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Hello all! I'm reaching out for some help here. I'm trying to get my girlfriend- who has absolutely no experience with ANY type of gaming- to get into Warhammer 40k. I mean she literally has no experience... I texted her at work one day and asked her if she'd ever play a role playing game. She asked if I was watching porn or something. xD
Since WH40K is really complex (and kind of inelegant), I was thinking of starting her out on something simpler, easier.
I was thinking Mage Knights. I played it when it first came out, and it was ok. Fast paced, easy to learn. And it's really cheap- you can buy a random case of 200 figures for like $75 on ebay, so it'd be easy to get into. Does anyone have any ideas of any other mini games that might work? I don't have experience with anything other than MK and WH40K, so I'm at a loss. The goal is to get her into WH40K, and then maybe into an actual roleplaying game. Any advice would be awesome and greatly appreciated! Thanks peeps

If the goal is 40k or a roleplaying game, then start with those.

Just start with a small game of 40k - maybe 500pts. It may be complex, but you are there to keep her right.

Just don't go smashing her army to bits. Maybe even throw a game or two, or start with a penalty (like you get 350pts to her 500 or something).

If someone feels they have done ok the first time, they are a lot more likely to want to play again. After a few wins, she'll get cocky, THEN you can smash her army to bits.

To be honest, I think she might have more fun Roleplaying. Thats how I got my girl into liking roleplaying games so much. She saw me writing down a script and events. And she loved it.

 Bat Manuel wrote:
If the goal is 40k or a roleplaying game, then start with those.

I think this is good advice.

For 40k, maybe make two 500 point armies, or have her pick out one model that she likes and then make the army list around it. Run her through a small skirmish.

For RPG, perhaps have some pregenerated characters and run her through a couple of scenarios. If she likes it, show her how to make a character and then start a campaign with her and some friends?

I started my missus off on roleplay, we pretended she was an irate Rhinoceros and was the dominant male, I had to goad her with my horn (I duct taped a boxing glove to a broom shank) for an hour until she was exhausted and then I savagely mounted her.

It was a straight downhill into 40k after that, although she was a little disappointed in the kosher version for some reason.

I recommend RPGS, Im not sure why, But females seem to love it. MAybe its because, unlike wargames, you are forced to interact with people on a different level.

I take it back. Take Mattyrm's approach. Only if she's not into Rhinos, try French Maid.

 mattyrm wrote:
I started my missus off on roleplay, we pretended she was an irate Rhinoceros and was the dominant male, I had to goad her with my horn (I duct taped a boxing glove to a broom shank) for an hour until she was exhausted and then I savagely mounted her.

It was a straight downhill into 40k after that, although she was a little disappointed in the kosher version for some reason.

This seems like the most logical approach..

40k Kill team? Isn't that still a thing?

Alternatively a good way to get people into the hobby is to get them to find a model they like then stick it and a paintbrush in their hands.

 jonolikespie wrote:
40k Kill team? Isn't that still a thing?

Alternatively a good way to get people into the hobby is to get them to find a model they like then stick it and a paintbrush in their hands.

The Battle Missions book that came out in 5th Edition had kill team rules in it. Should be easily adoptable for 6th.

Women, at least the ones I know, like RPG's better then say warhammer because the RPG is more open, one of my friends wanted an army of all dragons and since you can't do that, she refused to play...

Or, find a game where she can help you with your army (she gets command of some of the units, etc).

Ok, lots of good advice here. Im not sure telling my gf that she's going to pretend to be a rhino is legit though... She might take offense (on the other hand.. I get to beat her with a broom...). :p
She is open to the idea of playing, but she is demanding "pink soldiers". Pretty pink soldiers at that.. We are going to go to one of the gaming stores around here this weekend so she can see the various armies and figurines... We shall see.
I think the rpg element would be easier to introduce too, especially the Vampire the Masquerade/ Requiem stuff. She likes all that goth/ pagan crap. (I have yet to tell her that humanity is ran by a Pseudo-Catholic Church in WH40K- Death to the Heretics!)
Thanks for the advice people... I'll see if I can find a rpg group around here.

Well he's how stuff started at my house, she had played monopoly, life and gak like that. So it went Ticket to Ride -> Agricola -> Chaos in the old World and now she has tried 3 different fantasy armies, and can't decide.

 mattyrm wrote:
I started my missus off on roleplay, we pretended she was an irate Rhinoceros and was the dominant male, I had to goad her with my horn (I duct taped a boxing glove to a broom shank) for an hour until she was exhausted and then I savagely mounted her.

It was a straight downhill into 40k after that, although she was a little disappointed in the kosher version for some reason.

Do you make an easy video series good sir? also will a snapped plunger handle work as well?

 mattyrm wrote:
I started my missus off on roleplay, we pretended she was an irate Rhinoceros and was the dominant male, I had to goad her with my horn (I duct taped a boxing glove to a broom shank) for an hour until she was exhausted and then I savagely mounted her.

It was a straight downhill into 40k after that, although she was a little disappointed in the kosher version for some reason.

Must resist re...ply..ing....

It's tangents like this that so often get my quick reply function taken away. Keep up the good work matty.

