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I feel like Warhammer 40k is the one fictional universe that doesn't have alot of female fans.

I don't think thats because its geared towards men either, i mean it undoubtedly was in the 80s, its probably the most "masculine" science fiction universe out there

but even "masculine" settings like Gears of War has alot of female fans, do you know any girls that are die hard 40k fans?

Like video games, there's probably a lot more than you think. They likely don't advertise their gender due to the hordes of mouthbreathing nerds who are infatuated with the idea of the mythical gamer girl.

I've only met a few female gamers over the years. In my observation girls are more likely to be interested in the hobby side rather than the gaming side compared to guys.

There's one at my FLGS. She does hobby more than play, but she does get some games in occasionally.

There's another girl who showed up once, but, well... Showed up once.

And there's the girlfriend of one of the regular players, who does painting, but no playing.

I'm sure this has been discussed a lot before, but for me, I think there's only one who plays and paints regularly in the shop. It's mostly lads playing

First response got the thread.

 MarsNZ wrote:
Like video games, there's probably a lot more than you think. They likely don't advertise their gender due to the hordes of mouthbreathing nerds who are infatuated with the idea of the mythical gamer girl.

Unlike a video game it's somewhat harder to hide your gender when you're playing face to face with someone

Yes there are girls.

I don't know any that play at the "local" stores (which are all now 2 hours drive away from me), but I have known a handful of female 40k players over the years. Two played Tyranid (4th/5th ed), two played Dark Eldar (5th Ed) and one played a custom chapter of Vanilla Space Marines over the span of three or four editions.

Of all of them, however, I don't know any that spent more time than was strictly necessary in the local stores to buy things, instead choosing to play at home (theirs or a friend's) rather than pick-up games. The culture in a lot of stores can be pretty toxic.

Last time I was in the FLGS on a Saturday, I went to check out a massive Apocalypse game that featured a professionally painted FW Warlord. The rest of the place (and it ain't small) was literally full of older women playing some damn card game (and, for the record, I ain't young). So many they had to set up a table outside. Most women I've ever seen in a game store, and not one under 60. Good for them.

LightKing wrote:
I feel like Warhammer 40k is the one fictional universe that doesn't have alot of female fans.

I don't think thats because its geared towards men either, i mean it undoubtedly was in the 80s, its probably the most "masculine" science fiction universe out there

but even "masculine" settings like Gears of War has alot of female fans, do you know any girls that are die hard 40k fans?

Well we have an ork player who is a girl. She's building up her Waaaaagh, which is quite cool.

We also have TWO players whose wifes plays but both generally only plays against their husbands. I have played one of them though several times and she attended our Elvensword Ambassadorial GT two years ago.

There were three that played at the last Guardian Cup. One is actually a guy who thinks he's a girl or maybe had the surgery or whatever so i dont know if he/she counts? He/She does well though as Dark Eldar. One has a unicorn converted Space Wolf list, and I fought her. The last one played Chaos Daemons i believe.

So I dont know if its just here where I play but girls are playing.

LightKing wrote:

but even "masculine" settings like Gears of War has alot of female fans, do you know any girls that are die hard 40k fans?

It isn't just the setting as much as it is the factor that you dont want to be the one girl in a room filled with slightly awkward guys. In a same way that it is hard to get girls into a all guy bar.

None at all.
We have one female person in our facebook group, but up to some general comments she never shows up.

 oldzoggy wrote:

LightKing wrote:

but even "masculine" settings like Gears of War has alot of female fans, do you know any girls that are die hard 40k fans?

It isn't just the setting as much as it is the factor that you dont want to be the one girl in a room filled with slightly awkward guys. In a same way that it is hard to get girls into a all guy bar.

I think it's this, pretty much. I love tabletop 40k but even I view going to gaming clubs as a necessary evil, and if I can't get one of my friends to go with me I generally don't bother. There are a few good apples at these places, to be sure, but beyond that it's a pretty awkward crowd to be in.

