they'd just ponied up maybe a few hundred thousand pounds to keep all these commercially valuable people happy, showing them that GW valued their contributions to GW's amazing profitability. Nothing is going to change so long as GW remains ridiculously profitable. As long as we are buying their minis, their novels, their books and their anemic little streaming channel, they have no incentive to treat their employees any better. Since there is no obvious substitute for Warhammer and Age of Sigmar among competitive players, there is one thing we can do to bite into GW's revenue stream: *encourage Tournament Organizers to allow reasonable proxy models made by other manufacturers or STL creators.* Just as an example, One Page Rules has full armies of Warmammer and Age of Sigmar proxies, which are sculpted to provide obvious, one-to-one matches for GW models. There is no question which Necron model each of their Robot Legions sculpts replaces; the difference is in details of style, not in function or mechanics. Since GW has shown the same sort of disdain for TOs as it has for its own employees (and its customers!), generally refusing to cooperate and support them in any meaningful way, I see no reason for Warhammer tournaments to force players to support GW over other, more ethical and conscientious manufacturers and creatives. Most of us agree that GW continues to act disrespectfully or even abusively toward everyone that relies upon them, so it's up to us to find ways that we can enjoy our hobby **without relying on them.**

I pissed myself laughing on a public bus when you said ' "playing devils advocate, she was dressed a bit.. wrong" 😂😂😂

Great video. Would watch a 3 hour version tbh.

Oh yeah you forgot to mention the OG Mike Mcvey quitting after helping shape the company (and pretty much mini painting all over). Same old story according to the live hangout he did with cult of paint not too long ago. Never even had a contract in all that time, even when he was heading up the whole painting department. He eventually asked to be paid a reasonable amount and they showed him the door. He went on to do very well on his own after he left, because hes fkin class. They didnt deserve him or you or any of these awesome people for that matter.

I was once fired for not fitting in with the ambiance of the store, and for another job, I was told I'd made a malicious allegation of theft that a boss had eaten some prawns i was going to eat ( that the member of staff was entitled to do so, i had merely made a joke about there being no prawns left) so i totally feel you on work bullying

As weird as it sounds, I'm kinda glad you had those bad experiences just because of the stuff we watch today. I'm not a competitive player, but I try to catch the event streams, love seeing the breakdowns etc You put out good content, you've got a decent bunch of folks around you, like I'm glad people like you are in the hobby Also, did GW have a sign somewhere in the office, "the beatings will continue until morale improves?" sounds like a lovely place to work haha

Love your work Rob, keep doing what you are doing. Shocking to hear your experiences working for GW. Lets hope the big corp changes when all their talent quits...

You easily could have made the whole video about how suspicious it is that the "onlyhands" change just happens to coincide with a woman being at the front of their hobby branding for two seconds. So I'm glad you at least took a second to mention it.

I often wonder how much Duncan's success with not just his channel, but also his paint line, make GW gun shy about "making" another presenter into a competition. Great content as always Rob.

"I just bloody love avocado" got me good hahahah

They might be able to find hundreds of other people to do Duncan's job. But now they have to compete with his paint line.

Excellent. Glad to hear more folks with counter arguments for the fanboys while also recognizing that it's futile to argue with them since they've accepted a position of head in the sand

Supporting individual creators on Patreon/KoFi has really empowered artists AND the consumers.

Wow, I knew Geedubs was a shite employer (as well as a shite supplier to deal with as a retailer), but how far and deep it went is even below the low expectations I had left of them. A lot has and will be said about "quiet quitting" but not enough about bosses giving staff "quiet paycuts" by not keeping pace with inflation. If the boss won't value your work, work to the value paid... Also, people should be paid according to their needs/value to society, not their prestige. I think the reason folks reacted so strongly to the "OnlyHands" change in presentation is because it shows GW dropping even the public pretense of valueing their presenting staff. It's a clear and not decent tool of depressing folks recognizeability, and with that their chances of negotiating better wages, or branching out on their own once GW has strip-mined them. Apparently people were okay with GW exploiting and grinding down staff, as long as the pleasant mask kept facing the public... Also, don't undervalue your work! It may not be recognised by society/capitalism, but content creators are effectively "mental health preventative maintenance staff".

