=][= B&C 2019 Donation Drive =][=

[Mazer Rackham]

The Bolter & Chainsword was created in April of 1999. At that time, during the 3rd edition of Warhammer 40,000, players of the various Space Marine factions didn’t have a place to discuss their armies without getting a lot of flak.

Over time, the site’s coverage has expanded, first with the addition of Chaos Space Marines, then the Adepta Sororitas (who will be making a triumphant return to the game soon), and eventually to include all factions and games set within the Warhammer 40,000 game universe, including the eras of the Great Crusade and the Horus Heresy. The B&C turned 20 in April of this year, and we have some plans for some nifty stuff later this year and early next year in celebration of that milestone.

Ultimately, the B&C exists for you and because of you. Our goal way back in 1999 was to give back to the community, and in the 20 years since its creation, this community has grown and developed into one of the best on the internet for WH40K. The site’s members generate content here that people love to read, from discussions of rules, showcases of brilliantly converted and painted miniatures, tutorials, battle reports, game lore, to products such as game fiction and files that hobbyists can download for use in the hobby. There are even a variety of special projects being conducted to explore various niche ideas. And all of this supports the basic mission of the site, to help each other to better understand and enjoy the hobby.

Nothing comes without cost, though. Obviously, the time and effort that you put into the hobby and the site are invaluable. In addition, our great team of moderators work hard to enforce the rules and keep things on an even keel, volunteering their time and effort without any compensation because they love the site and want to help the community. More tangibly, our yearly costs as they currently stand are $3,000 USD for site hosting and upkeep (roughly $250 a month).

If you'd like to know how you can help, see this discussion.

[Mazer Rackham]

As always, the members of the community came through to ensure that this great site remains available to support [s]our collective addiction to[/s] the hobby. In twelve days we raised $3,200 total raised. Meanwhile, our esteemed Brother Argos successfully negotiated a discount on the annual fee. Including taxes and additional fees, this year's cost was reduced down to $1,346.39. That leaves us with a balance of $1,853.61 for emergencies or rolling over for next year's fees (and we have more coming in all the time - I just received a $50 check from a member and another member has promised a $50 donation soon).

In addition, we have a little over $3,000 fenced off for the planned software update. We've been progressing very slowly on that front, but that progress has been ramped up considerably recently. That update should happen within the next few months (hopefully no more than the next six) and will bring some great additions to the site.

Lastly, we are working on some swag efforts for the community. These aren't fund raisers. Rather, they are nifty B&C merchandise products that members can use to show their service and loyalty to the site. For example, I've begun initial talks with a company about another B&C dice run, and we're exploring additional products as well (I don't want to promise anything on anyone else's behalf, just in case any of these things fall through).

Once again, thank you to everyone that contributed to the site's upkeep.

 

The B&C Staff