Wage Warhammer with Battle for Atluma on PSP

Let's hope they never retrospectively discover that handling tiny lead goblins eventually makes your fingers drop off. If so legions of current and former British schoolboys of the nerdier persuasion – your writer included – are going to have to end their days sucking smoothies through straws and asking someone else to do up their buttons.

The particular charms of playing Warhammer on a tabletop covered in tiny fantasy armies – the unique aroma of fresh paint, pizza, and the B.O. of the bloke who always plays the Chaos hordes – it will never be perfectly recreated in digital form. And Namco Bandai's upcoming Warhammer: Battle for Atluma doesn't even try. Instead, it's a card-based game, based we're told on an existing paper version set in the Warhammer universe (we've never played it) but in principle familiar to fans of Yu-Gi-Oh and Magic the Gathering.

Due to launch in the US this Autumn – but yet to receive a European release date – Warhammer: Battle for Atluma is a traditional tale of good versus evil, and you get to play either side. Set in the game's Old World universe, you can battle against either the Grand Alliance (the goodies) or the Hordes of Darkness (conveniently named, given that they're the baddies).

The game will offer more than 400 digital cards to collect, trade and pit against your rivals in card-based battles.

But there's more, as John Whitmore of Namco Bandai Games America was thoughtful enough to share in the press release he sent us. "Warhammer: Battle for Atluma goes beyond simple player interaction and encourages an inclusive sense of community among players through head-to-head battles, card collecting, trading and strategy sessions," he enthused.

As you'd expect, the community Mr Whitmore is so excited about is enabled by multiplayer gameplay through PSP's wireless features, which enables you to battle your friends and trade cards without getting your fingers dirty.

According to the information we've received so far, it all sounds a bit of a thinking wargamer's affair. For instance, you have to be careful which battles you choose to fight if you're not to lead your army to irrevocable destruction; equally, a neat victory could win you some much needed new warriors from your vanquished foe.

You'll also have to apply some thought to constructing your custom army deck, since you can get your mitts (or at least your PSP's D-Pad) on more than 90 different units, whether by recruitment, conquest or trade.

Sounds a bit overwhelming? Then join us in the extensive tutorial system, which promises to have newbies competing like haggard old veterans with bad personal hygiene in no time.