If you lurk on the interwebs you'll find plenty of female fans of the setting though. Lots of the artists who contribute stuff to /tg/ are female.

FWIW, my girlfriend and I have never played 40k before but are in the process of picking up the hobby. So, +1 in the girl column.

We don't know what we'll be playing yet - still reading the lore. But, I'm leaning heavily in favor of space marines, and she's leaning heavily towards being a god of chaos and controlling demons. Which I find both hilarious and very interesting.

None here. They generally like board games more.

My wife plays Blood Bowl and is a figure painter.




Automatically Appended Next Post:
My wife plays Blood Bowl and is a figure painter.

The first two game shops it was actually pretty even in terms of girls and boys at the shop.

And they're not the generic "hollywood geek girl" types either. They came from all walks of life.

Even among my circle of friends a lot of girls show more interest towards 40k than guys do.

I do not know of any locally beyond one of the staff at the local GW and myself.

It has not bothered me too much though. I have been blessed with mostly players who look at me as another player instead of a potential conquest, and as an equal. This was definitely not the case everywhere else (Call of Duty was fun but its community was a nightmare. Last time I used voice chat.)

I do not like drawing too much attention to it; in fact, it annoys me a bit when others make a big deal out of it for attention.

 Psienesis wrote:

Of all of them, however, I don't know any that spent more time than was strictly necessary in the local stores to buy things, instead choosing to play at home (theirs or a friend's) rather than pick-up games. The culture in a lot of stores can be pretty toxic.

Yeah, this. this is me.

With one notable exception, every female I've ever seen at a FLGS plays CCG or RPG. More LARP than anything else, oddly enough.

Saw one 40K woman once, had what may be the second most horrific paint scheme I've ever seen on Space Marines.

I see quite a few womenfolk in game stores, but almost none playing 40K. The few I do are normally being shepherded by their boyfriends...and I get the feeling they're not interested in the game, but are spending time with their guy.

40K is a hard sell to most women. Historically women don't go gaga for armed conflict. Space operas? Sure. Movie-based stuff? Sure. Vampires? Apparently hell yes. Catching animated animals and imprisoning them in Kinder Eggs? Yep.

There's not much backstory behind 40K, beyond the "there is only war" etc. It's not an adventure game, or a science game, etc. It's just a wargame. I would imagine the ones attracted to the game would be on the hobby side.

I know one female in my 20+ years of gaming who genuinely likes wargames. Loads of others who'll gladly play boardgames, etc. though.

One at my store who plays Space Wolves.

...

Are her Space Wolves half royal purple and half Bengal Tiger stripe with golden helmets?

none at all

I personally know two women who play, and my wife is also voicing interest in the game as well recently, at least for Kill Team anyway.

The vast majority I've met and play against are male around here but there is a smattering of female players about.

Take it easy.

-Red__Thirst-

 Elbows wrote:
I see quite a few womenfolk in game stores, but almost none playing 40K. The few I do are normally being shepherded by their boyfriends...and I get the feeling they're not interested in the game, but are spending time with their guy.

40K is a hard sell to most women. Historically women don't go gaga for armed conflict. Space operas? Sure. Movie-based stuff? Sure. Vampires? Apparently hell yes. Catching animated animals and imprisoning them in Kinder Eggs? Yep.

There's not much backstory behind 40K, beyond the "there is only war" etc. It's not an adventure game, or a science game, etc. It's just a wargame. I would imagine the ones attracted to the game would be on the hobby side.

I know one female in my 20+ years of gaming who genuinely likes wargames. Loads of others who'll gladly play boardgames, etc. though.

It's not that women don't have an interest. it's that they are judged negatively when they do.

 Crimson Devil wrote:

It's not that women don't have an interest. it's that they are judged negatively when they do.

That's a misconception.

 Crimson Devil wrote:



It's not that women don't have an interest. it's that they are judged negatively when they do.

So are men, to be fair

Of all the "nerdy" hobbies, tabletop wargaming is, in my experience, the one with less females compared to Videogames or RPGs, but they are there.