OT, having the mrs involved would be the last thing I'd want. I go to the games club to get away, don't need her following me there; telling me "his army is bigger than yours" "why do your games finish so quickly, Fred goes on for hours" etc.

Anyway she never laughs at the mother-in-law jokes that always get told during post match beers!


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Now I think on it I'm quite impressed that I avoided the prostitution response to the title.....the answer to that is crack I believe.

Oh, this is easy, start with fun cute stuff.

I got my fiancee liking Igor (a cute card game), now she plays Munchkin all the time, and has a Kings of War Elf army.

Everybody's different but this is how I taught my wife to play 40k.

First I asked her if she was interested in painting some minis, we went over the lore and appearance of each race and she thought Orks were hilarious ( this might partially explain her affinity for me ) and looked like fun to paint. After a month or so of painting up her Waaagh I asked if she'd like to learn to play.The fact she felt invested in them from all that time painting really helped piqué her interest in the game.

I originally planned to play a 500 point game to teach her the basics, but I decided against it as even at that level there is a ton of info to digest. I also thought in the early going it would be good to remove the competitive element.

So I designed a survival mode scenario. I gave myself a single tactical squad with a missile and flamer. Then each turn she would get a wave of Orks to attack my squad. This way she could learn how things worked one at a time. As we got further in I started adding vehicles and jump infantry. It was a great way to learn the mechanics of the game without feeling overwhelmed.

The important thing is that she gets what she wants from the game, not what you want her to get from the game. A lot of women gamers I know tend to prefer very casual gaming and RPGs, nothing remotely competitive. In mtg that's commander, emperor and casual games, not standard or any tournaments. In 40k it's more skirmish gaming or not even 40k at all but other smaller game, and lots play pen and paper RPGs.

Thinking about it, something like Super Dungeon Explore might be good.

There's some good advice here, and if you want to get your girlfriend to game, follow them.

I'd recommend against it, however. Unless she's interested, why would you want to encourage her to get involved in that area of your life? If you don't have time to game because you're always with her, that's a problem that should be solved by setting and keeping boundaries, not by trying to get her to play with you.

Dont' get me wrong, shared interests are great, and it's good to have stuff you both like. But I really think that a good long term relationship should leave room for each person to have their own hobbies.

 mattyrm wrote:
I started my missus off on roleplay, we pretended she was an irate Rhinoceros and was the dominant male, I had to goad her with my horn (I duct taped a boxing glove to a broom shank) for an hour until she was exhausted and then I savagely mounted her.

It was a straight downhill into 40k after that, although she was a little disappointed in the kosher version for some reason.

Matty, this is why I missed your posts

Get some models for her and help her to put them together than paint them. Let her choose the colours style etc and help her with any fluff surrounding her army. This will make the models hers and make it easier for her to step into an actual game.

Then, play small games and don't use the full ruleset. Just use all the basic rules (movement, shooting, assault) until she's comfortable and then start introducing more complexity.

This is how I started my fiancée off and now she has an Eldar force that's larger than my DA Army! (for now.. muahaha)

 themourningstar wrote:
She is open to the idea of playing, but she is demanding "pink soldiers".

Check my gallery for pink soldiers

I would suggest starting her on Space Hulk. Its relatively easy to play (though a hefty chunk of change) and it has gotten a lot of people into 40K.

Ive played exactly 3 games with my gf. She got pissed and quit every time. I just had the AoBR box at the time, and I would gunline my Marines (who were Smurfs at the time LOLZEAL) and mow down the Orks. I tried to explain things would get very bad for me when the hit my lines and she had strength in numbers but getting the Boyz mowed down was demoralizing I guess. I started building up the Orks to help and equal the unfair SM AoBR advantage, got a Trukk and some Bikes, she still quit. But she has promised to play Space Hulk.

So yeah. Thats my experience. Good luck

I would suggest RPGs.

My wife, as a treat, agreed to play a beginners game with me at my flgs - it was awesome, the manager there is fantastic for bringing it to life as the game unfolds, which made it more enjoyable for her.

Sadly she hasn't got in to the game at all for whatever reason, though she did enjoy the game as delivered by Tris (flgs manager). From personal experience I recommend starting here.

I started 40K because my boyfriend was into it. But it was more a case of me wanting a new hobby, seeing what he was doing and wanting to join in. It took me a little while to find an army I liked, but now I'm really into it.

As for pink soldiers, I'm working on some EC possessed marines that are all pretty and pink.

My wife loves the Tyranids (and the Dragons for WHF), so I let her paint them.

Then we started playing Space Hulk and she loved that game...as long as she got to be the Tyranids.

Tyranids are cute.

 Polonius wrote:
There's some good advice here, and if you want to get your girlfriend to game, follow them.

I'd recommend against it, however. Unless she's interested, why would you want to encourage her to get involved in that area of your life? If you don't have time to game because you're always with her, that's a problem that should be solved by setting and keeping boundaries, not by trying to get her to play with you.

Dont' get me wrong, shared interests are great, and it's good to have stuff you both like. But I really think that a good long term relationship should leave room for each person to have their own hobbies.

This is an incredibly wise post. Follow it.