Community - New Blood

Since I’ve fully come to know and love the 40k hobby, one of my favorite things to do has been teaching new players how to play the game. Fresh players always bring a very fun perspective to the hobby. Instead of the focus on “math hammer,” they’re looking to play models that they think look cool. Story and theme drive their purchases, rather than buying units because the Internet tells them to do so. This isn’t to say that all veteran players behave this way, but it is interesting to see the focuses through which a new player perceives the game.

I was able to undergo this experience again last Sunday, when the owners of Gamer’s Arsenal in Sparta did a demo of the Dark Vengeance set. Each of them assembled and started to paint one of the forces, leading up to the demo itself. I brought some of my terrain collection in to the store, expecting to begin teaching at the structure of the turn. However, both of the owners were doing their homework in advance, as they already knew many of their units’ rules and equipment lists. We quickly jumped into the first turn of the game, and the dice rolls were underway.

A first-time game of Dark Vengeance.

By the time the game was over, several other people came over to the table and took part. They were moving units along with the owners and asking how certain factions worked. Brian and Josh accompanied me to the story, and we laid out models from several armies. We had several questions about factions, fluff, and how certain rules worked together.

In the end, I left with my gaming spirits lifted because a group of new players was eager to get started in the hobby. Never pass an opportunity in your own store to do this; you never know when you’re looking at the roots of a new gaming community.