This post continues my history of WFRP1, which started here.

One of the most important events in the history of WFRP, and even more that of Warhammer and GW, took place around this time. Despite its significance, it went largely unrecorded at the time, and even now has only been discussed rarely and briefly. The event was Bryan Ansell’s takeover of Citadel and GW.

Citadel and GW began as separate entities. GW was founded in 1975 by Ian Livingstone, Steve Jackson and John Peake (though Peake left after a year). Citadel was founded a few years later as a joint venture between GW and Bryan Ansell. Ansell came from Asgard Miniatures, which he had set up in 1976 with Steven Fitzwater and Paul Sulley.

Accounts vary as to exactly when Citadel was established. The Games Workshop website dates Citadel’s foundation to 1981. Bryan Ansell dates it to 1977. The only contemporary reference is an announcement of Citadel’s establishment in WD11 (February/March 1979). This announcement includes an extensive catalogue of Ral Partha figures for sale, suggesting that Citadel had already been in operation for a certain period of time.

Announcement in White Dwarf 11

Relations between Citadel and GW were poor. There was conflict between role-players (GW) and wargamers (Citadel). There were regional rivalries (GW was in London, Citadel in Nottingham). In Ansell’s words there was “a degree of friction and discord between the two companies”.

Relations were so poor that Ansell at one point left Citadel, and spent a period of just over a year working for Bob Connors’ Tabletop Games.

Bryan [Ansell] disagreed with some of the directions that Ian [Livingstone] and Steve [Jackson] were taking and he left to join Bob [Connors] at Tabletop Games. It was what Bryan referred to as his year off. – Tony Ackland, Dear Tony Blair In 1980 Bryan had tried to get a sci-fi game/rule-set printed through Games Workshop, and although GW (Steve and Ian) were sold on the idea, and went on to commission Spacefarers, a rule-set based around Citadel[‘s] sci-fi range, they didn’t use Bryan’s rules. Quite how put-out [sic] by this Bryan was I don’t really know, but regardless, within months Bryan was back with Bob, to set up Tabletop Miniatures to print Laserburn and produce a range of miniatures to support it…. – Peter Brown, Life in Miniature

Dave Morris and I visited Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone at their Ravenscourt Park Games Workshop store (I think they only had the one then) and we were introduced to Bryan Ansell. Bryan ran Citadel Miniatures (I think Ian and Steve had just bought it). He had this huge wad of typewritten rules for a game involving figures and Steve and Ian had this wacky idea that they’d sell a lot more figures if there was a set of rules to go with them. Bryan had obviously spent a lot of time on his rules, but I looked through them, and just thought we’d start again with a much simpler, slicker system, figuring that kids wanted something simple – and that was Spacefarers. – Nick Henfrey, BoardGameGeek

Peter Brown dates Ansell’s period at TTG to 1980-1982. This seems to be correct. It corresponds with the publication dates of Ansell’s TTG games (Laserburn 1980, Attack of the Fungoid Trolls 1981, Imperial Commander 1981, and Forces of the Imperium 1982) and fits with the composition of WFB1 for Citadel in 1982-1983.

Bryan was more ambitious than Bob which led to some disagreement. At the same time the fortunes of Citadel were slipping, and Steve and Ian asked Bryan if he would return to manage the company to try and get it back on its feet. At that time Bryan intended to move on after a year or two. It was planned that eventually Rick [Priestley] and myself would move down to London and join the GW staff down there. But as Citadel became the most successful division of Workshop those plans all changed. – Tony Ackland, Dear Tony Blair

The change in plans was dramatic. Instead of leaving a few years later, Ansell took control of both Citadel and Games Workshop and became Managing Director of the group. GW’s London office was closed and all activities moved to Nottingham.

The closure of the London office was not taken well. The White Dwarf staff left GW, and infamously concealed a “SOD OFF, BRYAN ANSELL” acrostic in the contents page of their last issue (White Dwarf 77, May 1986).

Contents page in White Dwarf 77

When I took over running Games Workshop all those years ago, the first priority was to close down the London office. All they did was publish White Dwarf, distribute imported American products and complain that Warhammer was puerile. We had taken over all other publishing duties at Citadel some time earlier. Space was expensive in London and Games Workshop was extraordinarily overstaffed. However, things were moving along nicely in Eastwood and at the Nottingham Studio and we felt that we would be able to find useful work in Nottinghamshire for any or all of the London staff who wanted to move. In the event: ten or so of the London staff came to us. The White Dwarf staff didn’t move up. This wasn’t entirely a surprise, as they had savagely resisted our attempts to put Warhammer material into WD. Despite the quite obvious fact that the only thing keeping Games Workshop rolling was our awful fantasy battle game. I suppose that “sod off” is the sophisticated London gamers equivalent of “thanks very much for the offer: [sic] but we’re going to have to pass this time.” – Bryan Ansell, Realm of Chaos 80s

The antipathy between the two offices is very obvious even decades later.

The precise details of Ansell’s takeover are obscure. Did he fully buy out Livingstone and Jackson? How was any transaction funded? The only first-hand comments I have found are these brief ones:

Bryan Ansell, better known in his capacity as figurehead of Citadel Miniatures, is the new Managing Director of Games Workshop. – ‘Newsboard’, White Dwarf 68 (August 1985) In 1985 we decided to appoint Bryan Ansell as Managing Director of Games Workshop. – Ian Livingstone, White Dwarf 90 (June 1987)

There is, however, a more detailed third-party account:

Bryan [Ansell] had made another halfhearted effort to start again with his Bryan Ansell Miniatures, but by late ’82 with Steve [Jackson] and Ian [Livingstone] moving into new spheres and Bryan looking for new directions, a deal is struck that gives Bryan control of Citadel AND Games Workshop and allows him to take both companies forward with his direction and control. Now, the deal that I heard that [sic] was struck was that Bryan would take immediate control and pay Steve and Ian £1,000,000 in 12 months. Bryan told me at a much later date, that he didn’t have the money when he took control, and had to make £1M in that first year to for-fill [sic] his part of the agreement, but fore-fill [sic] it he did, so we can assume that 1983 was a very good year for miniatures…. – Peter Brown, Life in Miniature

Some of Brown’s account apparently derives directly from Ansell. His explanation, therefore, that the transaction was financed by means of deferred payment is likely to be correct. As for the 1982 date, however, I believe Brown is incorrect. The comments in White Dwarf suggest the change of ownership took place in 1985. Since they are first-hand sources written shortly after the events, I consider their account very reliable. A 1985 date also fits well with the 1986 closure of the London office (Ansell’s “first priority”). Brown’s date seems to conflate Ansell’s return to Citadel in 1982 with his apparently later acquisition of Games Workshop.

The impact of Ansell’s takeover was profound. GW shifted its focus from RPG sales to miniature sales, and from publishing third-party games to publishing its own. In the short term this was probably positive for WFRP. GW had published its own RPGs before, but they were niche and none used a proprietary setting. (Judge Dredd was licensed; Golden Heroes was generic, and had originally been intended for the Marvel licence.) The Citadel takeover of GW may have meant WFRP initially received greater support than it might have otherwise. In the longer term, however, the focus on miniatures sidelined WFRP, and meant resources were progressively diverted from it.

The next post in this series discusses the Regiments of Renown.

Title image from Wall Street. Used without permission. No challenge intended to the rights holders.