A column of tanks rumbled through the ruins of a broken city with infantry patrolling along beside, the streets before them devoid of life.
Suddenly the deafening roar of an ion cannon split the silence and a beam of pure energy pierced one of the tanks, causing it to erupt in a fiery explosion.
A squadron of sleek alien battle suits engaged their jetpacks and blasted away from their ambush position as the guardsmen opened fire without effect.
The soldiers regrouped for a long battle ahead, because in the grim darkness of the 41st millennium, there is only war.
This was Able Seaman Combat Systems Operator Jonathan Collen's first Warhammer 40k tournament with his Imperial Guard and it was also a steep learning curve.
"The most challenging game was my first against the Tau. They were nimble and able to move around the board and pick me off one by one, but I definitely learned a lot of lessons from it," Able Seaman Collen said
"It can get a bit overwhelming, all the different aspects of the game, but thinking about the different tactical opportunities and how the different units work with each other is helpful because it's kind of relevant to my job."
More than 60 Defence and civilian players competed for tabletop supremacy during the ADF Wargaming Association (ADFWGA)'s HeroCon tournament at ADFA in December.
Sergeant Glen Noonan of 2nd Health Battalion battled his way to top spot in World War 2 strategy game Flames of War, and Ewart Searle defeated the enemies of mankind to win the Warhammer 40k tournament.
Able Seaman Collen started wargaming three years ago during a posting to Darwin and said the hobby was a great stress reliever.
"Even if you don't really like the gaming side, painting the models is therapeutic. It's a great way to interact with people you won't normally meet in your day to day."
Despite his Necrons only winning one game, Flying Officer Alexander Luiten said the tournament was a great experience.
"I'm not really a competitive gamer so I was there to play some games, roll some dice with friends, and all the money went to charity, so it was for a good cause," Flying Officer Luiten said.
He began playing with ADFWGA nearly 10 years ago, when he was posted to Lavarack Barracks as an infantryman, but has been a wargamer since childhood.
He got his start with Games Workshops' Lord of the Rings strategy game and now plays a number of systems including Warhammer 40k, The Horus Heresy and Star Wars: Legions.
Lance-Corporal Scott Livori, of 3rd Combat Signal Regiment, one of the tournament organisers, has been running a weekly Flames of War game at his unit for the past 12 months.
"I'm trying to get rid of the stigma of wargaming and getting people exposed to it. It opens people's eyes that it's not just a nerdy thing to do," Lance-Corporal Livori said.
He was first drawn to Warhammers' art and stories but continued to play because of the community.
"I've played for over 20 years. I love the challenge and competitiveness of the games. I also like the hobby aspect - painting and building models then playing the game with them," Lance-Corporal Livori said.
Modern wargaming originated in the mid-1800s with the Prussians, and has been used by Australian forces since 1893 when future General Sir John Monash, then Lieutenant, advocated its use for developing Australian militias.
ADFWGA president Lieutenant-Colonel David Hill said while the futuristic setting of Warhammer might be a far cry from the modern battlefield, these types of events let players engage in professional military education by stealth.
"Players are exercising tactical decision-making in a peer-on-peer environment, against a free-thinking adaptive opponent that is actively trying to defeat them," Lieutenant-Colonel Hill said.
"The games provide an opportunity to explore what works and what doesn't in a safe-to-fail environment."
ADFWGA events allow Defence gamers to interact with the local gaming community and support the association's nominated charity, Soldier On, with $4250 raised during the tournament.
