Two armies clash, two generals test their strategic and tactical skills, and one emerges victorious.

Then they shake hands, pack away the soldiers, and make a donation to the Langley Food Bank.

This weekend, a Langley games store will host a charity tournament for players of the popular Warhammer game system.

"It's the most popular tabletop war game in the world," said organizer Chris Jones.

The gaming enthusiast is now turning his hobby into an event to help the community, by hosting a twoday Warhammer tourney this weekend, which will donate its proceeds to the Langley Food Bank.

With the 52 spaces for the tournament sold out, the event - dubbed, "Foodhammer" - has already raised more than $1,000, and organizers are also encouraging players to drop off non-perishable food or cash donations if they want to help further.

As well, members of the general public are being invited to GameStars to check out the hobby and make donations of their own.

The tourney proved popular very quickly, and is drawing people from around the province.

"I think we've got some people coming from the Island, and some from the Interior," said Kevin McGill, who is helping organize the event.

The event is being hosted by GameStars, a new store that opened six months ago on the Langley Bypass.

"It was something I definitely wanted to be a part of," said owner Dan Deresh.

"I have actually had to use the food bank, many years ago," he said, adding that he understands the importance of helping keep it going.

Games like Warhammer go back about 200 years, to the era of Napoleonic warfare in Europe.

Originally, tabletop wargames were a training tool, developed in the early 19th Century to teach young military officers how to manoeuvre units of cavalry, infantry, and artillery on the battlefield.

Dice were rolled to simulate the uncertainty of combat, with stronger units having advantages over weaker ones.

By the 20th Century, the wargames had evolved into a popular hobby.

Science fiction author H.G. Wells wrote one of the first manuals for the game with Little Wars in 1913, based on a spontaneous game he played with fellow author Jerome K. Jerome using common tin soldiers.

Fantasy elements crept in during the latter half of the century as hobbyists wanted to play with elements other than Napoleonic armies or the legions of Rome.

Warhammer is one of the longest-running and most successful of the fantasy wargames. Based in England, Games Workshop has created fantasy and science fiction variants, as well as games based on The Lord of the Rings trilogy, computer games, and tie-in novels.

Units may seem familiar - a knight on horseback, an archer in chain mail - or they may be more unusual. Warhammer Fantasy includes armies composed of humans, elves, dwarves, orcs, humanoid lizards, zombies and vampires. The science fiction variant involves a wide variety of aliens and robots.

Creating an army for Warhammer can take a lot of work.

Each soldier or unit is represented by a small plastic or metal figurine that can be moved around the gaming area. Players collect dozens or hundreds of the figures, and spend hours painting them.

In addition, players will create, alone or cooperatively, miniature terrain. Bombed out ruins, trees, castles, and small hills will dot the tabletop to provide extra complications for the battles.

Once play commences, each player tries to wipe out the opposing force or seize key objectives first. Because of the fantastic nature of the game, weapons may include swords, lances, and firearms, alongside psychic attacks, flying tanks, and the flaming breath of a dragon.

Jones and his friend and fellow gamer Kevin McGill organized the tourney through A-Club, their local Warhammer organization.

The impetus to turn it into a fundraiser came from Jones' son.

He's just started Grade One, and some of his fellow students are on the free lunch program, and their families rely on the Food Bank.

"We can afford to have this hobby," Jones said. If he and his fellow gamers are lucky enough to have disposable income, they ought to help people out, he said.

"The food bank always needs a bit of a helping hand towards Christmas," he added.

He has also been inspired by other gaming-related charities that have helped out organizations like Doctors Without Borders in recent years.

The tourney will see 26 games played each on Saturday and Sunday, with science fiction on Saturday and fantasy on Sunday.

Several gaming stores from around the Lower Mainland have contributed prizes for the winners, local restaurants are helping out with food, and even Games Workshop, the maker of Warhammer, threw in some items, collected while Jones was recently in England. A silent auction is planned for some rare items and books, including a signed novella set in the Warhammer universe.

Anyone who wants to check out the game play or drop off a donation can visit GameStars Saturday or Sunday, at 19860 Langley Bypass.

Play starts at 10 a.m. both days, and runs until 7: 30 p.m. on Saturday and until 6 p.m. on Sunday. Prizes for victory in the tournament and for painting skill will be handed out at the end of each day's play.

mclaxton@langleyadvance.com