In Nottingham, an army of tiny warriors is on the advance. Space Marines, Weirdboyz, Chaos Knights – and very small paint pots – are grabbing more territory as Games Workshop confirms plans for its fourth factory and buys land for two more to meet demand for its fantasy figurines.

It is the latest win for the designer and maker of miniature wargames – including the hit Warhammer franchise – which joined the FTSE 100 list of the UK’s leading companies shortly before Christmas. Its valuation has more than tripled in the past four years to just over £4.2bn – making it worth more than the airline EasyJet, the property firm British Land and the B&Q owner Kingfisher.

Started 50 years ago by three school friends, Games Workshop enjoyed a boom during the pandemic and has continued to thrive as hobbies and small treats that can be enjoyed at home have benefited from the cost of living squeeze.

It has also benefited from lucrative rights deals: signing up with Amazon last month to adapt its Warhammer 40,000 brand into films and television series and enjoying a big jump in licensing income from the launch of the Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 and Speed Freeks computer games.

The announcement about expanding manufacturing capacity came as Games Workshop reported on Tuesday a 20.9% rise in sales to £299.5m in the six months to 1 December, when profits soared by a third to £127m.

Admitting that it had struggled to keep enough stock of some products on its shelves, the company said it expected to open a new site at Easter Park by July, to expand its production of the paint its fans use to decorate their kit.

It has also secured planning permission for a fourth factory at its headquarters in Nottingham, which will be completed in summer 2026, and another nearby site for future expansion.