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Once upon a time, the Great British Hobbit League was a small confederation of a few MESBG Events held across the UK. But now it's a GARGANTUAN LEAGUE of 148 events spreading over all corners of Britain and Ireland like butter scraped over too much bread (but in a good way).
With the 2025 league getting underway these last few weekends, I wanted to have a brief sideways glance at the 2024 League to celebrate the creativity of Tournament Organisers for some ingenious names... Obviously it's a subjective list, so please do share your favourites, and send me your nominations for the best of the 2025 season (the GBHL Calendar already features a significant number of them here).
5: Expedition to Moray-ia
The beautiful Scottish coastal area of Moray, famous for a gentle climate (presumedly for Scotland) and Speyside Whisky helped create a cracking pun for this entertaining sounding event. Not only did it have weird points limits (973pts?!) but it also de-escalated for all of day 1. By the end of the day your army was so small, you had to team up with someone for a day of Doubles on the second day. A spiffing idea for an event - hopefully they do something similar at Kelpie games in Keith again in 2025.
4: Gondor In 60 Seconds
Does it make much sense? Not really. Does that matter? Absolute not. For Children of the 90s, conjuring up memories of long forgotten Nick Cage car heist film 'Gone in 60 Seconds' is never a bad idea (mmm memberberries). The fledgling community in Middlesborough in North England has another event this coming weekend (their first GBHL100) so best of luck to them, and long may they continue to ask AI to include Nick Cage in a variety of fantasy locations in their event header images.
3: Three? I am No Three, I am an Event
In at number 3 is an ingenious take on Treebeard’s iconic line. At first it doesn’t make much sense, but when you realise the event was a team event with three players per team, 3x3 boards, 333pts etc etc It becomes a top tier pun. And the event sounds like a delight too, bringing trios together at the Bad Moon Cafe in London (long have I wished to look upon its delights) for what looked to be a jolly old day. Hopefully it comes back for a second (and third) time!
2: Kill Bill ( the Pony)
In at number two is the delightfully whimsical Kill Bill (the pony). This event in Glasgow saw competitors field 620pt armies with the compulsory ally of Bill the Pony. The fearful little chap trotted alongside armies like Angmar, The Black Riders (bless him), Riders of Rohan and Dwarves (a much more comfortable pace!) and players were awarded bonuses for keeping their Bill alive and murdering others. Nothing like rewarding players for killing innocent ponies! Chris Murfitt took home the most pony heads as winner (perhaps planning some sort of Godfather esque skit) but will he return to claim the prize once more? I'm happy to say that the event WILL return (Kill Bill 2: Second Breakfast) this April, so keep your eyes peeled for more whimsical Bill based action.
1: Thranduil's Hulls
In at number one though is a subtle but delightfully named event based in Hull, Thranduil's Hulls. Sometimes it's the simpler ones which hit hardest and Nathan Cocker at Hull's Angels gaming club in the city has a knack for coming up with great event names (see also The Whitefriar Gate Opens, based at their venue on Whitefriar Gate) but he's also delivered some cracking events with tip-top quirks which add to - but don't overwhelm - the event. At Thranduil's Hulls it was side quests of capturing Thranduil's Jewels (a side quest seen before, don't get me wrong, but perfectly balanced) at The Whitefriar Gate Opens it was an event with unnamed heroes where a special gladiatorial round called THE GAUNTLET interrupted proceedings mid-afternoon. We hope to see more from the club (and more puntastic names!) in the coming season!
There's my top five, but here are some honourable mentions for best GBHL names:
The Battle of Borough-Dur
The Whitefriar Gate Opens
One Ring to Rule the Bubbles
Scrums in the Deep
Battle of BexBree
Good the Bad and the Buffet
He Eats it By the Block
Some quick parish notices then...
GBHL TEAMS!
Are you among a group of hobbyists keen to prove their worth at the gaming tables? Do you think your 9 mates could outfight The Nine in tabletop fisticuffs? Could you march in more epic fashion to Howard Shore's score than the Fellowship in that bit in the first film!? Do you think you're... well, good enough at the game to compete against other teams?! Then boy do we have a competition for you! Every year the GBHL's rankings officer keeps track of the Best 10 scores for teams of nine players (each player can only contribute a maximum of two scores) and we crown a winner at the league finale.
Last year the mighty 7th City Crusaders took home the medals, and had their team name permanently engraved on the shiny shield of shiny teaminesstm, but could it be your team this year?
All you need to do is submit your team to the rankings officer (there's a sexy form on the site to do that with) and then play in GBHL events to start contributing scores and leading your team to victory (or mid table obscurity, as I did with The Fellowbellies last year...).
Last year's Team Rankings:
1 | 7th City Crusaders |
2 | Gollum’s Gamers |
3 | Guardians From Distant Lands |
4 | The Guardians |
5 | Any Heroics |
6 | The Fellowship of Steel |
7 | Team Pigmar |
8 | Buckie Berserkers |
9 | Legendary Legion |
10 | WAR Wyverns |
11 | Team Atomic |
12 | Gundalads |
13 | Warrington Wargs |
14 | Khazad-Brum |
15 | The Fellowship of the Ring Road |
16 | Men of the Best |
17 | Team Deva Victrix A |
18 | Goldilocks & The Great Bears |
19 | The Defence of Oxgiliath |
20 | The Fellowbellies |
21 | These Height Council |
22 | Third Breakfast Coalition |
23 | It Comes in Pints |
24 | Lords of the West Country |
25 | Bish BASH Bosh |
26 | The Fellowship Of Alba |
27 | Out of the Frying Pan… and into the other Frying Pan |
28 | Pippin Aint Easy |
29 | Noobs Of Numenor |
30 | Battlin’ Brandybuckies |
31 | Wolves of Worcestershire |
32 | Middle-Earth In Mercia |
33 | The North Easterlings |
34 | Middlesbrough Marauders |
35 | What’s Haters, Precious? |
36 | Wooden Spooners |
37 | Wookies of Mirkwood |
38 | When in Doubt, Always Follow your Bros |
39 | Hampshire GrimHammerers |
40 | One Team To Rule Them All |
41 | Dumbledore’s Goblin Squad |
42 | 7th City Casuals |
43 | Guildford Gaming Goblins |
44 | Old Hobbits Die Hard |
45 | All The Good Names Aragorn |
46 | Team Deva Victrix B |
47 | Imagine Baggins |
48 | Team PaintsOnAXUp |
49 | Boilem, Melton, Stickem in a Stew |
50 | Fellowship of the Fens |
51 | The Khandish Kelpies |
52 | Warrington Warglets |
53 | Too Many Minis |
54 | D.E.B. |
55 | Team Deva Victrix C |
56 | The Early Lunch Protocol |
57 | Bad Manas Gaming |
58 | Men of the Wheast |
59 | Khazadum dum dum, push pineapple shake the dice! |
60 | The Wanderers in the Wild |
61 | Stupid Fat Hobbitses |
62 | Nine Mortal Men of Mercia |
Until Next time, may this hobby be a light for you when all other lights go out.
BURARUM - HARRY - GBHL Marketing CoOrdinator
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