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Never one to shy away from controversy, the blogger Matt Austin, also known as BitsHammer, makes his presence felt on social media. Recently he has been making waves with his adamant advocacy for female representation in wargames, particularly on the issues of female Space Marines and the apparent transphobia that appeared in the new Horus Heresy book.

From his beginnings in the hobby to his Twitter habits, we talk about what makes Matt tick.

The Wargame Explorer: Tell me a little bit about your background and how you got into wargaming.

Matt Austin: I was into MtG and D&D in high school and usually went to the local shop that was near my high school at the time, but I later learned about a shop closer to my house and went in one evening and saw a 1,500 point game of Grey Knighta versus a Nurgle Chaos force with a mutated up rhino (with green stuff tendrils on it) and I was hooked. That was back in 2004 and while I missed 4th ed while over seas I cam back for 5th and haven’t left since.

TWE: You’ve become something of a firebrand on social media about progressive causes and how they relate to the wargame industry. Is there a specific issue that spurred you into this role, or did it come about organically?

Matt: I think it came about organically. I am stubbornly opinionated at times, especially where equality and inclusivity. I dearly love the hobby and because of that want to share it with as many people as possible in hopes they’ll love it too, which tends to put you opposite of gatekeepers and their ilk. I’ve been online in some capacity since 1997 though so arguing with people is hardly new for me though, and it gives me some understanding on how to handle trolls.

TWE: It seems like you like to troll the trolls. Do you argue with the intent to change peoples’ minds, or is it to expose the bad actors? Or something else?

Matt: It’s a mix of things really. In classical debate you’re not trying to change the mind of your opponent, but rather get the audience listening to side with you over your opponent. But this only works when both sides are arguing in good faith. With trolls they want you to argue in good faith while they try to undermine you personally, either by riling you up, attacking your character, and so on. When I run into those types I just refuse to play their game because it relies on me taking them seriously and refusing to do so tends to tilt them pretty hard.

I don’t have the time or energy to troll endlessly though so I often block them when I feel it’s run it’s course, and while some of them consider that a win they can have that “win” out of pity because I’m not so desperate to win.

TWE: You’ve made a strong case on Twitter regarding female representation (or the lack thereof) in Warhammer 40k. Do you feel like Games Workshop is listening? Will they ever listen?

Matt: Honestly I think some people are, but it’s the sort of thing you can’t see happening until GW comes out and says it’s happening. And even if it never happens from them, I’d settle for the 3rd party market filling the void. No one knows that you want something unless you say it, so making an effort to tell GW that people want this also shows 3rd party sellers that there is a market to tap into.

TWE: In an ideal world, how would you resolve the lore issue of female Space Marines? A change from Belisarius Cawl? The reintroduction of one of the lost legions? Or something else entirely?

Matt: I would lean on it always being possible but not done because the first successful canidates were male and the whole Great Crusade was such a rush job no one took the time to see if women could do it too.

That or the GW classic of “well they were always there, but due to the fragmented records during the Heresy names were lost” and then add in some characters later who can be on other fronts of the Heresy. There were many smaller conflicts inside of the larger war which leaves room to explore new characters without stepping on the toes of existing ones.

TWE: Has your advocacy for female Space Marines, and the response you’ve received, made you more or less confident in the will of the fanbase?

Matt: I’d say it’s made me pretty confident in the direction of the community is headed. Over the last several years people have been making an effort to call out the bad actors in the community and make the inclusive nature of the hobby more accepting. And it’s not like the hobby hasn’t been a rather accepting place for a long time, but many of us aren’t always the most socially outgoing when it comes to challenging toxic people which unfortunately silently condones the actions of toxic.

TWE: What makes you most pessimistic about the hobby?

Matt: I worry that GW’s fear of rocking the boat to keep the shareholders happy outweighs their desire to take an active role in helping the community improve and grow despite their statements about wanting gatekeepers and Nazis to get out.

TWE: What makes you most optimistic about the hobby?

Matt: I love seeing new people come in with new ideas and that spark of excitement that we sometimes lose when everything becomes routine. Plus watching the games I love be loved by others honestly makes me happy.

TWE: If people agree with you on your opinions about female representation, what action would you recommend they take to see change?

Matt: As with advocating for any kind of change this is something that is two pronged: you need to bring it up publicly to get people who are on the fence on your side as well as letting silent parts of the community that support the idea also start talking about it. The other thing is email GW directly (I did so through CustServ@gwplc.com with a polite request for it to be pushed to management and relevant studio members). I advise using your best professional language in the email to increase the likelihood that it’s be read. You can also send them physical letters via mail or comment on their community surveys.

TWE: What advice would you give to someone who is just coming into Warhammer 40k now?

Matt: The best advice I can give is to start small and focus on finding a faction you like and learning to play. Escalation leagues are great for new beginners because you can organize building up armies over time among several people instead of trying to do a full 2,000+ point collection overnight. That leads to burn out and frustration, plus just makes the hobby a lot less affordable to boot!

To learn more about Matt, visit his blog bitshammer.net or follow him on Twitter.