Battle. Bond. Belong. This Is My Story
A community story from Rhys – finding connection through tabletop gaming
At Mighty Melee, the games we play are only part of the picture. Behind every dice roll is a person, a story, and a journey — often one of courage, connection and community. In our second community blog, Rhys shares his powerful story of how tabletop gaming — and the people around it — helped him through some of his darkest times. It’s honest, heartfelt, and a brilliant reminder of what makes this place so special.
Over to Rhys...
I think it's best to start from the very beginning of my journey into the world of tabletop gaming — albeit it's not a very nice one. I was suffering with depression and health anxiety, and it got to the stage where I considered just giving up, moving on, and leaving everything that I had built and loved to carry on without me. My wife (big shoutout to Aimee!) and my mum (big up Donna!) could see that I needed help before it was too late, and they helped me to come through some of the darkest times of my life. Months of therapy and appointments followed, and I was also put on medication for my own good.
By the time I was starting to climb out of the hole I had created, a small shop called Mighty Melee opened across the road from my favourite café called Jones'. I had dabbled a tiny bit into painting before, but always had an interest in Warhammer. After walking past numerous times trying to pluck up the courage to go in, eventually I bit the bullet — and the rest is history! I was greeted by Phil and he mentioned that there was a weekly games night starting, and I was welcome to come down and give it a go. This was a huge step for me because I didn’t know anyone around town. I was always in my own bubble, and the thought of entering a room full of strangers and engaging was extremely daunting — but it was something I had to do to continue my journey, and I knew in the long run it would benefit me.
Fast forward two years and that single step I took to go down to that first games night has helped to continue improving my mental health, physical health — and honestly, just me. Do I still have ups and downs? Yes. Are some days still harder than others? Yes. Do I suffer alone? No. Having the support from fellow gamers and the circle of friends I have now, as corny as it sounds, has changed my life for the better.
But anyway, back to tabletop!
I've got armies for systems such as Deadzone, Armada, Battletech, 40K, Age of Sigmar, and many more (it’s been quite an expensive couple of years...). My first real flurry into tabletop came with Deadzone and I fell in love with the skirmish system. I collected Enforcers, Forge Fathers and eventually The Plague. We even helped to set up the first tournament at MMG, Deadzone Drayton, where I created all the printed materials. It was a full day of ten players going head-to-head over three games, with pub grub included in the ticket. Can’t complain!
After jumping in and out of Spearhead, Firefight, a little bit of this and a little bit of that, I discovered a game called Rumbleslam — and to this day it is still my favourite system to play. What’s not to love about fantasy wrestling? The models are incredible, the game is quick and a lot of fun, and throwing people out of the ring into the crowd is always pleasing. You also have a fun, usable team in a box — so it doesn’t have to be too expensive.
Eventually I made my way into 40K and started my journey with Dark Angels, eventually adding Thousand Sons, who are my main faction at the minute. Some of my best days gaming have been the RTTs and doubles events at Mighty Melee for 40K. I've played against some fantastic opponents, and they’ve all been friendly enough not to table me! I also started to create stickers to give out to opponents when I beat them. I gave a couple out — but I think I accidentally created a bit of a monster because if you come into MMG now, there's a whole flurry of stickers everywhere! Unfortunately, I’ve been given a considerable amount of the stickers I created for opponents to hand out when they defeat someone…
But that's enough of me waffling on — that's a snippet of my journey to where I am today! One last thing: if you are ever struggling, just remember that you are not alone and please speak up. There’s an incredible community in and around MMG and the support is, simply put, invaluable. Come on down, grab a coffee and see for yourself.
Signing off,
Rhys x
Battle. Bond. Belong.
Rhys, thank you for sharing your journey — your words will resonate with so many people.
If you’re reading this and any part of it strikes a chord, just know: you’re not alone. The MMG community is here, not just for the games, but for the people. Whether you’re a veteran gamer or just thinking about stepping through the door, you’ll find a warm welcome waiting.