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So, I bought Black Reach for my nephew's 9th Birthday, and we, and then he, spent the day happily building it - with considerably more skill than his 12 yr old brother, who plays eldar. We'd held off buying anything for the elder till he was 11, and so there's an element of the younger just wanting to be like his big brother.

One of my other friends picked up a copy for his 7 yr old, who's just not interested in the slightest (mind you I just think he wanted the bitz, personally). I started getting dragged into GW when I was 8 after a friend brought some epic knights into school: soon, we were all at it (and some of us never escaped, or get dragged back in more than 2 decades later).

Black Reach has a 12+ on it; so, when is the right age to get in to the hobby? What's other folks' experience?

that really depends on the kid. When I was around 7 or 8 (I think... maybe 10... memory's abit fuzzy), I wish someone had told me about 40k, because I spent many hours making up similar games, using space ships built out of legos. of course it was crude as hell, but whatever, it was fun for me....

I would have said 12+ for an average child.

The models are not designed as well as Airfix etc for building, and the rules are fairly long and complicated.

Obviously your young nephews are brighter than average.

Probably 7th or 8th grade, mate.

Sorry to be mean or anything, since I'm not trying to be, but they won't be able to paint for their lives, and half the fun of the hobby is painting.

Let alone having them understand the rulebook...I'm 23 and I still don't have the grips to the rulebook completely, and I've read it more than 9 times over by now XD.

I used to play Battletech when I was like 10 and I knew all the rules from head. Like Horst says, it really depends on the kid.

The hobby aspect seems to be the real barrier IMHO. If I would had warhammer when I was a kid I would be definately very skimpy about that part

Definitly dependes on the kid.

My brother who is 11 has the opposite problem

He loves his Crons and painting them(He's pretty good too) but he dosen't like playing with them all that much.
probibly because he always loses. I try to get him to read the articles about Necron tactics, but he dosen't want to.

I would say 8-9 . Btw karon some young players are extremely good painters i came 2nd in a painting competition when i was 7 and alot of people can be good at rules and what not. (I fail alot unless its guard)
But as many people are saying its depends on the kid,person,fishman,alien or anything else that can paint and role dice.

Like others have said, its hard to pick a single age that fits every kid. It really depends on the child itself. Based on personal experience I would have to say in the 11-12 range.

Karon wrote:Probably 7th or 8th grade, mate.

Sorry to be mean or anything, since I'm not trying to be, but they won't be able to paint for their lives, and half the fun of the hobby is painting.

Let alone having them understand the rulebook...I'm 23 and I still don't have the grips to the rulebook completely, and I've read it more than 9 times over by now XD.

Half the adults I see can't paint for their lives, so it's not an age thing

It's about practice.

Personally though, I'd say do it when they start showing an interest. Even if you have to use a set of house rules for playing a dumbed down version of 40k with your younger nephews/children--so what? You just teach them the real rules later on, when they actually start to want to play in tournaments or the like.

My near six year old (end of Jan) wants to play now, but I know its a little early for him.

I might consider getting him his first army (well 500-1000pts) for Christmas next year as it is quite possible he'll be ready.

He already plays Star Wars Mini's and now Warcraft Minis with me, (basic rules mind you) and we have had a 500pt Orks V's Marines battle.

He loves it though, number of times I find him flicking through the pile of White Dwarfs in the bathroom is quite surprising for his age.

He already Knows what army he wants as well, Necrons. Which is made me chuckle as I don't really like the figures, thus I've never owned it. (something about the green plastic more than anything, I'd want red.)

Well, I'd say Necrons actually would be a great army to learn painting on. They're relatively easy to do well, and the models lend themselves to drybrushing/washes.

Oh aye I agree. My negativity was based literally from a 'I wouldn't want them myself' stand point.

However if he wants them no worries.

Just remember:

Make sure he gets a buttload of Monoliths! And help him light them! Make it a family project

I actually not too long ago got my dad into 40k, but being the lazy git he is--he's had me painting all his characters. I'd say making family paint time would be a fantastic way to spend an evening.

