Well, this has been on heck of a journey for Dunc and myself. Over six years ago, we left Games Workshop to forge our own path and started the Duncan Rhodes Painting Academy where we created a website with over 500 tutorials teaching people from around the world how to paint their favourite tabletop miniatures. We then worked with the amazing team over at Trans Atlantis Games to develop a range of paints with them and ‘Duncan Rhodes’ Two Thin Coats’ paints were born. During this time, we have built a fantastic team that have helped us grow with my wife Bernice, joining us about a year in to handle all the accounts and keep us running while we went about making tutorials. Our good freind Joe, also an ex-GW veteran with great experience in licensing, product development and sales, joined us a couple years ago to do our marketing and events. A year later, the talented Jack joined the team and took over video production duties from myself so I could focus on building our new venture. And recently, Natalie, an ex-‘Eavy Metal Painter joined the team bringing her incredible painting skills to the table.
The seed of an idea
When we did the Wave 1 Kickstarter with Trans Atlantis Games, they asked us if we would like to do some miniatures as stretch goals. We jumped at the chance and created some fun characters starting with our mascot, Sir Coates as well as Gyzmo, Bêrn and Princess Sophia. And then we created some villians. Baron von Evile and Revna, two ‘evil’ characters from Castle Doom Death. These were made for fun with the idea being a classic throwback to a simpler time when heroes were heroes and villians were villians.
About two years ago, we decided to make a game and after some fun discussions over beer and coffee, Dunc and I came up with the idea a fantasy table top skirmish game whilst attending the LVO in Vegas. The idea was born whilst having a Starbucks coffee on the Vegas Strip.
And then it went silent…
The moment I showed the team version 1.0 of the game.
Months later, one evening, I was bored and decided to start work on the game to introduce it to the team. I made a set of rules (version 1.0), created cards and used the miniatures from our first Kickstarter we did with Trans Atlantis Games, the Sir Coates, Princess Sophia with Gyzmo and Bêrn miniatures along side Baron Von Evile and some skeleton proxies to use as stand ins. I got in early and set up the table and then ambushed Dunc and Joe as they entered the studio and we set about playing. This is what we needed to get the game rolling and fire up our imaginations. This was the 23rd of April 2024 which became the start of our new adventure. Our aim was simple: To make a fun and immersive game filled with narrative gameplay and characterful miniatures that are a joy to paint. And with that, Death Reaper Games was born and Lords & Legends: The Voidshadow Requim was created.
We hope you follow us on this new journey as we branch off into uncharted waters. We have tried our very best to get amazing artists, sculptors and painters that we could find to help build what we believe with all our heart and soul, is something a little special. We have created a world which has a classic fantasy feel from a bygone age, a world that feels familiar but has it’s own unique identity. A world filled with characterful heroes and villians, terrifying monsters and demons and a fun and interactive rule system that has brought us many, many great laughs as we playtested it over the last two years. And of course, great characterful miniatures that are an absolute joy to paint from start to finish.
