Bourbon and Bolters bundles hotels, food, and tournament fees all into one luxury Warhammer-style retreat that stacks up the convention value.
It’s Friday night at a big convention. You’re starving, waiting in line for overpriced pizza, juggling your dice bag and a lukewarm soda. The hotel is three blocks away, and you’re splitting a double queen with three other players. Tomorrow you’ll have to fight for table space with hundreds of other players, and scramble for a meal or a break between rounds.
Now swap that with this: you’ve just wrapped a full day of games on curated tables. Dinner is chef-prepared, paired with a glass of bourbon. Afterward, you kick back in a private lounge, maybe jump into a D&D one-shot, or draft some Magic before heading upstairs to your private suite.
No stress or anxieties here, just the best week of your hobby life. That’s what you’ll get with Bourbon and Bolters, and now year two is on the way with upgraded food, drinks, classes, and more open gaming time; the whole retreat is already leveling up.
Bourbon and Bolters Year One Feedback Was Strong
Updated on June 23rd, 2026, by Rob Baer with the latest information, year two updates, and price comparisons.
The first Bourbon and Bolters event did exactly what a premium Warhammer 40k retreat needs to do, and made people feel like the hobby weekend was actually worth the trip, the ticket, and the time away from home.
From what we saw online, players praised the luxury accommodations, the overall quality of The Black Stallion, and the hospitality-first setup that made the whole thing feel less like a grindy tournament weekend and more like a real Warhammer 40k retreat. Perhaps best of all, the food and beverages were an incredible improvement over the usual event standard.
The classes, events, and instructor-led sessions were most often the highest-rated parts of the experience. Attendees valued getting one-on-one direct time with experienced players and hobby experts, whether they were picking up painting tricks, tactical advice, or just soaking in the kind of community vibe that’s hard to build in a crowded convention hall.
Overall, year one was a community-driven Warhammer 40,000 retreat experience that stood out from the usual convention grind.
Bourbon and Bolters Year Two Is The Level Up
For year two, Bourbon and Bolters is taking what worked in year one and adding more of the good stuff. The event already nailed the luxury Warhammer 40k retreat vibe, so the upgrades are aimed at making the week feel even smoother, more flexible, and useful for players who want to get more out of their hobby, while still having an actual vacation.
Some of the year two enhancements include:
- Expanded bar program with more beverage options and upgraded offerings
- Enhanced breakfast menu to start each day off right before the dice start rolling
- More open gaming time throughout the week
- More chances for pickup games, casual play, and relaxed list testing
- Additional hobby time for painting, building, and hanging out with the community
- Expanded class schedule with more educational content
- Increased instructor availability for direct access to expert coaching
- Greater focus on helping attendees build skills both on and off the tabletop
Basically, year two sounds like Bourbon and Bolters looked at the parts attendees loved most and said, “Cool, let’s do more with those.” The result is more time to play, learn, hobby, and more reasons to treat this like the Warhammer vacation it was built to be.
Bourbon and Bolters: Breaking Down the Value
Sure, the $3,950 ticket might make you blink, until you compare it to what most players already drop on a big event week:
- Hotel for six nights: $1,500+
- Meals, snacks, drinks: $800+
- Con badges and tickets: $300+
- Bar tabs and rideshares: $400+
- Stress, noise, and waits: priceless in the wrong ways
That’s over $3,000 before factoring in luxury accommodations, pro-led workshops, and a curated community. Bourbon & Bolters pulls it all together with no hidden costs, food court chaos, or uncomfortable folding chairs.
What Sets Bourbon and Bolters Apart
This isn’t just another Warhammer event. It’s a full retreat designed for players who want their hobby to feel as polished as their armies.
- Six nights in a luxury Outer Banks estate
- All meals, snacks, and open bar
- Narrative Crusade campaigns and RTT
- Daily professional workshops, tactics classes, and hobby classes
- VIP swag bag and special offer codes for select products
- Evening Activities included D&D, Magic, pick-up games, poker, etc.
- A community of players who care about good games and good vibes
Forget Monster cans on wobbly tables. This is the 40k equivalent of upgrading from a rusty Rhino to a Land Raider with leather seats and drink service.
The Hobby Dream Team for Bourbon and Bolters
At Bourbon and Bolters, you’re not just rolling dice; you’re learning from a stacked lineup of hobby experts:
- Brent from Goobertown Hobbies and Casey from eBay Miniature Rescues are dropping army-painting speed hacks and enamel symbol stamping magic.
- Kenny Boucher from Next Level Painting, the airbrush wizard himself, is showing off tricks that’ll make your army pop.
- Jack Harpster from Art of War is covering the tactics and lore side of the hobby.
- Mike Haspil, spinning narrative gold in Crusade games while joining hobby projects like a true bard of the tabletop.
This is basically the Avengers of the miniature painting and gaming scene, except their superpowers involve pigments, dice rolls, and winning RTTs.
Bourbon and Bolters Hits at the Perfect Time for 11th Edition 40k
With Warhammer 40k’s 11th Edition still in its early stages during the event, Bourbon and Bolters has a pretty strong timing advantage. New editions are always that weird mix of hype, confusion, hot takes, and “wait, does this combo actually work now?”
So having a week-long retreat built around structured learning, hands-on games, and direct access to experienced instructors and competitive players is a huge win for anyone trying to get their footing before the broader meta fully settles in.
That makes the event more than just a luxury 40k getaway. It’s a chance to build a real foundation in the new edition while actually playing, testing, asking questions, and getting coached by people who know how to separate solid strategy from week-one internet panic.
The Venue: The Black Stallion
Image Credit: Kees Outer Banks Luxury Rentals
Forget hotel ballrooms with bad lighting. Bourbon and Bolters takes place at The Black Stallion, a massive luxury estate in North Carolina’s Outer Banks.
We’re talking:
- Private rooms with ensuite baths
- Multiple bars, including a tiki bar by the pool
- Hot tubs, saunas, and game rooms
- Arcade machines, shuffleboard, fireplaces, and working Wi-Fi
Even boxcars sting a little less when there’s a hot tub waiting upstairs.
Bourbon and Bolters is All-Inclusive
Every Bourbon and Bolters ticket includes six nights in private rooms, all meals catered, and an open bar. Morning coffee, bourbon at night, and snacks whenever you feel like it.
Each attendee gets their own space, no futons, no fighting for showers, no awkward CP reroll discussions while waiting in line for a bathroom.
And the food? Forget microwaved burritos. It’s chef-prepared meals every day, the kind that fuels long days of gaming without sending you into a food coma.
Final Thoughts from us About Bolter and Bolters
Coming off a critically successful first year, Bourbon and Bolters is continuing to refine its mix of luxury hospitality, hobby education, and premium gaming into something pretty rare: a destination Warhammer 40k event that helps you level up while still feeling like a vacation.
If you love the big convention energy and the chaos that’s part of that charm, cool, keep doing your thing. But if you’re tired of paying a small fortune just to sleep in a cramped room, eat sad food, and play in a fluorescent ballroom that smells like energy drinks and regret, this is the opposite experience.
So yeah, this is a luxury retreat for people who take their hobby seriously and want to treat themselves like it. If that sounds like you, grab a ticket before it sells out and start planning which army gets the “I’m on vacation” glow-up.
Get Your Bourbon and Bolters Tickets Here!
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