I think its that people come in becuase of the content but they stay because of those presenting the content(maybe not if its pure information like News or Auspex Tactics..) I myself found you because i was getting into AoS...iam not playing or collecting AoS anymore and moved to LotR but i still enjoy watching you guys....content is secondary now for me xD

Can totally relate to the point about staying in a job for an employer that is shovelling profit off the top and not rewarding the guys who put in the hours and make that profit happen. I left a job in public sector lliterally 5 years short of the full pension bracket which is a huge decision to make becasue being undervalued and underpaid was by far more damaging to my mental health on a dail basis than some future pot of money

Who will I enjoy watching more on The Painting Phase? Rob or Dave (MS Paints). Tough call. And Dave was hilarious........

holy moly. I was unaware about Rob's history with GW. Hearing him was brutal.. Didnt hold anything back... But I think all of that definitely should be said.

Long winded self indulgent comment warning - So, I’ve watched your Seraphon battle-tome video on repeat. It’s clear, funny, has a personal touch. I’ve been collecting Warhammer since I was about 9 -I’m 33 now. It’s been my outlet, escapism, and passion. I don’t play, just kitbash and occasionally build but very much appreciate the rules as I think that helps shape the modelling. I like AoS from it inception and then suddenly just switched off from it, I just couldn’t get into some of the narrative. Seraphon has cured that because it’s an old love, with Old Lore, but with expanded plot. It doesn’t feel wacky with them, it makes sense to see Lizardmen in AoS.Your Seraphon battletome review really helped that. I then started watching your other videos and thought “Man this guy’s enthusiasm is infectious, what a cathartic watch”. More and more videos watched, and then, I was watching your AoS summary video and thought…wait, is this this the Dude from the Sylvaneth video (because I’m shit at names). You were, and still are the face of enthusiasm in this hobby. I’m so happy to see you’re still making Warhammer content but more importantly that it’s being recognised. I’ll echo what others say, these videos do a Great deal for mental health and they really soothe the soul. I hope you do more Lore analysis of AoS. Your easygoing Story Telling style is incredibly addictive to listen to. This particular video is important because it gives a great insight into you as a creator and I really want, nay, need you to understand that your Worth as a creator is many fold and like me I’m certain their are other hobbyists which watch these videos with glee - I suppose, in a world where we constantly see negativity and hurt it’s essential to have a counterpoint to it, to gather and share interests. I hope you continue to keep making your amazing videos, that you keep being YOU and that you have success, Freely, in this community sharing your passion. ❤ 💪🤙

stay positive Rob

Honest Wargammer for president

Btw… you exemplified quite well what surplus value is

This was fucking wonderful

Ah man, 14:00 min - that's my mindset, like I know so many people who stay on late to get stuff finished, get stressed, like "mate, you're on £9.50 an hour, it's not on you to fix the business". Pay minimum wage, get minimum wage effort, I love the idea of quiet quitting. Companies put too much emphasis on being a team player, putting a shift in but pay you shite wages. Nah, mate. coincidentally my level of enthusiasm correlates with how much I'm paid haha

It is so fucking refreshing seeing a genuine lefty with a large platform in the wargaming space. I am so tired of all the cryptofascists, racists, homophobes etc.