Necrons are prehaps the best beginner army.

simple codex, No/few upgrades to worry about

Awsome fluff

mildly powerful

easy to paint

decent units

the look like Terminators(governator varity )

I gave it a go at 9 But .... .... There was a downside : ( , I cut off a large chunk of flesh from the top of my finger lol so just watch them with knives !

It is so dependant on the kid that there is not really a right time to start, it does however require a certain maturaty. My onepiece of advice is that kid under 9 should start a dark eldar army, those fluff conversations might get kinda ackward.

Kanluwen wrote:Just remember:

Make sure he gets a buttload of Monoliths! And help him light them! Make it a family project

I actually not too long ago got my dad into 40k, but being the lazy git he is--he's had me painting all his characters. I'd say making family paint time would be a fantastic way to spend an evening.

I'll bear that in mind, even if it will probably hurt like hell on the tabletop. Hehe.

Oh and I have a feeling the painting side of things may happen with us intially as well, eventually I could see him painting his own stuff, but at seven it might be a bit young, no idea till we reach that point though.

I think since the models of AOBR are fairly easy to build, considering they're push-fits, 8+ for the modelling/painting part but the rules are so complicated i wouldn't recommend anyone under 13-14 to play it...just my

4th grade is about the youngest you could give the game to a random kid and expect them to be able to learn it. By 7th grade I could comprehend D&D quite well without instruction.

When I worked at GW, we had some kids who were too young for it at 12, and we had some kids who were better sportman and more eager than our vets.

I left it up their parents and their interest. My tagline to the parents: "Yes, it's expensive. But I'm still playing with models that I purchases 7 years ago, so it pays off in the long run."

Quite glad I started this now TBH, I'm not really expecting the younger to play much - though he has always been obsessed with board games, and really got stuck into Star Wars mini game (as relatively simple as that is) at 7. I think the older sibling thing is a factor - wanting to emulate your big brother and all that. The elder of my two nephews is lucky: just gone up to a high school which has a large and active wargaming club (v unusual for schools, over here at least in my experience) which also means he's developing a group of friends that extends to 17/18 yr olds. I don't think the social aspect of the hobby can ever really underestimated in that respect.

As for rules complexity: the quick start rules in AOBR aren't bad; still, I'd've liked something like the starter rules from Confrontation 4th/AT-43, where a series of linked scenarios introduce a couple of new rules at a time in a logical progression.

I'm 13,and only starting 40k.
My sister is 11 and she says that if she likes aobr she'll start 40k.(I'm nagging my dad to play,he said he doesn't have time,my reply:make time)
I'd say around the 12 year age bracket.

My son started playing Orks with AOBR just under a year back, when he was 8.5, and he's really been enjoying the game.

I would say that his interest started to stall a bit once his army got too big, as it meant games took longer. He got a bunch of stuff for his 9th birthday, including a Stompa -- enough to take his army over 3K points. We've scaled back a bit to usually have 1500 - 2000 pt games, though.

He's not great at painting, but my wife helps him out with that, as she really enjoys crafty/arty stuff (I help him make the minis & conversions, but am too busy painting my own armies to have much time to help paint his...).

I would say that stuff like Space Hulk, Necromunda, Gorkamorka, Mordheim, & Space Crusade are probably better bets for kids, though. Oh, and pick up Chaos Marauders from FFG.

Depends on the kid. My nephew is now 9, but we bought him his Necrons when he was 8. And let me tell you, he has a nerd lvl of at least a 13 14 year old. I mean he was making mage wands and such when he was like 6. HE loves them, he got in trouble for reading his codex during class lol. So yea, depends on the kid really

I think it depends on the kid, but I started painting models when I was 9 years old, and I loved it (still do). The game might be a bit overwhelming, but I think the painting aspect will be fun for anyone. I say give it a go, if anything you've got yourselves the startings of an Ork and SM army.

I started in sixth grade, myself... but I'm considered brighter than most.