LATHAM, N.Y. – New York Army Guard Maj. Matthew Southard holds a doctorate in clinical psychology, has two master’s degrees, is a supervising psychologist for the New York Police Department, runs a sports psychology practice and is the state behavioral health officer for the New York Army National Guard.
He’s also “Matt Aaron,” the 2025 Warhammer 40,000 Hobby World Champion.
It’s a title he earned – for the third time in four years – after competing in multiple Warhammer tournaments across the country as a member of the U.S. Army’s official Esports Team.
In the world of Warhammer, this is a big deal.
Warhammer 40,000 is a 38-year-old tabletop hobby that involves building and painting miniature figures and fighting tabletop battles with them. The storyline resembles Dungeons and Dragons, but set in the far future with space marines, robots, elves, orks, tanks and blasters.
Southard said he started going by Matt Aaron as an inside joke between friends. He continues to use it as his “gamer tag” because it affords him some privacy. It helps to keep the two parts of his professional and personal life separate, he explained.
As a Warhammer celebrity, he appears on Warhammer YouTube videos and podcasts discussing the game. He also travels around the country to teach seminars on how to paint Warhammer figures.
Warhammer players often compete in large events for best general, best painter, best sport and sometimes a combination for best overall champion, Southard explained.
Southard said he got into the hobby at a young age. While he enjoyed playing the game, he was more drawn to the painting aspect of the game, Southard said.
But then life happened.
Southard earned degrees in psychology and biomedical science from the University of Buffalo.
He also pinned on his New York Army Guard second lieutenant bars through the Canisius University ROTC program.
Southard served in the 2nd Squadron, 101st Cavalry as a platoon leader and rear detachment troop executive officer, as a medical operations officer for the 27th Infantry Brigade Combat Team and as a behavioral health officer for the 427th Support Battalion’s medical company.
He earned a master’s in psychology from Adelphi University in late 2011, then deployed to the Middle East as the medical operations officer for the 27th Mobile Engagement Team.
Upon returning to NY, he completed his doctorate from the City University of New York.
While doing his residency at the Buffalo VA Medical Center, he met an old Warhammer buddy and got back into the hobby.
“The game is great social conduit in many ways,” Southard explained.
“I am a psychologist, and the painting side is my creative outlet. It is my therapy in a way,” he added.
After getting back into the hobby, he also found success entering his painted figures into professional painting competitions where hundreds of people take part.
He was first introduced to the Army Esports Team after running into a team member at one of those events. That team member convinced him to join the team to represent the Army while continuing to play, he said.
The Esports Team is part of the Army’s Marketing and Engagement Brigade. The team’s members play video games and tabletop games while representing the Army.
The goal is to expose people in the gaming community to Soldiers and the idea of joining the Army, Army Reserve or Army Guard, Southard explained.
The people who play video games and enjoy tabletop games have critical skills and aptitude that the Army needs for 21st-century warfare, he added.
Winning the championship meant competing in six nationally recognized tournaments. At the end of the season in November, total scores – based on both painting and generalship – are combined for yearly rankings.
In addition to combining his interests of figure painting and gaming, Southard is also able link in his psychology studies focused on the military and athletes. He now volunteers to help the Army Esports team members up their game, Southard said.
He gives players tools to help them channel their emotions while gaming, like sports psychologists working with professional athletes, Southard said.
“You’re trying to help athletes reach peak performance,” Southard said.
“It ties together several things I love to do,” Southard said.
Currently, Southard is using his behavioral health skills to help the almost 3,000 New York National Guard members on state active duty in the New York Department of Corrections mission.
The Soldiers and Airmen are working in this stressful situation to support and supplement an understaffed corrections officer force.
His job, Southard said, is to help them cope with the demands of the duty.
“My calling is to support military service members,” he said.
“I want to make sure these men and women get every help they deserve,” he added.