Finally comrade you understand

Petition to put Rob on the first moon spaceship! ❤️

I got Warhammer+ for the painting vids and the free min … don’t really like the only hand approach to vids so it’s just a 45 quid min that gets delivered in 12 months ….. hard to justify the cost anymore

Thanks for making this Rob. I'll admit this was a difficult watch for me as I worked as a red shirt at my local GW back in 2000/2001 and it was the best times for me. This hobby has also been a constant for me and I'm thankful for that. I'm truly gutted and upset to hear of such treatment of staff at the HQ even more so when it sounds like it's by people that don't give a single shit about the hobby or product itself. I like my local GW and the manager there is an absolute gem. There's also a great local community and my closest friends revolve around Warhammer so it, weirdly, feels personal when I hear criticisms aimed at GW. It's definitely a programming I'm learning to break and content creators like you and The Painting Phase are super important to give us fans that perspective. I'm in a similar situation as those that left GWHQ like yourself in that my day job is slowly wearing me down and sapping my joy for life. I'm leaving a stupidly well paid IT job which easily pays the mortgage to be a freelance miniature painter. I am fucking terrified even though I'm surrounded by supportive friends and loved ones. Thanks for the video. I truly appreciate the angle of being able to love Warhammer but not the corporate machine behind it being valid. But also just looking after yourself so that you have the energy to be good to others. Apologies for the waffle. 3am revelations and all that. Much love.

My impression when I watch this kind of videos (Northern Wargaming for one) is that GW expects their employees to be grateful for the privilege of working for them and therefore be willing to accept any kind of abuse thrown their wsy

you're a good person

In which Rob seizes the means of production.

There's a ton of shall we say errr "Hobby Ally" channels being outed here, I fucking love it.

your work is definetly not as important as streetsweepers, but be sure your more valueable than than 99% of all doctors...

"What did we like about Bob Ross?! We FUCKING liked Bob Ross!" Hear hear

❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤ love it Rob

Gossip ya say? XOXO Gossip? I’m in.

Appreciate the insights here, sadly treating people like shit tends to pay in the short term. It’s ironic to hurt their own content quality because they’re scared of their employees becoming independently successful.

46:14 lol

*applause*

Rob. 100% agree with you here. But what can we do about it? Also I would like to not agree with you about the union jack thing....But yeah, you seem to be right about that too.

They let John Stallard and Paul Sawyer go and that resulted in Warlord Games!

Strong ending

It's an old business model mentality. That everyone is replaceable EXCEPT the shareholders. I don't agree with Klaus Shwaubs stakeholder capital because it's a sham, but the reality is that we are trending towards a decentralized world. Games workshop will either adapt or fail. And if they don't adapt, they will eventually fail. Plain and simple. So keep bringing this to light. And let's keep hammering them so they get the message. Either adapt or fail.

jeremy clarkson for WH+ presenter.....on the drama farm....clarkson's drama farm

It would be lovely to be rich enough to buy GW, privatise it, slash out all the fat and spend that money on the creatives

Withdrew my gd entry in support

based comrade rob

GW steals labor and steals ips... who would have thought.

Great video. Thanks for making it, as someone who hasn't played Warhammer for over a decade and is hesitant about getting back into it because I'm a massive fucking socialist, its heartening to see such a good voice in the community

Stream got you a subscriber you should Collab with discourse miniatures

Preeeeaaach... I couldn't agree more. You should go into politics for the benefit of us all mate 😄

A based WH channel? 🥳🥳🥳

Onlyhands reminds me of Jennifer Lopez for some reason.

You are singularly responsible for my starting Age of Sigmar. You have incubated and connected an international community of gamers. The day you stop making content is the day I lose interest in AOS.

Credit for your work is the least an employer can do, but what do I know, I'm a raging socialist.

Jesus Christ, when do they get to the point?

It's a shame you cut the Andrew Tate comparison out.

You're poor? Take my Subscribe 😎

There is a legitimate possibility the women requested not to be on camera.

Rob so much of what you say here is good. Also so much of what you say is bad, especially coming from the point of making your money from games workshop. Most of your content is based around it. You should watch this back and give yourself a real analysis.

Biggest take away is that me and Rob have the same KZfaq algorithm. 10/10 Great rant! I’ll be continuing Robhammer Ploos subscription 🫡

LeoDicaprioSnappingHisFingers.gif