Pupils in the Junior Boys’ School at Bolton School will be learning from the best when they enrol in their new Warhammer Club.

Mike Porter, a Year Six teacher at the school, is fresh back from having competed around the world in the Warhammer International Tournament Circuit (ITC).

Warhammer is the most popular miniature wargame in the world and is played by two people who battle it out in a game of strategy and tactics.

Following some huge wins in Belgium, London, and the USA, Mr Porter made his way to up to third in the world rankings, out of nearly 35,000 players.

The finale to the circuit took place in Las Vegas at the end of January and if he did well, he would be crowned the ITC Champion – the first person from outside the USA to claim the title.

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For the first two days, along with more than 3,000 other players, Mr Porter played seven different three hour matches against opponents from Austria, Spain, the USA, Australia, and Canada and managed to win them all.

These successes meant that he qualified for the finals day, where the top eight players battled it out. 

The Bolton News: Mike PorterMike Porter (Image: Bolton School)

The final day started well for Mr Porter with a victory over the captain of the USA national team in the quarter-finals, but ultimately ended in disappointment as he lost a tense semi-final against another USA competitor.

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This left him finished the season in third place overall in the world rankings.

Mr Porter is now setting up a Warhammer Club for the Boys' Division pupils, who have had their interests piqued by his exploits, with many asking about his success following their own research.

The Warhammer Club will teach the boys how to build and paint models, as well a how to understand how to play the game itself.

Mr Porter said: "At its heart, the hobby is a wonderfully creative experience which encourages social skills, logical thinking, and mathematical processes which I hope to pass on to as many boys as possible.

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"We look forward to many pupils taking up this activity."

On the back of his success, Mr Porter has just been selected to play for the England national team in the World Team Championships later this year.

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