While I did not have a chance to know Ross personally, I did know him loosely through his connection with Warpshadow. Tyranids were my first real Warhammer 40,000 army after a failed attempt at playing Tau, and my first real love (as the 8,500 points of them in my studio would attest). As a result, Warpshadow was my first introduction into the internet world of Warhammer 40,000, almost four years ago. As a long time regular of Warpshadow and one who associated with it closely for a long time, I came to respect the internet community that it was. Critics told me that it was too highly-moderated; too strict. It was quite the opposite, in fact:
It was a place where love for the army and the hobby itself could be expressed in the most unrefined way possible, where ideas and theories could be experimented with without being distracted by other concerns. It was a true Warhammer community, where the most dedicated gathered to pool their efforts and their work, and it was all due to the unending dedication of Mr. Nickle.
As Tyranids were my first honest-to-goodness army, they quickly jumpstarted my Warhammer 40,000 career. I had been playing Warhammer Fantasy and Lord of the Rings for years before stepping into the sci-fi universe, but the Tyranid army was the first that I really felt for wholeheartedly. I can safely say that the success of my Tyranids is due entirely to the Warpshadow community that Mr. Nickle created. Were it not for their guidance and respect, I would not have continued with the army. When it all comes down to it, I can probably attribute dozens, maybe even hundreds of events in my hobby to Warpshadow. Without the demonstration of his strict moderating technique, perhaps I would not have recognized the importance to good leadership and moderation in my own club, Battle-Gaming of Massachusetts, and I certainly would not have taken the oppurtunity to become a moderator in the premier Vampire Counts forum, Carpe Noctem. Without the steady guidance of the Warpshadow painters, offering helpful advice and putting up with my then garish paintjobs, this site and my services would probably not exist. Defenitely, without the help and support of the Warpshadow community, my Tyranids would not be half so large, and would most likely not be the feared force that they are today.
My heart goes out to Mr. Nickle's friends and family, those most most touched by his loss. The website he started should not be forgotten either, and his dedication to it allowed it to become the largest Tyranid site on the internet, the most reliable resource for players of that army. In this way, Ross Nickle has aided thousands of hobbyists across the world, and that should not be forgotten. I sincerely hope that his legacy, Warpshadow, does not die with him, and that it perseveres, and evolves in his absence. R.I.P, Ross Nickle.
