Ten Years of Mighty Lancer Games – Our Story So Far

2026 marks a huge milestone for us here at Mighty Lancer Games — our 10th birthday. Ten years of dice rolls, painted miniatures, late nights, early mornings, laughter, hard lessons, and a community that has meant more to us than we could ever properly put into words.
Mighty Lancer Games started originally online, at trade shows and conventions, then with the invention of the 'MLG Trade Show Stock Conveyor' (who remembers that beauty?) we were able to attend more and bigger shows. The 'MLG Trade Show Stock Conveyor' was a converted caravan because hiring a van was not within the budget. As a family we washed, painted, converted and added our logo (which was made on Paint using a very steady hand and mouse combo) to the caravan which got a lot of laughs from fellow trade show attendees as well as a thumbs up of approval from a former Doctor Who - Sylvester McCoy!

On 28th May 2016, we uploaded our very first YouTube video. A baby-faced Mr MLG nervously unboxing Maelstrom’s Edge: Battle for Zycanthus. It received four likes — and honestly, we were thrilled and still are with every like, comment and new subscriber we receive. From there we kept going: D&D restocks, X-Wing expansions, Warhammer 40,000 starter sets. Nothing fancy, just genuine enthusiasm for the hobby we loved.
Our channel is still going today, and you can find it here:
👉 https://youtube.com/@mightylancergames

All this was happening while we continued to work our normal everyday full time jobs but sometimes you have to take the dream by the collar and shake it. So on the 7th January 2017 we took the dream by the hand and made a step forward, a tiny and tentative step in the form of our very first shop on Springfield Avenue in Bridlington. You read that right, we opened a brand new shop, in a seaside town in winter! It was small — just enough space for one gaming table, a stand of Reaper Miniatures, a small Warhammer section, some paints, and a sprinkling of other tabletop goodness. But it was ours, rented, but ours. 

The ribbon was cut by Mr MLG and Little Miss MLG, who proudly wore her tiny Mighty Lancer Games branded jacket. The windows were decorated with Star Wars X-Wing and TIE Fighter decals by the brilliant local business AllSigns The Signmakers, and our slogan proudly read:
                                               “The One Stop Gaming Shop.”

That little shop gave us something priceless: confidence. It showed us that Mighty Lancer Games wasn’t just a dream — it was something the local community genuinely wanted and supported. Before long, it was obvious we’d outgrown the space. Our community needed more room, more tables, more stock, and more games. So in June 2018, we made another scary decision and moved to a larger premises on Prince Street.

We rolled up our sleeves and got to work,  painting over a very dark blue ceiling, laying carpet, making the toilets usable and shelving every wall we could  all under the watchful eye of our old Patterdale cross dog. That shop gave Mighty Lancer Games a whole new lease of life.

We ran more events than ever:
Halloween parties for local children (even featured on BBC Look North), painting sessions with the Scouts, games with the Rainbow troop, regular gaming nights, and a glorious wall packed with tabletop miniatures to admire. We expanded our ranges to cater for as many gaming tastes as possible.

This was Mr MLG’s dream coming true a shop full of people actually playing games. The cheers of D&D adventurers, the groans of bad Warhammer dice rolls, and the quiet plotting smiles of card game players. It was everything we’d hoped for.

We also launched our Reaper Subscription Boxes, monthly deliveries of miniature joy direct to peoples doors, and had an absolute blast making silly YouTube clue videos about what might be inside.
👉 https://youtu.be/6O070SZADpE

But now Mr MLG had a taste of living the dream so in June 2018, he created Ambush! Wargame Show, a two-day event at Driffield Showground with games, traders, painting, live bands, and camping. It ran for two incredible years. While it made no money (and took a lot of time), it remains one of the most rewarding things we’ve ever done. Ambush! now rests fondly in the warm, fuzzy memories of everyone who attended.

As the years went by we tried to fill the Prince Street shop with as much as possible but it soon became clear, once again, that there was simply not enough room and by 2020, Prince Street the shop we thought was huge at the start wasn’t big enough. So yes… we moved again (and no, we are never moving again). 

Shop number three, a three-storey building on King Street, it required long nights, hard work, and early mornings. We made the electrics safe, removed steps for wheelchair and pushchair access, fixed blocked sewers, installed new flooring, and worked around the clock all while keeping the Prince Street shop open.

And then… Covid happened.

Our planned opening day became the first day of full lockdown.

We won’t lie, that moment sent a real “what have we done?” shudder down our spines. But with a signed lease and a community that needed us, we carried on. We supported our customers however we could: local deliveries, regular updates, and a safe, welcoming space as soon as it was allowed. The hobby matters, especially for mental health, and we were determined to be there.

And here we are today.

A ground floor stacked to the ceiling with Warhammer, miniatures, board games, jigsaws, comics, books, wargames, scale models, brick kits, Pokémon, Magic: The Gathering, paints, hobby supplies, and so much more. We run regular gaming nights, events, and proudly support local and national charities.

Over the years, we’ve donated food to a local homeless café, played 24 hours of Blood Bowl to raise £1,520 for CALM (https://youtu.be/DA5zPDvg8mk?si=AeE2Ypjc4cffd0Zm) , and raised funds for Bridlington RNLI and MASH.

This year, our 10th birthday year, we’re raising money for The Hinge Centre, a fantastic small locally focused charity providing services and support in a professional and non judgemental manner:
👉 https://gofund.me/27a31d1d9

We’re celebrating with in-store Hobby Lucky Dips (thanks to incredibly generous manufacturers), tabletop gaming events, special sales, and a brand-new look website 🎉

So, from the bottom of our hearts thank you. Thank you to everyone who’s been with us on this journey, and to those who are new: we hope you’ll join our adventuring party and come along for the ride.

Here’s to the next chapter of Mighty Lancer Games. 🎲❤️